Homily during the Funeral Mass of the late Fr. Ricky Flores (Part 2 of 2)

(An excerpt of the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao and CBCP President in San Pedro Cathedral during the Funeral Mass of the late Fr. Ricky Flores, Parish Priest of San Pedro Calungsod Quasi-Parish, Baguio District, Davao City, September 22, 2020. Part 2 of 2)

First kaning rito sa lubong, to comfort us, paghupay ug paglig-on kanato. And then to teach us in the sense that niining rito karon to level-up pa ang atong pagtoo. Comfort us, strengthen us both clergy and lay faithful but also in a very subtle way, i-angat ta kanang inyong pagtoo dili lang kutob dinha. Ang panahon sa lubong that is so beautifully underlined.

The liturgy of the church is so beautiful. The readings of the living word of God, the signs and symbols I cannot stop balik-balik na mga pari kapoyan siguro pero basi’g naa pay wala right away at the beginning. Ang rito sa simbahan has a little consideration for mourning, that’s why suot violet unya syempre pud ang mga kanta uban dili kaayo bibo pero very subtle, deeply, profoundly. Ang rito sa simbahan is kontra kamatayon, ipakita sa simbahan nga patay si Ricky, ayaw kabalaka. Death has no power over Ricky.

Kadungog mo akong gihinay pagbasa, holy water beginning pa lang we are comforted by the church – comfort, strength, in faith ayaw kalimot. Ricky since he was small has been claimed by God in baptism. Dili intawon na pahawa sa mga dautang espiritu, claimed, baptism. You heard it, white garment, baptismal garment – puti, dignity, washed, cleaned and baptism, taga langit siya. Crucifix, that crucifix will be actualized in more elaborate way sa pagsaulog nato sa life-giving sacrifice of Jesus. The paschal candle, dili na ordinaryong paschal candle, that’s the candle of resurrection.

Comforted kita but also the main, importante pa gyud nga message panahon sa rito sa patay that all of us is assured of heaven mao nay subtle. Why? I was thinking about that, am still recovering. Salamat sa Ginoo iyang ipataas akong kinabuhi apan am thinking time will come, will I believe in the afterlife? And then we come to the reading, beautiful, St. Paul, the last enemy that we have to conquer – very important line, all the readings today are taking from the options for Christian funeral.

Gipili kining first reading usa sa mga option because of that beautiful line “the last enemy that we have to conquer with faith is the enemy of death.” Kay sa katapusan magduha-duha gayud kita. Ang kamatayon ba mo annihilate kanako? Wow, mga classmates ni Ricky sa philosophy, the anxiety nga mawala naku after kamatayon, ana man lang  ang kinabuhi. Is that so? No. Last enemy that we will conquer and we can conquer is the enemy of death, its sorrow, its anxiety that the thinking that I will be gone, no more. No. Paul says, may kinabuhi.

And then we go to, gipili pud namo mga pari nagpadungog-dungog ko sa unang misa nako ka Fr. Ricky, atong paborito nga daug-daugon nato kanang Lazaro mao man na, akong paborito katong dunay daghang mga lawak sa langit pero daghang mga options diay. Busa gipili namo kini karon kining, also one of the readings of funeral masses kining pasalig ni Jesus sa St. John gospel. Kadtong mokaon sa akong lawas makakaon sa pan sa kinabuhi. Ricky, time and again, countless times celebrated the Eucharist.

And I believed in his own way perhaps some limitations but nevertheless he died a priest, many times his life became the Eucharist for others. Life-giving, life a ministry. Yes. But also the promise of the Eucharist sama sa gospel reading is for Ricky, is for us, for us priest. We cannot explain how the grace of God allows us, not all allows us to preside over that memorial of His passion and resurrection. To preside over this rites including now that whoever takes and eats that bread will have eternal life. Ricky did that for his people in the last days where’s people in Pedro Calungsod Quasi Parish in Baguio but many years he did that allowing the life of the gospel of Jesus to flourish in the hearts of the faithful.

But also I believe that everyday sometimes unconsciously but also slowly after the time of his death believing the he who eats the body of Christ will gain eternal life. Brothers and Sisters at funerals we can talk about the good deeds of the person, what he did on earth through beautiful. But at funerals of priest especially we have to move into the very important element of our faith, we know that. But I’d like to emphasize it, our testimony in life just as Ricky had it when he was living as a priest is a testimony about the afterlife. Our life should be pointing up to heaven.

The joy and love of having God, seeing God face to face as we want to see Him on earth in a brothers and sisters. Ang paghigugma diha sa pag-alagad sa adlaw karon practice lang ka na anad-anad aron ang atong self, spirit and soul and heart maanad na to do that in the life to come. Ricky, I’m quite sure you understand what I am saying, we are saying also together priest and so our prayer is a prayer not of hopelessness. Our liturgy today is not liturgy of being totally devastated but also but most Ricky you understand that it is a liturgy of trust and hope. If I may add for us priest especially not difficult to understand it is a liturgy of Easter and joy because for us to believe death is the entrance into eternal life.