Finding peace, hope and joy

Can we find joy in the midst of pain? Can we transform suffering into peace and hope?  Fr. Mario Jose Ladra, a dynamic religious leader says that this is precisely the essence of the Christian faith — it is a religion of hope.  Fr. Mar, as he is known to his parishioners at the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Pulilan, Bulacan, and those who seek his guidance, is a reassuring presence, a voice of calm and solid good sense.

In our encounters over the years, he often steers the conversation to the virtues that one must hold on to in good times and tough times. In the last couple of years, I have come to know the many aspects of his mission.  Gifted with healing powers, he would hold healing masses once a week at his former parish, The San Lorenzo Ruiz Church in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.  As executive director of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Charity and branch director of the Consuelo Madrigal Foundation in Bulacan, he has spearheaded community development programs for indigent families and individuals around his parish and nearby areas. He has compiled and edited a collection of prayers in the book Straight from the Heart, which has sold nearly 500,000 copies.

Last month, he was installed as the 50th parish priest of the San Isidro Labrador Parish, a centuries-old church in Pulilan, Bulacan where he will carry out a mission in response to the new evangelization program of the Catholic Church.  In recent months, he has gone directly to disaster areas in Cagayan de Oro, Bohol and Leyte, armed with relief goods and a message of hope for those whose lives were devastated by the forces of nature.

“Our group went directly to the disaster areas instead of channeling the help through other sources. This is our way of showing the face of Christ to those who are in need,” he says.  He describes the scale of the tragedy in Leyte as “miserable, heart-breaking and unthinkable.” 

There he met Fr. Rex Ibanez, whose church of San Antonio de Padua in Basey, Samar, was completely destroyed, and who then seemed numb and helpless in the face of so much death and destruction. As he looks back to the crisis, and now the efforts to rebuild lives, Fr. Mar says, “This is a wake-up call for everyone. It is time we return to the Lord. Nowadays, many people have forgotten God.  God has a message for everyone — that is to return to him and transform our lives, to become better people and better Christians. There is so much evil around us, so it is time to renew ourselves.  Sometimes, when adversity strikes, a greater good also emerges. What is the greater good here? The generosity of people that poured out — this is a manifestation of God’s providence. The bayanihan spirit and the compassion of people, these are the Christian virtues that surfaced after all these things happened.”

 As Fr. Mar sees it, joy comes about when we are able to get beyond ourselves and reach out to others to make their lives less and less difficult. “Joy rests in the hearts of those who are empowered by the Holy Spirit,” he points out.

Yet amid widespread suffering, there were heartening moments. In Bohol, people told Fr. Mar that despite their pain and loss, the one thing they would hold on to was their faith in God.  Fr. Rex told him that the people of Samar felt that they were not alone in the crisis, and they felt one with the Fr. Mar and his parishioners who had done much to help see them through. “I believe this is how we translate love into action, when we give our care and concern to others,” says Fr. Mar. 

“As Christians, we must continue to pray even when we don’t feel God is there, because God is always there.  The fruit of prayer life is when we become loving, generous, humble, forgiving and patient.  Our prayer life must result in these virtues, and these we must share with the less fortunate. The practice of active prayer is that we live out what we are praying for,” he points out.

As we get carried away by the festivities of Christmas, and the holiday season, Fr. Mar says that we must not lose sight of the message and meaning of Advent. “Christmas is not only a season in December, Christmas is every day when you give your love away and share it with those who have less in life.  Advent is a time of repentance, and Jesus can only be born in the manger of our hearts, if our hearts are clean and our spirits are pure.”

Below, is one of the inspirational prayers compiled by Fr. Mar in the compendium of prayers, Straight from the Heart.

The Difference

I got up early one morning, and rushed right up into the day.

I had so much to accomplish that I didn’t have time to pray.

Problems fast tumbled about me, and heavier came each task.

“Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered. He answered, “You didn’t ask.”

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on me, gray and bleak.

I wondered why God didn’t show me, he said, “But you did not seek.”

I tried to come into God’s presence, I used all my keys at the lock.

God gently, lovingly chided, “My child you didn’t knock.”

I woke up gently this morning, and paused before entering the day.

I had so much to accomplish, that I had to take time to pray.