On the last day of our October Devotion with the theme: Mary, Mother of the Living Gospel, we are presented with a gospel that speaks about Love of God and Love of Neighbor – the Golden Rule.

Pinagsama-sama ni Jesus ang mahigit anim na daang utos sa Lumang Tipan. From more than 600 laws into The Greatest Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Ang Pinakamahalagang utos.

Jesus did not only command His disciples to preach these commandments but to put them into practice. Ni Jesus ti Sibibiag nga Ebanghelio gapu ta imbiagna ti panagayat ti Dios ken ti pada a tao. He was the personification, the embodiment of these commandments. Jesus is the Living Gospel.

The LOVE that Jesus talks about is RADICAL. No progresibo ka, no kayatmo ti panagbalbaliw ti sangkagimongan, maawaganka ti “radical”. Ngem, ania koma pay ti narad-radikal ngem ayat? Love is fundamental, basic, complete, total. Love is the only law we are to live by.

“Ibigin mo ang Panginoon mong Diyos nang buong puso, buong kaluluwa, buong pag-iisip at buong lakas.’” ‘Ibigin mo ang iyong kapwa gaya ng pag-ibig mo sa iyong sarili.’

We love God because He has loved us first. Nilikha niya tayo. Ibinigay niya ang mundo at kapwa tao at lahat ng ating pangangailangan. Isinugo niya ang kaisa-isang anak para sa ating kaligtasan. Hindi ba’t dapat lang na mahalin natin siya nang buong puso, buong kaluluwa, buong pag-iisip at buong lakas.Loving God means – making time for Him in prayer. Itedmo ti kangrunaan nga oras mo para kenkuana, itedmo ti paglaingam para iti pakaigloriaan ti naganna, itedmo ti rumbeng a para kenkuana nga kinabaknang. What is more radical than that?When we give to God, we are showing Him in a concrete way that He comes first in our life.

Second, We are called to imitate the love of Christ. Inialay niya ang kanyang buhay sa Krus para sa ating kaligtasan. “Walang pag-ibig na hihigit pa kaysa pag-ibig ng isang taong nag-aalay ng kanyang buhay para sa kanyang mga kaibigan.” What is more radical than that? Kaya naman sinabihan niya ang tagapagturo ng kautusan, “hindi ka na nalalayo sa Kaharian ng Diyos.”

Today,, we are called to examine our hearts. Do we have other loves that get in the way of our love for God? Do we love others as Jesus has loved us ?

LOVE SHOULD BE A WAY OF LIFE. Like Jesus, like Mary, let us love our neighbor by offering our life in service to those who are most in need.

• Ti ayat ket wagas ti panagbiag a mangparmek ti bileg ti kinamanagimbubukod.
• Ti ayat ket panagraem ken kinapakumbaba. Raemenna ti pagayatan ti Dios saan a ti pagayatan ti adda iti bileg ken turay. Ti ayat ket parmekenna ti kinatangsit, kinaturay ken panagdidinnasig. Ti ayat ket mangipaay ti kinaimbag ken umikkat ti pannakagundaway.
• Ti ayat ket pagkedkedanna a makikanunong iti dakes ken killo. Ti ayat ket saan a panagul-ulimek. Ti ayat ipaduyakyakna ti kinapudno a mangwayawaya. Ti ayat agtignay para iti panagbalbaliw. Ti ayat ket sidadaan nga agsagaba para iti pagimbagan iti amin. Ti ayat ket saan a mabuteng.

Ti ayat ti Dios ken pada a tao ti kangrunaan kadagiti bilin. Daytoy ti pannakabalin ti Dios a nasken a suroten. Ti Dios ket ayat. Pinarsuanatayo ti Dios a kalanglangana. Ngarud ti langatayo ket ayat. Ti ayat a kas langa ti biag ket maipakita ken maiparikna babaen iti panagbiag a kas gimong nga agsisinnakit.

Let us turn to Mary, the Mother of the Living Gospel. Ni Maria ti inspirasyon dagiti amin a mayat a sumurot kenni Jesus. Babaen ti pannilaw ti biag ni Maria, awatentayo ti bilin ni Jesus ket agtalinaedtayo iti ayatna.

Homily of Father Manuel Vicente Catral during the culmination of the Block Rosary in San Pedro Telmo Parish in Aparri town, Cagayan province on October 31. Father Catral is the lead convenor of the Cagayan Advocates for the Integrity of Creation that spearheads the anti-black sand mining in the Cagayan River and Philippine Sea.