Posted by The WORD in other WORDS (2014) by Fr Eugene Docoy SVD – University of San Carlos – Cebu City
Friday 23rd Week in Ordinary Time
At a sidewalk near a church in uptown Cebu City is a growing number of children who sleep, play and eat at the unprotected concrete pavement. They are so are all exposed to rain, heat, dust and traffic hazards.
The children are so prominent to motorists because there are no other structures around except the high walls on both sides of the road. The children together with few adults beg from the passing motorists for a living. As the children extend their one arm for a few coins, and the other arm to signal for food, very few motorists open their tainted windows to give whatever they could. The rest stay cold in utter indifference.
People’s indifference to these street children is symbolic of what the society has become towards those who have very little in life. The government boasts of a booming economy, but what we see in the streets are very different to what official statistics picture.
It is undeniable that whatever economic gains the national government could claim do not trickle down to the least of society. Little wonder, joblessness, homelessness, poverty, ignorance, poor health care, environmental malpractice and socio-political decadence still abound.
Indeed there are so many lessons to learn as today’s Gospel would remind — openness to the realities of life, acceptance of our own weaknesses, and sincerity in al our undertakings. True Christian charity can only happen if we keep our eyes open to the concrete events that happen each day, if we are humble and honest enough to accept that we too have our own limitations so as to temper our pride and greed, to be truthful, and to refuse to leave any room for selfish agenda in every benevolent act we may extend to others.
The God we have is the God of sincere love. As his followers, we are called to do the same!
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