Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on the 22nd Sunday in OT, 31 August 2025, SJBP Cotcot, Liloan

We generally love being invited to a salu-salo. But once we are there we tend to be shy and hesitate to approach the banquet table. Some years ago when I was still serving in Lourdes Parish, we had a big salu-salo prepared for our 80 employees in the social hall. However, I noticed that the tables in front were left vacant and almost everyone seated themselves at the back. And despite being told to occupy the front seats, none of them seemed to move. This I guess is one typical Filipino “hiya” at work.

But are we Filipinos truly that humble, shy and unassuming particularly on occasions like handaan or salu-salo? Some of us are not only shy. They are smart too. They prefer to stay far from the presidential table but nearest the lechon, or nearest the buffet table and most of all, nearest the exit door. And so easily, eat and run na sila.

Brothers and sisters we are now celebrating on the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. There are eleven Sundays left before we reach the end of the liturgical year. The gospel passage we have heard today shows Jesus teaching us an important lesson about social etiquette and humility which is expected of every follower who wants an honoured place at the banquet hall of the Lord. If you recall in last Sunday’s gospel, Jesus told us that the gate of heaven is so narrow that not all his followers will be able to enter even if they try to. Today he tells us that we can lose even the reserved seat at his banquet table if we are too proud and self-absorbed.

Jesus, fully human like anyone of us, also liked to spend bonding moments with people, whether they were good or bad, rich or poor, learned or ignorant. And even if the Pharisees had always been suspicious and critical about everything he would say and do in public, Jesus still accepted the invitation to dine with them that day. Gidawat ni Hesus ang ilang imbitasyon for a dinner. I guess it was an opportunity that he did not really want to miss. In this, we can see Jesus’ desire to win his critics’ hearts and convince them that the Kingdom of God was truly in their midst.

It is good to see the proper context of today’s gospel passage taken from chapter 14 of St. Luke’s gospel. Jesus while inside the home of a leading Pharisee had just cured a man suffering from dropsy, and what he said about what he did had silenced the Pharisees who had been closely watching every move he would make. After that Jesus took his turn to watch and observe how people were choosing the places of honor at table. And from what he saw he grabbed the opportunity to teach an important lesson. His simple but strong recommendation to all those invited was to take the last seats or the lowest places in the banquet hall. Otherwise they could find themselves so suddenly embarrassed and humiliated when the host would ask them to transfer elsewhere because the honoured seats have been reserved for more distinguished guests.

Allow me to share with you a true-to-life story. Many years ago after having officiated the wedding of a certain couple somewhere in Manila, the officiating priest got invited to the wedding reception,. But since he came in a bit late to the banquet hall, he started to just fall in line at the buffet table. At first no one recognized him because he was no longer dressed as a priest. But as soon as the host recognized him, he was immediately told to come up to the presidential table and join the rest of the honoured guests. But the priest insisted to stay on the line assuring the host that it was okay for him to just join the rest of the crowd.

But the host would not hear any of his humble excuses. He said to him, “Padre, usually po sa isang malaking handaan ang mga tao ang lumalapit sa hapag kainan. Pero, para po sa isang pari na katulad ninyo nararapat lamang na sa punong mesa po kayo maupo at ang pagkain ang kusang lalapit sa inyo.” All the more the priest felt so humbled, that he got his honoured seat at the presidential table. While he just wanted to show an example of social etiquette and humility according to Jesus’ teaching, the good news is he experienced unexpectedly for himself the fulfilment of what Jesus promised in today’s gospel, “The one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

That priest eventually became a bishop, and later nominated as a Cardinal. Today we know him as Cardinal Chito Tagle, occupying one of the highest positions at the Vatican.

Yesterday I was at the Shrine of St John Bosco the Dreamer in Lawaan, to accept the solemn Promise of Commitment of 14 of our Salesian Cooperators. Some of them came from Liloan; while others from Pasil, Lourdes, DBTC Punta, Mati, Minglanilla, and DBFC Lawaan. They had been aspiring and preparing to be part of the Salesian Family established by Don Bosco for the total well-being of the young. They have stepped forward not to be served, but to serve in response to the Lord’s call and they are willing to work tirelessly for the good of underprivileged youth, following the spirit and charism of Don Bosco.

Unlike religious men and women who are bound by the three evangelical vows, Salesian Cooperators are bound to the Association only by a Promise of Commitment to live out their Baptism to the full and to practice Christian charity to the highest degree according to their present status in life, whether as singles, as married persons or as diocesan priests.

I am glad to let you know that even long before Don Bosco thought of founding a religious congregation of priests and brothers, he already thought of gathering around him many collaborators both from among the lay people and from among diocesan priests who would help him in his work of forming the young into good Christians and upright citizens.

So, if there are among you who are interested to join the Association of Salesian Cooperators, please do not be afraid to step forward. Ayaw kahadlok ug ayaw kaulaw! Just approach Fr Dong, your Parish Priest, or any of the Salesians you find around, and express your desire to know more about the Salesian Cooperators, and eventually to be part of this vast movement of people all over the world, sharing in the important mission of Don Bosco for the total well being of the poor and underprivileged youth.

Remember, when Don Bosco started working for the youth of Turin back in 1841, the Salesian Cooperators were really the first in his mind even before us, Salesian priests and brothers. What is even more amazing is that Jesus wasn’t strictly speaking a Jewish priest. He was just a simple lay man, and yet he took the courage to leave both his home and his carpentry shop to start a new mission of saving souls. And even before he, as the High Priest, stepped forward to offer his life as a victim on the altar of the Cross, all throughout his life, he had already been dedicating himself to the service of others especially the poor and underprivileged, sharing his pastoral love to the highest degree everyday.

And so I encourage you to consider joining the Salesian Cooperators. By doing so you will be able to show how devoted you are to Don Bosco, and above all, you will see yourself becoming more and more like Jesus, the Lay Apostle of the Father.

In this era of our history when selfishness is flooding our society and corrupting our nation, let us keep our gaze on Jesus who came not to be served, but to serve; he became poor so that we may become truly rich in God’s eyes. Let us heed his call to be genuinely selfless and ask him to empower the good to triumph over all the evil afflicting our country.

This Eucharistic celebration is God’s way of inviting us to his eternal banquet in heaven. May it transform us to become selfless in our service and empower us to be generous especially to the poor and the underprivileged youth, yet remaining humble and unassuming in the eyes of both God and his people. GiGsss!

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