Miracle of Sharing

Joey Velasco is a religious artist. His most popular artwork is “Hapag ng Pag-asa” (Table of Hope) in which he re-cast the Last Supper where Jesus shares his last meal with street children. If you were to contemplate on this thought-provoking version of the Last Supper; staring at the sad and empty faces of the children in the painting, you will feel a sense of disquiet. Somehow your conscience is pricked by the overwhelming poverty of the scene.

The most touching character is the little boy under the table sharing crumbs with a stray cat. Joey explains that this character is inspired by a Pulitzer Prize – award winning feature photograph done by Kevin Carter in 1994. Kevin was in Sudan in 1993 at the height of the country’s famine. He took a picture of a starving little girl, crawling towards a United Nation food camp located a kilometers away. Behind this toddler is a hungry vulture waiting for the child to die so that it can eat her up. When this photo appeared in New York Times, it shocked the world. Three months later, they say, Carter committed suicide. He got depressed.

Instead, Joey finds hope in this surrealistic symbol of poverty because the children have Jesus. With Jesus, we always have hope.

In the gospel (Jn 6:1-15), like the prophet Elisha, Jesus feeds the people in the desert. There were five thousand of them not counting women and children. He does this extraordinary miracle using 5 loaves and 2 fishes provided by a young boy among the crowd. There are 3 things in scripture which we can learn from Jesus:

1.      We learn compassion

Jesus has a compassionate heart. He is sensitive to the needs of people; he feels and understands their tragedies. Instead the disciples had a “compassion fatigue.” The sight of so many hungry mouths to feed broke their hearts. “How can we feed so many with so little.” It pushed their spirits to helpless and lack of faith. They have given up easily.

Compassion can create miracles. To illustrate this point: in 1983-1985, a widespread famine also affected Ethiopia. It was the worst in a century – half a million died. The known cause was drought. But a bit part of this tragedy was man-made; due to human rights abuses and wrong government policies. One response to his famine was USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa). Led by Michael Jackson and Lionel  Richie, they recorded a hit song “We are the  World.” The revenues for all these initiatives of compassion was almost $100 million. It was a miracle of teamwork.

2.      We learn to value small things

Jesus gave thanks even for small things. So we take nothing for granted. Big things start from small beginnings.  Once I read the accounts of some people who survived the 9/11 US attack in 2001. Their stories were about little things. One employee was late because he brought his son to kindergarten. Another was alive because it was his turn to buy donut. But the most striking was that guy who put on a new pair of shoes. On the way he developed blisters on his feet. He stopped to buy band-aid. So he was alive! God has a purpose for little things that come our way.

3.      We learn to be generous.

Life is a matter of give and take. As one writer puts it: “no one is so poor that he cannot enrich his neighbor; no one is so rich that he does not need the help of others.” Many times, the problem is not “what to give” but rather the crisis of generosity. Our fist is as closed as our heart. Thus we become insensitive and blinded by selfishness. If a person’s heart is closed, he can have all the reasons not to share. But if a person’s heart is  as big as the heart of Jesus, he can give even if it hurts.

Hospitality

It was just a chance encounter. After my mass with the Filipino Community in Vienna, the members of the Legion of Mary invited me to join them in their family day celebration. Their event took place in the grounds of the chaplaincy. Others were also invited; among them was a group from outside Vienna many of whom were “bisaya.” One gets a strange affinity when one hears the sound of your own tongue in a distant land. I was instantly drawn to the group though they were as strangers to me as I was to them.

We had some introductions and small talks over lunch. From their stories, I learned that many Filipinos were also living in their place. Because of the distance, they have become like ‘sheep without a shepherd.’ It was then that Mara Seger and her husband Horst invited me to visit them in their village-mountain in Schneeberg, Lower Austria. We made arrangement for a visit to bless their home.

Their place is 65 km away from Vienna. I had to take a train for an hour to reach their town of Wiener Neustadt. I was at first frightened by the thought of what will happen to me with no food and little money on my purse. But from the train station, I was fetched by car where we had to drive up the mountain for about 30 minutes to reach their village named Grunbach in Schneeberg. Schneeberg is translated in English as “snow mountain.” It is the highest mountain in Lower Austria with an elevation of 6,811 feet high. I was welcomed by the Seger Family into their big and spacious home surrounded by flowers and pine trees.

Mara comes from Leyte. Her husband Horst is originally from Berne, Germany. They have an only daughter, Mary Ann, who is taking a college course major in History. Some of Mara’s friends were already in the house when we arrived. Food was ready. I felt encourage by the words of scripture “whatever house you find yourself in, stay there until you leave the locality.” That evening, we had a warm, family meal together. I felt at home by the Filipino-style hospitality extended to me. On the table was rice and humba, pansit and ginamos. The meal was shared by laughter while they reminisce their nostalgia of home in the Philippines. Horst, at the end of the meal, gave me a glass of white wine. Raising up his own glass with mine, he roared in his deep Germanic voice: Mabuhay! Yes, life is a gift. And many other blessings come with life such as friendship, family – even faith in the goodness of God through the instrumentality of people.

The next morning, many more pinoy-friends with their husbands came – invited by Mara – for her house blessing. It gave me the opportunity to share scripture to them. As we “broke bread” together the night before, now we nourish ourselves with the “bread of life” for man does not live by bread alone. I spoke to them of the importance of family, prayer and the practice of the faith. Since most of them were bisaya, I shared to them about our soon-to-be-saint, Pedro Calungsod who will be canonized this October. I challenged them, after Blessed Pedro’s example, to witness to their faith in their own circumstances. Faith is a necessary ingredient of daily life.

After lunch, we exchanged addresses and telephone numbers as the other guests started to leave. I was still treated with a memorable tour of their village. I took pictures of their poster-perfect scenery, a closer view of the “Snow Mountain,” their beautiful park and a snap-shot of their waterfalls. Most of all, I took a mental picture of these beautiful people whose kindness and hospitality was overwhelming. God alone can repay them for such generosity. From this experience, I realize, God can get us involve in his ministry of love. Some as his ministers, others by their ministry of hospitality. In the great scheme of things, there are no chances in God’s plan. They are just meant to be.         

Faith Empowers

One sport gaining popularity in the Philippines is Running. Many are becoming running enthusiast – ordinary people, celebrities, politicians, professionals and more. Many running events are also being organized by different organizations. Some run for fun, others for a cause.

One veteran distance runner that impressed me is Cesar Guarin. At 56 years old he wants to make a Global Run as his way of honoring and thanking Overseas Filipino Workers and migrants. In the Philippines he is considered as the “Father of Ultramarathon.” He is now in Europe on Stage 6 of his goal which began in 1983 and ends in 2016. If he completes this feat, he would have run a total of 30,232 km in 548 days.

The bottom line of running is really for healthy living. In our life of faith, we also need to exercise our spiritual muscles. It makes us strong and sturdy. Many instances, God challenges us to stretch our faith. I would like to share two stories that show a test of faith.

Last May, I rushed to the hospital for a sick call. The mother of a former student was in ICU. She suffered a heart attack. It was sudden and unexpected. She was lying in bed helpless. Her breathing was aided by a respirator. Her children were in tears and they kept praying for her recovery. As I gave her the anointing, I encourage them to trust that God knows best; that the best attitude is “thy will be done.” I was about to go when the family of the patient on the next cubicle asked me to also anoint their brother. The guy also suffered a heart attack and was in coma. They feared for his life.

The day after, I was told that the mother of my former student passed away. The family was deeply saddened but faith was keeping them strong. Three days later, the coma patient woke up. The family was thankful. I told myself: sometimes God plays favorites. Others he claims back home; others he gives life-extension. Let’s leave the purpose in God omniscient wisdom.

On reading the Gospel of Mk 5:21-43 Jesus showed power.  One message we can learn is this: when we are tested beyond our strength, when things seem impossible, have faith. God can do miracles. And in our greatest fear, Jesus tells us “do not be afraid.” Fear can be paralyzing. Faith, instead, empowers us to trust in a power stronger and greater than ourselves.

So Ordinary

In 2009 a chubby, Scottish woman with a plain appearance was a contestant on the TV program "Britain's Got Talent." She looked like an ordinary housewife with no flashy, face value. When interviewed on stage, the audience were at first cynical and laughed at her when she said that she "aspired to be a professional singer." But when she started to sing, she exposed a powerful mezzo-soprano voice that so impressed the audience. They did not expect her to be so good; her voice so amazing and majestic. They were simply awed and gave her a standing ovation for her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. Within nine day, Susan Boyle hit international fame and attention. Her audition video was viewed on the internet hundred million times. Hidden in her ordinary trappings was an extra-ordinary voice of a superstar!

Today's Sunday Readings speak about the danger of prejudice and pride. The First Reading tells us of Ezekiel. Raised by God to be a prophet, he was sent to the rebellious House of Israel. God warned him, beforehand, that they will refuse to listen. They will be stubborn and proud - yet he is sent to let them know that God cares for them despite of themselves.The Gospel narrates of Jesus, a prophet from the Father who is questioned by his own kindred. His neighbors do not listen and even oppose him. He is "too much" for them - being only a carpenter. He seem to be so ordinary and familiar.

What is God telling us through the Readings today? I believe it is this: God still speak to us using ordinary channels. The spirit of prophecy has not died. God's Voice will come from ordinary, simple sources to inspire us, renew us and challenge us thorough His Word. We need three things to listen to God's Voice today: Discernment, Openness and Courage.

Discernment is to choose well between God's will or our own self-love. Many times we just want to hear what makes us feel good. We need to be open to recognize God's Voice. Jesus' neighbors did not care to look beyond his ordinary trappings that He was actually the Word-of-God-Incarnate. Like them, we have the propensity of labeling and limiting. We tend to underestimate others and limit their potentials. God challenges us to be courageous. We need to do God's will no matter how ordinary. Obedience can do miracles.