TRANSCRIPT: Cardinal Tagle on hope and Advent

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle talked about hope at “The Word Exposed” Advent recollection on Sunday, December 11.

At this event organized by Jesuit Communications, Tagle spoke in the context of Advent, a 4-week season of waiting for Christmas, the feast of Christ’s birth.

The cardinal connected the virtue of hope to the lives of parents, teachers, and all kinds of sinners, including criminals and people “drawn into vices.” (READ: Cardinal Tagle: ‘I will not give up on criminals’) 

“You hope for something, but will you see what you had hoped for? But you continue hoping, even when you do not see,” Tagle said.

Saying this is an example of hopelessness, Tagle also denounced the act of killing those who have made mistakes in life. “I will not give up on anyone. I will not give up on anything. I will not give up even on criminals,” Tagle said.

Tagle’s reflections were based on a passage in the Gospel according to Matthew. 

The passage showed John the Baptist, the prophet who prepared for the coming of Jesus, becoming doubtful when he was in prison. “When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11: 2-3)

Below is a partial transcript containing excerpts from Tagle’s Advent recollection:

Doubts of John the Baptist

Now, John the Baptist is in prison. He was put to jail by the powerful and violent people of his time. Nawala na siya sa desert (He was gone from the desert), near the Jordan. Nalipat siya sa ibang desert (He was transferred to another desert) – the desert of the prison, and the interior desert that the jail brings you into. 

And in that interior desert and the desert of the prison cell, John the Baptist probably started wondering: Was my life worthwhile? Did I point to the right person? I even told my disciples, “Look! The Lamb of God! Follow him!” Was I right? Did I lead them to the real Messiah? Nagampanan ko ba ang misyon ko, na ihanda ang daraanan ng darating na Mesiyas? Baka ibang daan ang naihanda ko. (Have I accomplished my mission, to prepare the way of the coming Messiah? I might have prepared a different way.)

Am I making a difference? Have I done what I had hoped to do? Was my discernment right? Or have I allowed opportunities to pass me by? Deep questions. 

Even the prophet, who sounded sure, had to entertain some doubts, some uncertainties. 

John the Baptist is an Advent figure. Huwag po tayong matatakot kung paminsan-minsan, meron din tayong mga pagdududa sa buhay. Mas natatakot ako doon sa mga tao na walang kaduda-duda – lahat malinaw, at lahat alam nila. Walang Advent sa mga taong ‘yon. Walang hihintayin e, kasi alam na nilang lahat. 

(Let us not be afraid if sometimes, we also have doubts in life. I am more afraid of people who have no doubts at all – everything is clear, and they know everything. There is no Advent in those people. They have nothing to wait for, because they know everything.)

Even the great prophet, John, at a certain point, had to ask questions, and it’s okay. It’s okay. 

Examples of hope: Parents, teachers

John is the symbol of hopes proclaimed and hopes transformed. Lahat tayo may mga pag-asa, pero kung minsan, ‘yung mga inaasahan natin, parang nababago. (All of us have hopes, but sometimes, the things we hope for get transformed.)

‘Pag nabago ba ‘yung inaasahan mo, titigil na ba ang pag-asa? (If the thing you hope for changes, will you stop hoping?)

In John the Baptist, we see that hope includes the openness to how God will fulfill our hopes – to be open to God’s ways of fulfilling our hopes. And that’s the very nature of hope – you are open. We cannot totally dictate. Kapag nadidiktahan na, sarado na, wala nang aasahan, kasi alam mo na e. (If we can dictate on it, if it is closed, we have nothing more to hope for, because you already know everything.) And that’s where faith and hope come together.

I see the calling for all of us… Sana ang pananampalataya ng Simbahan, ang ating pananampalataya, makakapagbigay sa mundo ng isang vision, pananaw (I hope that the faith of the Church, our faith, can give the world a vision, a perspective), of a renewed and transformed world, even when we do not know and we do not see the fruit of what we hope for.  

Parang masakit sabihin pero ‘yun ang tunay. Ang pag-asa ay nakasalalay doon sa pananampalataya. (That’s painful to say but that is the truth. Hope depends on faith.) Alam mong (You know) there’s a promise of a renewed and transformed world, but you also know you might not see or you might see something that is different.

Puwede ho bang malaman, ilan sa inyo dito ang mga parents o mga magulang? Ang dami. Siguro kayo ang unang makakaunawa kay John the Baptist e. Pagkapanganak pa lang ng anak ‘nyo, dinala ninyo sa simbahan para binyagan – a bundle of joy. Ang dami ‘nyong hopes, ang dami ‘nyong dreams, at ang lahat ng dreams ninyo, mabubuti. Makikita ‘nyo ba lahat ng pangarap ‘nyo para sa anak ‘nyo? O kaya ang nakikita ‘nyo ba sa anak ‘nyo, ‘yung pinangarap ninyo? Minsan hindi e. Pero kahit hindi malinaw, aalagaan mo pa rin ‘yung batang ‘yon. At kahit na kung minsan, ‘yung tinatahak niyang daan, iba doon sa iyong inaasahan, your faith keeps you going, keeps you loving. At sinasabi ‘nyo pa, “Anak ko pa rin ‘yan. Anak ko ‘yan.” 

(May I know who among you here are parents? So many. I think you’re the first to understand John the Baptist. When your child was born, you brought him to church to be baptized – a bundle of joy. You had many hopes, you had many dreams, and your dreams were all good. Will you see all your dreams for your child? Or do you see in your child the things you dreamed for? Sometimes not. But even if it is unclear, you will still care for that child. Even if sometimes, the road he is taking is different from what you hoped for, your faith keeps you going, keeps you loving. And you say, “That is still my child. That is my child.”)

Nu’ng isang araw lang, may lumapit sa akin, sabi, “Cardinal, kausapin mo nga ‘yung anak ko.” “Bakit?” “E ang pangarap ko sa anak ko ay maging mabuting businessman.” “O? E ano ba ang gusto?” “E gustong maging musician!” “E anong masama sa musician?” “E, anong kikitain niya sa paggigita-gitara?!” 

(Just the other day, someone approached me saying, “Cardinal, please speak to my child.” “Why?” “Because my dream for my child is to become a good businessman.” “Then? What does he want?” “He wants to become a musician!” “What’s wrong about being a musician?” “What will he earn from playing the guitar?!”)

Ayan. (There.) John the Baptist. You hope, and your hope is beautiful, but you have the asceticism. Should I dictate? Should I be gentle? Should I be open? Should I have faith that somehow, something good will happen.

Mga teachers, meron bang mga teachers dito? Turo kayo nang turo, nauubos ang boses ‘nyo katulad ko. Meron kayong mga hopes, na sana itong estudyante kong ito, magiging ganito, magiging scientist, magiging ganyan. Ang daming hopes. 

(To the teachers, are there teachers here? You keep on teaching, until you lose your voice, like me. You have hopes, that this student would be a scientist, would be this and that. So many hopes.)

Pero (But) you have to be open to the fact that your hopes might not happen in exactly the same way. And even if your students turn out differently, you continue hoping. You don’t give up. And your faith tells you: Do not give up. Keep on hoping.

May mga madre dito, mga pari. Meron kayong mga candidates. ‘Pag nag-apply, parang, “Oh, very promising!” Meron kayong hopes. May mga hopes. Pero habang tumatagal, parang may sarili silang buhay… O kaya, ‘pag natupad din ‘yung pangarap ninyo, baka wala na kayo. 

(There are nuns and priests here. You have candidates. When they apply, you say, “Oh, very promising!” You have hopes. You have hopes. But as time passes, it seems like they have a life of their own… Or, when you achieve your dreams, you might be gone already.)

Nangyari rin ho sa akin yan e. Kasi 1984, I remember, si Bishop Felix Perez, tinawag ako, sabi, “Ito ang last year mo sa seminary as rector. Next year, you will go abroad to study.” 

(That happened to me, too. In 1984, I remember, Bishop Felix Perez called me to say, “This is your last your in the seminary as rector. Next year, you will go abroad to study.”)

Sabi ko, “Bishop, tamad na akong mag-aral. Napapagod na ako. At saka pag-aaralin ‘nyo ako, e natutulog lang naman ako sa classroom e. Papa-abroad mo pa ako para lang matulog? Napakagastos naman ‘yon. Magtutulug-tulog lang ako sa classroom? Dito na lang ako matutulog.” Sabi niya, “Hindi. Ni-recommend ka ng mga teachers mo…para matulog (laughs). May hope na kailangan natin ng mga teachers, kailangan natin ng ganyan, so you will go.”

(I said, “Bishop, I’m too lazy to study. I’m tired. And why will you send me to school, when I just sleep in the classroom? Will you send me abroad just to sleep? That’s too expensive. So will I just sleep in the classroom? I’ll just sleep here. He said, “No. Your teachers recommended you…to sleep (laughs). There’s a hope, that we need teachers, we need them, so you will go.”)

Sabi ko, “Bishop, I know priests senior to me, who were ordained before me, na gustong mag-aral abroad. Sila na ang papuntahin ninyo. Mauna na sila.” Sabi niya, “Oo, alam ko. Alam ko, gusto nilang mag-aral abroad. Kaya nga ikaw ang ipapadala ko e, kasi ayaw mo. Siguradong babalik ka. ‘Yung gustong umalis, baka hindi bumalik.” Lahat na ng bargaining. 

(I said, “Bishop, I know priests senior to me, who were ordained before me, who want to study abroad. Let them go instead. Let them go first.” He said, “Yes, I know. I know that they want to study abroad. That’s why I want to send you, because you don’t want to. I’m sure you will return. Those who want to go might no longer return.” All types of bargaining.)

Tapos sabi ko, “E you just appointed me rector. May mga sinisimulan kaming mga ginagawa, according to your hopes. Tapos paaalisin mo ako.” Sabi niya, “Nasimulan ang seminary na ito, wala ka pa. Bakit? Mamamatay ba ang seminaryong ito ‘pag umalis ka?” Sabi ko, “I hope not.” Sabi niya, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?” “Opo.” “Then go!” 

(Then I said, “But you just appointed me rector. We started many things, according to your hopes. Then you will let me go.” He said, “When this seminary began, you were not yet here. Why? Will this seminary die when you leave?” I said, “I hope not.” He said, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?” “Yes.” Then go!”)

So I obeyed. I obeyed. Nag-aral naman po ako. Hindi lang ako natulog sa Washington DC. Nag-aral ako. And then nakatapos. (I studied. I didn’t just sleep in Washington DC. I studied. Then I was able to graduate.) February 28, 1992, tinawagan ako ng dean, sabi (the dean called me, saying), “Father Tagle, all the requirements had been completed, you have complied with everything, the revision in your thesis, all done, so you are now a doctor of theology.” Sabi niya (He said), “You may stay for the graduation, but if you don’t want to attend the graduation, you may go home with the degree. That’s your choice. You may now call your superior, your bishop, and tell him the good news.” 

That’s 28 February in the States, afternoon. That was 29 February in the Philippines. Tawag ako nang tawag sa Bishop’s House, walang sumasagot. Maya-maya, may natanggap akong tawag. “Kamamatay lang ni Bishop Perez.” That same day (voice cracking). 

(I kept on calling the Bishop’s House, and no one was answering. Later on, I received a call. “Bishop Perez just died.” That same day.)

You hope for something, but will you see what you had hoped for? 

But you continue hoping, even when you do not see. For hoping is not the certainty of my human sight. Hoping is nurtured by faith. Faith. That is the lesson that John the Baptist is telling us.

‘I will not give up on criminals’

We hope, intensely hope, for people, especially the youth, who have been drawn into vices, drugs. Ang tingin ng iba sa kanila (The way others view them), beyond hope. No! With John the Baptist, we declare, we will hope. And even if we do not see now, even now, the fruits of our hope, we will continue hoping. 

Tao ‘yan, buhay ‘yan! May pag-asa ‘yan. At hindi ‘yan dapat ideklara na wala nang pag-asa. Kung ‘yan ay yayakapin nang may pag-asa at pananampalataya, magugulat tayo, ang hindi natin inaasahan, baka, wow, a miracle, a miracle might bloom before our very eyes. Kaya huwag, huwag na huwag lalapastanganin ang isang tao na nagkamali. Sa halip na lapastanganin, umasa! Kahit hindi mo nakikita ang inaasahan mo, umasa ka, manampalataya ka! God can do wonders. Keep on hoping. Mahirap po ito. Mahirap. But it can happen. 

(That’s a person, he’s alive! He has hope. And he shouldn’t be declared hopeless. If you will embrace that person with hope and faith, we will be surprised. What we don’t expect is that, wow, a miracle might bloom before our very eyes. So do not, do not ever disrespect a person who has made a mistake. Instead of disrespecting him, have hope! Even if you do not see what you are hoping for, have hope, have faith! God can do wonders. Keep on hoping. This is difficult. Difficult. But it can happen.)

Sa mga street children, kahapon po, with the Jesuit Communications, we spent the whole afternoon among street kids ng Tulay ng Kabataan. ‘Pag narinig ‘nyo ang mga kuwento, parang ang daling sabihin, “Hopeless na. Wala na. Parang patapon na.” Pero hindi po. Nakakatuwa. Merong mga tao who are like John the Baptist. 

(On street children, yesterday, with the Jesuit Communications, we spent the whole afternoon among street kids of Tulay ng Kabataan. When you hear their stories, it would be easy to say, “It’s hopeless. It’s over. They’re going to waste.” But no. It makes us happy. There are people who are like John the Baptist.)

They do not stop hoping, even when the parents of the children have given up. Even when authorities have given up. Even when social workers have given up at pagod na pagod na (and they are so tired). Salamat sa Diyos, may mga tao (Thank God, there are people) who continue hoping, even when they do not always see what they want to see. They are fueled by faith, and strong hope. 

Tuwang tuwa po ako, may lumapit sa aking isang bata. Street child. Deaf and mute… Biruin ‘nyo, deaf and mute, street child, abandoned, parang hanggang ngayon hindi nila alam sino ang magulang. Pero tingnan ‘nyo (But look), we have this foundation, we have these people, so selfless. They hope. They hope. They took them in. 

(I was so happy, there was a child who approached me. Street child. Deaf and mute… Imagine, deaf and mute, street child, abandoned, and until now it seems they do not know who their parents are.)

Sabi ng isang tao doon sa shelter, the first month, talagang ang hirap daw talagang alagaan ng bata. Napaka-unruly. Siguro lahat ng negative experiences sa kalye, all the abuse, all the violence, na-imbibe niya. 

(Someone in the shelter said that in the first month, the kid was so hard to take care of. So unruly. Perhaps all the negative experiences on the streets, all the abuse, all the violence, he was able to imbibe.)

But they provided him with shelter, a community, and love. Hope. After one month, sabi nila (they said), he is a changed person. At sabi nila (And they said) he is very prayerful. Laging nasa chapel. Laging dala ‘yung stampita ng Divine Mercy. At kahapon, through signs, kinukuwento niya sa akin ‘yung pinanggalingan niya, at uwi nang uwi doon sa Divine Mercy (makes a prayer gesture). Hope. 

(He is always in the chapel. He always brings the prayer card of the Divine Mercy. Yesterday, through signs, he was telling me about where he came from, and he always goes back to Divine Mercy.)

Imagine if people had given up on him. That boy would have been…really useless. But now, he is a model of prayer, of sanctity. And we were glad to have seen it. Pero kahit hindi natin nakita (But even if we did not see it), that’s part of hoping. Do your share. Believe. Whether you see it or not, just do it. Keep on hoping. 

Kaya pati, ang mga nagkakamali, ang pagkitil ng buhay is an act of hopelessness and despair. A people that has hope will never kill. Ang pag-asa ay nagsasabi, yurak-yurak man ang buhay mo, nagkamali ka man, umaasa kami, mayroong bagong buhay. Mayroong pag-asa. At ‘pag tinanong tayo, nakikita mo na ba? Hindi ko pa nakikita, pero aasa pa rin ako. Pero ‘pag pinatay na, papa’no mo pa makikita ang bagong buhay? 

(That’s why in the case of those who make mistakes, killing people is an act of hopelessness and despair. A people that has hope will never kill. Hope tells us that while your life might be broken, while you might have committed a mistake, we continue to hope that there is new life. There is hope. And when we’re asked, do you already see it? I do not see it yet, but I will continue to hope. But when you kill the person, how will you see new life?)

My dear brothers and sisters, the questioning, self-questioning of John the Baptist provides us a model of hope, a hope that is capable of entertaining uncertainties, maybe even doubts. But faith is stronger than the doubts, and because there is faith, there is openness. I may not see what I am hoping for. I might see something different. But I will continue hoping. I will not give up on anyone. I will not give up on anything. I will not give up even on criminals.  

‘Every life has hope’

Faith never gives up on the present, even in the face of threatening and uncertain factors. Faith never gives up even when we are not sure that what we are expecting will happen as we want them to happen. 

I know many people think the world is getting worse. ‘Pag naririnig ko ‘yon, hindi agad ako naniniwala. Nasa isip ko lang, ang kaharap ko, tumatanda. ‘Yan ang mark ng mga tumatanda e. (Whenever I hear that, I do not easily believe it. I just think that the person I’m talking to is getting old. That is the mark of one who is getting old.) “The good old days, and the present time, worse than the past.” Kapag ganyan na ang salita ‘nyo (laughs), alam ‘nyo na ang age ‘nyo. (When you start talking that way, you know your age.) Many people think that the world is getting worse, that life is becoming worse, that human beings are becoming worse.” Can you say that, na ang anak ninyo (that your child) is worse than the people of yesteryears? 

‘Yan ba ang ating (Is that our) profession of faith? “I believe that the world is getting worse”? But if we believe that transformation will happen, we will wait for God to accomplish it. And it is not wasted waiting, because it is God who will accomplish it. In God’s ways, in God’s mysterious ways, but we need to participate, in hope. That’s our asceticism. We do not need to be assured all the time that what we expect will happen as is. But keep on hoping and believing that it is God who will accomplish it. Hope for the poor. Hope for the sinners. Do not give up on them. Do not give up on their lives. 

Every life has hope. Every life has an opportunity to be transformed, if only we believe, if only we believe. Because the center of faith is not in the accomplishment of things. The center of faith is Jesus. 

Hindi ko puwedeng sabihin, “Maniniwala na ako kasi wala nang gutom. Maniniwala na ako kasi wala nang nauuhaw. Maniniwala na ako dahil lahat matataas na ang suweldo.” 

(I cannot say, “I will believe because no one is hungry. I will believe because no one is thirsty anymore. I will believe because everyone has a high salary already.”)

Maniniwala ako kay Hesus. (I will believe in Jesus.) At ‘yung paniniwala ko kay Hesus (And our belief in Jesus), hopefully, will give us all the energy to continue hoping, to continue giving a new impetus, especially impetus to dream, especially to those who have made mistakes, whose lives have been ruined. That’s what we need – the joy, the power of faith, that makes us hope. Pero kailangan talaga maghintay (But we really need to wait)… In the midst of our doubts, in the midst of our questioning, may our hope remain firm. May we not give up especially on human lives and may we not give up on every single sinner. There is hope for transformation.

– transcript by Paterno Esmaquel II/Rappler.com