Persevere

Excerpt of the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao during the Marian Exhibit Year 3 at the 2nd Floor Exhibit Hall, Abreeza Mall (Part 3).

Persevere in faith saying it is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. To believe is not a guarantee that (there) are no more suffering.

After this Mass, your debt will still be there and your arthritis will not be gone but perhaps, with stronger faith, we know how to handle our difficulties in life.

Accomplished within us the Paschal mystery, the swing from Calgary to the glory of the resurrection.

That is the actual life of the church and the ministers of the Gospel in the Acts of the Apostles.

There were hardships but they will remember, of course what the Lord has said to them, carry your own cross.

The Lord did not say “when you believe in me, there will be no more crosses in life.”

He said carry your own cross.

It became clearer to the disciples that indeed, it is the Lord who accompanies us.

“Accomplish within us, oh, Lord!”

But with that very realistic description of the life of faith in the Acts of the Apostles, we go to St. John. It’s different. Very poetic and very victorious.

“Then, I, John saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.”

This is what John told the believers around 100 AD when suffering continued, when persecution continued, when Calvary was still present, when passion, tears, the threat of death were very much present.

But John was saying, persevere because there is a new heaven and a new earth.

Then, the Gospel would tell us how do you keep your faith? How do you practice your faith? How do you recognize seeing the Son of Man glorified in you?

John says, “show them that you have the glorified Jesus in yourself simply by loving one another.”