CARDINAL ROSALES’ HOMILY AT CANONICAL POSSESSION MASS

 (This is the English translation of the homily that the Cardinal delivered in Italian during the Mass for the Canonical Possession of his titular church, SANTISIMMUM NOMINIS MARIAE AD VIAM LATINA, on March 4, 2007 at 12 noon.)

Very Reverend Father Manuel Cortes, Superior General of the Marianist Fathers, Reverend Father Loris Floriani, Parish Priest of the Most Holy Name of Mary Parish, Honorable Leonida Vera, Ambassador of the Philippines to the Holy See,

Reverend Monsignori and Fathers,
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

And His face was radiant as the sun, and His clothes white as the snow.

To me is given the great privilege to be able to visit the church and parish of the Most Holy Name of Mary, and a greater honor that the Pastor, Father Loris Floriani and the parish welcome me as I celebrate the Eucharist on the occasion of my first visit and the honor of having this church as the titular church assigned to me by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.

How grace-filled it is to offer the Eucharist with you on the Second Sunday of Lent when we are reminded of the Gospel of the Transfiguration of Jesus, also with a privileged group of Peter, James and John.

Jesus, known as teacher, and yet is recognized as friend and ordinary neighbor in Nazareth, a good man, a good teacher, a compassionate person. But as a divine person, Jesus was not easily known and never seen or witnessed as one.

In today’s Gospel, He is seen as a person who is not purely human. His face shone like the sun. he is brilliant. He is blinding to those who saw him. The three apostles were afraid.

The vision – truly divine – showed that Jesus was talking with two great figures, historical and religious. Historical, because Moses was a leader of the Israelites and helped in leading the chosen people to the safety God wanted to give them. Moses is identified with the law, because it is to him and through him that God gave the commandments to the people. Were they talking of the order and law that lead to salvation?

Elijah summarized the teaching of the prophets. He taught, he reminded, he preached purification and renewal of the people.

These two personalities summarized repentance and the embracing of the Gospel that Jesus initially preached and which we remembered on Ash Wednesday: Repent and believe the Gospel!

What an appearance! Jesus remained the same as he is in eternity – brilliant and shining like the sun.

We are the one, like Peter, James and John, who are transfigured and changed to recognize the divine in Jesus and the sacred in our daily lives.

May Mary, the Mother of Jesus, help us and encourage us to approach and ascend to some heights to recognize beyond the clouds that Jesus is our friend and our brother. But he is, above all, our loving God.