Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Solemnity of the Pentecost, Cycle C, 08 June 2025
Acts 2:1-11 ><}}}}*> Romans 8:8-17 ><}}}}*> John 14:15-16, 23-26

The other “good news” I heard next to the election of Pope Leo XIV last month were reports of people from different countries and other religions who went to join the pilgrims at the Vatican Square celebrating the election of our new Holy Father.

According to news, many of those non-Catholics who came there were so attracted and drawn by the unity of the people in rejoicing and celebrating Pope Leo XIV’s election to the papacy. That is Pentecost in modern time happening whenever people are one with each other in God by the Holy Spirit.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together… Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem… They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language?” (Acts 2:1, 3-5, 7-8).

The Pentecost is an old Jewish Feast commemorating the ratification 50 days after of their covenant with God through Moses at the Sinai desert; today in the Church, we celebrate it 50 days (pente) after Christ’s Resurrection that also closes the Easter Season.

Considered as the birthday of the Church, see how appropriate the way Luke described the Church “born” on that day, “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.”

They were all in one place. There has always been the oneness or gathering of people as one body. However, it was more than being physically together in one place but of being one heart and one mind of the Church that continue to this day in our own time despite our many physical differences. What we celebrate today is not just a remote event in the past but a reality that continues in the Church and in various churches everyday.

The Pentecost is the fulfillment of those reflections we have had these past weeks on Jesus Christ’s commandment to love so that God would dwell among us. It is again our gospel this Sunday that was experienced by the Jews from other parts of the world there in Jerusalem on that day when they were astounded at how the Apostles were speaking in their own languages of God’s mighty deeds. They felt the love among everyone that they felt home. It was the complete opposite of what happened at the Babel’s Tower in the Old Testament.

They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God” (Acts 2:7-11).

"We hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God" 

The social media was recently abuzz with a post by a vlogger who brought to Facebook his misgivings with Starbuck’s for wrongfully calling him “JC” instead of “JP” notwithstanding his earlier insistence on not making a mistake with his name’s spelling.

He is labeled as OA – overacting – or maarte in bringing to social media his experience which has anyway been a trademark of most coffee shops. What really got the attention of everyone that made his post viral was his declaration of how Starbuck’s had lost one loyal customer following that mistake which became the subject of many memes with some parodies that are thought-provoking. One is by a brother priest, Fr. Ritz who called his parody with the long title NOT ONLY A COFFEEHOUSE MAY LOSE A LOYAL CUSTOMER TODAY.

Fr. Ritz satirically narrated the two common laments of parishioners almost everywhere, namely, the priest’s boring homilies and lack of transparency with the faithful’s financial contributions. Sadly true, many of our faithful have become lukewarm in their faith and have stopped coming to church especially on Sundays due to these particular reasons.

Of course, we can’t put all the blame on the priests but we can’t blame either the lay faithful who make up the Church, the flock of Christ entrusted to us to love and care for by bringing out their giftedness in order to build this mystical Body of Christ on earth. The Church is more than Starbuck’s or any food and service entity but they all essentially share the same things like love and care among others to keep their relationships for existence and relevance or meaning.

Of course, that vlogger’s post about his experience at Starbuck’s was way off the mark but it is something we need to look deeper. How did it happen that people are now more concerned and more eager in coming to Starbuck’s than to our parish church? Maybe because like him who had given albeit wrongly his loyalty to a mere coffee shop, some of our faithful have felt taken for granted. We cannot claim “para yun lang” because certain things no matter small may be the world for some like being called in their name, being greeted or simply acknowledged as present on a weekday Mass. Or being enriched by a good homily which is after all the right of every baptized Christian.

At Pentecost, imagine the great joy of the Jews from diaspora visiting Jerusalem, hearing others speaking their language. They must have felt at home!

Are we at home in our Church?

Do we find and experience solace and comfort in our parish? Is there justice and sense of being fair from the priests instead of taking sides with the rich and famous? Can we feel our pastors and church volunteers and servants one with us?

Many times some of our parish workers and volunteers are more strict than the priests, throwing their weight around with their own rules and regulations. The single most important PR department of any parish is its office but sadly, some of its staff members scrimp on their smiles, feeling grouchy when ordinary folks come to inquire or get some certificates. Some are so unmindful of people walking for an hour only to be told they are still closed or about to close for lunch.

How sad when we are left out in the singing because the choir members stage a concert every Mass, experimenting with their voicing even with the most common Christian prayer of Our Father that people just stand and stare waiting for the communion to come and get home. Worst, as a preparation for the Father’s homily that often unprepared anyway, there are also the unprepared lectors lost which readings to proclaim or totally unmindful of the dignity of the ministry.

Above all these things, is the total lack of sense of prayer and silence among church servers who lead the Maritess sessions before and after each Mass right there inside the church. Worst, they cap each service with selfies and photo sessions at the altar as if it was their last serve. Clearly many of us live in the flesh than in the Spirit as St. Paul reminded us in the second reading. Where is the love that Jesus Christ had sent us in the Holy Spirit to make us one, feel at home joyful, safe and loved?

On this Pentecost Sunday, let us start practicing silence to feel the Holy Spirit within so that we can be in touch with everyone around us in love and kindness. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to teach us everything and remind us of all that Jesus had told us (Jn. 14:26). Amen. Have a blessed week ahead everyone!