A
Matchstick
Déjà vu?!
Maybe for some this is a new expression. Actually, it is a French phrase for
“already seen” or something that has happened before.
I went to a sublime feast here in Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada last October 2, 2015. The energy of the venue outside
was high and when I entered into the big and spacious room I immediately felt a
sense of déjà vu because this was not absolutely new
to me. It was a déjà vu all over again flashing back my beautiful memories of
motivational gatherings, popularly called “feasts”. I belonged to Feast
Alabang, Philippines, inactive though and I was the now-you-see me,
now-you-don’t member of that Catholic Charismatic Community.
Ah-ah, a thing to note! The feast that I’ve been
attending was not about eating and enjoying food with friends, though that
would be an added joy for the attendees if food would be served at the end of
the fellowship, but it was indeed listening to God’s words through the anointed
speakers of our time who looked like modern prophets. The Holy Spirit’s
inspirations and messages to them, which were passed to us, touchingly were
transformed to nourish our soul.
Attending the Kerygma’s Grand Feast this year at the
Broadway Church at around 6:00 in the evening, themed as “Lifted High”, was a
recent and refreshing experience for me. This exciting event was readily
prepared by the Feast Founders, Builders, organizers, members, volunteers and
the believers at large, especially the Catholics from different parishes and communities.
By the way, my congratulations to all for a successful Feast and for the job
well done to glorify God!
I considered the latest feast as a spiritual hype that
stimulated me; I even volunteered to sell the books at the main entrance. That
was I really liked because I am, up to now, a Language and Literacy Advocate. Thereon,
I saw and met personally the Feast Founder, Bro. Bo Sanchez and watched him
talk with matching assured gestures and firm voice. Wearing his denims and a
nice suit, oh he was admirably so cool; he delivered well the sacred writings,
especially focused on the parable of the Good Samaritan. In silence, I also
tuned in to Bro. Pio Espanol and got his message about his legacy to the Feasts.
I got a load of so many wonderful things, such as the clear-cut declaration
that God, out of mercy and compassion, unconditionally love us until the end of
time.
Among so many interesting topics that I picked up
seriously, I liked the story of the generous girl and the “two matchsticks”
most of all that Bro. Bo genuinely shared. Allow me to narrate it to you… The girl
had several siblings and they were left orphaned. It was this young and very
thin girl who stood as parents to her sibs, feeding them from a hard “rain or
shine” juvenile labour that even angels would really pity and cry for these
poverty-stricken orphans.
One day, the girl was about to prepare the meager food
that she could provide and partake among themselves when she saw that she had
only two matchsticks. What a scene of distress! Yet right there, on her
heartbreaking moment, she heard someone knocking at their door, so she stood up
and opened it. Good grief!
The neighbour loudly asked, “Do you have matchsticks?!” With a heavy-cross-on-her-shoulder sort of feeling, she
was able to reply. Feebly she answered, “Yes!”
She gave the matchstick kind-heartedly and just one was
left to her hand. After giving it, the neighbour left and the girl sobbed and
sobbed like a river. She felt so powerless. Having faith in God, she fervently
prayed. Not so long, heaven’s mercy and grace miraculously opened and poured
down upon her. A compassionate and generous man arrived in their shanty and
brought them to his own shelter. He fed and took care of them. That Good
Samaritan was a modern guy named Bo Sanchez, our very own Bro. Bo, the Feast Founder.
This moving message went through into my cracked heart. Maybe
because just like some of you, I am also “wounded”, “scarred” and “marked”
imperfectly and with heavy crosses to bear, too. The story was rightly
connected to the church’s “wounded”, straight talk, bull’s eye- the SINNERS. I
was so attentive then but let me skip over those details; from my heart Bro. Bo
made sense. This was the reason why I was fascinated and would love to listen
still to the unstoppable “Preacher-in-Blue-Jeans”, including his humorous “Papa-Please-Preach
pa more” unreachable stature. That’s well-accepted by the Filipinos. Well, just
delete the word, “pa” (which means still/ more) and the line’s meaning remains the same.
“Matchstick” continued #kwento pa more (additional story
to share)… As I was listening to the flow of the story, I felt really sorry for
the girl and I truly empathized with her. Déjà vu?!... the story sounded
familiar. It brought me back into my past when I became an aspirant of the congregation
for the youth.
Leading off, this matchstick which gives light bears
actually the core meaning of my name. I am Luz de la Torre-Enriquez which means
“Light of the Tower that Enriches” and now married to a Lombos guy. I am living
it up for namesake and for the essence of my existence, however humble many of
you may perceive me.
When I was 17 years old, I asked my parents to allow me
to enter that semi-contemplative convent and consider it as a High School
graduation gift to me since I gave them the joy and pride for graduating with
honours. Lucky me! With no “ifs and but’s” I became an aspirant and a scholar
but I was already wearing a postulant’s garb for special reasons. There were
lots of Religious Sisters there, mostly kind and gracious. However, there was
one sister who always would like to test me, not only in my academics but also
in my “diskarte” or my way to handle and deal with different things and
situations. For several instances, summoning my attention on how to neatly iron
the sister’s habits using a not so good iron, giving me orders to clean the big
dormitory, the long shoeland and stairs in just a short time before my classes,
calling me just to inspect if I was wearing the proper and complete postulant’s
attire, and assigning me to wash dishes every night with hundreds of plates,
silverwares and what nots to clean, dry and arrange them all in the cabinets or
cupboards.
Well, studying there and being under the vow of obedience
(and there are two more- chastity and poverty), I was sent to do an errand one
windy and gloomy day.
“Aspirant, go and bring out all the garbage bins. Empty
them and burn them in the fire pit. Here’s the matchstick!” the Sister said.
“Only one matchstick, Sister?!” I uttered in great shock.
“Yes!” she shortly replied and went quickly away, as if
she didn’t want to hear my complaint.
It was a big test to me. I confidently accepted the
challenge but deep inside I was afraid. Long story short, I tried to figure out
what to do. First, I removed and cleared the ashes and cleaned the fire pit.
Then, I looked for tinder materials like dried leaves, scratch papers, candy wrappers,
card boards, wooden sticks, etc. I recalled that air and space are needed to
create fire in order to burn the papers and other trashes. I rearranged
everything in the hole. Praying hard, I struck the matchstick at the centre of
the matchbox’s side pad and lit the tinder carefully. With ready and staunch hand,
I cupped it… Behold, there was a “light”!
When there was already a tiny, single light, I blew it
very gently until I produced a small fire. With the help of the flammable
materials, it became a raging fire. That one matchstick, coming from the source
of majestic Light, had sparked and gave impact into my crappy and uncertain world.
All I did was to believe and to be patient in that difficult “scratch-and-try”
matchstick spark against all odds and win big sort of a game. This was a simple
analogy of some aspects of the reality of living.
Eventually, I came into myself that there’s more than I
can be when I’m with God. Not too long, my world became brighter, wider like
horizons at greater extent and like the growing, increasing FEASTS that
amazingly bless and inspire people.
Let your “light” shine! Blaze your own “fire”! The rest
will be a wonderful, witnessing story.
October 10, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment