Reminding you of His goodness

(An excerpt from the homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D. during the World Day for Grandparents at San Pedro Cathedral Parish, San Pedro Street, Davao City on July 25, 2022.)

This Sunday, the 17th Sunday this year, July 24 today is also designated as World day of Grandparents and the elderly. The readings also as so beautiful I think… murag I think may deep connection to what we are celebrating today before I forget why the Sunday, why? I think I read somewhere that the Pope choose the 17th Sunday o this Sunday because very close to the fiesta of Sta. Ana, I think July 26, St. Joachim and Ann, sa Sta. Ana si Ann lang si Sta. Ana lang atong focus but actually that day, sila mag tiayon, Ann and Joachim the grandparents of Jesus… gwapo kaayo, and now…the readings today, beautiful and medyo repetitious, but precisely keep on gently repeating so that our faith will be reminded.

So I propose a little summary, three reflections for this Sunday, 17th Sunday in ordinary time but keeping in mind world day of grandparents and elderly… The first reflection comes, it is the mother thing, siya ang pinaka bug’at, the first reflection is again this Sunday we gather, we are reminded of the goodness of God… the mercy of God, of the compassion of God, of the love of God… this God who is loving, merciful, is very concrete and at the same time we are reminded of the goodness of God, God is not discouraged. Pagkanindot sa first reading sa book of Genesis, I hope you listen very well mura jud intawn pobre nga tawo, perteng hinangyuay, pinoy kayni nga storya, hangyo kaayo, God was upset, God… the kind God as a merciful God, the compassionate God, but very upset Siya kay Iyang mga anak… bad behavior very bad and then na notice ni Abraham na maybe mo buto ang maong anger, impatience, discouraged.. murag tao.. ma gets nato so upset ang Ginoo… then Abraham said “Lord yet tinuod to nga, mga buang mi, gahi mig ulo, very discouraging, shameful, embarrassing, but Lord fifty lang, fifty. Ingon si Lord “Okay, can you find fifty? Choose ground of fifty… Hangyo siya, mao to fifty, forty-five, order of thirty-five, ten nalang nabilin”, ulaw kaayo.. Lord hangyo ko tag ten, okay lang? The lord says “okay you can find ten.” The story my dear friends, again tells us this Sunday of the goodness of God, ang story murag dili lang practical, murag mag oa na, of course… because human style ang story, but telling us an eternal divine truth.

In another way in the gospel today, in another form, then ni tuktok sa silingan, Hoy! Hoy! Naa kuy bisita ba naabot gabie, ay ayaw nag samok natulog na mi, sarado na ang pultahan. St. Luke: “if that friend is the owner of the house, open the door for friendship,” the owner of the house will open, because of the persistence… sigeg tuktok. But gi-continue man, kinsa man ninyo? Who among you? If your child asked something to eat for food… kamo… gago na gani mo but yet you can be kind. This Sunday trust, review, renew your trust, in the unlimited, beyond imagining the goodness of God… of course we quickly add the total surrender of Jesus sent by God to save us, that love of God is overflowing for us… and this is for us to cultivate the little goodness, that 10%. Hinay-hinay good listeners so that si Lord, the Lord will see I can still relate with them. They are my children.

And then the Second lesson for us this is, IN FAITH WE MUST BE KANUNAY, MAKANUNAYON, GIVE THAT AWARENESS, ang word persistence, persevering but give it life, always storya sa Ginoo diba si Abraham hangyo, fifty, forty, thirty, sa gospel nag ingon, tuktok gyud, knock and the door will be opened to you, be matyaga, Yes, now kamo you must start thinking, what kind of God is that? Unsa man mura mag torture gamay, diba? Now I am with that also thinking, nganong dugay2x man? Nganung tuktok man? Behind these lines of God’s goodness, we can continue to ask the Lord, storya sa Iyaha in prayer, because maybe what we ask, dili mao and by constantly talking with God, praying with God and the period when there is no answer, that we can say persevere, pray. That’s why importante ang first item that God is good and merciful, doubt no more then we go to number two niingon, be persistent, persevering, trust… because in life the answer like the readings will not be quick, then I said why is that mura mag drama lang ang role, because in the process we discover, the linya, the style, the heart, the mind, the plan of God for us.

The other day ang companions nako we went to Calinan for confirmation coming back akong body2x, Jojo ang driver, storya mi between worth, worth kanang binahinay og kwarta, storya me without mentioning name, “tan’awa ra sayanga saiyang bahandi oy”, then I told Jojo and my companions, “Ako bitaw Jo, nag hangyo kog maka daog kog lotto”, hatag sa Ginoo pero kabantay jud kung Jojo, honestly kung ihatag nako ang, milyon2x nga daog sa lotto? I think duha raka semana kalimtan tika… usa ka bulan lang lain nako, very another na murag Hongkong, Singapore na, London na. Hain man si Valles? Tua sa Manila, hain man si Valles? Ning break sa Hongkong… I told him I cannot handle money, I cannot handle our money, I cannot handle the fame of money, and that is why the Lord is really wise, give us time, to reflect on what we are asking for. Not na Iyang ipa-thrilling, ihatag raman diay, to discover, what is good for us and what is the style of God.

Lastly, third you examine the readings, goodness of God beyond imagining, trust, lisod ma describe na we are craved for, palangga ta we are so special to Him, and then we connect to that God our faith, we pray persistently, baid, purify kung unsay gipangayo nato. The third kanang mag communicate ta sa Ginoo in prayer, like Sunday, salamat ni anhi mo, third unsay content satong prayer? Ingon Siya pray like this “Our father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name…” when we pray my dear friends automatic kung gwapo nga prayer, automatic we always tell us ourselves that God has dominant place in my heart kada mo pray ta, always remind ibutang nato ang Ginoo, our Father, Father ka namo the kind, God. Mao ning una, always telling ourselves to place God in the center. Unsay Sunod? Your will be done kabalo ta ana unsay sunod, give us this day our daily bread, daily bread mangayo ta, tibuok kalibutan imong pangayuon moingon ang Ginoo “dili nako ihatag saimo”, one week break, one-month break. Then ma hambogero ka, wala ta kabalo daily lang, mangutana ta unsa atong gipangayo, basin dili na mao basin dili enough. And then very striking, forgive us our sins as we forgive one another, come to think of it my dear brothers and sisters, labaw pa sa kwarta is our relationship to one another, to forgive one another. Always pray that we are family, always pray that no one is left behind, always pray that we are patient, forgiving to one another so that kapit bisig. Forgive us our sins, forgive one another.