Gotta hand it to Fr. Sharon Langbis , Curate of the Cathedral of the Resurrection, for she knocked it right on the head with her short but compelling discourse on roles of godparents, during christening last Sunday of a baby named Annayabelle, daughter of Maureen and Atty. Brenner Bengwayan of Baguio City.
Fr. Sharon, ehem, please, pretty please, allow this loco hombre to call you Pade, as what Anglicans in Cordillera and Region 1 normally address our Church leaders. Pade Sharon zeroed on godparent’s spiritual responsibilities in molding children they sponsor.
These include inculcating to children the pathway to church. Pade Sharon cracked the ice between those attending the christening, making her message understood fully.
“You, we, don’t like being known as having entered the church for three times only. When you were hatched (born), when you were matched (married) and when you’re dispatched (buried),” Pade Sharon quipped.
Pade Sharon’s homily elicited muted mirth from the motley group, composed of Anglicans, Roman Catholics and other denominations. Ah Kong, at the back pews, marveled at such united nod of agreement among stranger sponsors, at Pade Sharon’s words. So, it will be written.
But this write-up wouldn’t have been done without invaluable help from Philian Weygan Allan. As Ah Kong, senile that he is, started pounding on the typewriter, he couldn’t continue. Why? Of all things, I don’t know Pade Sharon’s surname.
To compound matters, if residents of Kapangan – where Pade Sharon hails from — will know of Ah Kong’s ignorance of not knowing the name of their own first female priest, they will finally conclude that, indeed, Ah Kong has committed many serious crimes of omission needing serious solutions like scrambling his brains and frying it.
Ah Kong may well put in his kukote” (head) that forgetting, misquoting or incorrectly uttering given names of persons can be an affront to many, or a slap in the face.
Try saying “Bakes” to a guy whose real name is “Barky.” Next thing you know, Barky will menacingly growl, “Anya diay inbagam, ah? Tanga!” (What did you say? Idiot!”).
How to unravel the problem? Aah! If there’s one who is going to help, there’s no other than Philian Weygan Allan, a witty lady of fine upbringing. So Ah Kong asked Philian a favor, for the name of pretty Pade Sharon. And Presto! Philian did so immediately. With spontaneity. An admirable lady, this Philian is.
It comes to pass correctly what Ah Kong’s friend, Epiko Ababiik, of Baguio, says of spontaneity, “Gently, gently, it will all come together. That, and serendipity.”
So it did! A christening, a beautiful lady priest and another purty lady who served in Baguio City’s Council, all working like Swiss clock to bring exuberance and fond souvenirs to a closing December season for a misguided Ah Kong, who decided t’was time to make amends with his Maker.
Fond souvenirs of growing up silly while cackles of youth was tempered by the steeple and belfry of the Anglican Church beckoning Ah Kong and friends away from hell’s gates.
Like many of us, oh, we were spontaneously silly then, sillier when Christmas knocks. And we poked fun at our Church, too. Not that we intended to, but because we learned that the church is the people and people can be funny at times, like God himself.
The heart’s matter was that many suns ago, under the cathedral’s shades, after service, church goers linger and gleefully exchanged tales to free them from December’s biting cold. I remember many of the stories:
Several moons ago, a group of ugliest people aboard a vehicle fell off a ravine one December. Reaching the pearly gates of heaven, St. Peter told them God shall grant them their wish. The first person said he wanted to be handsome. St. Peter yawned. It was granted.
The second said she wanted to be beautiful. Granted. It went on throughout the group, nobody wanting to be ugly. Then St. Peter noticed the last man person was laughing like crazy. When his turn came, he said to St. Peter, “Tell God that I wish they were all ugly again.” His wish was granted.
Or we laughed of the devil outwitted by a Cordilleran. One December day, three Benguet guys were fishing at Ambuklao Dam when the devil appeared.
The devil proposed that each drop something in the dam. If he can’t find it, the devil will be the men’s slave. If he can, the men will be the devil’s slaves. The first drops a piso, the second drops a cintimo; devil found them.
The third said,” If you can’t find what I drop, free my friends.” “Okay”, said devil. The third poured a bottle of drinking water into Ambuklao Dam and demanded, “Find that water, if you can.”
So we say this season, “…Goodwill to men…”