HO-HUM HOMILIES

It is good that a popular and highly respected bishop of the Roman Catholic Church,  Bishop  Teodoro Bacani, has himself realized and admitted that "when we priests are giving long homilies the people are asleep."  As a matter of fact, this has long been the principal reason why so many members of the flock are known to go out of the church during the mass and prefer to while away the time "making tsimis" among themselves as soon as the priest begins his homily.

Reading the news item in today's (June 5) issue of the Inquirer, "Ho-hum homilies disappoint Bishop Bacani," has indeed made me laugh very early this morning.  It suddenly calls to my mind a sonnet in Filipino which I wrote in my younger days. The truth is I almost forgot that poem and had to dig it up from my old files only when I read the above referenced news report.  My hopes run high the readers of my blog won't mind if I now share that poem with them.  

SERMON

Linggo at may misa sa kapilyang nayon

Kung saan ang bagong katotokang Among

Ay bantog sa ligoy at haba ng sermon.

Nguni, tila walang may nasang mabusong

Kung kaya't ang lahat ay todo atensyon.,

May isang sa inip, sa takot maghilik,

Ay biglang lumabas nang di makatiis;

Misa'y nagtatapos nang ito'y magbalik

Namukhaan pala ng paring nainis

'Yong pobre kung kaya't sa patyo'y kinulit:

"Saan ka nanggaling at biglang lumigpit?"

Sa plasa po padre't ako'y nagpagupit!"

"Aba'y bakit hindi no'ng bago nagmisa?"

"Padre, ang buhok ko noo'y maiksi pa!"