Salvation History: A Communal, yet Personal Love Story

I. Creation: Fruit of The Overflowing Love

A boy once asked Pope Francis, “Pope Francis, what was God doing before He created
the world?” Ano ang ginagawa ng Diyos bago Niya nilikha ang mundo? Nagulat si Pope Francis
sa tanong. He was surprised because it was indeed a difficult question. Sabi niya, “Ano nga ba
ang ginagawa ng Diyos bago ang creation? Wala tayong sagot sa Scriptures. Walang explicit
na sagot sa bible. Pero feeling ko, Pope Francis said, before the creation, God was loving. God
was already loving. Siya ay nagmamahal.” And then we realize that loving isn’t only what God
does, but ultimately, and more importantly, who God is.

At alam niyo, tayo yung bunga nung pagmamahal na yun. We remember kung paano niya
nilikha ang araw at bituin, ang langit at lupa, ang mga isda at ibon. At syempre paano ba naman
natin makakalimutan ang paglikha niya sa atin – ang paglikha niya kay Adam at Eve. It was a
love so great that He even created us in his own image and likeness. Na kahit gaano kahirap
makita ang Diyos sa mukha ng katabi mo, iyan ay ang Diyos ng pagmamahal. God’s love is so
overflowing – siksik, liglig, at umaapaw – that he cannot but love, and thus create. Kung paano
tayo naging bunga ng pagmamahalan ng ating mga magulang, ganun din tayo naging bunga ng
walang hanggang pagmamahal ng Diyos.

II. Cycle of Sinning: Despite, God reassures and continue to love

But the story continues.

Sabi nila na ang tunay daw na pagmamahal ay malaya. True love does not possess, but
frees. Hindi ito nakakasakal. And I believe God’s love too is freeing. Kaso may flip side ang
pag-ibig na malaya. And we all experience this in one way or another. When love is free, it is
open to the possibility of rejection. It is open to the possibility of the many No’s in life. Yet, love
continues. Kasi ganun naman talaga ang pagmamahal. Sa kabila ng maraming pananakit at
pagtalikod, God continues loving us.

At nakita natin ‘to story ni Adam and Eve, and the rest of the Old Testament. Sa kabila
ng naguumapaw na pagmamahal ng Diyos, despite God’s overflowing love, Adam and Eve still
chose to say no to that love. Ng dahil sa yabang, greed, selfishness, and even desired to be god,
tayo ay napalayo sa Diyos. Pero maski wala na tayo sa Garden of Eden, God never abandoned
us. He never stopped loving us. Tayo ang lumayo sa Diyos, but God never get tired of pursuing
us. Pa chix tayo eh. Gusto natin tayo yung hinahabol ng Diyos. And we saw that with God
sending Abraham, Moses, the prophets, judges, kings – King David, Solomon – and other
people.

Sa kabila ng paulit ulit nating pagkakasala – pagsuway sa 10 commandments, paggawa

ng molten calf, pagiging matigas ang ulo – God continues to reassure us, everyday of our lives.
The Israelites were never alone. Sa araw araw ng kanilang buhay. Sa araw araw ng ating buhay.
There’s nothing we can do – not even sin, mistakes, faults – that can change God’s love for us.
III. Jesus Christ: The Love Incarnate

Ang love story natin sa Diyos – as we all know – ay hindi nagtatapos sa Old Testament.

Alam niyo humans as we are, kapag nasaktan na tayo sa ating pagmamahal, or worse,
kapag paulit ulit ulit ulit ulit ulit na tayong nasasaktan, it’s one of our tendencies to stop. Huwag
tanga bes. Ilang beses ka ng niloko at sinaktan niyan. Hiwalayan na. There are other fishes in
the sea. Or, pagod na akong paulit ulit masaktan. Ako na lang lagi ang nageeffort. Ako na lang
ang nagsasalba sa relationship na ‘to. Ako na lang ang nagmamahal.

Luckily, iba magmahal ang Diyos. Hanggang sa pagtatapos ng Old Testament, we see
kung paano tayo paulit ulit na nagkasala. I just can imagine the many wounds we have inflicted
sa puso ng Diyos. Pero ano ang sinukli niya sa atin? Hindi galit, hindi poot, hindi pananakit. And
I believe that “what” isn’t the question we have to ask. Hindi “ano” ang sinukli. Because God
gave us a “who.” God gave us Jesus Christ. The fullness of God’s love in Jesus Christ.

We’ve seen in the Old Testament how God met people where they are. And we see the
same God in Jesus Christ. Pinagaling niya yung mga may sakit, cured the blind, made the lame
walk, visited tax collectors, called fishermen. Kaso nakakainis tayong mga tao. Bumaba at
lumapit na ang Diyos sa atin, patuloy pa din nating tinatalikuran. We were so ambitious and
arrogant that we even crucified our Lord. Hindi na tayo natuto.

But, the Love Incarnate continues to love us, despite and in spite of who we are, or what
we’ve done. It was his love for us that got our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. And it was love
that kept him there.

IV. Church: The Ellipses of Love

Ipinako natin si Hesus. Inilibing natin siya. But God’s love is so great and overflowing
that He raised Jesus from the dead. Nabuhay muli si Hesus. Even the resurrection is a fruit of
God’s abundant love for us. We saw that in the resurrection stories. Kung paano natakot at
kinabahan ang mga apostol dahil sa mga ginawa nila kay Hesus. Pero ano ang binungad ni
Hesus? Peace be with you. Kapayapaan at Pagmamahal. “Eto ang mga sugat ko, sariwa pa, pero
hindi na masakit.” And what makes it not painful? His unending love for us.

Ilang beses na din tayong namatay at inilibing, may it be because of sins, faults, and even
failures in life. Pero ilang beses na rin tayong ibinangon ng Diyos, at patuloy na ibinabangon.
And that, we too, because of that love, can say and experience, tulad ni Hesus, tayo ay buhay na
buhay. Buhay na naman. Laging bagong pagkakataon. Laging bagong buhay. But always the
same love.

Hindi tayo pinapabayaan ng pagmamahal na yan. Even after Jesus ascended, he sent us
the Holy Spirit. Through it, the apostles, Paul, the early Christian communities, our martyrs,
were able to testify to and live out that love. At hanggang ngayon, sa ating Inang Simbahan.
Kahit kailan, hindi tumugil sa pagmamahal ang Diyos. Kahit kailan, hindi tayo tinuldukan ng
Diyos. The Church we have now, the Church we are now, isn’t a period. After all, three dots
never mean an end. Our love story continues, sa araw araw nating pamumuhay. “I love you
3000,” God promises.