Sgt. Calaguas was a Mess Sergeant when the Japanese soldiers attacked their barrack in Bataan, and their Machine Gunner was shot dead. The Captain ordered Sgt. Calaguas to take over. Immediately responding to the order, Sgt. Calaguas took hold of the machine gun and just fired and fired without any let up. The Japs were taken aback and had to retreat. Thus Sgt. Calaguas saved his Company from a Japanese onslaught on that day. After the world war, Sgt. Calaguas who was then residing in the United States came back as a ‘balikbayan’ to the Philippines. He was met by media men at the international airport and one praised him saying: “Sgt. Calaguas you must be very brave”. In reply Sgt. Calaguas said: “No, I was also afraid. But when it comes to serving my country I give all I have got.”
Time and again this reply of Sgt. Calaguas rings in my ears. It comes especially in those moments when I am faced with some difficulties in doing a given task. Human as I am, I am inclined to take it easy, consider what is most convenient for me, or take the least resistance. But the words of Sgt. Calaguas “I am also afraid, but when it comes to serving my country I give all I have got” keep on challenging me. For if he can say that, I ask myself the question – “When it comes to serving the Lord God, can I not also give all that I have got?”
The said question is, indeed, a Challenge to my Faith in Christ Jesus. If truly I consider the Lord Jesus Christ as God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, to whom I owe everything that I am, then I must serve Him with all the love and strength that I can give. He deserves no less than the best that I can possibly do.
Being able to serve God is, indeed, a great privilege. When I consider the infinite Goodness and Greatness of God I cannot but be filled with joy when He gives me an opportunity to serve Him. I believe that God has created me so He could use me in His work of creation. No human being can ever fathom the great mystery of God’s Creation. It is, I believe, something without end, which shall continue in the life hereafter. As God uses me now in my earthly life, I do believe that He will continue to use me in the next life. How He will use me will most likely depend on how I cooperate with His grace in serving Him here on earth.
The example of Sgt. Calaguas continues to inspire me to really serve the Lord God with all the love I can give and in the best way I can do. This certainly requires my wholehearted commitment to share my time, talents and treasure in performing whatever task is entrusted to me. It is a tall order, realizing my limitations and imperfections, but I totally depend on God’s constant graces for WITHOUT HIM I CAN DO NOTHING, BUT WITH HIM NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
by: Salvador 'Birung' Cagurangan
July 24, 2011
