When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."
Today's Song of Praise is taken from Psalm 101 ( Ps 101:1, 24,29-30,34):
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
The earth is full of your creatures;
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Today's Epistle is from the 1st Letter of Pault to the Corinthians, beginning at the 12th Chapter, and the 3rd Verse (1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13):
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
+ A Reading from the Gospel of John, beginning at the 20th Chapter, and the 19th Verse (John 20:19-23):
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Almost anyone can learn a language or two. Talented folks five or six. Occasional prodigies a dozen or so.
But who can forgive sins? Before the Resurrection and Ascension, only God (that includes Jesus, of course).
But here in today's Gospel, Jesus say verly clearly and plainly: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." God here gives to men the power to forgive sins. No weasel-wording, no interpretation, just a plain, frank, statement of fact: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven."
Just by that, He fulfills the petiton of the Paslmist: "Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth." We are renewed in the Spirit, forgiven our sins -- and are assured that they are forgiven, because the Apostles forgave, and passed that Power to their disciples, and they to theirs, down to our own day.
We are absolutley assured of the forgiveness of sins, on the personal authority of Jesus Christ, who is God, the Second Person of the Trinity. He gave the power and authority to His Apostles -- told then to go out an forgive the sins of the whole world.
God said so -- it's in the Book, clear as day -- and I believe it.
Now I am not putting down
the Gift of Tongues -- it is a powerful thing (when it is real) and an
aid to Evangelization. It is not, however, a mark of holiness, nor
the exclusive proof of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
People can be taught fairly easily to mimic tongues -- and may even
work themselves up to believing that it is something meaningful from
the Spirit when it all truth it is just meaningless garble.
St. Paul , when he discusses tongues, lays down the dictum that no one is to speak in tongues publicly, unless there is someone there capable of interpreting what is said to those standing about. If someone wants to pray with a "prayer tongue" as it is called, let them go in the closet and babble and warble to their hearts' content.
There are other Gifts -- healing, discerment of spirits, wisdpom, prophecy, etc. -- although that last is not so much foretelling the future as saying: "If this goes on . . ." A careful study of the Old Testament prophets shows that they speak the Word of the Lord against the injustices and irreverence of their societies, and tell Israel that the Lord will not shield them from the effect of their sinfulness.
We, as Catholics, need to accept -- and seek -- the Gifts of the Spirit, in our journey towards bringing the whole world -- human and non-human -- to God as our gift to Him, in return for His gift of it to us. Let us pray then, that we will have the strength, talent, and Gifts to do a good job . . .
In the Name of the Father + And of the Son + And of the Holy Spirit + Amen.