stakeholders, we all are!
You ask me to reflect with you on the unity of the clergy and the laity. What is unity? What does unity consist of?
A parish priest once declared, I am the captain of the ship. We have only two rules in this parish: first, the captain is always right; second, if the captain is wrong, refer to rule number one.
And so one day a parishioner was asked, “Ma’am, is there unity in the parish where you belong?” “Yes of course,” the lady answered, “whatever the parish priest says, we follow.”
What is unity? In the liturgy which is my milieu, unity is prayed for in the most important of all prayers, the Eucharistic prayer, that the Holy Spirit will make us one body, one spirit in Christ – inviamur unum corpus et unus spiritus in Christo, nga kami mangin isa ka lawas kag panghunahuna kay Kristo.
Frankly, I don’t know where we got the idea that unity is doing what the parish priest wants. I do not know where we got the idea that the need for unity confers infallibility to the parish priest. In the words of Fr. Joel, if this is how things are ran, the fact is, kon sin-o man sina ang nagapadalagan waay gid na sia kaagi class president – that’s the words of Fr. Joel, not mine.
In the Eucharistic prayer the words “in Christ, kay Kristo, in Christo” defines our mutual identification. Unity means that our love for Christ gathers us together, our common cause for Christ enlivens our work in the parish irregardless whether we are receiving a reward, a compensation or absolutely nothing at all. Unity means that we might not agree many times in our methods but surely we find common ground in our intent and motive, in our resolve and determination for Christ and for his church. Unity means I feel as responsible as you are (whoever he or she is) for the church of Jesus Christ whom I dearly love. And I feel accountable as much as you are (whoever he or she is) for the church I love. I am by choice a stakeholder in this church I love. Can you say that to yourself? Can you say that to your parish priest? Can you say that to God? In intent, in resolve, with the feelings of responsibility and accountability for, and in love for Christ, can you say that I am a stakeholder in the church we all love?
Peter was a stakeholder, no question about it – whether in his resolve, in his feelings towards Christ and most especially in his love for him. No question about it. He felt the need to speak against the plan of Christ to suffer and die in Jerusalem – “God forbid, Lord,” he said, “no such thing shall happen to you!” He was brave enough to rebuke Christ, albeit quietly, because of his love for Christ.
Mary was a stakeholder, again no question about it. If she has to say yes, she has to know how. She is responsible, she felt accountable in what she was accepting for the messiah who was to be born and so she questioned: “How can this be, since I do not know man?” She felt the urge to speak out, she felt the need to be there for him who was nailed on the cross, she felt the need to be with his disciple in their feeling of lost in the cenacle. She did because she was a stakeholder. She has a claim.
Do you have the same feeling for your parish? Do you have the same claim not just for the present but also for its future? Can you make the same claim in what you do, in what you give, in what you sacrifice for Jesus and his church? Can you speak out for Christ?
Can you speak out?
But wait, if you speak out, what are going to speak? What kind of a stakeholder are you? In the seminary, as the library director for 8 years I would always emphatically point out to the seminarians that the best way to speak english, the best way to write a research paper, the best way to recite in class and the best way to do things is to have a thorough knowledge about what you are writing about, what you are saying, what you are required to do. May connection and unod sang imo ulo sa imo ginahambal kag sa imo ginabuhat. Ano ang ihambal mo kon wala ina unod? Ano himuon mo kon indi ka kahibalo. So the solution is read, gain knowledge by reading. Ay bisan ano mo na tuon sang intricacies sang English grammar kon wala ka nagabasa libro nga english, wala gid ina pulos.
There is a connection between empowerment and knowledge. There is no lay participation, there can be no real claim for a stake in the church, there can be no unity in resolve and determination when people are not empowered, and as the late Ernie Baron said, knowledge is power!
Hagi ka da atrebir nga wala ka man may nalung-ong. Huo sarang ka makatugda, kinamatarong mo nga makatugda, in fact obligasyon mo nga magtugda, pero ano ang itugda mo?
No question about it, Peter has a claim for Christ, Peter has great love for Christ, Peter felt obliged, he felt responsible, he felt accountable in his love for Christ. Pero ano ang gintugda niya? Ti man, because he did not see as Christ sees, because he did not judge from the point of view of God, he was rebuked. He was even called the tempter. He has love no question about it, but he lacks knowledge. He did not know what he was talking about.
But Mary was different. She knew. She pondered. Look at her Magnificat. She is one who is familiar with God and with his ways. She prayed and her praying is not just saying and talking but listening – remember her reflex – she would always ponder things in her heart – pondering is the kind of praying of Mary.
When I was assigned in Pototan the young people of the parish dramatized the Annunciation. Mary was seen kneeling in a pre-dieu when the angel Gabriel came to her. She was praying the rosary complete with rosary beads.
Mary knew what she was talking about, what she was asking, what she was doing and therefore her yes was a true embodiment of one who has become familiar with the ways of God.
Now you may claim to be a stakeholder, but what kind of a stakeholder are you? Have you read Vatican II, are you familiar with the Catholic Catechism, are you knowledgeable about PCP II, have you read the documents of the Third Synod of Jaro. If not then you need to question your claim – what kind of a stakeholder am I?
We reflected about unity – the kind of unity we pray for so often in the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer wherein we ask God that as we receive his body and blood in communion, we may be united as one body, one spirit in Christ. We have received communion often. We will receive one now. What remains to be seen is whether God and our communion with his Son will indeed make us one – united as one body, one spirit in Christ.
A parish priest once declared, I am the captain of the ship. We have only two rules in this parish: first, the captain is always right; second, if the captain is wrong, refer to rule number one.
And so one day a parishioner was asked, “Ma’am, is there unity in the parish where you belong?” “Yes of course,” the lady answered, “whatever the parish priest says, we follow.”
What is unity? In the liturgy which is my milieu, unity is prayed for in the most important of all prayers, the Eucharistic prayer, that the Holy Spirit will make us one body, one spirit in Christ – inviamur unum corpus et unus spiritus in Christo, nga kami mangin isa ka lawas kag panghunahuna kay Kristo.
Frankly, I don’t know where we got the idea that unity is doing what the parish priest wants. I do not know where we got the idea that the need for unity confers infallibility to the parish priest. In the words of Fr. Joel, if this is how things are ran, the fact is, kon sin-o man sina ang nagapadalagan waay gid na sia kaagi class president – that’s the words of Fr. Joel, not mine.
In the Eucharistic prayer the words “in Christ, kay Kristo, in Christo” defines our mutual identification. Unity means that our love for Christ gathers us together, our common cause for Christ enlivens our work in the parish irregardless whether we are receiving a reward, a compensation or absolutely nothing at all. Unity means that we might not agree many times in our methods but surely we find common ground in our intent and motive, in our resolve and determination for Christ and for his church. Unity means I feel as responsible as you are (whoever he or she is) for the church of Jesus Christ whom I dearly love. And I feel accountable as much as you are (whoever he or she is) for the church I love. I am by choice a stakeholder in this church I love. Can you say that to yourself? Can you say that to your parish priest? Can you say that to God? In intent, in resolve, with the feelings of responsibility and accountability for, and in love for Christ, can you say that I am a stakeholder in the church we all love?
Peter was a stakeholder, no question about it – whether in his resolve, in his feelings towards Christ and most especially in his love for him. No question about it. He felt the need to speak against the plan of Christ to suffer and die in Jerusalem – “God forbid, Lord,” he said, “no such thing shall happen to you!” He was brave enough to rebuke Christ, albeit quietly, because of his love for Christ.
Mary was a stakeholder, again no question about it. If she has to say yes, she has to know how. She is responsible, she felt accountable in what she was accepting for the messiah who was to be born and so she questioned: “How can this be, since I do not know man?” She felt the urge to speak out, she felt the need to be there for him who was nailed on the cross, she felt the need to be with his disciple in their feeling of lost in the cenacle. She did because she was a stakeholder. She has a claim.
Do you have the same feeling for your parish? Do you have the same claim not just for the present but also for its future? Can you make the same claim in what you do, in what you give, in what you sacrifice for Jesus and his church? Can you speak out for Christ?
Can you speak out?
But wait, if you speak out, what are going to speak? What kind of a stakeholder are you? In the seminary, as the library director for 8 years I would always emphatically point out to the seminarians that the best way to speak english, the best way to write a research paper, the best way to recite in class and the best way to do things is to have a thorough knowledge about what you are writing about, what you are saying, what you are required to do. May connection and unod sang imo ulo sa imo ginahambal kag sa imo ginabuhat. Ano ang ihambal mo kon wala ina unod? Ano himuon mo kon indi ka kahibalo. So the solution is read, gain knowledge by reading. Ay bisan ano mo na tuon sang intricacies sang English grammar kon wala ka nagabasa libro nga english, wala gid ina pulos.
There is a connection between empowerment and knowledge. There is no lay participation, there can be no real claim for a stake in the church, there can be no unity in resolve and determination when people are not empowered, and as the late Ernie Baron said, knowledge is power!
Hagi ka da atrebir nga wala ka man may nalung-ong. Huo sarang ka makatugda, kinamatarong mo nga makatugda, in fact obligasyon mo nga magtugda, pero ano ang itugda mo?
No question about it, Peter has a claim for Christ, Peter has great love for Christ, Peter felt obliged, he felt responsible, he felt accountable in his love for Christ. Pero ano ang gintugda niya? Ti man, because he did not see as Christ sees, because he did not judge from the point of view of God, he was rebuked. He was even called the tempter. He has love no question about it, but he lacks knowledge. He did not know what he was talking about.
But Mary was different. She knew. She pondered. Look at her Magnificat. She is one who is familiar with God and with his ways. She prayed and her praying is not just saying and talking but listening – remember her reflex – she would always ponder things in her heart – pondering is the kind of praying of Mary.
When I was assigned in Pototan the young people of the parish dramatized the Annunciation. Mary was seen kneeling in a pre-dieu when the angel Gabriel came to her. She was praying the rosary complete with rosary beads.
Mary knew what she was talking about, what she was asking, what she was doing and therefore her yes was a true embodiment of one who has become familiar with the ways of God.
Now you may claim to be a stakeholder, but what kind of a stakeholder are you? Have you read Vatican II, are you familiar with the Catholic Catechism, are you knowledgeable about PCP II, have you read the documents of the Third Synod of Jaro. If not then you need to question your claim – what kind of a stakeholder am I?
We reflected about unity – the kind of unity we pray for so often in the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer wherein we ask God that as we receive his body and blood in communion, we may be united as one body, one spirit in Christ. We have received communion often. We will receive one now. What remains to be seen is whether God and our communion with his Son will indeed make us one – united as one body, one spirit in Christ.
Comments