Grace storm

Someone once shared a wonderful analogy of God’s grace. She compared it to a strong downpour. As a child runs out to play in the rain, he tries to catch as many raindrops with both hands. What he manages to gather in his hands is the heart’s capacity to receive grace, and the rest of the raindrops that he couldn’t collect vividly describes the abundance of God’s grace.

This analogy not only describes the infinite grace available for man to help him become holy and reach Heaven. It also explains that we only need the grace that God intends for our conversion for a specific area of our spiritual life. The rest of the ‘uncollected grace’ will have their time and place in God’s plans.

In a tropical country like ours, we are not only acquainted with downpours, but also super storms or typhoons. A typhoon is like a giant tornado that brings with it the combination of strong winds and a lot of rain. Some can come and go harmlessly, others on the other hand, become merciless weather monsters devastating man and the environment.

Thus, experience has taught us never to underestimate these tropical weather threats. Super typhoons like Milenyo, Ondoy, Yolanda and recently Glenda have left clear signal lessons: be prepared for the worse scenario and be ready even though these seasonal visitors to the archipelago are only gently passing by.

More and more, storm awareness measures have trained us to have  prompter response, better logistics in relief goods and refuge areas, etc. Some lessons, however, have been harsh like Yolanda where the ignorance to ‘surges’ became a tragedy for many. But we continue to rise again, more united and better prepared.

Even though tropical storms may bring many sad experiences, they are also ‘social equalizers,’ and ‘spiritual boosters.’ This happens when they become an occasion to wake every one up to unite for the common good. No one is spared from or can be indifferent to a typhoon. Even those who may not have been in the storm’s path, experience it also through loved ones in the stricken areas.

This is one reason, I personally prefer natural threats over storms of corruption, immorality, injustice and violence that ail our society. Typhoons and surges are disasters that we can always heal from, become more united and build our society and the family together.

Moral storms, on the other hand, constantly attack us. Their corrupting and devastating effects on innocent, the poor and the family are unpredictable and unquantifiable. Although these trials are also occasions to purify and strengthen oneself from, they are often more difficult to edify oneself with and rise from with greater hope.

There was a movie whose tag line said: “Become the monster to fight monsters!” Applying this to ourselves, we could say: “Fight the storms of injustice, corruption and immorality with storms of grace!”

This is precisely why we ought to prepare and equip ourselves for a particular storm of grace: the visit of Pope Francis to our country come January next year. His trip will not be political in nature. It is both a personal and ecclesial manner of his Holiness to express a genuine and fatherly concern for those affected by typhoon Yolanda.

Thus, as with all storms, we ought to prepare for the torrent of graces that will hit us when the Pope comes in 2015. Given the shortness of his stay, we can already organize ourselves with spiritual provisions now. What would this preparation consists of?

The first would be equipping oneself with personal conversion. This is achieved through already well-known means as deepening our life of prayer, embracing our daily crosses joyfully and peacefully, and frequenting and acquiring a transforming appreciation of the Holy Eucharist and Confession.

Second, would be to help equip others. This is none other than our growing zeal to make as many people (i.e. Catholics and non-Catholics alike) prepare for this storm of grace with Pope Francis’ visit. The steps to take, more than the mere material or logistical preparations, is helping them discover what God may want from them through such a graceful event.

Third, is to personally discover how to be united to the person of Pope Francis. Perhaps, reading up on his life and works. Another could be personally coming up with a daily action plan to pray and sacrifice for his intentions. For example, these days Pope Francis has been encouraging all the faithful to enter the wounds of Christ by focusing on the corporal works of mercy (e.g. visiting the sick, those imprisoned, the lonely, etc.)

These and many other initiatives will definitely be a spiritual life vest or raft that will keep us and others afloat to accompany Peter’s boat next year.