(Homily delivered by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle at the Funeral Mass for Sr. Mary Pilar L. Verzosa, RGS, last September 12, 2012 at the Chapel of the Religious of the Good Shepherd Convent, Quezon City.)

Everytime we celebrate the Eucharist we remember and make present a special death, the death of the Son of God made Man. Some people say that we Catholics are quite morbid. Our central worship is centered on death. But I tell them, “Oh, to make it worst, our first sacrament, Baptism, is also about death.” And we are a people not afraid to face death. We don’t sugar coat death. We don’t even pretend that it doesn’t happen. We can say, “Christ has died” and we can say, “Sister Mary Pilar has died” and not despair, because in the supper of the Lord we do not remember or recall, memorialize  someone who just died, whose life is terminated.

In the supper that explained His dying it became very clear that no one was taking His life away from Him. He already said that in His discourse on the Good Shepherd, “No one takes my life away from me, I lay it down freely.” And when life is given freely then it really achieves its quality of being a gift; God’s gift continuing to be a gift to others. And when life that is gift received and given to others as gift comes to an end it does not disappear, it becomes permanent. 




Related Article: Tribute to Sr. M. Pilar Verzosa RGS
By Sr. M. Patricia Perez  RGS
September 12, 2012, Good Shepherd Chapel, Quezon City

Photogallery, click here

And so in the Christian tradition the death of Christ is the moment also of life for all of us; life in death; life through death as giving of myself in love, in obedience to the Father… This is the death that we have received in baptism so that those of us who have been buried with Christ may live with Him and live His very life. And it is the bread and the cup that we receive at every Eucharist. We want to be part of his constant dying so that we may truly live; a dying which means I love and love is eternal. And for us life is a person. In the Gospel, Jesus tells Mary and Martha, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” For us life is not just an object; life is not just a commodity. It is the very person of Christ. And how do we achieve life? Jesus tells us, “Whoever believes in me even if that someone dies, will live.” True life is then our relation with Jesus who is life. 

That’s why in the first reading from Wisdom, “those that the world considers dead, some of them may truly be alive because of their lasting relationship with Jesus, with God who is life.” These are things that we recall when we celebrate the Eucharist; when we celebrate Baptism. These are the elements of faith that we courageously proclaim whenever we celebrate a funeral Mass, whenever we remember those who are departed. They are alive, especially those who have loved Christ; who have lived with Him; and who have discovered life in Him.  They are alive. 

Kaya nga po pag ako naglalakad lalo na sa mga crowded na lugar, minsan naglalaro ako, “Ito bang kaharap ko, buhay o patay?” Baka malakas ang boses, baka makisig ang paglalakad pero kung walang ugnayan kay Hesus, patay. Aaminin ko sa inyo pagkalibing minsan di alam kung sino ang patay at kung sino ang buhay. Sa ngayon sa pananampalataya alam ko buhay si Sister Mary Pilar. Baka tayo ang dapat ilibing. O baka naman nakalibing na tayo di lang natin alam. Baka tayo ang nagpapanggap na buhay. 

At iyan ang gusto ng mundo:To make us believe that we are alive when actually we are being led to death. All the pretensions to false life when the secret, and we have discovered in Baptism the sacrament of faith, the secret of life that we have discovered in the Eucharist, the secret of life that we have discovered in our life of faith and mission is Jesus. Saint Paul would declare, “It is no longer I that live but Christ who lives in me. For me dying is gain for to death is Christ.” Baka tayo pa ang ilibing ni Sister Mary Pilar.

They say a funeral homily should not be a eulogy. And thanks to God we had beautiful things already said about Sister Pilar. And so a funeral liturgy should be a proclamation of our faith but I think we can be forgiven if we mention or say something about the life that we are celebrating. I think Sister Pilar is very happy at this point. She has here gathered as one community of faith, as Church proclaiming our adherence to Christ who is our Resurrection and Life, the significant people in her life: her family, her religious family, her former mentors—the ICM sisters and the St. Theresa’s College community, the St. Paul of Chartres sisters—those in Pro-Life Philippines and its many, many tributaries, the many religious, laypeople, priests that have been their collaborators. 

We have our brother bishops here in a way representing the CBCP for Sister was very much present in the CBCP Commission on Women, and, of course, the CBCP Family and Life Commission. We have the representatives of the Pondo ng Pinoy here and I can see those who have benefitted from this movement of changing culture to be one of compassion and sharing. Ang dami, nakakatuwa! Sabi ni Sister Cecilia, “Ang lakas talaga, ni Sister Mary Pilar!” Napagsamasama daw tayo rito. 

Yes, I am not surprised that Sister Mary Pilar is Pro-Life or even the founder of Pro-Life. If you know her and you get to know her more you can see that she is a woman who has a passion for life, who enjoys life, and who is appreciative of the little things that really make life a spiritual or religious experience. She may look serious at times. Kapag naka ngiti siya, sasabihin ko, “Kamukhang-kamukha mo si Sister Naty.” Kapag patakbo-takbo siya ng ganito, “Talagang kamukha mo si Sister Guada.” Marami siyang kamukha, eh. Patabain mo siya para siyang si Sister Naty. Patakbuhin mo siya para siyang si Sister Guada. Pero kapag ang salita niya ay ganito, “Bishop Chito bakit ba yung Pondo ng Pinoy ang meeting lagi nalang sa Pius XII, bakit hindi naulit yung ating board meeting sa PLDT Makati.”  Sabi ko, “Hay naku, Sister, that is an exception to the rule.” “Kasi, ang sarap ng lunch doon sa PLDT, natutunaw sa akin labi yung steak, hindi ko malimutan!” 

Wow! She loves God endlessly. She appreciates the little joys that a good meal could give. She relishes it not only in her palate, she relishes it in her memory. And she’s not afraid, she’s not ashamed to say, “Kailan kaya mauulit?” Naulit na ba? Hindi pa. Sister, in your honor, uulitin namin. Next meeting doon kami pupunta, and we expect you to be there, to be with us. Natutuwa ako talaga pag ganyan siya. Kasi minsan sa mga meeting you can see her, very cerebral, her heart filled with zeal and passion. Pero, I love it, well, the little girl that just wants to enjoy life and really has in her innocence the capacity to get in touch with the author of life. I see this is Pilar. This is Pilar. And I am very happy to have been privileged to see that portion of her life. 

Another thing that would always remind me of her. Kapag October 11 she will send me a text. “Bishop, fiesta natin bukas, Nuestra Señora del Pilar, October 12.” And she never fails to remember and since Our Lady of the Pillar is the patroness of the Diocese of Imus, sa bisperas pa lang, she never fails to remind, “fiesta natin bukas.”  She wants to celebrate. She’s a woman of feasts. She’s a woman who remembers this great woman of faith who gave us the author of life. 

And finally, sabi ko nga sa buhay niya ang dami niyang pangalan. Mary Pilar. Medyo redundant kasi Pilar is already Mary. But our Lady appeared to a weary Saint James. Saint James who already wanted to give up. And Our Lady, according to the story, even before the Assumption, this was Mary still living on earth, was brought by the angels from Nazareth to Spain. And the angels carried her seated on the pillar, and our Lady encouraged St. James, “My Son sent you on a mission, get up, be strong.” She had that character of Nuestra Señora del Pilar. Ito po yun… “Huwag kang manghihina. Pag nanghina ka papaluin kita ng pillar na ito. Oh, she took seriously her feasts, Nuestra Señora del Pilar. But her religious name is another great woman, Madeline, Magdalene, the so-called apostle to the apostles. And later on she was given another name, Kumander Laura. Di ba siya iyon. Si Kumander Laura na hinuli, ginawaan ng kuwento. Pero hindi alam nung mga gumawa na yon ang ganda ng binigay nilang pangalan. Laura, La-aurora. What is Aurora? The dawn. Ohhhh, we thank you, we salute you and we will continue celebrating life the way you did. And may your wish be granted to give your life to follow the Good Shepherd, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And we hope the last portion of your vocation story is now a reality for you, “I want to dwell in His house forever.”




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