Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Reflection on Friday, Fourth Week of Easter, 26 April 2024, Good morning Talk to PH Staff

One of the beautiful experiences I had when I was assigned in Lourdes Parish three years ago was conducting canonical interviews to engaged couples preparing to get married in Church. Just for you to know, the principal aim of such interviews was to determine whether both parties are really fit and not disqualified to receive the sacrament of Matrimony and that both of them have full knowledge of what they are doing and are totally free from coercion in making their decision.

I remember in almost all occasions I tried to add one more question, not included in the usual questionnaire: “Knowing that you are about to begin this journey together as one, what do you see at the end of all this?” Why was I asking this particular question? The reason I tell them is this: “Whenever you want to START doing something, you must always have the END clear in your mind.” Our Novice Master used to remind us of a Latin quotation “In omnibus respice finem” (In everything you do look to the end). So I asked them again “What do you think is at the end of this life-long relationship? One couple answered me saying “’Death,’ father, because on our wedding day both of us will be saying ‘…till death do us part.’” I somehow affirmed them saying “Yes, that is so true.” However I asked them this question just to follow it up: “Could there still be something beyond death?”

Brothers and sisters, we are now towards the end of the fourth week of Easter and a few more weeks we will be celebrating the feast of the Lord’s Ascension into heaven. The gospel passage we have heard today (John 14:1-6) recalls for us the last farewell or parting words of our Lord to his disciples the evening before he entered his passion. Jesus knew very well that his untimely death would fill them with deep sorrow and pain. That was why he was giving them his assuring words “Do not let your hearts be troubled…. in my Father’s house there are many dwelling places… I go to prepare a place for you. Then I will come back to take you with me so that where I am you also may be.”

Dearly beloved, for some people death may be the end of life, and the end of everything. But for us who follow Christ death is not yet the end of everything. We believe that it is just a door we have to pass through in order to be with the one whom we love for all eternity. That day when we were born we were already destined to die like anyone else. The good news is when we welcomed Jesus through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist and started to follow Him as the way, the truth and the life, death had ceased to be a dead end. It started to change and become just a door that opens for us the eternal happiness of being with God forever.

We do not know when the angel of death will come to strike us down. We do not know when it will come knocking at the doors of our houses to take our beloved away. However if all of us, empowered by the Risen Lord, strive to live each day as if it were our last, and looking forward with great hope to be in the Father’s house, we keep reminding our loved ones that any day can be our last day together, death will no longer come as a shocking surprise. But instead it will turn out to be actually a blessing in disguise. It may end our mortal life, but it will certainly be the “beginning” of our glorious eternity.

I end with this anecdote. When St Dominic Savio was asked by Don Bosco in the middle of the playground what he would do if he had one hour left to live, he replied: “I would continue playing football.” The saintly priest immediately understood that the fifteen year old boy was well prepared to face death anytime. Therefore let us remember this: every single day that passes may be the last day of our mortal life, but it can also be our jumping board towards eternity as long as we keep following Jesus, “the way and the truth and the life.” GiGsss!

P.S. Last night we closed the day with sadness in our hearts as we received the news of the untimely demise of Fr Cris Magbitang, SDB, Parish Priest of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Paranaque. He was my formator and liturgy professor in the seminary many years ago. Now we pray with confident hope that the Risen Lord may soon bestow on His beloved priest the eternal reward promised to His good and faithful servants.

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