FOR SUNDAY 19.05
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs - we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
ACTS 2, 1-11 (NIV)
Imagine the scene of Pentecost. The apostles, gathered tightly in a modest room filled with murmurs of conversation and quiet prayers, feel a tension of anticipation, interspersed with sparks of hope and uncertainty. Suddenly, from the depth of the silence, there comes a powerful, overwhelming sound, like a violent windstorm descending from heaven. The Holy Spirit comes upon them like tongues of fire, resting on each of them. In an instant, they all begin to speak in different languages, completely foreign yet understandable to everyone nearby. What a powerful and groundbreaking moment that was! The apostles were simple men and certainly not polyglots. Recently huddled in fear of their persecutors, they now stand boldly, filled with strength and confidence to proclaim the Gospel.
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