The demons in us

Seldom does one hear an impressive homily due to defective acoustics and sound bytes, elocution imperfections, aberrations in diction, and such language or electronic flaws.

For sermons from the pulpit, like any other didactic talks with a captive audience, the preacher must have the modulated voice, the choice of words, the turn-of-phrase skills, and the mastery of his topic, and a message to convey.

The family circle attends the early evening Saturday "anticipated" Holy Mass as observed over the years now, that is, before supping out together as weekly bonding.

Two fortnights ago was no exception in the family routine, but for the visiting priest whose homily and how he dished it out was very remarkable. He focused on the demons in us and in society. A very interesting homily, true-to-life in realism unlike the usual surrealistic and too ethereal tenor of spiritual themes.

The message came across in clear impeccable English and diction, the right pauses obviating run-on and jumbled acoustics, and words spontaneously picked out. And his nearly purist Cebuano - but not the "lawom ra kaayong mga pulong" - came interspersed in apt analogy or "pasumbingay" to drive home his points.

For instance, the obviously brilliant priest made some beautiful metaphors to stress his discourse, like "Kaniadtong unang panahon, ang demonyo ngil-ad ang panagway ug sungayan. Apan karon, ang panuway matahom ug matintalon ang pamayhon".

For another, the homily also made some subtle references to the double entendres or Janus-faced public officials in government. While citing no names, the wisely-impish priest picked on those who proffer themselves as sanctimonious in their manners and cherubic in actuations, though belied by their lavish lifestyle and a bottomless wealth that betrays them come election-time spending.

One noticed, however, some shades of sexism - not masochism though - which could have just subliminally surfaced as in extemporaneous talks that come to the mind unbidden, and unpremeditated. Repeatedly, the homily stressed, "Sa kanhiay, ang demonyo walay takuban, ang panagway nga laksut ug kahadlokan; karon usa na ka maanyag maoy motintal sa tawo". Of course, the gender of "maanyag" need not be defined.

But what is significant is the message, not necessarily the messenger. Shorn of any hypocritical nit-picking and, even from strictly religious evangelism - or probably even with nary a spiritual creed to have faith in - all are one that, in essence, there may really be the demons in us, and in society in general. This despite man's being created in the image of his Creator.

 Of course, the final message of the pulpit - regardless of varying religions - is for the laity and the faithful, and most so, for the different religious leaders and spiritual gurus, to confront and overcome such demons in us. Regardless of social and spiritual cliques, or the mix of the learned and the unlettered, or the pol trapos and the common denizens, or the affluent and the needy, or whatever varying lifestyles and social differences, there's the need to cast out, or at least to tame, the demons in us. In thoughts, in words, and in deeds.

After all, to quote that true-to-life irony revealed in the promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary: "I see the right approve it too, condemn the wrong, and yet, the wrong will do". And this is the essence of the greatest challenge that man has to fight and overcome.

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