Cosdu met formally for the last time at Exam Mass yesterday. Do remember to keep each other in prayer as we slog through these intense days. Thanks to Hobart and Ross, the exam schedule for all Cosduans has been compiled for the month of June to assist us in covering over each other in prayer.
At Mass yesterday, we also received a Gift of the Holy Spirit and a Fruit of the Holy Spirit combined into one winged-heart. "What has this got to do with Pentecost? What's Pentecost?" some might wonder.
Annually, Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter Sunday. Pentecost commemorates the awesome outpouring of the Holy Spirit as Acts Chapter 2 describes:
At Mass yesterday, we also received a Gift of the Holy Spirit and a Fruit of the Holy Spirit combined into one winged-heart. "What has this got to do with Pentecost? What's Pentecost?" some might wonder.
Annually, Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter Sunday. Pentecost commemorates the awesome outpouring of the Holy Spirit as Acts Chapter 2 describes:
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 them speaking in his own language.
Some bible scholars have suggested that Pentecost was God's reversal of the Tower of Babel; the confusion of tongues was used to divide people when they came together in arrogance and pride to build a tower to reach heaven, while the speaking tongues was used to unite people when they gathered according to God's intended purposes.
Looking beyond the sensations (and differing opinions of speaking in tongues), the main learning point for everyone is to have imbue in themselves the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that came with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit include wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence & wonder and awe in God's presence.
The 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and right relationships.
On the winged-heart, the bold in black points to a Gift of the Holy Spirit and the italics in red denotes a Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Some Cosduans have wondered if the binary of the Gift and Fruit they picked up signifies the virtues they lack or indicates virtues blessed upon them. Other Cosduans have marveled at how they have picked up the same Gift and/or Fruit year after year. Whatever the case, let the Godly characteristics be a blessing to yourself and to others around you as you emulate these Gifts and Fruits.
Updates on this blog might not be as frequent during the Winter Break, but please do check back once in a while, or better yet, subscribe to this blog in the sidebar or add it to your feed reader.
Stay close to God and all the best for the coming exams!
Looking beyond the sensations (and differing opinions of speaking in tongues), the main learning point for everyone is to have imbue in themselves the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that came with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit include wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence & wonder and awe in God's presence.
The 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and right relationships.
On the winged-heart, the bold in black points to a Gift of the Holy Spirit and the italics in red denotes a Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Some Cosduans have wondered if the binary of the Gift and Fruit they picked up signifies the virtues they lack or indicates virtues blessed upon them. Other Cosduans have marveled at how they have picked up the same Gift and/or Fruit year after year. Whatever the case, let the Godly characteristics be a blessing to yourself and to others around you as you emulate these Gifts and Fruits.
Updates on this blog might not be as frequent during the Winter Break, but please do check back once in a while, or better yet, subscribe to this blog in the sidebar or add it to your feed reader.
Stay close to God and all the best for the coming exams!
COSDU
2 comments:
Great post...especially about the reversal of the Tower of Babel.
Anyway just to add from what I learnt during an actual bible study from a Brother who taught bible study to students who were gonna take the subject as part of the Malaysian public examination (SPM).
Pentecost means 50, and is the Jewish Harvest festival (harvesting corn). It is one of the 3 main celebrations of the Jews.
He also said that what "other tongues" and "speaking in his own language" mean in the passage is that the apostles spoke very clearly that the whole crowd understood them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to preach so convincingly...understanding the truth about Jesus for the first time. They were not speaking foreign languages or uttering unknown words to praise God as what we call 'speaking in tongues' today.
Just thought it's interesting to share.
My 2 cents :)
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