As I went through today’s rich liturgical readings, my attention was caught by three vivid images: the stump of Jesse, the child by the cobra’s den and the voice crying out in the wildness.
The first two images are from the first reading taken from the book of Isaiah. From the remnant of what was once a great stock, God raises a lowly shoot whom he anoints with his Spirit and sets as judge of the earth. God will establish a kingdom to be led by a child. It is a kingdom where the leopard and the kid lie together and the calf and the young lion graze side by side – a kingdom where peace and harmony reign.
The gospel presents the third image which is an unlikely picture of a royal ambassador sent to herald the coming of God’s kingdom, a man from the desert clad in camel’s hair and whose food is locust and wild honey.
These powerful images remind us of a truth written all over the scriptures – that God uses the lowly to fulfill his lofty plans. “God rejects the proud and gives his grace to the humble.” (1Pt 5:5) “For [God] has looked down on his handmaid’s lowliness, behold from now on will all ages call me blessed.” (Lk 1: 48-49) “Though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave… he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,” (Ph 2: 6-9)
Last Friday, young people from all our parishes gathered in Sum-ag to celebrate Dagyaw 2025. Dagyaw is a yearly gathering of our youth and their leaders for the purpose of strengthening the youth ministry in the diocese. A highly anticipated event, Dagyaw is an experience which offers great fun to young people as well valuable formative inputs to help them in their personal and communal growth as missionary disciples of Christ.
In my message at the opening Mass, I told them that while they are enjoying the many exciting activities being organized, their meeting with old and new friends, etc., they should not forget the more important meaning and purpose of Dagyaw.
Dagyaw is a beautiful word which I learned as a young bishop in Kabankalan. When we decided to build a new cathedral for the diocese, we resolved that we would build it solely from our own resources so that everyone, priest and parishioner alike, can own it and truly say it is ours. Several fund-raising activities were then organized. Those with means contributed substantial amounts, while those with less gave according to their means. Some who did not have money to contribute offered their services. And so began the weekly Dagyaw for the cathedral. Every Saturday, parishioners from the different vicariates who could not contribute financially would come with their tools to work at the construction site without pay.
Dagyaw is the gathering of volunteers who work together for a common cause. I would like to think that through our own Dagyaw the Lord intends to gather our young people and ask them to work on a common project. What project? To build a new world. A better world than what we have today.
It is often said that the youth are the future. In his live-streamed message to the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference held last 12 November in Indianapolis, Pope Leo XIV reminded the 16,000 youth participants, “You are not only the future of the Church. You are the present. Your voices, your ideas, your faith matter right now. And the Church needs you. The Church needs what you have been given to share with all of us.”
I too would like to address myself to our dear young people by saying that while the future clearly belongs to you, the future is shaped by the kind of youth you are today. Hence, the task of building the future ultimately rest on the youth of today. While this is certainly most daunting, the Church exhorts you not to fear but to put your hope in Christ who does not disappoint. Christ is with you (he is Emmanuel, God-with-us), and with him you can do all things. (cf. Ph 4:3)
Pope Leo puts it more precisely by saying, “When we think about the [world’s] future, first thing we must do is deepen our own friendship with Jesus. This means personal conversion, letting God transform our hearts so we can follow Christ more closely. St. Augustine said it well, ‘If you want to change the world, begin by letting God change you.’”