Paghandum kang Bishop Aldredo Baquial

(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, March 1, 2022 during the live streamed mass of the 29th Death Anniversary of Most Rev. Alfredo Baquial, D.D. at San Pedro Cathedral Parish, San Pedro Street, Davao City)

How about Death Anniversary? You also di ba tigpamisa mo sa patay in a death anniversary? Unya i-contrast naku magpamisa mo ug birthday. Pero I have to tell you in the beautiful, great catholic tradition must emphasize ang death anniversary. Mao bitaw na nakapatandog naku mas emphasized ang death anniversaries. In connection, you may know ang mga pista sa mga santos 95%, San Roque, San Agustin, San Vicente Ferrer ang pista nila petsa sa ilang kamatayon. Magpamisa ta sa patay anibersaryo, karon naghamdom ta kang Fred Baquial, mga santos, yes sa ilang death anniversary pud tungod sa simple kaayo nga kamatuoran sa atong pagtoo. That death when we die is the entrance into eternal life. Kung ako ang pasultion ug gisulti pud sa uban death is the real birthday. Mao to ingon naku nga Maam magpamisa pud ta kay birthday ni kuan, pamisa ta sa patay. Pero sa birthday dinhi sa kalibutan ug death, ang death maoy meaningful nga birthday. Because when you die hinaot pa okay ang kamatayon, you are born into eternal life. That is the reason that nindot kaayo in the Christian tradition to remember death. Nindot naman sentimental kana bang si Tatay, si Nanay, si Mama, si Angkol ato lang ba but more than that we remember the death of the person because the bigger picture is in our faith that moment, that day is the beginning of that person’s life eternal. That is what we think and maybe take upon what happened to Bishop Alfredo Baquial.

How about readings today? Ang readings karon nga atong nabati, ang gospel reading gikan kang St. Mark and first reading from the first letter of St. Peter. Now miingon si St. Peter, beloved brother and sister concerning the salvation of your souls so Peter talking about that thing ang inyong kaluwasan. Unya later on ingon siya, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly… Pag-abtik concerning the salvation of your soul, inabtik gyud, ready gyud and katapusan the whole thing of your salvation is be holy as God is holy. Sa laktod pagkasulti ingon si St. Peter ang whole project nato is to be holy like God. I would say ang trabaho sa obispo as simple as we are, as limited as we are, Bishop Fred Baquial who served 5 years here intawon ang among burden, ang among trabaho like what St. Peter said. Sakit sa ulo, ang konsensiya, ang responsibilidad, ang whole tenor sa lawas ug kalag ni Bishop Fred Baquial as any other bishop is to inspire holiness among you. Dili lalim uy, mauwaw ko but that was the work of Bishop Fred Baquial for five years. By the way he was really a likeable person, very simple, very friendly.

Aside from being holy duna pa gyuy application, what is that, that can be claimed in many ways holiness? But then si Jesus in St. Mark today’s gospel, what do you mean by holiness? Then ang story Peter began to say to Jesus, si Peter atong patron ingon siya Lord, we have given up everything and followed you. Mura ba’g imong basahon ang reklamo, comment ni Peter, Lord bigay todo Lord, hurot-hurot to follow you. Ingon si Jesus kung akoy mo translate sa tubag niya, Dong mao na imong gisulti? Tinood, to follow me? The one who follows me would give up house, brothers, sisters, mother, father or children or lands. Hurot pamilya, property for my sake, for the sake of the gospel. Sa binisaya pa pagsure Lord ha, hutdanay diay ni, walay bilin namo? And then He said but maybe your faith is hutdanay but your recompense is beyond imagining sa imong next birthday sa langit. That’s a difficult job to be with you as a bishop. Ako mahadlok ko kay demanding kaayo, bigay todo to the Lord. That was what Bishop Fred also did to us in Davao, I’m very sure. Inspire holiness and holiness that shows in that constant giving and detaching. Kumbaga leaving brothers, sisters, children, Mama, Papa, property, constant very impractical mura’g dili mao ang gitudlo sa kalibutan. But constant forgetting of myself for the sake of Jesus and for the sake of the kingdom. We remember Bishop Fred and I would expand we remember Bishop Thibault, we remember Bishop Mabutas day in and day out mao intawon to that was their responsibility with you, with us in Davao. This and that medyo explicit, medyo subtle but always inspire us to be holy. And holiness translated into constant offering of ourselves for the sake of Jesus. Bishop Fred as we remember you today, I’m sure you are listening to us and looking down upon us. Help us to be like you, help us to serve your people one another in the local church of Davao.