THE "Lolo Kiko" ENCOUNTER :)

The night before we went to Luneta, I was so restless...anxious even. I don't know if it's because of the book that I was reading (which proved to be very interesting) or the idea of my once-in-a-lifetime adventure the next day. As a result, I only slept for 2 hours, then I prepped up for Luneta. And my whole idea of standing in the rain will never be the same again. :-D

The crowd of hundreds of people making their way
to Quirino Grandstand as early as 3:00 AM Sunday.

People began flocking Luneta and other neighboring streets as early as 3 or maybe 4 in the morning. Actually, some of my other friends already stayed within the vicinity Saturday night. On Sunday morning, you could see people from all walks of life walking with you from Vito Cruz, which is one of the drop-off points, to the supposedly entrance area at Maria Orosa Street. When we finally reached our destination, we weren't able to get inside because the thick number of probably sleep and breakfast-deprived people have already crowded the area. Some people who were walking back from the entrance told us that we we're just wasting our time queuing the unbelievably long line because they (they're probably talking about the guards in the entrance) are just allowing people with IDs to get in. Later on, we learned that these people were volunteers and they would also need to get through that thick line of people in order to get inside. It got me thinking of the lack of and ineffective crowd control by the authorities. But much later on, I would realize that blaming the police force won't really change the situation because they, too, were physically and mentally exhausted. It was evident that they were greatly outnumbered by the crowd. One police officer who passed by our line even begged the people to let him through, citing the fact that they've been on call for four days. True enough, he looked like he could use some good food and sleep.

Sitting (and standing) very still. 
Test of patience and endurance. :D

Since there's nothing else we could do, we finally settled to wait, just like the probably thousands of people standing (some are sitting and sleeping) at Maria Orosa Street. I waited with my SFC friends. My family was there too, although they were on the other side and I couldn't go to them because it'd be a complete waste of time and energy and there's no way I could call them to know exactly where they are because of the disabled network signals.

We bought a huge plastic cover to
keep our heads from getting soaked.

I didn't have protection from the relentless rain, didn't have any food to eat (special thanks to my friends for sharing their baon with me :-) ), and to be honest, didn't have enough money to conveniently buy any food that I want from the fast-food restaurants surrounding the area. But, with the help and motivation of my friends, I stood my ground. I fought the cold, thought of the rain as a blessing, prayed every time I felt my knees and my mind were about to give in and continuously asked for His grace and mercy to just fall upon us. Not just to me and my friends but also to the millions of people waiting for the Pope who were also as tired and shivering and hungry as us.

I have seen hope in that place that I haven't seen from my fellowmen for a while, it's as if the whole place was glowing in much anticipation of the Pope's mass. If we can weather the storm and endure the cold, what else can we not do? That fact, as well as the beautiful verses and the gospel for that day, brought tears to my eyes and it somehow warmed my spirit.

People were increasing in number every minute (yes, as in literally) and there were a lot of pushing, shoving and growling in the crowd. But despite the heated arguments and endless extension of the arms of the people, there was an unspoken and invisible understanding engulfing each and everyone of us as to why we're so eager to do almost anything that day and that is to see and have a personal encounter with the Pontifex.

And so I waited. We waited. Hours and hours of what seemed to be waiting in vain. Hours and hours of pushing and shoving and heated arguments under the cold rain with other people who probably were also exhausted and hungry just like us. Just like me. There were moments when I just wanted to give up and go home. I wanted to tell my friends that we're just wasting our time chasing pavements here; that we could do better in the comforts of our house. We could still follow the events on TV, I thought. The cold wind and the light but steady outpour of rain while one is hungry, tired and sleepy could be powerful and tempting reasons to finally give in to the idea of going back home.

Despite being included in the not-to-bring list, people
still brought umbrellas which proved to be very useful yesterday.

Our effort was not wasted when we finally saw the popemobile passing by our area. The people who were in front of the line were frantic and shouting with joy. I only saw the top of his popemobile but the smile on my face was so wide I couldn't explain why I was that joyful. Probably, the thought of me and the Pope sharing the same plane of existence is already enough reason to be glad and to be filled with so much excitement that I can't help but reflect it in my smile. :-)

Finally, the mass has already started. Our group tried to enter the Grandstand and hoped to somehow see him even from afar. But our tired feet and legs and shaking bodies were speaking loudly to us that they couldn't go far anymore. So we just decided to find the nearest LED screen and stay in front of it as we prepared for the mass. When I looked around, people were beginning to convene in the stretch of Roxas Boulevard. The rain was still unstoppable but no one can stop the people from hearing the mass at that time. I was thinking, "Lord, these are your people who are willing to sacrifice and brave the storm just to hear Your message today through our beloved Pope. And I am one of them. Awesome!" :-)

While I stood there in the rain with only a scarf, a jacket (that my SFC ate lent me since I didn't have any at that time), and a plastic cover to protect myself from it, I finally understood what other people mean when they say the Filipino spirit is water-proof. I experienced that yesterday. I was soaking wet from head to toe, but I have seen my faith soaring higher than before, ignoring the chill.

"To be the salt of the earth and light to the world for You, Jesus..."
That song just kept playing in my head that time.

The parting words of Archbishop Soc Villegas captivated my heart. "Pope, you are our sunshine. You are our raincoat." It was so true that I was sure even the Pope felt it and was almost teary-eyed (though I swear I saw a tear running down his cheek and wiped it with his right hand). He listened very intently and he responded very warmly to the Filipinos. To us.

I would like to end this note with one of the many things Pope Francis shared with us during his visit here in the Philippines:

"If you lose the capacity to dream, then you lose the capacity to love." :)

Thank you Pope Francis for giving us hope, for filling our hearts with warm words and strong reminders of God's love for all of us. Thank you for encouraging us to always dream and to always hold on to it. Thank you for regarding the Filipinos as the missionaries of the light. Thank you for reminding us that love can indeed cast out all fears. It is our love for you that made us conquer the cold and the rain. Thank you for this unique and memorable Jesus experience. Thank you for bringing me closer to Him. :-) The real challenge here, I think, is applying what we have learned from you in our everyday lives. To still feel inspired to spread the good news and love more even after you've gone back home.

And, even though it's seems like it's impossible for you to read this note, I and my millions of countrymen are and will always be praying for you. God bless you, Pope Francis! Until next time, Lolo Kiko! :-)

PS: That song from the caption by the way is entitled Mission Ready. I just thought the song could sum up all the teachings Pope Francis shared with us during his visit. If you want to hear it, kindly visit this link:

http://www.sfcglobal.org/articles_details.aspx?id=270