Thoughts for the Day

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven their came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, 'Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?...In our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power.' All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, 'What does this mean?'

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Luke, the writer of the Acts of the Apostles (who also wrote the Gospel of Luke), is almost stuck for words. How does he describe what happened at Pentecost? Although the disciples had already witnessed a lot of amazing things, this was beyond them all. He says there came a sound "like the rush of a violent wind" - it wasn't wind, but it sounded like it - and it wasn't in the street, no, instead it "filled the house". Today we might say it was like the sound of a train or an aeroplane perhaps. Then he continues, telling us that divided tongues, "as of fire" appeared and rested on each of them. They were not flames, his words "as of" indicate that they were something like flames. Finally, as if this wasn't enough each of the disciples begin to speak in other languages - about fifteen languages are mentioned - yet these men are mostly uneducated Galileans from the north of the country.

This is the vivid description that Luke gives us of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (fifty days after Easter) to each of the eleven disciples. It is this power that will change eleven frightened men into the Fathers of the Church. It is this power for which we pray today, on the Church's birthday!

Sunday 31st May, follow up thoughts

Heavenly Father,
we thank You for sending Your Spirit
to invigorate the disciples with power.
As inheritors of their work we ask
that You will enable us to follow them
in giving the Good News to the world.
Amen.