God's Little Ones

            God’s Little Ones

            Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” (John 9:39)

When I was still parish priest at the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish in Project 4, the first mass on Sundays was unique. The choir and readers at mass were blind. There was a lady who signed the mass from beginning to end. However, the non-PWD (Persons With Disability) members of the congregation had mixed reactions. Some appreciate the inclusive approach to worship. Quite a few think it may not be necessary and quite a waste of time and effort because the blind, anyway are a minority.

Project 4 is a special place, in baranggay Escopa there is a special government facility that trains and rehabilitates Persons With Disabilities, the blind in particular. This is what makes Project 4 unique. At any time of the day, you will encounter a blind person walking around guided only by her walking stick. Somehow, vehicles reluctantly slow down on the streets of Project 4 because of the few blind pedestrians who have admirably learned to move about rather PWD unfriendly streets.

Quietly tucked in a hidden corner of Project 4 is a house taking care of blind girls given up by parents who are unable to care for them.  Margaretha Home is run by my friends Srs. Dolores and Theresia. Yesterday, I said mass for the girls who were surrounded by the sisters and the various people who care for them. The girls’ ages range from five to early twenties. The girls were the choir, readers and servers as well. When the mass began, flashes of those special PWD inclusive masses at the Main church came back to me. The big difference though is that this mass was non-PWD friendly since the PWDs outnumbered us. There were about fifteen blind girls and about six of us sighted individuals.

When the girls sang the opening song they all quite instinctively tilted their heads backwards as though looking up to heaven. I remember that glorious run in Olongapo with Rod Eje the first blind Filipino to do a full marathon. When Rod did a long run with me for the first time in Olongapo, he was running with his head tilted back and his face basking in the sun. There was a grateful smile on his face which inspired me to run in a “deeper” and more meaningful way.

The girls sang and a discernible smile can be seen on their lips and even their shut, sightless eyes. They sang with great gusto shaking their percussion instruments while their whole bodies swayed and sang as well. I sang and looked at the girls playing their percussion instruments and singing at the top of their voices. They were giving of themselves to God in a way that puts us sighted ones to shame. During the homily, I kidded the girls by asking them how strong their sense of smell is. “Can you tell me how the sisters smell. How about Sr. Dolores? “She smells like an ‘office’. How about Sr. Theresia? “Sr. Theresia smells like insenso (incense). How about me, how do I smell? The girls were quiet but their faces lit up with excitement and joy. Do you want to know how I smell? I smell of the streets because I am always there. What do you find in the streets? Then we began talking about the gospel where Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for their legalism. They insist on ways of washing hands before eating, sprinkling water on food and ways of washing spoons, forks, cups, bowls and plates.

Jesus disliked legalism because it blinds people from seeing with the heart. The girls did not see Srs Theresia nd Dolores but they sense and feel the love and care which these two wonderful and generous missionaries have been giving them for so many years now. I kept looking at the girls, at their shut and sightless eyes. There is something I see that I seldom see in sighted people. They see although in a different way, they see in places that the naked eye cannot go. They see within their hearts and souls all the time. They also see and deeply sense what is in the heart and soul of others around them.

As I looked at them, I sensed invisible eyes looking at me. Through my little, sightless friends God looked at me his little servant. I felt naked and small, in fact smaller than God’s beautiful little ones.