“But God gives to it the body that He plans and sees fit, and to each kind of seed a body of its own” – 1Corinthians 15:38.
“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” – Gospel of Matthew 26:39.
I hear Him clearly, the God Almighty, whether you believe or not. I don’t understand why He chose me. There are more deserving priests who truly and strictly follow the paths of love, mercy and devotion in their lives. I am but a very ordinary priest assigned in a small town in the Philippines. Yet I cannot question the wisdom of His choice. I must obey.
The healing starts inconspicuously at first. When I celebrate the mass, I look for one or two faces that have the most distressed hearts. I approach them carefully and ask them to have a quiet conversation with me. I diagnose their individual ailments to gain their trust. I am always on the mark so they come to believe in me right away. To start the healing process, I chant the prayer that God taught me. I ask them to close their eyes and silently say with sincerity these two words, I Believe, several times. I touch their hearts and say a prayer specific to their conditions. Then I ask them to open their eyes and send them home.
I don’t know if my healing works but I notice more people are attending my mass celebration. They hang to every word I say during the sermon and remain in their seats after the mass. I can’t cure them all. The ones in need the most must get the priority of my attention. They wait in anxious anticipation until I make my selection. The rest will go home with heavy hearts. I feel for them but there’s nothing more I can do.
My healing power can’t be hidden for a long time. My superior, the parish priest of the town, calls me in his office.
“What’s going on Fr. Del Rosario? Why are there more people in your mass than mine? I heard your sermon this morning. You spoke so much of love. But the words were similar to all the sermons I‘ve been hearing in my lifetime. Yet they seem mesmerized. ”
“I know you’ll notice it, sooner or later, Fr. Gomez. I must tell you why. But first, Father, I need you to be open to what I have about to say.”
“Of course, Fr. Del Rosario, I’m all ears.”
“God talks to me and uses me as His instrument to heal those who are sick physically, emotionally and mentally. He says He cannot send down Jesus Christ again. It will only confuse the believers.”
“But why you?”
“I have the same question, Father, but then who am I to disobey His command?”
“Don’t take it wrong, Fr. Del Rosario, if I am skeptical.”
“I understand, Father. If I were you I would feel the same way.”
“Are you asking them for donations? Our church has so many needs. We can use the money to satisfy them at least.”
“No, Father. God instructed me not to receive any kind of compensation. When Jesus Christ was performing His miracles, He never asked for money. I must do the same.”
“It’s a different time, Fr. Del Rosario. Kindness alone cannot sustain the church. We have become so huge and global. We need money to stay relevant.”
“I’m sorry, Father. But I must only obey the Higher Power.”
“You leave me no choice, Fr. Del Rosario, but to transfer you to another town in another province. I am your superior. I can’t have anyone disobeying my order.”
“You must do what you must, Father. I did not ask for this but I must shoulder the burden as God sees fit. I must answer only to Him.”
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I have been transferred from one parish to another, from one town to another, from one province to another for disobedience. My personal file is getting thicker. No wonder I have been summoned to have a private audience with Monsignor Palma, the Archbishop of Manila.
“Fr. Del Rosario, why do you keep on disobeying your superiors? If this continues, you will force my hand to defrock you.”
“With absolute respect, Monsignor, I know my place and it is never my intention to defy the authority of my superiors. The reason for my disobedience is greater than your authority as well.”
“Whoa, Fr. Del Rosario, you are on the verge of committing a blasphemy!”
“Would you believe me, Monsignor, if I tell you that I am the second coming of Jesus Christ? Not the way He came as a divine conception. Rather just an ordinary man as sinful as everybody else.”
“You must be crazy! You know that the Pope is divinely ordained to be the Christ on earth. This is the established order since Peter founded our church. You have just blasphemed yourself in my eyes! I will initiate the process of removing you. Now you may go!”
“Pardon me, Monsignor, but you need to know and understand the whole context of my claim. Will you listen?”
“I am afraid of the nonsense coming from your mouth. I hope you are not wasting my time.”
“Thank you, Monsignor. I wish with all my heart this burden is not given to me. But since I became a priest, God’s voice has become my inner strength. He talks to me whenever I am alone anytime and anywhere. He tells me I must do His will without reservations. He gives me the power to heal. That’s what I’ve been doing from all the parishes I’ve been assigned to. But my superiors wanted me to ask for donations. I refused and they cited me for insubordination.”
“Does your power really work?”
“I don’t know, Monsignor. I never saw the people I cured again. I can only assume they feel better because more and more people flock to the church whenever I perform the mass.”
“Your superiors never included this in their reports.”
“Because they didn’t believe me. In this modern age, miracles can no longer thrive. Look at the faith healers. They have been exposed as nothing but con men. I don’t want to be complicit in such a deception even if we subtlety call the money as donations. Besides, God orders me not to.”
“I am afraid I’m with your superiors in the matter of donations. Like all institutions, especially as large as the church, we need our congregants to support us financially. We don’t ask a lot. Whatever they can afford we will accept. And we don’t force them either unlike the other churches. If we can only survive without money, if we can only live with God’s blessings and promises, if we can remain alive with prayers and devotions, then I’ll set you free to do God’s will as He intends you to do. But that is not our reality. Our conditions are materially structured. God is divine but not us. It will only happen after death.”
“Are we not being hypocritical Monsignor? We ask our congregants with money and in return we give them our blessings, prayers, sacraments, absolutions, medallions, rosaries, holy water, and anointments. Do you think they can survive with these?”
“We are in the business of rendering faith. Without us God does not exist. And without God we will resort back to chaos, incessant fighting, disorders, and lawlessness. Religion has paved the way for a well-ordered society. It is a fair trade.”
“I think at this point, Monsignor, we can only agree to disagree. But here’s another claim you might find disturbing. God lets me in on The Secret. I can’t reveal it to you even if you ask me to.”
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I have been out of the priesthood for a few years now. I still do God’s work less the ecclesiastical duties. I am very much on social media spreading the power of love and compassion. I am referred to as a social influencer. I always end my messages with a sense of urgency. Like John the Baptist, I tell my audiences to order their lives according to God’s will for the end is near. I had five million followers at one time; now it’s down to about three million. I am not getting through enough. My non-celebrity status is not helping. My healing power vanished as soon as I was defrocked. God gives and takes it away. So I can’t attract as many people to hear my words. God seems to have left me in wilderness. In days of frustration, I am tempted to reveal God’s Secret. But I am afraid I will just be laughed at. To do God’s will is quite a burden. Unlike Jesus Christ, I am carrying the cup much longer. I just celebrated my sixty-fifth birthday last month. I have been asking God to give me my hour of deliverance. He refuses. I hope He has reserved a better seat for me in heaven. One time I asked Him why not reveal The Secret Himself like a thundering voice that can be heard in the four corners of the world. He said He prefers to speak in codes for the true believers to seek and find. I said that would be so few for nowadays people believe more in conspiracies than the truths.
18 July 2023