Poetic Licence

Mercy is better than sacrifice

2011-12-31T03:14:00.001-08:00

Jesus, on Easter morning when she appeared to Mary Magdalene and called her by name. Everything about her you forgot: her sins, her past. He, source of perfection and the perfect One called her the imperfect and miserable. Therefore, is this not so for each of us also this year?

For all that we considered negative 2011 could be transformed by the mercy and love of God into negative.

Even this year He is the savior, the healer who calls us by name.

Who are we then to judge? Mercy is better even than sacrifice.

New face of God: a God-Man crying why God has forsaken him

2011-12-09T04:09:00.001-08:00

Post modernism is real. Rhbill, contraception, divorce bill, anti Church, anti clergy. It appears that modern man, influenced by unbridled secularism is shouting: God leave us alone!. On the other hand a modern philosopher, explained that modern man is like a man holding a torch in midday shouting, where is God? where is God? God seems to be absent, more so secularist thinking pushes him aside, which I think, is unconsciously in as much as they presumed that God should not enter human, legal, and social affairs.

On the other hand, when reason becomes the rule of the day, and the more science, technology and rationality is developing fast the human spirit looks for something beyond and transcendent. We cannot deny the inner yearning of man towards the absolute, transcendent being. And the more God is being pushed aside the more that man seems to feel His absence. Man is homesick of paradise, of communion with Him, of His loving presence. He shouts, where is God? where is God?

So the pendulum continues. Secularism is a reaction of too much wrong notion of God and too much absence of the old notion of God would bounce into a deeper yearning and union with the true God. The man who cries “My God, why have you Forsaken me” is at the same time the source of the return of a more true and loving God.

Do I condemn secularist thinking to hell? Do we need to shun the atheist?. I would not dare to do so. They open for the new dawn and springtime so that the true God of history, the God who made Himself man be more evident in its true face, which is the Resurrection, be more "known" once again in history.

But one needs to be patient, loving and merciful, like Him on the cross. Post modern man is the new face of a God-man, who cries why did God forsake him, and the true face of God will be once again savoury experienced by him.

Morning Views from a room :)

2011-08-22T23:23:00.001-07:00

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An old but new church

2011-08-22T23:17:00.001-07:00

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We concelebrated mass in a church of the Sacred Heart whose parish priest fetched me kindly from Zurich airport. We did after our corone blue lunch was digested.

The drive to our final destination in Bex was about two hours with the beautiful swiss landscape. A stopover and sharing in car and a short rosary we then arrived.

Experience of church and love of those in center crowned our trip. Beautiful fraternal encounter which could only be explain not only by sacramental brotherhood but by the past years effort to be faithful by everybody. More has yet to come but I prefer not to write hem here but instead in my heart. I will be offering these following days to those of you who believe in Love.

Doha stopover, preparation for the unexpected

2011-08-22T18:39:00.001-07:00

Now we are landing for Zurich. The pope in Spain ended the world youth day and announced it will be held for the nest time in Rio de Janiero Brazil. Two million evangelized evangelizers. Was happy to be updated while in Doha by radio vatican magnificent images from Rome reports.

A stopover in Doha was a place of preparing myself to be with Jesus aided by the events of WYD. A purification and a detachment of the graces received in this past spiritual hear to be able to welcome hopefully the graces reserved by God to His Church through this unworthy servant.

I could not but praise God and say the Magnificat in this day of the queenship of Mary. She has been always on the way. I hope that like her we were able to give Jesus, only Jesus to our seminarians, priests, and the local church. How could I thank more? With all participants in this meeting (150 I was told) I will contribute my part to make this presence more a reality as much as I could to make the church more beautiful. Amen.

Pics hastily taken from NAIA and Doha

2011-08-20T21:54:00.001-07:00

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Jesus is our rest

2011-08-20T20:08:00.001-07:00

The desk for the transient had a short line. It's four o'clock in the morning. Some minutes after entering the quite lounge someone stood up as if waiting for me to arrive. Another ushered her hand and there lying in a slightly hard coach the structure of which is not really for sleeping but for just sitting comfortably. All of us on the other hand would like to get some sleep. Even the mosque beside are occupied by men who lie down on the carpet which was supposed to be for prayer. Families singles and all kinds. But I am always struck by mothers taking care and giving preferences to their kids though sometimes they are quite mischievous. In that room to my wander and I do not know what sleeping position I did, sleep was granted. In waking up diabetis was high but I injected only the normal dosage. I do not want to have a hypo The meal ticked they gave me said "heavy" all beCy with carbo. So before boarding I figure out another dose of insulin. The airport in early morning is very peaceful. Morning prayers again is said through my faithful iPhone. So I decided to make a little walk. There were free duty shops and a kind of hotel inside. The one in the lobby is obviously a Filipino. Trying to make him feel at home I spoke also in Tagalog asking about the system of accommodation. Although a friend Carlo told me about this I bothered myself to ask how to avail of it. Answer it depends on your ticke and if you are a transient foe more that eight hours. I known ticket is the cheapest so I figure out there is no hotel. I did not need it anyway for I feel rested already. Rested with whom. "Come to me" Jesus said. More than anything else, from a person who does not even know where to lay his head would say "Come, and I will five you rest." How true it is!The desk for the transient had a short line. It's four o'clock in the morning. Some minutes after entering the quite lounge someone stood up as if waiting for me to arrive. Another ushered her hand and there lying in a slightly hard coach the structure of which is not really for sleeping but for just sitting comfortably. All of us on the other hand would like to get some sleep. Even the mosque beside are occupied by men who lie down on the carpet which was supposed to be for prayer. Families singles and all kinds. But I am always struck by mothers taking care and giving preferences to their kids though sometimes they are quite mischievous. In that room to my wander and I do not know what sleeping position I did, sleep was granted. In waking up diabetis was high but I injected only the normal dosage. I do not want to have a hypo The meal ticked they gave me said "heavy" all beCy with carbo. So before boarding I figure out another dose of insulin. The airport in early morning is very peaceful. Morning prayers again is said through my faithful iPhone. So I decided to make a little walk. There were free duty shops and a kind of hotel inside. The one in the lobby is obviously a Filipino. Trying to make him feel at home I spoke also in Tagalog asking about the system of accommodation. Although a friend Carlo told me about this I bothered myself to ask how to avail of it. Answer it depends on your ticke and if you are a transient foe more that eight hours. I known ticket is the cheapest so I figure out there is no hotel. I did not need it anyway for I feel rested already. Rested with whom. "Come to me" Jesus said. More than anything else, from a person who does not even know where to lay his head would say "Come, and I will five you rest." How true it is!

Am Mijares

God's time is distinct

2011-08-20T19:51:00.001-07:00

In somewhat fleeting time the plane is arriving in Doha. Having prayed maybe three rosaries and listened to the breviary three timesnot mentioning a quite balanced but heated supper and midnight dinner which also served as my breakfast or was it supper? We are now landing. It's good I did not forget my medications insulin included. With a full stomach and perhaps with a high glucose level which I could feel on my eyes the instruction for mt connecting flight announcedseems non understandable. It is another station of a penitential life with it's own joys which grows from loving the cross. This might be a good preparation for our meeting. I do not know if there would be a place to rest for even it is past nine pm my biological time is actually two am. Just keeping myself awake by writing this on the convenient and portable I phone. But now I have to be ready for real landing thanking God for at least all are safe.
Am Mijares

A long and lonely Trip?

2011-08-20T19:49:00.001-07:00

On the day when i have to check in for a long and lonely trip, the pope had celebrated the mass with he seminarians in the Almudena cathedral in Madrid. I hope that our here seminarians, our selected delegates to the 26th world day which is being held in Spain could attend. I know there is a simultaneous congress for and of seminarians in the outskirts of Madrid but our delegates have organized already before their iterinary together with the other Filipino youth delegates. Just concluded was the via crucis in which the artistic and antique statues from all over Spain were showed in front of the world as the world is present in Spain. The pope invited the youth to consider and take a look at all sufferings encountered as part of Christ's. Interesting was that they requested youth who have undergone real sufferings in life http://bit.ly/pgKIZb And here I am traveling alone to a meeting-retreat in Bex, Switzerland. I wish I could a priest companion with me like years before but . . .

Well in the stations of the cross Jesus was practically alone. It qas for gum intensely very long In part what would be a reason to complain? Not all could travel with all the expenses and requirements for a visa. More so everything is providence. And even a seat was offered to me with leg space unexpectedly. God's live has been always present. And God is everything. Why complain? With any trips
In our lives is never long, love has no bounds and it never lonely, God is always in our company.

Am Mijares

Why is God closest to us in moments when He seems to Abandon us?

2011-08-09T19:28:00.001-07:00

Abraham, going up to the mountain of sacrifice, together with Isaac knew that he has to offer his son. It is what is called human sacrifice, sometimes practiced in early primitive religion. There was a need to establish the truth about God, Yahweh, in is life and therefore God himself put him to the test, an absurd test.

With the promise that God will make his descendants as many as the stars and having only one legitimate son, Isaac, this same God, asked him to offer his son as a living sacrifice. Abraham, deep in his heart feels the pain of loosing a son for the sake of this self-proclaimed God whom he did not even knew totally. It is only by faith that he follows this calling.

Isaac however, has no idea of what is going on till a certain point that he was looking for he victim. With all the evidence around him, he finally understood that he will be the victim. Surprisingly he succumb to the idea and, if I am not mistaken, offered no resistance. But deep inside, we could enter into the helplessness of Isaac, and even doubt that Yahweh is the true God. How would a God believed by his father Abraham be such a cruel one?

He could have felt a certain abandonment, especially that of his own father. He is being sacrificed like a pawn. The love of his father is lesser that the love to a Being whom he does not even know. Anger, frustration, mixed with blind trust could have been inside his heart. Certainly, we could ask: Was he not abandoned by his father?

Here we enter into a paradox. In as much as Isaac feels this abandonment by his father Abraham, the very same father feels at the same time the suffering of offering his son. In as much as Isaac feels that his father is not in his side and leaves him alone to the point of death, Abraham at the same time, who loves his son dearly, suffers pain in an even more degree. In as much as Isaac is in darkness, Abraham his father, knows perfectly well what his son is undergoing and is closest to him.

We could understand a little the similar experience when Jesus the only son of God, nailed of the cross, dying, cried out: "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" The father in heaven, in a certain sense is closest to His only son, when precisely His only Son feels the abandonment.

God is our loving Father. When we have to grow, and make decisions as if on our own, and we feel abandoned by our heavenly Father, like in the case of Isaac and Jesus, since we are all sons in the Son, Jesus, our Father in heaven, in those times and occasions, is precisely closest to us.

Where are all Aklan media persons gone?

2011-08-09T06:29:00.001-07:00

The installation of the the new bishop of Kalibo last July twenty was not only cathedral filled but also graced filled. Men and women from all walks of life, ecclesiastics, tricycle drivers and professionals alike were moved by the vivacity, simplicity, genuineness, magnanimity and an obvious freshness of the new bishop. Those who attended the celebration could attest the emotions and the tears that flowed from all of their hearts, a certain outpouring of the spirit. Those who have seen and heard him over the radio surely, together the clergy who early waited for him for almost two years, could certify that finally God manifested His love for his people of the diocese of Kalibo.

Bishops are ultimately gifts for the people by God. God whose presence is constantly challenged by an on going secularized society continues to manifest His love for His people. For since the moment of creation God wished that His presence be felt as Someone who walks with His people. This was realized fully in Jesus Christ who lived with us in history and continuously through the Church becomes present in the here and now. Through the apostles with bishops as their successors as a group or as "college of bishops" who are also human, through the sacrament of ordination they are assured by Jesus Himself of his objective or sacramental presence. The belief of the incarnation affirms that Jesus is true God and true man. The church is therefore both human and divine; both are interpresed in one another, two natures but one person. What is important is to make both in motion. Grace works through nature though it does not destroy it. Having in mind these two aspects, we as human persons in the diocese of Kalibo especially the faithful who belong to the so called aecular world, have to be creative and are invited to give time so that through them the divine could work. We could ask why, after the grace of the installation we Aklanons seem to go back to our normal lives forgetting the grace of the installation aware that it could go down the drain. Certainly God needs time but God in a sense also needs us to work so that the divine be made more present. We believe that the Holy Spirit has beeb active since and has been working inspite the Bishop was absent. On the othet hand would it be good to do our part? God has given us the grace of a bishop. Certianly He does not any grace want it to be waisted. We are invited then to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit through the successor of the Apostles, the bishops. And for this listening is the key and should go beyond certain formalities or protocols which even our new bishop seems to ignore positively. Would it not be good that lay persons in mass media profession help us be acquainted more with the new bishop? Almost a month has passed since his installation. I have not heard of any media person from Aklan who has he courage to ask or interview him about his perceptions of Aklan and the church in particular. For many Aklanons except perhaps for those priests who know him and his parishioners the vast majority has to know more about his person his mind his plans etc. Would it be a big service not only to the church but to the whole people of Aklan? Perhaps through his human words the divine plan could be opened little by little. And the plan of God for humanity even for Aklan is always for the best for our beloved province.

New face of God: a God-Man crying why God has forsaken him

2011-05-30T04:35:00.001-07:00

We need objective standards like we need grammar in a language RH BILL discussions

2011-05-27T19:53:00.001-07:00

Varied opinions were put forward in the RH BILL discussion which was going on, if not this hot month of May, we could say that it was already been started many years ago. Scientific arguments were given and presented, together with more pragmatic and moral ones. Many times it went to the sphere of religion and faith which is undeniable and even was used by pros and anti RHBILL. The reality of God, the former would say does not have a space in a secular society, while the later say it is indispensable to the argument.

The existence of God is a must and in many ways, we could not deny the influence of religious beliefs in forming a nation or a society. The fact is man is a religious animal and in one way or another considers his existence as something which is dependent of someone who is beyond and transcendent to himself.

Even the so called atheists who, I may say are really men of other convictions, are convinced of their belief on the non-existence of a God. At least they are convinced of something and they are in fact doing a lot of good works for man. However, the mode of acting then is influenced not so much by a belief on an absolute being but by a set of ideas, and claims that is should be basis of their mode of thinking. On the one hand this denies the existence of the transcendent Being but on the other hand it opens to the belief of a secularist mentality and makes it a substitute for the former. It denies one and affirms the other which substitutes it under the name of freedom of thought and freedom itself.

This is a line of thinking that starts with the Cartesian principle “I think therefore, I exist.” “Cogito ergo sum.” The basis of existence is not the “fact of existence” itself but on” thinking.” Reason and subjective thinking becomes the standard. Reason in itself is essential of our being human beings since it is the thing that makes us different form the animals. It becomes dangerous which subjective thinking becomes the absolute standard. If one believes that his thinking is the standard then, he will also impose this thinking on the others who might think otherwise. Or the other has the same principle then inevitable the one with “power” will win. The “will to power” became in fact and existentialist principle of some philosophers.

But of course, existence is first to thinking. I exist first then I could think. “Thinking” then is not a principle of existence . It should be other way around: “I exist, therefore I think”

But for the Cartesians which is really the cause of many present global conflicts, thinking became the standard. The problem with this is: everyone has his/her own mode of thinking. Without any objective truths, then we are heading towards a world war; and we have learned enough from the past two world wars!

The process quite unnoticeable is: When one removes and side tracts from the existence of God, then man and his thinking/reason becomes his substitute. Since morality comes from an objective standard of right and wrong, under the banner of freedom, (which is really its abuse), subjective relativism, i.e., each according to his own thinking becomes the rule of the day. When there is no objective standard of morality, man himself will become his own standard. As is obvious in history, when man becomes his own standard, his will to power, will become his own self-destruction.

It is clear that when one takes away morality, they reason would have its own dynamics. Inevitably, it is leading itself for other immoral conclusions.

Kasi ayaw nang Panginoon: Contraception and Natural Law

2011-05-23T07:13:00.001-07:00

I could recall a friend, a Rector’s awardee in one of the prestigious ecclesiastical university in Rome how Pope Paul VI suffered not only on the eve when he was supposed to issue the document Humanae Vitae. He knew, my friend told me that it will elicit a lot of controversy even within the church. He knew the risks of dissent and perhaps even doubted that that encyclical would be issued at all. But the Pope felt it was his obligation. He could not water down nor change what is beyond his power. It is clear even by human reasoning that the plan of God for sexuality is internally linked with procreation. The internal dynamics of the reproductive organs is clearly for reproduction, objectively speaking.

There are clear laws of nature, like the law of gravity and clearly it is a design which the creator established. Laws of nature are fixed. We breathe in oxygen and we exhale carbon dioxide. Science helps in understanding the laws of the universe and the internal and its magnificent design. More and more even true scientists though believing only on a positivistic thinking could not but marvel on the design of the universe that they do not exclude from their conclusions that there is a creator beyond this dynamics. One could never stop to wander.

One of the Philippine Congressman, and a boxer, based his arguments against RH bill on this premise: That it is against the law of God. Critic feasts in his seeming naiveté. Anyway, are we not in a secularist state? God or religion should not enter into this field of argumentation.

But the congressman’s simple and uncomplicated logic makes sense. Precisely it may be devoid of complicated arguments, but simple people understand him very well. Natural law on sex and procreation is very clear and reasonable. If a human positive law is against natural law, it would not make sense to them to give their nod to RH Bill. Who would deny that there is an inherent design of nature in human sexuality’s purpose is procreation? Could we really absolutely divide sexuality from fecundity? Would we go against the beauty of a butterfly on a flower, sipping its nectar because there are inherent laws of nature for them to do so.

If this is understandable by the common tao, we could understand why they shun that the interference with the design of nature is in fact going against the inherent law that was placed there by the one who is the author of nature. And since contraception is going against this inherent connection between the sexual act and the procreative act, it is easy to understand the congressman said: that it is against the law of God.

Untitled

2011-05-22T03:43:00.001-07:00

The blog, Blood Stains, the Smell of Disinfectant and the RH Bill, made me feel emotional. I understand better those who are pro RH BILL. In fact this blog was much linked to make emotions fall to the bill advocacy.

What is happening to the church which should be protecting us, we could ask? How come they are alienating themselves from us simple and poor catholics what have barely $ 3.00 a day to feed the whole family? In a sense did they become insensitive to their flock?

I think the church is not blind to the plight of the poor. For centuries, if there are any NGO who has been always in the side of the poor and the defenseless unborn, it is the church and here I mean also the other Christian churches. I believe she tries to understand her flock and whatever she says is to protect the flock entrusted to her by the Lord and master.

I agree that the church should not force anybody not to use contraceptives. In fact she should respect the decisions of every woman or couple, ins spite of the side effects that It may cause. The church should never judge a particular case but leave it to the just Judge. Like the Lord, who did not judge the adulterous woman, though He told her not to sin anymore. The church should be compassionate to the plight of the poor.

That is why we have to understand that there are two levels here: subjective decisions and objective law. When the church talks about the objective bill, she wants to defend the objective truth about sex, procreation and love. She leaves the subjective decisions to the conscience of each particular, though she has the obligation to form consciences. The church could not rain down fire and brimstones to those who use contraceptives but rather inform her about the church’s teaching without prejudice.

What they are presenting is the “contraceptive mentality” which is hidden in a package which obviously has also good things. In fact if the law of the land in these aspects were to be applied there is no need of RH BILL. This bill accordingly will promote and legalize contraceptives as means of population control. This is the objective point of the church, not subjectively judge personal and subjective decisions. It aims to establish a “mindset and a value-system that are secularist, materialistic, individualistic and hedonistic” mentality “in the guise of development and modernity, but which in effect are hostile to human life, the family and religion.”

Be that is it may, the church should still respect subjective and individual decisions to use the pill.

If I remember my catechecism, the commit mortal sin there must be three conditions: grave matter (which qualifies contraception) full consent and full knowledge. Under special circumstances we cannot really say that there is full knowledge, if one is not informed and therefor could have full consent to it.

Open Letter to the President

2011-04-20T08:37:00.001-07:00

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/218048/nation/aquino-willing-to-risk-excommunicat...

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The end could never justify the means, Mr. President. What ever the good intentions of the executive branch of our new government - whose main campaign agenda was "walang mahirap kung walang corrupt" - it is immoral, or better it is a moral corruption to execute any good intention through evil means. Your intentions are clear but the means, the bill which you support - contraception and abortifacients - are clearly and objectively morally evil, anti life, against our culture and constitution as amended by your late mother. Moral evil is worst and the source of the corruption which your government is trying to eliminate.

There is no need to present a good face in front of the youth. In the church there is also excommunication Latae sententiae. In these cases, the church does not need to say or proclaim the sentence since the person just even by thinking about it, excommunicates himself from the church communion.

Please be assured however, Mr. President of my humble prayers that your mother always enlighten guide you especially in constitutional and moral matters.

Letter to the President

2011-04-18T08:22:00.001-07:00

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/218048/nation/aquino-willing-to-risk-excommunicat...

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Please be assured however, Mr. President of my humble prayers that your mother always enlighten guide you especially in constitutional and moral matters.

Dear Lord, (written Holy Monday, 1999)

2011-04-06T06:51:00.001-07:00

Holy Monday
March, 1999

Dear Lord,

Recently, I had the occasion to be inside our parish church. It was in
that church when about 30 years ago, I entrusted myself to You in the holy
eucharist to take care of me since i wanted to enter the seminary and
wanted to be his priest. I was eleven years old then and about to
graduate from elementary school. I kept it a secret from my friends.

Lord, it has been thirty years. Today is Holy Monday, the day when I was
ordained and it has been seventeen years that I am a priest. On Holy
Thursday, in front of my bishop, your representative, I will renew my vows
again in spite and despite of my failures in fulfilling them.

You have known my life and I have known your mercy. I thank you for these
seventeen years, years of enthusiasm and frustrations, of high ideals and
concrete realizations of being touched with my sinfulness and weaknesses;
of love and non-love, of joys and tears. In short I thank you of
everything and again give myself to you because you are love and you have
continuously loved me.

Thank you for revealing yourself to me as love especially the love which
you have shown me when you were on the cross. I have come to know life
through death, joys through sufferings, love through hatred, grace through
sin, your resurrection through your passion.

Thank you for just giving the yoke which is just enough for my shoulders
to carry. Continue revealing yourself to me in every moment of my life.

I pray that you protect all those who have loved me especially my mother,
and those who are now with you, my father, sister and brother. Reward
them Lord with your everlasting love. Reveal yourself to those whom I
even forgot due to my pride but have offered their love and prayers for me.

I pray for their sakes Lord and for their sakes I sanctify also myself.
For them and for all, I offer the remaining years of my life for the sake
of the church and humanity.

Thank you in a very special way for giving me the grace to meet the
charism of Chiara your beloved daughter. In her, Mary is incarnate.
Without her as my mother I am not. In her I learned how to be like you -
Love.

Your servant,

Emmanuel Mijares

Some After Thoughts from Tahrir Square - 4

2011-02-13T18:32:00.001-08:00

Is God present in Tahrir Square? I have not doubts! Call it Allah, God, Yahweh, the first uncaused Cause, unmoved Mover. God has entered in our history as a world, nation, as a person. Maybe God is more present in Tahrir than in some rituals in our respective religions done without belief and devotion, which are sometimes deviated.

Jan. 25. Two days before that we have a religious fiesta in my hometown. Did people change after that fiesta or they become worse. Is drunkenness justified in a Catholic Fiesta. For catholics, to have a fiesta there should be a Patron Saint. In our case it is supposed to be the Holy Child fondly called the Sto. Nino. It is unfortunate if not tragic that the celebration goes further and further from the virtues of the Holy Child. Drunkenness is one of them.

In Tahrir, all has to be true to himself as a dignified and descent human being. He should be himself, true, good and therefore beautiful. You could not be otherwise in Tahrir. Either you are or you are not!

In Tahrir the Egytians are truly what they are as human beings. They have transcended their individualistic interests for the sake of the common good. They sacrificed their personal comforts event their own vital security for the sake of the other, irrespective of religion or religious alliances. In a sense they forget their individual selves, for the sake for the other. Yet they do this without loosing their identity. Their identity is affirmed.

It is only when we offer our lives for the others that we become what we are. This is a form of martydom, though a "white" one. In is in loving that we exist. Men, women, children, youths, parents, grandparents in Tahrir are truly martyrs.

Fulfillment of our of our personality like that of Khaled Said, one of the many martyrs in Tahrir is realized since in a sense he loosed his life so that Egypt could live.

We do this not so much on dry, ritualistic religious practices like a fiesta which is becoming more expensive in our country but with less and less desirable effects!

EDSA was the long avenue that we expressed our willingness to die for the other. We will celebrate it on Feb 25. It means: Epifanio De Los Santos, a name which means Epiphany of the Saints. Martydom is a sure means towards good moral life, others call it sanctity. People in Tahrir, when they remain faithful to their ideals, surely will live a life with their Creator, the source of all goodness.

Some After Thoughts from Tahrir Square - 3

2011-02-13T17:32:00.001-08:00

Corruption leads to death of a regime. A regime is an organized system, supposedly to serve its people nad therefore it has the right to rule only because it serves. Evil like corruption has always its social implications, like any other sin. It does not only affect badly the individual but society as well.

Egyptian society was for thirty years affected by this systemic evil which has many tentacles. There they realized that evil entered in a system of government,though it is not surprising that individual persons may not be convinced that he/she is part of that evil system. Mubarak himself seems to be oblivious of this.

Egyptians choose a systemic answer. Truly human, truly Eqyptian. Nonviolent, vigilant, organized, through the means of communication, like Twitter and Facebook, noble, decent, hopeful, joyful. They realized they could not do it alone. With other friends encouraging them, but without asking them to financially support, since it would be an insult to their dignity and freedom, they succeeded. A glorious moment in their history.

Corruption is rightly considered as our main problem in the Philippines. It is systemic corruption, sometimes syndicated, that goes to the highest ranks of the military. Corruption kills human dignity, decency, good morals. We know it kills even life itself.

The solution is never individual not individualistic. It has to be systemic, institutionalized; for only then could we hope save our dignity that God as given us as Filipinos. It is enough that we do nothing so that evil could triumph. (Suicides could be prevented: you could be the next Angelos Reyes)

Some after thoughts from Tahrir Square - 2

2011-02-13T17:16:00.001-08:00

Last Jan. 25 in Tahrir square, young people started gathering to protest the death of their colleague. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. For thirty years the government managed Egypt so that the people in the government becomes richer and the others become poorer. Economic development is seen the beneficiaries are not for everybody. The government became repressive, tortures where commmon, no equal job opportunities, corruption was rampant. As you could see a thing of beauty in different angles, an ugly government reveals itself in any angle: political, economic, health, education, work, etc.

In short, the God who shared His image and likeness to all men, did not experience this in Egypt, quite the contrary.

After Sadat, the predecessor of Mubarak, thirty years ago, was assassinated, his vice president, Hofni Mubarak took over. He was an official in the Eqyptian airforce, high ranking, considered to be a patriaot who helped very much his country when Egypt was at war with Israel. When Sadat was assisinated, I still remember him, he has initiated and concluded a dialogue of peace with Israel. Perhaps the extremists killed him. Sadat, a military man himself, after years of war was tired of it and wanted peace. So was Israel so that it could secure its borders. This made Sadat very unpopular with the Arab world who wanted to annihilate Israel as a state.

Mubarak's time was a non-war time. He focused, obviously on the natioanal economy which at first was seen as good. But the love of money the power took over. Corruption started to feed the greed of government officials who many of who are military men. (Just like now in Burma, our neighbor). It is not difficult for Egyptians to see the trend. 30 years was enough.

Evil entered slowly in a government institution. The good Egyptian youth wanted to fight evil by good, not by violence. The Egyptian army, who knows well that they could not against its own people, (not like here in the Phil) became a key for he success of the Jan 25th Revolution.

Human dignity, truth, freedom won. The Egyptian, transcended their limited categories of religion. They became true Muslims and true Christians, true brothers.

We become more one in suffering rather than in non suffering. Others still wonder why the Son of God choose suffering to be one with us!

Some after thoughs of Tahrir Square - 1

2011-02-13T16:42:00.001-08:00

Was on bed due to dry cough and colds combined with a slight asthma when the events in Egypt's Tahrir square was unfolding and what is good with Iphones is the facility to use it even on bed.

Through Twitter I had the chance to follow in real time what are happening from Egytptian young activists themselves who admitted that this means of communication aided very much their revolution. Though we did not have this instrument in EDSA I the feeling of excitement and nervousness becomes for me a reality while I prayed for my Muslims brothers who in a sense represent the longings of humanity. Every descent human being, in whatever religion, since I believe we are all created under the image of God, in whatever expression it may take in other religions, we all long from justice, freedom, love, equality, human dignity. . . .

Needless to say the the world congratulates the young people of Egypt. They claim it started when one of them, a fellow activist was using an internet cafe, presumable to forward their causes. He was dragged out by police, beaten badly and eventually died. His name was Khaled Said. due to this a facebook account was created: We are all Khaled Said, which untill now has almost 80 thousand followers and I am one of them, understandably. Through facebook, the young activists organized a protest which is now historical, last Jan. 25 and eventually made Mubarak resign after 18 days. Mubarak is heard to be saying: all these noise coming from a matchbox?

Yes, that matchbox of the death of Khaled Said, spread out though Facebook is an also offence against the creator of life. I remembered when my other brother was killed before EDSA I and i turned my head to heaven and the blessed sacrament why God is allowing these things to happen to young people.

I understood then that He has a plan. Yes God was in Tahrir. He has been always there. He is in history, guiding it and at the same time respecting out freedom. He allows things to happen for a greater good.

There are many untold stories of this 18 days, as we had on EDSA I, many unsung heroes, the martyrs rose to 300, a fact that Doronilla does not equate the Tahrir revolution with our People Power, many tears, wounds, embraces, sleepless nights, barricades, shouts, also families divided, families reconciled, friendships forged, alliances changed: many things that require volumes to right because it is something which is living.

Twitter was my companion for the past days, but it seems that I undestand a little bit of how God could work when one of his beloved sons is not considered as His. How He could transform and even acts through these events. Again, as some posted, one remembers Pharaoh and Moses and how God delivers his people from slavery and bondage. Religion makes us see the hand of God in history acting through freedom man.

Pro-life Conference

2011-02-07T01:09:00.001-08:00

Thanking Dra. Carmen Gelito-Sitjar and Msgr. Adolfo Depra for the PRO LIFE meeting in the seminary yesterday with the parents of our seminarians. It was successful and fruitful. Msgr Depra exposed the real intent and false propaganda of RH Bill while Dr. Carmen Gelito Sitjar clarified and enlightened medical and scientific issues on contraception and abortion. Fr. Am then ended with the right and duties of parents to enter into the olitical arena to let their voices heard as FlLlPlNO citizens,

Don Bosco, priest

2011-01-31T04:26:00.001-08:00

St. John Bosco Priest John Bosco’s theory of education could well be used in today’s schools. It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual life with one’s work, study and play. Encouraged during his youth to become a priest so he could work with young boys, John was ordained in 1841. His service to young people started when he met a poor orphan and instructed him in preparation for receiving Holy Communion. He then gathered young apprentices and taught them catechism. After serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls, John opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and powerful patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys, shoemaking and tailoring. By 1856, the institution had grown to 150 boys and had added a printing press for publication of religious and catechetical pamphlets. His interest in vocational education and publishing justify him as patron of young apprentices and Catholic publishers. John’s preaching fame spread and by 1850 he had trained his own helpers because of difficulties in retaining young priests. In 1854 he and his followers informally banded together under Francis de Sales. With Pope Pius IX’s encouragement, John gathered 17 men and founded the Salesians in 1859. Their activity concentrated on education and mission work. Later, he organized a group of Salesian Sisters to assist girls.

New Year's Eve with my Mother

2011-01-03T05:15:00.001-08:00

This was the picture i took when having dinner with Nanay while waiting for the new year. I turned 53 at the sound of midnight and Nanay two months before could have been only 40 years old this year, if life begins at forty.

Now Nanay is 80 with precarious health. Eighty years of life, bursting with life as a young girl, full of plans but most of all to build a family founded on God. Her deep faith, simple but concrete, made her to see life, later as nothing more than a journey towards God.

I could not but recall what the Psalms said: What is man, that thou art mindful of him? . . . For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. (Psalm 8:4)

Nanay's glory and honor, for me is not so much in her achievements. Though she had enough as a teacher and being throughout her life, member of various religious organizations especially that considers the poor her honor lies rather in her attitude ib front of her sufferings.

When my only brother was killed qnd ibwas filled with anger she would simple told me with deep conviction and love that it was much better that he was killed rather than he could have killed. My brother was an activist.

She accompanied my only sister to meet our Lord when she had only some months to live. She was always beside Manang in her painful trips to the hospital for the chemotherapy and like pilgrims during the days in between since there was enough money to go back at home from Manila.

She endured everything especially my lack of love.

What is her honor is she never stopped loving in silence. When she took care of my paralyzed father she never complained even faithfully acted like a nurse even though she was not trained to do so.

She would always give their matrimonial bed to me when I am home knowing that I have a small bed in the seminary where I am assigned as a formator.

Now that she is eighty and left with only one eye working she continuous to take care of herself faithful to her medications so that she would be burdersome to others if she might get sick.

The truth is man is really made for God. Nanay understood this even when she was a child. It was this same God that nurtured and nourished her that I could say, her life is a like a multifaceted diamond. Beautiful in every angle, if it is seen in the light of the divine plan. Oh what a life, Nanay had received from God and now she has been continuing giving of her self since her parents died at a young age. Perhaps this first strong experience of death made her realize what it is to live.

Being an orphan at a tender age, immediately made her understand that she has a Father in Heaven and turned to the best mother in the world, our Blessed Mother Mary. It is to no surprise that in the which she dedicated and gave herself to God through Marian organizations: Daughters of Mary Immaculate, Ladies of Charity, Focolare.

I say this because before her birthday I browsed through her diary. What gems of wisdom I have found. She has written things about us, her faith, her struggles but mostly the concreteness of her love in daily life. Since it is lived with love, mostly it is lived in pain and suffering; but like a sand of suffering could really make pearls from the oysters, her experiences became more beautiful while I read them.

Perhaps the foundation of her existence and made her live continuously life is not only her daily masses, constant visitations, but her deep relationship with her Creator sustained by the deep relationship she had with her relatives, friends, and those who pove her which I could perhaps even not fully understand and savor.

Persons like me who sometimes do not love are blind but with love I could have but a glance of the beauty of what God has made out of her.

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Where's the line to see Jesus

2010-12-21T18:06:00.001-08:00

A story I received:

While at the mall a couple of years ago, my then four year old nephew, Spencer, saw kids lined up to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, he asked his mom, "where's the line to see Jesus"?
My sister mentioned this to my dad, who immediately became inspired and jotted words down to a song in just a few minutes. After putting music to the words, and doing a quick recording at home, he received a great response from friends. He sent the song off to Nashville without much response, except for a Christian song writer who suggested adding a bridge at the end of the first chorus. My dad then asked if I wanted to record the song to see what we could do with it.
I listened to the song, made a few changes to the words to make it flow better, and we headed to Shock City Studios. It was at the studio where Chris, owner and producer, rewrote the 2nd verse and part of the chorus... with goosebumps and emotions high, we were all hopeful and felt like we had something special. The demo was recorded in just under 2 hours and sent off again to Nashville... still no response.
Then 2 weeks before Christmas last year, my cousins Greg and Robbie decided to do a video to see what we could accomplish on YouTube. The first day we had 3000 hits and it soared from there. We received e-mails, phone calls, Facebook messages from people all over asking for the music, CD's, iTunes, anything... we had nothin'. After a couple of meetings with Chris following the amazing response, we got serious. We headed back into the studio this past spring... this time with guitars, drums, bass, pianos, choirs... the real deal.... and here we are today.
Getting iTunes set up, a website put together, and loving that thousands upon thousands of Christians have come together... remembering the true meaning of Christmas. Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults cannot understand. Hopefully Spencer's observation will cause people all over to reflect on the love of Jesus, and that one day we will all stand in line to see Him. We are most thankful to our Heavenly Father to have this chance to share our music with you.

http://www.youtube.com/user/beckykelleySTL

Here below, is the lyric of that song .... scroll -

Where's the Line to See Jesus?

As I stood in amazement at this message profound,
I looked down to thank him, he was no where around.
The little boy at the mall might as well have had wings
As the tears filled my eyes, I thought I heard him say,

Where's the line to see Jesus? Is He here at the store?
If Christmas time is His birthday, why don't we see Him more?
Where's the line to see Jesus? He was born for me.
Santa Claus brought me presents, but Christ gave His life for me.

In the blink of an eye, at the sound of His trump,
We'll all stand in line at His throne.
Every knee shall bow down, every tongue will confess,
That Jesus Christ is Lord.

o-oo-o0o-oo-o

Let's have Christ back in Christmas ...

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Help me to prune what is not the wi

2010-11-09T17:05:00.003-08:00

Help me to prune what is not the will of God for me Lord. But it is only in loving that I make this possible. The effort to love more is my decision to do and the cutting, a consequence. Loving better could be the result. Quite possible with God's grace.

via Secret Diary

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Untitled

2010-11-09T17:05:00.001-08:00

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Communion Prayer of Philoxenus of Mabbug

2010-06-18T07:08:00.001-07:00

When you have extended your hands and taken the body, bow, and put your hands before your face, and worship the living Body whom you hold. Then speak with him in a low voice, and with your gaze resting upon him say to him:
As you have made me worthy to approach you and receive you—and see, my hands embrace you confidently—make me worthy, Lord, to eat you in a holy manner and to taste the food of your body as a taste of your life. Instead of the stomach, the body’s member, may the womb of my intellect and the hand of my mind receive you. May you be conceived in me as you were in the womb of the Virgin. There you appeared as an infant, and your hidden self was revealed to the world as corporeal fruit; may you also appear in me here and be revealed from me in fruits that are spiritual works and just labors pleasing to your will.

And by your food may my desires be killed; and by the drinking of your cup may my passions be quenched. And instead of the members of my body, may my thoughts receive strength from the nourishment of your body. Like the manifest members of my body, may my hidden thoughts be engaged in exercise and in running and in works according to your living commands and your spiritual laws. From the food of your body and the drinking of your blood may I wax strong inwardly, and excel outwardly, and run diligently, and to attain to the full stature of an interior human being. May I become a perfect man, mature in the intelligence residing in all my spiritual members, my head being crowned with the crown of perfection of all of my behavior. May I be a royal diadem in your hands, as you promised me, O hidden God whose manifestness I embrace in the perfection of your body.

St Philoxenus of Mabbug

A beautiful not so common prayer after communion

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There is beauty and truth in aging (drift woods somewhere in Batan Beach)

2010-05-19T19:55:00.001-07:00

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If you are from St. Joseph's Parish of Numancia, Aklan: "Sin-o ro mga santos ngara ag sa anong baranggay Sanda gina piestahan?"

2010-05-01T06:44:00.001-07:00

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Where are some of the pine trees gone in Campo Verde?

2010-04-29T04:32:00.001-07:00

You cannot see these burned or cut pine trees when you pass along campo verde high way in Aklan. They are about three hundred feet above, on the top of a promontory. If you hike for one hour from the road from Jawili falls, maybe you cold spot them. This is a reforestration area, how come the trees are burned or cut? What is DENR office doing to protect these planted pine trees?

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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28 Years ago, Holy Monday, then and now

2010-03-29T00:17:00.001-07:00

I could not even remember where I stayed he night before, was it in the bishop's residence or was it in the seminary? And that was the night before my ordination 28 years ago in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 1982, Holy Monday. We were three and my companions were very good till now. We were the ones left out of 36 who entered the seminary 12 years before, at the ages of 12-13. What do I remember however was when we prostrate ourselves on the floor even though it was carpeted, I felt not only my unworthiness but especially my incapacity. It was in fact this incapacity, symbolized by our connection to the ground, which made me recognized all my limitations that it would be impossible to go on without the grace of God. I felt that I was nothing and God was everything! He alone could make me faithful. He alone could inspire me. He alone is my strength, He is everything and He is God. Twenty eight years have passed and that I have not forgotten.

On the other hand, after those years, the belief in the love of God became more real, faith becomes a lifestyle and love is always a reality and truth that is always to be perfected. This God who has loved me is really the God who is present in the Church. The more I love HIm and enter into His reality, the more I am get in touch with my neighbors. It is like a must, a demand and likewise and invitation. A summon of a church bell, which attracts the soul in freedom and the more I am grateful, the more I am in love with God, the more the attraction to build true human and divine love iwth my neighbors beckon me. It is hard but not impossible with God.

I could not but say "Thank You" and how I wish during my death, I could bring these neighbors in my heart to God as my way of expressing my gratitude.

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A Day in an Eco-Park

2010-03-09T21:40:00.001-08:00

A reservation area of about several hectares of mangroves near our town. Refreshing. Worthwhile. Free oxygen. Beautiful shade. etc, etc. . . .

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What is the parish (Lesson 2)

2010-03-06T01:23:00.001-08:00

The ne Code of Canon Law defines the parish as "a community of faithful".[1]

It is interesting to go back to the original meaning of the word "community".

Some authors say that this word derives from the latin word communus: to put together one's gifts. The parish is a community where the sharing of goods and talents is lived and where this communion is given to the world.[2]

In fact "the original vocation and mission" of the parish is "to be a place of communion of believers in the world, and together a sign and an instrument of the vocation of all to communion".[3]

The parish is a community if, as in a family, goods are circulated, everyone puts in common his capabilities, everyone lives for each other, everyone helps one another and there is mutual love.

Hence the word "community" underlines the need for a collective spirituality, which stimulates living in reciprocity and communion on the model of the life of the Holy Trinity.

If we want to understand better what the parish is we must refer back to the deep reality of the Church. "It is necessary - we read once more in Christifidelis laici - that we all rediscover the true face of the parish, or rather the "mystery" itself of the church present and active in it".[4]

- The Church is Christ who lives on through the ages, His Mystical Body! We recall St.Bonaventure's saying: "Where two or three are gathered in the name of Christ, there is the Church".[5] And there Jesus is present.

Parish therefore is the presence of Christ among men.[6] It is a portion of God's people, which enjoys the presence of Jesus and of his Spirit, because it is united in his name. "The parish - writes Paul VI - brings about His (Jesus') presence in the midst of the believers, and in this way the same Christian people becomes, we can say, a sacrament, a sacred sign that is, of the Lord's presence".[7]

And John Paul II explains: "You are a parish above all, thanks to the fact that Christ is here, in your midst, with you, in you".[8]

It is also beautiful what Gerard Rossé says in this regard: "the community of Christians is, on earth, today's way by which the Risen Jesus relates to mankind, by which he enters in contact with humanity, and acts in history." It "constitutes for the world of men the visible presence of the person of the Risen Lord".[9]

The church invited us to make the parish a living community, that it may be truly God's Kingdom being lived.

A parish which is "God's Kingdom" is a community where the life of Heaven is lived, the life of the Holy Trinity which is a life of mutual love, and where the presence of God is felt. A community where one can breathe - as has been said- a breath of fresh air from Paradise, and the atmosphere of Paradise is Love, The Holy Spirit.[10]

[1] Cfr. Code of Canon Law, can. 515, ss 1.

[2] Other authors say it derives from cum-moenio (defend oneself together), and this brings to mind the walled cities built on mountain tops, to defend themselves from the enemies. Even there a community is created, but for defence. This is not what a parish should be. Cfr. D. Pecile, "The Parish, a missionary community". Elle Di Ci, Torino 1988, p.11.

[3] Christifideles Laici 27.

[4] Christifideles Laici, 26. Says Lumen Gentium, 26: "The Church of Christ is truly present in the legitimate local communities of the faithful, who, in as far as they adhere to their pastors, are also called the Church in the New Testament...In these communities, even though small and dispersed, Christ is present"

[5] St. Bonaventure, Coll. in Hex. I, 5, Quaracchi, Firenze 1934, p.2;.Quoted by C. Lubich, "Scritti Spirituali"/2, Città Nuova, Rome 1978, p. 144.

[6] Cfr. John Paul II: "The Parish means: the presence of Christ among men". Speech given on 18.2.1979, "Gen's", Feb-Mar 1987, p.24

[7] To the Parish Church of All Saints, (Rome), 7 March 1965; Paul VI, "Encicliche e discorsi", Ed Paoline, Rome 1965, p.250

[8] John Paul II, to a parish in Madrid, on the 3.11.1982, "Gen's", Feb-Mar 1987, p.24.

[9] Cfr. G. Rossé, "You are the Body of Christ", Città Nuova, Rome 1986, p.25.

[10] Often the Church (and a parish is the Church on location) is defined as "icon of the Trinity" that is a living reproduction on earth of the communion of love of the three divine Persons. Tertulliano said: "Where the Three are, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, there is the Church" (quoted in 'The Church in its mystery', Course in Theology, III/1. Città Nuova, Rome 1983, p. 165). Cfr. Lumen Gentium, 4; Ad Gentes, 2.

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Lesson 1 What is the Parish? (Some views)

2010-03-05T22:25:00.001-08:00

We all form part of a parish and know in some way what it is. We would like here to deepen our knowledge so as to be able to serve it even better.

The term "parish" derives from the greek word paroika, which means "lives with". A person who lives with somebody is not a permanent resident, he is a stranger, one whose home is elsewhere.
Abraham, an exile in Egypt, was a paroikos, a foreigner, one who was away from his own land.
Parish hence means "provisional residence", "temporary dwelling" and this term is very well applicable to the local Church: It is in fact for the Christian a transient community.
St. Paul already stated: "...here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come".
The word parish therefore reminds us that we are a community of pilgrims, who travel together towards the true homeland, Heaven, helping one another to get there. Somewhat like the Jewish people journeying towards the promised land.
Thus the term parish reminds us of "the holy journey", which for years we have been seeking to follow.

Christifideles Laici so defines the parish: "It is the ultimate localisation of the Church, it is in a certain way the Church itself which lives in the midst of the homes of its sons and daughters". It is the Church which lives on location.
"The parish - continues the same document - is not principally a structure, a territory, a building, it is rather " the family of God, like a fraternity animated by the spirit of unity" it is "a family home, fraternal and welcoming"; it is "the home open to all and at the service of all, or , as Pope John XXIII loved to say, "the village fountain" to which all revolve to quench their thirst". Thus it is not a village or the church buildings, but a life which overflows, a spiritual abode to be built day by day.
This brings to mind the title that S. Augustine gave to the Church (and the parish is the Church in a local territory): the Church is charity, it is agape.
Paul VI said: "The parish is a social prodigy, a social beauty ; Here you are united by a network of spiritual relationships, here you love each other ... you are united by the bond of charity ... You must remember that this is the cement which makes of a population so varied, diverse and scattered, one heart and one soul".

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Pictures with Maria Voce

2010-02-26T10:23:00.001-08:00

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DOH's plan to distribute condoms in Aklan

2010-02-26T04:25:00.001-08:00

The Department of Health headed by Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral last 14 February began handing out condoms in some Manila neighbourhoods with the aim of curbing the spread of HIV-AIDS. Sooner or later this also happen in our beloved Province dear to our Sto. Nino.

Some bishops have criticized the plan to hand out condoms, and have called for her resignation. Unlike the government, Catholics believe that abstinence and the sanctity of the human body are the best ways to stop the spread of AIDS. “In order to stop the rise in AIDS cases, the country should ban prostitution and free sex rather than hand out condoms,” said Mgr Oscar Cruz, retired bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan.

“Cabral is trying to force the Church to be silent,” he said. “And yet, curiously, the government allows prostitution houses which are one of the locations where the disease spreads.”

In 2007, one AIDS case was recorded per day; last year, it was two. In the last two months, it is up to four a day. Despite the rise, the Philippines are the Asian country with lowest number of AIDS patient, about 4,400 patients out of a population of 90 million.

Dr Antonio Raymundo, chairman of the Department of Clinical Pathology at the Catholic University of Santo Tomas Hospital, said an increase in the number of HIV cases does not indicate that it is epidemic. In his view, handing out condoms would not solve the problem.

However, Secretary Cabral said that HIV-AIDS has become an “epidemic, not just a scare,” and that her department would continue to give away free condoms to people who need them in order to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. If this happens, the contrary might happen. Condomns do not really prevent hundred percent by hundred percent either pregnancy nor transmission of venereal disease.

We are not a promiscuous province. We are a people who respects the sanctity of marriage and the marital act. If ever this would happen in Aklan our people should try as much as possible to stop it.

The growth in infections can not be resolved only with the distribution of condoms, which rather tends to increase sexual activity among the young. The figures for 2006 of the Philippines Population Institute show that 49% of the sexual activity among the young between 15 and 24 years is unplanned, and particularly affects young people with no access to schools. According to the study promiscuous relationships are more common among students of institutions participating in sex education programs.

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About Don Silvano Cola

2010-02-26T01:24:00.001-08:00

Excerpts from the homily during the well-attended funeral of Fr. Silvano Cola, given by the bishop of Latina, Italy, Giuseppe Petrocchi

Fr. Silvano has completed his holy journey, and our hearts assure us that he now lives in the communion of saints in paradise. Even though we acknowledge the pain of detachment, today it seems right to put on the interior clothing of joy, appropriately expressing feelings of praise and thanksgiving.
I want to recall an event from 1969. Together with Luigi Bonazzi, my seminary classmate—presently the apostolic nuncio in Cuba—we went to meet Fr. Silvano. I don’t recall what he said to me during that meeting; however, I clearly remember the strong impression he left in my soul. As we were leaving, I remember saying to Luigi: “If St. Paul were living today, I picture him like Fr. Silvano, with his stature and mannerisms. This man was remarkable.”
Almost 40 years after that visit, I want to confirm my impression. Having had frequent contacts with him throughout this period of time, I am better able to identify today some of those Pauline traits in Fr. Silvano that have been generated by the ideal of unity (for which he gave his life to the end without reservation): freedom of spirit; passion for the Church; prophetic foresight; pioneering courage; an ability to dialogue on all fronts; confident perseverance, even in the most difficult trials; and a glowing witness of love marked by suffering.
I always found the heart of a father in him. It showed in his ever-present smile, his attentive attitude, always benevolent and never condescending; his essential and profound words, marked by brief sentences but often flashing a convinced, calm display, spaced with effective silent pauses.
He was intuitive and able to quickly get to the point. Moreover, he had a creative, robust and original intelligence, with the ability to dialogue about many topics. Every one of his expressions and gestures conveyed his welcoming affability—the contagious enthusiasm and infectious joy that results from living charity.
In his interpersonal relationships, he demonstrated profound respect: never imposing anything, always allowing everyone to maturely develop in the right way: from within, at the opportune moment and taking the necessary time. He fostered consensus with meekness, becoming a living transparency of the Gospel. His love broke down defensiveness and opened closed minds, even the most airtight. His was an art of understanding, offering consolation and hope. He was an extraordinary
teacher, above all because he modeled a life spent for unity. He had a strong interior life.
Everyone who met him felt that he was in their camp. To be welcomed in the great house of his heart meant inevitably to meet many others and become family with them. He formed many generations of priests and seminarians in the ideal of unity. God also gave him the grace to see a good number of them become bishops with his same dedication …
If someone should ask me “who was,” or better, “who is,” Fr. Silvano, I would respond: an authentic child of Chiara Lubich, a man of communion and consequently a man who became Church.
Yes, I want to say this with evangelical boldness: Fr. Silvano has made an important contribution to make the Church more one, more holy, more catholic, more apostolic. In a word, he made the Church more Church.

via livingcitymagazine.com

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A Dignified Choice of 2 bishops which has to be respected

2010-02-25T22:16:00.001-08:00

The decision of our two bishops to enter into partisan politics might be mind boggling to most most of our catholics. Is it not it more prudent for the church not to enter into temporal and partisan politics in order to preserve the eternal dimension of her mission? If the church enters and marries a political party she becomes a widow to God's Kingdom. Would it not be better to preseve the eternal dimension and the universality of the church mission rather than limit it in time and space, especially when it comes to espousing a political party?

These might be questions to be asked and perhaps many more doubts could come to mind on the intention of the church and its adequation with the mind of Christ or the magisterium.

In fairness to our bishops, they have advocacies and to concretize this advocacy, especially - good governance - they have decided to follow the dictates of their conscience. We have to see and respect therefore their inner and holy sanctuary of their beings: their conscience which is obviously guided by their moral and political principles especially here in the Philippines plagued by corruption in the government. This reality sometimes starts from the top and ends in the bottom.

Moreover, as citizens of their country, they have the right to express their opinion. I believe they might be pronouncing their support to this particular candidate not because they are bishops but they want to express their patriotism. Their voice should therefore be respected. This could be a spark to light in this historical political moment of the country that experiences darkness even in the electoral choices which is often tainted by money spending, vote buying, extravagant publicity, winnability, personality, etc. These bishops wanted rather to choose their candidates based on their principles previously mentioned.

Posted via email from Am Mijares

Lord, where can I hide from Your Love?

2009-12-28T15:26:00.001-08:00

Lord, where can I hide from your love?

You have allowed me to be lost in a beautiful human love, and you found me for your love is present there.

As a lost sheep looking for greener pastures, I have encountered you on my way, to be found again in your great love, ever more that I have ever experienced before.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When seeing and relating with my brothers and sisters, I found you in them, and I feel your love through them.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When I feel that the world is really bad and I hide myself inside, there I found you loving me in the depths of my soul.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When I drowned myself in my work, studies, apostolate, there I found you, even in stress and tiredness.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When I go to the depths of sin, there I encounter you still forgiving and loving me.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When there is misunderstanding, harsh judgments, quarrels, division even to the utmost; You are there taking to Yourself all the effects of sin and division, revealing Yourself as Mercy.

Where can I hide from your love? When I go out to see your creation, there I found You, again loving me.

Where can I hide from your love? You are present in the depths and width of my soul. You have always looked and searched for me a sinner and placed me over your shoulders and I feel that you love me ever more.

Lord, please teach me not to hide from your love and bless all those who have given me your love, kindness, mercy, understanding and all the gifts which could only come from you, even the pain and suffering which makes my soul bleeed. All these I offer back to You, my God.

Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

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Politics and fraternity

2009-12-07T04:24:00.001-08:00

Politics and Fraternity

When love can reach out to an entire city

It would be good to invite all those involved in politics to make a pact of fraternity for the benefit of their country, one that puts its good above all partial interests whether those of individuals, groups, classes or parties.

Yes, fraternity offers surprising possibilities. It helps to bring together and give value to demands that otherwise could develop into insoluble conflicts. It harmonizes the experience of local autonomy with the sense of a shared history. It strengthens our awareness of the importance of international organizations and all those systems that attempt to overcome barriers and take important steps toward the unity of the human family.

Fraternity can give rise to projects and actions in the complex political, economic, cultural and social fabric of our world. Fraternity brings peoples out of their isolation and can offer the opportunity for development to those still excluded from it. It shows us how to resolve differences peacefully and relegates war to history books. Fraternity in action allows us to dream and even to hope for some kind of communion of goods between rich countries and poor countries.

The profound need for peace expressed by humanity today indicates that fraternity is not only a value, not only a method, but also the global paradigm for political development. This is why an increasingly interdependent world needs politicians, entrepreneurs, intellectuals and artists who put fraternity — an instrument of unity — at the center of their actions and thoughts. Martin Luther King dreamed that fraternity would become the organizing principle for business people and the principle of organization for people who govern …

One day I seemed to understand in what sense politics could be considered love. If we were to give a color to every human activity, to economy, to health, communication, art, culture, the administration of justice … politics would not have a color. It would be the background; it would be black so as to highlight all the other colors. For this reason politics should seek to be in constant dialogue with every other aspect of life in order to provide the conditions for society itself, in all its expressions, to achieve its design completely …

The politicians I am speaking of choose to seek office as an act of love. It is a response to a genuine vocation, to a personal calling. Those who are believers discern the voice of God calling them through circumstances, while those with no religious affiliation respond to a human call, to a social need, to a city’s problems, to the sufferings of their people that speak to their conscience. In both cases, it is love that motivates them to act …

This is the ideal of the Movement for Unity in Politics ... It forms politicians capable of recognizing and serving this vision for their community, their town and nation, indeed for all humanity, because fraternity is God’s vision for the whole human family. This is the kind of genuine, authoritative politics that every country needs. In fact, with power comes strength, but only love gives authority.

“Those who respond to their political vocation by practicing brotherhood enter into a universal dimension that gives them a vision open to all humanity … their most local gesture acquires a universal significance.” Chiara Lubich addressed the 1,300 participants at a conference for European mayors, “A Thousand Cities for Europe,” in Innsbruck, Austria, in November 2001. At her right is Romano Prodi, then president of the European Union, and at her left is Thomas Klestil, then president of the Federal Republic of Austria.

Excerpts from an address to British politicians, London, Palace of Westminster, June 22, 2004. From Chiara Lubich, Essential Writings

via livingcitymagazine.com

In the Philippines, the election fever is starting. Is Fraternity a paradigm in Politics? This article may give some light to our politicians.

Posted via web from Am Mijares

Facebook | Thoughts for the Year of the Clergy

2009-11-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

Facebook | Thoughts for the Year of the Clergy

Quite a Different Angle: Fr. Francisco Sánchez Abellán

2009-10-27T07:32:00.001-07:00

Fr. Francisco Sánchez Abellán

"He was a saint and a wise man."

On January 8, 2009, Fr. Francisco, a priest focolarino from Murcia, Spain, reached the Heavenly Mariapolis. He was 72.

He met the Movement through the Marist Brothers when he was studying at the Pontifical University of Salamanca. He was a doctor of classical languages and a specialist of "theology of the arts."
In the different parishes in which he lent his services, he gave life to lively communities. His heart and his home were always open. Many are those who through the concrete love of Fr. Paco—as he was known—met the Ideal, and have now become cornerstones of the Movement in Murcia.
After two years in the school of formation for priests in Frascati, near Rome, during the 1970s, he was responsible for the formation of priests and seminarians interested in the spirituality of unity. "He was a saint and a sage," recalled a Salesian father.
This was his word of life: "Announce … all that the Lord in his pity has done for you" (see Mk 5:19). A priest said about him: "I couldn't explain the strenghtening of my vocation since I was in the seminary and especially during my first years of priesthood without his example and his great wisdom. He was a teacher: he didn't give lessons, but with his life, he led us to God. The bishop of Murcia loved to say that even if Fr. Paco was ill, he was the one who most helped him. He used to entrust to him those priests going through difficult moments." Still another priest said, "One day I wanted to apologize for the times I had been late, but he reassured me, 'Don't apologize. We want to love you, not judge you.' I've always remembered this phrase."
Due to his illness, in recent years, he had to have blood transfusions every week. It was an exhausting trial for him, but he continued to meet with priests and welcome everyone. "In this moment, I'm interested only in what brings me the perfume of God," he confided. To someone who asked him if he ever felt like rebelling because of his illness, he responded, "I can't rebel: I take it from the hands of God." Others have also said about him: "How many times after hearing his words, I went back home feeling happy, ready to continue to love, with clear ideas and with no doubts?"
Fr. Paco's health deteriorated even more during the convention of seminarians in Castelgandolfo. We believe he contributed with his offering to the graces received those days.
At his funeral the church was packed. the Mass was concelebrated by the bishop and 70 priests, many of who had met the Ideal through him. In his homily, the presider underlined his passion for the spirituality of unity, which transpired from his profound union with God.
Jose Luis Romero

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Posted via web from Am Mijares

Quite a Different Angle: Fr. Francisco Sánchez Abellán

2009-10-27T07:29:00.001-07:00

Inspiring Lives for the year of the clergy

via amijares.blogspot.com

Posted via web from Am Mijares

The Visitation

2009-10-27T02:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, from the airport, i decided to drop by to see a young
friend, seven years in the priesthood and a former collegue who, by
mere chance, have been assigned in the same "mission". There was not
previous call to notify them. Luckily the former was around while the
latter was diligent in his weekly exercise of badminton elsewhere. I
learned that he was joinning a tournament and need to regularly
practice.

My young friend was very happy. Tried to invite him for lunch but he
has an appointment elsewhere so I decided to wait for the other.
Anyway I have still some papers to check and some grades to to if i
may ask to use his room as an office. After some friendly updatings,
he left and and stayed in his room where he showed some gadgets I have
never imagined before: air ionizer, purifier, wireless line which I
heard but have not seen before. We agreed however to help me acquire
some things which I need before I go to a scheduled meeting for
three/four days with other formators in the Philippines: some pair of
socks, (I am getting forgetful to bring some things in travel), some
medicines, a book which was wanting and some batteries for a phone.

We went to the Mall of Asia, aclaimed to be the biggest mall of Asia.
I told him, "This is my first time to go malling here." It was quite
enormous, for the needed reading material, we could not find the
bookstore, and we have to ask many times, we walked and walked, but
while feeling a little bit tired and I was convincing to please my
self since I did not have an exercise for days. After going to three
bookstores, we could not find the book we were looking for. The
walking and walking continued alon to find the socks, (thanks to my
forgetfulness in packing my things) and the medicines. These
important medicines, have been finally bought outside this famous
tiresome mall. We however found it easy to find some batteries while
we tried to look for some water filter of a pitcher which we could not
again find.

What was worth remembering is that we drop by for window shopping
about new gadgets. Was asking some prices and my friend said that is
a good price encouraging me to buy it. It is about a lighweight very
small thing which, I found out already before, that I really need for
travelling. But I don't have yet the funds. Since I am from the
province and he is a friend, it occured to me that he might be telling
me out of love and I seldom have this chance to go out from my job. I
was using a credit cards for my plane tickets and when he knew the
"nothingness" of the amount I have to pay for six months he was
convinced to tell me, go ahead. I thought: maybe just for him I will
take it. Anyway he has been doing concrete acts of love for me.
After finalizing everything and after dropping in some stores to buy
some practical important electronic connections, we left for San
Carlos Seminary where the meeting is supposed to come.

I will not tell you after how that trip was. It was like a communion
of souls, about how he sees his life now as a priest: realizations,
lessons, sufferings, big and small. I was listening and praying for
him, at the end we prayed the rosary together praying for his family,
especially the parents. We parted embracing one another feeling more
brothers as before in our Lord, fragile and weak yet strong and
persevering when we are faithful to our Lord. It is as if earth,
(commerce, business), met with heaven (oneness, brotherhood, sharing,
communion)

After all to see him was not a chance. To accept his love, his
generousity and his suggestion to buy was a choice even if it costs
concretely. To be with a brother and even to visit in order to love is
the best way to go to God! That vist was never a waste of time nor
money.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Am Mijares

Clear Light to Follow: Chiara Luce Badano, a yount Servant of God

2009-10-20T05:49:00.001-07:00

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By Emanuele Emiliani
How is it that certain people, even after death, are still capable of touching the hearts of many,urging them to change direction and follow their example of faith and fortitude?
Chiara Luce Badano: welcoming friends from her hospital bedOctober marks the eighteenth anniversary of Chiara Luce Badano’s death. This young Italian woman, whose earthly journey ended after a two-year battle with bone cancer, was gradually robbed of her strength, but not of her joy of living.
Just 22 days shy of her nineteenth birthday, Chiara Luce smiled toward heaven and concluded her last moments of life.
Not many photos were taken of Chiara Luce while she was alive, and those that exist are not exceptional in quality. Yet she is unforgettable. However ordinary her life, she brought certainty to the existence of love—the kind that Jesus proved on the cross.
On the day of her First CommunionChiara Luce drew her physical energy from the sports she loved so much. She drew her spiritual energy from the Christian life she lived at home, in her parish and especially at the many Focolare youth activities.
On July 3, she caught the media’s attention when Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed her venerable.
Bishop Livio Maritano, bishop emeritus of Aqui Terme, who first opened Chiara Luce’s cause for beatification in his diocese after years of championing her exemplary life, provides some insight into the pope’s proclamation of her heroic virtues.
What was your first reaction to this long-awaited news?
With great joy and deep gratitude, I welcomed this enormous gift of the Pope, well aware of its significance. The official pronouncement of the Church—the fruit of a long study in which information and relevant testimonies were observed and evaluated—possesses an authority that goes far beyond people’s perception of Chiara Luce.
What do these studies take into consideration?
These studies evaluate a person’s practice of Christian virtues and examine the constancy of virtuous behavior even under difficult situations. Completely superior to the normal way other moral people behave, such virtuous behavior reveals a person’s constant determination to conform in every way possible to the will of God.
With young girls at a Focolare congressThe Church proclaimed Chiara Luce venerable. Why is that important for the Christian community?
The Church encourages us to imitate Chiara Luce, who through her life presents a concrete way to live the Gospel. It is a further confirmation that Christianity is truly practiced today and by young people in life’s ordinary situations. Making her life known could be very beneficial to people of every age and social background.
And for those who never got to know Chiara Luce while she was alive?
Now that Chiara Luce has been deemed worthy of being called venerable, the Church invites us to begin or continue a special dialogue with her and invoke her intercession for the growth of our personal Christian life and for the care of all those persons who are close to us.
HAVING ENCOUNTERED GOD
Vice postulator in Chiara Badano’s process of beatification, Maria Grazia Magrini, continually receives news of anecdotes and memories of the 18-year-old. Following are some of these accounts.
Chiara lived saintliness in a simple, yet profound way. She is one of us: she dressed like us, she listened to the same music and she lived in this same world of ours. She can help us find Christ today.
—Pietro, Italy
I feel so little before the greatness of Chiara Badano. I would like to have her strength and courage in facing suffering. I wish I had her innocent heart, then perhaps I wouldn’t be afraid anymore. Unlike her, I am not able to give up morphine. To my son who comes to cheer me up with his love, I need to be a smiling mom, and the medication helps me not to show my sufferings to him. I pray that God increase my faith and have mercy on me and all those who waver in the darkness of uncertainty.
—Francoise, Switzerland
I belong to Mother Teresa’s order. Before receiving God’s call to this life, I read a book on Chiara Luce. Through this important instrument, God helped me find my faith. Something urged me to choose her name as my own, which our new superior general, Sr. Nirmala, approved. What helps me, and what unites me to Chiara Luce, is her saying, “I have everything.” Nothing could be truer after having encountered God.
—Sr. Chiara Luce, Armenia

via livingcitymagazine.com

Posted via web from Am Mijares

Open Letter To all Filipinos Everywhere (From a Brave Christian Woman)

2009-10-19T18:17:00.001-07:00

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines
were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn't true. It
is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes,
thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse
do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their
bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty
snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully
realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and
running our country. Can it get any worse than this?

Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch
the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They
are not men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable
and too bad to be real. To see these "honorable" crooks lambast each
other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse
the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves
are guilty of, is so comical and appalling that I don't know whether
to laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst!

I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and
looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut
around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and
awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like
"Honorable", "Senator", "Justice", "General" and worse, "President".
Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws,
enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do!
These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation ? Robin
Hoodlum and his band of moneymen. Their motto? "Rob the poor, moderate
the greed of the rich."

It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what
kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all
the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went
to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would
produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already
indebted country and from the impoverished people they had vowed to
serve. It makes me wonder what their children and grandchildren think
of them, and if they are breeding a whole new generation of improved
Filipino crooks and liars with maybe a tad more style but equally
negligible conscience. Heaven forbid!

I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that
pays for my needs and those of my family's, even though 30% of my
earnings go to the nation's coffers. Just like others in my lot, I
have complained time and again because our government could not
provide enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty
roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health
services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all
third world countries were all about, and my complaints never
amounted to anything more.

And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents
pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen who
accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia
ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile
inquiring about someone's morality! The already filthy rich Abalos
and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren
could ever spend in a lifetime. Joker making a joke of his own "pag
bad ka, lagot ka!" slogan. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon
involved in kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense
of security. And it's all about money, money, money that the average
Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any
wonder why our few remaining decent and hardworking citizens are
leaving to go work in other countries?

And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry
president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a
rusty ship. "Love (of power) is blind" takes a whole new meaning
when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband's
financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she
opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her
country is in shambles.

They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are
no longer capable of showing disgust. I don't agree. Many like me
feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders,
embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration
for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not
that I won't make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions
would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of
anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though
I may not yet feel it.

But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need
to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain
lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my children. I want
to make it known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something
better for the Philippines. I want them to know that my country is
not filled with scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there
are citizens left who believe in decency, fairness, a right to
speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to tell the people we
have trusted to lead us that they have abused their power and that
it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let this country go to
hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my
responsibility to make sure I have done what I could forit.

Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to
battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of
good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We
can offer petitions every time we celebrate mass. We can ask others
to pray, too, including relatives and friends here and overseas. And
we can offer sacrifices along with our petitions, just so we get the
message to Him of our desperation in ridding our nation of these
vermin. After all, they cannot be more powerful than God!

I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you
can. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the
material comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them
that there are more important things in this world. I beg all
fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them the virtues
of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion ?
right from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own.
Not just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go.
Be good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they
will learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your
family name with pride and honor.

I call on educators and teachers ? we always underestimate the power
of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be
aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a
love of their country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in
order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children
into honorable men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and
brightest, to do what they can to lift this country from the mire our
traditional politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future ?
and it would be largely because of you, our educators, that we will
be able to repopulate the seats of power with good leaders,
presidents, senators, congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law
enforcers and lawful citizens.

I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to
look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your
youth be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh
realities you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we
need your idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom
of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do
what you can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your
heritage. Use technology and all available resources at hand to spread
good. Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your
best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret it
when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your past
misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you did.

Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this
country. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We
are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who
will think of the greater good before anything else. Do your utmost
to excel in your chosen field. Be good lawyers, civil servants,
accountants, computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that
when you are called to serve in government, you will have credibility
and a record that can speak for itself. For love of this country,
for the future of our children, for the many who have sacrificed and
died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you to do what you can.
As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the Philippines than
sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition.

We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.

Remedios C. Paningbatan
Administrative Officer
Office of the General Counsel
Asian Development Bank
Tel (632) 632-4248

Posted via email from Am Mijares

Chiara's message to Young for Unity (subtitle english)

2009-10-19T05:18:00.001-07:00

via youtube.com

Posted via web from Am Mijares

Perserverance: a sign of Christian Authenticity

2009-10-14T21:15:00.001-07:00

“By your perseverance you will secure your lives” (Lk 21:19)

October 2009 - Love, put to the test

“Perseverance.” This is a translation of a Greek word that is pregnant with implications, including patience, constancy, resistence, trust.
Perseverance is necessary and indispensable when we suffer, when we are tempted, when we are inclined to be discouraged, when we are drawn to the seductions of the world, when we suffer persecution.

I think that you too have found yourself in at least one of these situations and have experienced that, without perseverance, you would have given in. Perhaps at times you did give in. Maybe now, at this very moment, you find yourself immersed in one of these painful situations.
What will you do? What should you do? Start again, and... persevere. Otherwise the name “Christian” does not suit you.
You know that whoever wants to follow Christ must take up his cross each day, must love it, at least with his will. The Christian vocation is a call to perseverance.

The apostle Paul demonstrated his perseverance before the Christian community as a sign of Christian authenticity. And he did not hesitate to put it on the same level as miracles.
If you love the cross and persevere to the very end, you will follow Christ, who is in Heaven, and therefore be saved.

"By your perseverance you will secure your lives"

It is possible to distinguish two categories of people: those who hear the invitation to be true Christians, but the invitation lands in their souls like a seed on rocky ground. There is a burst of fleeting enthusiasm, but afterward nothing remains. Then there are those who welcome the invitation, just as good soil receives the seed. And Christian life sprouts, grows, overcomes difficulties, and resists storms.
Christians have perseverance, and… “by your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Naturally, if you want to persevere, it is not enough to rely only on your own strength. You must have God’s help. Paul calls God “the God of perseverance” (Rm 15:5).
You must ask him for it, and he will give it to you. If you are a Christian, you will never be content with merely being baptized or doing some acts of worship or charity every now and then. You must grow as a Christian, and every growth in spiritual life can only come about in the midst of trials, obstacles, and battles.
Those who really know how to persevere are those who love. Love is never hindered by obstacles. It does not count difficulties or sacrifices. And perseverance is love that has been put to the test.
You should look to Mary, for she is the woman of perseverance.
Ask God to enkindle love for him in your heart, and then perseverance, in all the difficulties of life, will come to you as a consequence, and with it the salvation of your soul.

“By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

And there is more. Perseverance is contagious. The person who perseveres encourages others to do the same.…
Let us set our sights high. We have only one life, and it is brief at that. Let us clench our teeth and stand firm from day to day; let us face one difficulty after another in order to follow Christ... and we shall persevere and our lives will be secure.

By Chiara Lubich

The Word of Life, taken from Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily living. From the Focolare’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on each Word of Life, and after her death last year, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary, addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in June 1979.

via focolare.org

Posted via web from Am Mijares

Centro Chiara Lubich - The Movement for Unity and a Politics of Communion

2009-10-11T18:12:00.001-07:00

Castelgandolfo, 9 June 2000

Address at the Focolare international convention for politicians

Chiara Lubich, 9 June 2000 :: Part 1
Chiara Lubich, 9 June 2000 :: Part 2
Chiara Lubich, 9 June 2000 :: Part 3

Transcription

Tags: Chiara Lubich Video documents politics Audiovisual text

via centrochiaralubich.org

Posted via web from Am Mijares

Focolare Movement - EN -- articolo.php?codart=6618&lingua=EN --

2009-10-11T08:03:00.001-07:00

Manila, Typhoon Ketsana-Ondoy: stories of heroism and sharing

In the midst of the most extensive flooding of the Philippines in the last 50 years, the heart of the Filipino people emerges: a strong family spirit and a great generosity

07/10/2009

We have received a letter of the delegates of the Focolare Movement in Manila, which we are publishing here.

«We wanted to share with you the strong experience that we are making on account of the recent tragic flooding of the metropolis.

Many of our members had to survive over the past 2 days on the 2nd floor of their house, the lower part having been submerged in the murky floodwaters. Some others had to take refuge on the roof. Notwithstanding this, as a young girl said: "...but we still have our houses, the neighbouring community in Sulyap lost theirs! Let's go there, they need our help more!"

"Sulyap" – meaning glimpse of hope - is the name of a small community of 30 houses built in collaboration with the New Families' project One Family One Home. Over the weekend, with the modern means of communication, there was an instant coordination among our families and in a very short time several teams made up of young people, families, friends were mobilized to cook lots of food, make thousands of sandwiches, gather clothing and bring these relief goods to the neighbouring community of Sulyap, where 1500 families had been hit by the tragedy and 26 had lost their lives. They had all agreed – more important than the food and clothing they were bringing was the love, concern, sympathy they wanted to share to the flood victims.

Arriving at Sulyap (Quezon City), there were hundreds of people to serve. Many of them had sought refuge there, graciously received by our families of the housing project with much selflessness, notwithstanding that they themselves are poor. In an atmosphere of much love the distribution of relief goods to some 300 families was immediately carried out. Surprisingly, in spite of the tragic situation, there was no chaos, instead, there was order and serenity.

It was moving to witness how some declined to receive the relief packs in favor of others who had lost more and who therefore needed the relief packs more. However, there were simply too many victims and soon the relief goods ran out.

Just when our people had sadly announced that there were no more relief goods to distribute, God provided...

A caravan of rich well meaning people showed up from nowhere with carloads of relief goods almost triple what our members had brought! It was a group that intended to help the flood victims in some place, but they had gotten lost and ended up in Sulyap. For our people, "they had not gotten lost, they had been guided to Sulyap... by some bright star". They were only too happy to join us. They were moved by the experience they made. They have become our friends and have promised to give...more.

The "reinforcements" that arrived allowed our members to venture deeper into the squalid low lying area beyond Sulyap, an area, in fact, urgently in need of assistance because the residents there had been trapped. Our people realized why when they saw a scene that they were not prepared for – a sea of mud had engulfed the place, but not before the floodwaters had swept away the simple poor shanties that had stood there just the day before.

In front of the deep suffering of the devastated community, what our members had previously agreed on earlier, to welcome the brother in every moment, was what was needed: to be one in feeling the pain of loss; to listen in loving silence to the victims' frightful stories; to be there with them in this moment of great need as brothers and sisters.

One of the residents pointed to a tree relating how they had clung to its branches for almost 24 hours to survive the raging floodwaters. Another had swam, asking God "only for strength, only for strength" to rush home to safeguard his family only to find his house gone and the family clinging to a banana tree for dear life. Another had lost 8 family members.

This experience with the flood victims has just started and is ongoing, but it is one that is already touching many people's lives. For many young people "...it's a reality check! I think I've got many things wrong. I have to review my life, and the things I am living for." »

Ray Asprer, Mariella Floridia - Manila

via focolare.org

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Love begets Love

2009-10-11T05:28:00.001-07:00

For more than some decades our cooks and personnel have been working in the
seminary, day in and day out. They have feed our seminarians, set and
cleaned their tables, washed their dishes, cleaned their refectory.
Some of these seminarians became priests and when they come in the
seminary, they are still our cooks, our personnel.

Two years ago we give them awards which were handed down by our
bishop. But that is not enough. During the feast of St. Martha, our
seminarians give them a party and we usually go with their families to
a place for a mass, an outing and a good lunch when this feast occurs.

Last moth however, it was beautiful when I decided to bring our two
cooks to a restaurant in the capital town. It was an act of love and
appreciate for them. Moreover, sometimes I need to have a reason to
go out and dine outside. So I invited two of them. We went to a good
restaurant. They enjoyed the food which they themselves ordered from
the menu. We went even to another ice cream house for a good dessert.
It made their day and the next day, to the surprise of the priests,
we had like a fine dining on our table. It was not very special, but
if one considers the usual menu we always had, you would really be
grateful to the the cooks who prepared out of love those following
meals. Love begets love.

But yesterday was another discovery! I decided to bring to a parish
feast two our personnel: the one who cooks our rice and he has to wake
up before 4:00 am to make the rice ready (we are more than 250 in our
seminary community) at breakfast; and the one who sets and collects
the dishes after meals. It was the feast of our Lady of Most Holy
Rosary, the parish of our Diocesan Shrine. The church was build under
the auspices of the late Jaime Cardinal L. Sin. Going there, we have
to pass at Kalibo airport. I asked one of them if they have ever gone
to the airport. I was amazed that he answered no! Again, for me, it
was a chance to love. I turned the car straight to the airport. It is
meant to be, in a few months (or years), an international airport. He
was struck at the sight! The roads were expanded and there are
constructions new to him. But we could not stay, we need to go ahead.

The road crosses through the end of the run way and in passing, a big
jet, going to China is preparing to take-off, from the beginning of
the air strip, near the road we are passing. ONe explained, Look!
there's an airplane. I stopped knowing that the exhaust of the jet
engines could easily rock our car. Our table setter likes to see a
plane flying: a man of more than 50 years old! I did not stop our
engine but we remain to see the little spectacle but for him, perhaps
a spectacle of a life time. I did not mind the little earthquake
inside our car when the engines started to blow its strong winds. The
plane slowly started moving, accelerating till it flew. He was
ecstatic like a child and still wanted to see its direction. It means
that we have to stay. At last he decided that we could go after he
could not see anymore its where abouts. Leaving that airstrip, a
feeling deep in my heart: profound joy that I made this man enjoy by
seeing a plane fly.

We enjoyed very much our trip. I believe Mary has been with us and
how he loved simple people. When we dropped by a nearby beach, since
it was still early for lunch, they took a couple of beer while I swam,
For them it was a feast. One bottle is not enough. Upon the invitation
of the waitress, they welcomed another bottle. But what is another
bottle for many years!

We greeted our blessed Mother upon entering the shrine for some
minutes, and went to the convent for lunch. It was exquisite since the
parish priest prepared local foods, all lot of sea foods. The guests
have been gone and it was the our turn and of the parish priest to sit
down for lunch, after the baptism of a number of babies and children.
We were therefore lead to enjoy each other's company and the culinary
expertise of the parishioners: some spicy, some with coconut milk,
some with local shells, and wow, the oysters!

We were all grateful in coming back, since I have a funeral early that
afternoon. They were all very happy, but in my heart, I feel happier
for making them happy. They said to me, on sunday, father, will go to
mass with a gratitude in our hearts. I did not ask anymore why.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Masses with the kids is far from annoying

2009-10-06T03:27:00.001-07:00

This morning I had a chance to say a mass in an elementary school with all their students: grade one to grade six. All were very noisy which could lead one to be irritated being a celebrant. But their faces were angelic, innocent which makes me conclude that they are closer to God than me. I need to be humble in front of these kids, they are God's children. To love them in the mass, made me younger, energized by their responses during the homily which they wanted to prolong. But there were the schedule of classes. I told them stories using their imagination. It revived my soul. Made me feel like a child again. Moreover, they were all filled with generosity. To my surprise they agreed to a proposal: to give their collection to the victims of typhoon Ondoy, especially the children. They are even more excited having the freedom of the children of God, truly, theirs is really the God's Kingdom.

Children are really God's gift to our country, our wealth, our future. They, given with proper love, could lead us to Him.

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am1mijares@gmail.com has shared something with you

2009-10-03T04:20:00.001-07:00

A trip in Cebu with seminary formators

http://picasaweb.google.com/am1mijares/CebuTripWithFormators?feat=email#

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Invitation to view am1mijares's Picasa Web Album - Cebu Trip with Formators

2009-10-03T04:12:00.001-07:00

You are invited to view am1mijares's photo album: Cebu Trip with Formators

Cebu Trip with Formators

cebu -

Oct 3, 2009
by am1mijares

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Miss Cebu and her entourage we were blessed by the generosity of the Jesuit school and a Redemptorist brother.

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Ondoy made us "die for our own people"

2009-10-02T20:02:00.001-07:00

(A touching email from a friend in "Sulyap" evacuation and distribution center)

Thanks for all your love and prayers!!!

Relief Operation continues.... medical mission, distribution of meals, clothing and other basic needs... we try not to stop in our "Sulyap" evacuation and distribution center. Twice a day we go to remote areas, crossing rivers and muds to bring food and water, to check their health conditions and maybe just to listen to the stories of the people.... it is hard to see their conditions, especially children who are sick.

But we witness miracles of God who is never outdone in generosity though His people who continuesly share! Just a small experience: one day we arrived in 'Sulyap' bringing with us two sacks of rice given by a friend. Two volunteers who were packing joyfully received it because rice was lacking in the brelief bags. But what we brought was to fill-in about 50 bags only. One said: 'don't tie the other bags without rice because it will surely arrive.' True enough a little later a van arrived with 10 sacks! Similar experience happens continuesly!

You cannot just imagine the faces of those people saying "thank you" with smile for the little help they receive!

Picture updates maybe viewed thru:

http://maryanntolentino.multiply.com/photos

with you in 'faith that can move mountain',

Mary Ann

Posted via email from Am Mijares

With faculty and Staff during our Team Building trip

2009-10-02T18:32:00.001-07:00

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am1mijares@gmail.com has shared something with you

2009-10-01T01:56:00.001-07:00

A nice video for viewers outside our country about the flood.

http://catholicfriends.multiply.com/video/item/266

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"Death in the Family"

2009-09-30T03:55:00.001-07:00

I received a phone call from home that my friend died. It was a big blow. At the back of my mind why was I not able to perform the last sacraments? He was buried immediately in a shallow graveyard. No funeral, no rites, no requiem mass. I did not even had the chance to view him: there was no viewing at all, nor he was embalmed. Just like that, after his death, immediate burial.

He did not contact any virus, nor any contagious disease, nor he contacted any. Symptoms showed last night. He was vomiting, the next day he could not eat anymore. His expiration was very fast. I missed him. When I come home to visit my mother, he usually greets me, always the first one, kissing my hand, searching for it almost in panic, not because he is afraid but because he loves and missed me. How could they not informed me before hand? I could have rushed home. How come they did the burial immediately?

It is only now and perhaps more in the years to come that I begin to miss him. He was very important to our family. In him I learned the greatest lesson of my life. "If you cannot be kind to animals, how could you be kind to people?" Rest in peace, Brownie. You were really a good and very friendly puppy.

Posted via email from Am Mijares

We are here in the middle of ruins left by Ondoy

2009-09-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

Dear all,

For those who have been with us in these days in one way or the other: thank you for all your text messages, e-mails, material help, prayers.... Many of you are asking how we are....

The Housing Project "Sulyap" for our needy families which we just built in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City was like an island sorrounded by water last Saturday and became the home for hundreds of families around the area. In the neighborhood there are 1,500 families affected, 26 confirmed dead and about a hundred still missing. Sulyap is now a centers for relief distribution by members of the Focolare, friends, and individuals...

Yesterday, I, with my students, went to Sulyap to join the Focolare community who, for 24 hours a day, stay with the people, continuesly cook food and distribute clothes and basic needs.

Only four pillars remained in many houses. Mud is still high with no water nor electricity. People stay in their houses to look after the few belongings that remained, besides, evacuation centers are full.

What we do is almost nothing, but more than the material things, is our presence and our love for them. There is so much suffering here, yet, there is so much love and kindness!

I want to share with you an experience of a married focolarino, who is there since the beginning, with some pictures. Please click link:

http://tonyendaya.multiply.com/photos/album/141/Must_to_View_Help

remaining with you in God's love!

Mary Ann

www.focolare.org; http://www.newcityph.com/; http://gen4.focolare.org/

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am1mijares@gmail.com has shared something with you

2009-09-29T20:53:00.001-07:00

http://tonyendaya.multiply.com/photos/album/141/Must_to_View_Help

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a worth of sacrifice..

2009-09-29T16:25:00.001-07:00

a worth of sacrifice..

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Homily, Investiture in Mater et Regina Apostolorum Seminary, Roxas City

2009-09-07T07:40:00.001-07:00

Homily, Vespers Mass

September 7, 2009

Investiture in Mater et Regina Apostolorum Seminary

Roxas City

Introduction

Most Rev. Onesimo Gordoncillo, Fr. Regie Pamposa. . .

We are here for the vespers Maria, Mater et Regina Apostolorum (plural, not only due to numbers but a college)

We are also glad for we are here to witness, participate and assure our prayers for those who will be invested with the sotona, a tradition which is well preserved in the seminary and would be preserved well if we continue the golden and divine line in Mary's life who said her Yes to the will of God and therefore, she has already outlined for us who would like to follow the footsteps of here Son the path.

Investiture: Towards our Identity

To follow her son certainly is not to have a security of a house of a place to live, of a status, even though this is expressed by the sotoana which they will be vested on, nor of honor but it is to follow God, His will, who has nowhere to lay down his head.

In as sense this afternoon is the time when we assure our brothers here in front of us of our encouragement that what really is invested on them are not only an external cloth but the identity of being disciple whose model is Mary being the first disciple of Christ, to whom we give honor by giving this seminary a title which befits her reality.

Certainly, when are are invested of the sotana, we come to think not of the sotana itself but that we have something in our identity which the other doe not have. It is not something that is added to our being at least externally.

What would be our identity, your identity?

It would be useless and even funny if in this time, this millennium we base it on what we are wearing, though it may be important. Instead, St. Paul would tell us: (Col 3:12 ff) you "must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. . .To all these add love which binds all things together in perfect unity."

We could already intuit of our Christian identity when St. Paul said: "It is no longer, I who lives but Christ in me" This cannot be done without a dialogue with Someone, a God who knows us even before we were conceived in our mother's womb.

This identity therefore and the consciousness of it, could start with a dialogue with someone, a Thou, an Absolute Thou (Gabriel Marcel) towards someone whom I encounter as Love. In Mary this dialogue started with listening to what God wants and then with a question: "How could this be?" Some would call this prayer others would call it a religious experience, a dialogical encounter with someone who respects and love but at the same time demands the same respect, love and freedom. In all these the freedom of each one is respected. It is very personal experience, but without this experience it is not easy to become a true authentic person because this dialogue then personalizes someone and makes him what he is and should be in front of this immense reality or someone who calls us to Himself.

This is all the more important in this millennium. Pope Benedict XVI said in on of his Meditations (Immages of Hope, p66): the ultimate inaccessibility of the other, the impossibility of giving oneself to the other and understanding one another at any length of time has perhaps seldom been learned so dramatically as in the 20^th century" [and I would say in this past millennium.] "Life means being lonely, no one knows the other, everyone is alone." Hermann Hesse formulated. When I speak with the other, it is as if a wall of translucent glass stood between us: we see each other, and yet we do not see each other; we are neat to each other, and yet we cannt come near to each other. (This is how Albert Camus decribed the same experience).

Why this is so? I would ask further, it is not true that our relationship with God as the absolute Other determines our relationship with one another? Or would I rephrase it as: It is not true that our relationship with our another reflects our relationship with God?

When we cannot truly enter in an I-thou relationship with the other or someone, then perhaps we could ask ourselves in a personal way: do I have really a deep, genuine, personal and personal relationship with God? Is it not true that our personal relationship with God should naturally reflect itself like a mirror in our relationship with our neighbor? When the love of God is weak, then the love for the neighbor would not last, and when the love for the neighbor does not lead to a personal deep communion, then the love for God is not really genuine. This is easier said than done, of course but St. John would rightly put it: "How could you say, you love God whom you do not see and do not love your neighbor whom you see? Anyone who says he loves God and hates his neighbor, or could not establish a genuine brotherhood with the neighbor is far from the truth.

Pope Benedict XVI clearly puts it this way: "This communion with God and with one another is inseparable. Whenever communion with God . . . is destroyed, the root and source of our communion wit one another is destroyed. And whenever we do not live communion among ourselves, communion with the Trinitarian God is not true either. (The Apostles, p. 36)

But perhaps we could approach this problem of identity in another angle: Do I privatize my relationhip with God? and therefore my religion? Is my spirituality based only on this vertical and private relationship or it extends horizontally to my neighbors, with my fellow seminarians, with my formators, with my bishop? Do I practice religion and therefore my formation as if it is only and exclusively my own so that I become better than the others? Is my formation individualistic so that I would more affirm my identity according to my own plan rather that this identity that would unfold and grow according to this relationship with one another and the Absolute thou by not only loving Him but also by following whatever is His will for me, especially the His will to live mutual love?

To the disciples of St. John who asked Jesus, where do you live are asking this question let me stay with you, in continous dialogue so that You Lord would "Tell me who I am" in front of You as a fruit of this dialogue. And Jesus responded as He would also respond to us even now: "Come and see" Come with me, live with me, and and you will see greater things, you are more than what you think you are because I have a plan for you which extends even beyond your wildest imagination.

(Vocation to the ministerial priesthood is not only a call to the status of the priest, but a call to a personal communion and dialogue with the Truine God.)

The sign of the Cross

It is worth to note that there is a formula, and this could give us light on this identity which I prefer to highlight this afternoon, the greeting at the beginning of the mass:

The grace of our Lord. . . . the love of the Father, fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Our course we understand that even in our baptism, aside from the washing away original sin, is it not true that already here we are given a name, an identity and this identity is based on the Trinitarian relationship of the Father, son, and Holy Spirit, a complete, open dialogue of love between the three divine persons. This identity should grow and develop not so much by adding things, like more knowledge, more information, more clothes, etc, but more wisdom: it should deepen so that it would not be accepted only as a grace of Chist, love of the Father but is completed into fellowship with the Holy Spirit. This means that this dialogue with God and with my brothers should grow into communal fellowship of the Holy Spirit, into mutuality and reciprocity of love, of agape.

The holy Spirit is not something that is added as the third after the first and the second or connects the Father and the Son, but it is in fact the unity of relationship between the Father and the Son, and he is really a person equal to the father and the son.

Any Christian for that matter has his identity based on the trinity since every man is created according ot the image and likeness of God.

My dear brothers and sisters, we are this fellowship, the church, the ecclesia, the assembly, that is why we are glad that we are here to express this communal identity as a body of Christ in which our brothers would grow and would later serve as ordained ministers, not as masters but as servants of the community. God willing they will be ordained through the power of this Holy Spirit, in this fellowship.

Mary the beloved daughter of the Father, has conceived the Son of God through the Holy Spirit her spouse. (Through Christ, true man and true God who even before creation is the second person of the trinity, she is sometimes called Mater Creatoris).

She is the mother of the Church (mater ecclesiae) the body of Christ born as a mystical body at Pentecost. This was all started by her dialogue with God. She kept everything word of her Son in her heart and her life unfolded to what she really is in the plan of God: our Regina, Mater, of all Christians and of the apostles. We have found her on the foot of the cross, in a sense, deeply united with the sufferings of Her dying Son, has given birth to the church, all of us being represented by St. John.

(Ty to the natural mother) At this point, we would join our candidates for installation to express their gratitude to the natural fathers and mothers who have given them life.

It is to her that we entrust this seminary as our model and guide. And as we prepare for her birthday, what more important and essential gift could be give her except to be true to what we are supposed to be, true to our identity as what we are in the mind of God by doing day by day His will? Like her she has conserved everything her son said and initiated this process of dialogue with Her Son in a deep and profound manner which we could only fathom in heaven. We could never be less. To be in this seminary is to be like her, Mary, to imitate her, as the first who followed the will of God and therefore the will of her son, Jesus.

In this we could make shine in us the joy that comes from the Holy spirit by our continuous love for our lord and one another, and make the church more attractive and more beautiful. We could give to the world, in our parishes, in the places where we are, in our seminary, the same Risen Lord who appeared to the first disciples, because instead of showing ourselves we show God's will, Jesus in us and amongst us!

More than what we wear which truly symbolize who we are, we would say with st. Paul: "It is no longer, I who lives but Christ (His Body, the ecclesian, the assembly) in me"

My congratulations then and please assured always of my prayers and my love.

Lord, Where can I hide from Your Love? (Diary: February 25, 2002)

2009-05-06T08:13:00.001-07:00

Lord, where can I hide from your love?

You have allowed me to be lost in a beautiful human love, and you found me for your love is present there.

As a lost sheep looking for greener pastures, I have encountered you on my way, to be found again in your great love, ever more that I have ever experienced before.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When seeing and relating with my brothers and sisters, I found you in them, and I feel your love through them.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When I feel that the world is really bad and I hide myself inside, there I found you loving me in the depths of my soul.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When I drowned myself in my work, studies, apostolate, there I found you, even in stress and tiredness.

Lord, where can I hide from your love? When I go to the depths of sin, there I encounter you still forgiving and loving me.

You have always looked and searched for me and placed me over your shoulders and I feel that you love me ever more.

Where can I hide from your love? When I go out to see your creation, there I found You again loving me.

Where can I hide from your love? In the depths and width of my soul, you are always there, loving me.

Lord, please teach me not to hide from your love and bless all those who have given me your love.

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Diary: April 29, 2009 - Tagaytay

2009-05-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

I know and I felt the love of those who wanted to love me. I could only thank God for them. I feel complete since they express the love of God for me. Everything else is extra, affections, human friendships, etc. There is only one thing which is necessary – the love of God: everything else is secondary. This leads to ethics based on this love. Ethics that leads to freedom in loving God and also to the locus of that freedom which is the church, the Body of Christ, though not linked to a place, is in reality also a place of the presence of the Risen Lord; though in time, it is beyond time.

I believe everybody needs this relationship, in space and time but at the same time this kind of relationship transcends time and space. No wonder after the resurrection, Jesus appeared many times to his disciples, not perhaps only of the doctrinal teaching He wanted to impart, but also perhaps to universalize His presence and at the same time concretize it.

Only those whose life is based on love could be citizens of this concrete space and time which at the same time transcends them. Since love is both universal and concrete in time and space: in the same time. What a great mystery! So real yet unreal since it escapes the boundaries of real space and time.

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Reflections on the two Stations of the Cross, April 10, 2009

2009-04-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

Two realities strucked me while doing the stations of the cross yesterday on Fatima Hills of the Penitent Sisters, a diocesan Congregation whose community is perched on the hills of southern Aklan, Philippines:

1. The hurting whip that Christ received while raising up from his fall, (3rd dtation) and
2. The helplessness of Jesus when He was nailed on the cross. (11th station)

Judas betrayed our Lord only in less that 48 hours before and this caused Him to be arrested and condemned to death. Accused falsely, of course, due to his love to the will of the Father, He has to face the consequence of revealing to us who He is as being one with the Father, God Himself, who is love. All the others come as a consewquence including the three falls.

In my life, in one way or another, I experienced also betrayal even from my closest collaborators and I might say that I felt hurt, battered by harsh judgments and I tried to continue to love and forgive, In forgiving I rise again, but still the continued “whipping” hurts. I don't blame anybody. They perhaps have their own reasons.

I asked, why would they not allow me just to rise up and continue to forgive and love. The reality is, I still received whipping, slander un-love from my neighbors. This was present in my memory when I passed to meditate on the fall of Jesus, or rather when Jesus is rising from every fall.

The second striking idea was when I was faced with sin which could not, it appeared to me, cannot be avoided through human weakness, Included are the many social sin around especially in our country. I felt, in front of these, I could not do anything as if I am letting go of grace, of love which really hides, or good being overcome by evil. Helpless and immobile, paralyzed, I felt like being nailed to the cross. I could not even defend myself in the evil inside and outside of me. Terrible. But this nailing of our Lord to the cross consoled me. He too was helpless of the evil around Him, in fact, He assumed it to Himself, without being a sinner.

Experts say that owning is the beginning of healing so at that very moment I own my incapacity, my helplessness, my powerlessness, it is as if Jesus also own them in me, of which I am grateful to Jesus, my Lord.

What was strong when I continued the stations was a very strong realization that death does not exist, love conquers death, even sinful death. Everything leads from death to the resurrection.

The Eucharist: A Mystery that leads to Communio and Mission

2008-08-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

To write something about the Eucharist is just to scratch the surface of the mystery who is God Himself, the infinite. Any treatise or article about it, including mine will only be an aspect of a multifaceted reality. The Eucharist is like a diamond which has many sides. One side of a diamond is as beautiful as the other. For how can we exhaust totally the reality of God's love? How can we fathom his divine mystery? We cannot but be humble and ask forgiveness of our daring to write about Him.

Let me begin with a little experience of this immense mystery.

It was a Sunday and due to the nature of my work in the seminary, and treasurer of a certain college, there are occasions, albeit rare, that I have no schedule for a Sunday mass. Sometimes this is indispensable because during week days we conduct classes then stay in the office. This occasion, humanly speaking is a favorable event - a day off. As a priest however, one longs always to have a congregation withwhom one could celebrate the mass. I was thinking that a weekday private mass may be tolerable perhaps, but, in this case it was a Sunday, and there was no congregation.

In this little discouragement about a certain exercise of the priestly ministry expecially on a Sunday, a certain thought came: Was it not that Christ was alone of the cross when he celebrated His mass and it is precisely in that bloody sacrifice of the cross that He saved us?

So I celebrated the mass in private.

I realized that mass was one of my most beautiful masses I have experienced.

Later, great was my joy when I scan the documents of the Church which says:

In the mystery of the eucharistic sacrifice, in which priests fulfill their principal function, the work of our redemption is continually carried out. For this reason, the daily celebration of it is earnestly recommended. This celebration is an act of Christ and the Church even if it is impossible for the faithful to be present.[1]

So in every mass, the "work of redemption is continually carried out" and even this suffering of being alone acquires a redemptive value.

Pope Paul VI reiterated that,

the Mass, even though it is celebrated privately is still not private, but is the act of Christ and the Church. The Church, in the sacrifice which she offers, learns to offer herself as a universal sacrifice and applies the unique and infinite redemptive power of the sacrifice of the cross to the whole world for its salvation. For every mass that is celebrated is offered not merely for the salvation of some souls but for that of the whole world. . . therefore, we recommend . . . to priests. . . that . . they celebrate Mass worthily and devoutly every day.[2]

When this occasion is repeated therefore, it becomes a welcome event because it seems that God in His wisdom really create occasions in which I could be disposed to be with Him on the cross.

1. Salvation is communion between God and Man and Man with Man

Now, you may ask, what is the meaning of that salvific action of Christ? In what does it consist? The Church as Mother and Teacher (Mater et Magistra) always teaches us about the mass. She teaches, however, with a certain caution not to give pearls to the dogs.

The liturgy including the mass, according to her document, the Constitution on the Liturgy, "is the summit toward which the activity of the church is directed; it is also the fount from which from which all her powers flows."[3]

The other sacraments, as indeed every ministry of the Church and every work of the apostolate, are linked with the Eucharist and are directed towards it. For the Eucharist contains the entire spiritual good of the Church, namely, Christ himself, our Passover an living bread, offering through his flesh, living and life-giving in the Spirit, life to men who are thus invited and led on to offer themselves, their labors and all created things together with him.[4]

So the Eucharist is the apex and fountain of Christian life. In as much as the mass, as we know, is to make a past event of Christ's action present, it is usually called a memorial. "Do this in memory of me," Christ said in the last supper, but the term "memorial" in the biblical language is not only a memory of the past but to make again present, with the same intensity and reality, the event of the past. It is a sacrament: signs of bread and wine which signifies the reality of the body and blood of Christ are present again as that same reality of the past.
So in the mass, the priest, does not only celebrate the event of the past but he makes present the event which happened in the past: the passion, death, resurrection of Christ.

But what is this reality of the past? What is this salvific event? In short, it is the event in which through the passion, suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, the unity between God and man is restored which was destroyed by original sin. Through the merits of Christ, it is again possible to make "communio" between God and man; the distance between the Creator and the created which has become unsurpassable by the sin of Adam and Eve, was converted into an immediate closeness between God and man.

In the Eucharist which generates the Church, we all find the greatest Christian unity between God and man, and in that unity we find our fundamental human unity, which sin had destroyed, scattering the children of God in the world.[5] To live the reality of the Eucharist, i.e., the Church and with the Church, is to live in communion and unity, as children of God and children of man. It is meeting and walking together in participation in the one reality of love, Christ living within us, in the spiritual depths where the communion of saints has its origin.[6]

The Eucharist therefore makes God and man united in communion and man with one another. This is one aspect which I would like to emphasize. Pope John Paul II in his message to all young people of the world on the occassion of the World Youth Day '97, said: “Around the Eucharistic table the harmonious unity of the Church is realized and made manifest. . .”[7]

This is true because in the Eucharist and by partaking of the Body of Christ, we become united with Christ and if all of us are united with Christ who is only one we are all united in His mystical Body the Church.

St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, wrote: “Is not the cup of blessing we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread we break a sharing in the body of Christ?” He continues by describing the effect that this mysterious bread works in the persons who receive it: “Because the loaf of bread is one we, many though we are, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”[8] And St. John Chrysostom said: “We are that selfsame body. For what is the bread? The Body of Christ. And what do they become who partake of it? The Body of Christ; not many bodies, but one body. For as the bread consisting of many grains is made one, so that the grains nowhere appear, so are we conjoined both with each other and with Christ.”[9] In other words we become one and united.

Between the faithful who receives communion and Jesus, there is a mystical assimilation, spiritual but real, which allows one precisely to use the term body, one body. In an amazing statement St. Thomas affirms: “The proper effect of the Eucharist is the transformation of man into God”: his divinization.[10] Also St. Cyril of Jerusalem said: “In the figure of bread his body is given to you, and in the figure of wine his blood, that by partaking of the body and blood of Christ you may become one body and one blood in him. For when his body and blood become absorbed into the members of our bodies, we become Christ-bearers, so that, as St. Peter said, we become ‘sharers of the divine nature' (2 Pt 1:4).”[11]

We can speak of one body and blood not because a physical union is brought about, but because of the union of our persons with the glorified body of Christ which is present in the Eucharist and is vivified by the Holy Spirit. We are, therefore, really one body, but in a new and mystical sense.[12]

We become one body in Christ, resulting in the communion between God and man; and among brothers, members of one divine family.

So it is a memorial of the past. But what precisely is this past in the life of Jesus? It is the very life of communio which he has with His Father and the Holy Spirit in Heaven. That is why the Eucharist has to produce this effect of communio. What does it prefigure? It prefigures also the life of communio in heaven which is the life of the Holy Trinity.

2. Communion Leads to Mission

As a reality of communio, by its very nature it necessarily announces this same reality in the present. So, it is not only a memorial of the past but an announcement, a proclamation for the present time. It is a mission for those who become this reality. But what does it announce in the present? It cannot but announce itself: the life of unity and communion.

Following the letter of the Pope to the youth, he says that the Eucharist is not only communion but he qualified with the term "missionary." It is “the mystery of missionary communion, in which all feel that they are children, sisters and brothers, without any exclusion or difference from race, language, age, social situation or culture.”[13]

We have seen that the Eucharist produces communion among people. This is logical, since, if two persons are similar to a third: that is Christ, they are similar to each other. Logically, the Eucharist gives rise to communion among brothers. This is an extraordinary thing! If all of us take it seriously, this would have enormous and unimaginable consequences. If we understand that the Eucharist makes us one with each other, it becomes logical to treat all men as brothers; that “all feel that they are children, sisters and brothers, without any exclusion or difference from race, language, age, social situation or culture.”[14]

This then becomes the mission of those who become one with Christ.

The Eucharist forms the family of the children of God, all brothers and sisters of Jesus and of each other. This is what makes the Eucharist and its effects, “missionary.” Its constant partaking makes us all see that everybody are children of God to be loved. Moreover, the natural family has its laws. If these were extended to a supernatural level and applied on a vast scale, we would change the world. In the family, everything is shared: life itself, the house, the money, etc. A good family has its own intimacy: its members know one another's joys and sorrows because they communicate them. When they go out into the world, they convey the warmth of their own home.

If the family is one of the creator's most beautiful works, what must the family of God's children like? In the Acts of the Apostles, we see how the Eucharist immediately helped Christians to become aware of being a single body: “The community of believers were of one heart and one mind. None of them ever claimed anything of his own; rather, everything was held in common.” (Acts 4:32) For St. Albert: “As the bread, the matter of this sacrament, is made into one loaf out of many grains which share their entire makeup, compenetrating each other, so the true body of Christ is put together from many drops of blood of our own nature . . . mixed together; and thus many believers . . . united in sentiment and communicating mystically with Christ their head, constitute the body of Christ. . . . That is why this sacrament lead us to effect a communion of all our goods temporal and spiritual.”[15]

This reality, if realized, is a very strong missionary witness. It could initiate a revolution, a revolution of love.

3. Charity, the unifying factor of communion

Let us dwell deeper on this mission which is also a mystery. The reality of communion or unity which is effected by the Eucharist is only possible because of charity among those who participate in the Eucharist. It is charity that makes us one. The Eucharist then, through charity makes us that one Body of Christ which is the church.

Hugh of St. Victor wrote: "Caritas unitas est Ecclesiae. Sive caritatem sive unitatem nomines, idem est, quia unitas est caritas, et caritas unitas."[16] (Charity is the unity of the Church. Where there is charity, there is unity, i.e., because unity is charity and charity is unity.)

For St. Augustine: "Corpus Christi Ecclesia est, quae vinculo stringitur caritatis."[17] (The Body of Christ is the Church which is tied up by the bond of charity).

When love dominates in the Christian heart, in the innermost depth of his spirit, which is conformed to Christ's heart, through the Eucharist, the sense of unity flourishes. He becomes a man who belongs more to Chirst and the Church than to his own family, his country, his environment, his mentality, his earthly preferences.[18] He is the man who has sold and forsaken everything for Christ[19] who has denied everything in love, even himself, and who has thus obtained the fullness of life. By a spontaneous movement he then feels the need to express the inner sense of unity in works of sociality, permeated with charity, above all on a level of the Church, as the spread of truth and love and the expansion of Christ's Kingdom. He then becomes a missionary of this communion.

He becomes a factor of unity in the world in which he lives, with the Church and as Church, and he works in the world so that it may find the unity it has lost with sin. From the supernatural and religious sphere the power of love radiates a unitary sense in all fields of human life. Also the whole world of nature is imbued with it: at least in the beginning, the kingdom of original innocence is recovered, characterized by the communion of thought and will, because there is one living centre in which all act and are incorporated: Christ.[20] He wants that all things will and the whole universe be restored in Christ.

Pope John Paul II exhorts the youth with these words: “Dear young people, make your generous and responsible contribution to the constant building up of the Church as a family, a place of dialogue and mutual acceptance, a space of peace, mercy and pardon.”[21]

This echoes the words of Pope Paul VI regarding the Eucharist:

The Eucharist . . . has been instituted to make us brothers; . . . so that from being strangers scattered far and wide and indifferent to one another, we become united, equal, and friends. It is given to change us from an apathetic and egoistic mass, from being people divided and hostile to each other, into a people, a real people, believing and loving, of one heart and of one soul.[22]
And St. Augustine,

while this heavenly city is a pilgrim on earth, it calls citizens from all nations and gathers a pilgrim society composed ol men of every tongue: disregarding what is different in customs, laws, institutions by which earthly peace is won or preserved; condemning and destroying nothing of all this, but instead preserving it and taking account of it. All this together, although different in different nations, is ordained to the one same goal of earthly peace, unless it obstructs religion, with which one is taught to worship the one, supreme and true God.[23]

4. Conclusion

Lastly, the mystery of the Eucharist is not only however to make present the reality of the past, (which is communio) nor an announcement of the present (missio) but it is also a prefiguration of the future, a prophecy of what is supposed to come in the parousia. The communio which is the reality of the Eucharist and which is effected by it is also the reality which exists as its end. At the end times, heaven and earth has to be new as according to God's plan. We call it heaven. In the Eucharist however, this reality is already prefigured as if it is already present. Here the past and the future meets because the reality of the Eucharist as a mystery is a transcendent reality.

The starting point, therefore, the terminus a quo of the Eucharist is communio and the terminus ad quem is also communio. This leads us to really adore and kneel in humility in front of this immense reality who is God himself.

Communion as past, present and future, makes me believe more in the reality of the Eucharist and the Church as a sign, a sacrament of the Kingdom of God here on earth. In it and through the Eucharist, time seems to be eternally present for if we have fullfilled all the conditions, in truly and actively participating in the mass, alone or with others, earth meets heaven in order for us to continue to become instruments in building the "new heavens and the new earth."[24]

[1]Decree on the Life and Ministry of Priests, n. 13.
[2]Paul VI, Encycl. Mysterium Fidei, Const. Sacrasanctum Concilium, on the Sacred Liturgy, 4 December 1963, nn. 26-27.
[3]Constitution on the Liturgy, n. 10.
[4]Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests, n. 5.
[5]cf. Jn 11:52.
[6]cf. P. Raimondo Spiazzi, O.P. "The Catholicity of the Church and the Unity of the World," Omnis Terra, n. 257, Feb. 1997, p. 70.
[7]Message of Pope John Paul II, WYD '97 n. 7.
[8]1 Cor 10:16-17.
[9]John Chrysostom, In 1 Cor., hom. 24, 2.
[10]Thomas Aquinas, In Sent. IV, D. 12, q. 2, a. 1.
[11]Cyril of Jerusalem, Cat. Myst., 4, 3.
[12]Chiara Lubich, The Eucharist, New City Press, New York, 1978, p. 54.
[13]Message of Pope John Paul II, WYD '97, n. 9.
[14]ibid.
[15]Albert the Great, In Jo. 6, 64.
[16]De sacramentis, L. II, q. 13, c. 11: PL 176, 544.
[17]In Psalm. 43, n. 17.
[18]For St. Francis this man is called "vir catholicus."
[19]cf. Mt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 12:33; Lk 18:22.
[20]P. Raimondo Spiazzi, O.P. "The Catholicity of the Church and the Unity of the World," Omnis Terra, n. 257, Feb. 1997, p. 70.
[21]Message of Pope John Paul II, WYD '97, n. 9.
[22]Teachings of Paul VI, Vol. III, p. 358.
[23]De Civ. Dei, L. 19, c. 17: PL 41, 646.
[24]Rev. 21:1.

Surviving typhoon “Frank”

2008-08-14T01:24:00.001-07:00

"Be calm! Don't panic!!" were my words to our high school seminarians while they were rushing to the second floor carrying their mattresses, "maletas" and belongings. I was afraid there will be a stampede or some accident might occur in the hurried, unexpected rush due rising of flood waters. The feeling was instinctive: to save what was salvable and my words seemed to fall on deaf hears since the danger of the rising muddy brackish serpentine liquid, with some floating debris and leaves was very real. It was an exercise of futility.

But I felt very calm. I saw that even the waters entered in the seminarian's dormitory, there was also water exiting towards the other door thus, I was hoping that the equation would be maintained. I was wrong! The waters continued to rise and after a certain order in the flow of our seminarians going up and coming down from the second floor was regulated in the least, I went to my room. Alas, water which seeks its own level flowed inside and I have found my bed floating. In a certain corner, freshly ironed clothes were submerged in water while others were floating. There was not time and suddenly there was no use! I went out without knowing that our college seminarians already coordinated their efforts in an organized manner, thanks to the priests in another building, saved all the documents, files, computers and other equipments in all the offices. I saw in the corridor other seminarians, offering help and the common room besides became the object of our help, at least some were saved. All the furniture, however, we are in wet disarray.

Our seminarians survived Frank since many, if not all, lived after the first rush of water, not for themselves but for others. To survive literally means to live "above" "beyond" one's own life. Even if we were underwater we have lived beyond ourselves and see the needs of our neighbors inside our two hectare area seminary which later was full of mud. I was edified by our college seminarians who tried to organized the sleeping and resting of their young brothers by subdividing them and assigning them in their rooms and even sharing their beds while they deprived themselves with sleep by acting the watchout for the "thieves" of the night. Some welcomed and entertained our evacuees, since we had several by sharing some of their clothings and food. Some continued to pray and faster. We did not realize we were in fact surviving "Frank".

That night one of our priests told me, what is important father is we survive this night. With all my conviction a replied we will survive this night. The next day we found ourselves cleaning organizing the moving away the mud. Then when the roads were passable, the seminarians went home to help their families. The priests who remained rolled their sleeves to hold bolos to cut tries, mop and pales to clean, took tools for the submerged cars, used everything to clean with the help of the boys. What was important was when the first aid of dried rice from Antique came, thanks to the bishop, the priests where the first ones to repack and hurriedly distributed them to our chapel coordinators.

After more than a week, our college seminarians came. Yes they came to help to offer their youthful hands and able bodies without being instructed. They themselves organized priorities, and set to work: repack relief aids, continue to remove muds, help distribute the goods that trickled in, clean chapels in the baranggays and more.

We survived Frank. I am very sure of this even until now. Frank has been weeks gone but we could say, we survived it since we did not think of our selves. We tried to live for others and while thinking of the others who suffered more, our suffering and loss seems to be very small. We went beyond ourselves, we have tried our suffering brothers! Till now, I could say, we survived Frank.

Homily, Silver Anniversary of Fr. Boyet, May 13, 2008: Moonwalk Paranaque, Metro Manila

2008-06-17T07:05:00.001-07:00

Twenty five years ago, the family of Fr. Boyet received a gift from God: the gift of the priesthood which was conferred to him by the late Cardinal Sin. His parents, his sister and brother in effect gave Fr. Boyet as the family's gift to God. That event is the one we are celebrating today: to be one with Fr. Boyet in thanking God for the faithfulness God has shown to him and at the same time the faithfulness of Fr. Boyet to God. This reciprocal self giving between God and the person of Fr. Boyet is a grace but is based on the freedom of God, "You did not choose me but I chose you" and the constant yes'es of our silver jubilarian which, in the final analysis is also a grace and a gift of God reinforced by the freedom of man.

12 years before Boyet's ordination, I was also graced to be his classmate when we first entered the seminary as young high school students of 12 years old, together with some. . .

And I could say, being consistently always the first in our class he has been always my inspiration, and I dare say even until now. He was our high school valedictorian, and when I was again privileged to be with him when in the University of Santo Tomas to take our philosophical studies, he was consistent to be receiving summa cum laude, with highest honors, became the rector's awardee. Perhaps this is the reason why, almost immediately after his ordination, his bishop, the late Jaime cardinal L. Sin sent him to study in Rome to be a professor in the archdiocesan seminary. In Rome, again he graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Doctoral Thesis about Pope John Paul's Philosophy on the Acting Person. He would later say about the Pope who has "profoundly touched and influenced my life, and continues to be my philosophical and spiritual mentor and guide." How could I be not inspired by this classmate of mine who does not only excel academically but is nourished spiritually and guided by a man who has also guided the unfolding of the post modernistic history of the world and who could rightly be called Pope John Paul II the Great.

For nine years, he was professor and Dean of Studies at the Philosophy Department of San Carlos Seminary. He has taught philosophy at the UST Graduate School and the Fr. Hannibal Center of Studies of the Rogationist Father. He published "The Church and Workers, Philosophy of God, The Popes Speaks on Peace, Short Reflections on the Eucharist, Him: Called to Heal and has published articles on the personalist philosophy of Pope John Paul II on many journals. He has just finished publishing a three volume book on John Paul's Theology of the Body. It is no wonder that Fr. Boyet was nominated as a possible recipient of Catholic Book Awards.

These are some of Fr. Boyet's ways of saying yes to God, in loving Him with all his mind. I remembered that after teaching in San Carlos, he wanted to give more. He went to Fordham University in the states to study further.

But his life is not limited to intellectual pursuits. He has also been a pastor of San Antonio Abad parish in Maybunga, Pasig, Our Lady of Beautiful Love Parish in Merville, Jesus the Divine Healer in Tahanan Village and served as chancellor of the Diocese of Paranaque. These are his way of loving God with all his strength and with all his heart.

But we here today to thank God for the gift of Fr. Boyet to the Church. The Church, the Body of Christ, Christ himself present with his People, has given him the opportunity to serve since Fr. Boyet knows that without this sincere gift of oneself, man cannot become what he is supposed to be. This self giving of Fr. Boyet reflects that Supreme gift of Christ to the Church. I could always see his heart's desire to make the Church he loves to be what it is supposed to be. Since Fr. Boyet has a certain facility to grasp the "ideal" the what should be of things due to his keen intelligence, this very same deep understand of things makes him sometimes impatient to what is happening because he knows kung ano ang dapat. "Sana ganito ang sa mind palagi ni Fr. Boyet. His advance knowledge, sometimes is prophetic, contrasted with the harsh realities within and outside the church, makes him feel in an intense way a kind of eschatological tension and this makes a toll on his body. We could compare him as a lighthouse who gives light to us wayfarers but this lighthouse is situated at the edge of hope, sometimes battered by strong waves of the sea of confusion of the world. Fr. Boyet, you are that lighthouse, while giving light, you could be exposed to the storms and the toss of waves as Pope Benedict would allude: from Marxism to liberalism, even to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism, and so forth.. . .
Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the Church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, . . . looks like the only attitude acceptable to today's standards. . . which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires." (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Homily at the Mass pro eligendo romano pontefice, April 18, 2005. )

The more the confusion, the more your suffering as a priest who loves Christ, his Body, the Church. I am reminded of what Bishop Soc told to us 4,000 priests gathered together for the first time about a certain tree called the sandal wood. When this wood is hit by a sharp axe, it emits a beautiful aroma. The more is it axed, the more its perfume is given to the atmosphere. Like wine, when aged, it more evident is its flavor. Twenty five years are not very long but it more than enough to thank God for this priest that we honor today and in so doing give honor to God.

When were in high school Fr. Boyet used to sing: "In the morning, when the moon as it its rest, you will find me, at the time the time I love the best, watching rainbows play on sunlight, pools of water . . . In the day time, you will find as before, in the tone lights and colors of the ceiling in my room. . . Please be patient, with your life, its only morning and you have to live with it. . . . " Yes, if life begins at 40, our jubilarian is not yet a teenager.

But let us allow Fr. Boyet to speak from what he wrote about the Eucharist and Priesthood recently, which shows his humility, simplicity and truthfulness: "They are not the best of men and they themselves wonder why God chose them and called them to the priesthood. They are not necessarily the holiest or the brightest of men, though they know they are expected to guide people in their difficult spiritual journeys through the trials and vicissitudes of life. . . But God in his infinite goodness and wisdom, chose them to be his priests. . . .How do we regard them, how do we relate to them, these priests of God? Do we expect too much from them? Do we expect them to have all the answers of our problems? . . Do we know that they too need us [the laity] in their search for and longing for God's presence (in their lives?) They too need us [the laity] to mirror to them God's infinite love and forgiveness. . . Let us not forget one thing: when priests stand on the altar, let us be reminded that behind them is Jesus in Most Holy Sacrament. Let's look beyond them then, beyond their shortcomings, weaknesses and even sinfulness, not to condone them, but so we can see Jesus who embraces us all, priests and lay people, with his forgiving and infinite love. . ."

In this Eucharistic celebration, Jesus embraces us all in his immense and personal love. Let us thank God that this love is made visible to us by God through the gift of the person of Fr. Boyet who for 25 years have been faithful to this love. May our hearts to be one with him for as he invites all of us in thanking him but we could surely say: Thank you Fr. Boyet, for your friendship, your generosity, your love. Thank you! Ad multos annos!

"Do not be afraid, it is I"

2008-06-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

For one year now, after staying in Tagaytay for three year to live together with priests and seminarians who wanted to live and go deeper in the life of unity, I have been assigned in our diocesan seminary. Believing that Jesus is present in unity when two or three are gathered in His name, what entered first in my heart is to make unity and establish this presence with my bishop, with the popi in the zone and with my other fellow priests. For me it is a priority. With this assured, I need not be afraid.

This was put into the test before the passing of Chiara, when we had a lot of meetings in Cebu. These meetings were very important to me since they were few occasions that I could assure together our mutual love so with the permission of my bishop I went to these meetings. At these times, one seminarian, since he is good, without informing us run as a candidate for the office of SK leader in their barrio. In our diocesan Synod, anybody who run for public office should resign from his religious obligations including being a seminarian so that he could serve better the people outside the seminary. This was also the line of thinking of the bishop even though some of my priests colleagues seem not to agree. In any case, I explained to the seminarian about the consequence, but he continued to present himself and he won. When he was advised that he should leave the seminary, he reacted since he wanted to avail himself of the good formation, according to him. When his parents knew about it, they threatened that they would bring the case to court. Inside me, since Jesus was in unity with the policies of the diocese and with my bishop, I was not afraid and was ready to face them in court. I believe that it was Jesus telling me to make more unity with the bishop – the presence of Jesus – who seems to tell me do not be afraid! Some days later I found it that the seminarian concerned is willing to take a leave of absence from his elected office so that he could continue in our seminary. Last week, we saw him graduate and when I met his parents, we are all very happy and become closer together in deeper understanding and reconciliation. This event also gave the priests of the seminary to be closer to one another in making ourselves one with the policies of the bishop.

Another event that happened that gave me courage because I believe that it is the Lord whose presence is in unity with the bishop. One seminarian shouted bad words to a priest and we found out that he came from dysfunctional family, a son of an abducted marriage and was left when he was young. It was found out that he projects his hatred to his father directing to a priest formator. Believing in unity, I consulted the bishop and he told me to help him. So against the advice of many priests to kick out this seminarian, I decided to let him stay and explain to his classmates and the community his psychological state. Again, the priests-formators were not very happy and I felt that our relationship was affected. I could understand them since in the rules that seminarian deserved to be kicked out. I just tried to love and believe in the presence of Christ in my unity with the bishop and Jesus seems to assure me telling me: courage, it is I! A special arrangement was done for him later with his mother so that he could stay more time with her in her home and just report for classes. Finally he was able to graduate and he expressed his intention to become a priest. Since his father came back from the states, he was advised to stay with both parents for at least a year so that he could heal the wounds that his absentee father created in his heart. More so, a deep understanding of helping in service was acquired by our priests-formators who became for collaborators in fomenting a formation to the priesthood based on servant-leadership of Christ.

Talk to the Regional Convention of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate

2008-01-02T23:38:00.000-08:00

We are all Missionaries

Communion and Mission

The theme that is given to us this hour involves all of us.

As baptized Christians and as member of the DMI, we all can intuit that all of us are missionaries, that we have to do something for the good of our country, for the good of your own family, your organization and also for the good of your own being. This has been suggested by your main theme for these days.

Recently, on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of my ordination, I am reminded of an old Italian priest who is going to be 84 years old. He said, when I was ordained, at about twenty four years of age, I wanted to change the world and bring it to Christ, 10 years later, when I was 34, I realized that the world was still the same, so I decided to change not the world but my country. After 10 years, when I was 44, my country was still the same, so I decided to change my region. After ten years, when I was 54, my region was still the same, so I just tried to change my province. After ten years, when I was 64, my province is still the same. So I decided to change my town, but after ten years, when I was 74 my town was still the same, so I decided to change my family. After 10 years, when I am now 84 my family is still the same – so now, I just decided to change myself. I think is he has started other way round, he could have achieved something.

The mission of the Church flows from her own nature. Christ has willed according to Lumen Gentium of the Vatican II, that the Church be a "sign and instrument of unity between God and man of all the human race." (LG, 1) Such a mission has the purposed of making everyone know and live the "new" communion that the Son of God made man introduced into the history of the world. It is in this context, i.e., the nature of the Church, that her mission flows to which the Lord entrusts a great part of the responsibility to the lay faithful, in communion with all other members of the People of God. In a sense, the Church does not have a mission that is something added to it as an appendix, but by her very nature: she is mission! And the more we become church, the sign of unity between God and man, the more we become missionaries!

In fact, the whole of the New Testament affirms that the project of God on the humanity is to recognize that all are and should live as a single family: the universal mission of the church.

Before he died, Jesus prayed: "That all are one: as you, Father, you are in me and me in you that they are also one in us, so that the world believes that you sent me. " (Jn. 17, 21-23).

To carry out the unity between God and man and man, with one another, has been the reason of the life and death of Jesus:

"Jesus should die... to gather in unity all the children of God that were dispersed" (Jn. 11, 51-52)

"... and there will be a single flock and a single Shepherd" (Jn. l0, 16)

The first Christian had captured the novelty and centrality of the commandment of the love, of which the unity is consequence. For that reason:

"The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common." (Acts 4, 32)

At the same time, like in all human coexistence, the conflicts never lacked in the Christendom, Paul reiterately exhorts to the concord, the harmony and the peace:

"Don't the jealousies and discords among you, maybe prove that you are still in the flesh and do you behave in a purely human way?. ' (1 Cor. 3,3)

"Proceed in everything without gossips nor discussions. ' (Phil. 2, 14)

"Live in harmony with one other." (Rom. 12,16)

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you." (2 Cor. 12, 20)

'Love each other, live in harmony and in peace. ' (2 Cor. 13, 11)

"Don't have divisions among you, live in perfect harmony, having the same way of thinking and of feeling... Is Christ divided?" (1 Cor. 1, l0.13)

The necessity of unity has its foundation in the same life of God, and in its project on the Church and on humanity who is called to be a one in Christ:

'All of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3, 28)

"And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body." (Col. 3, 15)

"With diverse functions all of us form a single Body in Christ" (Rom. 12, 5)

'We all have been baptized in one Spirit to form one Body" (1 Cor. 12, 13)

As you see, the permanent tension toward the unity is, for the Christian, a demand of the Will of God. It arises from the center of the Christian message.

In his encyclical, John Paul II wrote: The prayer of Jesus in the Upper Room _ "as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us" (Jn 17:21) _ is both revelation and invocation. It reveals to us the unity of Christ with the Father as the wellspring of the Church's unity and as the gift which in him she will constantly receive until its mysterious fulfillment the end of time” through our cooperation. If it is a gift, the Pope said that: “Christ's prayer reminds us that this gift needs to be received and developed ever more profoundly.” (no. 49)

So, what is important in mission is that we should be first what we should be, a community of disciples – to be church. Evangelization is first of all to do something but to be, to be one with God and with one another. From our being, then flows our mission. We cannot give what we do not. We could never bring people closer to God if we are not with God ourselves and with one another. As Cardinal Sin once said when we were seminarians in UST, one cannot talk about God if he is not talking to God. Communion with God gives rise to mission, it is the source of our mission.

So we need to think what Vatican II said: “Communion and mission are profoundly connected with each other, they interpenetrate and mutually imply each other, to the point that communion represents both the source and the fruit of mission: communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished in communion.”(AA, 32)

Cardinal Francis Van Thuan when he was imprisoned realized that evangelization and his mission is to be one with God rather than do the works of God. One thing is the work of God, that is, our mission, another thing is to God Himself.

Without this oneness with God and with one another, which is the basic form of evangelization (which is itself the prime form of charity), the proclamation of the Gospel risks being misunderstood or submerged by the ocean of words which daily engulfs us in today's society of mass communications. " (Ut unum sint, no. 50). St. Peter said: “Ante omnia mutuam in vosmet ipsos caritatem continuam habentes.” Above everything, love one another earnestly. (1Pe 4:8)

Situation of the Word Today

If we consider the state of the world today, we will see that it really looks like Pope Benedict XVI – highly qualified to give this analysis – described it while still a Cardinal.

In his homily at the conclave’s opening Mass, he said:

“How many winds of doctrine we have known in recent decades, how many ideological currents, how many ways of thinking. ... The small boat of thought of many Christians has often been tossed about by these waves – thrown from one extreme to the other: from Marxism to liberalism, even to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism, and so forth. Every day new sects are created and what St. Paul says about human trickery comes true, with cunning which tries to draw people into error (cf. Eph 4:14). Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the Church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and ‘swept along by every wind of teaching,’ looks like the only attitude acceptable to today's standards. We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires.”[1] This was all Cardinal Ratzinger.

John Paul II, in addition, did not hesitate to draw a parallel between the dark night of John of the Cross and the darkness of our times, which, as a sort of collective night, has progressively fallen over humanity, especially in the West.

In fact, we no longer turn to God to resolve our problems and find answers to our deepest questions. He is no longer part of our daily lives.

We note with concern that Christian values are increasingly losing their hold and that people only rarely declare themselves Christians.

Therefore, we live in a world in which God stands out for his absence and the Gospel is no longer considered the source of ethical standards. In fact, few people view the Church as “mater et magistra”.

The feast days prescribed by the Church continue to be celebrated with the same names, but they are losing their religious significance.

John Paul II observed that our world is becoming increasingly fatherless, considering that many families never had a father figure, or that the father disappeared at a certain point, with consequent insecurities and disorientation in the children.

There is division between the rich and the poor, between politicians, between the north and the south, between political and economic ideologies, there are many dysfunctional families due to migration. But we don’t need to go far, there is division within among Christians, among catholics: between the priests and bishops, between parishioners and parish priests, between lay organizations and movements, and son on.

Moreover, according to the Pope Benedict XVI, today’s advancements in scientific and technological discoveries, so rapid and limitless, are such that ethics can no longer keep up with them, thus creating a dichotomy between common sense and wisdom, the mind and the heart, as in the invention of the atomic bomb or with genetic engineering. Consequently, humanity runs the risk of losing control over them.[2]

Thus the lament of the philosopher Maria Zambrano is still painfully true: we are living “one of the darkest nights ever seen.”[3]

This is a challenge for all of us in the church, priests and lay alike.

Towards a new understanding of our mission

A priest asked Benedict XVI's last July 24 in a question-and-answer session with priests from the dioceses of Belluno-Feltre and Treviso, Italy, during the Pope's vacation:

Holy Father, one sentence you wrote in your book made a deep impression on me: "[But] what did Jesus actually bring if not world peace, universal prosperity and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: "God. He has brought God'" (Jesus of Nazareth, English edition, p. 44); I find the clarity and truth of this citation disarming. . . but what should we do so that this God, the one treasure brought by Jesus and who all too often appears hazy to many, shines forth anew in our homes and becomes the water that quenches even the thirst of the many who seem no longer to be thirsting?

The Pope answered:

I think that we should always be mindful of two things: on the one hand, the Christian proclamation. Christianity is not a highly complicated collection of so many dogmas that it is impossible for anyone to know them all; it is not something exclusively for academicians who can study these things, but it is something simple: God exists and God is close in Jesus Christ. . . . Jesus Christ himself said that the Kingdom of God had arrived. Basically, what we preach is one, simple thing. . . . But in practice what should be done? . . . to continue in this direction, bringing God implies above all, on the one hand, love, and on the other, hope and faith. Thus, the dimension of life lived, bearing the best witness for Christ, the best proclamation, is always the life of true Christians. If we see that families nourished by faith live in joy, that they also experience suffering in profound and fundamental joy, that they help others, loving God and their neighbour, in my opinion this is the most beautiful proclamation today. . . . [by] personalities who are penetrated by faith: the presence of God truly shines out in them and they bring the "living water" . . . . The fundamental proclamation is, therefore, precisely that of the actual life of Christians.” That is how our present Pope explains our mission in proclaiming God.

Yes, Jesus said: “Men will know that you are my disciples, not because we are members of DMI but if we love one another.” This comes from the commandment which is coming from the heart of Jesus and He has called His: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Love makes us one, it builds communion and this communion among the disciples of Jesus is the source of mission. In fact, John Paul II his document Novo Millennio Ineunte said: “To make the Church the home and the school of communion: that is the great challenge facing us in the millennium which is now beginning, if we wish to be faithful to God's plan and respond to the world's deepest yearnings.” “. . . We need to promote a spirituality of communion, making it the guiding principle of education wherever individuals and Christians are formed, wherever ministers of the altar, consecrated persons, and pastoral workers are trained. . .” (NMI, 43.)[4] To live communion is to live mutual love.

"A communitarian or collective spirituality”, said the Pope to a group of bishops last Feb. 16, 1996 (...) [is] a constitutive aspect of the Christian vocation. The Lord Jesus, in fact, did not call the disciples to an individual calling, but to one which is inseparably personal and communitarian. If this is true for all the baptized, it is true in particular for those who He has chosen "to be his companions and to be sent out to preach" ( Mk. 3:14-15 ), that is, for the apostles and their successors, the bishops.

“The Church, icon of the Holy Trinity, is the mystery of communion and sacrament of unity ( cf. Lumen Gentium. 1). The communion between its members is the primary and principal sign which it offers so that the world may believe in Christ (cf. Jn. 17:21). To be one in Christ is, so to speak, the first and permanent form of evangelisation which comes from the Christian community.

How do we make ourselves as a community? When Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved us,

From the greatest commandment of “love of God and love of neighbor” to the “new commandment” there is a step forward in its content and mode of application which can be called new. In the occasion that he gave it, before He died, during the Last Supper, He no longer tells to love God or to love our neighbor; he no longer merely commands us to see him in our neighbor especially the suffering or to treat every stranger and even enemies our neighbor. When it comes to specifying what his love is, and how he wants Christian love to be, he says: “This is my commandment: love one another.”

In the rabbinical schools at that time, every teacher in Israel, gave his own particular theological, ascetical, spiritual and moral synthesis. From these characteristic norm one could distinguish the disciples of the various teachers. It is quite important, therefore, for Jesus' disciples to know which was the key point of their spiritual and moral life. They needed to know what way of life would make it clear to others that Jesus' disciples were followers of the one and Triune God who Christ had made known to them.

The new element is that Jesus not only states that love of neighbor is the greatest commandment - as he had declared before - but he says that it is his commandment. Here, other persons are no longer considered only as objects of our love, but as subjects capable of loving in return.

In the Last Supper Jesus makes all this clear to us by giving us his commandment and adding, “By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” (Jn. 13:35)

This sentence shed still more light on what Jesus means by love of neighbor. He wants us to love as He loves. It is not enough to be merely loving and polite or pleasantly agreeable, or to show signs of affection. Even a compassionate concern for others which leads to the giving of material goods is not sufficient. Human love, in all its fullness with all humaneness that it takes, is not enough. We must love as Jesus loves, with a heart both human and divine. That is why this is his commandment: because in order to carry it out we have to become God's children, “fellow citizen” of Christ, we must be taken into the life of the Trinity. It must become mutual, reciprocal.

Bringing it to its last consequence, “to love as Christ loves” means to consider the word “as”. “As” is only a two-letter word but it reveals the fullness of what should our love be towards one another. Christ loves us till the point of death, i.e., He loved us by offering His life for us. Christian love, therefore is no ordinary love. It is called “charity” not in the sense of works of mercy as giving alms, but as the love of God for man made manifest by Jesus who loved us till the end. This is the kind of love that is required in our love for one another - a love without measure, till the point of death. This means that I am willing to offer my life for my neighbor; and the other is also willing to offer his life for me. This is the apex of charity, this is the charity that exists in the trinity. It is also called agape.

Therefore, Jesus' commandment also contains the idea of reciprocity. Our love for our neighbor will not be full and perfect if it does not become reciprocal with other disciples of Jesus. If the other party who is also a subject of love does not also love which makes your love reciprocal, it would appear that both are not practicing the “new commandment.” When charity becomes mutual, both enter into the real apex of Christian life - truly we become Christ's disciples and He becomes present in them.

Seen in this perspective, human nature appears in a completely new light. It becomes much clearer that a bond exists between myself and my neighbor, that I need my neighbor, my fellow DMI to become a true witness. Alone I can never carry out this typically Christian commandment. Only in the context of a community or a group can I carry it out fully and completely.

Jesus did not say simply: “Each of you should love the others,” or “Love another one and another one and another” but rather: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus wants the Church to be a community of persons who love. An individual, personal love for God or for our neighbor is not full and complete until it becomes reciprocal. This reciprocity of our love makes us a community of believers and by this, the world will know that we are Christ’s disciples and this itself becomes our being and the source of our mission. This is true because Jesus said, when two or three are gathered in my name, I am in their midst. There is the presence of the Risen Lord, when there is a community of persons who love one another as Jesus loves. That is why Jesus sent his disciples, two by two so that they could maintain this mutual love.

Chiara Lubich once said: “At times there is a tendency to think that the Gospel cannot solve every human problem and is intended to bring about the Kingdom of God only in a religious sense. But this is not true.

This is done by Jesus in us and amongst us, Jesus in me, Jesus in you…. It is Jesus in a person, in a given person – when his grace lives in that person – who builds a bridge, who opens a way. Jesus is the truest, most profound personality of every person.

Every human being (every Christian) is, in fact, more a child of God (another Jesus) than an offspring of his own father. Every person gives his/her particular contribution in every field as another Christ, as a member of his Mystical Body, whether it is in science, the arts, politics, communications, or other areas. And each one will be more effective if he/she works together with others united in the name of Christ. “

When this Trinitarian communion is established through mutual love, they become a living cell of the Body of Christ, we become Church. This communion which in reality is the presence of Jesus amongst us, then gives rise to our mission with a solid foundation in Christ in transforming the various fields of civil or ecclesial endeavor

“This is the continuation of the incarnation, the complete incarnation which concerns every Jesus of the Mystical Body of Christ. This is precisely your role: to make God again present in the world, various fields of human knowledge and endeavor, such as politics, economics, sociology, the natural sciences, communications, education, philosophy, the arts, healthcare, ecology, law, and still others. “

Some practical applications

In the field of economics, for example, because of the strong presence of God that it brings to people’s lives and the mutual love that grows among all, we could give rise to a communion of goods among those who live it, a communion similar to that practiced by the first Christians about whom it is said that “there was no needy person among them” (Acts 4:34).

The firms and businesses that could adhere to the project seek to apply the principles of Christian social doctrine, but especially to bring about the presence of Jesus in the midst of all those who work in the company.

When Christ takes hold of the reins of the economic world – and this will happen as an always greater number of people wisely place their life at his disposal – we can then hope to see the blossoming of justice and to witness the massive mobilization of goods that the world urgently needs.

“The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty” (Lk 1:53).

This could be social revolution and bridge the gap between the rich and poor. If the first Christian communities had realized this why not in this contemporary world where the richer becomes richer and the poor poorer?

As for the field of communications, we have always seen the powerful development of the means of social communications today as a sign of God’s providence because they facilitate the unity of the human family.

At the same time, it is obvious – and the facts confirm this – that these means alone cannot unite peoples and individuals, or improve their quality of life. They need to be means at the service of the common good and those who use them need to be inspired by love.

We have much to offer in this regard. The field of communication could nourish true love in people’s hearts, and consequently a real interest for each person and for all that concerns humanity. It teaches people to build lasting, constructive and creative relationships. It especially encourages the art of communicating, which is the art of “not existing,” so as to receive (to welcome the other, to be interested in what concerns him/her, in everything) and also to give (to speak, to write in the most opportune moment and way), by being love.

All of this ensures not only an authentic communication and consequently an appreciation for the means that make it possible, but also and above all for the fruits: sharing, participation and communion.

When an increasing number of professional communicators silence their ego in order to make room for the Spirit of God within them, then the mass media will show their capacity to infinitely multiply good, the voice of God will be more resonate in everyone and communication experts will carry out their vocation to be instruments of unity at the service of all humanity.

And then there is the world of politics. We could shed light on this field as in no other since it appears that it is always plagued by certain darkness.

Isn’t it the task of politics to compose into unity, into one sole harmonious design, the multiplicity, the legitimate aspirations of the different components of society? And given its role as mediator among the various social players, shouldn’t politics excel in the art of dialogue and of becoming one with everyone?

If politicians who make it their own, whatever party they belong to, (I know that there are some politicians among you) choose to put their love for one another before any personal commitment or interest and, because they do so, they are able to establish – not without sacrifice – the presence of Jesus in their midst, perhaps many things could be achieved in this field because of that light that comes from Jesus trough mutual love. In the atmosphere of mutual love which his presence requires and increases, the common good becomes evident.

Jesus who is light for the world enhances the elements of truth that can be present in the different viewpoints; he enlightens them.

But the good that will emerge if many politicians have the courage to put themselves and the powers conferred on them at the service of the ultimate goal, which is God.

Then we can really hope to see the realization of that mutual love among peoples which brings peace and the solution to the many problems that still trouble humanity.

In the field of education, if in every school there would be a community of educators who could witness love, not only mutual love amongst themselves but also towards their pupils and students, then many schools and classrooms would be filled with light of Jesus.

This is true to other fields, even in our ecclesial field. If we only start to truly love another even the members of other lay organizations or movements as our own, then a new springtime will continue to bloom in the church.

Allow me to say another story. This year I have celebrated the 25^th year of my priestly ministry. I recall with special memory a senior priest who told me, father when I was young, I wanted the world will believe and I worked for it. Now after many years, I realized that Jesus prayed “that all may be one so that the world will believe”. It came to me that belief, conversion, transformation of the world is a consequence of unity. To be one: Unity realized through mutual love, is first and prior. It is really the source of “so that the world will believe” and not other way round.

If we continue to journey along these ways with Jesus in our communion, then we will truly be able to say with Lawrence, a Roman deacon of the third century: “My night has no darkness, and all things are full of light to me.[5] In this way, we are really all missionaries! Thank you!

[1]. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Homily at the Mass pro eligendo romano pontefice, April 18, 2005.

[2]. See John Paul II, Homily on the occasion of the celebration in honor of St. John of the Cross, Segovia, 4 November 1982; Speech to the Carmelite General Chapter, Rome, 29 September 1989.

[3]. Maria Zambrano, Persona e democrazia, vers. It., Milano 2000, p. 2.

[4]. John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 43.

[5]. St. Lawrence, Roman deacon, martyred in 258: “Mea nox obscurum non habet, sed omnia in luce clarescunt.”

September 1, 2007
Sampaguita Gardens
New Washington, Aklan

Jesus the Teacher

2007-12-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

Homily (Dec. 14, 2007, Sto. Nino Seminary)

Seminary Feast Day

Today is our feast day of the Sto. Nino. Last Sunday was our recollection with the parents. Yesterday was our grace-filled concert preceded with the investiture of our 1^st year college seminarians, after the mass we will have a Christmas party. We have done all this for the Sto. Nino who was born of a virgin. In this seminary, we have not evicted our patron from our celebrations.

In a world where it is now possible to celebrate Christmas without Jesus, we as members, in one way or another, of the SNS community are very much aware that Christmas without Christ, makes Christmas our novena, concert, party, devoid of meaning.

Last Sunday’s recollection made us aware that we are partners in educating your sons, a product of post modernism and therefore have needs and exigencies of their own. Jesus, the God who became man however, is always the same, yesterday today and tomorrow. It is therefore good to have first of all a good, long and loving look at him this Christmas to go ahead educating our seminarians.

There is a statement made by Jesus in the gospel that causes us to stop and think and that can shed light on education in the family. It says: “You have one teacher, and you are all students” (Mt 23:8).

For Jesus there is only one teacher: he himself.

This does not mean that Jesus is denying the authority of parents. He is saying that this role should be carried out as a service and not as means to domineer or exert power. Because in serving, which is the same as loving, it is not only the human being who acts; rather it is Christ, and therefore Christ is truly the first teacher.

If Jesus is the teacher then Christian parents and the teachers have the duty to look to him in order to learn how to educate.

But what kind of teacher was Jesus?

There are several important characteristics that come to mind when looking at Jesus in his role as teacher. Let me offer some:

First of all, Jesus teaches by example. He incarnates his doctrine in his very person. He does not impose burdens on others that he has not carried first: “Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them” (Lk 11:46). Jesus puts into practice what he then asks of others.

With Jesus as our model we realize that the first method in educating, also for parents, should not simply be setting out to instruct or correct, but to live out one’s Christianity radically. Parents must first put into practice themselves what they ask of their children. Do they ask for sincerity, commitment, loyalty, obedience, charity toward their brothers and sisters, chastity, patience, forgiveness? Then their children should be able to find all these qualities first of all in them.

Mothers and fathers, priests and teachers must be indisputable models that their children can always refer to.

Jesus leaves us free to take responsibility and make decisions. We see this in his encounter with the rich young man (see Mt 19:16 ff.).

We must never impose our ideas, but rather offer them with love, as an expression of love.

Children are first of all sons and daughters of God and not ours. Therefore, they should not be treated as our possessions, but as people who have been entrusted to our care.

When necessary, Jesus does not hesitate to rebuke with firmness and strength. To Peter, who wanted to stop him from facing his passion, he says: “Get behind me, Satan!... You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Mt 16:23).

Yes, discipline is also necessary. It is an integral part of education. In fact, in the book of Proverbs (13:24) it is written: “Those who love them (their children) are diligent to discipline them.” God, father and teacher, formed the Jewish people and educated them using instruction and discipline.

Woe to those who do not exert discipline! What an omission they will be responsible for!

A statement made by the prophet Ezekiel is quite strong in this regard: “If… you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand” (Ez 33:8).

Therefore, it is the our duty to discipline their children. If admonishment is given with peace, calm, and detachment it will make an impression upon the children’s sense of responsibility and they will remember it.

In the marvelous parable of the prodigal son, Jesus shows us the Father’s mercy – and therefore also his – toward those who repent and return to doing good.

Parents should treat their children as God treats us.

In a family, the mercy shown by the mother and father must reach the point of knowing how to forget and to “bear all things” (1 Cor 13:7), in conformity with God’s love.

Jesus, in educating the people around him, does not hesitate in turning the existing value system upside down. This is evident when he announces the Beatitudes (see Mt 5:2 ff.). In fact, he calls blessed those who do not appear to be so. He presents a path that is difficult to travel and that goes against the current of the one offered by the world.

We too must have the courage to proclaim what really matters in life.

We should not fool ourselves into thinking that if we present a feeble Christianity, a Christ that does not exist, our proposals will be more readily accepted. God makes himself known in the hearts of our children. They react positively only to the truth. But it must be presented in a way that is both accessible and acceptable, presented by parents who, before teaching, have made the effort to understand and share the true needs and desires of the new generations.

The gospel shows us a Jesus who speaks “as one having authority” (Mt 7:29).

Parents need to trust in the grace they have been given as parents and should never shrink from their task as educators. Deep down this is what they need and what they asked from us. In fact, it often happens that children will judge their parents, at times mercilessly, for not having had the courage to tell them the truth.

Jesus educates his disciples by passing on to them “his” typical teaching: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). By specifying that “as I have loved you,” he indicates that he is the “teacher” of this love.

It is the teaching par excellence, the gospel in a nutshell, which parents must pass on to their sons.

In putting this teaching into practice, priests formators, teachers and parents must imitate Jesus so well that they can repeat to their children that commandment as if it were their own: My little children, love one another as I have loved you.

Therefore, imitate Jesus.

Imitate him as teacher.

Imitate Jesus, or better still, allow him to live in us.

Yes, it would be best that he himself take his place within us.

If he lives in us, our performance as teachers will be irreproachable. If we introduce him as educator into our families, then perhaps this years Christmas would me more meaningful. Again Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy each other’s presence today.

How about the youth?

2007-02-23T00:21:00.001-08:00

About sixty percent of the population of Aklan are young. The figures could be higher in as much as a twenty eight year old man/woman is considered some years ago by the CBCP as “young”. This is understandable since the development of young persons today, especially the generation X is slower. Age of maturity becomes higher and higher. Consider that Canon Law, about some decades before, considered the age of fourteen as a marriageable age.

The State of the Diocese Address (SODA) of the bishop of Aklan has this to say regarding its youth Apostolate: “The Youth Apostolate is picking up and there had been a number of youth encounters in the diocesan as well as parish level. Like the family the youth of today is very vulnerable to the inroads of mass media and the environment that are not always value-oriented. Our youth need direction and guidance to be able not only to thwart the evils in society but also to sharpen their capacity to be “useful” and value, person and community oriented.”

Outrightly, this “picking up” is due to the efforts of a priest who is himself young: Fr. Glen Magpusao. This this does not mean that it was going down in the past. The sheer number of young people of Aklan makes it almost physically impossible for any Diocesan Youth Director to meet all these young people. Yet, thanks to Fr. Glen, since “there had been a number of youth encounter.” These “encounters” are very good capsulated formation course for three to four days designed by the Episcopal Commission on the Youth Apostolate for our Filipino youth. It is substantial in doctrine, relational in its approach and very actual in its response. But how many of the 60% of almost half a million population of Aklan attended this? Certainly, only a fraction.

Thanks to the youth themselves who retain their ideals in the their hearts and foment their relationship with God through other means: fraternity is one, respect for parents – another, joining advocacy groups is a good sign among others, participating in the liturgical celebrations in the church is a very good help. Another interesting sign among the youth are the involvement in actions for the sake of the common good under the leadership of some by our NGO’s. Volunteerism seems to be on the rise. But the bishop admits they are “very vulnerable to the inroads of mass media and the environment which are not always value oriented.” It is encouraging to note that some youth involved in the media (like the group responsible for this online news) take unto themselves in presenting not only the bad sensational news but those that could be called “good” news.

As a whole the bishop admits “our youth need direction and guidance.” Christianity in the first centuries of growth in Rome, became an agent of change and influenced their pagan society and environment for the better, rather than being influenced by them for the bad. Their faith in Christ urged them to have a vision of society according to the values and principles of their Master, who is the Lord of the universe and at the same time, is continuously going along with them in their desire to build a better world. And they succeeded, not without pains and sacrifices, sometimes, heroism - to the point of martyrdom. We cannot deny, in spite of contradictory signs, the roots of Europe is Christian. Even our Christianity comes from her.

As the he bishop aptly said, they need guidance so that they “be able not only to thwart the evils in society but also to sharpen their capacity to be “useful” and value, person and community oriented.” Social evils in Aklan need social and concerted solutions. The youth have this capacity for a fraternal and group commitment, if guided accordingly. They have the great capacity to be of service through volunteerism, inner capacity and sensibility to human dignity and the common good. So what are the youth waiting for?

The Laity may be well inside the church in Aklan

2007-02-23T00:19:00.000-08:00

In continously reading the State of the Diocese Address of Bishop Lazo, it is edifying to note "an increase of lay participation in the liturgical life" in Aklan. And this is not only qualitative but also qualitative.

Thanks to the help of Rev. Fr. Mark Beloso: the young chairman of the liturgical commission of the Diocese. Though at the same time the chancellor the "Diocesan Liturgical Commission, together with the Diocesan Catechetical Commission made a lot of difference in the liturgical and catechetical celebrations and the faith-life of the people," SODA affirms.

This is a happy reality. "Sacraments now are received / celebrated with instructions. The choir and the new Akeanon songs enhance the participation of the faithful especially during Sunday masses. The emergence of the liturgical ministries helped to highlight the role and responsibility of the lay in the liturgy.

The Diocesan Catechetical Ministry has been printing catechetical materials for the use of the catechists in the schools in the diocese. Regular meetings and seminars have been held. By and large the liturgical and catechetical life of the people is very much active and interactive." Since the Word of God and the Sacraments are inexhaustible treasures of the church, the bishop added "many things sill have to be put in place," as if to ask: "what could we generously offer to make our province more near to God and to man, especially the poor and the marginalized?"

About 30 years ago, in a nationwide survery only 15% of Filipino catholics go to the church during sundays. Now, in Aklan mass attendance is on the rise. Maybe thanks to the faithfulness of her ministers and to Fr. Mark Beloso who in spite of all the odds and an increasing secularization, continue to be faithful to the gift and grace of the priesthood.

We would like to express our gratitude for this gifts of God bestowed on our province!

Where are all the laity's gone?

2007-02-23T00:17:00.000-08:00

Where are all the flower's gone? Where are all the laity's gone?

The laity comprises the vast majority of the faithful of Aklan. With a population of about half a million and with a clergy of only 67, (and not all are present in the diocese) one could imagine that the diocese could not go ahead without the laity.

But look at what the SODA of the beloved bishop indicate. Although they "have been given importance," "are encouraged to take an active role in the parish and in the Diocese," and "are given opportunities to exercise their (different) charisms," --- "much has still to be done."

This is especially true in the area of the family "today being bombarded with many anti-family values coming from many sectors of our society."Statistically, we cannot totally rely on the priests, but on the laity, perhaps under the priest's guidance.

The best persons who could help the laity are the lay persons themselves.

Perhaps, liturgical participation is not enough, though it is very important. Perhaps, only prayer is not enough though it strengthens us to face the ever more dark world. The laity, who are in fact beginning to be aware, that hey have to help one another concretely, is the best visible sign of being Church.

Where are the laity's gone? Yes they mabe be inside the church, but the visible love, help, cooperation, mutual understanding of common problems they face, in short, their mutual love for one another in whatever or wherever field of work are in, be it in politics, education, journalism, sports, culture, music, etc, is the best flowering of the presence of Christ in Aklan. And this is a good sight!

State of the Diocese Address (Diocese of Kalibo Aklan, Philippines)

2007-02-23T00:06:00.000-08:00

If you want to know that state of the diocese where I belong, here is my bishop's address.

State of the Diocese Address
(S.O.D.A.)His Excellency MOST REV. JOSE ROMEO O. LAZO, D.D.
Bishop of Kalibo

Every year, many new events happen, new things are made, new gadgets are displayed. It seems that changes in the world especially its technology is very fast. This fits the song of Jose Mari Chan entitled, “Constant Change.”

Ten years is good enough to look back, revisit the First Diocesan Synod and say, “where are we going to… from here?” The gift of the SYNOD in 1996 has given us the framework to move on as a local Church, as a community of disciples.

We have made great strides since then. The Diocese has a third bishop, 67 priests (1 retired, 11 outside the Diocese, on studies, or on loan), 24 parishes from 22; structures are in place as mandated by the Synod of ’96 except a few. Our seminary, vocation wise, is still strong. Almost half of the priests in the Diocese have passed the gates of the Santo Nino Seminary. Next year 2007, S.N.S. will be 25 years. This Academic Year S.N.S. has 143 High School seminarians and 30 College seminarians. As our priests grow in number, they also grow in age, wisdom and holiness. It’s a constant struggle to live a celibate life in the service of God and people, “to be configured to Jesus Christ as Head and Shepherd of the Church,” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 21). There have been efforts to concretize and to bear witness to the sacramental brotherhood of priests. A program for the on-going formation of priests is put in place. The religious brothers and sisters have contributed a lot in the Diocese through their own charisms.

The laity have been given importance in the Diocese. They are encouraged to take an active role in the parish and in the Diocese. The lay organizations, movements, associations and societies (LOMAS) are given opportunities to exercise their different charisms for the good of the community and they have been given priest-spiritual directors to walk with them, to accompany them. Two very important thrusts of the lay apostolate are the Family and the Youth. These are the areas where a lot of interest and involvement of the laity are most needed. The Family and Life Apostolate is reaching to married couples through seminars. Much has still to be done since the Filipino family today is being bombarded with many anti-family values coming from many sectors of our society.

The Youth Apostolate is picking up and there had been a number of youth encounters in the diocesan as well as parish level. Like the family the youth of today is very vulnerable to the inroads of mass media and the environment which are not always value-oriented. Our youth need direction and guidance to be able not only to thwart the evils in society but also to sharpen their capacity to be “useful” and value, person and community oriented.

The Diocesan Commissions have been very helpful in the implementing the Synod’s mission which is the renewed integral evangelization. The chief means are catechesis, worship or liturgy and social apostolate.

There had been an increase of lay participation in the liturgical life of the local church. The Diocesan Liturgical Commission, together with the Diocesan Catechetical Commission made a lot of difference in the liturgical and catechetical celebrations and the faith-life of the people. Sacraments now are received / celebrated with instructions. The choir and the new Akeanon songs enhance the participation of the faithful especially during Sunday masses. The emergence of the liturgical ministries helped to highlight the role and responsibility of the lay in the liturgy. The Diocesan Catechetical Ministry has been printing catechetical materials for the use of the catechists in the schools in the diocese. Regular meetings and seminars have been held. By and large the liturgical and catechetical life of the people is very much active and interactive but surely many things still have to be put in place.

The social-economic concerns of the people are being addressed through the different areas under the Commission on Social Action: Health Care, Socio-Economics, Politics, Environmental Concerns, Migration, Tourism, Women and Children, Indigenous People, Social Justice, BEC. The Diocese has made her stand in a number of issues like gambling (STL), casino, mining, cha-cha and others. People are becoming more aware of their role and responsibility in the community and in solidarity with the bigger community. The Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) is a very opportune vehicle to touch base with the grassroots. Our IP’s, because of Boracay, a tourist destination, have been in the frontline. They have no place to go which they can call their own. They need our support.

The Word of God is very important in the faith-life of the people. The Biblical Apostolate is working on this area of promoting, appreciating, studying, praying and living the Bible. Recently, the Family Bible Quiz, held here in the Diocese, is an opener for families to study, pray and live the Bible as a family. The Bible is a very beautiful instrument to keep the family together. Yes, Jesus, the Word is very much present in the family.

Because of the increasing number of chapels, there is a need to title the land donated for this purpose. There is an ongoing action of titling all the land donated to the Church. Arancel system is still the predominant means of the peoples’ support. There is a growing shift towards the pledge and/or tithing systems, making the people respond not only to the needs of the clergy and the Church but also their response to God’s generosity and providence, and cultivating the value of giving and love for the Church.

The Diocese is not only for quality education but also for catholic education. Catholic education is a distinctive mark of a catholic school but there are only two in the Diocese. There are private schools and this is where we in the Diocese can reach out (41 private pre-school and elementary schools, 31 private secondary schools and 8 private higher/tertiary schools (DepEd-Ched data Aug.2006). This is where values formation and Christian orientation/formation can take place.

There is in us a growing missionary spirit. We have Aklanons working outside the Diocese as priest or as lay worker. There are groups of Aklanons in the different parts of the US and Canada and elsewhere and their presence there have brought the devotion to the Sto. Nino and San Lorenzo Ruiz. This area could be explored more. In the Diocese we have been supporting missionary activities and missionaries through our annual mission contributions. There is still room for more involvement in this area of mission.

Aside from our revisit of the 1996 Synod, the 30th anniversary of the foundation as Diocese, the Parish of St. John the Baptist in Kalibo celebrates the 425th year of existence, founded in 1581. This is vintage wine, so to say, old and precious. Included in this antiquity is the cultural heritage passed on to us by our ancestors. This we have to give due consideration and attention as part of our diocesan contribution in preserving and conserving the Cultural Heritage of our local Church.

Today we see the malls or department stores displaying different gadgets like cell phones of all sizes, shapes, amount, brand; radio, tv, cd’s and dvd’s. Mass media of today is, what they call, hi-tech. This is one area wherein the Church can harness her capacity to evangelize, to spread the word of God. It is very important for us in the Church to recognize the value of mass media for evangelization, to reach out to our people, to make present the God who cares and loves.

My dear brothers and sisters I just gave a short profile of what is going on in the Diocese. I am happy to say that the Diocese is healthy and moving towards her Vision. Indeed to be a true disciple of Christ entails a lot of sacrifice, on-going formation and purification.

Now I formally open and celebrate the gift that is The Diocesan Pastoral Assembly.

Santo Nino, bless us,
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us,
St. John the Baptist, accompany us.

The Seven Last Words are Possible because of Silence

2006-10-02T00:33:00.000-07:00

Wihout Silence the Word could not be Spoken.
All His Words, even the seven last words, were spoken because there was silence.
All, were interpersed in that silence.

So, the Word Himself, spoke also because there was silence.
I failed to appreciate this silence, would prefer the word rather.
Noises of the world make the soul deaf.

Pain, suffering, exile, that bursts into the cry of
Jesus' Abbandonment of the cross, all were assumed
in that word: "My God why have you forsaken me!"

Yet, all are possible, because there was silence
of a God who loves.

At twelve years old, all together in front of my Prefect of Discipline

2006-10-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

Fear, anxiety, maybe our Father Prefect of discipline will send me out of the seminary in my first year, at twelve years old. I just came from Christmas vacation and was very happy inside this "quite" not normal institution called the minor seminary. Why should be afraid? Yet, it is there, I trembled! It did not occur to me that I was at fault. No, it was not even bad. I was just communicating, the truth about him, our prefect. But I expressed to the wrong person - his half sister, petite and friendly. I told him, since she asked, also with a since of surviving the ordeal, that he clips his thumb and index finger to someone of us who disobeys the rules and one would express the pain in his face. Was he mad? We had only one term in our dialect to use that action: "LO-OK" (the same term used for "strangling")

Then, my suspicion could be confirmed. There was miscommunication. It was a too much for him, that his half sister would tell or maybe reprimand him that he is "strangling" us! The older seminarians had assured me earlier that, since I have offended him personally, I will be kicked out! To be out? This was the greatest misfortune. What would they think? My parents, my friends? Did I do really something wrong? Does this deserves this kind of punishment, unproportional and unreasonable?

I tried to be always good, but I could not face this possibility of being sent out. I could not even understand it. I suffered, and suffered much. My future, my reputation was life was at stake! At least in the mind of a twelve year old.

Did I have my recourse to Mary? Did I asked her help? I did not remember for I knew. And there our prefect comes for his weekly conference. We were all seated after falling in line in the chapel. I was in the front pew, a third from the center, on the left, in fron of his right. My world was shaking. He talked about it! He knew, and maybe he knew I was the one who said it, though he did not annouce it. I did not remember what he said but he clarified: if some one told a lie and destroyed the good name of another, he should repair the damage he has caused.

I was confused. Was there misinterpretaion of my works. What I told to his half-sister using the word "lo-ok". Did he strangled seminarians? No! but this "term" is used when someone uses pressure from his thumb and middle finger and clip the neck of someone. Could his step sister misinterpret the "term"? Maybe, and it was my impression that my dear prefect understands that he is being maligned as very very strict, that is bad. He could be fuming with madness as he listened to his half sister. Yes he knew maybe that I was the one.

Am I capable of lying? My parents taught us not to lie, imparting us the right values. Could it be that I have a high concept of my moral standards and I could not see that it is not true?

And so it was. I was oppreseed by my own self-rightousness, my own self concept, build by my own imagination. He wanted to defent his good name, his goodness, and here I am preplexed, afraid to be sent out, seemed to be accused by telling a lie and destroying a good name.

Now, I understand a little, each has always a tendency to defend one's ego, real or not. I was defending my own position, but I was silent. I could not express it. He wants to defend his! And he was too powerful! I am a dead meat!

Now, I also understand, if only I have tried to love him and understand him, the pressures in his role, the irritations of forming us to be good. For several yeas, I too was assigned as formator. I am sorry for myself now. I did not mean to cause such embrassment. I love him as our prefect, as a priest. I did always love and felt loved by him later that event. The forgiveness and love of God for us suddenly is revealed. He was mature in his love by putting always, after the school year his arms on my soul's shoulders. He was really my prefect of disciple. Firm, strong but tender in his love. I have not enough words but "thank you!"

Now, I would not allow others to suffer by threatening one of not being accepted. All are loved by God in a personal and immense special way. He has a plan for each one. I need to see all with love, in the perspective of God. As someone who longs for something sublime - to see the positive and goodness in each one, the need to be accepted, the need to be loved.

I should have seen events in God's love, in His plan, even for me. In my wounds and psychological pains of that first year in the seminary was a light to go ahead. Yes, till now. It was as if our Lord, was waiting for me to recognize Him. But it is not too late. . . It is Him who liberates. . . He makes me get out of my wounds. There are scars, and pain will return in other fresh wounds, not only in me but outside of me. But I know Who is behind them. The one who loves me and who is waiting for me. Lord, help me always to recognize you in the pains of my life and of others.

Truth and Words

2006-10-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

Preachy. "Sermonizing " - seeming explanation of Divine Things?
There are the few things that I abhor. Who has the truth?

Is man really able to guide another man without a tinge of insult to
another's intellegence and dignity? Each man has "a" and "the" truth in himself!
Who could be one's guide? Man? who is a fellow traveller with another men?

A blind could not help a blind. Only He who calls Himself light could guide.

And our words, ah. . . always words. I am tired of words, words, words.
Even concepts expressed in gentle words, reprimanding words, strong words,
inticing words, inviting words, exhortations, angry words, living words. . .

Words could cease to have meanings in many. Yet, preachers still use them.

My truth is in inside me, it is outside me. It is in you and in him, in each person. It is in the smile
of a baby, in a budding flower, in a seed that decays, in the storm, in calmness of the lake
and sea, in the beach, in action or non-action. It is also in joy and its interruption. It is beautiful,
noble, one.

How many times did I offend the truth with words.

Yet, the truth of the one who is TRUE is mercy, love, forgiveness.

I remain prostrate in front of this immense truth without words!!