Pasasalamat

Like the ten lepers in today’s Gospel reading (Lk. 17: 11-19), all of us are God’s beloved and recipients of His presence, love, and compassion. But are we like the nine who ungratefully went their ways after being healed by the Lord, or are we like that one, solitary Samaritan who went back to Christ to acknowledge and thank the Giver of it all?

Every moment of life is in itself a reason for thanking its Maker. Each day of every person’s life is a call to express gratitude to God, the very source and author of human life. Let us start with the beauty and the bounty of creation all around us. Thank you, Lord, for the splendor of the skies up there and the richness of the earth down here. Take a good look at those giant trees out there, each one has its own identity and reason for being. And what about those pretty birds, flying all around, each one singing its own song with such confidence and clarity. Not to mention those flowers with their gorgeous colors in combination with their leaves. Every bit of creation has its own beauty and meaning. Stop, look, and listen. Your heart cannot but be moved to express your gratitude to the Creator of them all. What about our land that shelters us, and feeds us with its crops, fruits, and vegetation? Not to mention our rivers and seas that sustain us with all kinds of delicious fishes and seafoods?

Moving on to another level of creation, I cannot help but recall those days before my late father passed away. He kept repeating to me what his constant prayer was: “Salamat, Panginoon, salamat.” Come to think of it, this was his greatest legacy to me, when I reflect on myself these days.

From the moment I was born, all the way to this point in my life, when I am ready to go, there is no greater sentiment in my heart now than profound gratitude. Seventy-eight years of God’s loving presence and care. Through laughter and tears, joys and pains, light and darkness, He has been there, my ever-constant Companion, Brother, Father, and God. He has healed me many times over, more than what He did to those ten lepers. Salamat, Panginoon, salamat.

And so is He with each one of you, gentle readers. Each one’s uniqueness and personal value is simply amazing, beloved by God and precious beyond compare. Before going to sleep tonight, please do not fail to express your gratitude to Him from the bottom of your heart!

Furthermore, the burdens and sufferings that we go through in life are nothing less than our greatest opportunities for more growth and more love as one spiritual writer puts it: “Yes, it is crucial for us to learn to give thanks for our burdens so that they can become our bridges. For some of our greatest opportunities for growth only come at the cost of a great suffering or trial. There is a pain which accompanies every victory.” (From Wm. Maestri, Grace Upon Grace).

Going beyond ourselves, let us reflect on our people as a nation and be aware once again of how gifted we are as a people and how much gratitude we owe to the Lord. Inspite of our national problems of corruption and poverty, which are the consequence of the minority’s greed and human sinfulness, the majority of our people are God-oriented, family-centered, resilient, and musically-gifted. As I have expressed in this column a few years ago, these are our national traits that we must continually thank God for.

Majority of our people still have a strong faith in God. This is our contribution to many people from the West who are becoming more and more Godless these days. This faith in God is our source of strength, inspite of our poverty as a nation. Not only here in our native land, but among many of our OFW’s in different parts of the world.

Moreover, our greatest source of happiness as Filipinos is our family life. Family is number one. A UP research study has proven this. The loving sacrifices that Filipino fathers and mothers do for their children and grandchildren are nothing less than quiet heroism. And later on, when their turn comes, what the adult children are able to give back to their parents cannot be measured in pesos. Closely-knit family ties are very Filipino, from one generation to the next.

In times of natural disasters, like last year’s Ondoy, the resiliency of our families, especially among the poor, is no less than God-given. Their faith in God is the answer.

Related to all this is our talent for music, be it in singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or composing. Being music-lovers as a people draw us closer to one another and to God. “We are one people when we pray; we are one people when we sing.” (H. de la Costa).

Salamat, Panginoon, Salamat!