Homily delivered by Rev. Fr. Mamert B. Mañus, SJ
31 January 2023
Memorial of St. John Bosco
For this morning’s sharing, let us focus our reflection on the line “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” In most contexts, this is really good advice. But if we put ourselves in the shoes of Jairus, whose daughter had just died, it simply doesn’t make sense. Imagine if you were in his shoes, and someone you loved had just died?
When I look at my life up until this point, I can think of so many instances when I have been afraid. Nakakahiya mang aminin, it was not faith that immediately came to mind in those moments.
I don’t even have to look much further back. In this pandemic, for instance, I remember my fear building up from the time of the first lockdown, and in the weeks that followed, when thousands upon thousands were dying from Covid. There was so much we didn’t know, and so we came up with all sorts of health and safety protocols, barricaded ourselves in our attempt to keep the virus at bay, and in our great desire to protect the most vulnerable in our families and communities.
Imagine how my fear quadrupled many times over, when my first assignment after ordination was to be chaplain at the Philippine General Hospital or PGH, our country’s main Covid referral hospital. It was in PGH where the most serious, the most dire cases of illnesses complicated by Covid were brought. It remains the same today, with its Department of Emergency Medicine always running at 150% capacity or higher.
Barely ten days after my arrival in PGH, I got my orientation on the proper donning of level 4 PPEs, and because of PPE supply problems, diretso na ang sabak sa Covid Ward rounds after the orientation. I tell you, I had just sealed the very last tape on my suit for added protection, when I started hyperventilating inside. My goggles fogged up, parang zero visibility sa Baguio kapag nag-fog, pero ang kaibahan was the burning sensation inside the suit from my own body heat. At that point, I must admit that my fears reached near-paralyzing levels.
I didn’t exactly hear Jesus saying “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” But I heard my partner Fr Lito telling me “relax, take deep breaths, ok lang yan.” Soon after, a small streak of sweat came dripping down my goggles, giving me that one small speck of clearing from which I could look through one eye. And immediately, I saw the list of 12 patients that I had to anoint, and all I could think of was their great need for the sacrament of healing. This was what I was there for; this was what my priesthood meant at that moment.
Nowadays, I have a different mission at hand. I don’t face life and death situations like I did in PGH. Nevertheless, on any given day, moments of fear and anxiety are frequent enough. I’m sure we are all faced with the same as well. So perhaps let us allow the words of Jesus as he spoke them to Jairus, to echo in our hearts today: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
”
Radyo Katipunan 87.9 FM
Homily delivered by Rev. Fr. Mamert B. Mañus, SJ
31 January 2023
Memorial of St. John Bosco
For this morning’s sharing, let us focus our reflection on the line “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” In most contexts, this is really good advice. But if we put ourselves in the shoes of Jairus, whose daughter had just died, it simply doesn’t make sense. Imagine if you were in his shoes, and someone you loved had just died?
When I look at my life up until this point, I can think of so many instances when I have been afraid. Nakakahiya mang aminin, it was not faith that immediately came to mind in those moments.
I don’t even have to look much further back. In this pandemic, for instance, I remember my fear building up from the time of the first lockdown, and in the weeks that followed, when thousands upon thousands were dying from Covid. There was so much we didn’t know, and so we came up with all sorts of health and safety protocols, barricaded ourselves in our attempt to keep the virus at bay, and in our great desire to protect the most vulnerable in our families and communities.
Imagine how my fear quadrupled many times over, when my first assignment after ordination was to be chaplain at the Philippine General Hospital or PGH, our country’s main Covid referral hospital. It was in PGH where the most serious, the most dire cases of illnesses complicated by Covid were brought. It remains the same today, with its Department of Emergency Medicine always running at 150% capacity or higher.
Barely ten days after my arrival in PGH, I got my orientation on the proper donning of level 4 PPEs, and because of PPE supply problems, diretso na ang sabak sa Covid Ward rounds after the orientation. I tell you, I had just sealed the very last tape on my suit for added protection, when I started hyperventilating inside. My goggles fogged up, parang zero visibility sa Baguio kapag nag-fog, pero ang kaibahan was the burning sensation inside the suit from my own body heat. At that point, I must admit that my fears reached near-paralyzing levels.
I didn’t exactly hear Jesus saying “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” But I heard my partner Fr Lito telling me “relax, take deep breaths, ok lang yan.” Soon after, a small streak of sweat came dripping down my goggles, giving me that one small speck of clearing from which I could look through one eye. And immediately, I saw the list of 12 patients that I had to anoint, and all I could think of was their great need for the sacrament of healing. This was what I was there for; this was what my priesthood meant at that moment.
Nowadays, I have a different mission at hand. I don’t face life and death situations like I did in PGH. Nevertheless, on any given day, moments of fear and anxiety are frequent enough. I’m sure we are all faced with the same as well. So perhaps let us allow the words of Jesus as he spoke them to Jairus, to echo in our hearts today: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
”
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