Walking the Unexpected Way

A personal reflection of a digital missionary on Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle’s Keynote Address at the Asian Mission Congress by Katya Santos

I cannot count how many times I laughed during Cardinal Tagle’s keynote address here in Penang, Malaysia. I listened attentively, taking notes, yet I am certain that I cried twice. 

The author's unexpected meeting with Cardinal Tagle.

First, when he shared a personal experience, and second when he asked: “How many Magi do you think there were?” Yung parang biglang di na ako sure.  (As if I wasn't sure.) And in that moment, I realized that maybe we’ve been thinking inside the box for too long. Just because there are three gifts doesn’t necessarily mean there were only three Magi! That small question from Cardinal Tagle opened a bigger space in my heart, to look at faith with fresh eyes, to let go of assumptions, and to let wonder breathe again. 

So let me base my personal reflection on those “points” of his address. 

photo from AVPP Ugnayan - Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa

1. Not Lost, Just Led 

Cardinal Tagle shared a story from a few months ago. He was on his way to attend an interreligious event. But before he could arrive, something unexpected happened. He suddenly heard a cry — so sharp that it made him stop in his tracks. “Oh my God!” he thought, rushing over, convinced someone was hurt. Then, looking closer: “Oh my God. Is it you? Cardinal Tagle?” The woman explained that she usually could not attend Mass because of her work, but she followed his reflections online to help her pray.

Overwhelmed, she asked for his blessing. Soon another migrant worker joined, and both of them wept as he prayed over them. What looked like a wrong turn was in fact a divine redirection. 

The Cardinal’s story shows that detours can actually be the real way. 

What at first seemed like getting lost turned into meeting Christ in the grit and tears of migrant workers. 

Hope isn’t about dodging struggles — it’s about trusting that even our “wrong turns” can end up as grace-filled encounters. 

2. God Speaks Through the Ordinary 

Listening to Cardinal Tagle, I realized how often God chooses the most ordinary — even inconvenient—moments to speak to us. It wasn’t during the formal event, the scheduled dialogue, or the carefully arranged program that God moved, but in the middle of a sidewalk, through the tears of migrant workers who simply longed for prayer. Sometimes we wait for grand signs, pero minsan simple lang pala.
A sudden cry.
 A chance encounter. Cardinal Tagle reminded me that holiness is not only found in big missions but also in simple interruptions that turn into invitations. 

3. How Many Magi? 

Then came that unexpected question: “How many Magi were there?” Tradition says three—but only because there were three gifts. When Cardinal Tagle asked that, I suddenly realized how often we limit our imagination without even noticing. Why three? Why not more? Why not many? In his dream there were countless Magi — pilgrims from every land, including us. And that made me think: faith isn’t just about repeating what we’ve always assumed. 

Sometimes God invites us to think outside the box, to let go of the “default” answers, and to see that grace can be bigger than what tradition has told us so. That image moved me deeply: 
To think that we too are Magi — seekers of light, bearers of the story of Jesus, walking different ways, guided by hope. 

4. Joy and Vulnerability Can Go Together 

Another thing that struck me was how effortlessly Cardinal Tagle moved from humor to depth—from laughter to tears. It made me realize how faith is not one-dimensional. Joy doesn’t cancel out sorrow, and vulnerability doesn’t make us weak. In fact, his storytelling showed that real hope often lives in that very mix: laughing while carrying burdens, crying while still trusting, smiling even when the journey is unclear. 

God meets us exactly where we are—humble, imperfect, laughing, crying, still walking. 

Both stories — the surprise encounter and the many Magi — remind us of one thing: Jesus Himself takes a different path. He leads us to places we don’t expect, and along the way He gathers us into His journey of hope. And the invitation is simple:
 to walk with Him as pilgrims made new,
 to be Magi in our own time, carrying His story, following His light.

The author's photo during the Commissioning Mass.