John Harvey D.

Gamas
TH 211 Christology

Manong Isda
The neighbourhood simply call him manong. To differentiate him from all other
manongs in town our family identified him as Manong Isda after the product he peddles on
the streets of our village. From my high school years and up until now, Manong Isda remains to
be the undisputed number one fish vendor in town. This is partly because of the low price but I
personally believe his amicable nature made him more attractive to prospective buyers. He
would call on everyone as bai but interestingly he would call the women by their names.
Manong Isda is also intelligent and articulate. If you buy fish from him he would also give you a
lecture-discussion on politics, economics, religion and other social issues for free. He leaves you
with a smile and sings his way to the next buyer.
Beyond all these Manong Isda is a real man. He is more than just the happy fish vendor.
Mr. Rudy Milendrez, is his name. From the myriad yet sketchy collection of his life stories I was
able to gather interesting bits of information. In his younger years he was a zealous member of
the Catholic Faith Defenders. He animatedly recalled how he and his troop of CFD drove an INC
Minister to desperation, committing both of them to a fist fight. He spent a considerable portion
of his life serving a mystic nun who happened to practice a special technique of faith healing. He
dedicated his life and service there for quite some time. The mishandling of money donated by
the patients prodded him to leave. After such stint in the convent, nothing significant happened
with his involvement in the Church.
I never dared ask more questions about his life, his educational background, his love life
or how he ended up being a fish vendor. I think its too much and way beyond personal. However
one beautiful Sunday morning while purchasing a kilo of matambaka, I pragmatically asked him
a question. Nong, nakasimba na ba ka? With a smile he replied negatively. Wala pa lagi,
dugay na pud ko wa ka simba. That was for me a peek into his present faith experience. Behind
his happy disposition is a longing for God as he said. Pero importante gyud bya nga makasimba
ta. I was delighted to hear this. I felt that his soul thirsts for the presence of God in the
Eucharist. I encouraged him to find time as he himself said that its important. Albeit having no
active involvement in the Church at present, his past experiences imbibed in him the loving
necessity for God. This brief conversation eventually led me to a reflection.
Manong Isda epitomizes the image of the happy poor. The poor is not always miserable
and though some may not frequent the church due to their economic condition, they nonetheless
continue to long for God. Poverty may hinder them from coming to church even on Sundays, but
it does not cut their souls from heaven. It is a humble reminder of how blest we are to have the
luxury of time to go on a Sunday worship. Come to think of it, theres a guilt feeling here.
Because of our blessings we end up having more reasons not to attend the Eucharist. Our excuses
could be in the form of studying for an exam, no car available or unable to wake up in time due
to a hang-over. This makes us more miserable than the poor. Poverty is not always emptiness but
may actually be a call for a deeper trust and dependence on Gods providence and love. Poverty
as much a plenty could be a hindrance from developing intimacy with Christ Jesus, yet the
simplicity of the poor, not the arrogance of the rich, would bring one to the depth dimension of
the Divine. Blessed are you poor in Spirit...
As Manong Isda left me humming a tune, I realize how our simple conversation offered
me food for thought. The question I asked him went back to me as a challenge to be faithful in
my attendance and participation in the mass. I also just realize how the fish he sells, symbolized
Jesus himself... the real Manong Isda.