VLOG: Cardinal Tagle at ex-drug addicts sa ‘Day of Hope’

MANILA, Philippines – Nag-alay ng misa si Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle para sa mga dating nalulong sa ipinagbabawal na gamot. Nag-uulat si Paterno Esmaquel.

PATERNO ESMAQUELDay of Hope. Araw ng Pag-asa. Ito ang ipinagdiriwang ngayon sa Manila Cathedral sa Misa na pinangunahan ni Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

(Day of Hope. This is what they’re celebrating at the Manila Cathedral through a Mass presided over by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.) 

Dinaluhan ito ng mga dating drug addict mula sa Fazenda de Esperanca, isang drug rehabilitation farm sa Masbate.

(Joining the event are former drug addicts from the Fazenda de Esperanca, a drug rehabilitation farm in Masbate.)

Sa kanyang homily, ipinaalala ni Tagle na bawat buhay, mahalaga sa Diyos.

(In his homily, Cardinal Tagle issues a reminder that every life is important to God.)

LUIS ANTONIO CARDINAL TAGLE, MANILA ARCHBISHOP: Sinasabi ng Panginoon sa lahat: Nagkamali ka, nagkaroon ka ng hindi magandang daan, ang Panginoon, nandito pa rin. No person will be discarded by Jesus. Tama na po ang pagmamalinis – “hmm, diyan ka, dito kami!” Tama na ‘yung panghuhusga – “kayo, makasalanan, marumi; kami, maayos, malinis.” Ang liwanag ni Kristo, para sa lahat. 

(God is telling everyone: You might have made mistakes, you might have gone astray, but the Lord is still here. No person will be discarded by Jesus. Let’s stop pretending to be clean – “hmm, stay there, we’re here!” Let’s stop judging others – “you are sinful, dirty; we are upright, clean.” The light of Christ is for all.)

Nagsalita rin sa Misa ang isang dating drug addict na ngayon, seminarista na.

(Also speaking in the Mass is a former drug addict who is now a seminarian.)

RICHARD ELSON, FORMER DRUG ADDICT: Ako po ‘yung kuya sa seminaryo. Merong isang seminarian na nagtanong sa akin, “Kuya Rich, brother, hindi ka ba mahihiya kapag sinabi ko na dati kang adik?” Napatigil ako. Pero sinabi ko sa sarili ko, sinabi ko sa kanya, “Mas nakakahiya siguro kung hindi ko ihahayag yung awa, pagmamahal, at pag-asa na natanggap ko kay Hesus.”

(I am the elder brother in the seminary. There was once a seminarian who asked me, “Kuya Rich, brother, won’t you be ashamed if I say that you’re a former addict?” I was speechless. But I told myself, and I told him, “It would be more shameful if I don’t declare the mercy, the love, and the love that I received from Jesus.)

Sa Misa, pumirma rin ng kasunduan ang Archdiocese of Manila at Facenda de Esperanca para sa isang drug rehabilitation program.

(During the Mass, the Archdiocese of Manila and Facenda de Esperanca also sign an agreement for a drug rehabilitation program.)

Iisa ang mensahe ng Simbahan: Sabi nga sa mga T-shirt ng mga taga-Fazenda de Esperanca, “Every life has hope.” Bawat buhay, may pag-asa.

(The Church has one message: As the T-shirts of those from Fazenda de Esperanca say, “Every life has hope.”)

Paterno Esmaquel, Rappler, Manila. – Rappler.com