“LAHAT ng ito ay babalik at nagsisimula sa awa ng Diyos.”
This was Archbishop Socrates Villegas’ answer when asked about the true concept of mercy and compassion, the theme of the most-awaited Papal Visit.
In a panel discussion organized by Philippine Daily Inquirer, Father Villegas said mercy and compassion can be associated with the famous local expression, “Awa ng Diyos.”
“Ang pinakamagandang konsepto ng compassion and mercy ay ‘yong Filipino expression na ‘Awa ng Diyos’, hindi awa ng tao,” he said during the Inquirer Conversation: A People of Compassion.
Father Villegas explained God’s mercy and compassion always comes with a feeling, a decision, and an action.
“Iyong awa ng Diyos, nakita Niya ‘yong situation natin, ‘yong awa ng Diyos, nagdesisyon Siya na tatawid Siya sa atin at ‘yong awa ng Diyos, binigay Niya ‘yong Kanyang buong buhay sa krus,” Father Villegas said.
It is true that a person’s mercy and compassion starts with a feeling; however, the mind can control it from having a decision then leading to an action, said Father Villegas.
He added that people should learn how to deal with “the distance from the mind to action.”
Helping the poor
Father Villegas talked about the different levels of helping the poor: pray for them, give alms to them, develop their status, and liberate them from the structure of sins.
According to him, prayer is the start of having mercy and compassion towards the needy and it is considered as the “best contribution for world transformation.” However, it is not enough that people only pray for the poor as charitable deeds like giving alms must come after it.
“Hanggang sa ngayon, ‘yong paglilimos sa mga dukha ay nakakabawas ng ating kasalanan,” Father Villegas added.
The “developmental” level, on the other hand, is letting the poor improve their lives by earning money for themselves, build their own houses, and create their own families among others.
More importantly, the highest form of Christian charity is “liberational” wherein one does not simply help but also seek the reason why there are poor people. It also means being the “forefront fighting the structure of sins.”
“Hindi lang liberation from personal sins, si Hesus ay namatay sa krus hindi lang para palayain tayo personally sa ating kasalanan, kung hindi para palayain ang buong mundo sa kasalanan. That is the liberational aspect of evangelization,” he added.
Father Villegas emphasized that “the church cannot satisfy itself with alms giving because it must move on to developing and it must move on to liberating.”
Challenge of simplicity to Filipinos
As Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines gets nearer, Filipinos are urged to take the challenge of simplicity that the Pope embodies in his papacy.
Father Villegas said it was a brave act for the Pope to be named Francis because it is “very challenging for him to follow the simplicity, humility, and poverty that St. Francis of Assisi exemplified.”
He said the Filipino clergy and members of the church could grasp the concept of simplicity if they listen to the teachings, put them into prayers and apply them to the course of their daily lives.
“Nobody likes a proud person, nobody likes an arrogant person. So when you encounter a humble, poor person, it’s like encountering God here on Earth,” Father Villegas said.
He also said the Pope Francis fever is about having an individual acceptance and personal encounter that will eventually result in their individual conversion.
“The key to renewal is not the surge of popular ratings; the key to renewal is that, individually, as bishops, as priests, and as lay people we accept the challenge of simplicity,” he said.
Three gifts of showing compassion
Meanwhile, Father Villegas encouraged the youth to practice compassion by “giving gifts of joy, openness and courage to adults.”
“Ang panawagan ko sa mga kabataan sana hawaan niyo kaming mga matatanda ng inyong joy. You can be very happy with so many things, you can be happy with little things, you can be happy with simple joys,” he said.
He compared the young people who are more daring and open-minded than adults who become more cynical and skeptical as they grow older.
“So please, teach us to be more daring, to be revolutionaries, to not be afraid to rock the boat,” he said.
If people follow the youth’s sense of openness, they could make adults more cheerful and generous, according to Father Villegas.
The Archbishop said offering these gifts are already considered as the youth’s contribution in changing the world.
“Huwag niyo papabayaan na sasabihin ng kahit sino na palagi na lang kayong mimic because it is not true and I know it is not true and you can prove that,” he said.
Photo by Marie Alyanna G. Reyes
