Bunny Virtues

CEBU, Philippines - It was my first time to participate in an Inculturated Family Mass during this year's Chinese New Year celebration. Though in the past, I did join inter-faith rallies where various systems of belief were represented, I got initiated to what it's like to be celebrating a Thanksgiving Mass in English interspersed with Chinese antiphonal, offertory and communion songs.

Also, before the final blessing was given to the community of the faithful, the celebrant led the ritual for the ancestor(s) veneration wherein spirits of forebears are petitioned to bless continually the current and future generations.

Initially, I was responding to an assignment. But later on I was participating, listening intently to the homily on the virtues of the rabbits we can learn from and apply in our lives as we skip and hop over adversities.

The homily mentioned of the positive things about the rabbit. First, they multiply quickly. "It doesn't mean you have to follow this by making babies, but you can focus more on the productivity of rabbits," the homilist stressed.

He mentioned that mother rabbits can produce babies when they are six months old because at three months old they are already capable of mating. They give birth from 20 to 40 babies in a year. The size of the litter is usually between four to eight kits.

"We can learn on a positive note this kind of productivity which is natural to rabbits. We can reflect on how we've spent time most especially at work. How do we produce something from resources? From our precious time? Think of how much we can give to our families, to our community and to our country in terms of meaningful productivity?"

Second, rabbits are attributed for their sensitivity. They have long, sensitive ears which can turn in any direction. They are social, loving and interactive animals. Most of all, rabbits are happy creatures. They perform a series of jumps, twists and runs called "binky" to show this. "We can also learn from their sensitivity by listening to the deep recesses of our hearts. When we accustom ourselves to silence, we hear much," he further said.

Third, rabbits serve others. Their powerful hind legs thump on the ground heavily to warn relatives of imminent danger. "We can be 'rabbits for others' if we live to show other people how we respect the sanctity of human love, the value of family life, as well as a life in peace with all."

To ensure a year of the big leap, I must also point out that we can learn as well from another positive trait of the rabbit - they clean up their own mess. Aside from physical grooming, they are known to eat up their night droppings called "cecotropes" (which by the way is said to be very high in nutrients). Not that I'm suggesting we literally follow that "yucky" act. But we, being humans (or are we really?), are expected to perform some higher level of cleaning up --- in our conscience, in our concern for others, in our personal agenda, in our system of governance, etc.

After celebrating the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the traditional Lion Dance was carried out at the Sacred Heart Parish Church grounds, followed shortly by the flying of red and yellow fire lanterns. It was my concern, however, whether it's advisable to observe this bothersome practice knowing that there are still houses made of thatched roofing in the metro. The Bunny Virtue of sensitivity can help us reconsider the impact of centuries-old practices to our already congested cities.

Overall, I'm glad to have attended a church service that had put on as backdrop a Chinese image of the Holy Family (please see photo) with the young Jesus cuddling a charming rabbit on his lap. Fr. Ari Dy, the celebrant, said that this is "one of the most beautiful images he has ever seen."

According to him, the image serves to remind us that "Jesus is God of all nations; that he is God of cultural convergence."