How strong will the Church be with two Popes?

We will now have two Pontiffs, the ruling Pontiff and the Pontiff Emeritus. The last time we had two Popes was at a time of weakness, a time of schism. This is completely the reverse. Instead of two Popes competing with each other, weakening each other, and cancelling each other out as in the 14th century, here we have the absolute and complete opposite.

With the implicit backing of the Pontiff Emeritus, the new Pontiff will be doubly strong to deal with the evils attacking the Church, both from within and from without. Nothing in the history of the Church happens for nothing.

The Church showed that she was capable of surviving the storm of two competing Popes. If she can survive that, just think how strong she will be with two Popes, one former and one acting, who will support each other in brotherly love. 

Let us continue to pray for Pope Benedict XVI, all the Cardinals and the Church of God. 

***

The full text of Pope Benedict XVI's final address:

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood! 

Distinguished Authorities! 

Dear brothers and sisters! 

Thank you for coming in such large numbers in this last General Audience of my pontificate. 

As the Apostle Paul in the biblical text that we have heard, I feel in my heart to have to especially thank God that guides and builds up the Church, which is sowing his Word and thus nourishes the faith in his people. At this moment my heart expands to embrace the whole Church throughout the world, and I thank God for the “news” that in recent years the Petrine ministry I could receive about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love that circulates in the body of the Church and to live in love, and hope that it opens and directs us towards the fullness of life, towards the heavenly homeland. 

I feel I bring all in prayer, in a present that is of God, where I collect every meeting, every trip, every pastoral visit. Everything and everyone gather in prayer to entrust them to the Lord, because we have full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, and why we behave in a manner worthy of Him and His love, bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1 0.9 to 10). 

At this time, there is great confidence in me, because I know, all of us know, that the word of the truth of the Gospel is the power of the Church, it is his life. The Gospel purifies and renews, bears fruit, wherever the community of believers hears and receives the grace of God in truth and lives in charity. This is my belief and this is my joy. 

When, on April 19, almost eight years ago, I agreed to take on the Petrine ministry, I always had the certainty that has always accompanied me. At that time, I had already stated several times, words that have been spoken in my heart were: Lord, what do you ask of me? The weight that you place on my shoulders is very great, but if you ask me, at your word I will let down the nets, confident that you will guide me. And the Lord has really driven, I was close, I could feel his presence every day. It ‘was a part of the journey of the Church that had moments of joy and light, but also moments that were not easy. I felt like St. Peter and the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of Galilee. The Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze. Days when the fishing is plentiful, and there were also times when the water was rough and there was a head wind, as in the whole history of the Church and it appeared to us that the Lord appeared to be sleeping. But I always knew that the boat is in the Lord and I always knew that the boat of the Church was not mine, not ours, but was his and not let her sink, it is he who leads it, certainly through men that he had chosen, because it wanted it to be so. This was and this is a certainty that nothing can tarnish. And that’s why today my heart is filled with gratitude to God because he did not ever let the Church lack in any way especially his consolation, his light, his love. 

We are in the Year of Faith, which I wanted to strengthen our own faith in God in a context that seems to put it more and more into the background. I would like to invite everyone to renew their firm trust in the Lord, to trust like children in the arms of God, resting assured that those arms support us and are what allow us to walk every day, even when this requires effort. I would like everyone to feel loved by the God who gave his Son for us and showed us his love without boundaries. I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian. In a beautiful prayer to be recited daily in the morning, we pray: “I adore you, my God, I love you with all my heart. Thank you for creating me and for making me Christian … did. “Yes, we are happy for the gift of faith is the most precious thing. No one can take from us! We thank God for this every day, with prayer and with an authentic Christian life. God loves us, but waits for us and expects that we love him! 

But it is not only God that I want to thank at this time. A Pope is not alone in the leading the ship of Peter, even if it is your primary responsibility, and I have not ever heard only bring joy and weight of the Petrine ministry, the Lord placed many people next to me, with generosity and love for God and the Church, have helped me and I have been close. First of all you, dear Brother Cardinals: your wisdom, your advice, your friendship was precious to me, my collaborators, starting with my Secretary of State who accompanied me faithfully over the years, the Secretariat of State and the whole of the Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in various fields, give their service to the Holy See: there are many unseen faces which are not arise, remain in the shade, but in the silence, in their daily work, in a spirit of faith and humility, they have been a safe and reliable support to me. A special thought to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I can not forget the Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood, consecrated persons and the entire People of God in the pastoral visits, in meetings, at the audiences, travel, I always received great care and deep affection, but I too have loved each and every one, without exception, with that pastoral charity which is the heart of every pastor, especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I carried each of you in my prayers, the heart of a father. 

I want my greetings to reach out to all of you, everywhere: the heart of a Pope extends to the whole world. And I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, which makes up, this, our great family of nations. Here I also think of all those who work for good communication system and I thank them for their important service. 

At this point I would like to thank with all of my heart the many people around the world in recent weeks who have sent me touching tokens of attention, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone, now I experience it again in a way that is great and touches the heart. The Pope belongs to everyone and a lot of people feel very close to him. In the truth that I receive letters from the world’s largest – by the Heads of State, religious leaders, representatives of the world of culture and so on. But I also received many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply from their heart and make me feel their affection born out of experience with Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write to me as they write to a prince or a great one does not know. They write as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with the sense of family ties very affectionate. Here you can touch what is really the Church – not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian goals, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all. We experience the Church in this way and could almost be able to touch it with your hands; the very power of his truth and love is a source of joy, in a time when many people speak of it in its decline. 

In recent months, I felt that my strength had decreased, and I asked God earnestly in prayer to enlighten me with his light to make me take the right decision not for my sake, but for the good of the Church. I have taken this step in full awareness of its severity and also new, but with a deep peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make tough choices, suffering, having always before the good of the Church and not themselves. 

Allow me to return once again to April 19, 2005. The severity of the decision was precisely in the fact that from that moment on I was always and forever committed for the Lord. Always – those who assume the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. Always and totally belongs to everyone, the entire Church. His life is, so to speak, totally deprived of the private sphere. I experienced, and I am experiencing it right now that one receives life just as He gives. I said before that a lot of people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are very fond of him. I’ve said before that the Pope has truly brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world, and that he feels in the embrace of their communion, because it no longer belongs to himself, instead he belongs to everyone, everywhere. 

The “always” is also a “forever” – there is a return to the private sector. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry does not revoke this fact. I am not returning to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. I am not abandoning the cross, but I am remaining at the foot of the Crucified Lord. I will no longer vest the power of the office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer rest, so to speak, in the yard of St. Peter. St. Benedict, whose name I bare as Pope, is a great example of this. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God I thank each and everyone for your respect and understanding with which you have welcomed this important decision. I will continue to accompany the journey of the Church through prayer and reflection, with dedication to the Lord and to his Spouse, with which I have tried to live up to now every day and which I want to live forever. I ask you to remember me before God, and above all to pray for the Cardinals, who are called to such an important task, and the new Successor of Peter, the Lord accompany him with the light and the power of his Spirit. 

Let us invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, the Mother of God and of the Church that she may accompany each of us and the whole ecclesial community, to her, as we trust, deep trust.

Dear friends! God guides His Church, holds always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the Church and the world. In our heart, in the heart of each one of you, may there always be the joyous certainty that the Lord is near, do not abandon us, near us and surrounds us with his love. Thank you!

Buksan ang aming puso.

Isang araw matapos ang Consistory noong November at ginawaran ng red hat si Cardinal Chito Tagle, ang Arsobispo ng Maynila, kinausap niya ng personal si Pope Benedict XVI. Sabi ni Cardinal Tagle: "My Pope, I am sorry for being so emotional yesterday." Ipinagpaumanhin ng Cardinal ang kanyang di-mapigilang pag-iyak at pagbuhos ng emosyon habang nasa harapan ni Pope Benedict XVI.

Sumagot si Pope Benedict XVI nang ganito: "Cardinal, you should not be sorry. The Church needs a heart like yours."

Sa panahon ngayon, nababalot ang mundo, maging ang Simbahan, ng iba't ibang ideolohiya. Liberalism. Conservatism. Idealism. Secularism. Post-modernism. Puro debate ng isip, puro pagtatalo ng mga intelektwal. Naniniwala ako sa sinabi ni Pope Benedict XVI kay Cardinal Tagle. Kailangan ng Simbahan ang puso.

Sa tuwing umuuwi ako galing sa trabaho, sa Bayan sa Marikina ako bumababa ng shuttle van. At saka roon ako sasakay ng jeep pauwi sa barangay namin. Madalas, naaabutan ng trapiko ang sinasakyan kong jeep sa panulukan ng Shoe Avenue at Sumulong Highway. Mahigit isang minuto titigil ang sasakyan, mahigit isang minuto akong makakapag-isip o makakasilip sa labas ng jeep. At madalas, may sasakay na batang nakayapak. May dalang sobre, may sulat na nanghihingi ng tulong - kahit na magkano - para sa kaniyang pamilya.

Minsan, kumakanta pa ang batang nakayapak pagkabigay ng sobre sa mga nakasakay sa jeep. Minsan, pinapababa agad ng driver. Subalit madalas, iniaabot ang marungis niyang kamay sa aming mga binigyan niya ng sobre.

May maririnig akong bulong ng katabi ko. Na hindi dapat bigyan ng limos yung batang nakayapak sapagkat maaaring gamitin lang sa pambili ng solvent o yosi. Na hindi dapat bigyan ng limos sapagkat maaaring miyembro siya ng sindikato. Pero, maaari rin namang hindi. Hindi ako nakakasigurado kung talagang ipambibili niya ng solvent o miyembro siya ng sindikato. Hindi ko masisisi yung katabi ko kung ganun ang tingin niya sa batang nakayapak. Pero yun din minsan ang tumatakbo sa isip ko. Isip na naman! Hindi ko maiwasang humusga. Hindi ko man lang nagamit ang puso ko. Kaya pala ganun ang sinabi ni Pope Benedict XVI kay Cardinal Tagle. Kailangan ang puso sa Simbahan.

Sana magamit ko ang puso ko kahit kayhirap masaktan. Sana hindi lang isip ko ang masunod kahit kayhirap ang maloko. Sana magamit ko ang puso ko sa pag-iisip kahit kayhirap ng buhay. Sana ganun din ang ibang tao, ang bumubuo sa Simbahan.

Buksan ang aming puso

Turuan Mong mag-alab

Sa bawat pagkukuro

Lahat ay makayakap.

Buksan ang aming isip

Sikatan ng liwanag

Nang kusang matangkilik

Tungkuli'y mabanaag.

Buksan ang aming palad

Sarili'y maialay

Tulungan mong ihanap

Kami ng bagong malay. 

Monday devotion

Nagsimula ang taong 2013 na lagi akong excited sa pagdating ng Monday. Gaya noong 2008 na lagi akong excited sa pagdating ng Thursday. May gayuma sa akin - kapanatagan ng loob - kung may nakakasama akong magdasal ng rosaryo at/o magsimba. Hindi sa ayaw kong mag-isa dahil nagagawa ko rin namang magdasal ng rosaryo at magsimba kahit na mag-isa. Masarap lang talaga sa pakiramdam na isiping may kasama ka, may karamay sa pagninilay ng misteryo ng rosaryo.

Nagpapasalamat ako sa kaklase't kaibigan kong si Jo na nag-imbita sa akin at ilan ko pang kaklase't kaibigan (sina Abi at Jerome) na dumalo sa kanilang Monday devotion. Tuwing Monday, siyempre! Balak ko lang talagang iabot sa kaniya yung pasalubong kong danggit mula sa Cebu noong nagpunta ako roon para sa National Thanksgiving Mass alay kay San Pedro Calungsod. (Sa susunod, ikukuwento ko ang buhay ko bilang deboto ni San Pedro Calungsod.) Pero wala siya sa bahay, nasa simbahan pala. Ano'ng ginagawa nito sa simbahan isang Lunes ng gabi? E malamang na naroon na siya nung Linggo, bakit nandoon na naman ng Lunes? Hindi niya lang basta tinanggap ang dala kong pasalubong, hinikayat niya muna ako na samahan siya sa loob ng simbahan upang magdasal ng rosaryo. (E nagdasal na ako ng rosaryo nung umaga!) Hindi ko iyon matanggihan sapagkat kayhirap tanggihan ang presensya ng Diyos.

Puro mga binatilyo ang naroon sa Monday devotion. Kilala ko yung ilan, namumukhaan ko naman ang iba dahil siguro nakikita ko ring madalas magsimba sa OLA (Our Lady of Abandoned Parish). Matapos ang pagninilay sa Misteryo ng Tuwa, sunod na dinasal ang dalit kay Maria, Ina ng mga Walang Mag-ampon. Si OLA kung tawagin ng karamihan sa kanila. Siya yung Pintakasi ng bayan ng Marikina. (Base sa pagkukuwentuhan namin ni Jo, ang orihinal na debosyon kay OLA ay nagmula pa sa Valencia, España. Bukod sa Marikina, deboto rin ni OLA ang distrito ng Sta. Ana, Manila.) Nakakamangha ang kanilang debosyon kay Maria bilang Ina ng Diyos.

Matapos ang pagdarasal, nagkaroon kami ng pagkakataong lumapit sa imahen ni OLA sa altar. Hindi ko akalaing may kakaibang enerhiyang bumalot sa akin nung lapitan ko si OLA at hawakan siya. Sapat na yung mamasdan siya, ano pa kaya 'yung mahawakan siya?

At hindi pa roon natapos ang imbitasyon ng kaibigan ko. Magkita raw ulit kami sa susunod na Lunes. Hindi ko na sinabing busy ang Lunes ko. Salamat sa halimbawa ni Maria, "oo" ang isinagot ko. At pakiramdam ko talaga, hindi lang 'yung kaibigan ko ang nag-imbita. Si OLA mismo ang may imbitasyon sa aking bisitahin siya.

Kaya tuwing Monday, nagmamadali akong makaalis ng opisina. Kahit na tuwing Martes ng umaga ay may report ako sa unit na kinabibilangan ko. At ilang Lunes na ang nagdaan ngayong taon na di ko nararanasang maipit sa trapiko gayong laging mabagal ang trapiko sa rutang dinaraanan ko. Salamat sa Diyos hindi Niya tinutulutang mahuli ako sa Monday devotion.

Nakakatuwang isiping may mga kabataan pa ring nagdarasal ng rosaryo. Hindi na lang matatanda ang marunong umusal ng Salve Regina. Sa panahong bukambibig ng mga tao ang salitang "pagbabago," naniniwala akong hindi dapat isama sa pagbabago ang pagdarasal ng rosaryo. Hindi nakakasawa ang pag-uulit-ulit. Sapagkat sa pag-uulit tayo natututo. Nagiging matagumpay ang isang eksperimento kung paulit-ulit itong ginagawa. Gumagaling sa badminton at iba pang sports kung paulit-ulit ang pag-eensayo. Sa disiplina umuusbong ang talento at kakayahan. Lumalalim ang relasyon dahil sa paulit-ulit na pagsasabi ng "I Love You" at sa paulit-ulit na pagpapakita ng manipestasyon nito: ang pagluluto para sa atin ng almusal ng ating magulang, ang araw-araw na text message, ang regular na date at selebrasyon ay paulit-ulit. Hindi boring ang pag-uulit. You just don't form a habit, you actually become the habit. Kapag paulit-ulit ang pagdarasal ng pagsagot ng "oo" ni Maria, napapasagot na rin tayo ng "oo" sa tawag ng Diyos. Kapag paulit-ulit ang pagsambit natin sa dasal na itinuro sa atin ni Hesus, nagiging katulad na rin tayo ni Hesus.

Paulit-ulit ang Lunes pero hindi boring. At sa mga susunod pang Lunes, paulit-ulit akong dadalo sa Monday devotion. Hindi lang dahil sa niyaya ako ng kaibigan ko kundi dahil sa niyaya ako ni OLA mismo. At kapag may nagtanong sa akin kumbakit excited akong umuwi kapag Monday, ikukuwento ko sa kaniya yung paulit-ulit kong ginagawa. At kahit nadasal ko na ang mga misteryo ng rosaryo tuwing nagbibiyahe sa umaga, gusto ko pa ring ulitin ito pagsapit ng gabi. We repeat to remember; we remember to repeat.

Love listens.

One of the biggest challenges in marriage is communication. Here’s an example: in the past husbands went to work and wives stayed home to raise the children. Now, someone has estimated that the average man speaks about twenty-nine thousand words a day and the average woman speaks about thirty-three thousand words a day. That may not be accurate, but let’s use it as an illustration. 

He’s been out in the workplace all day and by the time he gets home he’s used up twenty-six thousand of his words, leaving only three thousand he feels no need to say. But she’s been locked up all day with the dishes, the diapers and the drudgery. She has talked to her mother, to friends and neighbors and used up about eight thousand words. So when he gets home she has twenty-five thousand words waiting for him. 

After a silent supper he spends the evening watching TV, then they go to bed. As he’s about to fall asleep a voice says, “Are you awake?” If you are wise, you will be! If not, tomorrow night there will be fifty thousand words lying beside you. 

Do the math; in ten years there will be enough words to fill the central library. But maybe not; maybe there will be no words. A frequent reason given in divorce is: “We just got to where we had nothing to say to one another anymore.” 

The Bible says, “Husbands, love your wives.” Love listens when we have nothing particularly interesting to say. It listens because only when we have been heard and validated, do we feel cherished. So, “How’s your communication?”

May panahon para sa lahat.

Ngayon pala inaalala ng Simbahan ang Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Siya yung unang Pope ng Simbahan. Biglang nakita ng lahat ng nagsimba kanina sa BPI Chapel yung halaga ng pagdiriwang na ito. Ngayong nalalapit na ang araw ng pagbibitiw ni Pope Benedict XVI bilang Bishop of Rome at pinuno ng 1.2 bilyong Katoliko sa buong mundo.

Kahit ako na hindi pa naman nakita o nakasama ng personal si Pope Benedict XVI, nakaramdam din ako ng pagkalungkot at pagkagulat sa kanyang desisyon. Pauwi na ako galing trabaho, nagmamadali para sa Monday Devotion sa OLA Parish, nang maisipan kong mag-Twitter sa cellphone. May tweet na nagsasabing magreresign si Pope Benedict XVI sa February 28, 8:00 PM. Nagtweet agad ako, nagtatanong kung totoo ba yung nabasa kong tweet. Pero lalo lang nagsunod-sunod ang mga tweets tungkol sa balitang pagbibitiw ng Pope. Nasiguro ko nga noon na totoo pala talaga yung balita. Nalungkot ako sobra kaya tinext ko agad yung balita sa mga kaibigan ko. Alam na rin pala nila.

Kayhirap ngang maging pinuno. Mas mahirap pa kung hindi mo naman ginusto na maging pinuno. Lalo pa yung maging pinuno ng bilyong Katoliko sa mundo. Alam yun ni Pope Benedict XVI. Pero nakitaan siya ng katatagan. Mahirap maging Pope matapos ang matagal-tagal ding pamumuno sa atin ng paboritong Pope, si Blessed John Paul II. Charismatic, well-loved at sikat sa kahit saang bansa. Hindi yun mapapantayan ni Pope Benedict XVI na noong maging Pope ay edad 78 na. Pero hindi mapapasubalian ninoman ang katalinuhan ni Pope Benedict XVI. Napaghalo niya ang konserbatibong doktrina ng Simbahan at neo-liberal na pananaw ngayon ng mga miyembro ng Simbahan. Nagkolehiyo ako sa Ateneo, kumuha ng mga Theology subjects at tunay nga, sobra akong naliwanagan sa mga sulat at encyclicals ni Pope Benedict XVI. Mamimiss ko siya pero dala-dala ko sa puso ang mga pananaw niya ukol sa pamilya, pananampalataya at maging konsyensya.

Pero kahit magbibitiw siya, hindi ako naniniwala sa mga hulang huling yugto na ngayon ng Simbahan. Nagkakawatak-watak daw dulot ng mga isyung ipinupukol dito pero naniniwala akong mawawala ang lahat pero hindi ang Simbahan. Oo, nagkakamali ang Simbahan pero sa tingin ko’y natural lamang iyon. Maging ang Simbahan ay hinahanap ang Katotohanan, ang Daan at ang Buhay. I believe the Church is a Human Church. Being human, it can lead astray. But I believe that the Church is also divine. Many centuries have gone but the Church is still alive. Dahil sa Diyos mismo ang nagtatag. Hindi magtatagumpay ang kasamaan laban sa Simbahan.

Kaya nga dapat lamang na pasalamatan ang Pope. Sapagkat siya ang unifying agent ng iba-ibang kultura, pananaw at personalidad ng Simbahan. Hindi siya nagpatalo sa mga nais buwagin ang pagkakaisa natin. Salamat po Pope Benedict XVI sa pagiging buhay na imahen ni Kristo sa amin. Aalis ka pero hindi ka iiwan ng Simbahang iyong ginabayan. Ipinakita mo sa lahat na may panahon para mamuno at sumuko. May panahon para makibaka at magpaalam. May panahon para sa lahat, magtiwala at maghintay ka lang.

At naniniwala akong Diyos ang may layon ng lahat. Papasok tayo sa Marso ng sede vacante, o walang namumunong Pope sa Vatican City. Magtutungo ang mga Cardinal doon upang pumili ng bagong Pope sa paraang Diyos ang nagtakda. Hihirangin ang bagong Pope at naniniwala akong pinili siya hindi ng mga Cardinal kundi ng Diyos mismo. Dahil kahit sa panahong tila walang maririnig mula sa Diyos, sigurado pa ring kumikilos ang Diyos sa ating lahat.

Pero sa isang banda,  without any bias sa ating bagong Cardinal, Manila Archbishop Chito Tagle, totoong may chance na siya ang mapili. Kulang na lang ng mabigat na dahilan (o plataporma?) upang mapansin siya ng mga kapwa niya Cardinal.

Sa palagay ko, kailangan ng Simbahan ng isang Asian Pope. Naniniwala ako na kailangang palakasin ang puwersa at concentration ng Simbahan sa Asya. Sapagkat sa Asya naroon ang bilyong-bilyong tao pero 3% lang nito ay Katoliko. Lalo na sa China. At sino ba ang bagay na Pope na makahihikayat sa China? Sa tingin ko, yung may dugong Tsino. Kahit 50% Chinese lang, parang si Cardinal Tagle.

Kidding aside, nais kong ipanalangin si Pope Benedict XVI, ang hihiranging bagong Pope at ang Simbahang kinabibilangan ko.

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to Your shepherd, the Pope, a spirit of courage and right judgement, a spirit of knowledge and love.

By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care may he, as successor to the apostle Peter and vicar of Christ, build Your church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

God is so good.

Magtiwala at maghintay. Ito yung lagi kong natututunan sa mga problema ko sa buhay. Nung isang taon, naganap yung isang kakaibang pakiramdam sa puso ko. Pero saka ko na iyon ikukwento. Sa ibang pagkakataon. Kapag kaya ko nang panghawakan ang bibitawan ko at kaya ko namang bitawan ang mga pinanghahawakan ko.

Madalas maikli ang pasensya ng mga tao. Sinusunod yung instinct na "survival of the fittest." Bira dito, bira doon. Walang pakundangan sa mga pagkilos. Ganun nga rin ako noon. Hanggang sa may nangyari sa buhay ko. At di ko maiwasang magpasalamat sa Diyos na nagturo sa akin ng dalawang katangiang ito: ang pagtitiwala at paghihintay.

Noong makatapos ako sa kolehiyo, kung saan-saan ako nag-apply ng trabaho. Makati o Ortigas o maging sa Roxas Blvd. Mahigit dalawang buwan akong hanap nang hanap ng trabaho. Puro interview at exam, wala namang tumatawag para sa next o final interview. Nakakaubos ng pasensya, nakakaubos ng pera. Puro management training job ang pinagpasahan ko ng resume. Dahil gusto ko mabilis maging officer sa trabaho. Pero walang return reply yung mga kompanya. Nakakainis. Parang binabalewala lang nila ako. Hanggang sa nagdesisyon akong ayaw ko nang mag-apply para sa management training at tatanggapin ko yung trabahong unang iooffer sa akin ng kahit na sinong kompanya.

Hanggang sa nagpadala ng imbitasyon ang propesor ko mula sa BPI para sa management training. Ayaw kong pumunta, ayaw kong pansinin yung imbitasyon. Ang gusto ko ay agarang trabaho. Pero pinilit akong pumunta ng dalawa sa kaklase ko. Kaya tinanggap ko na rin yung imbitasyon. Nagpasa ako nung gabing iyon ng aking resume. Hindi naman nakakagulat na nung nasa bus na ako pauwi, biglang may nagtext na HR personnel tungkol sa exam at interview para sa trabaho. Bukas na bukas. Pero yung nakakagulat, matapos ang exam at interview, may sumunod na interview agad kinahapunan. At may isa pang panel interview kinabukasan na siyang magdedesisyon kung tanggap na ako. Kaybilis ng pangyayari. Doon ako namangha. Pwede pala iyon mangyari sa akin.

Nakakatuwa talaga na sa loob lang ng dalawang araw, tinanggap na agad ako ng BPI para sa kanilang Officership Training Program. Tuwang-tuwa ako na nagbunga rin yung paghihirap ko sa paghahanap ng trabaho. Nagsimula ako nang may galak sa puso na mabilis akong natanggap sa trabaho. Naipadala ko pa ang text message na ito sa mga kaibigan at tita ko:

God is so good! God is so great! In just two days, tanggap na ako sa trabaho. Thank you Lord!

Totoo pala talaga na kahit parang tahimik lang ang mundo, kumikilos pa rin ang Diyos. Nariyan siya sa kahit anong oras. Kailangan ko lang magtiwala at maghintay.

Lord, salamat po sa bawat pagkilos Mong nakalulugod. Natutunan ko kung paano magtiwala sa Iyo at kung paano maghintay nang buong tiyaga sa nais Mong matupad. Ikaw nga yung sandigan ko. Ikaw yung nakaaalam kung ano'ng makabubuti sa akin.

Tapos na ako sa management training at ganap na officer na ako ngayong taon. Patuloy pa rin akong nagtitiwala at naghihintay sa kagustuhan ng Diyos. Kahit ako yung laging tumatawag sa atensyon Mo at paminsan-minsa'y naiinip sa sagot Mo, napapanatag ang loob ko sa isipang naririnig Mo talaga ako at lingid man sa kaalaman ko, gumagawa Ka ng plano para sa akin. Salamat Lord! You are really good. Sana po kapag Ikaw naman ang tumawag sa akin, masagot ko agad nang walang pasubali. Nang buong pusong pagtanggap.