Church. He declared in the presence of a hundred and twenty of the faithful that another apostle must be chosen in the place of Judas, and they did exactly as he told them, without seeing any pretension or arrogance in his thus putting himself forward; for they, one and all, knew that our Blessed Lord had appointed him to be the chief pastor of His Church.
Let us see what virtues were exercised by the apostles and disciples in the history of the election of Matthias, and in their conduct, while waiting for the coming of the Holy Ghost.
1. Obedience, for they obeyed our Lord’s command to remain in Jerusalem, until He should send the Holy Ghost.
2. Hope (and confidence), for they trusted the word of the Lord that He would send the Holy Ghost, although He had not told them at what time He would come.
3. Piety, for they prayed earnestly and perseveringly that the Holy Ghost might come.
4. Brotherly unity, for they kept together in unity of spirit.
The number ( twelve ) of the apostles (see also chapter XXXI). So significant was this number that the gap made by the apostasy of Judas had to be filled up before the Holy Ghost descended, and before the preaching of the apostles began.
Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The earnest preparation made by the disciples for the Descent of the Holy Ghost ought to serve as an example of how we ought to prepare ourselves for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The Holy Ghost was sent to the Church to maintain her in her threefold office, doctrinal, priestly and pastoral, and to impart to individual souls the graces won by Jesus Christ. He preserves the Church free from all error in the exercise of her doctrinal office, and blesses the preaching of the word of God, making it penetrate the hearts of men for the improvement of their lives. He works in the priestly office of the Church by bestowing grace through the holy Sacraments, and by thus enlightening, sanctifying and strengthening individual souls. He protects and governs her in her pastoral office by giving to her a supernatural vitality, so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against her.
The outward signs of inward graces. The effects of the Holy Ghost were signified by the outward signs which accompanied His coming. Fire, which enlightens, warms and purifies, and under the form of which He descended, was intended to show that the Holy Ghost inwardly illuminated the apostles (and through them the faithful) with the light of faith, inflamed their hearts with love, and purified them from sin. The gift of tongues proved that the Holy Ghost could make the uneducated apostles eloquent in speaking to the hearts of men. In
