Payatas Tres and the Father's Love

I just came from Payatas 3, with Fr. Paul Uwemedimo and our household (prayer group). We were invited to a Lord's day celebration with the Payatas Tres Youth for Christ(YFC) Mission Volunteers. Their testimonies were very inspiring. One particular sharing that struck me was about this YFC mission volunteer who used to be a neighborhood thief. He shared about how notorious he was and how he was caught and brought to prison. He said that he lost all hope because of the shame he brought upon himself and to his own family. He thought that his own parents would disown him. But to his surprise, his father went to bail him out and accepted him back lovingly.

Reflecting on this testimony, this is how our Father in heaven loves us. We become notorious sinners in the sense that we repeat many of our sins again and again, despite saying to the priest during confession, "to amend my life. Amen." It comes to a point where our habitual sins lead us to great trouble, like getting caught, being brought to shame, or hurting somebody. But yet still, our Father forgives and accepts us back lovingly.

The Payatas 3 youth are a great inspiration. Many of them were scholars of the Puso ng Ama Foundation, and now these scholars are serving their fellow youth, bringing them closer to the Lord. They are a testimony of how "sheep are transformed to shepherds." It takes a champion like Fr. Paul, to show them the way by being Christ to them. May we see many more communities transformed with the love of Christ.