“Modern-day Pentecost”

On Pentecost Sunday, I encouraged the congregation to greet their neighbor “Happy birthday!” Everybody quickly reacted, “It’s not my birthday!” It was a happy thought-provoking salutation.
In the liturgical year, Pentecost Sunday comes immediately after the solemnity of Jesus’ ascension. Pentecost Sunday is considered the birthday of the church. We are the church. Henceforth, it is our birthday.
The Catholic dictionary provides us definitions: Pentecost is the feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles; It takes its name from the fact that it comes about 50 days after Easter; The name was originally given to the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which fell on the 50th day after Passover, when the first fruits of the corn harvest were offered to the Lord (Deuteronomy 16:9), and later on the giving of the law of Moses was celebrated; and the term Pentecost comes from the Greek Πεντηκοστήor Pentēkostē meaning “fiftieth”.
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” (Acts 2:1-3)
The Holy Spirit gifted the apostles with knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. They communicated to different people and culture and yet they were able to convey the gospel. They were gifted with fortitude and counsel to reach out and convert people.
Here is a beautiful story of Rose and Alim Wannas. The language of their little daughter, Empress Zhaine, was indeed a language not for the ears but for the heart. It was a language of the Spirit. “Mama, let’s pray and we pray for daddy Alim and for his safety.”
Everytime I prepare couples for the sacrament of marriage, I always underline the importance of prayer in the family. Addressing Rose, “Always teach your children to pray and appreciate the Holy Mass. Encourage your husband to love prayers. Praying as a family when it becomes a virtue will surely help your children grow as good and responsible persons. Prayer is the element of priceless unity at home.”
Alim, who was baptized on the Feast of St. Philip of Neri, is a construction worker in Kalinga, far from their home in Antadao, Sagada, Mountain Province.
Now, I better understand the deeper meaning of the prayer of baby Empress. The couple enjoyed the preparation of their Christian marriage. They were conferred the sacrament of confirmation.
I describe the event as a “modern-day Pentecost” because of the innocent and yet powerful language of the child that inspired Alim to convert and Rose to be confirmed and eventually the couple submitting themselves to the sacrament of marriage.
I hope that our government officials will also undergo a “modern-day Pentecost” to understand the language of the poor:
First, that they may see the bigger, wider, and deeper impact of the pandemic.
Second, that they may not be fixated with the sheer virus and the millions of money merely on the prevention aspect.
Third, that on the second year of Covid-19 pandemic, they may see the reality that it is impacting not only to the physical body.
Fourth, that they need to transcend to the holistic curative on those burdened spiritually, psychologically, mentally, emotionally, economically, and socially due to the pandemic.
Fifth, it’s high time for self-examination on how far their platforms have been realized.President Rodrigo Duterte is not exempted in evaluating himself, his words, his promises, and on how far he was able to realize them.
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