Thessa Marie L.

Urquia
HUB11
Sa Kandungan ng Langit
(Heaven’s Cradle)

“There are many things that people say and do for reasons they do not understand, for reasons they do not
know.” This was the first line told in the film Heaven’s Cradle and yet my heart was already struck by that line. I felt that
this film would carry us a lesson and realization to ourselves when we leave our room. As I heard the line, I was thinking
some of my friends who didn’t know the purpose why they were studying. They said that they were only going to school
because they need to and it is our responsibility to study, that’s all without any reason. What about the life given to us by
God? How I wish they could also watch the movie to become conscious of what they are doing.

Heaven’s Cradle was a very inspiring story of love, sacrifice, forgiveness and faith in God. How?

LOVE. We had witnessed the love story of Joji and Lani. At first, Joji refused to pursue their wedding because he was not
prepared to enter married life. He needed to do a lot things beforehand. He loved Lani so much but he taught that it was
not yet the right time for this. Lani got hurt because of rejection that Joji made. She never wanted to see Joji’s face again
after their talk. From that on, they started to live their own lives. But God has a plan for them. Unexpectedly, they met at
Bethesda and knew each other’s purpose of going in the same place. Love is in the air. For the short time of Joji’s stay in
Bethesda, they were able to talk and forgive each other’s shortcomings.

SACRIFICE. Almost all of the main characters in the story did a sacrifice. Caloy, the brother of Liway, was forced to leave
their town because of some conflict with his father. He wanted to finish his studies and find a job as early as possible but
his father became a hindrance for his dreams. He sacrificed his love for his especially Liway who made him as her crying
shoulder. Their Father, he refused to help Liway when she came close asking for assistance. He loves his daughter but in
that situation he proved that he loved his wife more than Liway. He sacrificed his love for his daughter for the sake of his
wife. Even her ate Sol, she sacrificed her sister for her baby. Of course Liway sacrificed the most. Having leprosy was not
easy. She was isolated from their town even in her family. She was sent outside her house and was rejected by her
relatives. There came a point that they wanted to kill Liway just for her to leave the town and to avoid the spread of the
disease. What kind of family were they? They could slaughter their family member for their own good? Liway faced all the
struggles with her kuya Caloy. He unintentionally killed a man to save Liway from the burning nipa hut. He was sent into
prison for some years and sacrificed a lot inside the penitentiary.

FORGIVENESS. This film was a great example for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Liway was able to forgive her
father in spite of all the things he has done to her. No matter how deep was the sin against to her, she forgave those
people who maltreated her before. Caloy also forgave his father and ate Sol for the things they made to Liway. He said
the sufferings he felt inside the prison was not as half as Liway’s experience. On the other hand, Lani forgave Joji for their
misunderstanding before. They were able to settle their relationship again unlike before.

FAITH IN GOD. Liway became angry to God when she grasp the idea that God is providing her many sufferings in her
life. She said that God was only choosing people who wanted him to help and Liway was unfortunate because she was
not the one. She rejected God and once forgets that God did not enter into her life. Until one day, when her kuya Caloy
gave him a bible, she was enlightened and her mind and heart was open again for forgiveness and new life. Nothing is
impossible with God. Faith is necessary to pass all the trials and struggles in life. God is Good. God is love. So we must
learn how to forgive and forget the past and start a new life with Christ.

That was a very inspiring story. It relates us to our lives that leprosy is talking about our sinfulness as human. It is
our disease that is needed to be cured. Sometimes we are physically healthy but spiritually sick. Faith in God is
important, but faith is dead without action. We need to do something to prove our faith in God. Of course, CHANGE is the
first and basic step to conversion.