GLORIOUS SILENCE - HEALING THAT INVIGORATES THE SPIRIT

It has been a great blessing for me to know in the person of HG Gee Varghese Mar Ivanios of blessed memory.  During his life time, a collection of Thirumeni's  homilies were shared in the form of a short book by  Mar Baselios Dayara (Monastery) in Malayalam  'Maunathinte Lavaniyam' -' Glorious Silence'. 

Mr. Kavil Varughese (Sam Uncle) , from New Zealand was kind enough to help translating this third chapter. May Thirumeni's words encourage and his prayers continue to guide us to know the will of God in our lives.

 

HEALING THAT INVIGORATES THE SPIRIT

“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.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Pentecost is the Fiftieth day feast. It was the harvest festival in the Old Testament times. On the Pentecost Feast, all Jews flock into Jerusalem. The Feast days are occasions when the scattered Jewish community from various regions have a re-union. There were a great number of Jews from different places and speaking different languages at that time.

 

It was in this background that St Peter the apostle started his speech, emboldened by the abiding of the Holy Spirit. Each of the apostles started speaking in languages in which the Holy Spirit inspired them to utter. It is to be noted here that speaking in other tongues doesn’t mean a language which no one understands; but a language which each one listening understands. “Utterly amazed, they asked: "Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?  Then how is it that each of us hear them in our native language?”’(Acts 2:7-8) .

 

There are wrong teachings that identify sign of spiritual anointment to be incomprehensible utterances. The presence of the Holy Spirit in a person is manifested in fact, through the boldness one has to be good to others. The fruit of the spirit is the life which is in obedience to God. In short, a life led in unselfish love is greater than all other gifts. The Christian life is to abide in God’s love.

Our Lord teaches that thoughts and words contrary to the inspiration of Holy Spirit, are unpardonable sins. Remember the occasion when the Lord said that the blasphemy against the son of man shall be pardoned, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be.

The event was the healing of a man possessed with evil spirits. The Lord said this when the crowd murmured that he was doing this through Beelzebub, the chief of the evil spirits. Observe carefully. The surrounding crowd knew that the evil spirit was banished with divine power. Although they knew the truth, they speak falsehood against their own conscience, because of their unwillingness to accept Christ in their heart. 

The Holy Spirit is the one who guides in truth and justice. Untruthfulness and injustice are evils against the Holy Spirit. This will not be forgiven. Equally unpardonable is the falsehood of feasts, fairs, exhibitions and speeches in the name of Spiritual anointment.

Another sign of the Spiritual anointment is the power of healing. After the feast of Pentecost, when Peter and John went for prayer at the ninth hour, they heal a lame person. Peter’s comment there is well known, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong (Acts 3:6-7).

 

We have too much of gold and silver. But we have lost the power to make a person stand.The Church is the hospital which should heal the society. It is unfortunate that today churches often make increasingly difficult circumstances for people. We have too much wealth. Our spiritual strength eroded. Bear in mind that in Church we have had  saints gave healings to thousands without any need of publicity boards. It is the Holy life lead spiritual lives that make the Church to be the healer to the society.

In short the signs of the Holy Spirit are not misleading utterances, speeches and lives against conscience, and activities focussed on physical strength rather than spiritual strength; On the contrary it is speaking of the language of God’s love which everyone understands, a life in truthfulness, a spiritual enlightened life which heals the world .