Speaking in Tongues

The first occurrence of speaking in tongues occurred on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1–4. The apostles shared the gospel with the crowds, speaking to them in their own languages. The crowds were amazed: “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:11). The Greek word translated “tongues” literally means “languages.” Therefore, the gift of tongues is speaking in a language the speaker has never learned in order to minister to someone who does speak that language. In 1 Corinthians12—14, Paul discusses miraculous gifts, saying, “Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?” (1 Corinthians 14:6). According to the apostle Paul, and in agreement with the tongues described in Acts, speaking in tongues is valuable to the one hearing God’s message in his or her own language, but it is useless to everyone else unless it is interpreted/translated.

A person with the gift of interpreting tongues(1 Corinthians 12:30) could understand what a tongues-speaker was saying even though he did not know the language being spoken. The tongues interpreter would then communicate the message of the tongues speaker to everyone else, so all could understand. “For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says” (1 Corinthians 14:13). Paul’s conclusion regarding tongues that were not interpreted is powerful: “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Is the gift of tongues for today? First Corinthians 13:8mentions the gift of tongues ceasing, although it connects the ceasing with the arrival of the “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10. Some point to a difference in the tense of the Greek verbs referring to prophecy and knowledge “ceasing” and that of tongues “being ceased” as evidence for tongues ceasing before the arrival of the “perfect.” While a possible interpretation, this is not explicitly clear from the text. Some also point to passages such as Isaiah 28:11 and Joel 2:28–29 as evidence that speaking in tongues was a sign of God’s oncoming judgment. First Corinthians 14:22 describes tongues as a “sign to unbelievers.” Using this verse, cessationists argue that the gift of tongues was a warning to the Jews that God was going to judge Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah. Therefore, when God did in fact judge Israel (with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70), the gift of tongues no longer served its intended purpose. This view is also possible, but the primary purpose of tongues being fulfilled does not necessarily demand the gift’s cessation. Scripture does not conclusively assert that the gift of speaking in tongues has ceased.

At the same time, if the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God’s Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6–12). It would be exercised in the church in agreement with the command God gave through Paul, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God” (1 Corinthians 14:27–28). It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

God can definitely give a person the gift of speaking in tongues to enable him or her to communicate with a person who speaks another language. The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the dispersion of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). Just imagine how much more productive missionaries could be if they did not have to go to language school and were instantly able to speak to people in their own language. However, God does not seem to be doing this. Tongues does not seem to occur today in the manner it did in the New Testament, despite the fact that it would be immensely useful. The majority of believers who claim to practice the gift of speaking in tongues do not do so in agreement with the Scriptures mentioned above. These facts lead to the conclusion that the gift of tongues has ceased or is at least a rarity in God’s plan for the church today.

Author Anonymous & Unknown

A Reflection on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day began with a simple domestic gesture that caught on. People were encouraged to give a present to their mothers to acknowledge their love and their service to their family. As is the case with similar celebrations it could easily be corrupted by commercial interests that focused on selling gifts and often offered a saccharine view of motherhood. It was a day when people could feel sentimental about their mothers without asking themselves whether what they expected of them was reasonable and how they themselves might share some of their mother’s burdens. The Mother’s Day present could become a cheap discharge of a heavy debt.

The last years of COVID pushed us to think more seriously about our relationships, including the part of mothers in families. The media have been full of images of mothers left to cope with difficult situations both for themselves and for their families. We have seen the long lines of women and children seeking safety outside of Ukraine. These mothers must feed and raise their children while dealing with their own anxieties and grief for their land, for the men whom they have left behind and for their future. We have also seen the images of mothers surveying their flooded homes in Queensland and New South Wales, facing the task of again making a home for their family. During the time of coronavirus, too, many of the health workers were mothers who had to cope with the loss of paid work and the threat of homelessness in addition to the other trials in an already precarious life.

In all these situations, however, the dominant images have not been of hopelessness but of great resilience, of people finding the necessary inner resources in times of anxiety and threat. They look to the future and not to the past.

The images of heroic mothers, like the images of women in responsible positions in employment and in public life, are a gift to our society. For those of us who are not mothers, however, they can prove sentimental and self-serving. They can distract us from the unacceptability of the burden we ask mothers to carry and offer us an excuse us or not asking what kind of society we want to build and what sacrifices that will ask of us.

Mother’s Day reminds us of the importance for any society of mothering – of giving priority and time to raising children and making a home in which all are valued and all are listened to compassionately. In modern societies in which mothers are also engaged in demanding work the gifts and the time involved in these forms of nurturing cannot be left to women who have borne children but must be encouraged and developed in men, women and children.

Mothering also crosses generations. Grandmothers are an integral part of the life of most families. They are honoured not simply because of their past role as mothers but for the way in which they continue to nurture people in the present.

If mothering is necessary in society, too, we must look at how we support mothers. Many women in the most important work for society such as working in nursing homes are kept in precarious and poorly remunerated work. Our society can be better than that in its treatment of all women including mothers.

Source: Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ Reflection. Jesuit Communications and Jesuit Social Services. Posted at Catholic Outlook

Gentle Parenting

“My parents’ voices became my inner voice, and because they were so kind to me, my inner voice is kind.”

The term “gentle parenting” popped onto the scene in the past few years. Many people still view it as a new style of parenting, but it’s been around for a long time—there just didn’t used to be a pop culture name attached to it. Gentle parenting is generally when a parent considers how to speak and interact with their children, with the emphasis on them being a full person who is learning to navigate the world. 

Parents who use this method attempt to hear their children out, offering options and not using harsh tones or language, focusing on age-appropriate development in their approach. Some people view this style of parenting as permissive and can’t imagine how a child will develop into a functioning member of society without punishments and rewards for behaviors. 

One woman has the answer to that question, taking it to social media so others can see. Noor Elanss created a video sharing that she was gentle parented as a child, and some of her revelations may surprise a few people.

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Be Aware of Harmful Negative Psychology

By Noli Lucero as posted in Quora

Humans are wired in ways that can sometimes lead to emotional distress. One scary fact is our tendency towards confirmation bias, seeking out information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignoring anything that contradicts them. This can create closed-mindedness and make resolving conflicts incredibly difficult.

Another unsettling fact is our brains’ negativity bias. Negative experiences leave a stronger imprint on our memory than positive ones, making it harder to appreciate the good things in life and potentially leading to a more pessimistic outlook.

Success itself can be a source of psychological stress. Many successful individuals experience the impostor syndrome, a constant fear of being exposed as a fraud despite their achievements. This self-doubt can fuel anxiety and feelings of inadequacy.

Our social lives can also be affected by our psychology. We often overestimate how much others notice and care about our mistakes, a phenomenon called the spotlight effect. This can lead to crippling social anxiety and self-consciousness, hindering our ability to connect authentically with others.

Finally, making decisions can be tricky. We can fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy, clinging to choices we’ve already invested in, even if they are no longer beneficial. This can lead to wasted resources and regret, hindering our ability to adapt and move forward effectively.

These are just a few examples of how our psychology can contribute to negative emotions and make navigating daily life challenging. While not inherently scary, these psychological quirks can undoubtedly have a significant impact on our well-being and mental health.

Doubts, Difficulties and Disobedience

By Father Dwight Longenecker

Blessed John Henry Newman wrote, “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.” What he means is that there is a difference between a doubt and a difficulty. When we start to think through our Catholic faith we would be negligent or stupid not to have some problems. After all, the things we propose as true in the Catholic faith stretch the human mind and heart.

However, many people are worried that they are doubting their faith if they scratch their heads puzzled over our beliefs.
There is a difference between doubt and difficulty. The person with a difficulty says, “How can that be so?” whereas a person who doubts says, “That can’t be so!”

The first statement expresses difficulty, but willingness to believe. The second statement expresses cynicism and unwillingness to submit to the Church’s teachings. The person with difficulties says, “I believe, Lord; help my unbelief!” The person with doubts says, “I don’t believe Lord, and don’t bother to help my unbelief!”

A difficulty arises when we confront some teaching of the Church — either a moral precept or a doctrine — and honestly find it hard to accept. In his Parochial and Plain Sermons, Newman wrote, “The use of doubts and difficulties is obvious … our faith is assailed by various doubts and difficulties in order to prove its sincerity.”

We experience trials in the faith for three reasons: to strengthen us, to clarify our beliefs, and to help us proclaim the Gospel. So, doubt is out, but difficulties are in. The person with difficulties may be struggling, but he is struggling to understand more fully and completely. This is the first reason for a difficulty: It strengthens our faith. Just as an athlete or musician trains and practices and sweats to attain the goal, so the believer (if his faith is to be worthwhile) must face difficulties and overcome. As the athlete or musician is strengthened by the experience of perfecting his skill, so when we work through our difficulties, we emerge purer and stronger in our faith.

The second reason for difficulties is so that our faith might be clarified. How can you expect to get the right answers unless you ask the right questions?

It’s the same in our faith. We come to understand more by facing the difficulties and asking the right questions. Whether we are struggling with a matter of Catholic doctrine or some aspect of Catholic moral teaching, it is by enquiring with an open heart and alert mind that we come to a fuller and deeper understanding of our faith. Most often, the difficulty was caused by some misunderstanding, and by asking questions, we come to understand more fully.

The third reason for difficulties is to help us proclaim the Gospel with compassion and insight. Each of the baptized are called to help share the Good News, but if none of them had difficulties, how would they understand and sympathize with all those who need to hear the truth but face great difficulties in belief? By going through the difficulties, we understand what others face, and by finding the answers, we are prepared to share them with others.

After “Doubt” and “Difficulties” there is another “D” which is disobedience. This is when a Catholic openly and unapologetically not only disagrees with church teaching, but willfully disobeys what they know to be true. Another word for this disobedience is “Sin”. This is a condition of open rebellion, and the reason the Catholic Church is so weak and helpless in the face of the world’s onslaught today is because a huge proportion of her children are living in open disobedience.

They have cut themselves off from grace, cut themselves off from God, cut themselves off from salvation. The fact that so many of them cheerfully continue to go to Mass and participate in the church and call themselves “devout Catholics” is a scandal.

Finally, it is so difficult to believe because it is so difficult to obey. Later on in the same sermon, Cardinal Newman writes, “To those who are perplexed in any way, for those who seek the light but cannot find it, one precept must be given — obey. It is obedience which brings a man into the right path. It is obedience which keeps him there and strengthens him in it.”

Obedience seems outrageous in a world of individualism and self-judgment, but the call to obedience is what makes the Catholic faith a “sign of contradiction.” “What! Shall I obey?!” modern man cries.

The reply is a hearty, “Yes — for it is in obedience that your faith will live and your difficulties will be resolved; but it is in your disobedience that your difficulties will turn into the doubts which will eventually destroy your faith.”

This does not mean that the Church calls us to mindless obedience. That is the way of the coward and sluggard. Instead we are called to an open minded and open hearted obedience – like little children in a loving and trusting relationship with the Father – we are also called to be inquisitive to ask questions, to be curious and to seek to learn more. We are called to be open about our difficulties, because although they may feel negative they are simply the way we ask the questions in order to find the answers. We follow the Way with our hearts on fire and our minds alert. If we would find, we must seek, and if we wish the door to be opened to us, we must knock.

This article has been selected from the ZENIT Daily Dispatch
© Innovative Media, Inc.

Why is it important to love and be loved?

⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. – John 15:9-11

There are times when I seem to understand what this love means. Paul spoke of the love of God which is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us. Sometimes we can experience that love going through us, giving us joy in loving others. There is an energy in us which is not of our making. I think of one or two friends who radiate contentment; I think they are abiding in God’s love, and feeling joy from it. Lord, maybe you will one day surprise me with this joy.

The deepest joys and satisfactions of life have to do with our experience of loving and being loved. Parents live forever in the atmosphere of the love they always have for their children. Love of friends is strong and lasts. Love enables us to die for others, love spends itself for another. Only love lasts as a motive for any good we want to do. Jesus knows that and links love and joy. Prayer nourishes love, and is at the service of love, the greatest of God’s gifts.

The place of these words of Jesus is at the last Supper, so the writers are giving a pride of place to them – among his last words. The last words of anyone are generally well remembered. The full place of love in the Christian life is highlighted. All else flows from the love of God and ourselves uniting us together. Love of this kind leads to joy. We see Jesus as one who gifts us with joy and with love.

The way of Jesus is the way of fullest human love and fulfilment. His commands are not just for our duty, but are our path to joy and love in life. The love he means is the love that is welcoming, accepting and forgiving of others, as best we can. It is the love that joins his followers together. Without this love, the following of Jesus is empty and dry. His way of life is not just taught but shown to us by the way he lives.

Jesus wants to set me free. I realise that I do not have to earn anything and become aware that I cannot do so. As I come before God, I loosen my grip on my own intentions and plans. Praying for freedom, I share the joy of Jesus.

Jesus gives freely of the love of God, holding nothing back. I think of those people and situations that I deal with. I ask for the help I need to bring God’s love to bear on them.

Source: Sacred Space

How We Support Each Other in Healing

Much of our recovery can occur in collaboration with others.

Pain, in its various forms, is an inevitable aspect of the human experience. Often, we endure it alone. However, being part of our highly social species offers a valuable resource for coping: other people.

The impact of others on our biology is undeniable. Someone’s presence can influence another’s breathing, heart rate, and chemicals in their bloodstream. A mother’s soothing voice can stabilize her premature baby, leading to fewer cardiorespiratory events. A spouse’s hand-holding can reduce the brain’s response to the threat of electric shocks. Strong relationships can help us live longer and happier lives.

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Swim in Peace

By Fr. Alfonse, posted in Daily Meditation with Fr. Alfonse

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Click here for readings)

Jesus said to his disciples:  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

A couple of days ago, Pope Francis confirmed forty-four people, including two teens from Ridgewood, N.J.  

The Catholic News Service reported that both teens were chosen from a pastor who pulled their names from a hard hat.  For the teens, it was like a dream come true.

Fourteen-year-old Brigid Miniter, from Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, said she was fine “until I got to the step right before I was anointed.”  Seventeen-year-old Anthony Merejo said he was relaxed at the Mass until he realized “I’m going to be face-to-face with Pope Francis.

Long before Brigid was picked to go to Rome, she had chosen St. Francis of Assisi as her confirmation saint.  “I love animals,” she added, “and he’s the patron saint of animals, so it was a no-brainer.”

Anthony wanted to pick a name that would sound good in English and in Spanish.  After searching for some time, he found the name Ignatius (Ignacio), the founder of the Jesuits.

Now the two were slightly disappointed when they learned that Pope Benedict had resigned. “Who would be the next Pope?” they wondered.  “Where would he come from?”  “What name would he choose?”  

Well, Divine Providence has a remarkable way of taking us by surprise.  It also has a wonderful way of confirming us in our faith.  I’m sure Brigid never imagined that the next Pope would be the first to take the papal name “Francis.”  I’m also sure that Anthony never dreamed the next Pope would be the first Jesuit ever and the first Latin American as well.  

Brigid and Anthony may have been a little nervous, after all, they were the only two Americans confirmed by Pope Francis.  But these coincidences brought great peace on the road to Rome and in their journey of faith. 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you”  There is a peace we all desire that no one can really give; and that is, the peace of knowing that I lived a “worthy” life.  

So many parents and teachers sacrifice their life (time, talents and resources) for their children only to later see them turn a blind eye on all their efforts.  “Was it worth it?”  “Did I waste my time, my life?” Did it amount to anything?  Christ’s answer:  “Peace be with you.”  

Should I stay or should I go?  I’m positive the Apostles were debating among themselves whether or not they should stay or go.  After all, was the Lord a success or an abysmal failure?  By human accounts, he was a failure.  But what appears to be small in the eyes of men appears to be great in the eyes of God.  What appears to be human wisdom is foolishness to God.  “Did he win or did he lose?”  How foolish! To know that, one must know a person’s heart.   “But who cares if the messenger has a great message if the messenger is soundly beaten?”

The Lord spent three years on the road preaching, teaching and healing.  He did not travel around the world because He couldn’t but because He didn’t want to.  Like the chosen people, the Apostles would have to personally deliver His message to others.  And like them, endure what He endured, even the worst.

That was a good move by Christ. “You gotta live what you preach.”

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”  We can take great comfort in knowing that when we preach the Gospel (and live it too) we are always living a most worthy life.  

Someone recently commented that you can be a good Christian and a bad person too.  An anonymous commentator responded:  Really?  Who?  Who lived like Christ and was a bad person?

I’m interested in knowing as well.

At the Confirmation ceremony in Rome, Pope Francis told the young people there to “swim against the tide. It’s good for the heart.” It’s also good for the world.

Human Formation Topic 004: The Critical Missing Element

Human formation is the lifelong process of natural development, aided by grace, by which a person integrates all aspects of his interior emotional, cognitive, relational, and bodily life, all of his natural faculties in an ordered way, conformed with right reason and natural law so that he is freed from natural impediments to trust God as His beloved child and to embrace God’s love.  Then, in return, because he possesses himself, he can love God, neighbor and himself with all of his natural being in an ordered, intimate, personal, and mature way.

The goals of human formation is to foster growth so that a man can become 

1. A free person

2. Of solid moral character

3. Prudent and discerning

4. Invested in and capable of communion, of relating deeply with others

5. With Good communication skills

6.  Affective maturity – integration of feelings, thoughts and values

7. Who cares for his body

8. Who relates well with others

9. A good steward of material possessions

10. And who can function well in public.

Listen to the Podcast

Human Formation Topic 003: Hedging the Heart. Five Preconditions of an Authentic Human Formation.

The effort to deepen human formation in our seminary program is always faced with the same temptation — pragmatization. No doubt, we need concrete benchmarks and a real method for the assessment of seminary candidates; but that can only occur once we have more firmly established how exactly one forms the humanity of a person. In the following, we will argue that no practical or programmatic formulations can be set unless five educative preconditions are set in place. These are indispensable for the fostering of true human formation; for without them, we compromise the distinctive nature of what it means to be a human, and thus miss the mark on forming a man into the fullness of his human experience of the Christian life.

In all of this, we are proposing a vision of human formation that could be called “hedging the heart.”² For there are two ways to form a man — by using a scalpel or building a hedge. The former looks at the human heart, sees weakness and sin, and attempts formation by cutting away all that is unhealthy and diseased in a man. Its clinical and diagnostic assessment ends in the intrusive act of extrication. The result is the same as any surgery — trauma. The heart now needs long periods of healing. And if this is done with repetition, the heart will eventually atrophy, leaving an organ that, albeit free of weakness and sin, is no longer living. 

A second approach is not only non-intrusive, it does not in fact even touch that heart. It begins by understanding the heart as capable of self-rehabilitation through the healing and elevating effects of grace. Formation then is the building of a hedge around the heart, which protects its growth and permits its restoration according to its own time. It is formation, not by way of surgery, but by way of gardening. This takes seriously the true agency of formation: not the priest formator, but the Holy Trinity.³ Likewise, the man himself is an agent of his formation, not simply the object of an operation. For the only way humanity can be truly formed in a man is by way of his own freedom. As St. John Paul II wrote: “All formation, priestly formation included, is self-formation. No one can replace us in the responsible freedom we have as individual persons.”⁴

In the following, we will lay out the five preconditions of human formation which are nothing other than the contours of the hedge. They are not comprehensive, but rather touchpoints for the general trajectory of an authentic human formation. The first three — formation as education, milieu and heart — express the essence of human formation, while the last two describe the nature of a formative relationship that preserves this essence.

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