Maribel. This is her real name and I asked her permission to share her story. I first met her at the height of the lockdown. She is a gentle and smiling lady. It was easy to connect since she speaks Cebuano.

She originally came from Palawan. Her brother sent her to school. But she did not finish because he died early. She worked as parking lady at the Nepa Q Mart. But that did not work out. So together with a friend, they went scavenging. Nangangalakal. But they had no permanent abode. They were always at the mercy of the elements and the police. They later found out that they are safer under the bridge.

Maribel's work at that time of the lockdown when they could not go around to scavenge was to cook. She needed to feed all who were passing by and sleeping over the bridge where they lived. But her constant complaint is that they have finished the meager food packs (rice, sardines and noodles) quite fast.

“Bakit n’yo naman sila pinakakain? Kayo tuloy ang naubusan. Kilala n’yo ba sila?”, I asked.

“Hindi po namin sila kilala. Pero kayo, Father, kaya n’yo bang kumain na nakatingin lang sila?”

O nga naman. Para akong natauhan. Di ba kahit kasya lang sa yo pagkain mo, niyaya mo pa katabi mo at sabihing “kain tayo”.

True, there are always new faces every time I passed by the bridge. They are not blood relatives. They just met under the bridge which has given them home in the time of the pandemic. Some just got out of prison; others were just demolished by the barangay in the makeshift tents they were staying; others were just walking aimlessly without knowing where to go.

And Maribel welcomes them all until today.

Talk about a welcoming church? It is not in our well-furnishing buildings. It is found here under the bridge where each one is accepted. No qualifications, no IDs, no interviews, no questions asked. Talk about the Eucharist? It is celebrated here under the bridge where people feed and nourish and help each other – maging sino ka man.

Last week, she sent me a letter since I did not go there for some time. I was pleasantly surprised not only with her beautiful handwriting but also with her elegant poetic language and the depth of her message. It took her some time to write, she told me, since there is no light under the bridge. She needed to re-write it on clean paper later in the day.

I asked her permission to share her letter because this is a sign of gratitude to our sponsors at #VincentHelps. It is their way of thanking you.

“Dear Rev. Fr. Danny and company (including all frontliner sponsors),

“Magandang araw po. Sumainyo po nawa and pagpapala, biyaya @ bendisyon mula sa banal na Diyos sa pamamagitan ng Panginoong Hesukristo.

“Wala pong salita liban sa napakalaking PASASALAMAT nang taos sa puso ang nais naming maipaabot sa inyo lalung-lalo na po kay Rev. Fr. Dan @ sa kanya pong mga kasama na walang kapagurang nag-alay sa dugo’t pawis na kami’y isaprayoridad na handugan ng TULONG sa panahong nalagay tayo sa pandaigdigang krisis.

“Napakalaki pong tulong and inialay n’yo sa aming mga napailalim sa sitwasyon ng napakababang uri sa lipunang ginagalawan. Malaki po ang naging epekto nito di lamang po sa pangangailangang pisikal kundi naibangon po rito ang interes na muli naming damhin na kami’y kabilang pa pala sa lipunang ginagalawan – mga namamasura @ hindi “BASURA” ng lipunan.

“Dahil po sa inyong pagmamalasakit nagpupumiglas ang aming mga talukap sa pagtunghay sa liwanag na mula sa nalikha po ninyong siwang ng pag-asa.

“Libu-libo man pong ulit ay aming ulit-ulitin maipaabot lang po sainyo ang aming taus-pusong pasasalamat kalakip po ang aming dalanngin na patuloy nawang bumuhos sa inyong lahat ang kapayapaan @ pag-iingat ng Dakilang Diyos sa pamamagitan ng Panginoon Hesukristo.

“SA MULI MARAMING – MARAMING MARAMI PONG “MATSALA”.

“Mapagpakumbabang gumagalang,

Maribel Cojamco kabilang po and lahat ng mga nakatira (homeless) sa ilalim ng tulay…”

St. Vincent de Paul is quoted to have said to a young Sister of Charity who was going to help in the soup kitchen for the first time: “The poor are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting master you will see. And the uglier and the dirtier they will be, the more unjust and insulting, the more love you must give them. It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give to them.”

St. Vincent is a great man and we celebrate his feast today. But I am happy that he is not always right.

For under the bridge, these poor people are not unjust and insulting, not terribly sensitive and exacting masters. They are signs of joy and gentleness, of welcome and caring, of acceptance and gratitude – despite the harsh conditions they are in.

Maribel tells me how to be a Christian in the time of the pandemic, how to be human in this harsh and inhuman world. Jesus said: “they will be ahead of us in the Kingdom.”

Here St. Vincent is right. It is not we who save the poor. It is the poor who save us. They lead the way; we follow.

And in the midst of one’s fatigue, it makes me smile to read a letter like this. It affords me and all of us some little joy and consolation needed to keep on the long journey.

Happy feastday to all in the Vincentian family.

Daniel Franklin E. Pilario, C.M.
St. Vincent School of Theology
Adamson University
danielfranklinpilario@yahoo.com
09.27.2020