One of the Filipino traits I always wondered is: why when a Filipino reads a book, he looks at the ending first. Bakit baliktad magbasa ng libro ang Pinoy? At least I find that true with me, I tend to look at the ending first and then go back to chapter one. In this era of downloaded video movies, I must confess, I got used to fast forwarding the movie and when I see the ending is exciting, I watch it again, if not I would say to myself at least I did not waste my time. I do that with horror movies, I am so curious to find out who survives or who gets slain by the zombies or the vampires. Some decades ago in the Philippine movie theatres, when there was still no such thing called Guaranteed Seating… the norm was you can enter the movie anytime…. even at the ending, and then just repeat the movie, how many times you like.
A common question Filipinos ask their children is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” But why not ask: What to do you want to eat tonight? What tv show will you watch later? or what school would you want to attend next year? - No, it is always the ending of the book of life parents would ask. I believe, we all want to see first the happy ending before we go through the problematic scenes of our life story. That for me is what it means.
Interestingly, Steven Covey used this concept in his book with the principle: “Begin with the end in mind” - this is the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is an ability to trust in a higher power that you ultimately know would be able to help you and see you through your problems in life. It is an ability to leave things in God’s hands knowing at the end, he will give you an ending which is a happily ever after. In short, one can now sleep peacefully even if you haven’t finished the book since you know that at the end everything will turn out well. It’s pretty much like how St Joseph read his life; he read the ending first.
Early this year Pope Francis addressed the families at the Mall of Asia Arena, Philippines: “The scriptures seldom speak of St Joseph, but when they do, we often find him resting, as an angel reveals God’s will to him in his dreams. I would like to say something very personal to you. I like St Joseph very much. On my desk I have an image of St Joseph sleeping.. Because as he sleeps he he looks after the Church.” Just a note, this image of Joseph sleeping seems rather new here. Early this year when I arrived from home, I brought with me these statues and gave them to my confreres. Fr Jan, our Polish priest complained to me: "Gigi, how do you hang these things they have no "pangsabit". So I had to tell him that this guy has to sleep so use him as paperweight.
The Pope did not refer to Sleeping St Joseph as the patron of lazybones, rather it has to do with the dreams as the solution to the problem one faces. Families should dream for the future. Parents dream of their children while still in the womb, and while they grow up. The Pope concluded with: “Please do not lose this ability to dream.”
The second lesson Pope Francis mentioned from the Sleeping St Joseph is rest. Joseph’s rest enabled him to receive God’s revelation about Mary and God’s will for him. As we pause from our many daily obligations and activities, we rest in prayer and in the quiet of our hearts. We can only do that because whenever we pray we have to believe that at the end, God will solve things for us. How will he do that? we do not know yet, we have to read the whole book called life.
That is why when Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He started reading the book. But you see he had already seen the ending.
People asked Pope Francis how he prayed. He told them that there are those problems he prays for that there seems to be no solution. So he writes them down, puts them underneath the statue of Sleeping St Joseph and asks the saint to do it for him. Then the Pope peacefully sleeps knowing that at the end everything will be alright. How? He will just have to wait for tomorrow.
So now you ask me: Bakit baligtad magbasa ng libro ang Pinoy?
Ask the sleeping St Joseph… that’s the way he did it and it worked for him. It could also probably work for us.