Addressing a crowd of about 7,000 participants both local and foreign delegates and visiting pilgrims, the bishop’s reflections focused on remembering and celebrating God’s mercy as a forgiven and forgiving community.
Remembering
“It’s very sad when we can no longer remember ... more than half of our lives are lost. So we celebrate anniversaries to remember. Remember the Exodus; this day, celebrate as a memorial of a perpetual institution"
"The Eucharist, this is the new covenant in my blood; do this is memory of me,” the bishop explained.
Bishop Ted invited the faithful to deepen their knowledge of Jesus: “Do we remember who he is? The Scriptures, the book of God’s remembering, is the book God wants us to remember his deeds.”
Bishop Ted enunciated Jesus raising the dignity of the poor; “Zaccheus, the Samaritan woman, the thief on the cross who asked to be remembered. Pope Francis would embrace the poorest of the poor because this man (Jesus) would not drive them away. Jesus raised their dignity.”
Jesus also raised a community where love is the standard.
“The love shown to the needy is shown to God himself and is necessary for our salvation,” the bishop explained.
“The church is a sacrament of the intimate union of God and the unity of all mankind; the instrument of this union and the unity is God’s will for all mankind.”
“Jesus is the reign of God in person, for he did what was pleasing to the Father. He looks for the glorification of mankind.”
“A new heaven and a new earth, wala nang basura (no more trash). There will not be any sickness. The last enemy is death. We will all live and God will be all in all.”
“This is the summary of the Christ event; Christ reveals the mercy of the Father. For Jesus is the face of the mercy of the Father. He who sees Jesus, sees the Father. Jesus is the human face of the Father.”
“We have come to know the same God as agape. It is not eros, love that seeks to possess, but love given to the most unworthy; it is given to the max. Of his fullness, we have all received grace for grace (patung-patong na biyaya).”
Celebration
Bishop Ted reminded the faithful to celebrate. How? In songs and dances.
“We celebrate bread; celebrate by giving life to the fullest.”
“Celebrate to be reconciled to one another. We want to celebrate the mercy of God. It is by his mercy we breathe. Every breath is a grace; every companion is a grace. The world we live is a grace.”
The bishop exhorted the faithful, “Even as we proclaim the mercy of God, let us be bold to uphold the rights of human beings, even the most miserable.”
“As we proclaim life, let us reject merciless ways done even to drug addicts.”
The bishop lamented the faithful’s silence on the merciless killings going on in the country.
He recalled the concern of a priest: "If they were sinners and they were killed in their sleep, they would not have time to repent. They would be condemned, not to jail, but to eternal life.”
“If the Filipino people keep quiet as in the time of Hitler, how can this be?”
The bishop noted Divine Providence in holding of a congress on mercy in the midst of killings.
“No one is deprived of life without due process. Every person is innocent until proven guilty. The Lord in his mercy knocks. He says, ‘If anyone opens to me, I will eat with him.’ Jesus is a bringer of grace. Today, in the Philippines, we also get knocks of “tukhang” (katok at pakiusap), but the one knocking is not a bringer of grace, but of death. What kind of police do we have who cannot even catch the killers of 4,000?"
“Jesus is merciful. He said, ‘I am meek and humble of heart.’ Let us be merciful as Jesus was merciful.”
Bishop Ted concluded with the words of Pope Francis, “There is no limit to the Divine Mercy offered to everyone.” (Fr. Lito Jopson / CBCP ECSC Media)
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