THE FIRST ANNUAL Retreat of Mother of God Curia opened with the usual light- and perspective-setting exercise Legionaries cannot do without, the praying of the rosary. It was initiated by Sis Rhea and the response led by Sis Josie. Afterwards, Ate Myla said the next speaker does not need an introduction, therefore, she did not introduce Parish Priest Adrian Lazo. Who introduced himself anyway by saying he is the most handsome and the second youngest priest of the Diocese. No one dared dispute that but there was no telling what the ripple of laughter coming from the audience meant.
He proceeded to say it was his second talk with the LOM as an audience and offered that he will venture to speak a little about theology, otherwise, they could all go home. The laughter turned to silence; he was reassured to continue: his audience was serious.
He asked them “Paano ba ang magmahal?” from the Piolo-Sarah starrer and accompanied his question with a few lines from the theme song of The Breakup Playlist. The answers varied from love of others, and spouse, and others. He said it is necessary to know the other first because if the other is no longer loved, it could be because he is no longer known.
Then he segued into “Who is Mary?” And a long line of attributes filled the wake of his question: mother (it was obvious from the subtitle of the Retreat “Loving Our Mother, Living Our Mission.” which was a master play of the initials LOM, which glaringly announced the Legion of Mary); kalinga; grasya; mother hen (his favorite, he admitted); liwanag; art; music; literature; influence; immaculate; humble; obedient; and a litany of titles.
He sounded apologetic to her just spouse Joseph when he said that not much is said of him in the bible.
Because, aside from the titular acknowledgment of her, we always make it a point to offer her flowers every chance we get, that sometimes last for nine days, as in the commemoration of Peñafrancia, Manaoag, Buenviaje, Antipolo, and somesuch places where she is installed as patroness. Contrary to other denominations who accuse us of worshipping the Mother of God, we do venerate her for her being chosen as the most chaste of all creation, as in the angel Gabriel’s hailing her as such. But know that she was a person, not a God.
He projected a chart of the synoptic Gospels where Matthew, Mark, and Luke featured similar narratives opposed to John’s specific few. This was where he let go of a mild oath because someone from the audience appeared to be yawning and he feigned chagrin over that when he was still awake at 2 am trying to finish his power point and there was a brown-out and what would happen to his preparation! Fortunately, he was able to pull his pique together and remembered that Gabriel started her ‘Magnificat’ when he hailed her full of grace and, while her journey ended at the foot of the Cross (and continues for her children at the selfsame space), her titles ballooned to Mother of God, Immaculate Conception, Perpetual Virginity, and Assumption, all bestowing upon her glory and honor fit for both queen and heavenly intercessor. After all, not everyone is allowed assumption by divine power, a gift only grace confers upon a mother who has remained a virgin. In a context only two Christian doctrines – by Christ and the Church – could have brilliantly cooked up.
Buoyed by his dawn concoction, Fr. Eidh presented his questions to guide the Legionaries towards the answers he already had a vision of, as would be evidenced later by his satisfactory reception of them. The questions were clearly conceptualized at a time when his mind was still blessed with Mary’s moonshine: Who is Mary for you? How did you know her? To what titular name of hers do you pray?
A portion which revealed another favorite of his, Yeng’s ‘Hawak-Kamay’ ditty, which underscores Mary’s reaching-out, fellow-pilgrim company, both as mother and hand-holding, traveling maternity.
Part Two of Fr. Adrian’s discourse described our mission as one that needs to know ourselves in order for it to be fulfilled. Here, he admitted to being biased to homilies focused on the Wedding at Cana. Because it beautifully depicted the dynamic between Son and mother, her concern for the hosts running out of wine, His mild rebuke that it has nothing to do with Him (because His time has not come yet), and her soft allusion to the attendants to do whatever He tells them. After all, in her mother’s heart, the second rebuff was nothing worse than when she and Joseph “lost” and found Him in the Temple.
Fr. Eidh underscored humility and obedience as the most prominent features of Mary, and of anyone aspiring to be a disciple like her. Imagine, he quipped, if Mary were hysterical at the foot of the Cross; there would have been a reenactment of the Crucifixion! I thought that was a touch of religious genius.
He emphasized that Mary personifies down-to-earthness, like “lupa” which is down there, “mababa,” “mapagkumbaba.” Ergo, it was not her place to make a scene, no matter how dire the situation. The direst being seeing her Son, up close, hanging on a tree, lifeless, and already thankfully rid of all the oral and physical torture people inflicted on Him, but dead nonetheless, and could only be held, cradled even, but no more than that.
Because Jesus was already dead, Mary could only pray. It was not an external prayer, she never needed to see or be seen to talk with God, whereas when she worked, she did not even appreciate herself for it. Her prayer is unlike work, which appreciates the ego, because her obedience is the thing that needs action, the act of remembering when the angel announced her conception of the Savior, and the act of staying at the foot of His Cross. Binalikan niya ang sinimulan ng anghel, sapagkat doon nagsimula ang pagtuklas niya ng sarili, at ng misyon, ng pagpapatuloy ng iniwan ng kanyang Anak. Sapagkat pinatawad niya ang lahat ng may kagagawan ng Kanyang kamatayan.
Which brought Fr. Eidh to his three graces of forgiveness: 1. The goodness of God; 2. The goodness of the forgiven; and 3. The goodness of the forgiver. Handed down from Son to mother, from mother to her Son’s brethren, her children.
Sabi niya, kaya tayo nahihirapan, kasi, mabait ang puso ng tao. (I felt Ate Myla leaving my side and returning with a wad of tissue which she subtly handed me. I feel that moment recurring but am no longer perturbed.) And reminded all of us that, during God’s creation, He saw that it was good. He knew something bad would happen to it but that didn’t keep Him from His love for it; He even put man in it. Considering that, of all creation, only he had free will, the others were all subservient. Go figure free will’s import.
(To be concluded)
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