Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Medical Mission 2009 (August 15, 2009, Saturday)

I grew fond of following the news of ACIM-ASIA’s annual medical mission in this Island. They were on their 3rd year actually and still, it surprises me that more and more medical volunteers are coming from outside the nation to lend a helping hand to our many poor Filipinos here and there.

TB on its final stage, brain deformity, glaucoma hitting on its worst, so many diverse diseases and complicated sickness from one patient to the other with only a limited stack of medicines, one couldn’t help feeling dismay and powerless. It seems the end is here for in every patient, there expresses anguish. Yet it is here where one is needed to be strong. The discovering of a new strength must begin there. A strength that far surpasses the human force. A strength founded upon faith. For the more hopeless it seemed to be, the more we should rely on this strength. Rightly then should we exclaim the authentic words of Our Lord that power is made perfect in infirmity.

But there was something that struck me most on this medical mission. The picture that captivated my heart for the first time ever was that of a child lying on his bed with the priest before him praying. The child was comfortably sleeping like the usual thing we see on TVs or photo albums. Or so I thought… But as I read the screen tip afterwards, I was mistaken. The child was on his way to eternity and the priest was there to administer the Last Sacrament and aid the soul departing form the body.

How could such a child of tender age happily accept his unfortunate situation? It seems to me that he didn’t show any discomfort outwardly for even on his last hours, he managed to slightly curl himself sweetly and with one outstretched hand full of loving gesture. Picture’s worth a thousand words and how I wish to imitate this child when my time approaches! I could only thank the there was a priest right away.

Anyways, compassion is always at the heart of this mission. Charity knows no bounds and even if there were lots of misunderstanding among the volunteers themselves, I’m sure they found a way of making truce with one another to keep the mission on-going. The presence of the priests, nuns, and pre-postulants made things run even smoothly for they had provided the spiritual side of life. It is the backbone of the mission wherein one rushes to sustain themselves form exhaustion - doctor or patient alike.

Perhaps this is the main reason why I always felt a great interest ever since this mission was started. Here you see the world unmasked from the false notion that everything is fine. Hunger, ailments, and poverty in the physical and spiritual sense are prevalent. It calls for mercy. And it is an everyday challenge to face the oddest with full of calmness and courageousness. Yes, even the ability to be great yet humble for the meek. Indeed, only the bravest can respond to this plea. And this, I saw on them.

Oh my Lady, on this feast of thine ascending to Heaven, teach us to have a firm conviction of loving God with thee. That in the end, we may be like unto thee who assumed into Heaven spotless and clean! Amen.

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