A Rainbow, an Angel, and a Message of Hope

 I remember feeling completely awed as I looked up at the sky and saw a beautiful rainbow stretching across it.

At that moment, I found myself thinking, “God will never again send such tragedy to His people. The rainbow is a sign of hope—a promise that He will not again destroy the human race.”

That was what I thought.

And quietly, almost instinctively, I whispered, “Thank You, dear God.”

A few minutes later, the rainbow disappeared. Yet, somehow, it appeared again just before I left the university to go home.

I called my husband to let him know that I was heading home, but I also told him that I planned to stop by an uptown mall to check on something we had agreed to buy for our daughter.

I was determined to do it.

At exactly 6:09 p.m., I found myself in front of the mall. The mall was scheduled to close at 6:30 p.m., but something unexpectedly shifted in me. I thought, Why rush? There would always be another day. I could simply come back another time.

And that was when things took an unexpected turn.

Instead of rushing into the mall, I felt a deep desire to make a right turn and drive straight toward St. Francis Xavier Church, located farther behind the mall.

So I did.

This time, I was driving slowly and without any pressure. As I approached the church, something unusual caught my attention.

I was awed and mesmerized once again.

The church seemed to glow in the fading light, and behind it was a huge mass of clouds shaped almost like a heart. I knew, of course, that the formation could simply have been the remnants of the sunset. But there was something about the sight that felt extraordinary.

This was already my third day visiting the church, yet I had never seen anything quite like it.

What made it even more striking was the fact that it was already getting dark. The streetlights were on, and I had my headlights turned on. From the road in front of the mall, I had already noticed that all the vehicles were using their headlights.

I decided to park on the side of the road and, without getting out of the car, took several photos of the church.

The scene looked like a beautifully painted twilight landscape—a breathtaking blend of colors and shadows.

Then I adjusted my phone camera, trying to zoom in on the church and the heart-shaped clouds. I wanted to capture the moment as clearly as possible.

I became frustrated when I couldn't quite get the image I wanted.

So, in my desperation to capture the scene, I positioned my phone against the steering wheel for support.

And then something happened that I still find difficult to explain.

I felt as though my hand was slowly being directed toward the right.

I remember thinking, “What is happening?”

I was very conscious of my hand moving in that direction. I had been trying to focus on the church, but somehow the camera was being directed toward the right side of it.

And then I had this strong feeling in my mind: Look up.

I couldn't immediately see what I was being drawn to because of the rearview mirror above me. So I lowered my head slightly and looked upward.

And then—

Oh, my God.

There, in the sky, was what appeared to me to be a huge, mighty angel facing the church.

The formation in the clouds looked as though an angel had descended from the heavens and was standing guard over St. Francis Xavier Church.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

For a moment, it felt as though my entire little world had stopped.

I got out of the car to get a better view because some of the streetlight posts were blocking part of the image. I took more photos.

This time, I had goosebumps all over my skin. There was also this strange, cold, almost electrifying sensation running through me.

I don't even know if those are the right words to describe it.

All I know is that I was deeply moved.

Again, it felt as though the world around me had stopped.

Then I began wondering: Did anyone else see what I was seeing?

And to my surprise, I saw a woman running toward the scene, taking photographs as well.

I was so happy to know that I wasn't the only one who had noticed something extraordinary in the sky.

Of course, other people may have interpreted what they saw differently.

For me, however, it became a spiritual experience.

And then I remembered something I had said earlier that very afternoon to two of my colleagues.

I had told them that, based on my experiences in the United States, I somehow felt that manifestations of the presence of angels seemed more real to me there than here in the Philippines. I had even wondered why.

And now, through what I experienced firsthand, I found myself saying:

Angels are everywhere.

Hands up! 🙌

But there was something even more profound about the photograph.

When my husband and I later reflected on the image during our prayer time and Bible sharing that evening, we felt that the photograph carried a message—a message that went beyond what our eyes could see.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE

God is present.

He is protecting His Church—not merely the physical building, but His people, especially those who were suffering during that difficult time of the pandemic.

To us, the image spoke of HOPE, LOVE, and PROTECTION.

It reminded us of God's promise that He is with His people and that He sends His angels to watch over and protect us.

Looking at the photograph, it almost seemed as though the heavens themselves were present above the church.

And the message that came to my heart was simple:

GOD IS WITH US.

There is nothing to fear.

Yes, God's people may be suffering.

Yes, the world may be going through darkness and uncertainty.

But God is with us.

And perhaps, in ways we do not always recognize, His army of angels is among us.

When I look at the photograph now, I still see that message of hope.

You may even try looking at the photograph upside down. You might see it differently—as though you are looking from the outside world toward the earth.

Perhaps you will see something I did not.

Perhaps you won't.

And that's okay.

The important thing is what the image stirred within me: a renewed sense of faith, hope, and the presence of God.

A FINAL THOUGHT

There is still one question that remains in my heart:

Why St. Francis Xavier Church in Pueblo de Oro?

Why there?

Why that particular church?

Why that particular moment?

Perhaps there is an answer.

Perhaps there isn't.

Maybe it is simply something for me—and for all of us—to continue reflecting upon.

But whatever the explanation may be, I choose to remember what I felt that evening:

Hope.