Power of the Cross: Victory Without Short Cut

(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, September 14, 2021 during the live streamed mass of the 70th Founding Anniversary of Holy Cross of Davao College at Sta. Ana Shrine Parish, Sta. Ana Avenue.)

Now, let me bring you to the readings today the final portion of my homily. First reading, from the book of numbers, Old Testament.

We think is pandemic, I might belittling the suffering, ang first reading may pagka-pandemic pirte nilang bagtas sa dessert ug gigutom ta karon, gigutom sila, init, uhaw, nagbagulbol sila. What is this you brought us out of the civilized Egypt, you brought us out of that place nga makakaon unta mi karon gidala mi nimu niining land with nothing? Unya may serpents, mura’g pandemic sa serpents gipahit sila, gutom pa, patay and then they went to Moses. Moses we believed that we have sinned, we have forgotten the Lord, we have forgotten the works of the Lord. Labaw pa sa magic of exhibition crossing the red sea, defeating the mighty army of Egypt, they forgot the works of the Lord. And then the Lord said to Moises, ibutang ang bronze serpent sa cross.

Many times after saying mass sa Holy Cross I wanted to take a serious readings of this text pero wala gyud ko nakahimo. But very mysterious, you put up the serpent, looking at the serpent they were cured. My humble reading for us today of this revitalized, renewed, restructured, ready, in Holy Cross we say the way of the Cross is our strength. Meaning, first reading put up a serpent sa cross they confronted there enemy. Meaning they did not run away from it, they face the enemy. Ako dili kaayo ko theologian pero naay sense ni. Suffering, problems, lisod sa kinabuhi karon.

I do not know if I use it here but I’ll show it with a real story and quite a double story, abused it a quite number of times. I made it quick, we were going to Talicud for a fiesta and didto mi sa kanang boat, task force davao didto naghulat mi. Unya wala pa molarga ang pump-boat for Talicud, for fiesta, naglista-lista pa. And then they were shouting and crying at the next boat, mga girls shouting, mga women’s shouting, you know what happened? Nanyagit ang Mama, tiya, papa mga seven sila and most of all in the crying was a baby girl. The baby girl wouldn’t cross the boat bridge, dako kaayo ug baba ang bata maklaro naku. Sige lang baby cross na, dili gyud siya. Dili sila maka picnic! Fear, suffering and then ang Mama nga medyo intawon a little of the heavy side ningtagbo, sige gunit. Ning gunit ang bata kay Mama showed that the fear can be conquered. There was no shortcut is the same boat bridge but the Mama showed the way and the baby girl crossed with her to the boat. Victory without shortcut, the power of the cross, we will not fear anymore, the Cross is the symbol of defeat but a symbol of victory. And this good for us in Holy Cross of Davao to take that as a very important gift to know that and to be told about that. It is not our invention but it is a revelation from the bible.