The story is told about a priest who asked the parents what baptismal name they wanted to give their child. The father of the child said: “His name is Celpon, Father.” When asked why, he said: “We combined my wife’s name, which is Celia, and my name, Ponciano, hence Celpon.” Another couple gave their child the name Charger. Why? You guessed it—the father’s name was Charlie and the mother’s name was Gertrudes!
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In today’s Gospel (Mt. 3, 1-12), John the Baptist tells us the perfect combination for the season of Advent: repentance (“Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”), and good fruit (“Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance”). Without repentance there can be no conversion, and this change of mind and heart should lead to true righteousness and good deeds. The fruit of real conversion is when we can say with conviction, “NO to sin, YES to goodness from now on.” In response to God’s mercy and love, we make a concrete decision to live a life that is pleasing to Him. In other words, a person who has been forgiven must live a life filled with gratitude, forsaking sin and doing good.
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The other week, a woman came to my office for confession. She never stopped crying the whole time she was relating her big sin against her husband. Her heart was filled with sorrow. She begged forgiveness from God. When I assured her of God’s unconditional love and gave her the absolution, she was filled with much joy. Some of the most beautiful smiles are those coming from a person who knows and finally accepts that he/she has been truly forgiven!
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After the woman’s confession, I asked what penance she would like to do in gratitude for God’s mercy and love. I also asked her how she would go about amending her life so that she would stay on the road of peace and righteousness. Human as we are, we are weak, and we fall again and again. The road to conversion is tough but not impossible and hard but doable, by our efforts and definitely God’s grace.
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Life is short. Death is certain. My cousin, Dr. Teddy Orbos, died the other day at the age of 61 because of a stroke. He was a very disciplined person in terms of food and lifestyle, and yet he went ahead. We can never know where, when, or how we will die. However, we can choose the kind of death we will have by the way we live our lives. The choice is ours: whether to waste our lives in selfishness and sin, or to live in righteousness and love. As J. Banville said, “Perhaps all of life is no more than a long preparation for the leaving of it.”
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Nelson Mandela, protester and peacemaker. A perfect combination. He spent most of his 95 years of life in doing good works and sacrificing for the sake of unity and peace. He was a man of justice and mercy. It is amazing how one person can be such an inspiration for so many, and this he did not through power or wealth, but through gentleness of heart.
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Speaking of death, I met this week our confrere, Fr. Joel Sagdullas, SVD, who lost both his parents and some 50 relatives in Tacloban because of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” last Nov 8. Up to this time, Father Joel admits, he still cannot cry. He and his five siblings had been planning a grand reunion next year to mark their parents’ golden wedding anniversary on Sept. 3. God had other plans. Yes, we may have plans, but God has the master plan.
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Last week I met John Momis, president of the Autonomous Bougainville Region in Papua New Guinea. He and his wife Elizabeth came for counseling and spiritual guidance as they grieve over the death of their daughter Mary Catherine last Oct. 13. As I was counseling them, an ex-seminarian classmate, Gilbert Joaquin, dropped by. He had spent many years working in Papua New Guinea, and he, too, lost his daughter and grandson last year. Needless to say, the Lord arranged the whole thing so that they could meet, and they could see the light together in their grief. A perfect combination!
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Praise God for our confreres who were ordained priests yesterday by Most Rev. Arturo Bastes, SVD, DD: Fr. John Ferdinand Cruz, SVD, from Manila to the SVD Southern Province; Fr. Jerome Ormita, SVD, from Cagayan de Oro to the SVD Central Province; Fr. Louie Luyun, SVD, from Tuguegarao to Japan; Fr. Filander Pinalgan, SVD, from Bontoc-Lagawe to Mozambique; Fr. Jonathan Ortalla, SVD, from Basilan to Botswana; Fr. Jay Baliao, SVD, from Tabuk to Timor Leste; Fr. Eric Lacandula, SVD, from Sorsogon to Kenya; Fr. Thomas Aquino Nuwa Wele, SVD, from Denpasar Indonesia to SVD Philippines North.
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Bantay Matanda invites you to a lay forum on the theme “Caregiving is a Family Affair” on Dec. 14 at Janssen Hall of Christ the King Seminary, E. Rodriguez Blvd., Quezon City, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. For inquiries, please call 3732262/9982548 or 09174167849.
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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, let my repentance bear fruits of righteousness, goodness and penance. Amen.