By Simon Pedro
Sunday is the Lord’s Day, a time for rest, reflection, and worship. Yet yesterday, as I drove through the hot streets, I witnessed a different kind of holiness in a man peddling a metal shelf, braving both the sun and the weight of his load.
His face, though worn with fatigue, radiated a quiet resolve that reminded me of the face of Jesus. This man carried not only his merchandise but also the heavy responsibility of providing for his family—a father or provider, perhaps, who set aside his own rest for the love and care of his loved ones.
Yesterday’s gospel told of a blind man whose tenacity to see Jesus brought him not only physical sight but also a new vision of God’s goodness. Despite the crowd telling him to be silent, he called out to Jesus with unwavering determination, and his faith was rewarded.
I see something similar in these workers who, though they may not be sitting in a church pew, display an unspoken faith through their actions. Their labor becomes their form of worship, an act of love and sacrifice that holds a holiness of its own.
This image also brought to mind the song Hesus na Aking Kapatid by Fr. Eduardo Hontiveros, SJ, which speaks of finding Jesus in our brothers and sisters, especially those who toil and endure for the sake of others.
In these faces—fathers, mothers, and workers struggling to make ends meet—I see the essence of Jesus’s love: resilient, sacrificial, and filled with grace.
Who knows what’s in the eyes of God for these people? Perhaps, in their quiet struggles, they bring an honor to Him that goes beyond words.
To see these workers with eyes of faith is to recognize the love and bravery that their daily sacrifices embody. In them, we catch a glimpse of God’s boundless compassion, and perhaps, like the blind man in the gospel, we too are invited to see more clearly—not just the world around us but the face of Christ in those who labor with love.
Let me share a few lines from the song Hesus na Aking Kapatid:
Hesus na aking kapatid
Sa bukid Ka nagtatanim
O sa palengke rin naman
Ikaw ay naghahanap-buhay