Faithful, self-sacrificing love

Jesus, the high priest and sacrifice.

Jesus Christ is our high priest, “holy, innocent, undefiled” who has offered sacrifice “once for all when he offered himself” (Heb. 7:23-28).

From their inception as the people of God, the priests of Israel have offered animals as a holocaust — a burnt offering — to the Lord in order to atone for their sins.  The sins of the people were transferred to the animal, the scapegoat, and as it was consumed by fire, the transgressions of the people were burnt and absolved.

As high priest, Jesus offers sacrifice to the Father, albeit a costly one, for the sacrifice Jesus offers is his very life “as a ransom for many”.  He is high priest and offering at the same time.  He is mediator of the Father’s forgiveness of sins, but also the lamb who appropriates the consequences of sin.

The call to discipleship is not an invitation to suffer for the sake of suffering.  To follow in Jesus’ footsteps is to love and serve notwithstanding the outcome, to witness to the values of the Kingdom of God despite rejection and persecution. The cross then is the consequence of faithful love till the end.  Jesus’ crucifixion is the consequence of his fidelity to the Father and to his mission.

Calungsod, the sacrifice of life

In reply to the scribes’ question regarding the most important commandment, Jesus, echoing Moses’ teaching, declares, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength….  You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk. 12:28-34).  Pedro Calungsod was one such Christian who loved God and others with all his mind, heart and soul.

Together with thousands of Filipino pilgrims from all over the world, I was fortunate to participate in the canonization of our own Pedro Calungsod in Rome last October 21, 2012.  When the Holy Father mentioned his name at the beginning of the Mass, the Filipinos scattered all over St. Peter’s Square burst into cheers and applause. There is much affection for and a deepening devotion to Calungsod, perhaps because as a young catechist from the Visayas, he represents the common Filipino and embodies the best in us.  We see ourselves in him and glean what, by grace, we are called to be and can become.  

Faithful to his friend till the end, the young and agile Pedro opted not to flee but rather to remain by the side of Fr. San Vitores as they were assaulted by an incensed Chamorro.  Steadfast in witnessing to Christ’s love, Pedro attempted to protect Fr. San Vitores, but was ultimately pierced by a spear that went through his chest. Like the sacrificial lamb, Pedro took upon himself the consequences of human violence and hatred.  And in the process lost his life.  In one brief shining moment, we glimpse the fulfillment of our human vocation—to love God and our neighbors with all our mind, heart and soul.

Our call, a life of sacrifice

We may not be called to spill our blood for the Faith as Pedro had.  To be a disciple of Jesus is not to seek persecution and suffering, but to strive to be faithful to God, to our loved ones, to our vocation notwithstanding the consequences.  Like Pedro we are challenged to choose between seeking to protect ourselves and our interests or defending the vulnerable and the wronged. Like Pedro we can opt to flee whenever living out our Faith becomes dangerous and difficult or remain steadfast to our religious convictions amidst tribulation and conflict.

Discipleship to Jesus does not necessitate being persecuted, but rather being faithful till the very end.  In the end we will not be measured by how much we have amassed, but rather by how much we have given of ourselves to others, not even by the breadth of our altruistic activities, but by the depth and constancy of our love for God and others. 

One of our fellow pilgrims, Evelyn Ong, taught me what self-sacrificing love is.  The eldest of eight siblings, Evelyn took care of her younger siblings as they studied in Manila while their parents managed their business in Samar. After having guided her siblings into adulthood, she returned to Samar to care for her aging parents until their demise.  Evelyn freely chose to remain unmarried, attend to the needs of her younger siblings, and then those of her aging and ailing parents.

Whether we are called to bear witness to our Faith in one glorious moment of self-offering like Pedro or through a lifetime of inconspicuous service to others like Evelyn, we pray for the gift of steadfast, self-sacrificing love for God and neighbor.

(Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ is a prolific composer of liturgical music and serves on the faculty of the Loyola School of Theology. For feedback on this column, email [email protected].)