Holy Mass on the 2nd Anniversary
of the Death of Bishop Jose Oliveros

Homily of Bishop Dennis Villarojo,
Bishop of Malolos

MALOLOS CATHEDRAL, Malolos, Bulacan
11 May 2020
(video)

Msgr. Pablo Legazpi, ang Bikaryo Heneral ng ating Diyosesis,
Fr. Domingo Salonga, Rektor ng ating Cathedral,
Mga kapatid na mga Pari, mga kapatid sa Pananampalataya,
magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.

Ating ginugunita sa pagdiriwang ng Banal na Eukaristiyang ito ang paglisan ng ating minamahal na Obispo Jose, sa araw na ito siya ay yumao sa piling ng ating Diyos Ama. Ngunit sa pagkakataong ito, hindi tayo magninilay-nilay sa kamatayan kundi sa gawa at sa buhay ng ating minamahal na Obispo Jose.

Alam po ninyo kung mayroon mang dapat magpasalamat sa kanyang ministeryo at ang kanyang buhay ay ako po iyon, ang sumunod sa kanya sapagkat dahil sa kanyang maraming ginawa dito sa Diyosesis ng Malolos ay napagaan ang aking gawain bilang kanyang successor. Ako po’y nagpapasalamat sa Panginoon at kay Bishop Jose sapagkat nang ako po ay naassign dito sa Malolos ay tila naitalaga na ang lahat.

Unang-una ay, among other things na ginawa ni Bishop Jose, ang pinakamalaki ay ang Synod. Ang Synod na nagbibigay direksyon sa lahat ng ating gawain, Pastoral man o Administrative. Kayo pong mga layko’y baka hindi po ninyo masyadong maintindihan kung anong kahalagahan ng Synod na ito sa buhay ng isang Diyosesis ngunit para sa isang Obispo at sa mga Kaparian, ang Synod ay nagbibigay direksyon. Kung baga’y ang lahat ay nakatuon sa parehong daan, looking at the same path so that we could walk together, iyon naman po ang ibig sabihin ng Synod “to walk together.” Kaya po dahil naging “level-off” na ang lahat, mayroong alam ng lahat na ito ang gampanin at ang direksyon ay possible na ang lahat ay makakalakad patungo sa parehong direksyon. Kaya po ito po’y isang malaking bagay na nagiging I would say “hallmark achievement” ng ating Bishop Jose.

Gayunpaman ay this is the Pastoral aspect of it, in the Physical aspect ang Diyosesis po ay nabigyan ng maraming mga gusali at pasilidad upang maganap, maiganap ang lahat ng mga alituntunin na nasa Sinodo. Kabilang na po rito ang tinatawag natin na Diocesan formation centre na nasa Guiguinto, andiyan po ang Bahay Pari o Bahay Pastol sa Malipampang, andiyan din po ang Diocesan pastoral center at I would say higit sa lahat at nabubukod na ginawa sapagkat hindi natin makikita sa ibang Diyosesis ay ang Jubilee homes, mga bahay na itinatag, itinayo para sa mga taong walang bahay nagiging temporary shelther para sa kanila, para sila’y makapagpondo at uusad ang kanilang buhay. Sinasabi kong nabubukod sapagkat hindi karaniwan sa isang Diyosesis na mayroong pabahay in that scale. Hindi lang pabahay ang iginagawad kundi formation at livelihood programs na sa ngayon ay patuloy na nagbebenepisyo sa isangdaan, mahigit na isangdaang pamilya sa Plaridel.

Kung pagtipuntipunin lahat ang mga ginawa ni Bishop Jose ay talagang nakakamangha in both Pastoral and Administrative aspects kaya p ay ako ay nagpapasalamat ng lubos sa kanya sapagkat nagging mas madali po ang Gawain. Sabi ko nga sa sarili ko “ano pa bang dapat gawin eh nandiyan na ang lahat?” Ipagtaguyod, ipagtaguyod kung anuman ang nasimulan at tinapos ni Bishop Joey. Ipagtaguyod na kung anuman ang kanyang naitayo ay ito’y maging mas matatag at mapaganda, mas maging maayos at maitaguyod ang lahat. Kung tutuusin po, ang gampanin ng isang Pastol ay bilang taga-sunod lamang sa anong nagawa sa nauuna sapagkat ang Simbahan po ay hindi naitatag noong 1914 lang, hindi naitatag noong 1800 lang, itinatag ng ating Panginoong Hesuskristo higit na dalawanglibong taon na ang nakararaan.

At dito po sa ating Ebanghelyo ngayon, isinisaad ng ating Panginoon, ano ba ang batayan ng pagkakatatag ng Simbahan? Naalala po ninyo ang katanungan ni Hudas, hindi Hudas Iscariote kundi yung isang Hudas na si St. Jude, isa sa mga Apostoles, sabi niya “Panginoon bakit niyo pinapahayag ang inyong sarili sa amin lamang at hindi sa iba?” (cf. Jn 14, 22) ang sagot ng Panginoong ay hindi direct, hindi kasagutan ng kanyang katanungan, ano bang sabi ng Panginoon “kung kayo ay umiibig sa akin ay iniibig din niyo ang aking Ama” (cf. Jn 14, 21) when you love me, you also love my Father and my Father will love you. Parang hindi direct na kasagutan ngunit kung ating pagnilay-nilayan, it truly is the answer “Panginoon bakit niyo ipinahayag ang inyong sarili sa amin lamang at hindi sa lahat?” sapagkat ang prinsipyo ng pagkatatag ng Simbahan, ng pagpapahayag ng Mabuting Balita ay pag-ibig, pag-ibig sa Panginoon. And this is the cornerstone, the foundation of all ministry ang Pag-ibig sa Panginoon and on that love, all others follow. Kapag itinatag natin ang lahat batay sa pag-ibig ng Panginoon, pag-ibig natin sa kanya at pag-ibig niya sa atin, ang lahat ay ating kakayanin. Kaya po ang Simbahan ay doon nakatatag sa pag-ibig ng Panginoon at dahil ang pag-ibig ay hindi natatapos, walang hantungan, more than 2000 years later, andito pa rin ang ating Simbahan. Kahit maraming mga persekusyon ng pagkukutya, paglilitis, andito pa rin ang ating Simbahan. May virus man o wala, ang Gawain, ang gampanan ng Simbahan ay patuloy sapagkat ang gampaning ito ay hindi sa tao kundi sa Diyos.

Kaya po kaming lahat ay lilipas din, lilipas din kaming lahat, yayao din ngunit sapagkat ang Simbahan ay nakatatag kay Kristo who is “the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hb 13, 8) ang Simbahan ay patuloy na magpapastol sa kawan ng Diyos. And this is our ultimate consolation, lilipas man ang mga nagpapastol, ang tunay na Pastol, ang Mabuting Pastol ay habang panahon na magpapastol sa ating lahat.

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Here is the English translation:

We commemorate in the celebration of this Holy Eucharist the departure of our beloved Bishop Jose, on this day he died in the presence of our God the Father. But at this time, we are not reflecting on death but rather the work and life of our beloved Bishop Jose.

You know if anyone should be thankful for his ministry and his life that would be me, who succeeded him because of his many accomplishments here in the Diocese of Malolos have lightened my work as his successor. I am grateful to the Lord and to Bishop Jose because when I was assigned here to Malolos everything seemed to be set.

First and foremost, among other things Bishop Joseph did, the largest was the Synod. The Synod that directs all of our work, Pastoral or Administrative. You laypeople may not understand the significance of this Synod in the life of a Diocese but for a Bishop and the Priests the Synod gives direction. If everyone is committed in the same way, looking at the same path so that we could walk together, that is what the Synod meant “to walk together.” So, because everything has become “level-off” everyone knows that this is a role to play and that it is possible that everyone can go in the same direction. So, this is one of the big things that I would say is a “hallmark achievement” of our Bishop Jose.

However, this is the Pastoral aspect of it, in the Physical aspect the Diocese has been given many buildings and facilities to operate, to fulfill all the rules of the Synod. This includes what we call the Diocesan formation center in Guiguinto, there is also the “Bahay-Pari” or “Bahay-Pastol” in Malipampang, there is also the Diocesan pastoral center and I would say most of all and exceptionally made because we cannot find it in any other Diocese are the Jubilee homes, established houses built for the homeless and become temporary shelters for them so that they can fund and move on with their lives. I say excluded because it is not uncommon in a Diocese to have housing in that scale. Not only housing is being offered but formations and livelihood programs that today continue to benefit the hundreds, more than one hundred families in Plaridel.

To sum up everything that Bishop Jose has done is amazing in both Pastoral and Administrative aspects so I am very grateful to him for making the task easier. I said to myself “what else is there to do, that’s all there is to it?” Establish, establish what Bishop Joey initiated and completed. Establish that whatever he builds will be stronger and better, make everything better and supportive. After all, the role of a Shepherd is only to be a successor to what the precursor has done because the Church was not established in 1914 alone, not established in 1800 only, it is established by our Lord Jesus Christ over two thousand years ago.

And here in our Gospel today, our Lord states, what is the basis of the establishment of the Church? You remember the question of Judas, not Judas Iscariot but the Judas that is St. Jude, one of the Apostles, he said “Lord, why do you reveal yourself only to us and not to others?” (cf. Jn 14, 22) the Lord’s answer is not direct, it does not answer his question, what does the Lord say “if you love me, you will love my Father also” when you love me, you also love my Father and my Father will love you. It may seem like an indirect answer but if we reflect, it truly is the answer “Lord, why do you reveal yourself only to us and not to all?” because the principle of the establishment of the Church, of proclaiming the Gospel is love, love of the Lord. And this is the cornerstone, the foundation of all ministry is love of the Lord and on that love, all others follow. When we establish everything based on the love of the Lord, our love for him and his love for us, everything is within our reach. Therefore, the Church has been there in the love of the Lord and since love never ends, no end, more than 2000 years later, our Church is still here. Although there are many persecutions of ridicule, trial, our Church is still here. Whether or not there is a virus, the Work, the role of the Church continues because it is not in man but in God.

And so, we will all pass away, we will all pass away too, but because the Church is founded in Christ who is “the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hb 13, 8) the Church will continue to shepherd God’s flock. And this is our ultimate consolation, the shepherds will pass away, the true Shepherd, the Good Shepherd will forever shepherd all of us.