“Anyone can cook.” This unlikely claim is proven true by a rat named Remy in the movie Ratatouille. Remy not only learns to cook but also fulfills his dream of becoming the best chef in Paris. His success points to a truth that goes beyond cooking: “Anyone can dream.”

In Filipino, the words panaginip and pangarap both translate as “dream,” but they are not the same. Panaginip happens during sleep. It may inspire, entertain, or frighten, but once we wake up, it often fades and has little power to change our lives.

Pangarap, on the other hand, happens when we are fully awake. It involves imagining a goal and then taking deliberate steps toward achieving it. Pangarap pushes us beyond our comfort zones and challenges the limits we have mistakenly imposed on our talents and abilities.

Understood as pangarap, a dream fuels our desire for personal success and fulfillment. By dreaming, artists develop new art forms never before imagined, leaders envision better societies, and ordinary people strive to become better versions of themselves. Dreaming is not escaping from reality but daring to believe that something better is possible. Poet Langston Hughes captured this truth well when he wrote: “Hold fast to dreams, for if they die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” If we run out of dreams, we run out of life.

However, dreams need not always be centered on our own ambitions. Today’s Gospel reading narrates the story of St. Joseph, a man whose dream transcends his personal goals. Many images of St. Joseph portray him asleep. This likely comes from today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 1:18–24), which recounts how Joseph received a message from God in a dream (panaginip). But was he truly asleep?

Any man in his situation would find it hard to sleep. He had just discovered that Mary was pregnant, and he knew he was not the father. With a heavy heart, he resolved to end their engagement quietly so as not to expose her to public shame.

In Scripture, God often speaks through dreams when a person is wrestling with doubt and confusion. In Joseph’s case, the “dream” may not have been a panaginip that occurred while he was asleep. Rather, it happened when his whole being was fully awake, burning with the desire to remain faithful to his dream (pangarap) of becoming Mary’s husband.

St. Joseph teaches us that faith is an essential foundation of our dreams. Through faith, he shifted his focus from what he personally desired to what God could accomplish in him and through him. As Scripture reminds us, “Unless the Lord builds the house, in vain do its builders labor” (Psalm 127:1). Our destiny, in fact, has been lovingly planned by God from the very beginning.

This insight calls to mind the televised images of many of our athletes in the ongoing ASEAN Games, lifting their eyes to heaven or making the sign of the cross at crucial moments in competition. In these gestures, they express their belief that victory depends not only on strength and determination but also on God’s sustaining grace. Yet God’s help often comes through human instruments, and in this case, through adequate government support.

In terms of talent, physical build, enthusiasm, determination, and discipline, our athletes are no less capable than their counterparts from other Asian nations. The challenge lies in the quality of their preparation. Many Filipino athletes rely solely on private sponsors or the sacrifices of their parents. Others grow up and train in the United States and other countries, then compete under the Philippine flag with minimal investment from our government. Moreover, some of our national sports agencies are weakened by power struggles and political intrigue. Instead of focusing fully on their training, athletes are caught between divided loyalties.

Anyone can dream, and our athletes have proven this to be true. With steadfast faith in God and the necessary support from those responsible for their preparation, hopefully they will continue to lift our sagging spirits and give us reason to be proud of being Filipinos.