The Grace of A Shepherd

As we receive the grace of a new shepherd in the Archdiocese of Caceres, this column is a welcome tribute for him. Our new Archbishop, His Grace the Very Reverend Rex Andrew C. Alarcon, D..D is a man small in stature but towering in his faith and spiritual wisdom. I took pains in writing down his thoughts at his Installation Rites to capture this historic moment, and I would like to put them in writing in this column. Our new Archbishop receives the mission of shepherding us, His flock in Caceres, with this message.

”This new ministry is not a reward due to merit, but a responsibility given in mercy. If there is an act that I need to do, It is first to thank God for this undeserved grace- the grace of service through sacred orders, which even at the first ordination in the diaconate I receive because I asked for it; I receive because the church asks that i be ordained.”

And he goes on to share with us his model of shepherding: “ I pray that my pastoral care may rise up to the level of the Good Shepherd.”

He invites us all to reflect on our own shepherding as well, in whatever vocation of life we find ourselves. As he does this, he goes on to say:

“I enter the boundaries of the Diocese as a servant called to duty, called to step up towards a heavier cross, but nevertheless, the Cross of Jesus. I speak of the different levels of leadership (shepherding):.

Level one is the level of survival. Pamumuno na ang layon ay ‘makaraos lang”. leadership that has no dreams. The second level is the level of duty. The leader who says, “trabaho lang, trabaho lang”. But there is a third level, leading because of joyful love and service. This is leadership that goes the extra mile. Here begins leadership without expecting any reward. A leadership that does not only maintain, but allows the sheep to grow. But there is a fourth level, the level of compassion-this is leadership taking care of the sheep to heal their wounds, help them recover, rise again and flourish. Taking care of those who are deprived, the suffering, the handicapped, the abused, with preference for the weak and the poor- a leadership that does not only protect, but seeks the lost, heals the wounded, reconciles and restores.There is another level: the level of mercy and forgiveness- a pastoral care that does not stop at doing good even to those who do not love us, to those who are inimical to us, to those who are wronged us and even persecute us. This is where loving service is painful. This is the level of the suffering servant, looking for the lost sheep. But there is another level: this is the level of self-donation, this is the level of martyrdom, this is the level of the lamb of God. The pastor, the leader, becomes the lamb to be offered. And this is the level of full configuration to Jesus. I pray to Jesus on the Cross, that I may continue to love and to serve, even when there is pain.”

We take the words of our beloved Archbishop to heart, as an invitation to live our Christian lives more deeply. We relish the grace of a new shepherd, and join his magnanimous heart in gratitude to the Good Shepherd.

Welcome to Caceres, His Grace Rex Andrew C. Alarcon, D.D.!

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

“THE MORE ONE FORGETS HIMSELF BY GIVING HIMSELF TO A CAUSE OR TO SERVE ANOTHER PERSON IN LOVE, THE MORE HUMAN HE IS.”

Viktor Frankl

FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE:

“WHOEVER SOWS SPARINGLY WILL REAP SPARINGLY; WHOEVER SOWS GENEROUSLY WILL REAP GENEROUSLY”

2 Corinthians 9:5-7