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| Vol. XX No. 45 |
January 17, 2001 |
Virac, Catanduanes |
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The Catanduanes Tribune Rawis, Virac Catanduanes, Philippines - 5001 Tel. No.: (052) 811-1267 or 811-2640 Fax No.: (052) 811-1267 E-mail:
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Publisher-Editor Edwin A. Gianan |
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Advertising- Circulation Manager Simeon G. Cueno |
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Web Master: Calgary, Canada |
Other Concerns
by the Cathedral Clergy
Has
suffering a meaning?
I really had no idea what the damage was on Fr. Josart, short for Fr. Joseph Saratan, when fire accidentally broke out as he was trying to fix our leaking LPG tank last January 9. I though it was just a minor thing because he still managed to turn off the main electrical switch when everyone was almost in panic.
I could not really believe what I saw in the hospital bed the following day. His arms were badly burnt. His face was blistered. His hairdo reminded me of Bro. Wilde Almeda when he was released after some months in the Abu Sayyaf lair last year.
The sight made me ask, “Why, Lord?” Just a couple of months ago, he lost his motorbike and now, this accident. It is as if all the powers of hell had conspired against him. And I think he himself was looking for an answer to the same question for he was going over the pages of a book on human suffering when I arrived. The book narrates and interprets the story of Job, a man spoken of in the Old Testament as the icon of pain and suffering.
The accident, however, was not actually the first to happen in the cathedral this January. Five days earlier, we were horrified to see thick smoke coming out of the roof on the eastern side of the church. Firemen immediately came to the rescue – thanks to the alert DILG fire protection group. But it turned out it was not due to faulty electrical wiring which appeared to be the only probable cause. The smoke came from garbage stuck inside the hollow wall of the chapel of the saints, which must have accidentally caught fire.
Occasions such as these give us some points for reflection. One is on the reality of life’s uncertainties. There are dramas in real life. And when accidents happen we cannot sometimes help but ask if all things in life really happen as planned by God.
Many years ago, a friend also met an accident. He broke his leg while playing basketball, his favorite sport. It took a long time for him to recover and when he finally got out of the hospital, he was advised to forget the game and other strenuous activity altogether. His first reaction was disappointment. He cursed God for allowing the accident to happen. But then he realized, he told me later, that those were the moments when he felt closest to God.
On the wall of Fr. Josart’s hospital room hangs a poster, which says, “We still do not know what God’s plan is. But we are sure He has a plan for you. He is present to unfold it in the person of those who love and care for you.”
To Fr. Josart and those who are in the face of suffering, know that God is with you. At the moment, you may not know his plan, but He will unfold it in due time.
