An Experience with the Poor

CEBU, Philippines - April 9 was a national holiday, and a chance for some parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Cebu City to go on a pilgrimage in Daanbantayan, north of Cebu province. Prior to the pilgrimage, the parish priest briefed participants on the purpose of the activity - to visit the poor families who were victims of typhoon Yolanda.

One of the families visited by the group was a recipient of a Stella Maris pump boat, an initiative to bring the local people back to their main livelihood. Their house looked new (perhaps provided by relief groups that came to the place sooner), but without walls, the entire area merely the size of a regular bedroom in better city homes. The small space served as the kitchen, dining area, sala and bedroom to six children and their parents. There was no comfort room; the nearby sea served that purpose. Of the 13 homes in the barangay, only three had toilets.

The house was quite neat, although it was obvious that the family did not have much of the basic provisions in life. The amazing thing was that they didn't seem to mind their lack. In fact, the parents looked happy enough, contented to see their children playing and running around.

When the visiting group learned that the couple's union did not have the blessing of the church yet, they invited them to join the mass wedding during the fiesta of the Sacred Heart of Jesus back in the city. But the couple already planned of getting married in a mass wedding at the church in their town. The wife had been an active choir member in their church since when she was small.

The neighbors soon joined in the visiting group's conversation with the couple, bringing grilled fish and "saang" (a type of seashell). Together with the food brought by the visitors, a small party developed. The kids sang and recited rhymes, and got gifts from the group, who were so touched to witness how easy it was to make the poor people happy.

The local people apologized for not being able to serve softdrinks to their guests. Little did they know that their visitors got something much, much better. Meeting them was an experience the group from the city found so heart-warming - a special grace that comes only from an encounter with people who have little in material things but have too much to share just the same.(FREEMAN)