Archbishop on Easter: Victory over darkness

Sugat 2019 at San Pedro Cathedral, Davao City. (Photo by Lawrence Vidanes)

The Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Davao and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Romulo Valles reiterated among Catholic faithfuls the message of Easter which is the victory of the Jesus over darkness and death.

In his homily during the “Sugat” Mass at the San Pedro Cathedral, “Salubong” in Filipino, or an annual activity of the Filipino Church in the reenactment of the Biblical account of the Virgin Mary’s meeting with the resurrected Jesus Christ, Valles shared he is proud of the Catholic Filipino faith.

“I am very proud of the Catholic Faith here in the Philippines because among others Catholic churches in the world, we have this unique activity called ‘Sugat’ during Easter,” he said.

“Despite the darkness, the Lord Jesus, in His resurrection, is the only singular light, the only fire that would guide us,” he said.

He further called that with the resurrection of Jesus, Catholic faithfuls must enjoin with joy of the season. “The joy in resurrection is ours. We celebrate this during our baptism,” he said.

The Archbishop also explained that the “Sugat” or the meeting of the Virgin Mary to her resurrected Son symbolizes how we all should meet the Lord.

“The blessing and the love of the Lord, despite the pain and tears that we have, will touch our hearts in His presence,” he said.

The Archbishop also likened the life of Catholic faithfuls to sunrise when the Sugat is celebrated. “Our lives are just like dawn where darkness meets the light. But with this celebration of the church, once again, I hope that we strengthen our Faith that the Lord will never abandon us,” he said.