WALK THE FAITH
WALK THE FAITH
Latai Muller
Latai is a Columban lay missionary from the Kingdom of Tonga and is presently assigned in Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao.
"See God everywhere and we will have a deeper and deeper faith in him. See him in sunrise and sunset, in mountain brooks and in the mighty ocean, in storm clouds and rainbows, in flood and dryness. Every experience in our surroundings has an impact on our lives."
On the afternoon of July 25, 2021, I went to one of the communities that I am assigned to called “Landless in Barra”, to join them in their Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) activity. BEC is a movement in the Catholic Church where bishops, priests, the religious, and lay people gather together to share the Gospel. The members know each other by name and share not only the word of God and the Eucharist but also their respective concerns, both material and spiritual. They have a strong sense of belonging and responsibility for one another.
When I arrived in the area, the chapel leaders were still trying to gather the crowd. In the end, there were only five adults and some of the kids, the rest being busy. On our way to the couple’s house where the BEC activity was supposed to be held, something caught my eye. I saw that some of the houses were flooded due to the heavy rain earlier in the morning. The house where we were supposed to meet was also flooded. We stood there for about five minutes, figuring out what to do next. There were only two options: keep going or cancel.
As we reflected in silence, I thought the activity will get cancelled until the following Sunday. Little did I know that the devotion of these women runs way deeper than I realize. Their desire and longing for God in sharing with others is boundless.
They agreed to continue, but we had no choice but to conduct our BEC activity in a small spot near the front road where cars were passing. I was moved when one of the mothers said, "Sa Dios ang tanang butang posible" (with God, all things are possible). Something somehow empowers these beautiful women to have faith in God no matter what; even floods cannot stop them. Listening to their stories gave me inspiration. Even though they are struggling to find a job in the midst of the pandemic to provide for their families, they still manage to put a huge smile on their faces.
As I recalled my experience on that day, I learned a lot from these women. Sometimes, I need to pause and remind myself that faith is not an option for us, people of God. It is, and must remain, a way of life. If we believe and trust God, all things are possible. When we walk by our faith, we don’t see obstacles but opportunities to reflect our faith on, just like the women of Landless in Barra. Fear nothing and pray about everything.
