TALES OF HOPE

A Tale of HOPE

byFr.AnthonyP.Irineo,

OAR

hatwouldyoudowhenwhatyouseeandheararemanifestationsofgrief,ago

ny,andpain?Whatwouldyoufeelwhenwhatyouheararestoriesoftrampledbattlesandhelplesscryoffailur

eandabandonment?Whatwouldyousaywhenallyouwitnessarefacesofresignationandheartaches?Eventhoughhow

harditistoconfrontthesescenariosofhumanweaknessandfrailty,butasabelieverinGod’sloveandhismer

cy,youhavetodosomething.

waswithmyotherRecollectbrotherfacilitatingarecollectioninaCathol

iccollegeadministeredbytheSisters.Asoneoftheactivities,onememberoftheclassistobeaskedtosharehis

orherownstrugglesandexperiencesinlife.Afair-lookingladyvolunteered.Shecamefromanaveraged-income

familybecauseherparentsareworkingabroad.Asanunicahija,sheislefttoandrearedbyhermaternalgrandm

other.Althoughherparentsreligiouslysendthematerialsupportsheneedsyetaccordingtoher,she,mostof

thetime,feelsaloneandempty.Sheclaimedastearsgushedforthfromhereyes,thatwhatshebadlyneedsisthe

physicalpresenceofbothherparents.Butthatseemsnexttoimpossible.Bothherparentshavebeengone

fortoolonginseparateways,eachwithanotherfamilyoftheirown.Hence,inhermomentsofloneliness,she

usuallyreciprocatesitwithgoing-outswithherbarkada(clique)andalsowithherboyfriend.Sheindulged

invices,too.Goingtoschoolforherisnolongerasourceofinspirationbutonlytopassthetimeandtotempor

arilyforgetherwoes.Shenowfeelswasted,abused,andhopeless.Pityandsilencefilledtheroom.I,myself,see

medspeechlessanddidnotknowwhattodo.Wecannotleaveherthatway.Wecannotendtherecollectionjustlike

that.Weneedtodosomething.

stoodupinthemiddleoftheroom.IbelieveGodinspiredme.AfterIhadspo

ken, Icouldsensethateverybodyaroundwasinvigorated.Theatmosphereturnedoutbrightandlight.Everyonefeltins

piredandconfident.Hereisthethought Isharedtothegroup.

Weknowthatwearenotaloneonthisearth.We

arejustoneofthemanycreaturesthatGodhasmadeinhisimageandlikeness.Longbeforeus,manygenerationsof

menandwomenhavebeenborn,lived,anddiedhere.They,too,haveexperiencedalotoftrialsanddifficulties

–mostofthemwereeventooheavytobear.Theyhaveexperiencedwhatitistobehuman,tobeabandoned

,andtobecheated.However,most,ifnotallofthem,survived.Theycontinuedliving,trusting,hoping,believ

ing,achievingsomething.”

Vicissitudesofthisconstantlychanginganddemandinglifeneverentirelyspewed

outthetinysparkoflightwithinthem.Evenamidstdarknessanduncertainties,theygroped,searchedout,and

drewstrengthfromtheverypowerthatourCreatorhasendowedwithinthem.Theynevergaveup.Lifewent

on.Mencomeandgo.Everyseeddiesandfromitsprouts anewplant.Thesunsetsintheduskandriseswhenthedaw

ncomes.Mustwebecarriedawaybythetroublesofthispresentage?Ifourbrethrenofthepasthasoverco

mealltheirpredicamentsandsurvived,then,we,too,musthave awayoutinallthecrossesthatwearecarryingat

present.Allwehavetodoistobelieveinourselves,trustintheLord,andtryhardtoriseagaineverytim

ewefall.Wecannotchangethecircumstancesaffectingourlives,butwecanchoosethepathwetreadon.Daybydayof

ourlives,wemakedecisionsandthesedecisionswouldeithermakeorbreakus.”

Remember,weareresponsiblefor

ourrespectivelives.Wedon’thavetoblameotherpeopleforwhatweare.Theymayaffectussomehow,someway

,buteverydecisionwemakecomesfromus.Now,ifwemade awrongdecisionforourselvesbefore,then,wehav

eallthetime,theopportunity,andthereasontoredirectourlivesintowhatGodwantsustobe.ItisofGodthat

wefindlastingpeace,realhappiness,andthetruemeaningofourlife.Ifwemeetuntruefriendsandperson

swhobetrayedandcheatedusinourrelationshipandexpectations,then,wecansurelyfindinJesusChrist,our

Lord,arealfriend,defender,Savior.Cometohim.Hehasbeenwaitingforyoufortoolongtogohometo

him.Hesays:“Cometome,allofyouwhoareheavilyburdenedandIgiveyourest.”

venmyselfwassurprisedwith

what Iuttered,butthegoodthingwasthat Ibelieve,hopewasawakenedandenkindledinherheart.

Another

TaleofHOPEbyFr.AnthonyP.Irineo,

OAR

owaboutlosingaloved

onewhodiedunexpectedlyataveryyoungandpromisingage?Onecouldfeelthepredicamentonwhattosaytoa

verylovingLola(grandmother)whotookcareofher'apo'(grandson)sincehewasstillababyandtothepar

entswhohavenotentirelyshowntheirloveandcarefortheironce-separatedson.Atatenderageoffourteen

(14),handsome,anhonorstudent,agoodpainterandanavidfanofbasketball,hemetanaccidentathisschool

'sacquaintancepartyandhiking.Runningblindfoldedandaccompaniedbyaschoolmate,hewashitbyasharpvin

einbetweenhiseyesanddieddirectlyonthespot.

ewereathisfuneralwakeatourparishbaptistery.

Iadministeredthefuneralblessinginthepresenceofthefamily.Wecouldfeelthedeeppainthatthefamily

wascarryingatthatmoment.Inthemiddleoftheritecomestheshorthomily.With alowtone,enoughforeveryone

tohear,I,inspiredbyGod’sgrace,utteredsomethinglikethis:“Iknowwhatyoufeelrightnow,mybrothe

rsandsisters.Itispainfultolose alovedone–someonewhoisdeartoyou.Mostespecially,hediedin

atragicwayandataveryyoungage.Itisbutnaturalforyoutobeingriefandsorrow.”Icontinued:“Proba

bly,youhaveaskedGodwhydidHeallowthistohappen.Yes,it’shardforyoutoacceptthisevent.Iunders

tand.Eventhough, Imusttellyouthatatapropertime,youwouldbeabletorealizewhydidGodallowthis

thingtohappen.Atpresent,besetwithpainandinmourning,youwouldnotbeabletounderstandthesituation

.Inyourpresentstate,GodassuresyouthatHealsogrievesandmournswithyou.Heiswithyouinyour

painandsuffering.”

Inthissituation,mydearbrothersandsisters,themoreyouneedtoclingtoourLor

d.Whenyoufeelheavy,don’thesitatetoreadtheScripturesforinthereyoucanfindHiswordsofcomfortand

compassion.FeelthelovethatHeshowsyouthroughyourconcernedfamily,relatives,friends,andneighbors

.Besides,believethatourbrother,Christon,isonlyphysicallynotaroundbuthisspiritiswithus.Thebest

thingthatyoucandoforhimistocontinuelovingandservingoneanother.Believeintheidealsandaspirationsof

Christonbyspeakingandsharingitwithhisbrothersandsisters,classmates,friends,teachers.Relivehismemory

byconstantlyrememberinghiminyourprayersandineverycelebrationthatyouhave.Butaboveall,youhave

totrytomoveon.Christonlivedalifetothefullesteveninashorttime.Hehasshownyouwhatitisto

liveinGod’slove.Heishappynow.Mayyou,toodothesame.Mayyoualsocherisheverymomentofyourlife

hereonearth.MayyoumanifestChristtoothersthroughtheloveandconcernyouhaveforoneanother.”

inally, I

said:“LetusthankGodforgivingusChristonaspartofourlifeandasmostparticularlysincepartofyour

life.ThankChristonalsoforhislovingpresenceandhisexample.Letuspauseforamomentofsilence.”Everyonebow

edhisorherheadandsaid aprayerforChriston.

Third Tale of HOPEby Fr. Anthony P. Irineo, OAR

In one of our apostolate areas, there is a woman who issuffering from cancer for more than a year already. She isbedridden and stays in her neighbor’s house with her onlyson and husband. Her mother and sisters visit her from timeto time. A very dedicated couple, both members of the Neo-Catechumenate and of the Couples for Christ, also accompanyus in our communion for the sick and pray with her themorning prayer once a week.

One Sunday morning, when I brought her the consecratedHost, I told her, after reading the Gospel, the message thatour Lord wants to say to her. From the Gospel according toLuke, I quoted: “The Son of Man did not come to condemn menbut to save them.” While I was giving my sharing about theGospel, suddenly I found her crying and uttered some wordsof resignation. She could no longer bear the pain andsuffering. Before she was so tough to accept the trial inher life, but now, she showed signs of being resigned of herstate and giving up. I found myself giving her words ofassurance and inspiration while holding her left hand withmy left hand and caressing her forehead with my right hand.I told her: “Helen, I understand what you feel. But you must

not give up. This is the moment when you have to pray moreand to pray harder. Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ iswith you in your suffering. He once offered his life for us.He suffered and died on the cross, but He is continuallysuffering with you and with us.” “Be strong. You have toshow to your husband, to your son, to your family andneighbors how strong you are and how firm your faith in Godis. In spite of your condition, show to them how much youtrust God, thereby teaching them, giving them a real exampleof being a genuine disciple of the Lord.”

“We have to thank you, Helen, for sharing and foroffering your pain and suffering for all of us and mostespecially to the sinners. Your pain saves and liberatesthose who are far away from the Lord. Many people areconverted because of your suffering. I wish that you includeme also in your prayer that I may persevere and become agood and holy priest.” “Now, here is the Body of Christ. Heis with us and for you - always telling you of his love andconcern for you. Let him give you strength and power to goon. Though you are weak physically, let him give you thespiritual strength that you need. Trust him, Helen. Godloves you.” After that, she stopped crying. I brushed asideher tears from her soft face with my fingers. We proceededwith our prayer and our celebration.

We may encounter varied experiences and even moreheartbreaking stories of our brothers and sisters. Butseldom we can find or see persons giving them some assuringwords and gestures of love and concern. Most of all, thereare a lot of us who believe in God but are quite slow tomanifest that faith in the daily events of our life.

Many people now need hope. This hope would not comefrom us but could only be given by our Lord Jesus Christ.When everything seems nil and dark, may we becomeinstruments of hope and light to the world? Let us, then, bebearers of Christ, our Hope, in the world. With that, the

world may know that we are really Christians, not only byour name but particularly by our words and deeds.