Mark 10:-13-16; Feast of the Santo Niño

As soon as dad turned 80, which was seven years ago, I’ve been flying home to Davao first thing every January to visit him and my family. Thank you, God, that dad is still with us. He’s relatively healthy. His blood chemistry is better than mine, kuya’s or Jon’s, can you imagine? He still walks so fast, I’m always scared he’d trip. Because all it takes, they say, is one fall. Pero awa ng Diyos, dad still swings by his law office once a week and never misses Sunday Mass at the parish.

During my last dinner with my family two weeks ago, I caught myself gazing at dad. I could hardly believe that once upon a time, I was the one totally dependent on him and mom for everything. He and mom were my life support for a whole stretch of my life, for everything. I think this is why one of the most emotional parts in an ordination is when the parents help their son change into his new vestments. It just brings you right back when mom and dad dressed you. This is why a child’s greatest fear is losing one or both parents. (Kaya imagine na lang natin ‘yung mga bata sa Gaza. Ever seen videos of these children making a shout-out to dad or mom. Then, they tearfully tell the story that at one moment, mom and dad were just there. But then, after an explosion and chaos, the next moment, wala na sila! The children try to mightily hold back tears as their lips quiver while telling their stories. Just tears your heart apart.) When we were kids like them, we couldn’t imagine how we’d ever keep surviving if we lost even one parent, remember?

But there we were that evening. Me gazing at the man I was dependent on for everything for a whole stretch of my life. Dad is now dependent on us,and for more and more as we go along, and eventually, for everything.

We have another young father in our non-permanent staff in Arrupe. Sipag. If he’s not on duty with us, he cleans many puntod in Loyola cemetery. Last Christmas party, I noticed that his youngest son wouldn’t respond to anyone calling his name. He wouldn’t even look at me when I brought my face close to him to talk. “Napa-check-up mo na ba si bunso, Ian?” He knew exactly what I was talking about. “Opo, Father. Pero matagal na. Pa-check-up po kami uli sa January. Gusto na namin siya ipasok sa school.” Six years old. And bring bunso to school, Ian did two days ago. As we expected, bunso falls along the spectrum of autism. He will need twice-weekly therapy, costing over 2,000 pesos a week. “Pero pag kumuha raw po kami ng PWD card, Father, mas mura raw, mga 1,600 weekly po.” When it dawned on Ian that he had to get his bunso a PWD card soon, naiyak na daw siya. PWD. Six years old. I can imagine how little Seve will continue being totally dependent on mama and papa for a long time, for everything. Naawa ako kay Ian. Napakasipag at napakabuting tatay. Naiyak.

My dear sisters and brothers, you and I can imagine how it is to be dependent on other people for everything, can we not? We just don’t think of it all the time, now that we’re mostly independent and self-driven. But I’m sure most of us here—I mean, those my age, approaching my age, and older—I’m sure we’ve begun envisioning the time when our bodies start falling apart and we will be relying on other people to keep us together. It can be quite worrisome, especially for those who’ve been mostly alone in life.

That’s how Jesus as Santo Niño strikes me more and more now that I’m not getting any younger, sisters and brothers. This Lord, our Messiah, this Savior we worship, was once upon a time also totally dependent on people for everything to survive. Did you ever think about that? For a stretch of his life, the Savior of humanity was also totally dependent on this humanity he would be saving when he grew up. And not just on Mother Mary and Father Joseph ha, but on everyone his family relied on to survive. I mean, just because they were “Holy Family” didn’t mean that food miraculously materialized on their plates every day! No, Mary & Joseph must’ve asked for help from friends, borrowed money when they ran on empty, entrusted Jesus to kapitbahay when Joseph had to work and Mary had to go to the palengke. Kumares must’ve helped Mary gather firewood. Kumpares must’ve lent Joseph boat and net when there were no kontratas coming in. All this, Jesus, the niño, must’ve seen as he grew up. So, he knows only too well what it means to be totally dependent on others. He must know, he must understand, and maybe, he cherishes that we never outgrow our total dependence on him.

Kasi, ‘di ba, kung alam na alam mo na ikaw at ikaw lang ang ikinabubuhay ng isang taong mahal na mahal mo—like my family to dad, like Ian to Seve—hindi ba’t higit mo pa siyang aalagaan, aarugain, at mamahalin, kasi ikaw lang ang kanyang inaasahan, ikaw lang ang kanyang sinusukuan, ikaw lang ang nananatili at hindi siya iiwan. Wala na siyang ibang matatakbuhan pa. Now if you and I, mere mortals, kung tayo nga, hindi natin natitiis ang mga mahal nating umaasa at nakasalalay sa atin, aba’y hindi rin tayo natitiis ng Diyos! God knows we never outgrow our total dependence on him. Kaya niya hindi tayo natitiis. And his dearest Son, of all people, knows that only too well. Humanity that is totally dependent on him for salvation was the same humanity on whom he was totally dependent as a niño for his family’s survival. No, not that Jesus owes us a favor. But Jesus must love and cherish us so powerfully, because he himself knows what it means to be a child who was utterly vulnerable and needful of everyday saviors.

Kapag humarap tayo sa Santo Niño,sisters and brothers, siguro naman, we don’t just think, “Ang cute ni Baby Jesus o. Sarap kurutin ang pisngi.” Tayong tumatanda na, kapag humarap sa Kristong Bata, maybe, we can also say, we can also pray: “Lord Jesus, once a child yourself, you knew and understood how totally dependent you were on God and on everyone for your survival. As we approach that point in our lives where we will eventually depend on other people for everything, many of us are worried. Many of us are scared. So, pit señor, we beg you, dearest Santo Niño, sana hindi kami mahirapan sa aming pagtanda. At hindi rin nawa mahirapan nang mga mag-aalaga sa amin.”

Pit Señor! Kanatong tanan kini! Sambit ko kay Señor: para sa ating lahat ito.

*image from the Internet