This is an excerpt from the full interview on The Life of a Priest, a podcast available in the Tabella Catholic App.
Father Fiel Pareja is a priest serving in the area of Pampanga, in the north of the Philipines. He is also known for his strong presence in social media. Below is the transcript of this segment:
Always remember this: Our losses in life are actually our gains. We gain something from what we have lost. But the moment my father died, it hit me hard. I realized that this father gave up his life, the entire life of him for us. And he sacrificed everything just for us to feed us, to be the best father that he can be for us. That was the moment that I realized that the value of a person, situation or a thing, can be realized when it is lost. But that realization for me, is already a gain for me. Why? Because at that very moment I learned to appreciate my mother. I learned to appreciate the people around me. I learned to love the people I’ve met and talk to each day even if they are strangers. Even though I don’t know their personal story. But the moment that I’ve encountered you, I do believe that you have a story to tell, and I appreciate you. Every loss that we have, are actually our gains in life.
Listen to the entire interview with Father Fiel Pareja on the Tabella Catholic App.