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Some burning issues of the day — people power, the death of a nursing student in a cellphone holdup, and the denial of a so-called ban on Mass for Jun Lozada — surfaced in some of the mediations of priests of the Cebu Archdiocese in Good Friday’s Siete Palabras.
This came despite an earlier announcement that this year’s traditional activity would be different by strictly sticking to pastoral themes.
However, the preachers did talk about current socio-political issues during the three-hour reflection of the “Seven Last Words” of Jesus Christ.
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the last speaker, ended his sermon by talking about some people’s failure to admit their mistakes.
He mentioned no names but churchgoers could easily have seen a connection with last week’s controversy about allegations that Cebu clergy were banned from saying Mass for Senate witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. during his visit to Cebu City.
Vidal has denied the report as false. So did the Presbyteral Council, which issued a statement defending him.
“There are those who would not admit that they have committed a mistake. They would not ask for forgiveness because they are human and are bound to commit mistakes,” said Vidal in his sermon.
Vidal cited the example of Jesus whom he said did not know fear because he always spoke the truth.
Cebu officials who were offended by Lozada’s earlier allegation that the clergy was restricted in some way by Vidal said the whistle-blower should apologize to the Cardinal, but Lozada refused.
Fr. Mhar Balili, secretary of Cardinal Vidal, talked about the pain of false accusations in his reflection on the first word: “My God, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
“What would we do if we were accused of doing something we know we are not capable of doing?” asked Fr. Balili.
He said some would seek revenge but a few would opt to remain silent.
Fr. Balili, who is also a parochial vicar at the cathedral, explained that Jesus prayed for and healed even those who persecuted and insulted him.
Sins are called by different names today, he said.
“What do we do if those who speak ill of you behind your back are just being socially aware? What do we do to those who eat too much — just have a good appetite? What do we do if today young people answer back their elders and are not scolded because they are just exercising their right to self-expression? What do we do when what those who practice graft and corruption are said to be just doing sariling sikap or just working for themselves?”
For the second statement “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise,” Fr. Marnell Mejia talked about how thieves take every opportunity to steal cellphones, money and even clothes from unsuspecting victims.
“Sa mga hilabtanon, siguraduhon nila naay mobukol (For thieves, they would make sure that they could steal), said Mejia, editor in chief of the archdiocesan newsletter Ang Bag-ong Lungsoranon. The term “bukol”, slang for kickbacks, was used during the Senate hearing on the scrapped $329-million national broadband network deal.
He said that while Jesus was nailed on the cross, a thief, Dimas, also took the opportunity to steal heaven.
Msgr. Ruben Labajo, St. Joseph Parish priest in Tabunok, Talisay, reminded businessmen to be honest with their dealings when he spoke on Jesus’ third words to his mother: “Woman, this is your son.” Then he said to his disciple, John, “This is your mother.”
“You will be rewarded if you are truthful in everything that you do,” he said, adding that truthfulness is also expected of priests and people of other professions.
Msgr. Rogelio Fuentes, who commented on Jesus’ cry “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” said it is normal for people to want to avoid pain and suffering.
“But for those whose child was killed by robbers, would they not ask, where is God?” said Fuentes.
Fuentes, a seminary formator, read aloud part of Mother Teresa’s letter to her spiritual director where she told him: “[But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see... He does not want me. He does not want me.”
Msgr. Dennis Villarojo, Pastoral Planning Board chairman, said that when Jesus said, “It is finished,” it did not mean that evangelization work also ended.
It is a fulfillment of the prophesy, Jesus’ obedience to the will of God, he said.
But the work is especially difficult today because “people seem to have forgotten how to make sacrifices.”
“We had Edsa 1 and Edsa 2, but how come it seems there has not been much change in today’s society?” he asked. “Filipinos are good at implementing programs but don’t know how to sustain them.”
Two other speakers did not mention current events and instead preached about the cross, the suffering of Christ, and faith.
“I thirst,” the fifth word was discussed by Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, who preached about the physical sufferings of Jesus on the cross.
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” said Msgr. Achilles Dakay was pronounced out loud with joy by Christ.
Jesus was not killed; he sacrificed himself for us, said Dakay, Archdiocesan media liaison officer.
The meditation and prayers were followed by the veneration of the cross and the commemoration of the Lord’s Passion led by Cardinal Vidal with eight other priests.
