Posted by The WORD in other words (2016) by Fr Ferdinand Bajao, SVD – Rome, Italy
6th Sunday of Easter – C
Aside from the smile, the joy, the faith and the warmth that our Filipino brothers and sisters are known for here, the most significant for me are their calloused hands. Maraming kalyo, so to speak. Every time I shake hands with them or when they reach out for my hand for the traditional “mano”, I come in contact with their struggles, tribulations, difficulties and daily challenges. One even remarked that hearts get calloused too.
Peace is found in Jesus. While Sunday gatherings can turn also into yes, just gatherings, it also helps me know the migrant Filipinos’ deep yearning for a faith-life. In the beginning, I thought that everything could be reducible to work or euros and that faith did not authentically place a spot in their lives.
“May pera po, may trabaho pero ‘di naman po mapayapa ang loob ko…” (There is money, there is work but I am not at peace…). Such as statement is very revealing of this need for peace and not just money. The world can always challenge this. Why sacrifice the time for rest by going to Mass when there is TV at home or friends to hang out with? The search for peace may not really commence with eluding the sources of peace. Neither can it take root by rooting out Jesus. Neither can wealth fill up an empty heart.
Yes, it can be uncomfortable sitting, standing and kneeling next to someone you don’t like; suffer the homilies of good Padre who may hurt at times or bore at times or simply stress forgiveness, or ask for donations or exhort people to help out in some activities. All these can be very disturbing. However, the Sunday that disturbs and confronts our consciences is the same day for softening our calloused hearts by God’s grace. No calloused hand can work simply in isolation or simply out of good intention or serious effort.
From the same font we drink of God’s mercy and compassion. There we find that peculiar peace which the world cannot simply distribute to every heart. Call it fanaticism or wishful medieval thinking, but many of these calloused hands and hearts, and let us say, calloused life histories, find peace in His word, in His sacrament and in the Christian community.
“May problema pa rin po pero naliwanagan po ako nung narinig ko yung first reading, medyo gumaan…” (The problem remains but I was enlightened upon listening to the first reading and somehow it lightened me up…) This experience may not be understandable to the world of fleeting perks but it is not impossible to understand it from the heart. A person at peace with the Lord and with others shows somehow. Then, we hope to be that person.
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