Reflections
Psalm 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 (Read)
“When you send forth your spirit, they are created.”
Animated by the Spirit, the divine breath, we who are
His creatures sing of the glory of our Creator.
“When you send forth your Spirit, you renew the face
of the earth.” God our Creator is the source of all
natural life. So also the Holy Spirit is the source
of all supernatural life. We are nothing without the
divine breath --
“When you take away their breath, they perish and
return to their dust.”
It is this same creative breath that came down on the
disciples in that locked room St Luke speaks of in
Sunday's 1st reading. (Acts 2:1-4)
The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to go forth
and proclaim the Gospel boldly to men of all nations,
speaking different tongues.
We too are called to be baptized in the Spirit, and to
receive the divine breath of the Lord. Having been
baptized in the Spirit, we are a new creation, and are
called to glorify the Lord in what we do. In this way,
as the Psalm says, “May the Lord be glad in his works.”
Fortunately, for us too, the Spirit is manifested in each
of us for some benefit, as St Paul reminds us in our
second reading. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
All we have to do is accept Christ and believe in him.
Without the breath of the Holy Spirit, we have no
spiritual life. But thanks to God's gift, we are a new
creation; we are baptized into Christ, and we share
in the divinity of our Lord. And that alone gives us
reason to praise God. As our psalmist says,
“Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. As in our Psalm, do you also feel the presence of the 'divine breath' in your
spiritual life? Speak of how the Holy Spirit is at work in your life.
2. Our psalmist says that the Spirit of the Lord 'renews the face of the earth.'
Tell of how you are a new creation, after having been baptized in the Holy Spirit.
"The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to go forth and proclaim the Gospel boldly to men of all nations, speaking different tongues."
ReplyDeleteWhat does this mean actually? I have heard that some people receive the gift of "speaking in tongues" and some people receive the gift of being able to "understand tongues."
The words being said would sound like gibberish to me, but some people can translate it. I call it false.
In the Bible when people "speak in tongues" it means that all can understand when they hear it no matter what their native language is. So I take from the Bible that when someone "speaks in tongues" that all can understand. In the modern era when someone "speaks in tongues" only a select few can understand. The modern doesn't sound so much like a gift from the Spirit as it does a possession by the deceiver.
What is your opinion?
Michael, your question is very sharp. Even though it is not mentioned clearly, in my opinion every one of those who were present there in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost was intoxicated with the Holy Spirit. God must have poured out the Holy Spirit along with the gift of tongues and gift of interpretation as well on them. Those peoples were from all different countries and regions.
DeleteGod manifested His supreme power through an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He let them know, whether Jew or Gentile, all are eligible to receive God’s saving love and power. God also indicated to them that whoever was baptized with the Holy Spirit could be His Disciples.
They became a new creation and they were prepared to go out and witness for Jesus Christ.
What the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:4 is that one who “speaks in tongues” builds up a closer relationship with God. When my spirit cannot express my deep remorse and pain, it will groan within me. It may sound like gibberish, but I call it a heavenly
language to communicate with God in Spirit. As far as I'm concerned it will be good for building up a personal relationship with God in Spirit.
The Holy Spirit within me helps me to communicate with God. When I speak in tongues I feel a true release from the burdens I carry.
On the other hand, there are a lot of people who speak in tongues without knowing they can be deceived by an evil spirit. That’s why we must ask God to give us the gift of discernment as well as the gift of interpretation. Some people are frightened when they begin to speak in tongues, and a priest once told me to pray for discernment whenever I speak in tongues. We must always be aware of any false spirit that is trying to deceive us. We must ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us seek the truth.
I agree with Beth that discernment is important because we want to use such gifts for God's glory without causing anyone else to feel alienated or to feel scared. Like Beth, I have experienced an actual release of burden, of weight, of guilt... through praying in tongues.
DeleteBecause the Bible states that interpretation is more important, I have also prayed for that gift. I don't quite have it but sometimes I can feel a general sense of what I am praying for -- for example, the chastity and holiness of my children or my husband's health. Or a repetition of a praise -- such as "God is holy, God is good." My understanding is not exact.. it's a general idea of what I am saying.
Also, the prayers in tongues don't arise in my heart or in my mouth unless I am in sincere prayer mode. I cannot force it... it's like a faucet of water that is turned on and then turned off.
I am awed by the gift, but it doesn't quite feel right for sharing. I understand that it's meant to edify me, and it's harder to use it to build up the Church because people react so differently.
“Do you feel the presence of the Divine Breath in your life?” “YES, I know we have been blessed.” But probably, like everyone else out there, I sometimes wish the Holy Spirit was up close and personal, and had a baseball bat to get my attention at the time of need. Why, does it take me so long to accept the solutions and timing that I have been given???? I need to work on this.
ReplyDeleteTim
In Psalm 104 I understand why our psalmist says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul." He realizes that every breath he is inhaling is directly dependent on God’s goodness and love for him. And so, life and death are dependent on God’s faithful care. When God takes away our breath, we die and return to dust.
ReplyDeleteThat’s why the presence of the divine breath in my spiritual life is a matter of life and death for me. When the Spirit of God falls upon me and "renews the face of the earth," I become a new creation after being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit came to dwell within us. He is God’s gift, a new breath for me. Without Him I will lose the way to Truth. He convicts me to do the right thing, gives me new insights into Scripture, encourages me to be bold and to testify that Jesus Christ is my Lord. He is my divine breath. I thank God for renewing my spirit, making me spirit-filled. In this way I have become a better Christian.
I consider Pentecost Sunday as my new birthday (outpouring of the Holy Spirit). This supernatural event is hard to explain, but it is real because Jesus promises He will send us a comforter, the Holy Spirit. This is new breath from Jesus Christ. If we are not to receive the Holy Spirit, we are not considered to be born again. I am grateful I have life.
The Holy spirit is within me. I am now a new creation in Jesus Christ.