Speaking in Tongues

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where can I find a good Catholic explanation of Speaking in Tongues? I’d like to find out how to acquire or “activate” it? How to know if it’s authentic? When one speaks in tongues, is there always someone present to interpret it? Thanks to whoever can help! 😉
 
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prl:
where can I find a good Catholic explanation of Speaking in Tongues? I’d like to find out how to acquire or “activate” it? How to know if it’s authentic? When one speaks in tongues, is there always someone present to interpret it? Thanks to whoever can help! 😉
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The only truly authentic speaking in tongues occured at Pentecost when the Apostles spoke in languages they did not know but the people hearing did…

This other thing you are talking about, praying in tongues, is not really spoken of in the Bible, but the christmatic movement has found some evidence for it…
 
Hi PI In reply to your question Yes the gift of tongues is active and alive. You will find it in 1Corinthians13 and 14.
There are 2 types of “Tongues” the one used at Prayer groups and assemblies of Prayer and worship. It is a form of prophecy and needs interretation from another person or the person who spoke it.
Let me back up a little. I am a member of the Charismatic Renewal and am very active in a Charismatic Prayer group. In fact I coordinate Life in the Spirit Seminars Leading others to accept Jesus into their lives Leading them in receiving the gift of tongues and to Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The Gift of tongues is for every one When used in Personal Prayer you are allowing the Holy Spirit to pray to god for you Praising God . It is a gift of the Holy Spirit-A Beautiful gift.It prays and Praises God when you can not find the words to say. I find myself praying tongues when I am Happy,When I am Sad, Bored busy etc. and it always lifts my Spirits.
If you truely want to activate the gift in you my advise would to ask God for it in Prayer Then lift your mind and heart to God and sing Alleluia over and over again as if that word was the gift of tongues. When I started out I did that for months and one day as I was doing my wash and was sing Alleluia all of a sudden I was praying in Tongues. What a beautiful gift. If you tuely want it God will Bless you withit. Maybe you can look around at your Church or other Catholic Churches in your neighbor hood and find a Charismatic Prayer meeting and there you will be able to start your growth. They may even be offering a lLife in the Spirit Seminar. It is a whole new way of looking at Life I personally Love it May God Bless you Love in Christ LillianR 👍
 
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prl:
where can I find a good Catholic explanation of Speaking in Tongues? I’d like to find out how to acquire or “activate” it? How to know if it’s authentic? When one speaks in tongues, is there always someone present to interpret it? Thanks to whoever can help! 😉
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Speaking in tongues is a charism (gift) of the Holy Spirit. Assuming it is granted to anyone anymore, it is the Spirit who “activates” it. We cannot take the gift for ourselves any more than Simon could buy it from the Apostles (See Acts 8:20 for Peter’s response to that!). There has been much debate on whether or not the modern phenomenon of speaking in Tongues is an authentic gift of the Holy Spirit. I would defer to scripture: “By their fruits you shall know them”. The incredible controversy surrounding charismatic groups in the Catholic Church would make me look very closely at any occurrence you hear of tongues. There is a lot of good that has come out of some charismatic groups, but there is also a lot of dissention that has torn parishes and communities apart, as well.

I’m not sure about the Catholic charismatic groups, but I do know that in other charismatic faiths, such as Pentacostalism, there is not always someone to interpret the tongues. A former teacher I had, who attended a pentecostal Church, said that he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night speaking in tongues and wouldn’t know what they meant.

The last thing I’d say is, if you’re interested in this charism, do some research and pray to God that He might help you understand, and possibly receive the gift. But also remember St. Paul’s words:

:bible1: "If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. " 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Paul considers tongues an authentic gift from God, but tells us that there are more important things to focus on.
 
LILLIAN R:
Hi PI In reply to your question Yes the gift of tongues is active and alive. You will find it in 1Corinthians13 and 14.
There are 2 types of “Tongues” the one used at Prayer groups and assemblies of Prayer and worship. It is a form of prophecy and needs interretation from another person or the person who spoke it.
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Yes Lillian, thanks for the correction…

There are 2 types, that which the Apostles showed at Pentacost and this second one as a form of prophecy.

As for the Prayer type that Lillian speaks of… can you show where in the Bible or Church Tradition where it speaks of giving up your will to the Holy Spirit so it can “pray though you”.

I think 1 Corinthians 14:13-14 shows that you should not pray in tongues in this way with out the gift of interpretation.

1 Corinthians 14

**13 **Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
 
Also remember that the gift of tongues is not given to everyone and we must not seek it as if hunting for it. This shows a lack of humility in our part. We can ask for it but not openly seek it. It is God who gives the gift to whom He chooses.

As mentioned in the previous post, there are other gifts besides tongues and 1 Cor 14 mentions that prophecy is better than tongues.
 
There are also many varieties of this gift.

Our Holy Father has it in the form that if he applies himself to learning a language he can well quickly be fluent in it. This is definitely one variety of the Gift of Tongues which the Holy Father has been granted so that others can better recognize his love for them.

Praise God.
 
Does any one here speak in tongues? Do you guys think it’s authentic?
 
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anJayRN:
Does any one here speak in tongues? Do you guys think it’s authentic?
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Personally I myself don’t speak in tongues. But go hang out with some teenagers…it’s endemic to them.
~ Kathy ~
 
where can I find a good Catholic explanation of Speaking in Tongues?
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Straight from the Bible- basically, if God needs you to do it, you’ll do it. It will be speaking in another language, not babbling.
I’d like to find out how to acquire or “activate” it?
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It is a gift of the Holy Spirit that God gives you- it’s not something you “activate”.
How to know if it’s authentic?
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By understanding it.
When one speaks in tongues, is there always someone present to interpret it?
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Yes- otherwise what would be the point?

I must emphasize again that speaking in tongues is NOT the babbling that many believe it is. It is when you are able to speak to people around you, and they understand you- in their own language. That’s very different from getting so excited your mouth just can’t move fast enough to say the words you want to say, or you just want attention.
 
There is “speaking in tongues” in which the speaker is giving a message, in a language he doesn’t know. This is for the group/community, and is meant to be interpreted by those who have the gift of “interpretation of tongues”.
Then there is the girt of “Prayer in tongues”, which allows the individual to pray with the help of the Holy Spirit, and doesn’t necessarily need interpretation.
I have the gift of “praying in tongues”, but not that of “speaking in tongues”…at least not yet.
 
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prl:
where can I find a good Catholic explanation of Speaking in Tongues? I’d like to find out how to acquire or “activate” it? How to know if it’s authentic? When one speaks in tongues, is there always someone present to interpret it? Thanks to whoever can help! 😉
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one does not acquire or activate the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, they are the perogative of the Giver, not the recipient. If you would like to know more about the Catholic Charismatic movement and learning to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in your life, call your diocese for a referral to a Life in the Spirit Seminar. The purpose of this retreat and way of worshipping is not to demand or elicit the gifts, but to surrender one’s mind, heart, will and life to the Holy Spirit. He grants the gifts to those He will to build up the Church, not for the edification and pride of the recipient.
 
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anJayRN:
Does any one here speak in tongues? Do you guys think it’s authentic?
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Hi,

Estimates on the number of Charismatic Catholics in the world varies anywhere from 40 - 100 million. Since the majority of them speak in tongues, suffice it to say that there are probably a good number who participate on this forum. I received the gift of tongues about 21 years ago, and ‘yes’ I know it to be authentic. I have prayed for hundreds of people over the years and have witnessed most receiving their “prayer language”. There are times when I pray for someone unrelated to tongues and they receive it anyway, like if I’m asking for God to bless them and strengthen them for the trials they are going through, as I’m praying they begin to speak in tongues and weep. After praying I learn that it was their first time and they viewed it as God’s answer to their need for strength. One of the primary purposes of tongues, according to 1 Cor, is to “edify” or strengthen the believer’s spirit, much as exercise strengthens the physical body.

David
 
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m134e5:
I must emphasize again that speaking in tongues is NOT the babbling that many believe it is. It is when you are able to speak to people around you, and they understand you- in their own language. That’s very different from getting so excited your mouth just can’t move fast enough to say the words you want to say, or you just want attention.
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This is not a true statement. That is only one of several different purposes and manifestations of tongues. 1st Cor 14:2 tells us, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.” Thus if “no one understands him”, the purpose of tongues that Paul is talking about here must be different than what you are saying, else everyone would understand. This kind of tongues that Paul is talking about is used for personal prayer, what he refers to as “praying in the Spirit”.

David
 
Sorry- I just don’t buy the charismatic stuff- even if those following it happen to be Catholic.
 
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