Sharing the gift

It is a common scenario to give and receive gifts during birthdays, Christmas and other milestones in our lives. Showing our concern, gratitude and love for others, we share our gifts. We lost the physical presence of a gift but through sharing we gained its significant meaning.

There are other gifts that are given to us by the ultimate Giver. And all of us have these wonderful gifts. These gifts come in various forms and it is up to us to discover and nurture them. And since these come in a borrowed manner, we must not waste our time in using these to benefit not only ourselves but also others.

Last Monday, August 28, we commemorated the National Heroes Day. No less than the lives of our heroes were offered to attain what we call national freedom. Each hero has a different way of offering one’s life. But generally history tells us that our heroes offered their lives, fought for years to liberate us from foreign dominion.

On a personal level, another significant event that took place on that same day was the restaging of the play “Mga Dula sa Pagtoo” at the Marcelo Fernan Press Center. The six one-act plays reflect our deep faith in God, and the constant reminder of our vulnerabilities. These were written by the birthday celebrator himself Msgr. Agustin “Ting” Ancajas.

Instead of receiving gifts from his loved ones, the plays were a wonderful present to his audience. It was another form of sharing, an offering of one’s artistic gift in directing, acting, and writing notable plays. I wish him good health as he continues to write soul-enriching plays for future staging. I pray for more blessings to the servant of God who believes that plays and films can be avenues to propagate Christian values.

Mga Dula sa Pagtoo has been restaged several times in various venues with the same intensity and fervor of acceptance from the audience. Since the beginning, the performances have maintained intimate audiences so the messages can be chewed well into pieces for nourishment of the spirit. The delivered lines may be unique to certain characters but has poignant and relatable effect on the general audience. This is so as we are all connected to one another. And from the experiences of others, we can draw valuable lessons.

In his short message after the play, Msgr. Ancajas said we all have our own gifts. There is a need to hone these as we tirelessly share. And there is no way for us to stop from doing what we do best for the good of others. What we have is God-given. We have to use our gifts according to plan.

Msgr. Ancajas does not stop from what he does best —writing and directing plays about our deep faith in God, a moral fiber that reminds us that despite our vulnerabilities, we still manage to do things that are pleasing to others and God.

The gift will continue to be shared. And for as long as there are still empty hearts and souls out there waiting to be touched, the plays remain to be watched out for. And I will continue to share my gift.