Wednesday, March 20, 2013

WALA AKONG MASABI


ni Rev. Fr. Fortunato Dumlao


"Wala akong masabi."

I have nothing to say.  I'm tongue-tied.  I'm dumbstruck.

I woke up very early to prepare for this homily and this became the lingering theme of my reflection.  And ang hirap magnilay at gumawa ng sermon kung ang slogan mo ay "wala akong masabi" dahil baka malamang sa hindi ay wala nga talaga akong masasabi.

Wala akong masabi.
An expression of great admiration, gratitude and joy.  Walang masabi dahil manghang-mangha.  Walang masabi dahil ubod ng ganda.  Walang masabi dahil nadama ang ligaya.  In our first reading, our God spoke to the prophet Nathan concerning King David's future.  God assuring David inspite of all his weaknesses: "Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me."  The Son of David will live forever". as the responsorial psalm proclaims.  You will really be speechless in front of God.  God has all things covered: our past, present, our future.  What more can we say?

Wala akong masabi.
An expression of disappointment, of unworthiness, of helplessness.  Minsan wala ka ding masabi dahil alam momng may kakulangan at mali.  We are at loss in words sometimes to exhale the sigh of our weaknesses.  The most talkative person lang in our readings yata was Saint Paul, pero letter naman talkaga yun sa Romans kaya kailangan n'yang magsalita.  But still, it wasn't St. Paul's lone words; yes he was speaking yet God's word was louder through his words.  And he was speaking about righteousness, from Abraham to his weak descendants, faith in God alone should make all things right.  We will commit mistakes pero wala kang masasabi sa kabutihan ng Diyos.

Wala akong masabi.
An expression of obedience, of sacrifice, pagsunod na walang reklamo.  Of letting the person speaking, be powerful and empower the one listening.  This was really the message instilled to me by St. Joseph through the readings of his great feast.  In our Gospel it was more evident, God sent an angel and spoke to St. Joseph in a dream, and kahit na sa panaginip hindi nagsalitra si Jose.  Take note, kahit sa panaginip!  Yung iba nga sa atin, kahit tulog nagsasalita.  But St. Joseph was silent.  what can he say?  He was flabbergasted by the grace of God.  What more can he say, but obey.  In submitting to God's will, Joseph's silence became the loudest expression of God's word.  Ang pagsunod sa nais ng Diyos ay nag-ingay sa katahimikan ng buhay ni San Jose.

Dearest kuya, Father Jojo, (kuya Choi) wala akong masabi.  Nagpapaslamat kami sa Diyos dahil biyaya ka sa amin.  Kahit ganyan ka.  After six years that we have ordained; may you still be overwhelmed by God's grace, as His priest, as his chose pastor.  Let us thank God always for guiding us through the years.

Wala akong masabi.
May mga pagkakamali tayo.  May mga kahinaan tayo.  Ako, kahinaan ko, pagkain, ikaw hindi ka kumakain.  In front of God, kuya, we are unworthy still. May mga nagawa na tayong mali, magtiwala tayo pa rin na itatama tayo ng Diyos.  We humbly offer to the Lord our weak selves.

Wala akong masabi.
Halina't sumunod pa rin tayo sa kanya.  Kahit na tayo ay may kahinaan.  He empowers you to be strong.  Let our patron St. Joseph inspire us again to follow God's call: to serve His Church, His people.  Ang pagsunod nawa sa Diyos ang mag-ingay pa rin sa ating buhay.

Wala talaga akong masabi sa Homily na ito.  We continue to thank God.  We continue to ask God's mercy for oue weaknesses.  We continue to promise God silently that we will follow him, now and forever.  Amen.

St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Pray for us.