Dominicans lead Catholic faithful in ‘Siete Palabras’

April 6, 5:48 p.m. – CONTINUING its preaching mission, the Order of Preachers led Filipino Catholics in reflecting on the “Seven Last Words” of Jesus at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City this Good Friday afternoon—emphasizing the meaning of Christ’s passion, crucifixion, and death.

“Siete Palabras,” now on its 17th year and is considered the longest-running Holy Week program on Philippine television, started in the 1980’s, but the Dominicans started to preach the Seven Last Words at Sto. Domingo Church in 1995.

Giving his reflection on the first of the last words of Jesus, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” Fr. Napoleon Encarnacion, O.P. of Colegio de San Juan de Letran said forgiveness is a proof and a word of love.

“Ang patawad ay nagpapatunay at nagbibigay saysay sa pag-ibig. Ang salitang patawad ay salita ng pag-ibig. Ito ay sumasalamin kung sino at ano tayo—tao at hindi hayop,” Encarnacion said.

Amid sufferings that people experience, they need forgiveness and they must forgive as well, he added. “Ang unang misteryo [sa huling pitong wika ni Hesus] ay pagpapatawad. Napapaloob sa misteryong ito na kailangan natin ng pagpapatawad at kailangan din nating magpatawad,” Encarnacion said. “Ang hamon sa atin ni Hesus ay balikan natin ang ating pagkatao na magsusulong ng pagbabago. Bago pa man ang kasalanan ay mayroon nang pagpapatawad.”

Fr. Nilo Lardizabal, O.P., a Dominican missionary at Rumah Santo Dominikus, Indonesia, focused his insights on the second of saying of Jesus: “Today you shall be with me in paradise.” He pointed out that the Lord always remembers his people but people do not remember Him.

“Walang pagkakataon na hindi tayo naaalala ng Diyos. Ang patunay ay noong nagkasala sina Adan at Eba, kung saan nag-alala ang Diyos kaya niya ipinangako ang kanyang anak na si Kristo,” Lardizabal said.

The people’s remembrance of the Lord is the greatest response to the second word of Jesus on the cross, but the problem is people tend to forget what God has done for humanity, he said.

“Tayong mga Pilipino, ayaw nating nakakalimutan tayo. Ang gusto natin ay palaging naaalala tayo ngunit ang problema ay tayo ang nakakalimot sa Diyos,” Lardizabal said. “Naalala ng kriminal (Dimas) ang kabutihan na ginawa ng Diyos kaya naalala rin siya ng Panginoong Hesukristo.”

Lardizabal said the second of the last words is an invitation for all not to forget what Jesus Christ has done to save the world.

In the third saying, “Woman, behold your Son; Son, behold your Mother,” Fr. Enrico Gonzales, O.P., of Sto. Domingo Convent said love starts at home but never ends there.

“Sa pagmamahal, walang sobra at walang kulang. Ang pag-ibig ay hindi binibilang at hindi tinitimbang. Ang pag-ibig ay tama o mali lamang ngunit ang hirap sa ngayon ay ang paglaganap ng maling pag-ibig,” he said.

If love involves money, it is not love anymore, but a form of prostitution, he said. “Prostitution is not only about flesh; there is prostitution of office, power, and corruption,” Gonzales said.

Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P., UST vice rector for religious affairs, meanwhile, considered “abandonment” as the source of sufferings of Jesus Christ, as part of his reflection on the fourth saying, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”

“Tinalikuran natin ang Diyos [at] ang ating kapwa at ito ang puno’t dulo ng paghihirap ni Kristo. Hindi natin hinahanap ang tunay na Diyos samantalang ang Diyos ay hinahanap tayo,” he said.

Cabading emphasized that Jesus Christ was not abandoned by God. In fact, God was always beside Jesus to guide Him.

“Hindi siya (Kristo) pinabayaan ng Ama bagkus binuksan ng Ama ang kanyang mga kamay upang tanggapin ang kanyang Anak. Si Hesus, sa kanyang pag-iyak, ay hindi niya tayo pinabayaan.”

Fr. Eugenio Cabillon, O.P. of the Convent of Our Lady of Rosary in Pangasinan reflected on the fifth of the seven last words, “I thirst.” People are thirsty for God but continuously search for other things, he said.

“Uhaw tayo sa Diyos ngunit iba ang ating tinutungga kaya patuloy tayong naghahanap. Hindi tayo kuntento, parang palaging kulang, laging naghahanap,” Cabillon said. “Ano ba talaga ang gusto natin? Binigay na sa atin ang lahat, hindi pa rin tayo kuntento. Ibinigay na ni Kristo ang kanyang sarili, hindi pa rin natin maintindihan.”

In the sixth saying, “It is finished,” Fr. Filemon Dela Cruz, Jr., O.P., former director of the UST Center for Campus Ministry, talked about the relevance of the world “ganap.”

“Ang salitang ‘ganap’ ay nagpapahayag ng yaman at pagkakabuo. Noong binigkas ni Kristo ang ‘naganap na’ ay tinatawag niya ang ating pansin sa isang bagay na hindi obvious sa lahat,” he said.

The sixth word of Christ is an invitation for people to see the wholeness of His life and not only a part of it, De la Cruz said.

“Ito ay isang paanyaya ng Panginoon na tingnan natin ang kabuuan ng Kanyang buhay. Marami tayong nararanasan sa buhay na hindi nabubuo ngunit natatapos,” Dela Cruz said.

“Ilagay natin si Kristo sa gitna ng lahat ng ating ginagawa at gawin nating salamin ang Kanyang mga ginawa.”

UST Secretary General Fr. Florentino Bolo, Jr., O.P., reflected on the last word of Jesus, “Father, into Your hands I commend my Spirit.”

“The greatest message of Good Friday is the assurance that we are all in God’s hands,” he said.

Bolo said Jesus may seem humanly powerless but never faithless; he may seem helpless but never hopeless.

“Maaaring ang katawan ay mahina ngunit hindi ito nawawalan ng pananampalataya,” he said. “Ang panahon natin ay puno ng katatakutan. We tremble at thoughts of disease, aging and death.”

He ended his reflection by challenging the people to believe in Christ despite the different crosses of life.

“Wala nang hihigit pang biyaya sa katotohanang ang Diyos ang sa ating nag-alaga kaya sa ating puso’t isipan, nawa ito ay huwag mawala. Ama sa iyong biyaya, kami ay patuloy na mananampalataya,” Bolo said.

Various groups performed song and dance numbers in between the reflections: the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, Sto. Domingo Male Chorale, Letran Filipiniana Dance Company, Mandaluyong Children’s Choir, and Tiples de Santo Domingo.

Siete Palabras was organized by the Dominican Province of the Philippines in cooperation with the Provincial Media Board and Santo Domingo Convent. James Bryan J. Agustin