167. Seventh Friday of Easter

Meditations no. 213 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Our apostolic mission spurs us to give doctrine.

The Acts of the Apostles, when recounting the events of the morning of Pentecost, relate that at that time there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the multitude came together and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed. There were inhabitants of the most varied nations: Parthians and Medes and 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 proselytes, Cretans and Arabians.

The message of Christ, the word of God, is destined for all peoples: everyone on earth, without distinction of age, culture, language, nation, social class, race or any other human difference. This universal character of the message of Christ brings with it the need for the gift of tongues. The first manifestation we see of it is in the miracle of Pentecost.

The word of God must be spread throughout the world. And this catholicity, which all Christians ought to practise, especially obliges those of us who have received a specific apostolic vocation. Our Father wrote: My dearest daughters and sons, it is the will of God that our apostolate should reach everywhere on earth. I have often had you consider that our Work was not born to remedy the specific needs of a particular country or period. Right from the start God wanted his Work to have a catholic, universal heart. In accomplishing our divine mission, without calling or wanting to call ourselves missionaries, we must reach all nations and people of all races, languages and conditions, so that omnis lingua confiteatur, quia Dominus Jesus Christus in gloria est Dei Patris: so that all may give witness that our Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.

To give doctrine, we need to be formed well.

Charity, love of our neighbour, which is born from love of God, requires us to be ready to enlighten the minds and enkindle the hearts of those around us with the doctrine of Jesus Christ. All of our apostolate has, therefore, the nature and function of catechesis. We must give doctrine in all situations, and to do so we need to adapt ourselves and our message to the mentality of those who hear us: that is the gift of tongues. A gift of tongues that obliges us to ensure that our speech has content. But now, brethren, writes St Paul, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how shall I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? Therefore, we have an obligation to acquire formation: an obligation to form ourselves well doctrinally, an obligation to prepare ourselves so as to be able to explain things clearly; and so that those who hear us may be able to express themselves well in their turn.

We must foster, then, a sense of responsibility and take advantage of the means of formation which the Work offers us. Learn what you will teach, says St Jerome; acquire doctrine, the faithful word, so that you may be able to exhort your listeners, Our Father frequently told us that our formation never ends: everything you have received so far is a basis for what will come later. As a result, when you are eighty years old, you will go to the annual course with the same enthusiasm as now, and you will rejoice to see twenty-year-olds explaining in a simple way, but with great authority, what you have been living and teaching for so long. How beautiful! …

Therefore, the first resolution you can make is never to close your heart to these gifts from heaven. Always keep learning, as a child does. Keep in mind that each of us must contribute to the strength of the whole Work. You can and must be the support and help of one of your brothers or sisters in a moment of weakness. This is always necessary, but especially now, when, as St Paul teaches, there are in the Church so many false brethren, so many people - it grieves me tremendously - who, from within, at all levels of the universal Church, are doing harm and seeking to instil evil in souls.

Along with doctrinal formation, we also need to acquire human and professional training. In this way, each equipped with your own professional formation, all the culture you can acquire, and the outlook characteristic of your background and personal situation, you will bring the doctrine of Jesus Christ to all those you find along the path of your life, with the gift of tongues, in a way that they can understand.

Giving doctrine with the gift of tongues.

With our specific dedication to God, we work to overcome ignorance, from which so many evils arise, and to help people acquire the doctrine they need.

If you have this wisdom, which I ask the Holy Spirit to grant my daughters and sons, each of you in your own place and circumstances can be like the doctor who dispenses the right medicine in proper doses: because you will give the doctrine of salvation with the gift of tongues.

And your friends and colleagues, brought to the faith and the love of Jesus Christ, will understand what you teach them, and will be able to repeat the words: audivimus eos loquentes nostris linguis magnalia Dei (we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God).

Our Lord beseeches us to go into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. But we must follow the example of Christ himself, who taught the people in a way all could understand. I insist: ask God to grant us, his children, the “gift of tongues”, the gift of making ourselves understood by all.

The reason why I want you to acquire this “gift of tongues” can be found in the pages of the Gospel, our Father tells us, which abound in parables, in examples which materialize the doctrine and illustrate spiritual truths, without debasing or degrading the word of God.

Everyone, both the learned and the less learned, finds it easier to reflect on and understand God’s message through these human images.

Our Blessed Lady spent the greater part of her life working. Let us ask her to help us and teach us to spread the sanctifying and sanctifiable value of work, in a way which all will understand. May she help us to bring the spirit God has given us to every corner of the earth. Because after so many centuries, God wishes to use us to help all Christians discover, finally, the sanctifying and sanctifiable value of ordinary life, of professional work, and the effectiveness of the apostolate of doctrine through example, friendship and confidence.

Today Jesus our Lord wants us to proclaim this message, as old and as new as the Gospel, all over the world in a thousand tongues, and with the gift of tongues, so that all can apply it to their own lives.