Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and Most Rev. Honesto F. Ongtioco’s 36th Sacerdotal Anniversary
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
December 8, 2008

Reverend Monsignori, Reverend Fathers, Religious Sisters and Brothers, Seminarians, Members of the Academe, Officers of the different Parish Pastoral Councils, the Family of Bishop Ness, My dear Brothers and Sisters:

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It is a celebration not just of a doctrine when it was first celebrated in December 8, 1476 as a universal feast by Pope Sixtus IV. Neither is it just a celebration of its declaration as dogma by Pope Pius IX in December 8, 1854 in his constitution Ineffabilis Deus after many years of being sadly reduced as a simple memorial of the “Conception of Mary” in the Missal of 1570. Of course we all know that this dogma came to the light not without much controversies and heated exchange of arguments from different schools of thoughts and not without any uneasy if not ugly historical background from the 9th century England to the time of its initial rejection even by the great theological thinkers like St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas who both believed that Mary was completely free from sin, but that she was not given this grace at the instant of her conception. Thanks to Blessed John Duns Scotus and other Oxford Franciscans of the time who was able to reconcile the doctrine with that of universal redemption in Christ, by arguing that Mary’s immaculate conception did not remove her from redemption by Christ; rather it was the result of a more perfect redemption given to her on account of her special role in history. Mary was redeemed in anticipation of Christ’s death on the cross. That Mary was redeemed in a manner more sublime. That Mary, rather than being cleansed after sin, was completely prevented from contracting Original Sin in view of the foreseen merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race.

Today’s occasion, therefore, is a celebration of that life that was given to Our Blessed Mother Mary by God beginning from her being conceived immaculately to the moment of her assumption into heaven. It is a celebration of that immaculate life that from the very beginning was already “full of grace-filled was her life that her whole life became a necessary partner in the redemptive work and saving mission of her Son. As Max Thurian affirmed, Immaculate Conception means that in Mary everything is grace from the beginning and she is witness that everything comes from God. And that Mary corresponds to this with absolute freedom of love, not stained by sin. But of course this may sound more as celebration of her birthday rather than her conception if we forget to note that this celebration is all about what God has done to and for Mary and, therefore, to the whole of humanity and the world. This is the essence of this celebration and of all other important occasions. We celebrate Mary as the expression of God’s charity toward humanity. The Immaculate Conception is a celebration of the mystery of faith and salvation, a manifestation of the love of God that conquers sin and death, and a sign of hope for all. In the words summed up by one of the John Duns Scotus’ followers: “…potuit, decuit ergo fecit” (God could do it, it was fitting that He did it, and so He did it).

God did it for all of humanity. God did it for His Son. His Father God knew that at some point in the Advent of His coming and becoming man Christ had to rest in Mary. During Advent Christ rested In Mary – silent, still, helpless, utterly dependent. The Creator trusted Himself to His creature. He trusted to her the expression of His love, the expression of God’s love for the world and of His love of His Father, just as the work of His love would be trusted to us, in His life in us.

He was dumd; her voice was His voice.

He was still; her footsteps were His journeys.

He was blind; her eyes were His seeing.

His hands were folded; her hands did the work of His hands.

His life was her life; His heartbeat was the beating of her heart.

This was a foreshadowing of what the Incarnation would mean for us; for in us, too, Christ rests as He rested in Mary. From the moment when the Christ-life is conceived in us, from the moment the gift of the priesthood is given to you Bishop Ness your life is intended for one thing, the expression of His love, His love for God and for the world.

Your words are to be the words that He wants to speak;

You must go to wherever He wants to go;

You must see and look at whatever He wants to see and look at;

The work that your hands do must be the work that His hands want to do;

Your life must be the living of His life;

Your loves the loving of His heart.

But there is the other aspect of Christ’s Advent. While he remained hidden in Mary, His rest was a tremendous activity; He was making her into Himself, making Himself from her. From her eyes He was making the eyes that would weep over Jerusalem…that would shine upon the wild flowers and fellowship with His disciples and friends. The same eyes that would close in death and open on the morning of Resurrection.

From her hands He was making the hands that would heal and raise the dead and be nailed to the Cross. From her heart He was making the heart whose love would redeem the world.

The same thing occurs when, allowing the Infant Christ to rest in us, we wait patiently on His own timing of His growth in us, and give Him just what He asks, the extremely simple things that are ourselves – our hands and feet, our eyes and ears, our words, our thoughts, our love. Not only does He grow in us, but we are formed into Him.

Bishop Ness, you are not just a priest. You are a Bishop. You have been gifted the fullness of the priesthood.

At the Annunciation Mary did not simply give an ‘answer.’ Mary gave a ‘response.’ An answer is a word that is expressed by the mind. A response is expressed in the ‘flesh.’ Such was Mary’s response to the invitation (…fiat voluntas tua)… “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Her response paved the way for the Word to become Flesh.

We pray the gift of your priesthood Bishop Ness be also a tangible response to the Love of God becoming flesh in our midst.

“Maior autem caritas” does says your ‘lema’…your motto…the greatest of these is Love. It is the expression and response of all your aspirations in your pastoral ministry as a priest and more so as a bishop. It serves as a challenge to you and an ardent prayer that your works of service be always characterized by the love of Jesus and faithfulness of Mary.

May the Lord who has begun the good works in you bring them to fulfillment.

“…potuit, decuit ergo fecit” (God could do it, it was fitting that He did it, and so He did it).

AMEN….