Mga Minamahal kong Kababayan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Una sa lahat ay binabati ko kayong lahat at ang inyong mga mahal
sa buhay ng isang maligayang pagdiriwang ng muling pagkabuhay
ni Kristo! Wishing you all a happy and grace-filled Easter from the
Philippine Community in Berlin!
It is with great joy that I am writing this personal letter to YOU on the
occasion of the Resurrection of Christ-an event full of new life, renewed
vision and promise of lasting hope. Let me share with you some of my
reflections after my meaningful third-year stay as your brother,
companion and chaplain in Berlin.
We are all PILGRIMS. We share the same faith. In this faith, we find our
home. The faith which we have inherited from our parents and relatives
back home grows even beyond the boundaries of our country. It is
consoling to think that we, Filipinos have continued to express our
spirituality even in foreign lands. We are a people in pilgrimage.
We share this same journey with our many kababayans all over the
world. We even inspire other non-Filipinos with our piety and
religious traditions. Indeed, in our faith, we find a home.
We are all MIGRANTS. Many of us have left our beloved country
for economic reasons. You are not alone. We have kababayans in almost
200 countries! Many of them have risked their lives for the welfare of
their loved ones in the Philippines. The Church sees this reality and
shares the problems and uncertainties of many Filipino migrants.
We, therefore, create a community where we could feel that "sense of
being at home." Our community is a place where we pray, share, meet
and celebrate. The joy and hope in our heart always find positive
expressions when we get together.
We have a rich EXPERIENCE. Everytime I go home for vacation and
tell others that I live in Berlin, many of them express their admiration.
"Wow, napakapalad mo naman nasa abroad ka!" Then I begin to realize
how blessed, indeed, am I! I am blessed with the many opportunities that
are not in my home country. It is a great opportunity to see another
world to meet other people. These make me grow as a person and as
a missionary. Let us continue to discover and be thankful for these rich
experiences!
We can enrich OTHERS. Each of us has always something to share.
Perhaps your faith, your time, your services, your love...We only have to
open our heart to those who hunger for God and those who long for
friendship and love. We are a poor nation but our love overflows...
That is something we can share with others. Open your heart to those
who need you. You can enrich this world even with your little good
works and your sincere smile.
We have our WEAKNESSESS. We recognize that we have our
weaknesses and failures. This is the very reason why Christ died for us -
to make us strong in the midst of the challenges in life. In Him, we are
courageous. Together with him, we can do many things even beyond
our human capacity. We recognize our weaknesses but don`t stop there.
We always exert renewed efforts to be a better person-better father,
mother, child, leader or friend.
We are not ALONE. Sometimes, we feel that we are alone, that nobody
understands or cares for us. Life in another country can be so demanding
and depressing. There are times when we feel that we are stranger-that
we cannot simply do the things we used to do at home. We are not free.
Yes, we realize that being in another country, entails sacrifice and even
dying to one`s self.
For some, this means detachment from his or her own family, friends,
culture, traditions, food and security. But in all these experiences,
you are never alone! There are a lot of kababayans who are willing to
help and comfort you. Once a kababayan, always a kababayan.
You can count on us. Find a person whom you can reveal your secrets -
a true friend who accepts and understands you.
We can build a COMMUNITY. One German social worker admires
the organizational talent of Filipinos. True enough, we can easily
form groups and organizations. This shows that we are a people-
oriented folk. There are positive and negative sides of it. But let me
focus on the positive ones. Our community is an avenue where we can
share our talents and bridge our regional differences. Our community
is open to all. We share our colorful Filipino dances, delicious food
and deep religiousity not only to other Filipinos but also to many
non-Filipinos. We always aspire to be open and spontaneous, flexible
and cooperative - qualities which make a community grow and glow.
We open our arms in WELCOME. Our community is a place where
every Pinoy and non-Pinoy feels welcomed and accepted. Hospitality
is one of our many positive values. We open not only our churches
but also our hearts. And we don`t stop there. We continue to
live a truly welcoming community through reaching out to others.
We invite them to come and share their stories with us. We give
space for people to grow and be themselves. We show that we are
a real Christian community in being kind and hospitable.
We are a FAMILY. We show to others that we care for them That
we are ready to forgive. That we are instruments not of division but
unity and peace. Indeed, we are a family and call each other our brother
and sister in faith. We envision our community as a family where
each member respects, trusts and loves each other. Let us show to
others that this is possible! For even if most of us live far from their
families, we can still create a big, happy and harmonious family of God
in Berlin.
Let me conclude this Letter of Hope by thanking you for being a part of our
community-for the time, service and understanding you have shown me and
our community members. Let us continue to build this OUR community, or
big family in Berlin. Only through your prayer, support and love could we be
a community radiating the hope of the Risen Christ.
This is my and your mission in Berlin!
Mabuhay ang Sambayanan! Mabuhay ang bawa´t Pilipino!
Lubos na nagmamahal at bumabati,
Fr. Don
