In the Presence of a Holy Man (Part 3)

Everybody was all praises after the Mass when I held the umbrella for the Holy Father. It was not the World Youth Day Mass. It was the Mass to commemorate Manila as an Archdiocese. It was the first Mass after the Pope arrived. The image of John Paul II under the umbrella worked its way to the front page of major dailies, namely the Inquirer and Manila Times. I was even invited to the television show of Randy David, Public Forum, when they did an episode about the Pope, because of it.

I was glad of the attention. None of it though was because of my merit. I was just in the right place at the right time. Here's how it happened.

It is custom that before the Pope gives communion to the people, he will give communion to those who he shared the altar, the priests and us servers. It turned out that because of circumstances, I was the last one who received the communion from him. When I turned back to my place, John Paul's assistant held my arm. He told me that the area where the Pope is going to give the holy communion to the people is under the sunlight, and he would need a shade. He handed me a big umbrella with a big, heavy base. Its a cue for me that I should go and provide the shade to the Pope with the umbrella.

Because of the multitude of people present, they limited the recepients of the communion to certain individuals, some VIPs and representative of sectors. I remember it was more than 100 people that he gave communion to. And the whole time, I was beside him with the heavy umbrella, giving him shade from the sun.

After about what feels like ages and a strained arm, the Pope was done. He gave the rest of the hosts to the assistant priests, and I was readying to go back to my place to rest, thankful for the opportunity to be beside the Pope for a long time. But on my way back, John Paul II's assistant came to me again. He said the Pope would like to sit in the area where he gave communion, which is in front of the stage and the altar, and do his prayer there. I told him, "under that sun?" He smiled and looked at the umbrella. I then realized my job was not over.

So I went back. And with arms strained and weakening, I firmly held again the umbrella to where John Paul II had a chair placed and sat. And for almost like forever, I was with John Paul II, just the two of us, before the multitude of people attending the Mass, isolated in the stage, even apart from the other priests and servers in the altar. I was indeed very blessed.

The wind blowing in the umbrella was not helping me. It shaked the umbrella and made it more diffult to carry it. But I was glad because it provided some cool comfort to John Paul II. We are in a very warm condition. I can already see the umbrella shaking under the strain of my arm, and I had to use my torso for added support. I saw some priests in the crowd very concerned. They probably realized I was holding that heavy thing that long. But I prayed for strength, so I can last to finish this assignment. I would have wanted other servers to come and help me and hold the umbrella. But I can't turn my head and no one came.

With all the attention that is before me. I glanced at John Paul II. I was too conscious and busy with the work that I had not noticed it. The reason why John Paul II decided to sit in front of the people instead of his usual chair behind the altar. He was praying, and he was praying for the people. I saw it in his eyes. His eyes was full of compassion and love for the people before him. And he was praying for them, praying for us all.

There would be no other reason why he would go there. It is not to have a better view. When he was there, I saw that he would glanced to the people and look at them. But then he would close his eyes, looked upward to heaven ocassionally, and say a prayer that he would murmur. John Paul II was praying for the Filipino people. How he loved the Filipino, I thought, for him to do this on this ocassion.

When John Paul II finally stood up, the priest assistants took the chair and I went back to my place. My arms was straining from the ordeal, but my heart was rejoicing to what it had witnessed. Those images will forever stay with me. And because of them, there is no doubt in my mind and heart, that John Paul II is really a saint. Through him, God's presence is made manifest, and can be felt!

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us all.

In the Presence of a Holy Man (Part 2)

Immediately after arriving in the airport back in '95, the holiness of the Pope was felt. I was just watching this on television when I saw it. He deliberately broke through the security line in order to bless the children dancing a few blocks away in his honor. He blessed the children. Back in '81, I'm one of those. And I'm sure the lives of those children were changed forever after that.

The media had a day with that scene. I remember one of the anchors in ABS-CBN broke down in tears in what he witnessed. But John Paul II is consistent with or without a camera present. A man of prayer is consistent with his action. Wherever he is, he manifests the presence of God.

Such is what happened the day of the World Youth Day event in Quirino grandstand in Luneta. 16 million of the Catholic faithful had gathered around Luneta park to catch a glimpse of His Holiness. To reach the altar on time, the Pope has to be choppered in.

All of us servers are waiting backstage for our cue for the Holy Mass service. The area backstage was cordoned off from the people, except for a few youth who are staying behind the line. Everybody cheered when John Paul II's chopper arrived. And he came down with his assistants and security, escorted by then President Ramos. He waved at the crowd then turned his back from us to proceed to the Mass.

Suddenly, a young girl broke lose from behind the security line and run towards the Pope. Instinctively, the Pope's security jumped in on the girl and pinned her to the ground, as a safety precaution. The Pope, his back on what was happening, suddenly turned. He became aware of what's going on. And from about 10 feet away from the incident, John Paul II went back from his walk and went to the girl. He personally picked the girl up, hugged her, then blessed her. The girl was crying when the security calmly led her back towards the area behind the security lines.

And get this, there was no camera around. No one saw the incident but us servers, and a few people backstage preparing for the Holy Mass. I remember I was still praying as I recall the incident in my head. That image of the girl being picked up by John Paul II, hugging her and blessing her, with eyes of compassion and love, will forever stay in my mind.

Such is the power of a man of prayer, clearly a man of faith, a holy man...

In the Presence of a Holy Man (Part 1)

It's not everyday that you feel you are in the presence of something Holy. In this case, someone. Even before he died, Pope John Paul II was a living saint. And the beatification that will happen on May 1, 2011, is a logical conclusion to a life lead in holiness.

It is a special blessing, a grace of God, that I was able to see John Paul II face to face. Twice. He has made a significant impact in my life. Left a mark that will stay forever. Such is the power of a holy man.

I was 9 when I first saw him. But I do not know any better then. We were kids who were chosen to make a symbolic welcome when the Holy Father visits the Vatican Embassy in Manila. I remember all the preparations, and the excitement. But I don't have a single realization that a holy man will arrive. With all the flashes of the camera around, I don't know why the image of his smile when he came to me was so vivid in my mind. I remembered I smiled back, but only because he did it first. I was just a kid then, with my Muslim costume and a bag of shells, which I remember was about to fall. But this man was so friendly, so loving.

And so after that came my journey to enter the seminary and pursue a priestly vocation. I started very young. It did not come into fruition for me. But before it ended, John Paul was there again.

It was 1995. The World Youth Day. Back in college, I was chosen as one of those Pontifical Servers of the Archdiocese, the official altar servers for the pontifical masses of the Cardinal of Manila. I did not expect that John Paul II would come back. And will make his impact once more.

And so the Mass in which he presided came. By the grace of God, I share the altar with him, together with other priests and servers like myself. Again, I was in holy presence. This time, I was not a kid. I am an adult and I fully understand. I fully understand why this man is holy.

John Paul II, when he is not presiding during the mass, reading his homily, or talking to priests, was always praying. He is sitting in his chair silently, even rarely speaking to his priest assistants, he is closing his eyes, and he is praying. There is no doubt from the 5 to 10 feet away I was with him. He would ocassionally murmur to himself, clasping his hands, and again closes his eyes. He is definitely praying. And this is despite all of the activities going on in the Mass and the program afterwards.

And when he looked to the crowd from his chair, I saw from where I'm standing that that is the eyes of God looking. You can see the compassion and joy from John Paul's eyes. And then he would break a smile.

Everytime I remember that, a shiver runs down my spine. No wonder the man in holy. God is always with him in prayer. When you are in the presence of John Paul II, you are undoubtedly, in the presence of God...

Faith for Old?

There is a difference between old faith and faith for old.

Our Catholic faith is an old faith. It dates back all the way to the life of Jesus Christ, his death which we commemorate today, and his resurrection. But is it a faith for old?

I just finished my Visita Iglesia. The crowd in each church is not surprisingly a mixed of old and young people. Most, not all, of the old folks are seen in their prayers before the blessed sacrament. Most, not all, of the young people are either outside with their mobile and cameras, and only coming in before the blessed sacrament for a short while.

No judgements, though. It is a factual and amusing observation. Let's face it. It is more exciting to walk with one's peers, barkadas, and friends along the hi-way of Edsa going to Antipolo, as is the case every year on Holy Thursday night, than spend an hour before the Blessed Sacrament to pray.

Young people are innately impatient to sit and pray. Again, most but not all. However, as I watched the old folks with their rosaries, bibles and stations of the cross novenas in hand, I wonder if there was a time that they are as impatient as these youngsters are about prayer.

Probably. But why turn to this activity now? Is it a factor of age? An outsider observing our Catholic practice might indeed conclude that ours is a faith for old.

We pray. Read the bible. Go to Mass. Spend time before the blessed sacrament, to guide us in the lives we lead. But what is the use of all that if the life ahead of you is not that long anymore? Should we really wait until we are older to turn to prayer and everything spiritual? But while we are young, we give in the materiality, and impatient with the spiritual life?

When we grow old, all of us young people for sure we will turn to spirituality for comfort, strength, and whatever reason why we do turn to spirituality at this age. Why not do it now? Why not do spirituality now? By the time we are old, we are no longer a stranger to it. We know spirituality. We are already attuned to our spirit.

Then probably the young lives we lead, and the future, will have more meaning...

Free and Available

A million pesos has just become available to you. It's free and yours for the taking. What would you do? Will you grab it at the soonest or delay and miss the chance?

A sane person would immediately grab it. He would not delay a single bit. He would probably drop everything that he is doing. All of it can wait compared to the cash that is available for the taking. Unless, of course, I'm Mark Zuchenberg and a million pesos won't matter. But for an average person, the answer is obvious.

But letting go of a million pesos is precisely what most people probably are doing during Holy Week. They go to beaches, out of town, out of the country, never going to a single mass during the Easter Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Actually, let me correct that, it's actually more than a million pesos that we are letting go.

No, not even two million or ten million, it's not actually material riches that we lose if we do not attend the Easter Triduum rites. It's more than these. It's the grace of God.

The grace of God is flowing fully and fruitlessly during these times of the Holy Week, especially during the Easter Triduum rites. Here, we Catholics are calling to mind the greatest salvation of man. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, suffered and died for our sins. God Himself saved us from death through the blood of the Redeemer.

But not only that, the culmination of the Easter Triduum is not the death of Christ, but His resurrection. Not only did He die for our sins. But He defeated sin and death by resurrecting, lifting us to New Life. Jesus rose from death, and because of this triumph, death will no longer have a hold on us.

The Easter Triduum is the culmination of the Church's liturgical life. It is the highest point because it speaks of our salvation. Even the celebration of Christmas is not enough to equal the importance of the Easter celebration of the Church.

That is why the grace of God is freely and fully flowing during these times. It is free and available. We only need to grab it, hold it, receive it during the Easter Triduum. It is freely given. It is freely available.

More important, indeed, than a million pesos...

Enlightened Faith

"In Baptism, we all share in the Priesthood of Christ."

No. I'm not a priest, nor a preacher. I mean I should have. But it was not cut out for me. But who says only priests should have spiritual reflections. Sure, the Church teaches us and guides us in the Faith. But I believe that Faith is a personal responsibility.

Faith. It's something that we had when we awaken into this world. We were not born with it. But is was passed on from the faith of our parents. Sometimes, when we have something like this that we attain not of our own volition and initiative, we tend to disregard it. We feel it automatic for us to have faith, and grow faith. But it is not automatic. What we are given is a seed, it is up to us to nourish it until it grows.

Every Sunday, I observe people going to Mass. Some are obviously have their minds wandering off somewhere. Probably the grocery list that they forgot, or the movie that the family will watch after lunch. Or probably who won the boxing match. One or two of those faces in the crowd, have eyes that are hungry for their faith to be nourished. With every intent, they listen to the Readings and the Homily, waiting for a drop of inspiration to nurture their faith.

Because people are hungry. People are hungry for the spiritual. They have too much entertainment media, politics, showbiz, etc. And to hear politics inside the Church is nauseating. People want inspiration, so they can nourish their faith.

But like a needle in a haystack, searching for inspiration inside the Church, and inside the Mass nowadays is rare and lucky. I do believe the Spirit moves. But with a 5 year old child beside me at the pew playing, with their parents unattending him, making noises and running here and there, it's hard to find the inspiration you're looking for.

So look within. Find and nourish the Faith with your own resources. Not dependent on the Church, on the Mass, on the priests. We have the tools inside of us to nourish our Faith.

So do it.