How much do we believe in resurrection?

(Excerpt from the Homily of Most Reverend Romulo G. Valles, D.D., on the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time at San Pedro Cathedral Parish, San Pedro Street, Davao City, November 6, 2022.)

…Whole year we are exposed to the presence of God and hopefully mutubo ta sa atong pagtoo madeepen sa atong pagtoo, we become somehow strong in faith, we grow as it were. Today we are again reminded of one thing that is sure in or hearts, as we close the Church year. Kung duna pay exam bahala na ang uban dili ma answeran, this lesson today is major item that each one should be able to take to heart, seriously. What is that? As we close the Church year, unta the longing to be in heaven, the longing for eternal life, the longing to see God face to face should not only be in theory. In today’s readings, the longing to receive the gift of the resurrection, to be raised up from the dead should be clear to us.

Tan-awa ang salmo, “Lord when your glory appears, my joy will be full.” How is that triggered nga very concrete? One comes from the first reading from the book of Maccabees, Old testament. It’s good for us (to know) ang background wala pa ang resurrection. Before the coming of Christ, the whole issue, in fact blanko na, in the old testament, before Christ, naa na pero hanap; but for the Church today, the Mother Church, we are taught about that… in the hearts and minds of God’s chosen people, even though hundreds of years before Christ, yes medyo hanap , medyo faint but look in the readings today, naa nay pitik, ug sa English pa naa nay, inkling, naa nay tip of the whole beautiful truth, that we are supposed to keep today, resurrection.

Ang drama sa first reading, pito ka anak nga laki but ang setting, uban sa ilang mother gitorture; kay gusto sa torurer that they would abandon their faith. They are tortured because they would not follow the religion of the torturers, therefore gi torture sila… When he (the 4th brother) was near death he said “my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope, that God gives of being raised up by Him but for you there will be no resurrection to life.” When they were tortured, before Christ pa, gipakita nga in this story already had that faint hope of the resurrection, ingon nila in this first reading, “bahala nag mamatay ko ning kinabuhia but I am sure there is life after death.” We wonder like the faith that we have today especially if our faith within our life, if that life is pushed to the corner, and we may be losing our life and we cling to that life, but isn’t it that our faith is like the 7, that I will cling to this life, I would stay straight, keep my faith because I know that there is a life after this life, ang resurrection.

Ang opening lesson today, ang test, kamusta ang imong pagvalue sa imong life karon, that medyo labaw sa value, sa gift of the coming resurrection. That, I think is a very important consideration. Will I be able to jump from loving this life here now and saying bahala na because I believe, I believe that there is resurrection. Would I forgo the beautiful things of this life because in faith, eyes and heart of faith, there is much more in the coming life and kanang more in the coming life, kining mga deep pangandoy nato today in this world will be fulfilled in the coming life, that’s why the seven in the final text, “patya lang ko ninyo because I am sure my God will give me life, and that life, you will have none of that life.”