THERE are better things to do than suspect the worst. Life has got to go on after the elections. We can worry all we can about members of the NPA (New People's Army) lording it over us. We can be afraid of a possible war between China and the rest of us who lay claim to the Western Philippine seas. We can be afraid of being the collateral damage when tensions boil over between the USA and China. We can be full of anxiety about ISIS terrorizing us in our country. Our list of fears and suspicions can go on and on. What good will it really do us?
Last Saturday, May 14, the Bible classes of the Cenacle Sisters were held at the Granada Room of Casino Español de Cebu from 9:30 a.m. to about 2 p.m. together with Sister Sonia Arao and Sister Perry Inso. Together with friends who attended, we celebrated the 25 years of the Cenacle Sisters’ presence in Cebu City.
Twenty-five years of being with Sister Sonia, the crowd that filled the room was full of gratitude and happiness for having felt each member’s joy of celebrating God’s presence and overpowering love in our lives. The spontaneous coming together led by Atit and Philip Marcon, Bugsy and Bobby Cañete, Terry Manguerra, Alice Morada, Jo Ocubillo, Mary Ng, Jean Ng, Elizabeth Go, Sony Velez, Elena Harantilla, to mention a few, plus the respective Bible groups and the Meditation groups, was a miracle of sorts. Everything went spontaneously well including the testimonials which spoke of how love became the focus of our bonding together.
Every single one of us became one under the umbrella group of the Cenacle Sisters. Twenty-five years of love of God and love of neighbor worked wonders in every outreach project we undertook.
We had a thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Fr. Tito Pascual, CsSr, who as usual made us feel how God is found within us and how much of God's love in us can reach out to others as we walk each in our own specific paths of love and service.
Last Sunday was also the fiesta of San Isidro Labrador at Talamban, Cebu. Like all fiesta celebrations, there were luncheons and free dinners for anyone who could just walk in and partake of a generous welcome from any family.
As I watched and marveled at the festivities, I saw people having fun, playing bingo and watching the fireworks. In short, people had already forgotten the anger, the quarrels during the pre-election period. Can we hope for our warring politicians to put aside their plans for revenge and just work together and think of their constituents' welfare?
Can we stop talking about suspensions, about stopping South Road Properties deals, about changing deserving casuals, about revenge? We have bigger problems like El Niño, then La Niña.
Do you know that during Mother’s Day, a dozen imported roses cost P1,500? I know this for sure because I went canvassing among the different flower shops. I wanted to bring to the cemetery some flowers for my mom. I ended up with only a handful of flowers. It felt wrong to splurge on flowers when others could eat three meals a day on the cost of flowers alone.
Maybe, we Filipinos now should pay attention to the sensitivity which God in us is able to touch as we go along seeing the hunger of our brothers.
Many of us carry biscuits, or bread in our cars when children knock at our window panes. Some children have been taught to ask for money instead. Please refrain from giving money because a great number of them have learned to gamble or to sniff rugby.
We can choose to move on with our lives or we can continue to wait and see before we act.
We have lived in a democracy for so long.Our people enjoy the freedoms we have. We have elected good people to the Senate and to Congress. We have a constitution which we can depend on.
We have so much good in each one of us. Let us not underestimate our young. There must be a reason for everything. We can pray and trust in our Almighty God who promised to be with us till the end of our days. There are hard times ahead but this fact has always been with us. With God’s grace and hard work we can still help others live.