People all over the
globe is definitely not alien to the prevailing circumstance with regard to the
horrible effects of several catastrophes that hit the Philippines. Earthquakes,
landslides, floods, and typhoons are some of the many disasters that kill
thousands of people. It was indeed a tragic, terrific, and unfortunate
phenomenon that had shaken the lives of the many Filipinos. Thousands of
families lose their homes, livelihoods, and loved ones. Many of the survivors
wish to end their lives because they have nothing to live for. Starvation, lack
of sustenance and frustrations are a few of the many concerns of the survivors.
And yet, despite of the horrible catastrophes that crumbled in them, what
remains solid in them is their hope. Yes, their hope of tomorrow and most
especially their hope of the loving presence of God. This hope will lead us
Filipinos to stand and continue to live a simple life with a smile in our lips
amidst crises and pains.
At the
present, we are still on the process of recovering from distractions. It might
not be easy to start again, to regain everything that lost, but the spirit of
hope that is rooted in our deep faith and trust in God will help us to stand
and move on.
Today we're
very much busy preparing for the coming of the representative of Christ, the pope
– Pope Francis. All of us are very much overwhelm to know that he will be
visiting us on his Papal Visit this coming January 16. For me, this Papal visit
is indeed a grace from God. It is a blessing to all of us Filipinos for us to
rekindle the fire of hope that is burning in our hearts. Pope Francis’s visit
brings hope after these dilemmas, we encountered. What I have seen in the life of Pope Francis
is the real Christ lovingly tends His sheep. He is the genuine image that
portraits the Church as a church of the poor. His simplicity, humility and
holiness of life are concrete manifestations of His intimate relationship with
the Lord. His way of living is an invitation to each and every one of us to
revisit and to rediscover the true essence of our faith and to learn something
new about it. In these unfortunate circumstances we face, Pope Francis as the
living image of Christ, opens the hearts and minds of all the faithful to the
spirit of charity.
Pope Francis
on his first tweet said “God loves us, let us not be afraid to love him.” It is
this transforming love of God that we become fully alive and hopeful. Once we
realized that we are clothed and touched by the love of God, we will rise again
with a heart that is full of courage, hope, and faith. We may experience
thousands of calamities, but that love will always lead us to cling and go back
to God. Pope Francis is a visible instrument of Christ in building up the
community in the light of the gospel. He concretely lives his life as true
shepherd of soul. He is our educator of faith. He is then, the living message
of Jesus to us, especially in our present situation.
Above all,
Pope Francis wanted to have a smell like us. He wanted to know our sorrows and
struggles and even our distress and burdens – for him to know how to lead us to
Christ. He knows that he is an exemplary extension
of God’s heart. He loves us because he felt the love of Christ burning in his
life. Pope Francis felt the overflowing love of God and he wants to share it
with the sheep whom the Lord entrusted to his care. Indeed, Pope Francis
became popular not because of his own successes, but precisely because Christ
truly lives in him and he, in Christ.
