“Chris!” Sal called to his friend who was getting off a jeepney.
“’Zup, Sal?”
“How was your tour of Spain? Haven’t been seeing you in Facebook or Tweeter. Too busy to upload those hot pics of your recent trip?”
“Hot pics?” Chris asked.
“Dude, you said you were going to Spain to enjoy seeing all those babes during that youth thingy!”
“Oh, the World Youth Day. That was, by the way, a pilgrimage, Sal,” Chris corrected him.
“Blah, blah, blah … whatever,” Sal teased Chris. “You can call it what you want, but I’m betting that you’re not around FB ’coz you’re busy chatting with all the cool girls you met back there.”
“Whatever, dude,” Chris sighed. “Actually, Sal, you’re right!”
“Huh?” Sal didn’t expect this reply.
“I actually bumped into some interesting girls in a hot and festive atmosphere. It was unforgettable!”
“Now you’re talking, dude!” Sal winked at Chris.
“So festive and successful that you wouldn’t believe that the next one will be in Rio in 2013!”
“Wow! I’m gonna save up for that one!” Chris said. “Rio babes, here we come!”
“You haven’t heard all of it though,” Sal laughed at his friend’s reaction.
“Okay, I’m all ears,” Chris said. “Tell me more about these girls you met.”
“Oh, one gave me this …” Sal pulled out a rosary from his pocket.
“Sheesh, a rosary? Come on, Chris, none of those prayer stuff, you know I’m not a religious, dude,” Sal complained.
“I know, but if you can give me just one convincing reason why prayer is bad, then I won’t go on,” Christ replied.
“Okay, you win! Before you tell me if she’s a nun, at least tell me if she was pretty.”
“Oh, how did you know?”
“She was a nun?”
“She was certainly very pretty! But more interestingly, she shared how her experience of being with so many young people close to God and the pope finally convinced her to give herself entirely to God. She plans to volunteer and find her vocation with the Sisters of Charity of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.”
Sal rolled his eyes to show he was bored. “Did you at least get a picture of her to show me?”
“Look, she gave me this rosary to pray for her. She also introduced me to her friend who was also thinking of the same thing.”
“I’m beginning to reconsider Rio, I don’t exactly think I’m ready to give myself up to anything,” Sal quipped.
“Perhaps, if you lose a hundred pounds, you might. But at the rate you’re going, you could very well pass as Friar Tuck.” Chris poke Sal’s enormous tummy.
“What about Stella and you?” Sal tried to change the topic. “Didn’t you say it was going to be one unforgettable romantic trip for both of you?”
“It was… until …,” Chris’ voice started to break.
“’Zup, dude, cat got your tongue?”
“Nope, I just can’t forget the most moving part of that event,” Christ recovered.
“Did you propose to her, dude?”
“During the last night’s vigil with the Pope Benedict. Like I said, the atmosphere was literally hot ’coz we were in the middle of a roasting landing asphalt strip. That evening while we listened to his speech, it suddenly rained so hard.”
“And?”
“Up till that moment I pretty much didn’t have anything in my mind other than girls, embraces and just having clean fun and friends. But I saw how the pope got drenched as we were. Then BAM! I was surprised with what he said: ‘These are the youth of the pope! Thank you for your resistance! Your strength is greater than the rain! The Lord, with the rain, sends us many blessings. Also in this, you are an example.’ That hit me really hard!”
“What hit you?”
“I started to ask myself, what have I done until now to give back to God all the graces he has rained upon me so far? And How can I give the pope a hand?”
“Wicked! That hit you just like that?”
“You mean blessed? But you wouldn’t believe me if I told you that at that very moment, Stella looked at me. I understood without words that she was also asking herself the same things.”
“Stella? Wait a minute, you’re not telling me that she got zapped too?”
“Well, it’s not easy for me to understand everything that has happened so far, but we’re giving our relationship some time, space and prayer to really find out what God wants.”
“Whoa, dude! Three years goin’ steady ain’t gonna be easy to break!”
“I know, Sal, but a second of God’s grace is all it takes to make a real break in life.”