It's never too late

I think it was during the third Sunday of Lent when the priest who celebrated Holy Mass at our village chapel delivered a sermon whose message I could still remember weeks after. Not only was his sermon rather short, he used a laptop computer and Power Point to drive his message. I suspect he is a Jesuit because he communicated well unlike most seculars who run circles in their sermons and still fail to make a memorable point.

His message was simple: It is never too late for conversion. No matter how bad a sinner we have been, God is always ready to accept us back into His fold. Remember the parable about the good shepherd and the lost sheep and the prodigal son? God goes out of His way to bring us back. Yes, it was such an appropriate Lenten Sunday homily.

Imagine that… I thought as I listened intently. There is hope for all of us… even those who conspired to steal from the public coffers… and the guys at Goldman Sachs who had the audacity to claim to be doing God’s work but were actually screwing their clients and calling them muppets. Even those who lie about their bank accounts and their SALNs and the honors they have received at Ateneo.

Indeed, even someone like me who has offended his God through sins of omission… not doing enough to do God’s work among His people who are living in poverty and despair. Or not living the life God meant us to live to serve as a beacon for lost souls everywhere… We have all grievously sinned.

But there is no reason to think we are hopeless. The priest cited examples of saints who he said were most unlikely saints until they converted. He cited St. Ignatius of Loyola who was a soldier before he became a soldier for Christ and St. Sebastian who was also a soldier, a captain of the Roman Praetorian Guard under Diocletian before he was martyred for standing up for his Christian faith.

There was Saint Paul who actually persecuted early Christians but was dramatically converted on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christians. He didn’t cite St. Agustine but I thought his conversion story is also rather inspiring.

According to the website of American Catholic.org, the entire life of St. Paul can be explained in terms of one experience — his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. “In an instant, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, like the strength of a boxer swinging wildly.”

He had acquired a zealot’s hatred of all Jesus stood for, as he began to harass the Church: “...entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment” (Acts 8:3b). Now he himself was “entered,” possessed, all his energy harnessed to one goal — being a slave of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation, an instrument to help others experience the one Savior.

Paul dedicated his life to tirelessly proclaim and live the message of the cross. So Paul’s great message to the world, according to the website was: You are saved entirely by God, not by anything you can do. Saving faith is the gift of total, free, personal and loving commitment to Christ, a commitment that then bears fruit in more “works” than the law could ever contemplate.

On St. Agustine, the website of Christian Classics Ethereal Library recounts that even if his mother was a Christian, Augustine drifted through several philosophical systems before converting to Christianity at the age of 31. He has fathered a child by a mistress and his period of exploration, including his youthful excesses is recorded in Augustine’s most widely read work, the Confessions.

In his Confessions, Saint Augustine reflects upon his life in the light of scripture and the presence of God. He ponders the many sins of his life before his conversion, and he confesses not only his sins but even more the greatness of God. As the website puts it, “this work presents a wonderful contrast between the Holy God who created all things and whom heaven and earth cannot contain, and a commonly sinful man who has joyfully received God’s loving salvation and mercy.”

This Lenten season, we need to take the first step towards reconciliation with our God. He has forgiven us… He is waiting… And the time is now.

Lost and Found

PhilStar reader Wilson Lim wrote to relate a personal experience that is heartwarming and inspiring.

A couple of weeks ago, I lost my cell phone at a parking lot in Makati.  After exhausting all efforts to back track, it quickly dawned on me that I would never find my unit again. Boy, was I in for a big surprise.

Earlier this week, my mother called to inform me that a guy called her up inquiring if any of her children had recently lost their cell phone.  She said yes, got the number of the guy who called, and forwarded it to me. 

The guy’s name is Manny Rosales. Apparently, I dropped my phone somewhere in Ayala Triangle a few weeks back. And by the time Manny discovered my phone, it already ran out of battery. He explained that it took him quite some time to touch base with me since he had to look for a charger that’s compatible with my phone.

We eventually met up and I got my phone back. I thank him and offered to reimburse him the amount used to purchase the charger he used for my phone.  His reply was: “di na bale, ang importante naibalik ang telepono mo.”  Now, imagine seeing a guy going through all that trouble. 

I’m so relieved that I got my phone back.  It contained a lot of vital contacts from work and also stores a lot of picture-memories from travels, anniversaries, birthdays and the like.

I’m still in a state of disbelief. I never would’ve imagined I’d be a first-hand witness of honesty-at-work, just as I was losing hope for us Filipinos.

 One thing’s for sure, Boo...it might be rare, but Filipino integrity is alive!! And Manny Rosales sure makes me proud of being a Filipino. Mabuhay po kayo sir Manny Rosales!!!

I’m hoping my mail could provide a little respite from the daily grind of politics and offer a momentary escape from reality’s grip. 

Holy terror

Just because it is Holy Week doesn’t mean we can’t have a smile on our faces… so here goes…

A Jewish couple has a son who is a holy terror. He gets kicked out of every school they put him in. Finally desperate, the father goes to the Rabbi for advice and the Rabbi says put him in a Catholic school. Shocked, the father asks if the Rabbi is sure. “Yes” is the reply, so the father takes him to the nuns and leaves.

An hour goes by, then two hours, lunch time and finally at three the son comes home and says “Good afternoon Papa, good afternoon Mama,” goes to the table and starts on his homework.

The father is amazed and finally asks why he stayed in school all day and why he is behaving so well. His son looks up and says “Papa when you left, the Mother Superior told me that they did not allow rowdy boys, then she took me to my room. Papa they mean business! They’ve got a Jew nailed on a Cross in every room!”

HAPPY EASTER, everyone!

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco