Date: April 12, 2020 ()

Bible Text: |

Series:

Easter Reflection

All our readings since the Easter Vigil bring to mind these principle truths of our faith. God is the Creator, the Liberator, and the Savior. The whole life of God’s people revolves around these three basic realities of God who created them, who liberated them, and who saved them since the beginning until our present age.

If this is our God who is the source of overflowing love and who shares His love generously with us - then, I could only thank Him from the deepest part of my being for giving me this beautiful life to enjoy and to share with others. What a beautiful thing to ponder: at one moment in eternity God conceived me in His Mind and Heart and created me; and when I was born, He always has His loving gaze upon me, a rebellious sinner but constantly loved by Him.

There’s a Filipino song entitled “Tuldok”(dot) and one important part of the song says:

Kahit na ang araw sa kalangitan
Siya ay tuldok lamang sa kalawakan
Lahat ng bagay ay tuldok ang pinanggalingan
At kung masdang mabuti, tuldok ang uuwian

Translation:

Even the Sun in the Heavens,
It is only a dot in the Space.
All things come from a single dot
And if you’d examine carefully, to a dot they will return.

At the beginning of our Lenten Journey, we were reminded of this our humble nature - we came forth from dust and unto we shall return. How insignificant if we may think, but this Great God, who created us, cares so much about this our humble insignificance. I would, therefore, like to sing aloud in thanksgiving the words of the psalmist: “What is man that you care for Him, mortal man that you keep Him in mind?”

In the Philippines these days, you do not want other people to hear you cough, you would rather hold from coughing to death if you want, otherwise, the next time you will know it, you are already an outcast. It’s been a joke in the neighborhood. It’s funny but sad to say, there are families who were robbed of their loved ones’ life due to COVID-19 truly suffer an alienation or discrimination of this sort because they felt like people were avoiding them, making themselves feel dirty and unlovable.

Easter is a reminder for all of us that no one is unlovable. We are worth-dying for. We are worth-fighting for. And God makes His best plans for us and everyone is important whether you are aged and disabled or sickly and with special needs. Everyone deserves a life. And so, in His resurrection, the Lord gratuitously shared this new life with us.

In my first assignment as an administrator to a new parish, I was blest to have a very good servant and lay minister. I could see the zeal of St. Paul in this renewed man - so passionate about the Word of God and dedicated to his service for the past 15 years now. He became my trustworthy buddy in going to remote mission areas of my parish. He served God in gratitude because He knew every beautiful thing that happened in His later life is God’s loving work. He got married to a very caring and loving wife, and though for years they were childless, one day a poor father went to their house and left them his baby whom he named Mary Mediatrix, in honor of Mama Mary to whom they both ask for intercession. He could never be this happy having a complete family now.