Your Turn -- May-June 2009

By Lhea Khatrina Vizcarra

A young reader reflects on the article on Father Aedan McGrath and his touching story of friendship with a little bird, while he was in prison.

Dear Father Seán,

It’s my first time to read Misyon. This periodical was distributed to us only in our fourth year of high school. As I was scanning the pages in this magazine, the article A Heavenly Farewell caught my eye. I got interested and so I read it and found it so amazing. It’s about a man who found a true friend in a little bird while he himself was in a prison cell.

In my own understanding, the bird signifies the presence of Jesus, that even a little innocent creature can be an image of God and an instrument of his love. Every creature has the guts to be a friend of everybody, and I guess birds are loyal fellows. They are sweet creatures that look for peace.

In the article, the bird manages to be a good friend to the man. The bird seems like a human being bringing joy to his friend. He knows how to perform tricks when his friend seems to frown. He knows when to comfort his friend when he seems to lose hope. Just like humans, this is how he can show his love and care for his friend. And in the end, when the man died, another bird was there at the burial on the other side of the world to bid ‘Goodbye’ and thank him for treating his avian cousin in such a special way and showing his love for that creature so many years before.

What I learned here was that we humans must be thankful for the special treatment God is showing us. What I’m saying is that we’re blessed because God values us so much than the other creatures he created. All of us are created in special way, but we humans are created in an extraordinary way. We are blessed with the gift of life. And so we must learn how to appreciate and value God the way he does for us. In this simple way we can raise a big smile on his heart.

Father, thank you very much for sharing this article. From this I’ve come to realize my worth as a person. Once again, thank you and God bless.

Sincerely yours,

Lhea Khatrina Vizcarra