A Home Away From Home: Cardinal Tagle Brings a Piece of the Philippines to the Desert
The air in Dubai is usually thick with the hum of a bustling metropolis. But this week, under the quiet blanket of the pre-dawn sky, it was filled with something else: hope.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle recently stepped onto the sands of the United Arab Emirates, not just as a high-ranking official from the Vatican, but as a brother. He came to lead the Simbang Gabi—the cherished nine-day Novena that, for every Filipino, smells like home and feels like family.
The Nine-Month Journey
Standing before a sea of faces at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai, the Cardinal’s voice carried a warmth that reached the back of the 30,000-strong crowd.
He reminded everyone why we wake up while the world is still sleeping.
“These nine days,” he shared softly, “represent the nine months Mary carried Jesus in her womb.”
Think about that for a second. Every morning we show up for Mass, we are walking alongside a mother. Each day is a month of waiting, of heartbeat, and of anticipation for a miracle.
“He Embraced the Nothingness”
The most moving moment of the night came when the Cardinal shifted into the familiar, comforting cadence of Tagalog. It felt like a private conversation in a crowded room.
He spoke about the lineage of Jesus—a family tree filled with great kings, yes, but also with people who stumbled.
“Niyakap ni Hesus ang dangal ng mga patriarcha pati ang kanilang kahinaan,” he said. (Jesus embraced the honor of the patriarchs, and their weaknesses, too.)
“Niyakap ni Hesus ang pagiging wala.” (Jesus embraced being unknown. He embraced being ‘nothing.’)
There was a heavy, beautiful silence in the church. In a city like Dubai, where everyone is striving to be “someone,” hearing that God chose to be “no one” hit home.
“We are all broken sinners,” Tagle reminded us, “loved by God.”
A Desert Transformed
The scale of the devotion was staggering. From the Northern Emirates of Sharjah to the far reaches of Fujairah, thousands traveled hours just to be there.
In Abu Dhabi, the scene at St. Joseph’s Cathedral was no different. By 2:00 PM—hours before the service—the grounds were already filling up. People weren’t just there for a ceremony; they were there for a connection.
The Cardinal’s message was simple: Just like Joseph, when we hear God’s call, we act. ### Why This Matters Beyond the crowds and the beautiful liturgy, Cardinal Tagle spent his days (December 16–18) listening. He met with local church leaders to truly understand the “realities” of living as a migrant in the Middle East—the loneliness, the hard work, and the fierce faith that keeps people going.
As the sun rose over the UAE, the message left behind was clear: You are not forgotten. Even in a foreign land, under a different sky, the “nothingness” we sometimes feel is exactly what Jesus chose to embrace.
And in that embrace, we find our way home.
