Parochial Fiesta Celebration of Our Lady of Assumption Parish (Part 2 of 2)

An excerpt of the homily of the Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao and CBCP President during the 61st Foundation Anniversary and Parochial Fiesta Celebration of Our Lady of Assumption Parish, F. Torres St., Davao City, August 15, 2020. (Part 2 of 2)

In the definition of dogma many times we forget about the very important, very clear but we don’t pay attention to it, it is said after her death that is why the second reading says death has been conquered. After her death, she did not experience corruption, she was brought to heaven. The Catholic Church for us in order for our faith to be strong, we need this array of witnesses and number one is the Blessed Mother. I do not know, I am not that public confession, prayerful person maybe Fr. Hermie is better than myself. I had a dream, you will be healed, you will recover. I kept that, in the morning bisan akong kamot dili with my left hand I touched the rosary under my pillow. Now, in conclusion towards the end, how do we articulate that?

First reading from the book of Revelation, a dramatic, very dramatic, a great sign the book says but we can greatly misinterpret this text and we remain that the great sign is the Blessed Mother. Pardon me, it is not. She’s part of that sign, true! But she’s not the main one because in the drama of this lady and the dragon and when the child was born then the center of the sign is not the Blessed Virgin Mary, God snatched the child. In the end it was not the Blessed Mother who put the dragon at bay, was not able snatch the child but it is God. First God took the child and God took care of the lady, a place for her.

My dear friends, like the Blessed Mother, we are also precious to the eyes of God. By baptism we are also sons and daughters of God. Kung may dakong dragon nga karon gitawag COVID-19, di ta mataranta, God is with us as difficult as maybe, kung may stroke — difficult. Book of revelation in one way or another the Lord God will take care of us. Well that is very dramatic but if we go to the Gospel reading today parang walay dragon but everyday life, Mary and Elizabeth in the visitation. But in the everyday life that we would like to see, its everyday life getting pregnant – Uy, Mary asa ka mopalit og lampin, asa ka mopalit karon og gamit, COVID-19 ra ba, asa man ta?

We are discussing about that, difficult. But they forgot about their daily lives, you see in the first reading “God First”. And then the very curious line her Mary said, how could this be that the Lord would take notice of me? Today, we may ask the same thing, how could it be me a sinner, me insignificant, am not a priest, am not a sister, am not a bishop, me ordinary. Mary was not a religious, she was an ordinary lady. But how can this be that this great Lord takes notice of me? That very innocent line conclude by the church with this feast through the Lord took notice of her and took her back to the glory of heaven not experiencing the corruption of death.

Ang atong celebration always is a celebration of joy, thanksgiving, faith that the Lord will always be with us. And the great beautiful, inspiring witness with the truth of our faith life is the Blessed Virgin Mary.