Witnesses of Faith

HOMILY: First Day of Misa de Gallo

John 5:33-36

16 December 2022

Fr. Ricky C. Montanez, AA

“Show, don’t tell!”  is the most effective way by which we can evangelise others! Almost five decades ago, in 1974 Pope Paul VI made a similar observation. The Pope addressed a group of lay people and said, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” Mas pinakikinggan ang mga saksi at sa gurong nakakapagpatotoo sa kanyang itinuturo.

Sa dami ng sinungaling at namemeke ngayon, lagi na tayong naghahanap ng ebidensya. Minsan nga ang batayan ay social media. Pag walang posts at engagements patungkol doon, malamang chika lang yun. More so when we talk about matters of God, words or lip service are not enough to make us believers. Nakakatawa kasi ang pananampalataya ay sadyang pagtiwala sa mga bagay na di nakikita o di nangangailangan ng ebidensya. We are so blessed that our God is patient and understanding. Pinagbibigyan Niya tayo sa ating kakulangan ng tiwala. Jesus had His share of critics and doubters but He made Himself known by the evidence of His deeds and actions. The Lord Jesus made available by His wondrous works, signs that directed His followers to the truth of who He claims to be — the Son of God.  

In today’s gospel passage, we read that Jesus Himself is not spared from people who are continuously critical of His mission and the work entrusted to Him by the Father. In John 5:36 Jesus tells the Jews that the work that the Father gave Him to accomplish — these works that He performs — testify on His behalf that the Father has sent Him.  But they cannot be convinced otherwise because their pride and hard-heartedness have kept them from seeing beyond the humanity of Jesus.   

I recently had conversations with a young man who, after joining a group of young volunteers for charitable projects among the poor in Metro Manila, decided to be baptised a Catholic Christian. He said that the joy in service exhibited by the Catholic youth volunteers attracted him to the faith. Pag naisasabuhay nating mga Katoliko ang ating pananampalataya, pinatutunayan natin sa madla ang katotohanan ng mga itinuro ni Kristo. 

If we look back on the past years of the pandemic, we have seen how the Church has been in the forefront of outreach activities. If you have contributed to helping others in need, you make yourself a credible representative of the Church.  Noong simula ng mga lockdown, binuksan ng simbahang katoliko ang kanyang nga pinto sa mga palaboy at walang matirahan — ang mga paaralan, kumbento, retreat centres at maraming religious-run institutions ang nagsilbing silungan at kanlungan ng mga nangangailangan. In times of disasters, various Catholic charitable institutions promptly provide assistance for rebuilding homes and establishing livelihood in the affected areas.  Alinsunod sa ehemplo ni Hesus, pinatotohanan ng Simbahan, sa pamamagitan ng kanyang mga miyembro at institusyon, ang pagmamahal, pagkalinga, at awa ng Diyos Ama para sa sangkatauhan, lalong lalo na sa mga aba. 

There are countless others among us who work silently, below the radar of the press and social media. By their charitable works they become witnesses of the faith they profess and agents of God’s tender care for His people. They are a light for others during dark times… The light they carry within them is no less than Jesus. 

Wag sana kayong mawawalan ng loob o makikipag-away pag naririnig ninyong binabatikos ang simbahan natin.  We can not please everybody. And it is not our duty to please everybody! Our best response to all these bashings is the testimony of our service to the poor around us and in our communities. As Jesus says in the gospel: “The deeds my Father gave me to do…speak on my behalf.” (John 5:37) Elsewhere he says that if you don’t believe because of what I say, “believe because of the things I do.” (John 14:11) 

This first day of our Simbang Gabi, we are challenged to be evangelizers by our works, more than our words. We must be witnesses of our faith and our God to a fractured world beset with so much suffering. So many need to get to know and accept Jesus our Savior. Let us strive to be like John the Baptist who was  “a burning and shining lamp” (John 5:35) reflecting Christ’s Light, helping others to see that Jesus is truly the Light of the World!