The Birth of a HERO

The Birth of a HERO.

The Hero is defined by Merriam-Webster as a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a person admired for his/er achievements and noble qualities d : one that shows great courage. In my opinion, these definitions do not completely capture the very soul a hero. You may ask why is that. To prove my point, I asked some of my good friends' definition of a hero. It is interesting to note that other defines a hero as "a person who is willing to sacrifice his/er life for the other, significant or otherwise." I believed there is truth in this statement for I have encountered people who are willing to give up their own successful careers in life and choose another path, not commonly trekked by many, so that they become servant of many. I am referring to some classmates of mine back in the seminary. There was a surgeon, a dentist, a civil engineer, a lawyer and a teacher whom I had the opportunity to study Theology with them. These people were not born heroes but became heroes of their peers, parents and friends. They were leaving a promising profession but chose to live a life of a servant. They are called to be servant of many. Are they modern day heroes? Many would agree with me that they are heroes here and now. The fact that they let go of their careers for a noble cause -- servant of many -- is already a first step to heroism.

A second friend defines a hero as "a person willing to face challenges regardless of the consequence and for a good cause and greater good of others. The hero "stands up for the truth and right," she added. They do not seek for any recognition, rewards and/or fame. Are these real people? Flesh and blood, person just like you and me. I was doing my apostolate in one of the hospitals in Manila and met this guy named Rafael. He was donating half of his kidney to his uncle who was dying of kidney failure. His uncle's kidneys, which normally clear the blood of toxic wastes produced by day-to-day living, had almost completely stopped doing their job. Fearing that one day his uncle would leave the family that Rafael loves so much. So one day after celebrating the Holy Eucharist, Rafael told his parents that he is willing to share his kidney to his uncle. At first his parents were reluctant to accept Rafael's idea. But in the end, after thorough discussion with the surgeon, his parents gave in to the idea of sharing his life to his uncle. Rafael never had a second thought of possible effect to his health. All he knows is, he is responding to the inner voice whispering during his prayer time. Hero indeed and surprising enough that the name -- Rafael -- means "God has healed". His uncle lives up to this day.

Wanting to know more about what makes a person a hero so I asked another friend whom I normally go out with during lunch break. For her a hero is "usually an ordinary person that does extraordinary things. S/he may have shown a very special character or an attitude that one can look up to." What makes these ordinary persons extraordinary is their sincere and selfless willingness to give up everything and follow the path of social service, or fulfil the calling that God gave them. Not so many of us are willing to take big responsibility in life. Not wanting to become an instant hero lest you may face death or insurmountable challenges. Fear not, we do not need to take big responsibility to become hero. We can be hero in our own small and special way. Start by sharing the blessings we are receiving everyday. Share a meal with someone who is hungry; someone who is less fortunate in life. Share a home with a street children who long for an elderly attention and care. Join the apostolate that visits the prisoners specially those who are abandoned by their loved ones. I am sure you can bring smile to their drooping spirits and lonely hearts. These are few that we can do for there are many ways to becoming a hero and it is up to us on how we can make it happen and wake the hero inside us.