By Telly Ocampo
500 years of Christianity in the Philippines
Amidst the pandemic, we are celebrating in our hearts the faith brought to us by Spain. There must be something good about Covid-19. In the quietness of the celebration, Covid must have provided to us a space for reflection. For us in the modern world, celebration calls for partying with food and drinks overflowing and nights of street dancing and rejoicing and sometimes forgetting the true and real reason for the celebration. Let us reflect on Pope Francis’ message to the world:
Pope Francis said it all in his message.
“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son” (Jn 3:16). This is the heart of the Gospel; this is the source of our joy. The Gospel message is not an idea or a doctrine. It is Jesus himself: the Son whom the Father has given us so that we might have life. The source of our joy is not some lovely theory about how to find happiness, but the actual experience of being accompanied and loved throughout the journey of life. “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son.” Brothers and sisters, let us dwell on these two thoughts for a moment: “God so loved” and “God gave.”
First of all, God so loved. Jesus’ words to Nicodemus – a Jewish elder who wanted to know the Master – help us to see the true face of God. He has always looked at us with love, and for the sake of love, he came among us in the flesh of his Son. In Jesus, he went in search of us when we were lost. In Jesus, he came to raise us up when we fell. In Jesus, he wept with us and healed our wounds. In Jesus, he blessed our life forever. The Gospel tells us that whoever believes in him will not perish (ibid.). In Jesus, God spoke the definitive word about our life: you are not lost, you are loved. Loved forever.
Last Sunday’s message of Fr. Emil Lim, SVD was also touching. Spain, in discovering the Philippines, brought us two gifts: for the king and for the faith. The gift of the Sto. Niño to king Humabon and queen Juana is like Christmas to us. It’s the star guiding the 3 Magi to the place of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.
The celebration’s theme: gifted to give. Most of us are staying at home. Let’s give meaning to this year long celebration to be launched on the Sunday of Easter and to end on Easter of 2022.
Last Sunday was called Laetare Sunday. The vestment colored rose pink, not in purple. Normally there are 4 Sundays in lent. With a fifth Sunday, it’s some kind of rest from the gloom. It’s a release, a respite. Hence, the vestment was colored rose pink.