“IT IS FINISHED”

(John 19:30)
After being betrayed by His people, tortured, and ridiculed by the Jews, Jesus cried
out his 6th Word – “IT IS FINISHED”.
Such powerful words come from the dying Jesus crucified on the cross. Declaring the
COMPLETION of His mission on earth - the Lord’s offering of His only son, JESUS to be
the ultimate sacrifice to save His people (us) from our SINFULNESS.
“IT IS FINISHED” is JESUS’ cry of VICTORY over DEATH CAUSED BY the Sins of
Humanity.
In my younger years as a single man, and even up to the early years of my marriage, I
was into depravity that exposed me to many sins and even drew me away from God.
I got addicted to “sabong”. Like father like son, they would say, we were ‘Sabongero’
then. During weekends or even on Sundays, WE HAD OUR OWN ‘Kristo’ WHO MADE
HIS OWN CRIES – (Sa Pula, sa Puti!) at a cockfighting arena or ‘tupada’ . QUITE FAR
from the ‘Kristo’ the REAL CHRIST (ang TUNAY na KRISTO sa buhay ko ngayon) – the
Lord Jesus Christ whom we love, praise, and adore here in church.
As a sabongero back then, I found that when you are in a cockfighting arena, you are
not only into gambling, but you will be exposed to or in a way also commit many
other related sins like cheating, bullying, and believing & using ‘Black Magic’. You see,
in the late 70’s and 80’s, quack doctors were popular in Samar, and most of these
quack doctors were also ‘sabongeros’. So at the start of Holy Week, these quack
doctors who are also ‘sabongeros’ would be in search of black magic, and as a young
man I was exposed to all these. In fact, I joined them in looking for ‘Black Magic’,
and using the same during cockfighting or ‘tupada’ usually on Holy Thursday and Holy
Friday.
You could just imagine how I was in the eyes of my wife and children, this husband
and father, who on Sundays and Holy Weeks could not be with them in devoting
time to prayer, confession, and attending church activities. Where would I be? I was
with the quack doctors (Tambalan) in the hunt for ‘Black Magic’ during Holy Week, in
the foolish, stupid and evil belief that a certain object would bring us all the luck in
gambling which was cockfighting or Tupada during Holy Thursday and Holy Friday.
Like the Jews who relished mocking Jesus during His passion and crucifixion, I,
together with these men who practiced black magic, was doing a good job at
insulting and betraying the Lord Jesus Christ by taking the path of darkness and sin. A
very contemptuous and unforgivable choice for a so-called Catholic Christian who
should have known better.
And this vice of mine did not only corrupt me, it was also hurting my marriage. And
looking back, I could only imagine how my wife felt, the disappointment, the
disillusionment she must have had in those times. Having married her after a
whirlwind romance, she must have been dismayed and deeply hurt to find out that
she married a ‘sabongero’ and this stranger who believed in black magic, a far cry
from the suave and handsome gentleman that she met in Japan as a fellow scholar.
She, who has been brought up in a devout Catholic family who served in Church, she
must have had a very difficult time loving me in those days. A thing she never
showed to me nor my family. She never complained.
She was always careful not to offend my ‘sambongero’ father, my faithful wife was
constantly praying for my conversion. Without me knowing, she always prayed over
me when I was asleep.
Lo and behold, through the grace of God, I started skipping my Sunday cockfighting
classes, and went to church instead. My wife’s prayers have been answered for she
succeeded in convincing me to join faith communities like the Brotherhood of
Christian Businessmen & Professionals (BCBP), and the Archdiocesan Marriage
Encounter (AMEn), and especially to serve as a Lay Minister here in Redemptorist
church.
With my wife as His instrument, God led me here - to this moment. And now I am
here witnessing how His love has saved me from the slavery of darkness. Here where
I found my life’s purpose and mission. Here and now when I can say with conviction
Jesus Christ has triumphed over my sinfulness! My vices are FINISHED. Satan is
defeated!
I praise and adore the true “Kristo” – the Lord Jesus Christ, who, despite my grave sin,
unconditionally embraced, accepted, and forgave me.
The Lord Triumphed indeed! IT IS FINISHED!