Radiating the Light of God’s Kindness!

Radiating the Light of God’s Kindness!

by Bp. Gerardo A. Alminaza, D.D.

I attended last January 20-21, 2009 our 74th UST Alumni Priests’ Association Homecoming which we celebrated at the threshold of UST’s 400th year celebration in 2011. This school year is also our Alma Mater’s 80th anniversary as the Interdiocesan Seminary of the Philippines. As one of the two new Thomasian bishops, I presided at the Eucharist on the first day together with ten alumni-bishops including my classmate who is now apostolic nuncio in Haiti and close to 200 alumni-priests and professors including Fr. Gualberto Susaya, one of our silver jubilarians. The mass was in honor of our UST Martyrs and Saints: the Martyrs of Japan (5) and Vietnam (4), and the Martyrs of the 1936 Civil War in Spain (4) plus our saintly Filipino bishops of the Philippine Church – namely: Bishop Alfredo Versoza (ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Vigan and former Archbishop of Lipa) and Bishop Alfredo Ma. Obviar (ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Lipa and former Bishop of Lucena). Indeed we have a rich heritage of saints and great legacy of martyrs!

I preached on our theme, “Thomasian Clergy: Radiating the Light of God’s Kindness.” It is both an affirmation and a challenge; a statement of fact and an invitation to deeper conversion. According to Fr. Enrico Gonzales, OP during his conference with us, kindness is “charity which touches us or charity in action.” A good illustration of what kindness can do and how we can radiate the light of God’s kindness is the classic story of Victor Hugo, Les Miserables.

The lead character, Jean Valjean commits a petty crime of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s hungry family, and is sent to a harsh prison for 19 years for this crime. When he gets out of prison, he is not prepared to support himself and he commits another crime, against Bishop Digne who offered him hospitality in his convent. Valjean tries to steal from the Bishop, but in return, he is not punished, but given another chance by the compassionate Bishop. The only condition on his second chance is to use it to improve his life. Such kindness of the Bishop creates a profound and lasting transformation in the life of Valjean. He goes to a small town (Montreuil sur Mer), where he uses his new found wealth to help the town by rebuilding its industries providing many jobs for the people. He also saves the daughter of the prostitute, Fantine, taking her into his house as his own daughter. Jean Valjean becomes mayor of the small town and is gracious and generous to all its citizens. He is a much loved mayor, not pretentious, but a humble servant of the people. In all of his actions, he is generous and kind, especially to Cosette, the prostitute’s daughter. Because of the Bishop’s kind action towards him, he in turn radiates the light of God’s kindness to others.

How have we experienced God’s loving kindness in our life? How have these experiences shaped or influenced our being instruments of God’s compassion and kindness to others? Who are God’s instruments in making us feel God’s kindness? There is so much fear of terrorism around the world today. Is this because there is not enough kindness shown around us? Is it because we have not been touched enough so we don’t know how to be kind? No wonder then that our present Holy Father Benedict XVI wrote at the start of his pontificate his first encyclical on Deus caritas est, God is Love! St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians describes love right away as being patient and kind. For often in our personal and pastoral experience, “being kind is much more important than being bright,” because sometimes what a person needs is not a brilliant mind that speaks and is able to explain well, but a patient heart that knows how to listen and understand, thus radiating God’s kindness. Anyone being touched by God’s loving kindness cannot but be changed, transformed, converted and become more loving and kind.

Let the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta inspire us: “Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.” Let us radiate to others through our forthcoming Fiesta celebration the light of God’s kindness….