Luneta Diary (Part 2 of 2)

At 3 PM, we heard that the Pope is along Roxas and Kalaw St. Suddenly, I felt new strength. Everyone felt it too, the weariness and tiredness disappeared, everybody gave a sigh of relief, smiled, rejuvenated by his coming. We stood up, craned our necks waiting.

We were at the back of the reserved section because the road was behind our seats, so we could clearly see the Pope (think San Pedro Belfry and the street) the altar was in front of us (think San Pedro Church steps and the Sangguniang Monument) so the Pope who alone celebrated mass was very visible.
By the time of the Kyrie Eleison, we felt closeness with the Pope, the dreary dripping of cold water in our clothes was not there, instead a sense of warmth, togetherness, quietness covered Luneta. I cannot describe the wonderful feeling, we were focused on listening intently to every precious word coming from Pope Francis as if time and space did not exist.

The exchange of greeting and sign of peace with each other had more meaning that day. 1,000 plus lay ministers gave communion so Dr. Mike and I waited patiently for our turn.

I think the Luneta Mass of the millions with Pope Francis in a rainy, water soaked, wet, cold, windy field is a world record. The Pope again took the same route after the Mass ended at 5:15 PM so all had a chance to wave our wet handkerchiefs and say goodbye. His vehicle stopped near us when he hugged 2 children. There was no rush, or pushing in going home. All were kind, friendly giving way to each other.

Despite the dreariness and the cold all seemed to be satisfied in participating in a mass celebrated by the Pope, many were laughing, and talking despite the very, very slow flow of the crowd.

Reaching the Hotel about 6:30 PM, my wife and daughter said they expected me, at 75, without food, water, peeing, wet, cold, hungry and quaking, to leave before the 3 PM mass. I took a hot shower, dozed a while and had dinner at 10 PM.

Going home on Jan. 22, I had time to think about Pope Francis and his effect on the Faithful. I thought of the fathers and mothers holding/carrying their children, nuns, priests, security and health people standing from 5 AM to 6 PM cold hungry wet, no peeing (if you pee, someone will take your place).

Why were they there, how long could they endure the discomforts. I realized that faith is an experience; you have to feel it and go where God leads you without doubt. I expected the Jan. 19 Monday news would be about epidemics of flu, fevers, sore throats, hospitals filled with sick pilgrims.

Everyone we met before and after the mass looked alright. I asked why God poured so much water on us. On returning home, I noticed the afternoon sun was warm. I thought, maybe the rain (call it angels tears of joy on seeing millions of the faithful packed like sardines in Luneta) was the Lord’s way to protect us. If the sun was out, the body heat from the millions jammed in Luneta plus the sun’s heat from 8 to 5 PM would have caused the young, old, sick to collapse, passed out from dehydration sun/heat stroke, thirst, hunger. I didn’t hear/see any of the pilgrims agonize/suffer collapsing, getting sick.

Others say rains are the sorrowful tears from heaven because of corruption greed violence. It seemed that our physical, spiritual, personal heavy crosses became lighter after our encounter with the number one representative of the Lord. Somehow, by waving hello and later goodbye to Pope Francis, a painful thorn has been removed.

The driver of the van we rode when we arrived on Jan. 16 said he saw the Pope when the motorcade passed Roxas Blvd on Jan. 15. He said he felt something he never felt before. He felt good and sorry because he rarely prayed and attended mass. Recharging of his life’s battery to let him wade in through life’s joys, sorrows and hardships, was one way of looking at it. The Luneta Mass satisfied a rare chance to fill our hunger for personal encounter with God through Pope Francis. I thought of Dr. Manalaysay who still had to walk from Luneta to the P.I.C.C MOA (think San Pedro to Carmelite Bajada where vehicles were parked) while mine was a short trip from Luneta to Bay View (San Pedro Church to Bankerohan Market). I remember the wet and cold nuns/priests seminarians who walked slowly in the rain with peace on their faces. The Lord loves the Filipino faithful because he sent St. Peter’s successor, Pope Francis here. Maybe we abandoned God because we fell to worldly and materialistic temptations but God did not. The Lord will never abandon us even if we run away. I felt for a split second, as Pope Francis passed by that he was telling me that God is alive and is with us so do not lose hope.