Past present future

BECAUSE of a visitor from Rome, I had to play recently the role of host, tour guide and driver. It gave me a break in my daily routine of sitting in the confessional, talking to people individually, preaching, giving classes, reading, writing, visiting priests, etc.

It was a most welcome respite for me to go around, seeing people and places. Thanks to God, I had the chance to see more of the sun, the sea, the highways, and the towns too.

It also allowed me to see things in a different light. That’s the beauty of these unexpected changes in one’s routine. On this occasion, I had the sensation I was engaging in a conversation with the past, the present and the future.

I believe that we have to learn to discern the thread of continuity between the past and the present, and to project possible scenarios in the future based on what can be gathered from the past and the present.

I think it’s part of our responsibility to somehow direct the development of our life, both personal and social, not allowing it to drift just about in any direction and subject to pure chance and random factors.

It’s incumbent on us to develop an abiding sense of time and history, and of relating these earthly elements to our eternal and supernatural calling. In this, we have to help one another.

There were observations that struck me quite deeply. When I concelebrated
the Mass with many other priests in a town fiesta, my attention was caught by the sorry state of one of the oldest churches around.

To have antique things, not to mention, an ancient, centuries-old church, is indeed a rare privilege. But I just hope that we of the present generation have a keener sense of responsibility to really take care of our heritage, not allowing antiquity to equate with rot, decay, dilapidation.

There were dangerous, life-threatening cracks in the wall of the church. In
certain parts, it looked like things were ready to collapse. The paintings on the ceiling were mostly faded and disfigured. A cheap coat of gold color was carelessly applied on the reredo.

The church was clearly breathing of pristine beauty and deep meaning to the life of the town. These aspects should be protected and fostered. These can still play a major part in shaping the future of the town. But signs of neglect were all over.

Given the obvious ardor of the faith of the townspeople during that Mass, I felt the physical condition of the church was accusing us of being ungrateful for the service it has given for hundreds of years, forming the Christian spirit of the people.

I heard some explanations and excuses. Still the fact remains that the present generation has not been up to par in our duty towards the past. We have to correct this oversight immediately.

Also with my visitor, I finally had a good reason to visit our local museums. Offhand, I must say that these museums, thanks be to God, are improving a great deal. I was impressed with what I saw especially in the Cebu Cathedral museum.

More than feasting on the physical aspects of the artifacts and other valuable items used in the past, I busied myself imagining the kind of faith and piety these handiwork signified.

These products definitely involved tremendous labor of love and sacrifice, a profound sense of beauty and artistry, mostly of the baroque style. It’s something to be proud of and to be responsible for.

They dripped of a sublime rectitude of intention, since they were items that hardly would be seen by the people. They must have been meant solely for God and for our soul’s vitality.

Obviously, many of the items would look funny if used today. But it’s the spirit behind that should be made to continue in appropriate forms. We just have to learn to detect this spirit.

Again, I believe this conversation of the past, the present and the future has to go on, drawing the essential from the incidental, the spiritual from the material, and ultimately, the divine from the human.