by Father Patrick Longalong
There is a certain kind of peace that does not come from having everything figured out. It comes from trust. Not the kind of trust that explains everything, but the kind that allows you to keep going even when nothing is clear.
We do not always live that way. Most of the time, we want answers. We want things to make sense. We want to know that what we are doing is working. And when things feel uncertain, whether in our personal lives or even in the life of the Church, it can be unsettling.
In the Acts of the Apostles, the early Christian community is already dealing with tension. Some members feel neglected, others are overwhelmed, and the apostles are faced with a real problem.
What is striking is that they do not try to control everything. They recognize that the mission is bigger than them. They invite others to step in, to serve, to take responsibility. In doing so, the community becomes stronger, not weaker.
That same idea is echoed in the second reading. We are not meant to stand alone. We are being built into something, like living stones forming a spiritual house. Each person matters. Each person has a place. Faith is not just about holding on to God privately. It is about becoming part of what God is doing together.
Still, even with that understanding, there are moments when life feels uncertain. Moments when we are quietly asking, where is this going?
Every January, during the celebration of the Santo Niño (Holy Child), I think about a conversation that has stayed with me. There was a woman in our community who had been living with Stage 4 cancer for years. What stood out was not her illness, but her presence. She continued to show up, to serve, to smile.
One year, I asked her how she was doing. She looked tired, but peaceful. She said, “I’m still fighting. I’m still trying to live my life and make memories with my kids.”
I told her she could always ask for help. She gently shook her head and said, “Right now, I don’t even know if I’ll wake up tomorrow. But I’m at peace. When I look at the Holy Child, I’m reminded that God has my world in His hands. There’s nothing to fear.”
Her response struck me. Because she did not have answers. She did not have certainty about what would come next. But she had trust.
That is exactly where the Gospel speaks to us. Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
And Thomas responds with honesty, “We do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”
It is a question we all carry at some point. And Jesus responds in a way that shifts the focus. He does not give directions. He says, “I am the way.”
The invitation is not to figure everything out, but to remain with Him. To trust that even when the path is unclear, we are not alone.
The early Church learned that. They moved forward not because everything was resolved, but because they trusted that God was at work, even in the middle of challenges. They allowed others to share in the mission, and in doing so, the community grew.
Maybe that is where we are today. Not in a place where everything makes sense, but in a place where we are being asked to trust a little more. To do our part. To stay close to Christ. Because if he is the way, then even when we do not know where we are going, we are still being led.
Father Longalong is the pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Queens Village, and coordinator of the Ministry to Filipino Immigrants.