Learning to hope

Last night, we're stuck in a traffic jam on our way to Don Bosco Liloan for caroling.

It was a real horror to be trapped for one hour and a half in the middle of the road. There was no way for us to do a u-turn since the road was more like a highway.

My heart went out to those in cab, both passengers and drivers. I saw that some drivers had to contend with the situation. They did not have any choice. Some passengers who were in a hurry--and perhaps, who might be concerned about the movement in the meter despite the literal immobility of the cabs--had to go down and walk through the remaining portion of the high way.

My companions, both thrill seekers and infested by boredom, decided to walk and see for themselves what caused the horrendous traffic jam.

I did not. Instead, I remained in the van with Frs. Nioret and Wilbert who were also curious about the cause of the traffic horror.

In the midst of the nightmare, I was enjoying the time of my life seeing the landscape of the city at night and (un)digesting the second encyclical of the Holy Father, Spe Salvi. This letter of Pope Benedict XVI got its inspiration from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Rom 8:24), "In hope we are saved."

The horror in that traffic jam brought me some dose of consolation since I was able to finish the encyclical.

One thing that caught my attention in this letter of the Holy Father is his view on prayer.

He sees prayer as a school of hope. He further said that "A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer. When no one listens to me any more, God still listens to me. When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God. When there is no longer anyone to help me deal with a need or expectation that goes beyond the human capacity for hope, he can help me."

Publishing companies print mass copies of encyclicals after three months from promulgation. But one may access it here Spe Salvi