Tongues of Fire

A dramatic event:

Suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting, and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire, these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them (Acts 2).

St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) has perhaps the most interesting interpretation of the tongues of fire:

The tongues themselves symbolise eloquence.

The warmth from the fiery tongues symbolise love.

The light from the tongues of fire symbolise wisdom.

Disciples of Jesus are called to speak with eloquence, love and wisdom. Furthermore, they are given the grace of the Holy Spirit to carry out this essential missionary mandate.

No one is excluded from the most beautiful of task of being a ‘Good News’ advocate:

We must speak with love and tenderness. In this way, people feel accepted and respected.

We must speak with wisdom. This means speaking the ‘truth in love’ (Ephesians 4).

We must speak with eloquence, and this implies prayer with, and study of, the Four Gospels. We simply must know what we are talking about.

Now is the opportune time to speak.

Amen.