We stepped into the church and it was old and a bit dark. Mass had just
begun and we sat toward the front. We didn't know what to expect here in
Istanbul , Turkey . I guess we expected it to be a sombre Mass, but quiet
and sombre it was not... I thought I heard angels joyously singing
behind me!
The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful. What I discovered, as I spun
around to look, did not surprise me - because I had seen and heard the same
thing in other churches around the world. It was not a choir of angels
with feathered wings and halos, but rather a group of delightful Filipino
Catholics with smiles of delight and joy on their faces as they
worshipped God and sang His praises. I had seen this many times before, in
Rome , in Israel ,in the United States and many other
countries.
Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I
gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God. What are the special
traits which characterize these happy people? I will share a few that I
have noticed- personal observations- as I have travelled around the
world, including visits to the Philippines ..
FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family. These Filipino
Christians did not sit apart from each other in different isles. They
sat together, closely. They didn't just sing quietly, mumbling, or
simply mouthing the words. No, they raised their voices in harmony,
together, as though they enjoyed the sense of unity and communion among
them. They are family even if they are not related.
SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world
today. When most of the world's citizens are worried and fretful, I have
found Filipinos to have joy and peace - a deep sense of God's love that over
shadows them. They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have
less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still a sense
of happy trust in God and love of neighbour.
THIRD, there is a love for God and for his Son Jesus that is almost
synonymous with the word Filipino. There is also something that
Filipinos are famous for around the world - their love for the Blessed
Mother.
Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title for Mary, as I
always hear from their lips, is "Mama Mary." For these gentle folks, Mary
is not just a theological idea, or a historical person, or a statue in a
church. Mary is the mother of their Lord and their mother as well --
their "mama."
The Philippines is a Catholic nation; the only such nation in Asia . And
this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world. They are
not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church. No,
they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go
to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth. And everywhere
they go they take the joyous gospel of Jesus with them. They make a sombre Mass joyful when they burst into song. They convict the
pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the Eucharist
central in their lives.
My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines , sharing my
conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that the
Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities. I pray
that they will continue loving their families, loving the Catholic
Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the Eucharist.
As many other religions and sects try to persuade them to leave the
Church, may God give the wisdom to defend the Catholic faith. As the
world tempts them to sin and seek only money and fame and power, may God
grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and
love for God is far more important than all the riches the world can
offer.
May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be a light of the Gospel
to the whole world!
Be a proud Filipino and forward this to your families and friends!