For though the fig tree blossom notnor fruit be on the vinesThough the yield of the olive failand the terraces produce no nourishmentThough the flocks disappear from the foldand there be no herd in the stalls,Yet will I rejoice in the Lord
and exult in my saving God.(Habakkuk 3: 17-18)
I was having a glass of wine together with the
brothers celebrating some achievements of the community. Suddenly one brother
who happened to sit across me in a round table asked, "Ano kaya ang gustong sabihin ng Diyos sa mga
tao ngayong panahong ito? (What does God want to tell the people at this
present time?)" I replied with a straightforward answer, "Na kailangan natin siya. (That we needed
him.)” I am not sure if it was a spiritual ecstasy after leading the Rosary
Hour and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Shrine or the spirit of the
wine that amused us to enter into a philosophical discussion. We did not have
varying opinions, though. However, more than talking about the politics that has
been behind all these mind-boggling events, we tried to understand how people
are feeling right now and how much did each of us feels the need for God during
this "plague." Some of us might be asking: “Is God relevant?” For the faithful, could we hardly say “yes”? How
about those who are in search of meaning – those who are trying to understand
as well whether this is a learning lesson or a punishment?; those who are
looking for it in the human capacity in solving this crisis?; or those who
resiliently accept the fate of every individual in this battle against the
pandemic?
The first weeks of the quarantine may be quite
relaxing because almost everybody must be expecting that the lockdown will only
last a month. Personally, it seemed to be a grand vacation. I told myself that
I could focus on some of my books, hobbies, and even play sports.
Unfortunately, due to my hard-headedness [and sense of urgency to be present at
the scheduled community prayer], I was not cautious of the possible sickness
that I will get in taking a bath without proper rest after a basketball game. I
acquired flu, and I had to be quarantined in my own room for fourteen days
since such a symptom would be an alarming possibility of a COVID-19 case. I was
not alone among those who needed to be locked in their rooms. There were about
six of us. Some brothers had manifested difficulty in breathing, while others
got high fever resulting in an imbalanced appetite for food. [On the brighter
side, I was also thinking that it must have been the best way to reduce the
diet of the brothers whose waistlines have been increasing.] Kidding aside, not
only the whole Santo Domingo Church has to be locked down up to this day
because of the confirmed COVID-19 case in a nearby barangay but also the doors of the food cabinet in order to control
the "leisurely" consumption of food. What made us fearful was that
the seeming "outbreak" within the confines of the religious house
happened precisely two weeks after an international conference that a handful
of brothers attended and upon the announcement of the suspension of classes.
Fear haunted the Dominican Studentate. Sad as it may
be for a flourishing and youthful community, the rest of the brethren felt the
need to be more distant from the brothers who had to be quarantined. They tried
to avoid us even by the time that we got well because studies show that some
carriers of the virus could be asymptomatic. Somehow I just considered it as a
penance that I had to accept on behalf of those who became victims of the
disease. I then asked the Lord, “Is this
a new way of celebrating the Season of Lent and Easter?” We really felt the
need to bend our knees in front of the crucifix and beg him to heal our land of
this dis-ease. But God also allowed me to recall that just like any sickness
that can be cured, the Season of Lent culminates not in the crucifixion and
death but in the Resurrection of Christ. Easter conveys a message to the whole
of humanity that God is the only One who can put an end to suffering and is the
Divine Physician who can bring healing to the world.
Being in a lock down for more than a month now, I am
pretty sure that I could have finished a lot of books, especially the novels
that I have not even leafed through since the time I came to the Dominican
Studentate in June of 2016. The classes may not be held in the University, but
requirements for the semester also need to be fulfilled. But more than I tried
to ease the tension that has been building up and sort of got hooked on a
Netflix series entitled “KINGDOM Season 2”. This Korean drama is set during the
Joseon period depicting a plague that had to be solved by the Crown Prince Lee
Chang. Together with him is a woman physician named Seo-Bi who tried to find a
cure to an infestation of worms from the flower of the so-called Resurrection
plant resulting to zombie invasion. The plot revolves around a story of chasing
and running away from the infected with Lee Chang and Seo-Bi as the protagonists
and the Queen Consort Cho and the King (the prince’s father who became
infected) as the antagonists. To cut a long story short, Lee Chang was able to
defeat the zombies and spared the baby (an illegitimate one) who is claimed by
the Queen Consort Cho as the legitimate heir to the throne. In the end, Lee
Chang became triumphant because he followed the findings of the medical
practitioner that when the wounds of the infected are submerged in freezing water,
the worms will leave their bodies and will eventually die. But there is a twist
in the end because a few years after leaving his home country and settled in
another land, the Crown Prince witnessed the Resurrection plant growing in the
other parts of the outskirts of the Kingdom. The curiosity of the
multiplication of the plant in the different parts of the Kingdom affected him.
It was also a battle of confusion for them to find out whether they are chasing
friends or foes. Nonetheless, the fans need to wait for the release of season 3
to find out whether the woman shown in the end is fighting the plague with them
or against them.
Somehow, the same thing may be happening to us who are
growing in our fears and try to find cures because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We
had to lock ourselves down and instill in ourselves that this is the new
normal. That we secure ourselves in our homes, preventing anyone from outside
to enter without proper sanitation. That, we need to practice social distancing
and develop the urgency of isolating ourselves from others, which we usually do
already because of our focus on the virtual world than on the real. That, the
virus is an innocent microorganism whose nature is to infect, and as long as
our immune system is strong enough, we have to worry less. That, even family
members or housemates, are suspicious carriers, yet it is a must to avoid them
because we need to contain the virus to flatten the curve. Are we spreading the
faith in or fear of humanity? I am not against the precautionary measures that
the experts are reminding us of but who among us indeed dared to fight the real
opponents of our freedom to be Good Samaritans – the spirits of death, infirmity,
despair, confusion, division, anxiety, and many others? Have we exhausted all possibilities of asking
for miracles from the One who knows the answers to our concerns? Have we
learned that there are plenty of necessary things in life when we set the right
priorities? For many times that we have been removing God in our schools, in
our offices, in the public places, in our history and even in our homes, are we
ready to bring him back? Rev. Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P. said it
beautifully in his sharing during the Lakbay-Buhay: Online Lenten Recollection
(published by the Dominican Brothers): "How can we expect God to protect us if we want Him to leave us alone?”
However, we should also remember our front liners who are at present risking
their lives taking care of the patients and fighting an enemy that cannot be
seen.
We may have been missing our social life meeting with
other people and regularly buying our basic needs because of the community
quarantine. Some of us might have also undergone “self quarantine” [which I
myself had to] and be treated like señoritos/señoritas
by waiting for food to be delivered to our private spaces at home. I personally
hated that brand yet I humbly thank my batch mates because despite my
temperaments they were patient enough to care for me. Those moments of solitude,
[not isolation for me], made me understand the people who are paralyzed in this
situation. Maybe, just maybe, God also wanted me to be "locked down,"
that is, to “lock” myself in the deepest recesses of my heart and to bend “down”
on my knees and recollect memories of his kindness even if it is seemingly
difficult to preach about it these days. Again, God overturned the seemingly upsetting
situation that I was in. He allowed me to think of those who are suffering at
this trying time especially those whose foot are already buried under ground.
He wanted me to learn compassion in a different way, that for those who needed
to be isolated, they may instead feel the warmth of God's embrace and not the
coldness of their suffering. If I were in the shoes of those who blame God for
the world’s problem today, I dare myself to think twice. How come when
everything seems right, we forget Him? We even forget that this same Jesus
Christ whom we blame may have not suffered from the Corona Virus but for the
sake of our redemption from sin. Isn’t it overwhelming to realize that someone
“suffered in all his bodily senses: in
touch, by being scourged and nailed; in taste, by being given vinegar and gall
to drink; in smell, by being fastened to the gibbet in a place reeking with the
stench of corpses, which is called Calvary; in hearing, by being tormented with
the cries of blasphemers and scorners; in sight, beholding the tears of His
Mother and of the disciple whom He loved”*
to leave us an example to have us follow
in his footsteps? (1 Peter 2:21)
Saint Dominic de Guzman manifested a very good example
of compassion. During his years of study in Palencia, Spain, when the country
was struck by war and famine, he did not hesitate to sell his books thinking
that it is useless “to study on dead skins while many living skins are dying.”
He saw Christ in his neighbor convinced that the image of the Creator is
imprinted in the hungry whom he shall
feed, the thirsty whom he shall be
giving a drink, the stranger whom he
shall welcome [and give the comfort
of a home], the ill and the
imprisoned whom he shall visit as they
long for a beloved (Matthew 25:31-46). He saw the suffering of Jesus in
his neighbor. Not only that, he went further to Fanjeaux, France to preach to
the Albigensians who were propagating the heresy that there is a bad God and a
good God. Out of mercy for these people to be redeemed by the cross of Christ,
he also sent preachers and later on eliminated the heresy. Today, God must be
showing us the same signs coming in different packages. In this trying time,
Christ becomes more relevant, especially in those who can no longer buy their
food to fill their empty stomachs because they could not be paid without working.
The church and the state should work hand in hand towards the good and be
warned not to be like the rich man
dressed in purple allowing Lazarus to eat the scraps that are falling on the
floor (Luke 16:19-31) because all of us are invited not to be indifferent
to the needs of others – that is, being respected of their dignity as human
beings – for God has become Man in order for us to have a share in his banquet.
If this God-Man can bless us with such inheritance, who are we to think that
our possessions can make us powerful by storing them as earthly treasures?
Indeed, there will come a day that we will be like new
creation coming out of Noah’s ark after this “flood.” Our hopes do not end in
the victory of the cross but in Christ’s rising to new life. We have to be
courageous to preach every day and imitate Mary Magdalene who after visiting
the empty tomb and talked to her Teacher, said to the apostles: “I have seen the Lord!” But the Gospel
account of The Road to Emmaus (Luke
24:13-35) suits more our current situation. On the road, two of Jesus'
disciples were walking and they were agitated that the person whom they had
held their hopes in has already died. They might even have thought that everything
that is meaningful had vanished. Nothing can cheer them up, not even the company
of having each other around. Not for long did Jesus walk with them asking them
what the two of them were discussing. But the disciples’ eyes were prevented
from recognizing that it was the Lord. So, they desperately answered, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who
does not know of the things that had taken place there in these days?”
Further, one of them mentioned a narrative of what happened a few days before
with the spirit of hope slowly leaving in his heart. Maybe they were puzzled on
the following questions: Where are the
hands that performed miracles? Where are the feet that walked the dusty roads
to proclaim the good news? Where is the king crowned not with golden laurel
leaves but with piercing thorns? On the road, Jesus explained to them the
Scriptures and surely their hearts were burning within them. They sought Jesus’
company to stay with them for the evening was drawing near and the day was
almost over. At the breaking of the bread they were able to acknowledge that it
was the Lord who was with them and set out at once to Jerusalem and proclaimed
to the apostles that the Lord has risen. This event is very similar to our
experiences today. On the road, we are full of tears carrying heavy burdens forgetting
to be led by Christ to rejoice and be
glad for each day is the day that the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24).
Whatever is happening does not let us prevent tears from falling from our eyes.
We can allow sorrow and mourning, and even weep with those who weep because
they might have lost their loved ones. We can show our vulnerabilities and
consider this the right time of doing so because we cannot deny that we need
our neighbors who will wash our feet and
whose feet we need to wash (John 13: 1-20). I myself was not able to resist
crying seeing for the first time the Santo Domingo Church empty one Sunday
morning. We can limp around but not forget to get back up. We may feel the need
to be wounded and the need to slow down but never defeated. But more than those,
we must try to see how good the Lord is and his very presence of letting us
know him all the more. Maybe this time, not just by explaining the Scriptures
but by nourishing our hearts in prayer. Wasn’t He the One who told his
disciples that He will not leave them
orphans (John 14:18)?
For many times we might have complained that our lives
have been too busy that is why we could not even slow down in this fast-paced
world to achieve daily tasks, or talk to our neighbors, or cook dinner for our
families to be served at the dining table, or spend some moments of silence to
listen to what God is telling us. Now, I hope we can see that brighter side
that COVID-19 has brought us. I may not have the credible words to say but let
us try to remember that when we recognize ourselves walking with the Lord no
matter how much problems will each and every one of us carry during this battle
against this deadly virus, then we call tell ourselves that it is such a
wonderful journey. Shall we be like the disciples discovering that it is Jesus
who has been with us only through the breaking of the bread? Can He who is also
Man not be relevant today as we face one of the greatest challenges in human
history? We might be in different situations today, but allow us shepherds to
cry with you and share your humors to lighten one another’s burdens whenever
there is a need to.
Inspired by a video I watched in Facebook, I was able
to write this in my personal journal last April 10, 2020 on the eve of Good
Friday:
What is so special about this Good Friday? There is not
even a single person inside the church. It is very silent and it seems that
there is no life. Yes, that is the way it is. Will we be jubilant with this
situation?
But I meditated on what the prophets said in the
Sacred Scriptures that the Lord does not dwell in the sanctuary alone. Since
each and every one of us is the temple of God, God dwells in us. Wherever His
people are, there God is; He is always in their midst.
In our present situation, God lets us feel that He is
still ready to embrace every single one of us. His hands continue to heal the
sick by means of the doctors, healthcare providers and nurses. Jesus is hiding
behind the masked faces of our front liners who are willing to lay down their
lives and future in order to maintain our health and peace of mind. Jesus
remains in the people who let us remember that without them, all of us are
paralyzed – all of us are helpless. The true heroes are seen in the core of the
character of our tricycle drivers, jeepney drivers, barbers, metro aides, vendors,
grocery store workers, delivery truck personnel, farmers and in every poor
brother or sister from whom we can also draw strength because fulfillment in
our needs is not measured by how much food is set on our tables [but by how
much we give importance to these people who help us find meaning in the gift of
life God has given us.] Let us remember that no one is too rich who is never in
need and no one is too poor who cannot give. This trying time has proven to
ourselves that all of us are dependent on one another. This trying time has
proven us that we [are helpless] and we need God. We may ask for a miracle but
nothing beats his enormous care for his people.
In these moments, Lord, [of searching ourselves] and
be one with the measures of "social distancing," please embrace our
brethren who are longing for the embraces of a loved one, for no one would be
brave enough to do it other than You. And may all these events serve as a
learning lesson for all. Touch our hearts and minds so that we will remain as
loving as You are loving. Amen.
Let me end this reflection with a poem that I had
learned back in grade school and that I only understood and cherished the
meaning when I grew up facing life’s difficulties. It is entitled “Footprints in the Sand” by Margaret
Fishback Powers.
One night I dreamed a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in
the sand,
one belonging to me and one to my Lord.
When the last scene of my life shot before me
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
There was only one set of footprints.
I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest
times of my life.
This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord
about my dilemma.
“Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You,
You would walk and talk with me all the way.
But I’m aware that during the most troublesome times
of my life
there is only one set of footprints.
I just don’t understand why, when I need You most, You
leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you
and will never leave you, never, ever, during your
trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then
that I carried you.”
* Summa Theologiae IIIa, q. 46, a.5, Answer.
