This is the homily of Fr. Efren ‘Momoy’ Borromeo, the healer priest, who celebrated the Mass commemorating the 27th death anniversary of Eugenio “Geny” Lopez, Jr. last June 28 at the Annunciation of Our Lord Chapel at ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City.
Geny Lopez, or Kapitan, as he was called by his corporate family and friends, was a captain of Philippine business and industry known for his vision and leadership, the value of “malasakit,” and caring for his people, and most of all his nationalism as he fought the dictatorship and for the restoration of democracy in the Philippines. He presided over the post-Edsa growth of ABS-CBN and the other corporations in the Lopez Group.
He died 27 years ago in San Francisco, at age 70.
Faith beyond the pews
In the Gospel, the lepers were not only sick; they were excluded. They were considered “unclean,” shut out from society and even from Temple worship. Their greatest suffering was not simply their disease but their isolation. Yet Jesus crossed every boundary. He touched those whom society refused to touch. He restored not only their health but also their dignity.
Today, we may not exclude people because of leprosy, but we still create new forms of exclusion. We build magnificent churches, organize grand processions, and fill our pews every Sunday. Yet on Monday, corruption returns to our offices, dishonesty enters our businesses, fake news spreads through our social media, and indifference greets the poor.
The challenge of the Gospel is this: How do we bring our faith beyond the pews?
We are all communicators. Whether we speak from a pulpit, teach in a classroom, post on social media, or simply live within our families, we influence others. The question is not whether we are influencers, but what kind of influence we leave behind.
Kapitan Geny Lopez (left) with artist Mauro Malang Santos during the launch of the book on Eugenio Lopez, Sr. in the ’90s (Photo by Thelma San Juan)
This is one of the enduring legacies of Geny. He understood that communication is not merely about broadcasting information but about serving the common good. Through the ABS-CBN Foundation and Sagip Kapamilya, media became an instrument of compassion, especially for those forgotten by society.
But perhaps the greatest lesson he taught was not in public but in private.
During one of our Zen retreats at the Cenacle, every retreatant was assigned a samu—a simple manual task done with mindfulness. Geny was assigned to tend the garden. Every morning he quietly watered the plants, removed weeds, and cared for every flower with patience, precision, and love. He was so thorough and methodical that people attending Mass thought the Cenacle had hired a new elderly gardener.
After the retreat they asked the Sisters, “Where is that new gardener? We would like to thank him.”
The Sisters simply smiled.
They protected both his privacy and his witness.
Here was the founder of one of the country’s largest media institutions, unnoticed, content to be mistaken for a gardener. He never corrected them. He simply continued serving.
That is the Gospel.
Jesus Himself was mistaken for a gardener on Easter morning. Mary Magdalene recognized Him only when He called her by name.
True greatness does not seek recognition. It quietly bears fruit.
Geny lived what he often believed: “Live simply so that others may simply live.”
St. Thérèse of Lisieux reminds us that ordinary acts done with extraordinary love become extraordinary in God’s eyes.
Perhaps the healing our country longs for will not begin with another political slogan or another public debate. It may begin with hidden acts of humility: a government employee who refuses a bribe, a businessperson who chooses honesty over profit, a journalist who tells the truth, a parent who listens patiently, a young person who uses social media to build rather than divide.
These quiet acts heal not only society but also our own arrogance, our prejudices, and the walls that separate us from one another.
The Kingdom of God grows like a garden—one faithful act of love at a time.
So today, let us leave this Eucharist with one prayer:
Lord, may our faith not end at the church door. Make us Your communicators of mercy, Your influencers of truth, and Your hidden gardeners of hope. Teach us to live simply, to serve quietly, and to love generously, so that through ordinary acts done with extraordinary love, our wounded society may begin to heal. Amen.
