The Papal Visit : A Reflection

Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines kept us momentarily glued to the television or any gadget that would provide an update of his activities.  Luckily, we are no longer deprived of such technologies, thus, we are able to lavish at the pictures and videos that showed the Pope.

The weather may not have cooperated – the wind was cold and blowing hard; there was heavy downpour of rain.  All these may have dampened the mood, but it was otherwise.  The influx of people proved that they are ready to brave the wind and cold breeze.  The heavy downpour was thwarted by the outpour of emotion and eagerness to see the Pope.

My hopes are high that the frenzy and euphoria that we have gone through will not remain as an experience extraordinaire but a life-changing force - one which can deepen our relationship with God and for the most part, conversion.  At my end, I have come to ask, “What have I gained from the Papal Visit”?  “Am I expecting a miracle?”  To the former question – I am definitely reflecting; to the latter question – I am hopeful.

Perhaps the best way to see the fruits of the Papal Visit is to put to heart and mind the lessons he conveyed.  We may be shouting to our heart’s content - “We love Papa Francesco!” – yet,  if we fail to  realize  and  do what is expected of us, his Visit would simply put things to naught. 

Simplicity – a lesson for all the clergy and the laity.  We can dream big, why not?  The point is, we remain simple in our ways.  By being so, we will not also find difficulty in embracing God’s teachings.  The more complicated we become, the more arrogant and defiant we are to God’s words.  Jesus lived a simple life but He left a magnanimous legacy.

Another lesson I got was “ learn to weep, learn to cry”. This may sound tragic but I believe that this is so important because it would make us realize and value the pains and sufferings we go through. For me, this lesson is very striking. I had experienced losing a house and belongings due to a fire and a typhoon.  I also lost a husband in a battle for cancer. I tackled the challenge of cementing a twenty-eight-year married life, otherwise, it would end up in shambles.  I endured seventeen long years of waiting and expecting for a child.   The beauty of learning to weep and cry is that as the tears keep falling, we keep on thinking of why things had happened.  We keep on looking for reasons and explanations only to realize that at the end of all the wailings and rumblings we got what we’re looking for.  In the end, we come to see the bigger picture.

 There is a spiritual significance to weeping and crying because whenever we do so, we look for somebody to cling to and listen to our lamentations.  Who then can we turn to? - a Father, a Mother, a sister, a brother, a husband or a wife, a friend, or  a neighbor ?  What if nobody is there to lend an ear or a shoulder to lean on?  Ah, our last recourse - we turn to God to console us from the pains and hardships we endure.

In the tragedy brought by typhoon Yolanda, a lot of weeping and crying occurred, perhaps, even to the extent of cursing God.  But Pope Francis came and gave us the inspiration that in the sufferings we encounter, we see the Hand of God touching to comfort and console us.  We experience His love through the love given by others.  Pope Francis reminds us that God does not forsake or abandon us.  We are and we’re never alone.  God is always in our midst; it is only us who has distanced ourselves or perhaps forsaken Him because we are blinded or enslaved by worldly matters and affairs.

We may also ask a lot of questions, some of which have answers beyond our comprehension and discernment.  We are then humbled by our weeping and crying because we come to a realization  that no matter how rich we are, no matter how great we are, no matter how intelligent we are, we remain weak and powerless against the will of God.

As Christians, we should not be wary about suffering.  The cross which is the symbol of Christianity also symbolizes Christ’s suffering to redeem us – God’s  way of loving us.  Therefore, being a Christian, we should not shun from suffering.    We should regard it as our gateway to a deeper relationship with God.

Learn to love – a beautiful  lesson.   The Papal Visit manifested a lot of these because the Pope himself mirrored how it is to love.  In his homily in Tacloban, he said that after Yolanda, he really wanted to come, but he came too late. And so in his Papal Visit, despite the threat of typhoon Amang,  he braved the stormy weather to reach Leyte.  Wrapped in a yellow raincoat, he took the rounds to visit the survivors and bless the graves of thousands of Yolanda victims. Again, in a Mass at the Quirino Grandstand, he withstood the rain.  Just the same, the oozing love of the Filipinos for Pope Francis heated the cold streets of Manila and flooded the streets with their presence. Again, a manifest of love.

The family of Kristel Mae Padasas won my admiration because they readily accepted the loss of their “unica hija”.  As a mother, I could not imagine losing my only child.  But when I saw the father responding with a smile during the interview, I can feel the awesome faith  he has in God that his child is now happy in Heaven because she died in the service of God through Pope Francis.  With this happening, I remember how Abraham also conformed to God’s will that his only child, Isaac, be a sacrificial lamb.

I am not a devout Catholic, I just work to deepen my relationship with God, and I would like to take the Papal Visit as an avenue by which I can see God in the manifest of Pope Francis just as I love to see them through St. John Paul II  and Mother Teresa.

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