Magis Catholic

We are expecting to have another lockdown in Manila this September, so it is perfectly valid and reasonable to feel lost, confused, weary, and caged. It often seems like the effort to stay at home and stay away from loved ones is all in vain. People are still getting sick. New cases pile up everyday. The vaccine roll-out is not as fast as we had hoped. The economy is still on a decline. We ask: What’s the point?

I’ve been turning this question over in my mind and after getting my second dose of the corona vaccine earlier last month, I was asking God the same question. What is the purpose of all this suffering? Why are we here?

The answer that I received in prayer gave me a lot of comfort today, so I hope to share this with you.

You are here because YOU ARE NEEDED. Your life is not just your own. Your life means something because you are needed here.

You Are…

• a blessing to your parents.
• a guiding light for your siblings.
• a safe space and the support of your friends.
• a source of inspiration for your colleagues and peers.
• a bringer of hope for your community.
• a force of nature precisely because you were designed that way.

During Sunday Mass, we are told in the final blessing to go and bring Christ into our lives. It means that in this imperfect world, we are the eyes, ears, and hands of God. He dwells in us. He works in us, and through us. A friend once told me that the strength we have is not our own. God grants us the grace to do what He requires. And if we do all things for God and for others, everything we do in this life takes on a deeper meaning. Our tasks, challenges, and opportunities are transformed by the knowledge that we are not only living for ourselves.

You are here because the world needs your head, your heart, and your hands. It needs your contribution. It needs your presence. It needs you to play your part. It needs you to lead on the ground. It needs your charity, the love that understands that sometimes we need to put the needs of others before our own.

So to anyone who needs this message today, let me say it again: You are needed here.