Believe me when you’re down and out in Naga City you will realize that there’s no way to go but up and something or someone will pull you up then you experience that hope indeed floats. When you don’t learn your lesson, sadly, you might end up where you left off. A painful history should not repeat itself.
We will go through a period in our life where we will be in a state of obscurity. It would be a time of soul-searching wherefore we will experience struggles, sufferings and sleepless nights. No one will be spared from this. It is a part of life. These moments of trials and tribulations will bring darkness into our existence. It is when hopelessness sets in and we question the value and meaning of our purpose in life.
For most of us, it is the time that we pray and beg for help. We pray for something or someone to save us from our troubles. An inspiring epic of a hero saving the helpless somehow shows us a glimmer of hope or a ray of light that will illuminate the darkness we experience. As children especially of the recent generations, we have been bombarded by super heroes like Superman, Batman or our very own Captain Barbell.
A poignant moment in the Superman series that struck me the most was when the significance of the letter ‘S’ on the chest of the hero was explained. At first sight, it may seem to mean “Superman.” But in his home planet that symbol actually means hope. When we feel unimportant, unknown, or abandoned, that spark of hope may make or break us. We always like a story that ends with a happy ending not a tragedy. A hero steers us into that direction like a guiding force that leads us to bliss and happiness.
But those are fictional stories. They may be good in themselves but nonetheless they are still products of the imagination of the authors. If you are looking for the greatest story ever told which is as real as it gets I highly recommend the Bible. As a young boy I was introduced to this comforting book in its children version complete with illustrations. And I particularly enjoyed the television cartoon show ‘Superbook’ which is about stories taken from the Holy Bible. I’ve read this book as an adult from cover to cover at least once and refer to it from time to time. The Psalms are a great source of consolation and inspiration.
I remember my beloved late mother, especially because Mother’s Day is fast approaching, she named us, all of her children, after the holy saints and disciples. Our names have meaning in our lives and we venerate the saints after whom we were named and ask their help in the hour of need. They help us get back on our feet and move on with our missions on earth. Take for example my case, I was named after Saint James the less and Saint Hermenegild. They were real people and early on I have read about their lives from the encyclopedia of the lives of saints that we had in our book collection at home.
My mother, whose namesake is Saint Bernadette, had a great devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes that we even have a grotto in our yard at home. When she was alive she would go to mass religiously wearing a white dress with a blue sash. Her dream of travelling to Lourdes, France was also fulfilled and she was elated with the sight of the incorrupt body of Saint Bernadette. She happily narrated to us her beautiful experiences of her memorable sojourn in France.
When we overcome the obscurity phase in our lives somehow I think the quote from an American artist holds true. He said that each of us will have our own fifteen minutes of fame. It is our time to shine. Let the tests become a living testimony of our salvation from our sufferings. God has given us a canopy shielding us from our shortcomings and dilemmas.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whomsoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice – He gave His life for us. Jesus is our Savior: the Hero of heroes.
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