READINGS: Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 103:1,24,29-31,34; 1 Cor 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23
THEME: Unless the Spirit of God fills us, We Cannot Speak in other Tongues
a. They were all together in one place.
As the disciples of Jesus were saddened that Jesus was leaving them to go back to the Father, knowing fully well that the disciples were not yet fully equipped for the mission of evangelization which he has charged them, Jesus promised them another Advocate, the Spirit who will lead them to the whole truth (John 14:16,26). In order to receive this Spirit, Jesus commanded his disciples ‘not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father’ (Acts 1:4).
Today’s first reading flows from this ‘waiting’ of the disciples for the gift of the Father, the promise of Christ. The Scripture says that ‘on the day of Pentecost, they were all together in one place.’(Acts 2:1). The Holy Spirit is always attracted by a community. Because it has a communal origin, that is, the Spirit of both the Father and the Son, it dwells and works in a community. The staying together of the disciples can be seen as being in communion with the Church.
b. Holy Spirit, the Common Gift for All.
The reading says that divided tongues like that of fire was seen on each and everyone of those who were together, waiting for the coming of the promise of Christ. And all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. In the community of believers, all are beneficiaries of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. No one is denied of this wonderful gift of God to his people. But we must be united with the community of believers for the Holy Spirit to take his possession in us.
The Holy Spirit has no face, but when he lives in us, we become his face in the world. And when we accept him, he incarnates his gifts in us. These gifts of the Holy Spirit to us become an extension of the Holy Spirit in us or a ministry of the Holy Spirit to us. A teacher is exercising a ministry of the Holy Spirit; a prophet is holding a ministerial office of the Holy Spirit. ETC.
Hence, no one should either boast of what he is, or play down what he has received because although different gifts, they are the different manifestations of the same Spirit. This is the point St. Paul raises in today’s second reading (1 Cor 12:3-7,12-13).
c. Holy Spirit, the Gift that Comes with Functionality
The Scripture says that the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other tongues, as the spirit gave them ability. Holy Spirit is a gift that comes with action from the receiver. It is not Spirit of fear and timidity but the Spirit that energizes the believers to speak, not of their own capacity but as directed by the same Spirit (cf 2 Tim 1:7).
The disciples could not resist the power of the Holy Spirit in them because the true Spirit of God is irresistible in functionality. As those in whom the Spirit of God dwells, we must be able to speak out in the face of injustice and evil, we must be ready to open our mouth and praise God’s gifts in others, and at the same time, condemn as evil, what is not in line with the commandment of love. We have not received the Spirit to be mute in the face of evil nor to be inactive but to be outspoken and active in bearing witness to the Truth, Christ himself.
d. Holy Spirit, the Unifying Gift
The disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in other languages and those who gathered were surprised because they were all hearing the disciples speaking their different languages. The Holy Spirit enables us to speak the language which other people can also understand.
It is not the Spirit of confusion or division but the Spirit that makes our words comprehensible to others because we have also learnt how to speak their languages, we have learnt to speak the language which everybody understands: the language of Love. The Language of Love, which is the very language of the Holy Spirit, does not need language school nor does it need lessons, examinations, and certificates, for one to be qualified to speak it.
It only needs an openness to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture says that the disciples were speaking in other tongues (languages), that means, the tongues (languages) were not their own languages.
Hence, they could not have been able to speak in those tongues if not
through the Holy Spirit now working in them. When we receive the Holy Spirit, they will no longer be the ones talking but the Spirit of God (cf Matt 10:20). The Language of love is not our language, that is why we can never effectively love nor genuinely show love if not through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Man is naturally selfish, but when the Spirit of God lives in man, he makes him to live also for other people, the Spirit makes us to speak in other people’s tongues. He makes us to be altruistic and concerned about other people’s needs and happiness.
e. The Spirit of Diversity, and not of Division
The Spirit made the disciples to speak in different tongues, thereby acknowledging and appreciating the existence of people of different tongues. The Holy Spirit did not make the disciples to speak only Latin such that whoever wants to understand them has to go and learn Latin. No…rather he recognized the diversity of people. But in these different tongues, the same one unified message is being spoken. The people themselves who were so happy to hear the disciples speaking their tongues, confessed: “in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” (Acts 2:11).
Hence, the diversity of tongues does not bring about division but a unified understanding and appreciation of co-existence. The Spirit of God does not bring about division, rather he uses what seems to be division in the eyes of men to bring about unity.
The diversity of culture, of lifestyles, of gifts, of languages, etc.,should not bring about division in our communities and in the world. We must learn how to appreciate the diversity that nourishes our human society.
Finally, my dearest friends, without the Holy Spirit, we cannot extend God’s forgiveness to others. The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the fire of God’s love such that even when we feel so wounded by others, we will always be the first to seek for peace, the same peace which Christ’s death and resurrection brought to us.
Fr. Nnamah Henry Chukwuezugo
Catholic Diocese of Aguleri