Gifted to Give

(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, April 6, 2021 during the Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacons at San Pedro Cathedral, Davao City)

Coming from the readings of the liturgy today, Ranebe and Jerick in particular what is that giftedness that would color your giving, being gifted to give? Allow me a little bit to say something about the readings. I will continue by saying we will look at our life as deacon and soon to be priest, or life as priest, or lay faithful, the dynamics of seeking the Lord, looking for the Lord. Di ba mao na ang atong journey to look for the Lord?

Figured in the Gospel reading that the ladies, the women and the disciples in the group they were seeking, looking for the Lord. We know the Lord and yet surprisingly in the Gospel when Jesus appeared at least the ladies, the women cannot recognize the Lord, they did not. It was only when Jesus spoke and called and mention the person of Mary, he said, Mary. It was then that the meeting, the search was complete because they were found by Jesus, they were found by God.

And even if we examine the Gospel, the Lord said, tell the disciples, the others to go to Galilee, I will find them there, I will see them there. Ranebe and Jerick all these years, special years at the pre-college, at the college seminary, at REMASE, we may think that those are the years of searching the Lord. But I think in today’s liturgy, it is all about being found by the Lord. Stay still, Mary was there and she heard her name.

If you allow me a little bit of extension, Jerick and Ranebe you first heard your name called by the Lord in baptism. We will be named by the Lord, called by the Lord, found by the Lord. If there’s one thing from today’s liturgy, that I realized, that would color our ministry with people, yes we will call it search for the Lord, to find the Lord is to lead by example and teaching and formation, ourselves and our people to be found by the Lord. It is He who would call us, who will find us, console us. And then, it is the Lord also who will direct us where to go. It is not a moment of giftedness that would paralyze us.

In fact, in the gospel, the words are full of motion, go! Do not stay here, go! Tell the disciples, tell the nations. But again that going will be colored by telling people you will be found by the Lord, the Lord would seek you. I think a very consoling thought and also puts us in a humble position with our people. Yes, we search the Lord. But ultimately, we say ayaw kabalaka even in the times of pandemic, we ask where is the Lord? But we say kalma lang, the Lord will find us, the Lord knows where we are, the Lord directs where we will go and He will be there with us.