The Promise of Eternal Life

(Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao during the Requiem Mass in Honor of Most Rev. Fernando Capalla, D.D. at San Pedro Cathedral Parish, January 6, 2024.)

Msgr. Paul, you were there at the bedside of Archbishop Nanding. He messaged me right away after one o’clock and twenty-three in the morning, only a message but then he called me at five o’clock and we were able to go to his house at the College Seminary. We knew he was struggling he was becoming weaker and weaker. Yes with Msgr. Paul in whispers we said, the time is near with Dra. Grace but then when it came, it was painful for all of us.

This afternoon we begin, to be consoled by our pain, by the Church, by the Lord, because alone, truly, truly we cannot handle death. But this afternoon, the start of some days of mourning, days of the wake until the funeral, we will be consoled greatly by the sacraments, by the word of God, by the rites, the sprinkling of holy water, the candles, kind words, kind messages and daily Eucharist during the wake.

In this first Mass, I would like to share with you two things coming from the liturgy and the life of Archbishop Nanding. The first reading of the reception rite, from the 1st Letter of St. John says, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us, that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” Murag theory, has bestowed on us, that we may be called the children of God, a bit of a wish but Paul adds, “yet so we are.” Archbishop Nanding, by your death, by your attitude before dying, we kind of understand through you that indeed, we are God’s children. By your ministry, by so many things you have done, I may summarize it as things you did for the children of God and you’re one of them. We face your death, looking at you, looking at us, with tears and pain and yet we say, indeed we are. Death cannot touch us, God in Jesus has conquered death. Yes, truly we are God’s children. And today, starting today Archbishop Nanding we will place that pain and sense of loss but thanks be to God, we will keep reminding ourselves, Fernando is a child of God, we left with so much pain, yes we are God’s children, and God will comfort us.

The second point is coming from today’s Gospel reading in this Mass, we heard it truly a eucharistic reading about the Bread of Life. He who eats my flesh, the Bread of Life, will live forever. Archbishop Nanding who can doubt that you love the eucharist so much? We can’t even start counting and calculating how many masses you have celebrated but we safely conclude that you our friend, our tatay, our lolo, our archbishop simply day in and day out, you celebrate the Eucharist, believing and showing us the presence of Jesus and that eating that bread of life is not only for this Earth but bring you to eternal life. He often said, in his last days to Msgr. Paul and to Dra. Grace, “I’m ready to go,” coolly, calmly, “do not bring me to the hospital anymore, I’m ready to go.” A person who can coolly and calmly say “I am ready to go,” I would like to believe is that person who has eaten the bread of life, when that person that death is coming, he is ready to go because that going is not to know where, but he who eats my flesh, will be brought to eternal life.

I was thinking of two things today, the date January 6, today is Blessed Virgin Mary’s day, Saturday, Archbishop Nanding you had the rosary on your bed, the Blessed Mother was there this morning, I’d like to imagine, and with a smile, welcoming you, as you enter in their promise of life. Today also is the traditional feast of the Epiphany, January 6, though in the Philippine calendar, it is tomorrow Sunday, but in other places in the Church, today is celebrated as the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the manifestation, the showing of the Lord himself, to the nations. Archbishop Nanding, you’re one of those who wanted to see the Lord, to meet the Lord, to be given that final definitive epiphany when you see the Lord, face to face, and in your death it is so. In faith we believe, Archbishop Nanding that you are now with the Lord, the promise of the eucharist that he who eats my flesh, will live with me into eternal life. Archbishop Nanding, pray for us that today first, that we would be day by day renewing our faith that we are God’s children and number two Archbishop Nanding pray for us so that every time we participate in the mass and take Holy Communion, we renew our belief and faith in the gift of eternal life so that in our own time, we’ll be able to say, “I am ready to go.”