The Shepherd's Voice

A Reflection on the First Reading for May 28th, 2023:
Pentecost Sunday

---

Acts 2
1-11

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there 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 their own language. 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 language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts, Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

The last reflection I wrote for Ora was for Good Shepherd Sunday, about how God speaks to each of us in the voices of those around us, and particularly in using our own voice interiorly. It strikes me that the first reading for Pentecost picks up on this theme most beautifully. 

The Apostles are together after Jesus has departed, waiting for direction, praying for guidance, wanting to hear God’s voice telling them what to do. And God does speak. God uses the voices of those people whom He has drawn to himself to speak His good news to all who are willing to listen. The gift of tongues here at Pentecost has always seemed to me the most practical gift God could bestow on the disciples at this point. They have many people to preach to, many places to go and spread the word. They cannot speak in ways that will be understood by all the people to whom God is sending them, so God takes care of that problem.

The gift of tongues at Pentecost also underlines the global scope of the mission that is here entrusted to Jesus’ followers. In giving them the ability to speak and be understood by all those who hear them, God is showing that they are not to go only to those who speak like them, look like them, act like them, live in the same geographical area or even in the same era. God’s word will be announced to every person on earth. No one will be left out from this proclamation by something as simple as a difference in language. 

As followers of Christ, we are also filled with the gifts of the Spirit at Pentecost and at our confirmation. It might take some discernment to see how the gift of tongues manifests in our lives, but I believe that we are all touched by it at one time or another. The times when we have the word of encouragement to share with someone in need. The times we have the word of correction to bring back the one who is erring. The times we preach the Gospel more with actions than words. These are all Pentecost moments, when God uses our voices to speak with love and truth. May we always be open to allowing Him to work through us.




Sr. Gemma MacLeod

---