San Jose, uban ni Maria ug Hesus

(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, December 8, 2021 during the live streamed mass of the Culmination of the Year of St. Joseph with Act of Consecration of Families to Saint Joseph at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Sasa, Davao City)

Praise the Lord kang Pope Francis nga ang kauban sa Mahal nga Birhen sa pagmatuto kang Hesus, si St. Joseph, ang inyong patron is given attention also this year. Kay gi-declare lagi ni Pope Francis nga Year of St. Joseph you remember that December 8 last year ug karon ang mura’g closing. Dili hunong pero pagtak-op lang nianang special year nga mas molalom, mas molig-on ang atong debosyon, pag-ila, appreciation, pagpatuhop gyud nga atoang angkonon pud dili lang ang Mahal nga Birhen like today Immaculada Conception but also her husband, ang iyang esposo nga putli si St. Joseph. Duha ka bantogang haligi but they are there sa atong panorama of faith, they are there in the scenario of pagtoo simply because of Jesus. They were chosen by God to be there, to be humanities, hands and heart and body to care for the Savior.

And today we have the Eucharist of Jesus our Savior, the only begotten Son of God, but born like us. We remember today first momentS of that Jesus our Savior, sa inato nga pagkasulti ang unang nasimhot ni Hesus, ang unang init nga nag-warm kang Jesus, ang nag-gunit kang Hesus, Joseph and Mary. How wonderful our Catholic faith is, wonderful!

Maguol ko, masayangan ko anang uban moingon naunsa man ang Katoliko naa may mga santos-santos? Masayangan ko, how wonderful our faith is. Naay usa ka linya sa New Testament maybe mura’g letter to the Hebrews pero giingon dinha we have a multitude of witnesses to strengthen us, another word we are a cloud of witnesses to strengthen us. Naa pud na sa pag-ampo sa simbahan diha sa santos nga misa, gi-repeat ka na cloud of witnesses. First and foremost of those makapalig-on nato, makagana nato, visible kaayo, makakopya ta sa ilang birtud sa ilang pagka-Diosnon, Mary and Joseph.

And today we are focused on those two figures in this wonderful celebration, Dalagyon ang Dios! Viva Maria, Viva San Jose karong adlawa. But, again peligro kung mura’g stand-alone silang duha, their beauty, their strength, their inspiration can only be perfect, sakto ang atong appreciation nila if we picture them both Joseph and Mary always there with the glow of the child Jesus in their midst. Ang nindot nga larawan lagi ana duol na pud, ang Belen sa Pasko.