Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi’s pastoral latter “Sharing the Future in Hope” issued in September 2009 offers the third guideline on how to prepare for the forthcoming Tercentenary of Our Devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia.
The first two focused on remembering and renewing. In John Paul II’s book, Memory and Identity, the Holy Father reminds us that unless we have a sense of history, we don’t have any identity at all. To the Archbishop, the Bikolano identity was shaped by the devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia. And it will continue to shape our Bikol identity.
Last year’s renewal was interesting - or unnerving, depending on how one views it - triggered by the controversy between the Church and the local government of Naga. Satisfied with relative success, we are now looking forward. We want to share the fruits of our devotion to future generations with confidence.
According to formal and informal surveys, many Bikolnons claim to be devotees of Ina. Unfortunately, they fail to see the danger of secularization. This is a cause of real concern. Different popes wrote many encyclicals warning us against creeping secularization.
“Do we really have genuine devotion?” asks the Archbishop. I still remember the words of the Archbishop many years back when the manto of Ina was ripped from the image. “Ganito ba ang pagmamahal ninyo sainyong Ina?” Everyone’s heart was weeping then, including mine.
Surveys are revealing. We are being confronted with an inconvenient truth. Our devotion is superficial. External manifestations are impressive. But where are our hearts?
The devotion calls us to spiritual maturity as a people. Solidarity and environment for the common good are indicators, according to the pastoral letter. But the sad reality is: we do not have the virtue called social justice, the virtue that makes us render what is due to society. This is the reason why the public square is empty.
Catholics may be active in church services, but they are scared of openly discussing public issues. They are afraid to hold public servants accountable and publicly criticize them. They are terrified with open letters and public discourse of matters that shape our community. If man is to live in society, there is a need for a virtue that impels him to care for society.
Spiritual maturity must lead to forming our social conscience and social responsibility. A spiritually mature society is also politically mature. Those who have social justice as a virtue are moved to work for a better society, for a brighter future of the next generation, even at the cost of losing their jobs or losing their lives.
Catholics who love to socialize with ecclesiastical dignitaries and the so-called ruling families, with clergymen, politicians and influential people, but do nothing to rectify the injustices in society are the worse kinds of Catholics. To be blind to the injustice is to be deaf to the call of our faith.
Who is Mary to us is crucial to the sharing. Her role in our lives is vital as we share our devotion. Is she our Mother, truly present in our community, guiding us towards her Son, inspiring us to care for society? Or is she, for us, a mere symbol like a trademark of a consumer product?
The basic truth is: we cannot give what we do not have. And so we ask, what is it that we can hand to the next generation? The external rituals of decorating the chapel, putting adornments to the image, restoring order to the processions through the aid of the military, the color-coding strategy and the introduction of a well-engineered andas?
Isn’t it that when we talk about the chapel, we are actually referring to the Mystical Body of Christ where every member has a significant role? When we speak of the image, aren’t we referring to all humans who enjoy equal dignity for having been created in the image of God? And when we talk about the procession, aren’t we referring to real human struggles towards a just and humane society and to the journey where people sacrifice their lives for the sake of future generations?
Rituals are meaningless unless they are genuine expressions and symbols of human struggles and faith victories. For the onlookers - those that did not take part in that journey - the rituals are mere external celebrations meant to captivate. And when the rituals end, what is recalled is the fascination and nothing else. No sense of community, no sense of social justice, no sense of authentic devotion. The onlookers remain to be onlookers as God builds His kingdom on earth.
Sharing the devotion must not end in posting tarpaulins, in distributing copies of novenas, but in action that will radiate God’s light in the world and bring more people to determine and follow His will. Sharing the devotion asks of us not only a heartfelt recitation of prayers, but a wholehearted dedication to building God’s kingdom on earth.
