How we use the Gift of Tongues

Acts 2:1-11, John 20:19-23 (Pentecost, year B)

And they were all filled with the Holy Spiritand began to speak in different tongues,as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,but they were confusedbecause each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Whenever I hear this passage, taken from the account of Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles, I always think of the science fiction story, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. In this novel, the diverse inhabitants of the galaxy are able to communicate with one another thanks to a universal translator called a “babel fish”, which allows the user to understand and speak any language imaginable. The disciples’ ability to speak different languages is one of the most striking details of Pentecost. It is as though the disciples each received a complimentary “babel fish” along with the the gift of the Holy Spirit! Their newfound linguistic prowess had an obvious practical advantages: it aided them in their mission to preach the Gospel to all nations. In addition to its practical utility, the gift of tongues has a deeper meaning which reveals the significance of Pentecost in the history of salvation.

A primary consequence of sin is division among people. In fact, the English word “sin” comes from the German word for sin, “Sünde”.  From this, we also derive the word “sunder”, which means to tear apart or separate. Origen, one of the Church Fathers, explained simply, “where there is division, there is sin”. Disunity among people is marked by a breakdown of communication. The ancient story of the Tower of Babel powerfully illustrates this (Gen. 11:4-9). After the great flood, all humanity was unified in speaking a single language. Their unity was demonstrated by their ability to communicate freely. This all changed when the people decided to build a tower that reached into heaven. In doing this, the people sinned because they tried to put themselves - quite literally - on the same level as God. Because of this sin, the unity of the people was broken. Their languages became confused and they could no longer communicate. In our own lives we experience that sin brings about division. When someone hurts us, we pull back from communion with them. We no longer want to communicate with them as before. Sin causes division.

A primary consequence of the Holy Spirit is unity among people. The Holy Spirit is the perfect bond of love between the Father and the Son in the Trinity. Therefore, wherever the Holy Spirit is there is communion. Unity is achieved when there is affective communication. Some years ago I did some mission work in Tijuana, Mexico. When I first moved there I spoke no Spanish. Because I was unable to communicate with the people I was supposed to serving, I felt cut off from them. My inability to speak their language language meant that I couldn’t enter their world. I tried to be friendly and smile a lot but I could not get to the know the people and they could not get to know me. When my Spanish became good enough to have a proper conversation, everything changed. It was a wonderful experience. Walls were torn down. There was a greater trust and the people opened up to me. I got to know what they were thinking, what was important to them, what gave them hope and what they feared. I learned about their culture in a way that would never have been possible if I had not learned the language. Our ability to communicate brought about unity. Since communion is achieved through communication, it is understandable that one of the first gifts given to the disciples at Pentecost is the gift of tongues, the ability to make themselves understood. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit overcame the division caused by sin at the Tower of Babel. Humanity was once again able to communicate freely. Unity in any group, whether it be our family or parish community, is a sure sign the Holy Spirit is present.

We live Pentecost in our own lives when we become agents of unity. When we reach out to others and communicate with them, bringing them into communion, we are carrying out the work of the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis does this in a very simple, practical way: he often picks up the phone and calls people in order to enter into closer union with them. When Pope Francis receives a letter from someone who is sick and asking for prayers he often phones them. Recently he called Franco Rabuffi, a sick Italian man, and greeted him with a simple, “Hello, I’m Pope Francis”. Franco hung up on him, thinking it was a prank call. Pope Francis tried again. Again, Franco hung up on the Vicar of Christ. Finally on the third attempt Pope Francis was able to get through to Franco and they talked. Imagine how much closer Franco must have felt to the Pope after their conversation. Communication brings about unity. Pope Francis has phoned the most unexpected people hoping to break down divisions. Some time ago, Pope Francis called up Eugenio Scalfari, a prominent atheist and newspaper editor at his office. Scalfari described the “the telephone call I will never forget as long as live” in this way.

It was half past two in the afternoon. My phone rings and in a somewhat shaky voice my secretary tells me: "I have the Pope on the line. I'll put him through immediately." I was still stunned when I heard the voice of His Holiness on the other end of a the line saying, "Hello, this is Pope Francis." "Hello Your Holiness", I say and then, "I am shocked I did not expect you to call me." "Why so surprised? You wrote me a letter asking to meet me in person. I had the same wish, so I'm calling to fix an appointment. Let me look at my diary: I can't do Wednesday, nor Monday, would Tuesday suit you?" I answer, that's fine. "The time is a little awkward, three in the afternoon, is that okay? Otherwise it'll have to be another day." Your Holiness, the time is fine. "So we agree: Tuesday 24 at 3 o'clock.”

And so they met and talked - an atheist and a Pope who is convinced that unless we seek to bring about unity we are not doing the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sin leads to division. The Holy Spirit, who we have received at Baptism and Confirmation, overcomes separation and builds unity. Communication leads to communion. Let us follow the example of Pope Francis. Sometime soon, pick up the telephone and call somebody who you think you need to be closer to. Phone a sick friend or someone you have been been in an argument with recently or an elderly family member you have lost touch with. In this simple, practical way, we can live Pentecost here and now.

Would it be better if the Ascension never happened?

Mark 16:15-20 (Ascension, year B)

“The time has come for you to start building houses on your own.” This was the last instruction that a young carpenter in training received from his mentor, a master carpenter. These words terrified the young man. For years he had apprenticed alongside the master carpenter, learning from him. His mentor was always there to check his work and answer any question he had about the trade. The young carpenter felt safe working with him. He would have loved to continue working under his mentor for the rest of his career. He felt angry that the master carpenter would no longer allow him to simply assist him, but was forcing him to take full, personal responsibility for projects.

Hesitantly, the young carpenter began building houses on his own. At first it was very difficult. He was unsure of himself. As he progressed through his work day, the young man encountered many challenges and questions he wished he could discuss with his old mentor. This, however, was no longer possible. The master carpenter was always at some other job. The young carpenter was forced to figure things out for himself. He experimented, took risks and showed initiative. He made mistakes, but he found as time went on he was learning and becoming a better carpenter. His skills developed in a new way that would not have been possible had he simply continued assisting his old mentor. Eventually he saw the wisdom of the master carpenter. Had his mentor not forced him to build houses on his own, his growth would have been stunted. Being left on his own was necessary for the young man to develop his full potential as a carpenter. Years passed.  The young man became a master carpenter himself and began apprenticing others. Whenever he saw that a young carpenter in training had learned all he or she could from him he would say: “the time has come for you to start building houses on your own”.

Today we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus. As we heard in the Gospel, at the Ascension Jesus gave us a mission and then left us on our to take the personal responsibility to do it. Understandable, when we think about the Ascension of Jesus we can feel like that young carpenter did when his mentor left him to work on His own.

Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, didn't ask us to build a house, but a kingdom, the Kingdom of God. He gave us a clear mission: go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. We are called to tell everyone the Good News about the love of God made manifest in Jesus who has died to save us. We are called to lead others into a relationship with Jesus. We are called to build up the Kingdom of God by transforming the world so that it is more guided by the values of Christ like love, mercy and humility.

Jesus gave us this mission and then He left us. Here is a question that comes into my mind when I consider the Ascension: would it not have been better for us if Jesus had stayed on earth? It is hard to understand why Jesus had to return to His Father. Imagine if Jesus were still with us as He was after the Resurrection and we could still see Him face to face and speak with Him. Whenever we faced a challenge, either in our personal life or as a community, we could simply call up Jesus in Jerusalem, Rome or wherever He happened to be and He could tell us what to do. What should we do today to ensure the poor are taken care of and no one is hungry? If Jesus had not ascended we could just set up a meeting and He could answer that. Want to know how to obtain lasting peace in the Middle East? You would simply need to get Jesus on the phone. How can we properly care for the environment? Get Jesus on Skype and He’d have a solution. At times we can think it would have been better had the Ascension never happened.

Jesus, however, clearly tells us that it is for our own good that He ascends and leaves us (John 16:7). The young carpenter would never have developed into a master carpenter if his mentor was always around him, answering all his questions and preventing him from making any mistakes. The young carpenter had to take full responsibility for projects of his own before He could develop into a master carpenter. Jesus wants us to become become mature in our faith, developing our full potential as His followers. He wants us to become master Christians and not remain apprentices.  We will make mistakes, but if we are to become an adult follower of Jesus we need to take responsibility for building up the Kingdom on our own.

When He ascends into Heaven, Jesus leaves us on our own and yet He doesn't really leave us on our own. The mission of building up the Kingdom of God is at the same time fully our responsibility and a project which God is in full control of. Here is where comparing us Christians to the young carpenter breaks down. In order for him to grow the young carpenter had to take full responsibility for building houses. The work had to be his alone. For this to happen, the master carpenter had to remove himself from the scene completely. Jesus, however, is not bound by this human limitation.  The gift of the Holy Spirit is how Jesus leaves us on our own and yet doesn't really leave us on our own. Pentecost follows the Ascension.The Holy Spirit is a gentle, guiding, strengthening influence in our life. The Holy Spirit allows us to take full responsibility for the mission Jesus has given. At the same time, the Holy Spirit is fully in control, supporting us, keeping us united and giving efficacy to our actions. The Holy Spirit makes the mission fully our work and fully God’s. In completing Jesus' mission "work like everything depends on you and pray like everything depends on God" (Mother Teresa).

“The time has come for you to start building houses on your own.” . The young carpenter not only listened to these words of his mentor but acted on them. For this reason he grew as a carpenter.  “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature”. Today we have once again listened to these words of Jesus. If we act on these words we will grow as His disciple. If we do not, we will never mature. Have you taken personal responsibility for building the Kingdom of God?

What is love?

John 15:9-17 (Sixth Sunday of Easter, year b, Mother’s Day)

Would you be able to explain to an alien what love is? How would you describe the concept of love to an extraterrestrial, a creature who has never encountered human culture? I recently discussed this question with students from our elementary school. Maybe you think that it is a strange question to ask, but it is one we Catholics should be able to answer. We believe in a God who is love. Jesus commanded us all to love one another as He has loved us. Love is the core of our faith and yet, though we use the word often, I suspect that many of us would struggle to explain the concept. If they were to ever meet an alien, here is how some students would explain what love is:

Love is a kind of feeling. When you’re with others it brings you together. 

When you are loved you feel happy. 

Love can be a sacrifice. 

Love is when you enjoying being with someone. 

When you love, you dedicate yourself to another person. 

Love is passionate.

I was impressed by the answers the students gave. I suspect our responses would be similar. Like the students, our answers would tend to focus on the emotional aspect of love. Like them, however, we would recognize that true love is more than a feeling. Love is a difficult concept to grasp. Fortunately for us, God did not simply command us to love. He taught us by example what love truly is.

God reveals to us that love has to do with actions rather than emotions. Love is not a feeling! Having good feelings about a person can certainly help us to love them. We can - and are indeed called to - love others whether or not we feel happy to be around them or not.  One student expressed it this way:

I don’t really like my brother but if he needed help I would help him and if something happened to him I would be sad.

Love is not a feeling, it is an action. As St. Thomas Aquinas said, “to love is to will the good of another”. In other words, we love someone when we do things that are for their good. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for love is hesed. In the Bible, God’s love for His people is demonstrated by His good, saving acts. He choose them to be a people. He led them from slavery into the promised land. He gave the law. He sent the prophets. He was always faithful to His covenant. God teaches us that love is not a feeling. Love is choosing to take actions that are for the good of another person.

Further, God has revealed that love has to do with actions that are sacrificial. The life of Jesus is the ultimate lesson of love. Jesus demonstrated that true love requires us to sacrifice ourselves for others, to put their needs in front of our own. Jesus sacrificed Himself for us in many different ways. He was a humble servant who cured the sick, spent time with outcasts and washed the feet of His followers. His death on the Cross for our salvation is the ultimate expression of sacrificial love. No one has greater love than to lay down their life for their friends. As Mother Teresa said, “Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self.”

In my discussion with the students, I asked them a follow-up question: “who is someone in your life that shows you true love?” Unsurprisingly, the most common answer was “my mom”. That is my answer as well! One student described the sacrificial love of his mother in the following way,

I know my mom loves me because even when I am annoying, she still gives me good food.

For most of us, our mothers have been indispensable teachers in the school of love, teaching us through the witness of their lives. A mother will repeatedly get up during the night to care for her crying baby. She puts the needs of her child before her own need for sleep. In so many ways mothers lay down their lives for their children - even when they are being annoying!

A particular example of maternal, sacrificial love is found in the life of St. Gianna Beretta Molla. Gianna was born in 1922 in Magenta Italy. Growing up, she loved music, fashion, tennis and skiing. As a young woman, she lived her faith generously. She served in Catholic Action, an organization for youth, and visited the elderly as a member of St. Vincent de Paul Society. Later, she studied medicine, eventually becoming a pediatrician. Soon after, she married Pietro and they had three children. When Gianna was pregnant with her fourth child, tragedy struck.  Doctors diagnosed a serious fibroma in her uterus that required surgery. The surgeon recommended that she undergo an abortion in order to save her own life. She refused. A few days before the child was due she said “if you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate. Choose the child. I insist on it. Save the baby.” Immediately after the birth of her child her health deteriorated and she died a few days later at the age of 39. After her death, her family and friends explained that her decision to save the life of her child was the natural culmination of how she had lived her entire life. Love guided all her actions and, as she once wrote, “One cannot love without suffering or suffer without love”.

Today on Mother’s Day, let us thank our mothers and show appreciation to them in a special way. Let us recognize that perhaps the best way we can honor them is by imitating the sacrificial love they have shown us. In this way, we can all better follow Jesus’ commandment to love others by laying down our lives for them.