Here's something very positive written by a foreigner named Steve Ray, about Filipinos. Steve Ray authored many best-selling books, among which are, Crossing The Tiber (his conversion story), Upon This Rock (on the papacy), and just recently John's Gospel (a comprehensive bible study guide and commentary).
STEVE RAY'S OPEN LETTER TO THE FILIPINO CATHOLICS:
We stepped into the church and it was old and a
bit dark. Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front.
We didn't know what to expect here in Istanbul , Turkey.
I guess we expected it to be a sombre Mass
but quiet and sombre it was not - I thoughtI heard angels joyously
singing behind me. The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful.
What I discovered as I spun around to look did not surprise me because I had seen and heard the same thing in other churches around the
world. It was not a choir of angels with feathered wings and halos but a group of delightful Filipino Catholics with smiles of delight and joy
on their faces as they worshiped God and sang His praises.
I had seen this many times before in Rome , in Israel ,in the United States and other countries.
Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I
gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God.
What are the special traits which characterize these happy people?
I will share a few that I have noticed- personal observations- as I have
travelled around the world, including visits to the Philippines.
FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family.
These Filipino Christians did not sit apart from each other in
different isles. They sat together, closely. They didn't just sing
quietly, mumbling, or simply mouthing the words. No, they raised their
voices in harmony together as though they enjoyed the sense of
unity and communion among them. They are family even if they are not related.
SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world
today.
When most of the world's citizens are worried and fretful, I have found
Filipinos to have joy and peace - a deep sense of God's love that overshadows them.
They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still a sense of happy trust in God and love of neighbour.
THIRD, there is a love for God and for his Son Jesus that is almost
synonymous with the word Filipino. There is also something that
Filipinos are famous for around the world - their love for the Blessed Mother.
Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title
for Mary I always hear from their lips is "Mama Mary."
For these gentle folks Mary is not just a theological idea,
a historical person, or a statue in a church - Mary is the mother of
their Lord and their mother as well, their "mama."
The Philippines is a Catholic nation-the only such nation in Asia -and
this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world. They are not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church.
No, they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth, and everywhere they go they take the joyous gospel of Jesus with them.
They make a sombre Mass joyful when they burst into song. They
convict the pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the
Eucharist central in their lives.
My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines sharing my
conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that
the Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities.
I pray that they will continue loving their families, loving the
Catholic Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the
Eucharist.
As many other religions and sects try to persuade
them to leave the Church, may God give them the wisdom to defend the Catholic faith.
As the world tempts them to sin and seek only money and
fame and power, may God grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and love for God is far more important
than all the riches the world can offer.
May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be
a light of the Gospel to the whole world!
bit dark. Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front.
We didn't know what to expect here in Istanbul , Turkey.
I guess we expected it to be a sombre Mass
but quiet and sombre it was not - I thoughtI heard angels joyously
singing behind me. The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful.
What I discovered as I spun around to look did not surprise me because I had seen and heard the same thing in other churches around the
world. It was not a choir of angels with feathered wings and halos but a group of delightful Filipino Catholics with smiles of delight and joy
on their faces as they worshiped God and sang His praises.
I had seen this many times before in Rome , in Israel ,in the United States and other countries.
Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I
gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God.
What are the special traits which characterize these happy people?
I will share a few that I have noticed- personal observations- as I have
travelled around the world, including visits to the Philippines.
FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family.
These Filipino Christians did not sit apart from each other in
different isles. They sat together, closely. They didn't just sing
quietly, mumbling, or simply mouthing the words. No, they raised their
voices in harmony together as though they enjoyed the sense of
unity and communion among them. They are family even if they are not related.
SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world
today.
When most of the world's citizens are worried and fretful, I have found
Filipinos to have joy and peace - a deep sense of God's love that overshadows them.
They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still a sense of happy trust in God and love of neighbour.
THIRD, there is a love for God and for his Son Jesus that is almost
synonymous with the word Filipino. There is also something that
Filipinos are famous for around the world - their love for the Blessed Mother.
Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title
for Mary I always hear from their lips is "Mama Mary."
For these gentle folks Mary is not just a theological idea,
a historical person, or a statue in a church - Mary is the mother of
their Lord and their mother as well, their "mama."
The Philippines is a Catholic nation-the only such nation in Asia -and
this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world. They are not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church.
No, they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth, and everywhere they go they take the joyous gospel of Jesus with them.
They make a sombre Mass joyful when they burst into song. They
convict the pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the
Eucharist central in their lives.
My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines sharing my
conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that
the Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities.
I pray that they will continue loving their families, loving the
Catholic Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the
Eucharist.
As many other religions and sects try to persuade
them to leave the Church, may God give them the wisdom to defend the Catholic faith.
As the world tempts them to sin and seek only money and
fame and power, may God grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and love for God is far more important
than all the riches the world can offer.
May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be
a light of the Gospel to the whole world!
Be a proud Filipino and forward this to friends!
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