. During all that time God fed them with manna.
He Himself, as a guide, went with them in a cloud, that shaded them from
the heat of the sun during the day and was a light for them at night.
But you will ask: Was the desert so large that it took forty years to
cross it? No, but these people, notwithstanding all God had done for
them, sinned against Him in the desert; so He permitted them to wander
about through it till a new generation of people grew up, who were to be
led into the promised land by Josue, the successor of Moses. From this
we may learn a lesson for ourselves: God will always punish those who
deserve it, even though He loves them and may often have done great
things to save them; but He will wait for His own time to punish.

The Israelites then, as I have said, went from every part of the land up
to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Pasch each year. It was
during one of these celebrations that Our Lord was put to death, and
during another feast that St. Peter preached to the people after Our
Lord's death. He spoke only in one language, and yet all his hearers
understood, for each heard his own language spoken. (Acts 2:6). This was
called the gift of tongues, and was given to the Apostles when the Holy
Ghost came upon them. For example, if each of you came from a different
country and understood the language only of the country from which you
came, and I gave the instructions only in English, then if everyone
thought I was speaking his language--German, French, Spanish, Italian,
etc.--and understood me, I would have what is called the gift of
tongues, and it would be a great miracle, as it was when bestowed upon
the Apostles.

In the first ages of the Church God performed more miracles than He does
now, because they are not now so necessary. These miracles were
performed only to make the Church better known, and to prove that she
was the true Church, with her power and authority from God. That can now
be known and seen in Christian countries without miracles. These special
gifts, like the gift of tongues, were given also to some of the early
Christians by the Holy Ghost, when they received Confirmation; but they
were not a part of or necessary for Confirmation, but only to show the
power of the true religion. Those who heard St. Peter preach, when they
went back to their own countries told what they had seen and heard, and
thus their countrymen were prepared to receive the Gospel when the
Apostles