A journey of faith: Postscript to Sinulog

I ask myself sometimes about the importance of everything I do. When uncertainty or meaninglessness sets in, this is particularly true. Since, after all, relevance alters. Tomorrow, next week, next month or next year, a thing or person, or at least his or her assignment or part, may be irrelevant. I'm asking these basic questions: Why do I have to do that? What good does it do for me and for others?

The same question of relevance may also be the target of the annual Sinulog celebration. Is this still relevant? Does it still give meaning to what we do? I would like to provide reasons or answers of relevance as we aim to strike the balance of safety and religiosity or of faith.

We need to build a sense of regularity between ourselves and for others. A very important lesson is that the pandemic will never kill our hopes and ambitions, even if has changed our lives tremendously. As the pandemic is still in our midst, life must gradually re-establish certain patterns. Life has to return to its normal flow. Although it may not be the same as before, life has to continue, but this time with caution.

A manifestation of our profound commitment is in the festivities where we assemble in harmony. It is in the collective voice that our pleadings, our favors, reverberate to heaven. Living in a complicated and chaotic world, we make every effort to emulate the humility, respect, gratitude and love of the Holy Child; a child who is pure, innocent and sincere. And then, as we gather together, we share our experiences with each other.

In our hearts, faith resides. Beyond the fanfare, the excitement, the grandeur of the celebration, it is our profound faith that mysteriously works in our hearts. If we believe that at the end of the tunnel, there is always light, then that is faith. If we believe that after a storm there is a rainbow, then that is faith. If we believe that better days will dawn after the pandemic, then that is faith.

In this challenging period, every religious activity is a celebration of faith. And the more we are tested, the more we need our faith to be fortified. When we share our significant human experiences, we work for the continuity of things.

We believe, despite our imperfections, that God has always been good to us. And God is still with us in life's journey, no matter what we go through, because a journey of faith is a journey with God.