Friday, January 23, 2009

Noypi

"Noypi"
by Rev. Fr. Philip Vincent S. Sinco

On January 22, 2009, we started the Annual Pilgrimage in preparation for the Fiesta Celebration of our Parish. Our first stop was Brgy. Desamparados and we started everything with an interactive game- we divided them into three groups and we asked them to build a church using the materials we indicated in the proceedings of the game. We were so happy with the outcome of the activity because we came up with significant learnings that coincided with the invitation we presented to the participating families who committed themselves to receive the “urna”1. It is actually an initiative of the parish to establish basic ecclesial communities as we head on to the realization of our three-year pastoral program.

Looking back, I can’t help but recall those experiences I had in the parish where I was assigned several years ago. Indeed, the establishment of BEC became an avenue where people rediscovered faith, hope and love in their personal lives and these were made possible through our weekly faith sharing. I have mentioned before in my column that I was assigned in a slum area somewhere in Novaliches and I’d like to share one significant apostolate experience that awakened my senses to the importance of having a Basic Ecclesial Community in a particular baranggay.

This is what I wrote in my weekly ministry log:

July 23, 2006

The Philippine music scene is now having a “renaissance” with the rise of novelty/alternative bands whose songs reflect the artist’s view on life, love and survival. These became an instant hit for most Filipinos because one could easily identify himself with the lyrics. I personally like “Noypi” by Bamboo since it is very patriotic and timely especially nowadays where most of us are rather apathetic toward the condition of our country. More so, my experiences in the ministry would also affirm the core message of the song.

Tingnan mo iyong palad
Kalyado mong kamay sa hirap ng buhay
Ang dami mong problema, nakuha mo pang ngumiti
Noypi ka nga, astig

We arrived at the parish earlier despite the heavy rains. I was confident this time because I have prepared well for our usual BEC prayer session. When we arrived at the area, we waited for some group members to arrive and I had a hearty conversation with one of the coordinators. She was telling me about her struggles in life and how she managed to survive despite the many problems she encountered. She wasn’t able to attend last week’s session because she accompanied her siblings to Tanay, Rizal in order to check their ailing father. She admitted to me that in the past, they had a lot of grievances against him, but seeing him after long years of separation was enough to alleviate the hurts and the pains. I was inspired by her story because it was all about forgiveness and reconciliation. During our sharing, I asked the group to recall those instances where they learned how to sacrifice in order to uphold something which they truly value in their lives. I was happy because they were getting more spontaneous compared to the previous weeks. One particular testimony caught my attention. A woman, probably in her late forties shared to the group the recent ordeals in her family. She and her husband have no means of living. Her eldest son, who assumed the responsibility of being the breadwinner, got sick of an unexplainable disease. She wanted him to have a medical check up and be admitted in a hospital but they don’t have money to pay the bills. They were even having difficulties in sustaining their everyday food table. The only consolation she got was the support given to her by her neighbors, who at times, offer her some goods like food and clothes. Another story that struck me was the one told by the secretary of the group whose life was torn by the frequent arguments of her parents, which turned out to be very physical because in the latter, they were already beaten up harshly either by their father or mother. Although this time, she was able to free herself from the agony by leaving their place in Samar, nevertheless, the memories would still haunt her. Her consolation at the moment was her job as a factory worker that helped her make ends meet.
Upon listening to their stories, I thought all the while that the session would end up emotionally draining but I was bit surprised that they haven’t lost their cheerful mood, showing me that optimism that their experiences may be harrowing but it didn’t define their future. They just “charged it to experience”. I was deeply moved when they said that they were fully aware of their situation yet they never lost hope. Probably, this is the reason why they can still manage to smile, proof that we Filipinos value life so much that we find means of maintaining our joy amidst the sorrows. No wonder, we were considered as one of the happiest people on this planet because at times, instead of drowning ourselves with despair and misery, we can only laugh at our problems. I know that this reality has its own negative implications, but placing it in a proper context could teach one how to find meaning in his or her existence. I believe that the lyrics I’ve placed above are very appropriate for what is happening in our society.

Sinisid ko ang dagat, nalibot ko ang mundo
Nasa puso ko pala hinahanap kong pulo
Ilang beses na akong muntikang mamatay
Alam ko ang sikreto kaya’t nandito pa’t buhay
Sabi daw nila may anting-anting ako
Pero ‘di nila alam na ang Diyos ang dahilan ko

It is very striking on my part that profound faith in God has always been the battle cry of those who shared their experiences in the group. It is inspiring to hear testimonies on how their sad plights have encouraged them to establish deep relationship with the Father. They were telling me that somehow, prayer was responsible in preserving their sanities although there were instances that they were on the verge of losing everything. This conviction made me affirm that we Filipinos are indeed very religious people, not for the reason that we are always present in most church liturgies and devotions, but God becomes real as the problems we face each day and we cling to Him in times when we could no longer hold ourselves. We have always believed that God has this magnanimous and abiding force that moves us beyond our physicality and we turn to Him when the going gets rough.

Looking back at my various experiences in the apostolate, I still have a lot of reasons to be thankful for being born in this country imbued with rich cultural and religious heritage. Our history would attest that we have endured so much. The strife still persists. However, at the end of the day, though confronted with so much turmoil in the government and society , aggravated by various reactions of people toward the current status of Philippine economy and politics, I continue to give myself a deep sigh and say; “I’m still proud to be a NOYPI”…

1 An “URNA” is actually an image of Our Lady of Candles encased in a wooden box. This is usually given to the member-baranggays of the parish with the purpose of creating “celdas”. A “celda” should have at least fifteen (15) households wherein the image will be transferred every night and the household who will accommodate the “Urna” of Our Lady should pray the Holy Rosary. Aside from praying the Rosary, the “celda” also schedule a weekly faith sharing at the house of a family where the “urna” is situated. This was again re-introduced for the purpose of establishing Basic Ecclesial Communities.

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