After doing many things during Christmas and New Year, our community decided to have an outing in Punta de Uian Resort, Zambales-Manila for three days. Every day we did swimming, playing guitar or games, Eucharistic celebration, etc. We enjoyed the food and the view especially the sunset which captured the mostly our attention. On the second day (8/01/2019), I woke up at 6 a.m. and reflected upon the day's gospel. It was about Jesus feeding five thousand men on a lakeside (cf Mark 6:34-44). Usually, after reading a daily Gospel, I wish to live it out.
In the afternoon, I went to the beach to reflect deeply about the Gospel. While I was on the beach, I saw my brothers who enjoyed swimming in the sea, and my eyes were seized by a poor and skinny person who sat on the beach and watched the brothers. I took pity on him because he was ‘alone’ and had a gloomy face. As soon as my eyes were on him, my heart compelled me to approach him. However, I was wrestling within. When I walked towards him, he was also walking in my direction. I stopped and watched how far he could go. Maybe because of tiredness and hunger, he was laying himself on the beach 100 meters away from me. It seemed to me he was hungry and out of mind or crazy and I was wrestling with the same feeling whether to approach him or not. While he was sleeping, I came close but did not talk to him. At that time, I removed my sandals thinking that if he chased and scared me, I could run faster. I retired myself and went back to my brothers.
Before reaching them, again, the gospel came to my mind and I grappled with it. Finally, I said, "Give me courage for I want to do it as You did." I went back barefoot and asked him. "Kuya, kuya. Gutom ka ba? Kuya, may pagkain ako. Gusto mo ba? Kuya, gutom? May pakain ako" (Brother, are you hungry? I have some food. Do you want?). After a while, he reacted by raising his hand with opened palm. When he woke up, I asked him the same questions. I told him to wait for me to take some biscuits for him in our resort. As I left him, he looked at me and I gave a sign to wait for me. Thinking that he would go away, I called him to come near the resort. After taking some biscuits, hot coffee, and a small bottle of mineral water, I returned to give to him. I asked some questions but he did not answer except his name. He took the mineral water and the coffee while the biscuits I gave him one by one. While he was eating, I looked gently at his gloomy face and remembered Jesus’ message ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ I spent almost one hour with him. At that time, the beautiful sunset was fading away. Since we had Mass at that time, I left him alone and went to attend the Mass. Before starting the Mass, I went out and saw him going 'home'. As I pondered upon this story, I felt an inner voice "Thank you, Erik, for doing it for ‘me’" which always consoles and strengthens me when I do good deeds.
Indeed, it is not my story but Jesus’ story of love and compassion. I was just His instrument by his grace. He was within me and reached out to the needy. Yes, it is true that God does not sleep but listens to our every heartbeat, wish, desire, hope, etc. for the goodness of others. As I saw the hungry man, God triggered pity in me to reach out to him, yet I wrestled with that feeling. God picked up a fight with me to help the man. It is like what He does to the prophet Jonah (cf Gen 1-4) who refused initially God’s commission. He takes up a ‘fight’ with Jonah to fulfill His plan of salvation of humankind. I was grateful to experience this encounter with the Lord through this man as a grace of Christmas season. Christmas for me is a manifestation of God who becomes human and teaches me on how to be fully human in Jesus Christ. To be fully human means to care for others because they are also beloved children of God. To conclude this sharing, my outing became a chance to experience and share God’s love through small and charitable acts.
