It is children who lead us to the gospel… We are not worthy to educate them. Our lips are unclean; our dedication is not wholehearted. Our truthfulness is partial; our love divided. Our kindness is not without motives. We ourselves are not yet free of lovelessness, possessiveness, and selfishness… Only wise men and saints, only those who stand as children before God, are really fit to live and work with children.
Eberhard Arnold
The quotation from Eberhard Arnold is beautiful but quiet sharp for me but while I pondered on it, memories afresh on me. It was my rich experience with the children of the migrants. They are angels with sweet smiles and serene faces that radiate hope and joy to the adults. Yes, in the faces of the angels, I find joy and hope. Those fresh faces of angels remain in my mind and in my heart.
I had my one month exposure last September 2004 with the migrants and the refugees at Casa di Astali, Nuovo Salario, Roma, run by the Jesuits. It was a voluntary service but with rich experience that money cannot buy. My first experience with the children of migrants and refugees was very different from my previous experiences in the Philippines which were focused on the catechetical level. In Casa di Astali, I was dealing with the children of different religions, races and languages. I have not gone their to spread the Good News and to teach them religious songs since most of them are not Christians. I thought that they would learn many things from me but it was I who learned from them. I saw Jesus in their sweet faces. I felt Jesus’ love in their touch and hugs. Those angels spoke the truth without fear and I heard angelic melodies in their laughter.
I was given the task to teach Italian Alphabet to some of them who were just new in Rome. They were 5 siblings from Libya. I thought I will find it difficult to teach them since it was only my first year here in Rome but when I saw their faces filled with interest and enthusiasm to learn the alphabet, I was inspired to teach them with the help of my co-sister Sr. Eugenia (a Scalabrinian sister from Argentina) who did a full-time exposure with them and with their parents. It is my joy to write their names as an expression of my love for them that is always in my heart. Those angels were Amane, Almira, Tehani, Melik (the only boy), and Amil – the smallest girl.
My lessons went well with the pronunciation, the reading sessions, the children’s songs and the images that would help them identify the letters and the words. I was surprised that we were all enjoying with the Italian alphabet and they made a progress just in two weeks. I also noticed that my Italian was also improving with their help. I and Sr. Eugenia usually played with them with the other children during siesta time and we have shared a lot of fun. Their laughter, touch, hugs and the purity of their eyes speak of the fullness of life that we, adults, could profoundly reflect on them. It was really a learning process of language, loving relationship, and of hope. I have learned a lot from them and they were the ones who touched my heart, who taught me to be strong, who left footprints of hope and love in my mission to the migrants.
My faith encouraged me to know more of those angels. I remember our Founder Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini who affirmed that, “He / she who has faith and lives with it does not only love but feels to love more even the others since love never makes difference” ( from his Pastoral Letter, 1877). The love that I have given to them was indeed a gift from God who is love. The life of the migrants are mixed with anxieties, fears, courage, hope and courage searching for the greener pastures. However, their children continue to bring hope that is lived everyday, as sign of God’s promise of salvation.
We, adults are invited to live the qualities of the children without fear. To understand the world of the children is to journey with them with hope. Those angels continue to give life to their parents who are working and who are still looking for jobs. In the faces of the angels, there lies the hope that reflects to the world. Those angels had become a part of my life, of my vocation, and my mission. My Scalabrinian mission is beyond my culture, my language, my mentality, and my world. My rich experience with the children of the migrants continue to challenge me as I continue to encounter Christ with the migrants and refugees.
3 comments:
Reading your article made me asked myself these questions:
a. Fewer people are joining religious vocations. I hope it means more freelance volunteers in organizations giving assistance to these people. For without you and these volunteers , who would help guide these angels ?
b. Are the children left back home not like the angels in the refugee camps? They have parents who cannot be there for them for some valid reason or another.
c. Are our desire to give our children a better life, align with God’s concept of a “better life” or are they our human definition of what a better material life is? good food on the table, better education, better house, etc, etc?
d. In the scripture, God never wants children to bring themselves up. He gave each angel parents on whose shoulder falls the responsibility to raise them according to the instruction and discipline of the Lord, NOT on the shoulder of other institutions or person. Is there a passage in the scripture exempting living able parents from such responsibility because they have to seek opportunities in places other than where their children are? or can we delegate it to others for whatever reason all?
e. “Seek ye the kingdom of God and all things shall be added unto you”. If I trust His promise to give all the things I desire for my children when I truly obey His will, why am I here and letting other people do the responsibility He entrusted me?
Napag-isip ispan ko na rin po yan. Hindi ko kayang ipag-aral ang mga anak ko sa isang pribadong paaralan kung sa ating bansa ako magtratrabaho. yan at marami pa pong bagay ang hindi ko maibibigay sa kanila. Pero iba talaga po kung nandyan ka sa paglaki ng mga anak mo. Sana ang mga munting angel na iniwan natin ay hindi maging “lost angels” pagdating ng panahon na makakasama natin ulit ang ating mga pamilya. Kasi kun mangyayari po iyan, walang kabuluhan ang lahat ng paghihirap na dinadanas natin ngayon.
These are the replies to the two comments that I have received. Please bear with me for the delay. Thanks.
1. A reply to the questions Anonymous:
a.)Ans. I agree with your idea. I am still happy that there are still good people that are still giving their time to these angels.
b.)Ans. In a postive outlook, I think the children left behind by their parents have the same experiences with those angels in the refugee camps with regards to their bright visions of hope. Speaking of loneliness and lack of parental guidance and love, I think they suffer more of these. On the other hand, the angels in the refugee camps have their parents with them. The only problem is the good jobs of their parents. To think that it is not easy to find jobs at once when the parents are a refugees. It takes time to put everything in a proper place and start with a good job.
c.)Ans. Life is always good and God himself gave us life to live to the full. Hence, He even sent His only beloved Son Jesus to give us life in abundance. Better life is in the human measure. Going back to the Book of Genesis 3:18-19, “…thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat plants of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground…” Man is already destined to work in order to survive. However, work is also lived with our faith that God is with us and will never abandon us. In our world today, better life is linked with material goods and food and properties. Thus, spiritual goods in life are often obscured. We already knew of the factors why a man or a woman seek for a better life like better education, foods, securities, etc. However, the goodness of life itself is covered with his or her dreams and plans in life. The understanding of a better life is reduced to a risk to survive. On the contrary, there is the goodness in working for the future of the children since it is the responsibility of the parents to raise the children and give them education. As long as the parents’ motivations and works are good, then the goodness of life will be realized. After all, God is good.
d.)Ans. I doubt that we could find in the scripture that parents are exempted from their responsibilities to their children and to seek greener pasture on the foreign land. However, we could find many passages in the sciprtures where people where sold to foreign lands and became slaves and the others who were forced to work. The book of Exodus sees migration as a necessity after the years of Israel’s experience of slavery from the Egyptians. After all, migration is a right and nobody could stop it. We do not put all the blame to parents who risk their lives to go to a strange land and leave their children behind. It is a blessing that there are other insitutions or other responsible persons who would take of their children. Thus, our Heavenly Father is always present with His people and their children wherever they go.
e.) Ans. It is the mystery of God’s call that is beyond our comprehension. You have done your part in obeying His will. Your goal is to meet the needs of your children that they may have be in good health and in good life. It is indeed a grace that God has entrusted good people to journey with your children. Your work is also a grace. Continue to give thanks to our Heavenly Father who is our good provider.
* Thanks for your comments and I appreciate your critical questions. God bless!
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Reply to Cornelia:
Totoo po, Aling Cornelia. Isang pangarap din ng isang inang tulad mo na mangibang bansa para mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang iyong mga anak. Totoo in na mas maganda pag kapiling mo talaga ang mga anak mo. Kasama mo pa rin sila ngayon sa isip at sa puso at sa iyong araw-araw na pagdarasal. Sana ang paghihirap mo sa ibang bansa ay magbubunga ng pagmamahal at pag-asa sa iyong pamilya. Sana at makakahanap ka pa ng panahon na makakasama mo sila. Isama na rin natin sa ating panalangin na di maging lost angels ang mga batang iniwan ng mga magulang. Salamat po sa iyong comments. God bless!
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