I wish I were in Manila right now and join the Filipino nation in welcoming Pope Francis to our country where he will bring Christ’s message of love, mercy and compassion. The same love, mercy and compassion that moved Christ with pity for the leper who asked Him to make him clean.
I too am a leper in need of cleaning and healing. I know I can be made clean. I can be made whole. I only need to come to Jesus, kneel down and beg Him like the leper, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Sometimes, with my 21st century mentality and orientation, I feel such prayer archaic and so out of tune. But when one has experienced some emptiness or shallowness or when life brings someone down to his knees or when desperation and depression are knocking at the door, there is comfort to know that there is a loving, merciful and compassionate God who will hear my cry and make me whole.
The greater temptation is to harden my heart and fail to hear His voice. And my prayer is not only for myself but to all Filipinos who will hear Christ’s voice through Pope Francis. May we all be moved by his message of love, mercy and compassion. May the Spirit bring about another Pentecost in the Philippines through this Papal visit.