Miracle of repentance

The WORD in other words by Father Oscar Alunday SVD

Tuesday 15th Week in Ordinary Time

Nomar’s life began with sorrow—his father Palla died of a brain tumor when he was only a few weeks old. Yet God turned tragedy into blessing when Nomar was adopted into a large family. His arrival brought joy, and he was cherished as a precious gift from the Lord. “Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3).

As he grew, Nomar’s peers planted lies in his heart, telling him he was “picked up from the basura.” This poisoned his trust, leading him into dishonesty, suspicion, and rebellion. He drifted from school, from family, and from hope. Searching for “true love,” he fell into relationships and habits that deepened his loneliness. Like the prodigal son, he felt abandoned and treated as “basura” (Luke 15:13–16).

Yet grace was not absent. Nomar realized he had failed to appreciate the love showered on him since childhood. He heard the reproach similar to the Gospel, “Woe to you…” (Matthew 11,21) Thus, he bent his knees and prayed daily: “It is not yet too late to reform. I am only twenty-two years old. With the help of God, I will show by my words and actions that I can be a new person!” His prayer echoes the psalmist: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). He responded to call of repentance.

Nomar’s story reminds us that miracles are not only extraordinary healings in places like Lourdes or Fatima. They are also the quiet transformations of the human heart—the courage to repent, the strength to rebuild trust, the grace to become grateful. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

All the good things that happen in our lives are miracles from the Lord. May we become more aware of these gifts, and may we share them generously with others. Nomar’s journey is a testimony that no one is “basura” in God’s eyes. Each life is precious, each heart redeemable, each story capable of becoming a witness to grace. A miracle of repentance happens.