WHAT IS "SPEAKING IN TONGUES" ?

-

 SPEAKING IN TONGUES

Image to view

"Speaking in tongues" is a special grace given by the holy spirit that allows a believer to speak in a language not learned by natural means. Jesus speaks of this gift as one of the "signs" that "will accompany those who believe". On the day of Pentecost, the apostles speak in tongues, as do other new believers on several occasions. St. Paul lists "varieties of tongues" among the "manifestation of the spirit," along with the "interpretation of tongues"

                                                                         Image to view

Other scriptural passages may also refer to tongues, though the connection is uncertain. For example, Romans tells how, when "we do not know how to pray as we ought,... the spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groaning"

St.Paul is the biblical writer with the most to say about tongues. He notes that not everyone speaks in tongues, and the tongues will one day cease. They are gifts less valuable than the gift of prophecy, and they have no value at all unless grounded in the virtue of love. yet the apostle thanks God that he speaks in tongues more than others, and he values the gift enough to wish  that everyone had it 

Several kinds of related phenomena seem to fall into the category of speaking in tongues. The tongues are spoken by the apostles on Pentecost, for example, appear to have been common human languages they had not learned, which were understood by listeners who were familiar with these languages through natural experiences. On the other hand, in the church at Corinth believers spoke in utterances unintelligible to both speaker and listeners. The words spoken did not "build up" the listeners spiritually unless someone prayed for a gift of interpretation so that their meaning could be understood and announced

The Catholic Church affirms that the Spirit still bestows the grace of tongues as he wills. Some of her most illustrious saints, such as St. Anthony of Padua, are reported to have practiced the gift when preaching

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ANOINTING WITH OIL ?

-
Image
  SIGNIFICANCE OF ANOINTING WITH OIL The ancient practice of anointing a person with oil, often with  perfumed oil, has several meanings, all of them related. The  anointed person is recognized as a “marked or sacred person,” set  apart in certain ways from the community the better to be of service to the community. As an act of the community, it also  signifies the pledge of the community to respect and support the  one anointed. In many ways, the significance of anointing is similar  to the granting of public degrees and licenses to special  persons who serve the community, such as doctors, lawyers,  pharmacists, and the like. Christian sacramental anointing goes  far beyond the merely human practice and relates the anointed and the anointing community authoritatively (by the authority  of Christ and effectively through the gift of the Spirit) directly to  God in his saving work. Anointing with oil was also a common  med...
Read more

WHY IS CATHOLIC WORSHIP FULL OF RITUALS ?

-
Image
HOLY RITUALS Leviticus and other biblical books show that God himself prescribed numerous religious rituals for the ancient Israelites. Sacrifices and offerings, ordination ceremonies and priestly behavior, holidays and festivals -all had their designated rituals (see Lv 1:1-10) . In addition, devour customs grew up among the people, such as those for mourning the dead and anointing kings (see 1 Sm 10:1) Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the apostles were all faithful Jews, practicing the religious rituals of their people. Mary and Joseph "fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord" (Lk 2:39)  concerning circumcision, purification, and presentation after Jesus'  birth (see Lk 2:21-39) . The family took part in the temple rituals of the great holy days (see Lk 2:41-43) , just as Jesus later did with his apostles Our Lord also followed the weekly synagogue rituals (see Lk 4:16-20) . At meals -including the Last Supper -he prayed the ritual blessings customary among the J...
Read more

WHY DOES THE CHURCH HAVE BISHOPS ?

-
Image
  WHY BISHOPS? St. Timothy in Ephesus and St. Titus in Crete each received instructions from the apostle Paul about the qualifications for a bishop (see 1 Tim 3:1-7)   (1 Tim 1:7-9) . This "noble" officer was to "teach" and to"manage" the affairs of the Church in each locale. (The Greek word for bishop, episkopos, literally means "overseer"). How did the office of bishop come about? Our Lord appointed the apostles to teach and govern the Church (see Mt 28:16-20) . Since the place of Judas had been vacated by the traitor's suicide, a successor was appointed by the other apostles to fill his "office" (see Acts 1:20)  -literally his "episcopacy" or "bishopric" (Greek,  episkopen). The first apostles, then, were bishops, as were their appointed successors In referring to ordained Church leaders, biblical writers do not always distinguish clearly between bishops/overseers and presbyters/ elders/priests. St. Luke, for ...
Read more