Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao challenged the faithful to tell stories that “build people” as the Church celebrates the Pentecost.
In his homily on May 27, the prelate said the People of God “are entrusted” to spread the Good News like what the apostles did after the Holy Spirit came upon them.
“We are meant to be storytellers. God delegated us to tell stories. There are many occurrences in our lives especially now in this time of the pandemic,” said the prelate.
“What kind of stories are we going to write?” Bishop Ongtioco asked. “What are we going to tell our children and grandchildren about the things that we did during the crisis?”
The prelate said he hopes people will spread good “stories showing” better citizens with compassion to others, better Christians, and renewed followers of Christ.
He urged the faithful to renounce bad stories “that turn down and do not build” relationships and people such as “gossips and fake news.”
“Let us tell stories that build people up, give hope, and give joy,” he said.
The prelate also told the faithful that the Pentecost is a reminder that “Christ did not leave us in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic.”
“We can see His mercy and love through the people who offer their lives just to serve and care for others especially those who are sick,” said the prelate.
Pentecost, which is celebrated on the 49th day after Easter Sunday, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles.
The term Pentecost comes from the Greek Pentēkostē meaning “fiftieth.” It refers to the festival celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, also known as the “Feast of Weeks” and the “Feast of 50 days” in rabbinic tradition.
