What can I do as a member of God’s Household?

(Excerpt from the Homily of Most Reverend Romulo G. Valles, D.D., on the 54th Parochial Fiesta of St. Jude Thaddeus Shrine Parish, Gen. Malvar Street, Davao City.)

What St. Paul says applies to us very well, sibo kaayo. St. Paul says in today’s reading, [akoa ni ha, edited] “brothers and sisters in the Shrine Parish of St. Jude, you are no longer strangers and sojourners…but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself, as the cornerstone.” This could be a description of us all but to be given that description this evening, mas lalom.

“..With Christ as the capstone, through Him, the whole structure [the whole household] is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord being built together.” We are continually being built up as members of God’s household.

…Our pope has said, when we come to mass, the most central manifestation of our pagka “household” as we partake that banquet of the Lord, our pope says in this banquet, in this Eucharist, on this feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, the pope says remember this banquet is not a prize for saints, no, the Eucharist of this fiesta is food for sinners. Why? Because the Lord would always see us struggling, naningkamot to be members of the household. So si Lord is always merficul, di kaayo siya mabalaka sa mga lig-on na, but he’s always looking at the members of the household, pero struggling, needing encouragement, needing inspiration, food for sinners.

That is one good news for tonight, for our parish community, we are alive, so much hope… but keep this truth revealed to us this evening, do not forget this is not just an ordinary organization, association, assembly, no, you are now members of the household of God, the binding force is NOT US, not our goodness, the binding force is not because we are so faithful, we are so good, no, the binding force is that God is overflowing with mercy and compassion. God wants His household to be together. I think that is a very comforting message as we celebrate this feast of Sts. Simon and St. Jude.

In particular, that household… pagkamember nimo uban sa grasya sa Dios gipaningkamutan nga mulig-on kita, mutubo kita, we become more faithful, more active, more life-giving into that household. In the gospel this evening, we move into another description to our life of faith, it is true that we pray or we are encouraged to pray, that we come together to pray, that we are in this fiesta mass, this evening but have we come to consider a very important truth that THE LORD PRAYS FOR US.

[Mao kini ang unod sa Iyang pag-ampo] When they came, He called his disciples to Himself, it is not far-fetched Jesus prayed, but a good maybe that evening the topic of His prayer to God was His disciples. It’s good for us to not forget in the first place it is Jesus, who always communicates with the Father about us. His heart, His mind is always focused with love and mercy for us.

Jesus would always help us in prayer, close to His heart but also knowing us. He is asking us today to be one of His apostles. This being a household member, being a disciple that is honor enough, that joy is enough but the very nature of that discipleship cannot be kept within ourselves but the true test of our devotion to St. Jude, St. Simon, the true test of being a member of that household, is to be able to go out and do something, big or small. Busa this evening as a timaan, as a takeaway on this beautiful faith-filled celebration is to ask ourselves, when I go home tonight..what can I consciously do as part of my being truly a disciple of the Lord?