Homily delivered by Fr Rex Reyes at the Funeral Service of the Most Rev Narciso Valentin Ticobay, Cathedral of St Mary and St John, 26th July 2013
“I am the way, and the truth and the life. . . .” John 14:1-6
It is said that in ancient days, zodiac signs or that circle of animals that encompass the universe were assigned to different nationalities. The zodiac sign Pisces was assigned to the Semites. The Semitic term for fish is NUN. The word is also the name of the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Because it was their symbol, the Hebrews gave special meaning to it as referring to the coming of a Messiah. Aside from this ancient association, the fish was also called ichthus by the Greeks. The word ichthus contains the initials of the first confession of the Christian faith: Iesous Christos Theou Uios Soter (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour). And by the way, the animal symbol on the day of Bishop Ticobay’s birth was that of Pisces – the fish. [What’s with the fish? A story has it that there is a place where the people use the letter “f” instead of “p”. So it was not uncommon that when the peace is exchanged during the Eucharist, the greeting sounded like “fish be with you”]. Of course, the fish like the birds can be likened to God’s word – that multiply easily and can reach far and wide.
In any case, the Gospel reading today comes from the 14th (NUN) chapter of the Gospel of John. The reading is another description of how Jesus is not only the Son of God but also the Saviour, both in the resurrection and ascension perspectives – “I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. . . . I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” It also tells us of the comforting promise that we are neither going there on our own nor alone but Jesus Christ who came to save the world is himself coming to sundo us.
Despite the comforting words, we are yet often bewildered and troubled. On one hand, there is that active realization and acceptance of and not passive resignation to the inevitable. On the other hand is the equally profound anxious thought of a possibility that just perhaps we can yet avoid this painful separation. The question of Thomas is an expression of this predicament, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Was this not the same Thomas who during the appearance of the resurrected Christ said, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe”? (20.25). It is the same struggle that prompted Peter in John 13.36 to ask, “Lord, where are you going?” It is the same predicament re-stated by Phillip in 14.8 - Okay, if you say you are leaving and we have to separate, then would you be so kind to show us the Father so that we might believe…
In many ways we are like Thomas. Our own personal concerns, the choices and decisions that we have to make, the difficulties/complexities of the present, and the anxieties of an uncertain future all combine such that at the end of each day, after having done what we could we still are not quite sure of the direction we are going. Crucial in finding the way and choosing life is the truth. But even the search for truth could be equally tiring, burdensome and frustrating. In these days where so many secrets are hidden for so many reasons, to tell the truth is dangerous. You could lose your job or worse, are hunted down. How do we search for truth at a time and place where it is systematically twisted, hidden, and suppressed? How can we even believe who is telling the truth when everyone claims to possess truth and no one easily admits that theirs is only half-the truth and not the whole truth? Some swear to the truth if only to break that promise as soon as they open their mouths. Some call it dating daan, some call it matuwid na daan. Yet, the danger of this is that truth becomes their monopoly. How can we begin the search when motives are meant not to ferret out the truth but to prove that the other is not telling the truth and that truth must be understood solely on one’s own terms?
Thankfully, in identifying himself, Jesus Christ lays down some basic principles upon which our actions and decisions, and yes our faith, can rest upon firmly. One of them is his response to the bewildered disciples – “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me”. This is several of the many “I AM’s” of Jesus thus further clarifying the ambiguous formulation in the Old Testament of “I am who I am”. In the Gospel of John, there are several of them: I am the bread of life, 6:35; light of the world, 8:12; the door, 10:7; good shepherd, 10:11; the resurrection and the life, 11:25; the way and the truth and the life, 14:6; in the Father 14:10; the true vine, 15.1; I am he, 18:5.
And we can also thank God that in every generation God calls and sends men and women to help us focus in our search of the way only He can provide. It is in this spirit that we are gathered here today – to thank God for the life, ministry and service of His Grace, Narciso V. Ticobay. In so doing, we are made to realize more and more that we too can make a difference for the better if we allow ourselves to be channels of that grace. The last five days here in this cathedral was a time of reckoning, not only for Bishop Ticobay but also for each one of us, a dry run if you will of the ultimate time when we shall have to make an individual accounting of the gifts that God has momentarily entrusted to us. The stories and anecdotes we shared and heard these five days are not only meant to comfort us. It also speaks of our readiness and willingness to accept all the good started by Bishop Ticobay which in his departing, he now bequeaths totally to us. This service is the formal and final hand-over and I hope we will neither reject nor escape from receiving the same.
I want to suggest three capsules to contain all those things that he leaves to us. As a person, Bishop Ticobay now passes on to us lessons in humility. For all his vast experiences, some of which are pioneering works, and the burden of the office he bore, he remained humble. Where he could have been aggressive, he remained calm. Where he could have been harsh, he remained gentle in speech. Where he could have been basking in the highlight and position of prominence, he chose to be inconspicuous taking quiet joy in whatever is being celebrated. His humility has often been perceived as a weakness. It has been his greatness all along, as indeed, he looked at his office from the perspective of service rather than one of power. Thus, he could in no way be tempted by the arrogance that often is the pitfall of those in power.
As a leader, Bishop Ticobay passes on us a sense of vision. He was more proactive in laying the foundations of what is now the Episcopal Diocese of Davao. A defining moment of his episcopacy in Mindanao was his quiet work to secure the release and to gain custody of some hostages. If one were to meet him personally in Mindanao in those days, they would hardly know that this was the man whose photographs were all over the lobby at the airport in Awang Cotabato as he took custody of those released hostages. In Mindanao he was known in the ecumenical circles for his pastoral concern. To this day ecumenical veterans in Mindanao whisper his name. His Primacy in the Episcopal Church in the Philippines will be remembered for having paved the way for a vibrant and robust Executive Council that was able to decide and own up to its decisions with integrity. In many ways this helped define our dignity as an autonomous church province in the Anglican Communion.
Last but not the least, as a man of the cloth – deacon, priest and bishop he leaves behind a tradition of loving all people – taking constructive pride in the success of each person and genuine concern for those denied the taste of abundant life. His simple messages revolved around this one Gospel theme: Love one another. The capacity to love others is the mark of a true disciple (cf. John 13:34f).
This service today is directed to God. But it is also directed at us insofar as we look up to God who is the author and finisher of our faith. I know that God will understand if in paying our final respect to our Father in God, Narciso V. Ticobay, we now rise and accord him a rousing applause he so deserves.
In thanking God for giving such wonderful person to be our friend, deacon, priest and bishop, we also thank his immediate family for sharing the bishop to all of us and to countless others who are not with us here but who are nevertheless one with us at this time.
I saw a poem, whose author is anonymous and I thought both the message and the writer sum up Bishop Ticobay’s life. It is brief so let me read and then I will shut up.
“I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do great things;
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for; but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men, most richly blessed.”
It is said that in ancient days, zodiac signs or that circle of animals that encompass the universe were assigned to different nationalities. The zodiac sign Pisces was assigned to the Semites. The Semitic term for fish is NUN. The word is also the name of the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Because it was their symbol, the Hebrews gave special meaning to it as referring to the coming of a Messiah. Aside from this ancient association, the fish was also called ichthus by the Greeks. The word ichthus contains the initials of the first confession of the Christian faith: Iesous Christos Theou Uios Soter (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour). And by the way, the animal symbol on the day of Bishop Ticobay’s birth was that of Pisces – the fish. [What’s with the fish? A story has it that there is a place where the people use the letter “f” instead of “p”. So it was not uncommon that when the peace is exchanged during the Eucharist, the greeting sounded like “fish be with you”]. Of course, the fish like the birds can be likened to God’s word – that multiply easily and can reach far and wide.
In any case, the Gospel reading today comes from the 14th (NUN) chapter of the Gospel of John. The reading is another description of how Jesus is not only the Son of God but also the Saviour, both in the resurrection and ascension perspectives – “I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. . . . I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” It also tells us of the comforting promise that we are neither going there on our own nor alone but Jesus Christ who came to save the world is himself coming to sundo us.
Despite the comforting words, we are yet often bewildered and troubled. On one hand, there is that active realization and acceptance of and not passive resignation to the inevitable. On the other hand is the equally profound anxious thought of a possibility that just perhaps we can yet avoid this painful separation. The question of Thomas is an expression of this predicament, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Was this not the same Thomas who during the appearance of the resurrected Christ said, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe”? (20.25). It is the same struggle that prompted Peter in John 13.36 to ask, “Lord, where are you going?” It is the same predicament re-stated by Phillip in 14.8 - Okay, if you say you are leaving and we have to separate, then would you be so kind to show us the Father so that we might believe…
In many ways we are like Thomas. Our own personal concerns, the choices and decisions that we have to make, the difficulties/complexities of the present, and the anxieties of an uncertain future all combine such that at the end of each day, after having done what we could we still are not quite sure of the direction we are going. Crucial in finding the way and choosing life is the truth. But even the search for truth could be equally tiring, burdensome and frustrating. In these days where so many secrets are hidden for so many reasons, to tell the truth is dangerous. You could lose your job or worse, are hunted down. How do we search for truth at a time and place where it is systematically twisted, hidden, and suppressed? How can we even believe who is telling the truth when everyone claims to possess truth and no one easily admits that theirs is only half-the truth and not the whole truth? Some swear to the truth if only to break that promise as soon as they open their mouths. Some call it dating daan, some call it matuwid na daan. Yet, the danger of this is that truth becomes their monopoly. How can we begin the search when motives are meant not to ferret out the truth but to prove that the other is not telling the truth and that truth must be understood solely on one’s own terms?
Thankfully, in identifying himself, Jesus Christ lays down some basic principles upon which our actions and decisions, and yes our faith, can rest upon firmly. One of them is his response to the bewildered disciples – “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me”. This is several of the many “I AM’s” of Jesus thus further clarifying the ambiguous formulation in the Old Testament of “I am who I am”. In the Gospel of John, there are several of them: I am the bread of life, 6:35; light of the world, 8:12; the door, 10:7; good shepherd, 10:11; the resurrection and the life, 11:25; the way and the truth and the life, 14:6; in the Father 14:10; the true vine, 15.1; I am he, 18:5.
And we can also thank God that in every generation God calls and sends men and women to help us focus in our search of the way only He can provide. It is in this spirit that we are gathered here today – to thank God for the life, ministry and service of His Grace, Narciso V. Ticobay. In so doing, we are made to realize more and more that we too can make a difference for the better if we allow ourselves to be channels of that grace. The last five days here in this cathedral was a time of reckoning, not only for Bishop Ticobay but also for each one of us, a dry run if you will of the ultimate time when we shall have to make an individual accounting of the gifts that God has momentarily entrusted to us. The stories and anecdotes we shared and heard these five days are not only meant to comfort us. It also speaks of our readiness and willingness to accept all the good started by Bishop Ticobay which in his departing, he now bequeaths totally to us. This service is the formal and final hand-over and I hope we will neither reject nor escape from receiving the same.
I want to suggest three capsules to contain all those things that he leaves to us. As a person, Bishop Ticobay now passes on to us lessons in humility. For all his vast experiences, some of which are pioneering works, and the burden of the office he bore, he remained humble. Where he could have been aggressive, he remained calm. Where he could have been harsh, he remained gentle in speech. Where he could have been basking in the highlight and position of prominence, he chose to be inconspicuous taking quiet joy in whatever is being celebrated. His humility has often been perceived as a weakness. It has been his greatness all along, as indeed, he looked at his office from the perspective of service rather than one of power. Thus, he could in no way be tempted by the arrogance that often is the pitfall of those in power.
As a leader, Bishop Ticobay passes on us a sense of vision. He was more proactive in laying the foundations of what is now the Episcopal Diocese of Davao. A defining moment of his episcopacy in Mindanao was his quiet work to secure the release and to gain custody of some hostages. If one were to meet him personally in Mindanao in those days, they would hardly know that this was the man whose photographs were all over the lobby at the airport in Awang Cotabato as he took custody of those released hostages. In Mindanao he was known in the ecumenical circles for his pastoral concern. To this day ecumenical veterans in Mindanao whisper his name. His Primacy in the Episcopal Church in the Philippines will be remembered for having paved the way for a vibrant and robust Executive Council that was able to decide and own up to its decisions with integrity. In many ways this helped define our dignity as an autonomous church province in the Anglican Communion.
Last but not the least, as a man of the cloth – deacon, priest and bishop he leaves behind a tradition of loving all people – taking constructive pride in the success of each person and genuine concern for those denied the taste of abundant life. His simple messages revolved around this one Gospel theme: Love one another. The capacity to love others is the mark of a true disciple (cf. John 13:34f).
This service today is directed to God. But it is also directed at us insofar as we look up to God who is the author and finisher of our faith. I know that God will understand if in paying our final respect to our Father in God, Narciso V. Ticobay, we now rise and accord him a rousing applause he so deserves.
In thanking God for giving such wonderful person to be our friend, deacon, priest and bishop, we also thank his immediate family for sharing the bishop to all of us and to countless others who are not with us here but who are nevertheless one with us at this time.
I saw a poem, whose author is anonymous and I thought both the message and the writer sum up Bishop Ticobay’s life. It is brief so let me read and then I will shut up.
“I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do great things;
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for; but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men, most richly blessed.”