“Ad Jesum Per Mariam”

(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, September 1, 2021 during the live streamed mass of the Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacon of Sem. Oliver Ganas in San Pedro Cathedral.)

Now in our liturgy today, what do we have? Number one, again a very important truth of our faith “Ad Jesum Per Mariam”, old latin saying “To Jesus through Mary”. Mary brings us to God, Mary brings us to Jesus, Mary brings us to realize who God is in our lives, Mary makes us conscious of God in our lives. Magpa bright-bright ta, pa maru-maru ta, maayo ra ba gyud mosulti kaayo, inenglis pa, logic pa, kuyaw kaayo nice words mura’g matintal ka “tinood man diay no”, pwede man dili ta motoo. And yet a blessed mother gently brings us to Jesus, in Mary we realized the hand of God in our lives.

In the first reading, the prophet Micah hundreds of years before Christ gigamit sa church nato karon, Old Testament to tell us that Mary has been in the plan of God, special instrument siya. So, therefore mosalig ta that Ad Jesum Per Mariam. What do we have in the prophet Micah? “Therefore the Lord will give him up until the time when she who is to give birth was born and the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel (Old Testament). Pag-abot ni Hesus ug Maria naka realize ta, ay diay this beautiful woman, this maybe diay has been there in the plan of God. Dili siya Dios but a very special person in the Old Testament pa, she gives birth. And through her Son, child, we become brothers and sisters and return to the Lord. Busa korek kaayo ta in our devotion, very correct, beautiful pag-ayo ang atong debosyon kang Blessed Virgin Mary….

Number two, very important in this catholic devotion of the Blessed Mother, one significant incident in the scriptures was the wedding in Cana. And in the wedding in Cana medyo may disaster, may very embarrassing situation because nahutdan sila’g bino not because inom ang tuyo. Very hard for us to understand but among the people at that time bino mura’g sabaw sa bol-anon. Part sa pagkaon ba dili palahubog, dili kumpleto ang meal kung walay bino. Nahurot ang bino and you know the story, the miracle in Cana. But in the miracle we have the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary “do whatever he tells you”. Mary is of guide, old title “Star of the sea”, in the darkness of our journey star she is a teacher always telling us “You cannot be wrong in life if you follow my son, do whatever he tells you”. Mao ni tuyo nato manimba ta, these are the concrete implication nga moingon ta “Simba gyud ko karon kay nativity, birthday ni Mama Mary”. Do not forget kanang ginaingon “Mama Mary, Blessed Mother, she always reminds us do whatever my son tells you.