Ordination: Joy of the Whole Church

(Excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., during the Ordination to the Sacred Order of Presbyters of Rev. Resty Joy Juyo Cabahug of Virgen Delos Remedios Parish, Crossing Bayabas, Toril last August 6, 2026 on the Feast of the Transfiguration.)

We celebrate the beautiful feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. In this wonderful feast sa Simbahan, kita sa local Church sa Davao ang atong Archdiocese dinhi sa parokya sa VDLR uban kang Fr. Jovil Bongay, mga pari, mga madre, mga parents sa atong ordinanahan ug daghan pang mga nanambong. Malipayon kitang nagsaulog sa another transfiguration, ang pagkahimong pari ni Resty Joy, inyong anak, atong igsuon, pari sa Simbahan. Sayod kita sa akong giingon, for the small parish communities sa VDLR, si Rev. Resty Joy nga dili madugay mahimo nang pari, is the first pari sa atong parokya. Young parish pero nakapari na sila, that’s a blessing from the Lord.

I would offer for us, for Resty Joy, three reflections. First one I think is very basic, nalipay kita, dili lang VDLR, dili lang ang Davao but the whole church naglipay tungod niining pagsaulog sa orden sa pagkapari. The second Vatican council in a solemn document that whenever God’s people in the church, they come together, and they would be GKK leaders, and name, mga tawo, binunyagan, catechists, secretaries, treasurers sa GKK, walay position sa GKK, si manong, si manang, teachers, mutapok uban sa mga consecrated persons, sa mga madre, religious brothers, uban sa mga pari, uban sa Obispo around the altar of the Lord like today, ingon sa description sa Simbahan, the Church is eminently displayed, visibly, makita nimo the wonder, the beauty of the Church, God’s people.

Remember not because of our own but remember, we glow around the altar of the Lord. Around Him, who is our salvation. We exist from the bishop down to the smallest one in between, si Resty Joy and his family, the whole of us displayed we can see with the Lord at the center. The church is manifested in a beautiful way when we are gathered like this. In fact, in the document usa lang ang lacking today, di kaayo dako pero ingon didto labi na sa Cathedral magtapok ta but today minus that, beautiful pag-ayo because this ordination of Resty Joy is really for the church. Detach from that beautiful church; your ordination mali ang meaning.

So, I emphasized that first, the bride of Christ is displayed fully from the smallest unknown to the Bishop. I would mention myself dili self-serving why? Why is this? Let us be reminded, including myself, today, Bishop in a Church is one of the successors of the apostles. Therefore, intawon, whether you like it or not, the presence of our bishop, reminds us one important dimension that we, this Church so happy today, ayaw kalimot, makaclaim ta, our roots belong to the foundation of the apostles. We go way backwards, towards those who got in contact with the Lord. Si Bishop maningkamot in your midst, to bring us backwards, to the roots of who we are today.

Resty Joy that’s the beauty of this, the now, mga anak sa Diyos, but we the Church can act because our genes, atong kaliwat, we do not produce ourselves but ang atong dugo way back to Jesus and those who were first touched by Jesus, the apostles, Apostolic Church. But why are we happy today? Very important, the happiness of God’s people preeminent display of who we are because in particular, today we rejoice because there is an ordination of a priest.