A living Gospel that people are reading…

The moment I learn that the new pope has chosen the name Francis, I never had a second thought, that he meant Francis of Assisi. I could feel a new sense of directions under his papacy. His leadership inspires a lot of people including myself. Pope Francis tried his very best to integrate in his life the virtues of St. Francis. He does not only preach the Gospel but lived the Gospel so that he become a living Gospel that other people are reading. I believe what the Holy Father is doing now is leading the Church to its real mission and be truly identified as a Church of the poor. 

  As a Pilipino and more so as a Leyteño the visit of Pope Francis is a blessing. A concrete expression of God’s presence in the midst of struggle and suffering. His consoling presence has indeed brought great joy to God’s people because he conveys message of Love and Compassion. 

                Being in the formation, I feel happy and inspired of such a leadership. I feel very blessed to see a person who knows how to communicate to its people with Love, Faith, and Hope. I am very thankful to God for giving us Pope Francis as His chosen head of His own church. God is indeed a very generous God because he is very faithful to His promise to be with His people until the end of time. Yes, the church now is facing a lot of challenges but even then, his presence is constantly felt through the people He chose to lead. We are graced with a great a man who does not only write decrees and exhortations or deliver long homilies on the pulpit but a man who Walk the Talk.

VIRTUAL vs. REAL Community

              Virtual community is not a real community. Virtual can never be real. Virtual means “very close to being something without actually being it” while real define as “actually existing or happening, not imaginary, not fake, not false, or artificial. It is important and deserving to be regarded or treated in a serious way.” Yes, virtual activities involves real individual because it is only the human person is capable of inventing it. The realm of virtual activities is a simulated space wherein real people interact. This is one of the magic and art of technology. It creates a world of fantasy where real people interact. It is like creating a city of gold or the Atlantis but never exist in reality.
                Community for me is not just an interaction or exchange of communication of real person but a real presence of a real person – a real physical and tangible involvement in real existing place. This is what virtual community lacks of – real presence in a real location and so it remains on the level of communication. One of the important elements of real community is the highest level of communication and that is real presence. One’s presence is content by the highest level of communication. Thus, presence in itself is already communication.  That is why we longed for something or for someone. And the fulfilment of this longing is a real physical presence of something or of someone. Theologically speaking, same is true in God’s desire to communicate to us and our longing to see Him. God become concretely real and walked with His people in a certain history of our time in the person of Jesus Christ – in communion with us.
                I believe this is also the essence of my every pastoral visit to my pastoral area every weekend. To start building a community in a particular place with my personal presence in order to develop a real community. I am also certain that the visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines will fulfil the desire of many people too see and listen to him personally. And his presence will forever mark and make a difference in the life of the Filipino people. It is his physical presence that truly communicates and touch lives. The affectivity of his message is far different from his virtual presence. I am convince that this is what real community is all about. Pope Francis as the head of the community will make his presence felt not virtually but realistically.