One of the best-loved religious song that’s very memorable to me is the song composed by Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ and Jandi Arboleda, putting a haunting hymn to the immortal prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s “Take and Receive” (from the Spiritual Exercises). Aside from the fact that this song was the first piece I played on the piano, the song inspired my journey to where I am now. Yes, to become a priest of His service to His flock.
The song’s melody puts oneself into deep and revered prayer of thanks and consolation that God lovingly bestowed upon. The lyrics (which translated to Filipino by Fr. Timoteo Ofrasio, SJ) puts meaning to selfless sacrfice to forego whatever riches, power or selfish ambition we have.
“Paghahandog Ng Sarili” is not also a simple Offertory song we sing in masses. It is a prayer. A prayer of self-surrending everything that flaggelates our inner being. The difficulty of letting go is the most challenging part of foregoing for the sake of vocation. The song reminds me that there’s nothing in this world that could be most valuable than the unconditional love of God that touched my heart. Riches and power may offer securities but the love of God sustains life and gives happiness that outpours!
“Paghahandog Ng Sarili” invites everyone to be like Christ, which he himself puts the best example of giving selflessly of one’sself to God. It’s an invitation. Jesus had done this to his cross, why should we not also do this to our own crosses? Oftentimes we put complains about the weight of our crosses when it is actually a moment where we should give ourselves according to one’s capacity of loving as equal to the weight our crosses we bear.
Whenever you sing “Paghahandog Ng Sarili”, let us be reminded what things should we let go for the sake of attaining God’s love. As for myself, I am continuously reflecting on things that I should let go. Letting go is not a one-time process, it is continuous process of learning to accept with humility that we as human beings, tainted with sins, but coping to be as creature loved unconditonally by God.