God Will Accompany Us

(An excerpt of the Most Reverend Romulo G. Valles, D.D. in his Homily during the Holy Spirit Mass and Installation of Fr. Jeus Jardin as Rector of St. Francis Xavier College Seminary of Davao, Catalunan Grande, Davao City, July 17, 2025.)

Why is this batasan of Mass of the Holy Spirit? In fact, if you analyze, Mass of the Holy Spirit? It becomes confusing. Or Holy Spirit Mass, samot na hinuon na! What is that? Why is that practiced?

In fact, kada CBCP namo, meeting sa mga Obispo, first day kung walay big feasts, the first day votive Mass in honor of the Holy Spirit. Why is that? First answer is by the way that is very Biblical. In the Scriptures, Old and New, if you look at it, watch when you read, whenever there are beginnings, mga starting events, starting sa epoch or phase, starring ang Holy Spirit, especially different figures, but especially not only one, but most especially like a wind or breath. Look at the first pages of the Bible, Book of Genesis, beginning of creation. The Spirit of God hovered over the chaos, Holy Spirit.

Then, we have the New Testament, Acts of the Apostles, beginning, new phase of God’s people becoming the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, the descent of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel reading, Jesus breathed on them, RUAH, the Spirit, new beginning. So, ang rason, kanang mga beginnings, we invoke as if gamay nga theology, as if wala siya. Holy Spirit, please come back, no, no, no. He is there. In fact, the title is for us to realize. Dili kay magadepende na nga motawag ta niya moanhi siya. No, no, He is there. But for us to be confident, to be joyful, He is there. Ah, the breath of God is present in this new endeavor, new beginning. Dili ni new, old ni siya. In Biblical times people becoming aware that God in the person of the Holy Spirit will be there before we ask Him, He is there. Now, we can become confident that in this formation year with our new Rector, God in His Spirit will accompany us, will walk with us, synodal, will see us through to these days of the new formation year.