BISHOP ELMER…LOVE YOUR PRIESTS!

BISHOP ELMER…LOVE YOUR PRIESTS!
 
July 25, 2018
Cathedral of Saint Dominic, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
 
I bring with me the greetings and gratitude of the priests and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Lingayen whom Bishop Elmer served so faithfully for the past two years. On the day we set to show him our esteem and gratitude, floods submerged us and we were unable to gather for the Mass. On the day we were supposed to send him off on a motorcade of gratitude, the floods rose even higher. 
 
It seemed like God was telling him to stay on in Dagupan. That was how we thought. 
 
But Bishop Elmer, faced the floods, waded through knee deep water, took a garbage truck and rode away to Bayombong. He waved at us from the garbage truck and went on to Bayombong. It seemed like he was so eager to leave us, but no. He was just eager to reach Bayombong as he promised, to reach Bayombong as God willed for him. Bayombong is God’s will for Bishop Elmer. As we saw him leave us, we felt happy for Bayombong and remembered the words of the Bible “ Deep waters cannot quench love..nor floods sweep it away”. 
 
We had a good auxiliary bishop in Lingayen Dagupan for two years. Bayombong has a very good bishop now.
 
People of God in Bayombong, the Holy Father has given you a good bishop. It is so easy to love him. He is a sign that God loves you. 
 
I know him. We entered San Carlos Seminary together. We were ordained deacons together. We were ordained priests one week apart. I ordained him a bishop. Today, I celebrate my seventeenth year of appointment as bishop, Bishop Elmer begins a new chapter here in Bayombong. 
 
Alam ko ang laman ng sikmura ng Obispo ninyo. Alam ko kung gaano kataas ang sugar niya. Hindi ko alam kung gaano karami ang buhok niya…
 
Bayombong is the will of God for Bishop Elmer. What must he do here in Bayombong? He has three important duties. To love the priests. To love the priests. To love the priests. If that is all he would do as a bishop, he would be a saint. He would make Bayombong heaven here on earth. The gates of heaven will open wide for a bishop who spends all he can to love the priests. The priests of Bayombong are the path of Bishop Elmer to heaven. 
 
You want to love God? Love God by loving your priests. Your priests have been configured by Christ to himself. When the priest speaks, God speaks; when he blesses, it is God who blesses; when he moves, it is God who moves among his people. 
 
You want to love the people? Love their priests. The holiness of the priest will be mirrored in the holiness of the parishioners. As the corruption of society is but a reflection of the corruption in the priesthood. If the Church is to be renewed, it will start with the sanctification of priests. Corruption in the ministry is a heavy punishment on the people of God. When the bishop helps his priests to be saints, the priests will be able to help the people become saints. 
 
In loving the priests, the bishop really loves himself. Bishop Elmer, your priests are you. Your priests are your other self. They are your face, your hands and your voice. Priests are  alter Christus. They are also  alter episcopus. If you love your priests, they will be able to love the people as you love them, as Christ loves them. 
 
And to you, my dear people of God, what must I tell you? You can almost predict it. Love your bishop. Love your bishop. Love your bishop. Your bishop is a sign of God’s love for you. Love God by loving your bishop. Love your priests by loving their father. Pray that your bishop be holy and may you be holy with him. 
 
Priests of Bayombong, love your bishop. It is so easy to love him. Make it easier for him to love you. 
 
At the sunset of life, when the name  Elmer is dropped in the Eucharistic prayer and a new bishop comes to Bayombong, may you remember Bishop Elmer as the bishop who loved his priests until the very end. 
 
Here in Bayombong, may bishop and priests and flock love one another.  Amen.