How many of us who found it hard to observe the “no touching” protocol from our medical experts? It must have been very difficult at the beginning. But some might have been used by now. And because of the daily infections, we are still advised to refrain from touching people or things. Touch only when it is necessary.
Yet, naturally, we have been so used to touch. In expressing our affection we touch. When we give comfort to a friend or a person we love, we touch. When we greet a friend or even a stranger, we also touch. In our religious practices, we also touch. When we pray and ask the intercession of the saints, we touch their sacred statues or kiss the holy images of our Lord. However, with this pandemic we are all advised to refrain.
Today, many are still being confined at home but much better compared the early months of covid. Our movements are still limited and our desire to meet our friends and loved ones are sometimes prohibited or limited. For more than a year, we long for a human touch and long for human encounters. Thus, we could also understand the frustration that we feel because of this significant change in our life.
With all of these, we also realize the importance of human touch and of human encounter. There is a healing power in human touch. It can give comfort to a bruised and fearful heart. It could heal a painful part of our body. It can give confidence and assurance of support, love and trust.
And with this pandemic, limiting and prohibiting us to touch others, it surely brought more difficulties to those who were/are infected with this terrible disease. But, more than the virus, the depression, the loneliness, the desperation and helplessness, fear and anxiety would have definitely haunted them too. I have friends who asked for prayers for their loved ones infected by the virus and friends who themselves got infected and were isolated from their loved ones. Those whom they loved, parents, siblings or children were prevented to visit them. This created so much stress and longing. Yet, they cannot help it because of the danger of infecting those whom they love.
These frustrations and longing to be touched or to have a human encounter is innate in us. Not being able to touch and be touched by the people whom we love would give us emptiness.
This is the story we also heard from the Gospel. A leper was discriminated and was socially isolated because of his illness. But he came to Jesus. He asked for healing. Yet, that was totally against the culture and belief at that time. The community despised lepers and they were always driven out of the city. They should and never be near with anyone.
Yet, he must have longed for an encounter with another human being who understands and shows compassion. In his desire to be touched, through Jesus, he too was touched by God.
Jesus knew the longing of this leper. As the leper longed for human encounter, for acceptance, he also longed to be touched, to be loved. Against the culture and belief at that time, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.
The touch of Jesus made this leper clean and healed. Jesus’ touch assured him that God has not left him and that God loves him. Thus, this reminds us that our touch can be a form of loving, can be an expression of healing, of freedom.
This is the invitation today. Though physically it is difficult these days to touch others, but at least make an effort to let those who need love and understanding be touched by our presence. Though we may not be able to caress the back of a friend for comfort, let those who are grieving and depressed, those who are in pain and lost, to be touched by the assurance of our friendship. Let those who are hungry and suffering in dire poverty be touched also by our generosity. Hinaut pa.
“If you wish, you can make me clean.” This was the plead of the leper to Jesus. The leper had been discriminated, ignored and rejected by his own family and community. Perhaps, all he could remember in his heart were the bitter and hurtful treatment of people around him. No one would dare touch him or just be near him. Any other person, even a family member, would feel disgusted of his presence because he was sick.
Yet, not Jesus. This leper who wanted to be healed and cleansed by God, begged Jesus. The leper who must have heard of the wonders did by Jesus in many places, came and wanted to also experience God’s grace. Nevertheless, what this leper did not expect was the way Jesus did the healing to him. In many instances, Jesus would just say the words, “be healed,” and sick people were healed. But not in this case. Jesus who was always moved with pity, his heart moved with loved and compassion, came and stretched out his hand to touch the leper.
The man must have been surprised at that moment when Jesus stretched out his hand. It must have been the very first touch from another person since he got sick. And it must had been shocking and disgusting too for people around to see that Jesus touched a leper.
Jesus was not supposed to touch the leper and he had to adhere what the people believed. Being there at that time, there must be others who murmured and complained for the daring action of Jesus.
However, Jesus’s intention was to bring healing and to let this leper know that he was not after all abandoned and ignored. God looked at him lovingly and desired life for him. The touch of Jesus was also a powerful message to him and to all the people around. In God, no one is beyond God’s reach, no one is untouchable.
This is the meaning of God stretching out to us. In many ways, Jesus would always stretch out his hand to bring healing and life into our troubled and wounded hearts. God desires to touch us because what God wants for all us is that we may have the fullness of life.
The Letter to the Hebrews tells us too, “listen to his voice and harden not your hearts.” For God to touch us, allow our hearts to be open to God’s hand. A heart hardened by sin and indifference would prevent us to allow God to touch us.
Let our sacraments and the scriptures open our hearts. Allow our friends, family members and the Church and yourself to become the very hand of God stretching out his grace and presence for us today. Hinaut pa.
When many of us are confined at home because of the pandemic and restrictions in going outside our residence, the rise of the Plantitos and Plantitas (the popular name of those who develop the love of planting) also emerged. Our boredom at home wonderfully bore fruit by becoming more connected with the earth. When we learn how to plant, we also learn how to touch in order to nurture life.
Touching with the motivation of caring brings wonder and joy in us. This is the reason why many of us find comfort and pleasure in nurturing the life of the plants. More than this, we too are called to nurture human life, to inspire life and heal life. This is what Jesus shows us today.
Our readings today remind us of this. The first reading from the First Letter of John tells us that “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son, Jesus.” We find this life in Jesus, our Lord.
John mentions two important and recurring words in today’s reading that tell us that life is indeed in Jesus. These words are testimony and possession.
The word testimony refers to the witnessing of the Father in the life of Jesus. The testimony of the Father to His Son is the confidence of the Father. This also means that the confidence of God in us will be revealed in our life by having Jesus. This is not about giving testimony to God, but God giving testimony to us through the wonders that God can do for us.
The word possession means our possession of Jesus, the Son of God in our life. Having Jesus is letting Jesus fulfill his promise to us. Having the Lord in our life is allowing the Lord to do what he desires to do in our life.
Such testimony and possession of Jesus bring us into the Gospel story. A man full of leprosy fell prostrate and pleaded with Jesus. The man asked the Lord to reveal God’s testimony of bringing healing and fullness of life. The man asked, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He allowed the Lord to work wonders in him and to let God give testimony through the gift of healing.
In this way, Jesus touched the man to heal him and bring him that fullness of life. Jesus’ touch surely brought healing and life because his touch was motivated by care and compassion, by love.
Today, let us be conscious of this invitation to have Jesus in our life and to discover that eternal life or the fullness of life is in Jesus. As we touch people through and by our life, always bring healing and bring life not corruption of life and not violence to life. Allow also the Lord to give testimony to us by making ourselves always open to God’s plan for us. Hinaut pa.
The Book Hosea speaks to us of Israel’s continuing guilt and of God’s boundless love and mercy. What Israel had done reflected through Gomer, the wife of Hosea, who broke the covenant with God. Israel deliberately became unfaithful to God because Israel believed that there will be more power and wealth with other gods. She was seduced by the promises of others. Yet, she was being blinded by her desire to have more and did not realize the fullness of life with God.
Israel was led to believe that with those other gods, Israel will have life at its abundance and security. However, this was not the case, Israel in fact experienced her downfall and destruction. What Israel always wanted was immediate satisfaction of desires as to the hunger for power, for wealth and security.
Thus, as Gomer fell again and again and lost her way every time, Hosea would always come to bring her back to his side. Gomer might have been blinded by the glamour of others and fell into sin against her husband, yet, Hosea never failed to be faithful to her. Hosea never gave up on Gomer. Hosea would always assure her of his love and faithfulness. This is love indeed that brought freedom and assurance to the troubled Gomer.
Moreover, our Gospel today speaks of a man possessed by a demon and could not speak but when Jesus freed the man, he began to speak. The man was prevented to speak by the demon in order to hide what was wrong with him. Thus, the demon’s work here is also in silencing us, keeping us quiet so that the demon will continue to torment us and others around us.
Yet, as the demon was driven out, the man also spoke because he found again his freedom. The man found himself again as Jesus found him.
This was how the heart of Jesus was also moved as he saw the multitude of people who were suffering. Jesus’ encounter with those people made him more connected to them and to the struggle they had to endure.
This tells us of a God who is being moved upon seeing us just as Jesus’ heart was moved with pity because he felt their pain and troubles in life.
In a way, this is the very picture we have in the first readings. Hosea, most of all, understood his wife Gomer. Hosea was always moved with pity and so would come to her rescue. Hosea’s action was not just limited with his pity but it was ultimately a movement from his heart, a movement of love.
Jesus too upon seeing the man possessed by the demon and the many people who were troubled and abandoned was moved with pity because of his love for the people. Jesus’ action to respond was a movement of love, a movement from the heart.
This movement of love is truly liberating and saving. Gomer who represented the people of Israel and the man possessed by the demon and those many people had experienced that liberating and saving movement of God’s love.
This is the invitation for us today. We may be moved also with pity that comes from our love and not just of pity itself. Indeed, the Lord invites us that like him we too our heart will be moved to respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters around us. Hopefully, this will also move us to respond with love to the different needs in our own capacity and gifts. Thus, be moved with pity and love today so that we may also give life, comfort and assurance and Jesus has shown us. Hinaut pa.
How many of us who find it hard to observe the “no touching” advice from our medical experts? Because of the increase of the infection we are all advised to refrain from touching people or things. Touch only when it is necessary. The virus can also be passed through our touch, through our hands.
Because we have been so used to touch, in expressing our affection we touch, when we give comfort to a friend or a person we love we touch, even when we greet a friend or even a stranger we also touch. Even in our religious practices we also touch. When we pray and ask the intercession of the saints we touch their sacred statues or even kiss the holy images of our Lord. However, with this pandemic we are all advised not to do it.
Moreover, we are being confined at home. Our movements are limited and our desire to meet our friends and loved ones is sometimes prohibited or at least limited. For the past months, we long for a human touch and long for human encounter. Thus, we could also understand the frustration that we feel because of this abrupt change in our behavior.
With all of these, we also realize the importance of human touch and of human encounter. It is important because there is a healing power in human touch. A human touch can comfort a bruised and fearful heart. It could take away the painful part of your body. It could give you confidence and assurance of support, love and trust.
On this 9th and last day of our Novena in honor to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, whose feast we shall celebrate tomorrow, I invite you now to listen to a personal story from a front liner herself, a nurse by profession who in the midst of our frustrations she herself went into something more frustrating too. She was confronted with fear yet at the same time of her call of duty to be at the service of those who are sick.
Thus, with her, we also bring ourselves into reflection today with our theme, “Our Mother of Perpetual Help: Source of Help to Front liners Battling Covid-19, to those infected by the virus and to those who have died because of the virus.”
“I am SHIELA MAE PANTILLO, a DIALYSIS NURSE, for almost 7 years and still counting. Now a days we are often called FRONTLINERS, and this FRONTLINER will share a piece of my journey during this pandemic.
I’ll start by asking: Does anyone of you tried of wearing a PPE or a Protective Personal Equipment? Or have you seen one? Or do you have any idea, what it feels like inside in it? Because for me, definitely I DO! And I tell all of you that it’s not fun to try one.
A PPE is composed of an overall kind of suit, covering your whole body, that makes you sweat and feel uncomfortable inside in it. This also comes with the N95 face mask that fits your respiratory entrance and exit, which is your NOSE and MOUTH. This could sometimes lead medical practitioner to feel DIFFICULTY OF BREATHING, when used for quite some time. Last but not the least is the face shield and gloves and that make a basic PPE complete or should I say the OUTFIT OF THE DAY!
Wearing such things make me feel that I am an ASTRONAUT, going outside the world fighting for aliens, “kidding aside.” However, behind my PPE and inside my heart are the worst feelings kept within. FEAR, ANXIETY, WORRIES are there that can even lead a person to DEPRESSION. I am always anxious because as I face the patients, I never know what will happen and that one day I will become infected and might end up losing my life too.
I will give one situation. This was during my shift at 3pm to 11pm. This was a very toxic day. We have 3 patients on deck admitted for dialysis. I was the team leader that time. Every one of them has a specific treatment to be done.
With my team, we also have an ICU patient who needed a dialysis immediately. The patient needed blood transfusion and Dobutamine drips needed to be provided for Blood pressure to increase. However, there was some problem with another patient because dialysis machines kept on alarming due to catheter access problem. One could just imagine the pressure that it gave me as the team leader at that time.
Suddenly, in the middle of this mess, I received a phone call from my Head Nurse. He asked me if I remember a particular patient during the past week. As my head nursed described to me the patient, I slowly remembered the patient and realized I was the one who ministered to the patient. Upon realizing this, my heart began to beat faster. I felt my Adrenaline Hormones bursting into my brain telling me that there might be something wrong with that patient.
Then, my head nurse added that the patient will be transferred to a government hospital for further investigation. They had seen signs and symptoms of the virus COVID-19. At the moment everything started to move slowly, as if slow motion really. As I remembered, I can’t hear anything!!! I only heard the Cardiac Monitor having ASYSTOLE for quite sometime or called FLAT LINE that sounded like tooooooooooot!!!!!!
Everything went blurred for the first time in my life. I began to absorb all the negative feelings which made my heart heavier. Again FEAR, ANXIETY, PARANOIA occupied my brain cells. It took me a couple of minute to go back to reality. I realized that I was unconsciously just saying YES to my Head Nurse though I didn’t understand what he was saying. I was overwhelmed of what would happen next.
The first person who came into my head was my Senior Citizen Mother. I asked, how will I supposed to tell her my situation? I was so scared to go home thinking that I should be the health care provider, but now I might be the carrier of the virus and might infect my own mother.
As I reached home and cleaned up myself. I told my mother if she can go to my brother and live with him at Buhangin and to stay there for some days. I didn’t want to tell her the reason for asking her to do that. I didn’t want her to be worried for me. But, then she REFUSED.
I tried to make things clearer for her, just to make her say yes and to transfer. But again she said NO. So I told her the TRUTH, that she needed to get away from me because I’ll do a personal isolation to myself for several days just to make sure that I’m not a carrier of the virus. However, still my mother said NO.
What do you expect from a mother who is also worried for her daughter? This made me more irritated and frustrated. Without noticing it, my voice become loud as if I was already shouting at my mom, hoping she could at least understand my frustration. But what struck me most was what she said and did.
My mom sat down and held the rosary, and told me, “My child we will pray and continue to pray. Our Mother of Perpetual Help always listens and never leaves your side. Have you forgotten that you were once far away from us for 4 years as an OFW but never she abandoned you. She keeps you safe until this day.”
At that moment, I felt a pail of cold water splashed over me, removing worries, anxiety and paranoia. I told myself, why on earth should I be worried when in the first place she chooses me to serve her people? GOD gives me this gift, being a skillful nurse to help the sick. This made me to burst into tears as I prayed, “I offer everything to you LORD. Through you Our Mother of Perpetual Help, you helped me to lift all my burdens in life. With you, I feel that no matter what happens you will never abandon me. Amen. Amen!”
This has been my prayer as I counted the days of my self-isolation. With my mom, we continued to pray the rosary and ask the intercession of Mary. Al last we got the result of the patient and it was NEGATIVE. Those fear and anxiety were over. It was the ANSWERED PRAYER we are all waiting for. As you people can see me right now and until the days ahead, I promise to always be here standing and serving as a NURSE, as a FRONTLINER and will continue to HELP and SAVE LIVES as what OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP inspires me to be. Amen.”
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In the sharing of Sheila, we heard a struggle of a front liner that she has to go through. It was evident how fear and anxiety could affect us so much. Sometimes, more than the virus, fear and anxiety paralyze us. Moreover, what we find comforting is the support and the love of a mother, who perhaps could not also really understand the real situation why they had to be separated. In times like this, it is indeed the touch of a person who loves us that brings calmness in us, that brings peace and assurance in our hearts.
This has been shown also in that simple action of praying the rosary and calling the intercession of Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help who never ceases to touch us to comfort us and to bring healing in our hearts.
Moreover, we can also wonder how those who were infected have been coping with this terrible disease. Again, more than the virus, the depression, the loneliness, the desperation and helplessness, their fear and anxiety would have definitely disturbed them too. I have friends who asked for prayers for those who were infected by the virus. I have also some friends who themselves got infected and so were isolated from their loved ones. Those whom they loved, their parents or their children were prevented to visit them. Thus, this created so much stress and longing to them. Yet, they cannot help it because of the danger of infecting those whom they love.
These frustrations and longing to be touched or to have a human encounter is innate in us. Thus, not being able to touch and be touched by the people whom we love would give us emptiness.
This is also what we have heard in today’s Gospel. A leper who was discriminated and socially isolated because of their illness came to Jesus. He asked for healing. What he was asking was totally against the culture and belief at that time for he came near to Jesus. The community despised them and they were always driven out of the city. They should and never be near with anyone.
With this situation, he must have longed for that encounter with another human being who understands and shows compassion. In his desire to have a human encounter, through Jesus, he too encountered God.
As this leper encountered Jesus, there was more in this encounter. Jesus actually healed others even by just saying words. Even at a distance, Jesus can heal a sick person. However, in this situation, Jesus knew the longing of this leper. As the leper longed for human encounter, for acceptance, he also longed to be touched, to be loved. Indeed, against the culture and belief at that time, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.
The touch of Jesus made this leper clean and healed. Jesus’ touch assured him that God has not left him and that God loves him. That touch of God, reminds the leper and those who are not that our touch can be a form of loving that expresses healing, confidence and affection.
This is the invitation for us today. Though physically it is difficult these days to touch others, but at least make an effort to let those who need love and understanding be touched by your presence. Though we may not be able to caress the back of a friend for comfort, let those who are grieving and confused, those who are in pain and lost to be touched by the assurance of your friendship. Let those who are hungry and suffering in dire poverty be touched also by your generosity.
Indeed, there are many ways where we can touch other lives and become life-giving in our own profession and status in life. Thus, do not be afraid to touch others with the intention to give life and to be life for others. In this way, we are truly children of Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, who continues to touch us today. Hinaut pa. Viva Maria! Viva Hesus!
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 