On the Day I can Bless the World

I was ordained Deacon last August 24, 2019 at the magnificent sanctuary of the Holy Spirit Chapel of the Divine Word Seminary Tagaytay. It is a German architecture of minimalist contour and where the sunlight is celebrated by the dashing colours of stained glass. I received the Sacrament from the hands of His Excellency Teodoro Buhain, auxiliary Bishop of Manila. I was officially ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons together with my classmates whom I have spent the last 6 years of my life as an SVD with.

It turned out sunny on that day, complementing the atmosphere of heavy rains in the days prior. Everything wet now little by little getting dried up as if the Sun was ordained to shine after a gloomy years of depressive sojourn. I had ever thought that day would have been rainy as well so people attending would love the weather and feel the power of the rites I was about to receive in a lethargic but in a comfortably soothing mood. Either way, it was meaningful. I guess I am trained to think that way; to look for meanings out of phenomena.

It was the best day of my life so far, and I know it is the beginning of many other days of heydays. But more than anything, I was blessed by the presence of people who matter the most; souls who have sojourned with me from the beginning, from down under and in the lights. My mother and my sister, the two most important people in my life came despite the discouragement of witnesses to the occasion. My cousin whom I look up to, and whom I shared limited time from childhood came; it was probably the most powerful presence of them all. He was here not just to witness and represent souls who weren’t able to come, but he represented more than that. He represented my enduring longing of seeing my childhood back, and my relatives together again, after a considerable time of alienation from deaths and time elements that made things impossible to be together and to be happy together once again. Suddenly, his coming whispers hope and jubilation, and wholeness and memories coming together to the Altar.

Another figure whose presence connote a powerful meaning is that of my rector in the minor seminary. He was a man of values and kindness. I remember him from among my memories of teenage years, a person who was a model and a friend. He embodied my minor seminary yeas, all the hardships and sufferings and of course the happy times being in a seminary could possibly offer. He represented a place where I first found my desire to become a priest. He represented a soil upon which I was prepared to be who I am and what I can give from my depths. And all these were ritualised in a simple yet powerful gesture and object; he gave me an alb as a present. A piece of linen I have ever dreamed of wearing now becoming a symbol of fulfilment of those dreams toiled over through the years.

Suddenly I realised how I am blessed to the fullest in the past years, how I received gifts on top of many other gifts. I am so blessed with 15 years in the seminary now coming to completion… Everything I have is given singularly for me…this vocation, this ordination day most especially.

Before becoming Deacons, a liturgist instructed us of the usual things we needed to know. There was a list given and many things are in there. One things however bears heavy impact on mind mind, one that I will never forget and will try to live as deacon and as a priest later on. The priest told us that every time we give a blessing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to people, after a prayer, or after a blessing, we are not only blessing the people in front of us attending but the whole world as well.

ON BLESSING HOLY WATER

One evening, I was discussing with my classmates about the blessing of the Holy Water. As deacons, we were told, we can bless water and salt and make them Holy Water with just our hand-blessing. Imagine that! I can make Holy Water!!! I was also wondering: What I would bless Holy Water which is to be used for exorcisms? Will it repel demons, or will they like it because I am a sinner? Of course I asked out of jest. Guess what happened next! The morning of the next day came and I went to a convent for the daily mass. I entered the sacristy and lo and behold. There are 8 jars of waters with a note “Father/Reverend: kindly please bless the salt and water!” Such a laughable situation but I believe God was messing up with me in order to drive a point.

(This is the picture of the situation. I took the liberty to take a photo of it to show my classmates. The note is on the reader's right side.)

Well I didn’t bless them. The priest who came later did the blessing. I simply assisted with the salt. But I was told:it is not I who makes the water holy but the rite itself. It is not the worthiness or unworthiness of the minister that makes the validity or sanctity of the Holy Water but the rituals performed.

There is this principle in Liturgy, Ex Opere Operato -which means from the work worked, sacraments and sacramentals deriving their power from Christ’s work rather than the role of human minister, rather from my own unworthiness. But my role as deacon is made clearer. I am a mere instrument of Christ’s blessing, making the water holy.

I am blessing the whole world and lifts up the world to God everytime. I am an instrument of blessing from God. I can bless. It was a powerful image, a powerful message and certainly a powerful mission -to bless….the world…

In blessing the world, I may not have a direct impact on anyone on the face of suffering but I can bless them and lift them to Christ. I may not do anything to alleviate their suffering but I lift them to someone who could.

When I give blessings to families after blessing their newly bought cars, I bless them as well. Is that not a very moving moment that I bless a family, praying and hoping they live in love and happiness together? Oh I would die to see this than for anything. I am blessing the world…and families.

I cannot but help to remember the priest who taught me how to kneel before God. It was in his kneeling in the darkness to pray that I found attraction for the life he lives. Suddenly I realised God wanted me to see this priest kneeling in the dark, strike a sound in my heart, and invite me to bless the world. But before blessing the world with my hands, I must praise God first with my knees first.