By Louise P. Abesa
Catchphrases are meant to catch attention. In the advertising world, if the catchphrase has a solid grip on the consumers’ purchasing behavior, it becomes the brand’s tagline.
Nike’s “Just do it!” emboldens. Apple’s “Think different.” opens the door to innovation. McDonald’s “Tastify!” hopes to testify that their serving of chicken drumstick is indeed as tasty as it seems on billboards. Biggs’ brand name is the catchphrase itself. Big servings at affordable prices.
SERVIAM. Before the 24/7 measure of time (as determined by the architectural design of the Earth and the planet’s motion around its axis and around the sun) has been adopted by science, St. Michael, the Archangel, had already caught the attention of the other angels with his catchphrase, “SERVIAM!” (I will serve!). In an instant of intelligent choice, the faithful angels rallied behind St. Michael.
The fallen angels, with their foreknowledge of the Incarnation of the Word (the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity) and not wanting to serve man in the person of Jesus Christ, the God made man, chose to follow Lucifer’s “Non-Serviam!” (I will not serve!). This theological consideration is found in the teachings of Blessed John Duns Scotus, a Franciscan (c.1265/66-1308) and Fr. Francisco Suarez, a Jesuit (1548-1617) on angels (Wikipedia with 20 cross references on Duns Scotus and 23 cross references on Suarez).
When the Triune God commands a soul to set out on a mission, He usually does so gently, but a test of fire is almost sure to come the way of His chosen one to test his malleability. Gold is the most malleable known metal. The purity of gold is measured in karats. The purity of the heart of a servant of God is measured by his SERVIAM not only in words but more so, in action. The catchphrase SERVIAM frees the person from the clutches of the demons. He is freed from laziness, hopelessness, and despair or negative vibes as well as from physical and emotional hurts and pains.
If you go to weekday noontime (12:15 pm) Masses at San Francisco de Asis Church in Naga City, Cam Sur, you can’t help but notice a petite lady with shoulder length bouncy hair (kept in place by a headband) and a smile on her face as she goes around the church with the traditional collection pouch bag on a support stick as the Mass transitions from the liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. She does the church great service in making sure the faithful are able to responsibly give their donation for the upkeep of the church and provide for the things needed in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Sol Diokno is a member of the Auxiliary Ministry of the San Francisco church.
I got familiar with Sol when I started going to weekday Masses at the San Francisco church in the fourth quarter of 2023. I was a virtual stranger having been born in Manila and grew up and worked in different parts of Metro Manila. My dad is from Naga City Cam Sur, though.
I had the chance to work in the US for about two years (2021-2023) by virtue of a family petition from a brother. But the Holy Spirit inspired me to come back home to the Philippines in August 2023. If God gives you a mission, He provides for the accomplishment of His designs. My aunts have been so good to help me find my right place under the skies of Metro Naga but it was Sol who inspired me to stay on while doing tutorials. She is a retired accountant and because she wanted to do tutorials, she took up education units in methods and procedures. I, myself, have started to do tutorials with the Little Wonders Learning Center in San Felipe, Naga in the first week of December 2023. It was a blessing that I got to talk to Sol because I got to know the pulse of the Bicolanos through her own little anecdotes about her tutorials.
My very first conversation with Sol was an inquiry about the location of the Dr. Nilo O. Roa Memorial Foundation Hospital in Naga City. She cheerfully obliged to give me directions.
In my subsequent conversations with Sol, she always interjects her narratives, in a very casual spontaneous way, with “Mag-se-serve ako!” (SERVIAM! I will serve!). Aside from helping out in the needs of San Francisco church and her tutorial engagements, she also readily volunteers to take care of her relatives and friends who are sick.
Sol is a charming lady who looks very much younger than her age. She is single but she belongs to the families and the community that she lovingly serves.
As of late, I have noticed new faces among the members of the Auxiliary Ministry. Sol’s SERVIAM is contagious!
The catchphrase SERVIAM can very well be the tagline of the San Francisco parish community.
Through the course of three years of attending Sunday and weekday Masses at the San Francisco church, Naga City, I have been admitted as a member of the Legion of Mary and I have volunteered to take care of the Book Barrow project which we have named after St. Francis of Assisi. We do the work of evangelization, in our own little way, in collaboration with the Catechetical Ministry of the parish. We also echo the catchphrase that frees: SERVIAM!
On September 29, the Catholic Church will celebrate the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels. On October 2, we will celebrate the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. Together with the angels, we cry out with joy: SERVIAM!
