We attended the Requiem Mass for the late Pope Francis presided by Bishop Paolo Martinelli OFM Cap. last Saturday, April 26, at 8:30 am at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Jebel Ali, Dubai. The Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia recalled the message of the late pope’s homily when he said mass on February 5, 2019, in Abu Dhabi which was attended by more than 150,000 people. The bishop said that Pope Francis encouraged everyone to forgive and love – even their enemies.
The mammoth gathering at the Zayed Sports City Stadium was historic as it was the first papal mass in the Arabian Peninsula. I did not just attend but also served during the mass as an Extra Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion designated by our parish where I had been giving communion from 2012 to 2016.
What do I remember from the late pontiff’s homily which was translated to English? The words ‘greatness is not found in having but rather in giving’. I event posted these on my Facebook wall on the same day. He said: “To understand this, let us look at how Jesus lived: poor in respect to things, but wealthy in love; he healed so many lives, but did not spare his own. He came to serve and not to be served; he taught us that greatness is not found in having but rather in giving.”
This reminds me about the three Ts of a Christian – Time, Talent and Treasure.
We are all given the same amount of time and that’s 24 hours every day of our life on Earth. Where do we spend most of our waking hours? There’s an 8+8+8 formula for time management and work life balance. It says eight hours for rest, eight hours for work, and eight hours for personal activities. You cannot touch the first two as they are needed, but the third one is where you can share with others.
We have this quote displayed at our Tristar Group corporate head office: “We are all gifted equally with 24 hours each day. Our success depends on how well we use our time.” This is a daily practice of our founder and CEO who established the company in 1998 with three used trucks. Now, 27 years after, we have more than 2,000 transport assets, 27 ocean-going and coastal vessels, more than 60 operated fuel sites, over 2,700 employees, and present in 30 countries in five continents.
I am available every day to Tristar, being responsible for Corporate Communications and Branding as I deal with our global network. Our Africa branches work until Saturday, while our Middle East branches start their week on Sunday. Outside work, my time is for my wife and our son who is in another country, our global catholic community where we serve in the UAE and Malawi , our personal advocacies, our health, and our small circle of friends and wedding Godchildren.
We are all gifted with talents and skills. It is up to us to discover, use, and enhance them. We were created as ‘very good’ as described in the Bible in the Book of Genesis. No one is stopping us to fully realize our potentials. My wife and I give talks and presentations on strong marriages and family life, on being good speakers as messengers of the Good News and as professionals, and on being excellent individuals as professionals, entrepreneurs, and craftsmen.
There are individuals whose talent is listening as there are people who don’t need money but someone to share his or her frustrations, disappointments or anxieties. You don’t have to be a psychologist or psychiatrist to listen. We have two ears and one mouth so let’s listen first. In Toastmasters International, the good listeners called Evaluators are also awarded aside from the Speakers who deliver prepared speeches.
We also have resources and networks which are considered Treasures There are people who say they do not have extra money, so they are unable to share their third T. If this is the kind of thinking, then they would always feel inadequate to complete the three Ts of giving. Money, of course, moves a lot of things to happen.
I remember when I reached rock bottom 15 years ago, my only contribution to those who needed financially help was to refer them to contacts in the private and public sectors. There was one person who I had arranged to be interviewed by a community newspaper to share his struggles. Fortunately, there were readers who extended financial assistance.
I always say to people who feel down and out that if they are breathing there will always be hope. They may be helpless for now, but they will not be forever in that unfortunate situation. All they need to do is pray, shout for help, and act. There are many angels without wings roaming around. They have the three T’s which they can readily give. Just look around dear readers.
Note: The columnist is a 24-year resident of Dubai and is currently working as Head of Corporate Communications of a global energy logistics company. He is a former Filipino Community Leader and is now active with a global Catholic movement promoting the renewal of Christian family life. He can be reached at artlosbanos@gmail.com
