Speaking in Tongues

Pentecost Sunday

31 May 2020

First reading                                                                         Acts 2:1-11

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

Second reading                                                       1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13

My friends, I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Gospel                                                                     John 14:15-16; 23-26

Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever….

Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

Reflection

By Gary Tulabut

A long, long time ago, if you asked me what I knew about speaking in tongues was, the only thing I could tell you was what was mentioned in our First Reading today, when the disciples “’were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,’ as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” (Acts 2:4)

It was only more than a decade ago—from the time I joined Light of Jesus (LOJ) Family—that I have learned about what they call “speaking in tongues.”

And you know what my first reaction to this was? Doubt. Skepticism.

Well, aside from what seems to be words that sounded like “Shalom Aleichem; Aleichem Shalom” everything sounded gibberish to me. I even told myself, why would the Spirit let me utter supposedly words of praise that I myself do not understand? Of course that was just me being exposed to speaking in tongues for the first time.

But it did not come to a point of judging. I know it’s one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that was granted to them which I do not have. Sometimes, I envy them for having that gift (being taken over by the Holy Spirit, isn’t that cool?). But I am quite satisfied not having the same gift. Because I already knew what my gift was.

Fast forward. Today, I use what I know as my gift is to serve in the LOJ ministries; i.e. my visual creativity, as well as my limited but enough knowledge in the use of basic computer programs to make our bulletins and to run the visual effects during our prayer meetings.

I could do other things as well. I write; I give talks once in a while; I can be an impromptu emcee.

But there are two things I did not even think of doing—preaching and worship leading. I remember, during the first years that I attended The Feast, I could not even raise my hand in worship. I usually told my companions in prayer meetings that I only came for the Mass and the talks. I was not comfortable with what charismatic groups do.

And even when I became a regular servant at the Light of Jesus Family in Pampanga, I only served in different capacities related to my known gifts – creatives, computer operations, writing, etc.

But never worship leading nor preaching. 

That was until one Sunday in 2015.

In the absence of our two regular worship leaders and our discipleship head, I was asked to lead the prayers and worship.

This was a big deal to me. You know why? Because I couldn’t even speak prayers with inspiring words. Yes I can give talks. I can do emcee tasks. But nobody is inspired by my prayers. What more become a worship leader???

And so I just started what every worship leader should do first—asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit took over…

And guess what…. I spoke in tongues.

Although the words that came out of my mouth were not the shalom-aleichem-sounding ones but those that could be understood by ordinary people like you and me—phrases of praise like, “Hallelujah!”, “Lord of Lords”, “King of kings”, “We worship You, we adore You, we give You praise”, “We glorify Your name.”

But for me this was already speaking in tongues because these words did not come from me. Because at that very moment I knew I was not worthy. And I knew all the words of praise, worship, and exhortation came out of my mouth because at that very moment I was “filled with the Holy Spirit that I began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled me to proclaim.”


I am now one of the regular worship leaders and co-preachers of The Light of Jesus in Pampanga. Whenever I was not assigned in either task, I was in the technical booth leading the media team. All these are pre-Covid, of course. And whichever task I am assigned for the day, the first thing I do is ask the Holy Spirit to take over and make me worthy.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, take over me. Take over my family. Take over our country. Take over our leaders. Amen.