FEBRUARY 14 WAS a frenetic day for lovers– in the sensual, material and sexual way.
Commerce took advantage of it to the hilt – promoting and selling roses, chocolates, special events, hotel and motel offers — anything and everything other than the purest love.
Traffic was horrendous and malls were so overflowing with huge crowds– patrons or bystanders– just to create a preconceived meaning out of the word love and hearts.
But the true essence of love is compassion for other people– those in the fringes of society– the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the homeless and those needing attention and our resources.
These “invisible” people – whom we often discard like statues, or fixtures or even floors that we step on – are the real people whom God gave attention to, whom God blessed because they had no one else to turn to.
‘But the true essence of love is compassion for other people– those in the fringes of society– the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the homeless and those needing attention and our resources.
These “invisible” people … (they) are the real people whom God gave attention to, whom God blessed because they had no one else to turn to.’
GREAT COMPASSION
I attended online mass on February 14 at RadyoKatipunan of the Jesuits.
The presiding priest, Fr. Ben Nebres, an old favorite of my dear friend, gave a sermon of how Christ moved by great compassion for the multitude that stayed with him to listen to his words despite growling stomachs for three days, persisted but He had no choice but to move on.
So seeing them hungry with him in a deserted area, he asked his disciples how many loaves do we have– seven they replied– so Jesus took them, prayed a blessing and asked his followers to distribute them to thousands in the crowd.
Then he asked about the supply of fish. He blessed them and again had his disciples distribute the fish. When all were satisfied, Jesus had them collect the fragments that came up in seven full baskets, which I surmise were also given to those that wanted to take home something.
GENUINE LOVE
What was outstanding about this act of Jesus was his deep understanding of human frailty– hunger and fatigue (which being a God, he did not feel) – and He said if they walk home hungry they might collapse (and die). By this act Jesus showed us how important it is to feed the hungry out of genuine love. Jesus showed us that He cares for us, especially the hungry and those in dire need.
Fr. Nebres then recalled last Sunday’s gospel about Lazarus and the rich man, who showed his apathy towards the beggar (Lazarus) waiting for scraps for his growling stomach.
When Lazarus died, the angels took him to heaven but when the rich man died, he went straight to hell. He begged Jesus to send him Lazarus so he could warn his peers and save them from such hellish persecution, but the Lord said Lazarus had nothing to eat but you did not give him anything.
I don’t hold feeding programs for the poor and the hungry because I don’t have much to spare. But when someone knocks on my door asking for food or water, I try as much as my resources can to give, with no one looking. If I have some food left after a meal, I call and give them to our village guards since I know they don’t eat good food with only meager salaries. If the scraps are good for the strays, I provide daily to the dogs and cats on the road.
KUMAIN KA NA BA?
Fr. Nebres recalled that the weekend before Valentine’s he joined a group from the del Rosario Foundation and the Gawad Kalinga for four days in Sulu. They distributed food, toys and teddy bears and school bags with school supplies to the children, parents and teachers of 8 out of the 14 schools that the Foundation conducts regular feeding programs.
Soldiers and cops provided the logistics by getting the supplies from Zamboanga and bringing them to the schools in Sulu where the programs would be held. They also helped in cooking the food to be given to the children, teachers and parents of the schoolchildren that day.
“Their helmets were so heavy and thick and their uniforms were so hot but they were overjoyed and did not mind the heat that day,” Nebres recalled.
Fr. Nebres said he was so overjoyed himself seeing how happy the underprivileged children and their family members were, and so with the teachers.
Remember how our others would ask us– whatever time of day we return home– kumain ka na ba?
Nebres said that is how much our mothers love us by feeding us. Food was their language of love.
CULTURE OF COMPASSION
The late Pope Francis reminded us about the culture of encounter and compassion during the pandemic. He invited us not to look away but to reach out to those needing our attention, care and guidance.
The late pope even joked saying “if we keep looking away in one direction we might suffer from stiff necks,” Fr. Nebres said.
Pope Francis even told us that another more dangerous virus than COVID 19, was the virus of indifference, citing the bible parable of Lazarus and the rich man.
By staying in our comfort zones, we miss the joy that Jesus showed in feeding the poor, the destitute and the hungry children and caring for those in need.
Fr. Nebres concluded his sermon with “let us celebrate love and joy by feeding the hungry, esp. children and caring for those in need.”
I hope everyone had a joy-filled Valentine’s Day by sharing our love and food to those in need.