“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”—Hebrews 11:1
Being predominantly Catholic, most Filipinos have been brought up going to Mass every Sunday, praying the Holy Rosary or have the devotion, or panata, to at least one saint. So this, one would think, should be the basis of our unwvering faith.
And yet most of us still have those lingering questions about our faith in God —and how He could help us all be united to make the world a better place.
It could be that as we grow older, it becomes difficult to just believe. It’s not that we don’t want to, but more because too much has happened that we just can’t. This is why we look past all the possibilities, because without solid evidence or basis that life could work out the way we want them to be, we’d rather not see faith as real.
Still, thousands of Filipinos, just like during the Feast of the Black Nazarene, will troop to Quiapo, brave the heat, crowd, thirst and hunger, just to continue to show their undying faith and devotion.
One more reason to believe that there is still hope in the Philippines and its people, if they could only show the same unity in all other aspects of their lives – work, family and society. We know some would say it’s like wishful thinking to believe it could happen, but then again, it’s a little like faith—it makes you believe even if everything around you tells you not to. (AJPress)
( www.asianjournal.com )
( Published on January 10, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A12 )
