Transcript of the Homily of His Grace, Most Rev. Rex Andrew C. Alarcon, DD, Archbishop of Cáceres, during the Ordination to the Sacred Order of Presbyters of Rev. Fr. Michael Angelo C. Escriba, and to the Sacred Order of Deacons of Rev. Joseph B. Bascuña and Rev. Leoneil Arce B. Belen on Saturday, 14 December 2024 at the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Minor Basilica and National Shrine, Pilgrim City of Naga.
Most Rev. Rolando Tria Tirona, our Archbishop-Emeritus; Most Rev. Manolo Delos Santos, the Bishop-Emeritus of Virac; the parents and the family of our ordinandi; brother Priests; consecrated men and women, friends; benefactors; relatives of these, our brothers; seminarians; dear brothers and sisters:
Today, we are happy as we shall witness the ordination of these our brothers – Rev. Michael, Bro, Joseph, and Bro. LA. However, it is quite bitter-sweet, because yesterday we just buried one of our brother Priests. Bittersweet because we used to have eight (8) ordinations in the past, per year, and this Basilica would be full. But now we have only one (1) to be ordained Priest, and two (2) to the Deaconry. This situation is not only here in Cáceres. We are experiencing a dearth of vocations globally, nationally. That’s why it’s bittersweet. But certainly, we are very happy because these – your sons, brother, your friend – are about to be ordained.
In our time, we have been speaking about the future of work. And with the current advancements in technology and science, there are those who are afraid of work – you know that routine and repetitive works are now replaced by machines because of automation. You’ve seen that in the airports or even in the banks, the tellers or those who entertain have you know they’re numbers have decreased because we now have kiosks. Telemarketers, analysts – they are being replaced by machines. And so, if we are having a dearth of vocations, baka mas marhay kun mga robot na sana ano, robot na sana an mga Padi saka mga Diacono ta, asin garo kita si Elon Musk ‘no, he launched his optimus robot. Launching an apod bakong ordination ‘no. Ngonian ordination.
They were supposed to be initially ordained last June, but because of the announcement, the Archbishop[-Emeritus] deemed that they wait for me. So that when I came, I told them, “Brothers, you have to be patient. Hindi ko pa kayo kilala. Kaipohan bistohon ko pa kamo. You have to wait a little bit.” If you were robots, you just have to take your technical configurations, and if your systems are okay then we can say “go”. But yours’ is no technical configuration, yours’ is configuration to the Lord Jesus. A robot is made, maybe inside a garage, or in a span of weeks. But it took you years to reach this stage. There was the propaedeutic stage, the discipleship stage when you are philosophers, and the configuration stage, the theology – years of study of theology, and the vocation synthesis stage. And here you are, about to be ordained as deacons, and as Priest.
It takes a village. As we say, “it takes a village to raise a child”. It takes a village, the whole church, to prepare somebody for the deaconate and the priesthood. Bakò sanang spare parts ang kaipohan ta, bakò sanang kun anong data set ang kaipohan ta. You have had years of experience living with your family, being in the Parish, learning in the seminary, connecting with people, building relationships with people, so that in due time you will be sent for the mission that is being entrusted to you. Today marks a milestone on your journey, and we are grateful to the Lord.
Three things which I wish to remind you, dear brothers, as you are about to receive the deaconate and the priesthood:
(1) Do not forget, it is God who called you, and it is God who sends you. You are about to receive some authority and power. Take note, this comes from God. This comes from God through the church. This is not a reward for you. This is not something that you merit; it is something that is gratuitously given to you. And thus, do not forget this – without God, you are nothing. Without the church, you have no authority. Sometimes we forget this. Naordinahan na, ang paghunâ ta satuya ang autoridad. Bakò. Hale sa Mahal na Diós, sa paagi kan Simbahan. Kayà dai kita basta-basta nagboboót. Igwa nin nagboboót para satô. Asin an boót niato, an kabôtan nin mahal na Diós. There is always a temptation to think that we are entitled to it, but it is given to us gratuitously. And because this power and authority comes from God, we deal with the mysteries of God. We proclaim the message of God through our words, through human gestures and words, through human actions. But thus, do not forget God. Always commune with God who called you and who sends you. That’s the first.
The second, well going back to the first, therefore habang ang mundo ngonian nagtatalas an isip ‘no – intelligence – iyo baga nagiging more intelligent na – augmented intelligence, artificial intelligence. Man is becoming more intelligent, augmenting his intelligence, certainly continue to learn. But to approach God is not only with the mind, but with the heart. Kayà magrarom an pagpamibi, magrarom an pagpamibi. Maging master sa pag-contemplate, contemplation. We must continue to master. Master contemplation. Silence, communing with God. While there is an explosion of information; intelligence explosion, we are the people who walk about, preach mastery of contemplation – that is communion with God. Do not forget this. So, kayà sana dai mawarà an panahon sa pagpamibi, asin an lambang pagcelebrar kan mga sacramento tunay na pamibi. Bakò sanang mechanical. Maski bakò kitang mga makina, pero paminsan nagigin garo makina an satuyang pag-operate. And dear brothers and sisters, that also happens at home. Iyo po baga, kun mayo na kita nin contemplative spirit, pati an pagsirbi ta sa harong nagigin mechanical. An paglaog sa trabaho, mechanical. An pagtabang sa kapwa, nagiging mechanical. Dai nagkokonek puso sa puso.
Kayà sa Ordinacion po na ini, pinapagiromdom kita na dai mawarà an aspetong ini kan satuyang pagkabuhay asin satuyang pagtubod. Kayà tama na nagtitiripon kita sa pagpamibi, nagtitiripon kita sa pagkarakan, nagheheras kita kan satuyang mga pangitorogan; kan satuyang mga kamâwotan; pati man kan satuyang mga kulog sa puso o kulog sa boót. Huli sa paagi kaini nagigiromdoman ta an kakayahan na maghorop-horop o contemplate, to commune with God and with one another.
Ika-duwa, the second, brothers and sisters – Do not forget that you are being sent to and for the community. The ministry, the authority, and the power that is given to you is not for you. It’s certainly for you as well, but it is for the community. Kaya Rev. Mike, from Deacon to the Priesthood – one rank higher. From a Seminarian to deacon – one rank higher. Always remember, when we are, so to speak, promoted to one rank higher – it is not really promotion in the sense, as we say that we merited it. Igwa man arog kayan. But it is one rank higher in service. It is not so much a reward. Kun minsan, kaitong naordinahan ako, may nagsabi sako “ay deserve mo ‘yan, reward ‘yan saimo.” No, let us resist this temptation. It is not a reward, rather it is an obligation. It is mission. Bakong premio kundi mision para sa comunidad.
When you consider the promotion as a reward, what happens? Sometimes, you may not take it seriously because it is not for the community. You may take it lightly because it’s simply for you. But if you view from the optic that this is not for me, bako ini para sakò, then we become more serious in fulfilling our obligations. We become more sincere in performing our duties and functions, because the ministry to serve is not really for us. And so, thank God for this gift because you are being entrusted with such responsibility. And now that you are sent for the community, you are called to be companions. Companions of people. The capacity to celebrate with people. The celebration of the sacrament is to be joyful; to share in the joy of our brothers and sisters; to share in the pain and the burden of our brothers and sisters. In the celebration of the sacraments, these are very important moments in the life of our people. And it is to be with them, to walk with them, to embrace their pain, and to carry their cross as well. So, it is not simply the mastery of the Rites, but it is the capacity to walk, to walk with our brothers and sisters in their life as a family, in their life as a community.
And that is the reason why the Rites are there – because those are the moments when we accompany our people, our community, our faithful in very important moments of their lives. But as human companions, realize your imperfection, our imperfection. As there is this human quest for perfection, realize, see that we will always have our imperfections. That is why, as we accompany our people, what was mention in today’s Gospel – that we become ministers of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Ministers of God’s mercy and forgiveness. We will, there will be moments that we will feel our weakness, then we will have to stand up again, relying on the mercy of God. We will also accompany our people so that they will experience the mercy of God. Thus, you are being sent to the community, be sensitive – be sensitive to the people; to their needs. Be sensitive.
You know, we are expanding our sensors, ‘di ba? Nag eexpand ang sensors ta kayà an mata ta nag eexpand kayà may mga camera na kita. Ang mga auto ta may mga sensors na. The paradox is, nagrarayo an naaabot kan satuyang mga sensors, pero si harani sa satô, pagtaraid ta, dai ta nasesense si mga pangangaipo kan mga kairibahan ta sa laog kan harong. Powerful na an mga tools ta. Nahihiling ta na an laog kan hawak ta, etc., pero itong sensitivity to the heart is something that we still are you know harayo pa. Dear brothers, dear brothers, continue to develop the sensitivity for other people. The sensitivity that is in the heart, where sincerity and truth is found.
And the third, you will also be servant leaders. And as servant leaders, certainly you must be knowledgeable. But as servant leaders, grow in self-giving today. Today, you will receive some power and authority. But you are not only receiving, you are also giving yourself. Giving yourself. And when you give yourself, what do you say? Lord, I am at your disposition. I am at your disposition. Lord, tell me what to do, tell me where to go. I am at your disposition. That is a servant. And this is… When we do this, this is LOVE. Love. As servant leaders, we are to lead in love. We must be knowledgeable; we must be capable; but we are to lead in love. And what is love? Happiness in serving. We are happier in serving, than in being served. Because this is the example of Jesus – “I have come not to be served, but to serve…” Servant leader, servant leader.
We have often used the image of the captain of the ship – naglulubog na an barko, an huring malukso an Kapitan. An eroplano, an piloto dapat magpahuri. Ini an image na pirmi tang gigiromdomon; ini ang image kan Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd, sabi niya, “I am not a hired hand, bako akong bayaran. Kayà kun may mga lobong maabot, if there are wolves – dai madulag. And I am willing to offer my life to others.” This is the servant leadership. This is the kind of a leadership, the leadership of a good shepherd. And this is not very easy. Dai ta ini kakayanon kun kulang an satong pagtubod sa Mahal na Diós. Dai ta ini kakayanon kun kulang an satong pagkamoot sa Mahal na Diós asin pagkamoot sa kapwa. We can only be capable of total self-giving if we are in love with God and if we are in love with our people. But if our only love is the self, ang unang ililigtas ta ang sadiri ta. That is not the example of Jesus. That is not the example of Jesus. And this is not very easy, that is why we ask for God’s grace. It is grace that you will receive, and this grace will be for you and for our people.
So these are the three (3) things that I remind you of. Be assured of our prayers as we thank your family, your relatives, the benefactors, the seminary formators, all those who have accompanied you and assisted you in your formation. I beg you to continue to pray for them, and to assist them, as we ask the Lord to continue to bless them.
Dear brothers, you will minister in love. In love. Today is the Feast Day of St. John of the Cross. Was it St. John of the Cross who said “In the evening of your lives, you will be examined in love.” In the evening of our lives, we will be examined in love. You certainly are not robots, you are human beings. You have been raised in love, called by God in love, and now being sent to the people, by the church, to the community, in love. Today, savor that love that God has for you, in choosing you, in electing you. And bring the same love to the people who will be entrusted to you.
Our congratulations and prayers for you!
A round of applause, for these, our brothers.
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