Never lose faith amid the pandemic, like Jesus who surrendered himself to God, Dominican preachers said as they reflected on the Seven Last Words of Christ during the annual Siete Palabras on Good Friday.
Dominican Prior Provincial Fr. Filemon de la Cruz, Jr., O.P. urged the faithful not to give up and continue to pray for the end of the pandemic.
“Hanggang sa huling sandali, nagdasal ang Panginoon. Ang Kanyang panalangin ay walang kapaguran, walang makakapigil at walang kulang kahit sa gitna ng mga hagupit ng buhay,” de la Cruz said.
(The Lord was praying until His final moments. His prayer was zealous and unceasing despite the hardships He was suffering.)
“Palaging pinapapaalala sa atin na ang buhay panalangin ay isang buhay na walang kapaguran. [M]agdasal tayo para hindi panghinaan ng loob.”
(We are constantly reminded that a life of prayer is a tireless one. Let us pray so our spirits will not weaken.)
De la Cruz also challenged government leaders to gauge their faith during the pandemic and urged them to be prayerful.
“Kayong mga pinuno ng ating lipunan, bahagi pa ba ng ating buhay ang pagdarasal sa gitna ng pandemya?” he said.
(Leaders of our society: is prayer still part of your lives amid the pandemic?)
Fr. Art Vincent Pangan, O.P. of the Convent of St. Albert the Great urged the faithful to surrender their trust to God amid fears and anxieties brought about by the pandemic, as he reflected on the third of Christ’s last words.
“Ang paghahabilin ay puno ng pagtitiwala at pagmamahal. [I]nihabilin ng Panginoon ang pinakamamahal niyang Ina sa kanyang pinakapinagkakatiwalaang alagad. Ang alagad na ito ay hindi lamang si Juan, kundi tayong nanampalataya.”
(The act of entrusting requires trust and love. The Lord entrusted his beloved Mother to his most trusted disciple. This disciple is not only John but also all the faithful.)
Fr. Romualdo Cabanatan, Jr., O.P. from the UST Central Seminary reminded the faithful of Christ’s open and loving arms.
“Sa nakaaantig na eksena sa krus, makikita natin na hindi bumibitaw ang Panginoon sa taong makasalanan. Sa mga eksenang itinatakwil natin ang Panginoon at paulit-ulit tayong nagkakasala, hindi Siya bumibitaw sa’tin bagkus tuloy-tuloy ang pagsama Niya sa’tin hanggang tayo’y magbalik-loob sa Kanya.”
(As we ponder on the scene of Christ’s crucifixion, we see that He would not give up, even on those who are sinful. Even when we sin repeatedly, Christ continues to be with us until we return to Him.)
Fr. Stephen Redillas, O.P., prior of the Dominican convent in Manaoag, Pangasinan, reminded the faithful of the purpose of Jesus’s sacrifice: the salvation of mankind.
“[Si] Kristo ay isang resibo na nagpapatunay na nabayaran na ang pagkakautang natin. Kaya tuwing tumitingala tayo sa krus, ipinapaalala sa atin na ‘bayad ka na,’” Redillas said.
(Jesus is the proof that our sins have been paid for. So every time we look up at the cross, we are reminded that we have been redeemed.)
Fr. Enrico Gonzales, O.P, former dean of UST Faculty of Philosophy, said forgiveness was the first step in healing emotional and spiritual “wounds.”
“Likas sa ating katawan na ‘yong sugat ay maghilom. Kaya tulungan natin ang ating sarili upang maghilom ang sugat kung hindi laging sariwa ‘yan, at ang unang hakbang ang pagpapatawad,” he said.
(Our bodies heal wounds automatically. Let us help ourselves heal the spiritual wounds that remain fresh by forgiving others.)
Reflecting on the fourth of Christ’s final words, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said humans, as beings bearing the image and likeness of God, should see how valuable they are.
“Maari [tayong] tapakan, yurakan, madumihan at tapunan ng putik subalit kahit mangyari ito, alam natin ang halaga natin ay hindi sa sinasabi [ng iba]; ang halaga ng tao ay kamukha siya ng Diyos. Walang karangalan o pagmamahal na hihigit pa sa ‘ikaw ay nilikha Niyang kamukha Niya,’” Villegas said.
(We can be trampled upon, soiled and muddied, but even if these happen, we know our value is not dictated by what others say; the value of man is that he resembles God. There is no honor or love greater than being created in God’s likeness.)
Fr. Norman Quilaquil, O.P. of the Convent of Saint Albert the Great said humans must remain humane to achieve holiness.
“Upang maging banal, dapat tayong maging tao. Tao tayo, kaya magpakatao tayo,” he said, reflecting the third of Christ’s last words.
(To be holy, we must be human. We are human, so let’s be humane.)
Be martyrs amid criticisms
Fr. Romulo Rodriguez, O.P., former provincial secretary of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, urged the faithful to be modern-day martyrs amid the criticisms received by the Church, during the Mass for the Passion of Christ at the Santo Domingo Church.
“Hindi maitatanggi [na] binabatikos ang simbahan at ipinasasara ang pintuan ng simbahan. Isinasara ang ating mga bibig. Just like the martyrs who have embraced the martyrdom of Jesus, dapat maging malawak ang pagmamahal natin sa sangkatauhan bunga ng pagmamahal sa Diyos,” Rodriguez said in his homily.
(Undeniably, the Church has received criticisms. Our mouths are being shut. Just like the martyrs who have embraced the martyrdom of Jesus, our love for mankind must be widespread as a result of our love of God.)
Rodriguez called on the faithful to practice and grow their faith by overcoming modern-day trials.
“Not everyone may be privileged to taste the blood of martyrdom. Ang mamatay sa pananampalataya ay paanyaya sa ilan subalit ang isabuhay ang pananampalataya, panawagan sa lahat,” he said.
(Not everyone may be privileged to taste the blood of martyrdom. To die in the faith is an invitation to some, but to live by faith is a call to all.)
Good Friday commemorates the day when Jesus suffered and died on the cross for the salvation of mankind.
Siete Palabras marked its 28th year with the theme “Kaloob ng Krus, Kaloob na Buhay.”
Like last year’s production, Siete Palabras 2021 was pre-recorded, but this time shot from different locations. M. A. O. Castillo and S. T. Sadang
