His Excellency Ryan P. Jimenez, D.D. has once again begun his annual visit to the parishes on the occasion of their parish fiestas. Last Sunday, he presided the Fiesta Mass of Santa Soledad in Kagman and the Fiesta celebration on the Solemnity of St. Joseph in Oleai on Monday.
He emphasized the importance of these festive moments in the life of the two parishes before entering the Holy Week celebration. Despite of the Lenten Season, the parish grounds of Santa Soledad and San Jose were beautifully decorated and adequately prepared for the occasion. Parish fiesta is one of the important events in the life of the local community because it is an opportunity for the parishioners to come together and venerate their patron saints who has been a great companion in the journey of faith of the parishioners.
We would like to see Jesus!
During his homily at Santa Soledad, Bishop Ryan reflected on the Gospel passage where the Greeks approached Philip with a request: “We would like to see Jesus!” He told the parishioners that ‘seeing’ has three important meaning in the Gospel. “To see demands more than just looking. It means going down deep,” he said. “If we only look at the surface, basically we don’t see. In the Gospel of John, there were many who see but did not believe. Many have seen his miracles but many of those around him did not believe.”
‘Seeing’ in the Gospel also means ‘to know’ according to Bishop Ryan. He explained how the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus, basically were desiring to get to know him intimately and that Philip became an instrument so that the can ‘get to know’ Jesus intimately.
“As parishioners, do we also serve as instruments of others so they could see Jesus, so that people may encounter Jesus outside the Church’s function?” He then applaud the continuous home visitation of Santa Soledad parish every Sunday as an excellent way of being instruments so that those whom they met may have their lives centered in God.
Finally, he exhorted the parishioners of Santa Soledad to be steadfast in carrying their cross as a part of Christian living. “Seeing Jesus always involves the cross!” He encouraged the people to imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Solitude who had her share of ‘acts of dying’ for her Son. “The Seven Sorrows of Mary represents the seven acts of ‘dying’ for her son.”
The ‘Silence of St. Joseph’
In the Parish of San Jose in Oleai, Bishop Ryan reflected on the silence of St. Joseph. “There is very little said about him in the gospel,” the bishop said. “He was someone who appreciate the value of silence!” He lamented how today we have lost this appreciation of the value of silence. On how we lived today in the midst of noise with our loud music, our phones, and constantly being ‘online’. He said that the silence the St. Joseph enabled him to be obedient to God. “When we are always talking, we cannot listen to the voice of god.”
The Bishop also linked the ‘silence’ of St. Joseph with the silent workers in the parishes. “In every parish there are many volunteers. However, there are many who likes to attract attention to themselves and their work! Fortunately, there are also many who works silently out of love for the church.” The celebration of the Feast of St. Joseph is reminder for all to have this attitude of silence. “May St. Joseph grant us the grace to be silent workers in the vineyard of the Lord,” the bishop concluded.
