First Grandparent and Elderly Day

(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, July 25, 2021 during the live streamed mass on the 1st Grandparents and Elderly Day at San Pedro Cathedral.)

I’d like to tell you, to close, three stories, quick. Bag-o lang, the other day ang among mga seminarians nga naga-serve nakadwat sila’g second dose sa ilang bakuna. Unya nagpabakuna sila. In fact, apil ang among working students nga driver, tulo sila, adto sila sa DMSF. Pag-approach nila, uy basi taas ang pila because daghang mga cars nanganaog. Ingon sila, uy, ang nanganaog mga senior citizen man, mga lolo ug lola nanganaog ba init pag-ayo. So, ilang gi-obserbahan mga three cars nagsunod, uy, kalooy sad nobody is accompanying them pero medyo kaya man pud. But they were amazed, pagnotice gyud sa mga tawo sa DMSF staff they were taking care of, mura gyud wala pasagdi, mura’g the seminarians were observing, pagkanindot tan-awon giatiman gyud sila. Naa pay usa nga medyo bungol-bungol na gamay, ang doctor o nurse ba to very patient gyud nag-istorya sa pabakunahan nga tigulang. We hope that we can show that kind of love and concern continuously in our lives.

Second story, when I was a priest buhi pa akong nanay, pag bishop nako wala na koy tatay, nanay ra. Unya puyo siya uban sa eldest namo unya ako wala man koy pamilya mouli ko that household was my household. So, tua si Nanay, family sa among eldest ug ako then nanganak sila. Si Lola ug Lolo pirteng palanggaa ang mga anak and I see that. I’m the only son pero ang mga apo sus palangga gyud ni Nanay then namatay si Nanay. Forty days (kwarenta dias) namalik ang mga apo kay magsaulog mi and I was there. Then, one of the apo’s went to the second floor, ang room sa taas and she was shouting to his Mama, ‘Ma, towel bi!” Niingon iyang Mama, naa diha sa cabinet. Ning singgit ang apo, “Na! naa pa si Lola karon dali unta ni makit-an ang tuwalya,” sus, nanghilak mi tanan. “Kung naa pa si Lola, dali unta ning tuwalya.” As frail as she was still a source of stability and symbol of care, nanghilak mi tanan. A lola and a lolo and elderly even in their frailty can still be so much a source of strength for us.

Third story, how importang kining mga tigulang sa atong kinabuhi kining atong mga family nga naa sila. I think I have told you this, as a small boy, I think in 5th grade, I got sick, I think it was diarrhea. At that time, there was an epidemic. And that was the time when we were having difficulty financially because my Tatay died. So, medyo adjusting first year, second year Tatay was not there anymore, very difficult. And then, mura ba’g gidala sa doctor then niuli sa balay still the sickness was there, I was getting thin. Then, Nanay was there mga medication lang, tabletas-tabletas but still weak. Then, I remember vividly the eldest, pinakatigulang sa gamay nga neighborhood who is the eldest of my Tatay nga namatay (tiyo namo siya but siya ang mura’g pinakatigulang) nianha sa balay ug niingon siya, “Juaning, unsa man ni?”. Nagsakit lagi, Manong Efren. Nagpa-doctor na ni? Yes pero balik-balik man. The eldest in the clan, dalhon nato sa doctor na. Unya ‘Nong ang obligasyon nato? Ayaw kabalaka dalhon nato na sa hospital. I was hospitalized. I will never forget that incident, the strength, the inspiration, the care coming from the elderly in the clan even if medyo they are frail is vital to a life of the family and even in the church. Vital to all of us, they are still certainly a part of the living church.

Closing, when I came in si Lola nagrosaryo mas kusog pa iyang pagtoo kaysa sa obispo. Mga tigulang can be our inspiration that is why Pope Francis emphasizes the presence, the blessing, the abundance of God’s grace can be certainly channeled through our grandparents and the elderly in our lives.