The Blessed Mother listened to God’s calling (Part 1 of 3)

An excerpt from the homily of the Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao and CBCP President during the Vocation Month Launching of the Archdiocese of Davao in St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao, Catalunan Grande, Davao City, September 12, 2020. (Part 1 of 3)

Ang usual nga launching o pagbukas o pag-abli sa Vocation Month kutob sa akong expirensiya atong pagahimoon sa Cathedral, puno ang Cathedral. Karon ang nia lang karon sama sa akong ingon mga seminarians, social distancing pa ug mga pari. Apan tungod kay duna pud kita’y tambal gamay, duna kita’y solusyon nga mapalapnag gayud, mabatian, mabati sa atong archdiocese ang maong launching, gi-live stream kining misa karon sa DXGN 89.9 Facebook page sa maong Catholic radio station. Kabalo gyud sila, naka schedule gyud mga formation houses, mga religious houses, mga religious sisters ug brothers naminaw sila karon, nakighiusa sila karon niining atong pagsaulog lagi, launching nato sa vocation month.

Let me go on by saying, giingnan ko nila Archbishop unsa mang misaha karon feria ba o ferial day o naay optional memorial sa Blessed Mother, ang iyang holy name of the Blessed Mother? Ingon ko bisan optional atong kuhaon that’s why akong vestment blue, atong kuhaon, atong pilion ang debosyon sa Mahal nga Birhen tungod kay Sabado pud karon. Sabado is always a Blessed Mother.

But over and above kung magsugod kita o magpadayon sa pamalandong, “vocation” iningles nga word, you know very well balik-balik na that comes from the Latin infinitive “vocare” call, pagkanindot. Kinsay gwapo nga example sa Mahal nga Birhen nga kanunay with listening ears, vocation starts there – magpataka ta’g answer wa pa ta kabalo kung gitawag ba ta? So it starts with “call”, the voice being close to the Lord. Pagkanindot sa example kining atong optional feast sa Blessed Mother, she heard the call, she heard the voice of the angel. First line, first mga moment sa good news it was the good news of a Blessed Mother listening, hearing the call from the Lord. Right away, there is the importante nga not new I’m sure, dili bag-o but importante nga pahinumdum nga bisan sa formation nato, the first agendum is to listen, pagpaminaw, ayaw pataka’g tubag kay basin wala ka tawga, nianhe ka dinhi sa seminaryo wala ka tawga – uy kaulaw pud. It’s always vocation, vocare, the call – ayaw pud ka-discourage, challenge lang na ba ha.

The Blessed Mother continued to listen to the Lord, continued – what do you mean Archbishop? One example I could say, wedding in Cana medyo nagkuan pa sila wa magkasinabot – Nganung giingon ko nimu? Si Mary after listening to Jesus said, do whatever kung akong i-translate listen to what He says, do whatever He tells you. And on, and on up until she stood at the foot of the cross, she listens to the Lord when the Lord said you will be the mother of my disciples. Beginning to end a blessed mother was a devoted listener to the voice of the Lord, dedicated, loyal, and faithful. Yeah, maybe nag-struggle siya but kanunay nagapaminaw unsay mensahe gikan sa Dios. Basically, that is the dynamics of easily said and done sa gitawag natu’g vocation.

And when that call happens, what is the basis of that call? In the first reading, naay curious kaayong word “kay mabout man kamo” meaning katong dili kaayo Cebuano (mabuot) – buotan kamo, you are men and women of goodwill, naa moy kabuotan, mabuot man kamo, but-an kamo. Murag interested ko ana nga line why before you declare “mabuot man kamo” tungod kay niatras kita, grabe nga pagka-atras. In the beginning I think understanding vocation this way, in the beginning all of us where a tune to the call of God. Pareha ang atong channel, pareha ang atong unsa ng sa wifi? Password, kuha natong password sa Ginoo tungod kay we were made according to the image and likeness of God. Ang frequency sa atong self, compatible right away, only to know that was destroyed by sin.