Disaster Directed all to Divine faith

DISASTER DIRECTED ALL TO DIVINE FAITH

It is with heavy heart and respectable hand I write this article. Super typhoon which currently wreaking havoc throughout the Philippines. You’re probably thinking “yeah, I’ve seen those for like the hundredth time.” well that’s totally understandable. It’s just that this raging storm astonished me. The sea has ripped through sections, leaving gaping holes that plunged into water below and transformed as gigantic typhoon, which had at once caused massive destruction to the tidy villages, which were been laid waste, with not a single house still standing. Now the coastal roads are impassable by cars and heavy vehicles only motorbikes and Pedestrians can go around the edges. The fiercest typhoon ever to strike land, flattened the city of Tacloban and other areas, killing an estimated 10,000 people. Which had some of the strongest winds ever recorded on land, also left about 500,000 people homeless. Typhoon has just passed, and the devastation cannot yet even be fully understood. Typhoon wreaked unprecedented devastation.

Indeed, it’s beyond my description how much damage caused to Visayas by typhoon. However, I could hear or see only the corpses or the cries of the people when I approach daily news. When I recollect this enormous damage, I questioned, is God punishing us? It’s as if this atrocious wind was coming right form his divine lungs. The depths of his hatred seem to fall down unimaginably that I would feel my very heart and soul enclosed in constant fear and just as you thought it’s the worst, this terror might have raised to those unfortunate people who reside near the typhoon’s path. It is indeed immeasurable, that is the terror that they feel.

Well, it’s just to evoke, how terrible situation had been faced by people in Philippines. After all perceptive about this disaster my heart was stirred up and my sorrow intensified every day for the unfortunate victims. I was looking out for means how to help the victims. I as a Canossian seminarian and as community started pleading God to help the victims, and we have been offering Masses every day, and recalling in our personal prayers too. Meanwhile my superiors with whom I stay are so kind and sympathetic hasten us to help the victims by repacking the relief goods (3days) which was donated by people around. I was amazed and appreciate the volunteers who were already there before we could even reach the place to help. What I most loved of our Canossian community is that, we have intended to do some penances and sacrifices out of which attained income could be contributed to the typhoon’s victims besides volunteering, some in details like fasting on very Friday for a month, collecting garbage (bottles, plastic, goods etc.,) along the city streets, income from caroling, conducted special charismatic prayer, shoes and sandals, stationary, our clothes etc…above all else is our daily prayers are been offered for our beloved needy and departed ones.

Even if we have attended mass intended for the victims of typhoon anticipated by the arch- diocese of Cagayan de Oro city. Where I had seen many priests, religious, lay people from different parts of the Cagayan De Oro city, as one family prayed whole heartedly intensifying our faith in God. Though we are not known each other, we united as one family to pray for the victims. I have noticed another most appreciated thing is that many students from different schools and colleges came together in unity with faith for donations along the city streets for the victims of the typhoon. And many renowned organizations, institutions, companies etc… came forward to raise relief goods and funds for the victims. Not only that, around the world whoever came to know the situation of the typhoon in Philippines fervently prayed to God with faith, hoping to happen good to Philippines. Many who are kind, generous and sympathetic hearts across the world donated something or the other according to their ability to the typhoon’s victims and even they send their army forces for volunteering the victims.

Later, I have questioned myself, ‘what made us all to come together?’ it’s just one awful disaster had brought all people together to intensify the divine faith. At once all exclaimed with faith to God for the victims. God implicitly strengthened each ones faith in Him. As we all know, we are in the last month of “YEAR OF THE FAITH”. It might be a reminder from God to us to taste the deeper faith, as Msgr. Rino Fisichella said, “The goal of the year of the faith was to RECOVER THE SO CALLED “TASTE FOR THE FAITH” it was meant as a moment of deep reflection and as a way to rediscover the encounter between Christ and His church”. However, this disaster left us countless dejected and painful memories besides which were directed us to strengthen and to taste the Divine Faith and to reunite us all in God.

Before I could conclude my perspective of the typhoon, I would like to whole heartedly give my condolences to the families of our departed brethren and my heartfelt sympathy to the typhoon’s victims. I or we cannot prevent natural calamities but only thing we could do is to pray to God with faith and trust. Everything in the world is under the control of God. So, Henceforth I earnestly pray to God not to repeat such damaging and painful disasters to His own chosen people. 

Thank you all

Your brother in divine faith

John Ratnam Kalaparthi (India)