Company to the battle of life

(An excerpt of the homily of the Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., during the Parochial Fiesta of Our Lady of Assumption Parish, F. Torres St., Davao City, August 15, 2024.)

What is the first lesson? That as we journey, as we… maningkamot kita to share the glory in our life. Remember life is a battle, life is a war between the dragon and the woman, light and darkness. But St. John knows that… he would know that really sa actual ang atong kalaban si Mr. Satan would not come like a dragon. No, with tail, with red eyes, itumon, no. Ang atong kalaban dili moanha nga murag dragon. Ang atong kalaban would come very sweet, would pretend nga dili kalaban, humot, very benign, because the definition of Satan in the bible is mangingilad, liar. Satan would make us believe that dili siya enemy that’s why it’s a difficult battle. It’s alarming that we want to glorify God, keep in mind that daily we battle to fight between choosing for the dragon or for the lady, for God or for Satan. Day after day and many times the dragon would win.

In the end, the first reading would tell us that the good, light, God, grace, love, honesty will triumph. Makahadlok ang kalaban, it is always a battle but God is there to help us and with Him, we will win, first lesson.

Ang second lesson my dear friends, what is the opposite of the glory of Mary? Meaning grant us o Lord the grace to share her glory. Second lesson is a reminder that to fail , to work, to cry very hard to seek the grace of God, to be like Mary. To fail is that we will suffer death. The second reading says the last enemy that is has be conquered is death. So keep in mind, it is a battle. But if we lose a battle, aha Kinsa ang maghari kanato? Death. We deprived the joy of eternal life. Sometimes we like to win, to be victors if the worldly battle but in the end we suffered death, eternal death. So it is a beautiful reminder, keep in mind it is really a battle of eternal life otherwise modaug ang atong enemy that we have to conquer is death.

Third takeaway in this fiesta, we ask Blessed Mother accompany us, be with us in the battle of life. Day after day to choose the light, what is good, what is honest, what is divine, what is Godly. Second Blessed Mother please remind us that the fundamental enemy that we have in this battle is death. We have to conquer death even if the world and Satan would not allow us to see death.