By Cheri Mapa

I was brought up to consider myself part of a privileged class. Born into a rich landed family, from the time I was small I was used to getting everybody’s respect. We were also brought up by our parents in Christian values.

All eight children always had what we wanted and were allowed to develop our talents. I myself studied classic ballet for 11 years. Ballet was my true passion — all my life. I would never have given it up for anything in the world. But when I met the Focolare Youth for a United World, my life opened up to new dimensions.

By living the Gospel along with these young people, I discovered God as Love, and realized that His love makes all people brothers and sisters no matter what the differences – in status, class, positions. Ballet no longer filled my heart. My life started to open up to other people. Beyond the walls of my ballet studio, another world was waiting to be discovered.

My concrete step

To do something concrete for the others, I started teaching catechism to children in my parish. I also took an active role in student assemblies in my high school and got involved with several youth groups. For some time, I had the chance to live among tribal people helping out in projects for their community.

Along with some friends, we regularly visited homeless families who lived along river canals or railway tracks. Once I was able to organize a dance workshop for their children. It was an unforgettable experience where I discovered that dance can be a gift, a way to share with many youths the joy, depth and beauty of this art.

Dance for Joy

A few months after my stint with the National Ballet Company of the Philippines, I had a chance to perform for the Pope at the World Youth Day in Manila in 1995. Elated while dancing for him, I wondered, “Will heaven be like this? Will I be this happy when I meet Jesus?”

Making a difference

Once we were planning for my 18th birthday, I took notice of the Gospel reading at Mass: “if you are about to hold a banquet, do not invite your friends, but the poor.” I thought, this was what God wanted from me! Why wouldn’t I prepare a party for children of poor families instead of holding a debut for myself? My family also agreed to this departure from tradition, and we organized a more special birthday party.

It turned out to be such a wonderful party that two of my friends also decided to hold a similar party on the occasion of their 18th birthday. A very elegant lady, a famous actress, present at the party was very impressed. From that day, she started helping us with our social action program in the neighborhood where these children came from.

The other face of Jesus

There still was a big wall left standing before me and it was right at home: the wall between our helpers and my family. I couldn’t expect my parents to change the situation. Their lifestyle resulted from a tradition and culture that they themselves had acquired over time. It could certainly be changed, but the first step had to be taken by me.

By trying to love in a Christian way, I discovered Jesus was also present in our driver. From that moment on, I felt I couldn’t isolate myself on the car seat behind his back and read, sleep or listen to music. I started sitting beside him, conversing with him in order to get to know him and to show him that he was important to me. After some time he told me about himself, a very interesting life full of adventures.

Peace offering

In order to establish a new kind of relationship with the household helpers, I started making my own bed and cleaning my bedroom by myself. Sometimes I would give them simple presents as a gesture of friendship. It wasn’t easy for them to respond to my attempts to establish a dialogue with them. But one day, one of them came to me to ask advice on how to get along better with another helper. Here was my good chance to listen to her with all my heart: her problem was my problem.

The final wall

Another time the whole family ate out for lunch at a restaurant. On such occasions, we would give the driver some money for his lunch. But this time I didn’t feel right just letting him go and have lunch by himself. So I got into the car and we went to a McDonald’s restaurant nearby. This was something rather unusual to do for people of our social class, but I felt that by doing that, we had built a small piece of that new world I dreamed of. The last wall before me had finally crumbled.

I knew that this minute act of love didn’t amount to a great social revolution, but it was proof that change is possible. And as a matter of fact, that is what happened – to me, my family and our relationship with the people around us – without my having to say too much.

Salamat sa New City