From lent to life: A call to the faithful to embrace Christ

(An excerpt of the Homily of the Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D. during the 5th Sunday of Lent at San Pedro Cathedral, March 22, 2026.)

Brothers and sisters, as we all know we are now on the 5th Sunday of lent. Next Sunday is the 6th and last Sunday unya malipat ta kay dili naman siya 6th Sunday, kay Palm Sunday and then our attention will be drawn to the holy week. It’s true, popular ang holy week but please, please keep in mind that lent pa na. Next week Palm Sunday na, 6th Sunday of lent pa na.

Lent has a very important tuyo sa simbahan, every year so that we can be close to Jesus, be drawn to him, walk with him and understand better with our brain, mind and hearts who he is. And then unta we can be with him unlike the first disciples but with him on Calvary and unta with him, one more time, be renewed and be ready to see him in his resurrection, mao jud nay tuyo.

Karon ika 5th, 6th Sunday or Palm Sunday, and then the last day of lent, kwaresma, holy week na na but keep in mind lent ends on Holy Thursday day time. Preparation pa na. Also we notice that this Sunday and last Sunday the readings are very long. Last Sunday the Samaritan woman was very long, today Lazarus ang reading. If you look at the book here, there’s an option of longer form and shorter form. Siguro if makakita mo maingon ninyo si bishop oy gipili ang longer form. Ako long form man ko, mangutana mana sila “unsa bishop long form or short form”.

One reason is many of us do not read the Bible, mashortcut. So one timely let you hear the actual text not the short form but another reason, many years ago I was still in my last years in seminary, a very well known bible scholar, in fact he is still noted as the editor of the Jerome biblical commentary, he was invited by the Maryknoll fathers to come to Davao. Very good lecturer. An American Raymond Brown lectured us for one week.

Ang UIC auditorium sa taas packed with priests, sisters and lay people. Anyway, he said, I can still remember bible scholar siya “if you see a lectionary” I’m not inventing a story “bible reading, long form ug short form, get a pen tilt pen and you cross the short form.” Di siya gusto ipabasa ang short form kay tinapulan. Maong long form jud, that’s the reason why I like the long form.

It’s good for us also to keep in mind that when the four writers of the gospel, four versions, were written not like reporters ang ilang source of their narration were oral tradition, sa ato pa may mga versions about Jesus spreading in Israel. Inspired by the spirit, depende kong unsang style pagka present sa mga facts na going around in Jerusalem.

Si John the 4th writer, has different arrangements of the facts, available na na mga facts Mark, Matthew, and Luke. Si John iyang gi rearrange ang mga facts not telling lies. So may tuyo siya, the same facts para may catechetics naay tuyo. Now, mabati ni nato karon, di pani ang main wali, ingon siya “I am the resurrection and the life” diba? Last Sunday niingon siya sa Samaritan woman “I am the living water”, “I am the good shepherd” “I am the way the truth and the life”, “I am the light”. Now gipili ni John daghan siya’g “I am”, because “di kay ma gets nato” but ang mga Hudeo sa ilang pinulungan mao ni original ngalan ni God.

Old Testament, when Moises ask the voice in Mt. Sinai, who are you? “I am who am”. Balik-balik ni John pag mo ana si Jesus “I am” ahhh he is the Lord. In this episode Jesus explained I am the resurrection and the life. Then if you examine, pahuman na ang holy week, next Sunday Palm Sunday na and then Holy Thursday and what I call the dramatic, remembrance of his passion, death and resurrection. This gospel reading today, Lazarus was raised from the dead is the last miracle before Calvary and resurrection. Why the last? Because among the miracles of Jesus this is the best example of what will happen in Jerusalem. That reflects the climax, the pinnacle, the action of God which is defeating death in the resurrection of Jesus.

There’s only one thing that matters, that we desire resurrection. That we believe that we can defeat death. One day we will triumph in Jesus. Beyond this my dear friends, Ginoo nay makabalo. The Gospel of John takes pain to tell us the human side of Jesus. In fact if you read it closely two times gisulti naguol kaayo si Jesus. To show that he wept, he cried. My friends, when we die to sin, on the scale of God we are ill, wallowing in sin, Jesus weeps. We are his dear friends, he weeps for us. Naguol kay nag palayo ta sa iyaha. Di lang ang tawhanon but his being Lord showed. Human and divine.

Three things he did, take away the stone. Second we hear him, Lazarus heard him. Untie him. Ang addiction labaw pa sa pisi. Ang atong dinagko, ginagmay na bisyo “untie him” and Lazarus came back to life. This is the last miracle before Easter. Notice that God is a very good writer, mga details. If we think my dear friends, we are stench. The Lord does not mind, he is not that kind of Lord that runs away from darkness, he is the light. He is not the kind of Lord that runs away from hunger; he is the living bread. He is the Lord that is not afraid of death. I am the resurrection and the life.

Jesus is the one who come to the tomb to free us, not just to free us but to restore us, not only the life of this world but also eternal life. That is really the underlying tuyo sa simbahan. All this living symbols would tell us in Jesus there is victory, in Jesus there is our resurrection, and our life.