The Itinerants Path

They spent most of their childhood at Asilo de San Vicente in UN Avenue, Manila. Luisa, the elder, is 13 or 14 years old while Paolo maybe around 12 or 13. They weren’t able to know their father according to the social worker assigned to them, while their mother works as a house helper. They don’t have their own house, the worst, a so-called home. I’m just quite happy that these two kids are with their mother now for but maybe just for the moment. They were accepted by the mother’s employer to stay with her in the servant’s quarter which made me think how do they freely interact as a family if they are staying in a house that doesn’t belong to them… They spent most of their childhood at Asilo de San Vicente in UN Avenue, Manila. Luisa, the elder, is 13 or 14 years old while Paolo maybe around 12 or 13. They weren’t able to know their father according to the social worker assigned to them, while their mother works as a house helper. They don’t have their own house, the worst, a so-called home. I’m just quite happy that these two kids are with their mother now for but maybe just for the moment. They were accepted by the mother’s employer to stay with her in the servant’s quarter which made me think how do they freely interact as a family if they are staying in a house that doesn’t belong to them…

This reminds me of our lesson about the injustices and corruption that prophet Amos prophesied against the leaders of Israel. He was called and inspired to prophesy when the Kingdom of Israel was turning away from the sacred covenant between them and God. Prophet Amos accused the rich women of Bashan as “cows.” These women just fattened themselves at the expense of the weak and of the voiceless people. Dishonest business men and traders cheated the poor people; there was a rapid moral decay and this created a gap between the poor and the rich… just like what is happening to our country today. Who is the cow of Bashan this time? Maybe a woman who fattens herself of power and corruption in our country….

It was a surprise for me. I thought the students just forgot to erase the writings on the chalkboard before I came in, and I didn’t bother my myself about it until I asked them to sit down after greeting them a good evening, “Everybody sit down…” I asked them. But them responded in one voice, “No, not yet! We have a surprise for you.” I quickly told them that I hate them, for I hate surprises and I laughed. But indeed, they started to sing the modified ABS-CBN’s station ID. And me? I was silent and let them do what they wanted…