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In this and in the next issue of “Servant Leader,” allow
me to share with you the homily delivered by His
Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of
Manila, on the third anniversary of Pondo ng Pinoy.
There is
a dictum that says wise men count their blessings; fools
count their problems. In Pondo ng Pinoy, everything that
we count, every bit and item received and shared, are
blessings.
From the
time of its launching on June 12, 2004—nay, from the
moment of conceiving the idea of sharing little pieces
of bread, a few centavos, done in love for God and in
compassion for the poor; people came in groups, in
threes and twos, as family, as friends, as
parishes—they, like you and you among them, are the
friends and children of Pondo ng Pinoy.
What
makes Pondo ng Pinoy so appealing, so alluring to
people?
There’s
a certain attractiveness to Pondo ng Pinoy and God put
it there.
First of
all, Pondo ng Pinoy simplifies good acts. Gone are the
days when one must think of great things to give or wait
for a colossal occasion to donate or display a
benefaction. Goodness can equally be shared by the big
and the small, the rich and the poor.
It is
Pondo ng Pinoy that has glorified the 25-centavo coin.
Is that small coin in currency still capable of buying a
piece of candy? Nowadays a 25-centavo coin may not even
be enough to pay for the wrapping of the candy. Children
do not even play with it; they kick the coin under the
table, chair, or on the pavement.
Today,
because of Pondo ng Pinoy, the young and the old collect
the same “useless” coin, put them in plastic bottles
and, like the piece of bread and crumbs gathered in the
Gospel, they form the core of the present-day miracle of
feeding the malnourished, building homes for the poor,
giving water or providing loans to the poor to start up
a small business.
Second,
the movement, Pondo ng Pinoy, has reminded us (if not
taught us) that the little 25-centavo coin can be tagged
with the love of Jesus Christ. So powerful and
commanding is that piece of coin that it can be given in
the name of the love of Jesus.
Pondo ng
Pinoy has taught us, young and old, that when you
“whisper a prayer” as you drop the coin into the bottle
or any container, the coin, small as it is, becomes a
prayer. In the bottle, it speaks to those who see. It
appeals to others “come and join me.”
But
above all, the prayer is to Jesus, (as if to say)
“Dearest Lord, this is only a small, nearly useless
coin, but begin the miracle now—touch the hunger, the
thirst and the needs of others, especially the poor,
with this coin.”
Third,
any Filipino can easily identify with the “littleness”
of the movement of Pondo ng Pinoy. This is the easiest
movement to join. One does not even have to give his or
her name. No IDs needed, no endorsement required. No
checking. You check yourself. No reminding. You remind
yourself. When you love, and Pondo ng Pinoy is a
movement, a crusade of love for God and compassion for
those who are needy, every little chance to say “I love
you” becomes “I do this because I love you.”
It is
the littleness of the act that appeals to people like
you and me. It is so easy to become part of the little;
it is almost natural to identify with the least. It is
so easy to become a friend of the weak. Everybody loves
the underdog. It is a very good beginning; love the
weak. Jesus loved the poor. What else do you make of
Pondo ng Pinoy, if not “the embrace of the poor?”
For comments/feedback: e-mail: caritas_manila@yahoo.com;
for donations to Caritas Manila: 563-9311; and for
inquiries: 563-9308 and 563-9298; Fax: 563-9306. |
