“It is finished.

The limit or the end teaches us the urgency to think and reflect.

We often hate endings, we do not like hearing such words like, “This will be
the last time!”, “No! You already had enough, you need to stop!” or “Stop
eating! You are getting fat.” Perhaps, because it sounds limiting, it sounds
like all possibilities are ceased, it is a haunting sound of not being allowed
to be. But if we reflect about it, a certain stoppage at one point allows us to
see things differently or even clearer.

Traditionally, Filipinos respect the “last words” of a dying person; we listen

to it closely-with interest and longing. Well, for some, they do listen
because it might include their inheritance or their “mana” as we call it. But
in most cases, such words are listened to because these are words from the
people we love, and hearing it from them for the last time is something that
we should all cherish and remember. But we should not stop there, we can
gain more from the words we hear from them because most often, they
contain wisdom and lessons about reality that allows us to make our lives
better and more meaningful. It can make us realize either of the two: how
horrific the person’s death is or how beautiful the person’s life was. Either
can lead us to new boundaries depending on how we accept it, the former
might be a challenge and the latter might be an inspiration. Through this,
we can see how powerful death is, or as I must say it, how powerful
endings are. Because, endings are also beginnings. That is why another
person’s death should not be taken as our own, because when someone
dies, that is, when someone dies for you, we must go on and live. And
every moment one dies for you-live.

Diyan tayo madalas nadadali, napakahirap nating matanggap ang

hangganan, na wala na, na tapos na. (Pero sana yung probinsyano matapos
na). Ayaw nating matapos ang mga bagay na nakapagpapasaya sa atin,
pero kapag sinabi ko sayong lahat ng nagtatapos ay nananatili, maniniwala
ka ba? Oo, titigil ngunit hindi naglalaho dahil lahat ng bagay na nagdaan at
natapos ay parte na kung sino ka, kung sino ako, kung sino tayo. Before
Jesus uttered the words “it is finished”, let us recall that he said that “He
thirsts”-a cry for relief from the unimaginable pain he had been through.
The 6th last word can be understood as a sign of acceptance and
confirmation. As a human being, Jesus accepts the fact that, for hours of
being hanged on the cross, his life is about to end. And that is important
because it reminds us that we should readdress our idea of death in relation
to our life. And as a loving God, the acceptance that He, with His Father,
has fulfilled the mission of salvation they have long set out for us. It may
also be understood as a confirmation to a very important message to every
one of us who loves, is loved, seeks love, and who would like to love, and
that is, “Yes, I can offer my life to and for you.” And yes, it is not easy to
utter and mean such words; let me rephrase that, it is never easy to say
and mean it, because it is not a onetime shot, confirming to this principle of
love takes time, it is a process or more so, a journey. It may take years or
decades for some, but if they arrive at the same destination, waiting for its
fruition is worth it. To end, there was this story of a princess, she was
brave, beautiful, and has so much love for her people. One fateful day, an
illness has stricken their tribe, many of the people, including children and
women, it became epidemic that deaths were almost innumerable. One
day, the elders of the tribe, together with the chief, conducted a meeting,
and it was mentioned that a prophecy foretells that only the sacrifice of the
life of a princess can take away the misfortune their tribe is suffering from,
though no one from the elders cannot demand such sacrifice. Unexpectedly,
the princess overheard their conversation and she knew what she had to
do. The next day, they were all astounded and happy because all those
affected by the disease miraculously became well. But the chief had tears
falling from his eyes knowing that his daughter has done the great sacrifice
for the sake of their people. After much rejoicing, the chief asked all his
people to honor her death by making their lives fruitful. My dear friends, we
are asked to honor Jesus’s death by living our lives to the fullest, by loving
until it is finished.

R.A.M.