Yesterday, I went to SM North, the biggest Mall in our area, only five minutes from our community. I wanted to buy a book for a gift change at Fully Booked. Before reached Fully Booked at 4^th floor Blok building, I passed through the perfume section on the 1^st floor at Main Building. I decided to stop first at the section. I saw many kinds of branded perfumes displayed there. The Perfumes for women took more space. In the corner were displayed Perfumes for men and then I went there and observed. Then a salesboy came to me and asked what I want. He then took a kind of a small paper then sprayed with Ralph Lauren Polo for Men and he gave to me and I tried to scent it. Then he introduced two others products in the same way. I didn’t buy. I just enjoyed. I spent several minutes in this section and then I continued my way to Fully Booked store.

I remember my experience at SM North because in this reflection I would like to connect our readings for this week with our sense of smell.  As human being, we have Five senses: Sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. As I know, the sense of smell is so powerful. Compare to the sense of sight, the sense of smell trigger better our memory.

Our Gospel today is about Visitation. Mother Mary visits Elisabeth. Very often we reflect about this matter. Every year on May 31, we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates the Virgin Mary’s visit to her cousin, Elizabeth. Moreover, When we pray the rosary, in the Joyful mystery, the second mystery, we reflect on it. Also During Simbang Gabi, we always have this reading.

During this pandemic, I realize something new about Visitation. Mary visiting Elisabeth is a real visit. It is not via Zoom, or Google Meet, or Video Call. At that time there weren’t gadgets. It is true that with Zoom, Google Meet, or Video call we can see. It is true that with these equipments we can hear. However, with these gadgets, we cannot smell them. We can’t touch or taste it.

It is interesting to meditate on this Gospel, especially the journey of Mama Mary from her house to the house of Elisabeth with all our senses.  What did Mama Mary see during this journey to the hills? What did Mama Mary hear? What did Mama Mary touch and taste? What did Mama Mary smell?  It means, that when Mother Mary visited Elisabeth, may she smelled ‘’Pasalubong” which she brought. On the journey, she could smell the soil and the dew, the flowers, or any kinds of plants. She could smell the people she met on the journey. She could smell the house of Elisabeth which must be particular. She could smell Elisabeth's fragrance because just finish cooking. She could smell the joy of Elisabeth.

God communicates with us not via zoom. It is not from a far distance, not just see and hear lang. God came to us in Jesus Christ as real. Jesus smelled, touched, and tasted our humanity. Jesus felt our struggle as a human being. He died, died on the cross.

During pandemic, we attend mass online. It is good but in the online mass, we only can see and hear.  We can’t touch, taste and smell. We miss the smell of incense and flowers on the altar. We can’t touch and taste the Holy communion.

Pope Francis in his homily at Saint Peter’s Basilica on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2013, invited priests to have an odor of the sheep.  He said, “I ask you: be shepherds, with the “odor of the sheep”, make it real, as shepherds among your flock, fishers of men”. It is an invitation to priests to know better, to experience deeper the people we serve. The ministry is not from office but also to come and to visit people.

As missionaries, we go to the mission. The act of mission is the act of incarnation. We should use all our senses. As a missionary here in the Philippines,  I should see beautiful places in the Philippines. I should enjoy listening to beautiful Philippines songs. I touched a historical building in Intramuros.  I have tasted Pinoy foods. I could smell lechon baboy.  Wow…

In the end, I would like to quote an antiphon from the breviary, “Fragrant is the scent of your perfume, immaculate Virgin. Let us follow in your footsteps”.

Amen.