Anchored in their Calling

There was a time during the Marcos Sr. administration that his project called… Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) designed to bring renewal to society was not going well. It simply did not work. This is similar to our situation today where our weak institutions are teetering to the edge as it has been pummeled by widespread graft and corruption. Our country is being bled dry again, as it had been before, pillaged and plundered by our leaders. Thus, one escape hatch for some Filipinos is to find solace in different countries, to flee. A trickle in the beginning, but later on institutionalized.

These migrants and seafarers are heralded as saviors of our economy. They send money to help their families and relatives who are eking out a paltry income compared to what they earn abroad, and thereby stimulate our national economy. This setup fueled a consumption-led economy, versus the investment-driven economies of our neighbors that in time overtook us in many aspects of society like education, manufacturing, and infrastructure to name a few.

At the same time, as one goes abroad, noticeably, we meet our kababayans singing in the choir at Mass. We see them as readers and commentators. They’re in-demand when it comes to trust, especially in caring for the elderly and the sick, often as domestic help. Majority of the crews in the maritime industries in the world are Filipino. One story goes, in Spain, Filipinas were teaching grandmas how to pray the Rosary. Another goes that Filipino-American nurses during the height of the pandemic showed courage to care for their patients, at risk of their own lives, displaying their faith openly. There are numerous stories wherein our kababayans bring their faith with them, establish themselves in their communities, and spread the faith everywhere, from factory floors, pharmacies, hospitals, barracks, etc. Their efforts may not be tangible or bear fruit in their lifetime, but rest assured, God does not forget.

True, they suffer bouts of loneliness as they are far into the sea or in an urban jungle in a different culture. They are also beset with social problems at home, families with no father or mother figure, but as the country today faces a setback of scandals, hope still blows the sails of human resiliency in the struggle against human nature. Let us pray that justice will be meted out to those who have harmed the Filipino people. As for the seafarers and migrants, we pray that they cling to their faith through their work and example. The peoples all over the world will see them as beacons of hope, as they fulfill their vocation by virtue of their baptism, acquiring the office of Christ as king, prophet, and priest.

The Holy Family once fled to Egypt to escape harm from King Herod. St. Joseph, Mary, and the Child Jesus know how it is to live in a foreign land. Let us turn to them for guidance and succor. (Johnny Sulit)