49th Heartbeat

LOVE IS BEYOND DEATH

Few years ago, I have read the narrative of a woman who went to the cemetery in order to visit her deceased grandparents and noticed an elderly man struggling to tidy up a dilapidated grave with his bare hands. Out of concern, she came near him and offered her help which he accepted cheerfully. In the course of their conversation, the woman found out that the elderly man was actually cleaning the grave of his mother, who died at a very young age of 21, because of so many complications after she gave birth. At 77, the elderly man had no idea about his mother. In order that he could picture out what his mother looked like, he would just stare at the vintage frame that adorned the small pictures of a very beautiful woman who seemed to be at the peak of her youth, whose gleaming innocence defied all of pains and excruciations she was experiencing at that very moment. It was actually the last picture of his mother taken few months before she gave birth to him.

Every year, this elderly man would go to the cemetery, pull out all the weeds and vines that blocked the little space around the grave, offer a basket of flowers and say a short prayer in memory of his beloved mother. The woman who had a hearty exchange of pleasantries with this elderly man admired his ardent devotion to his mother. Though they never really met, the man seemed to be so close to his mother’s heart and their love for each other was even beyond death. With much hope and eagerness, the woman looked forward for another chance that they would meet again so that she could listen to some more stories from the old man.

A year later, the woman came back to the cemetery on All Soul’s Day, and looked for her elderly friend. She waited for a couple of hours but she never saw the old man entered the gate. She then decided to go to the burial place of the old man’s mother in order to meet him there.But as soon as she reached the place, she was surprised at what she saw. There were two tombs already and she was deeply saddened when she read what was written on the second gravestone. It was the name of the elderly man. He died few months after they met at that very same place. But despite her grief, she was consoled upon realizing that her friend, who didn’t have a slightest recollection about his mother, has finally seen her in heaven. In her musing, she told herself that maybe, they will have to spend a lot of time together because they have to catch up for the many lost moments. After the long and meandering years of waiting, they had their much deserved reunion.

Before she left the place, she smiled, as she gave herself a deep sigh upon reading the short but significant thought inscribed at the lower portion of the gravestone:

“The elderly son finally meets his youthful mother”

Love is indeed, beyond death.

P.S.

Have a meaningful visit to your deceased loved ones at the cemetery.There is no such thing as distance to persons who love and who are loved.

48th Heartbeat

SA MGA UTOD KO NGA PAGA ORDINAHAN

In my column this week, my words are rather short because I just want to have a share in the joys and excitement of my fellow brothers who will be ordained priests on Monday, October 26. I am really looking forward to this day, because it will also be an opportunity for me to renew the promises that I have made before God and before the believing community a year ago, when I too, made a firm decision to consecrate myself to a life of celibacy, obedience, self-denial and humble service. The Archdiocese is indeed blessed to have ten new priests this year: an enduring proof that our abiding prayers, our eager nurturance and selfless support to those who have aspired to follow the call for priesthood really paid off in the end.

“Nagikan sa komunidad, igabalik sa komunidad!” The ordinandi will soon be reporting to their respective parish assignments, with hearts smouldered by the fire of God’s love, as they serve different communities- guiding, assisting, accompanying, ministering, and leading the flock entrusted to them. The task will not be easy in the course of time but it will definitely be rewarding!

Few years ago, I came across this well-written, provocative and consoling poem that described the enduring effects of those two healing hands of a priest on the lives of people. I do believe that this will also serve as an invitation for all of us to continue to pray for more vocations, for more laborers in God’s vineyard.

The Beautiful Hands of a Priest

We need them in life’s early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek it while tasting life’s woes.

When we come to this world we are sinful,
The greatest as well as the least.
And the hands that make us pure as angels
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.

At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness
Their dignity stands all alone.

For there in the stillness of morning
Ere the sun has emerged from the east,
There God rests between the pure fingers
Of the beautiful hands of a priest.

When we are tempted and wander
To pathways of shame and sin
‘Tis the hand of a priest that absolve us.
Not once but again and again.

And when we are taking life’s partner
Other hands may prepare us a feast
But the hands that will bless and unite us,
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress,
What can a poor sinner do better
Than to ask Him who chose them to bless

When the death dews on our lids are falling,
May our courage and strength be increased
By seeing raised o’er us in blessing
The beautiful hands of a priest.

To Reverends Ron, Peter, Nathaniel, Ricky, Pedro, Ian Neil, Solithur, Yves, Luben, and Joemar, congratulations in advance. Continue to bask in the love of God and by all means share that love to those whom you will serve. Welcome to the presbyterium!

47th Heartbeat

“SAWSAW”

One particular word that certainly catches my attention is “saw-saw”. I am not really proficient in Tagalog or Hiligaynon grammar and my understanding would always be limited on the occasions that I use them (or sometimes, aided by persons who are experts in the proper usage of certain terms, which are quite confusing especially when they are being referred to various instances), but I like to play around with definitions of vernacular terms.

In human interaction, the term “saw-saw” is already overrated. It has a lot of meanings and implications. I remember one time, when we were having our pastoral planning for BEC in the seminary, one seminarian commented, “Nami gid guro kung may ara kita kuntani sang konkreto nga plano sa BEC kay basi bala ‘saw-saw saw-saw’ lang ang himuon naton didto”. True enough, “saw-saw” can be understood in the context of a cliché, wherein you just have to involve yourself in a conversation, but not alleviating the situation or contributing to the solution of a problem. In the course of time, this term actually evolved into something negative because in the technical sense of the word, based on popular usage, “saw-saw” would simply mean to pry, to meddle or to participate in a conversation which you are not actually part of. In short, “saw-saw” has been synonymous to “chismis”. I must admit that there were instances that I also had this notion of “saw-saw”. Hence, I got confused about the appropriate term that I should use if I would go for the depth of the experience. Sometimes, I’d like to use the term “makibabad” or “hulom-hulom” because they are more profound and appealing, but later on, I’ve figured out that they would also mean the same thing.

What does “saw-saw” really mean?

If I go back to its etymology, it would basically refer to an act of dipping one’s food to a “sawsawan”, a condiment made of vinegar, soy sauce (or fish sauce), kalamansi, onions, garlic, and hot peppers, which is a traditional Filipino custom of adding spice to that seemingly bland dish. In every street or corridor, there are a lot gastronomic specialties that are usually coupled with various sauces and dips. I know that oftentimes, it is just a matter of choice, but one could only satisfy his cravings whenever there’s an added zest or zing that would tickle his or her palate. Put it concretely, “Kung magbakal ka sang fishball, barbecue, ukon isaw, may ara gid ya nga sawsawan. Puwede ka kapili sang sabor nga gusto mo- matam-is, maaslom, maalat-alat, ukon makahang”.

This concept, in all its naivety, should really be the definition of the term “saw-saw”, meaning to plunge or to delve into something which an individual values the most.

During our Urban Poor Trial in Payatas, my classmate and I would complain on the outcome of our pastoral program since we were doing nothing for the entire day. We thought to ourselves that we were only there in order to be a burden to our host families who were struggling with poverty and survival. In our earnestness, we concluded that it could’ve been better if there was a specific program that we implemented so that we could have been of great help to the community. At a certain point, our idea was noble and productive but later, we figured out that we were only catering to our own needs and expectations, by trying to impose an ideal which was not actually expected or asked of us.

Looking back, it dawned on me that this is another nuance of the term “saw-saw”. I go to my area of ministry not just for the sole reason of making a difference in people’s lives by my initiatives, but the first thing that I should is to make my presence felt. Inasmuch as I would insist on my idealisms, at times, people would only ask me to have a watchful eye, a listening ear, and a prudent judgment in order that I may have a better grasp of their situation. Inasmuch as “saw-saw” would require transcendence over time, my experience with the marginalized taught me how to be open to a lot of possibilities by paying attention to the various dichotomies experienced by the people I met along the way. I know that my initial desire is to help and to make a change but it is still better not to assume at all, because there will be instances when all they ever ask of me are my sincerity in dealing with them and my willingness to listen to their various litanies in life— whether their spouses have left them for another partner, or their children have left school because of vices, or their despair in looking for jobs to sustain their family, or their “helplessness” in coping with the harshness of miserly life.

Therefore, as what the original etymology would suggest, I am able to savor the various “spices” of life by learning how to condescend with people and to come together as a community. This has added flavor to my own life as well as I continuously affirm this fact in every visit to my area of apostolate. “Sa padayon ko nga nga pangin saw-saw sa lain-lain nga sawsawan sang kabuhi, may bag-o na naman nga sabor sa akon nga panan-aw nahanungod sa akon mga kautoran sa komunidad kag sa nagapadayon nga kabuhi diri sa kalibutan”

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” (Leo Buscaglia)

46th Heartbeat

APOCALYPSE

Before the start of the new millennium, there have been reports circulating around the corner, involving various publications, media, internet, and even religion. There were radical claims that the end of the world will be at the onset of the year 2000. It was really petrifying for most, because the whole world was not geared up for this abominable possibility. According to popular beliefs, this turn of the new century will serve as the day of reckoning, where a violent and sudden end would terminate all life on earth. This could also denote major social and political upheavals that would occur around the world, particularly the so-called war of Armageddon in the Middle East. People really feared the day when God would pour horrendous wrath on most of humanity or Christ would return in what was referred to as the second coming.  These suppositions created hysteria among masses, some fleeing their homes and went to the mountains or burrows in order to hide. There were some fanatical groups who resorted to mass suicides because they were too afraid to face the actual catastrophe that will take place. People here and there would barge into supermarkets, hoarding stocks of food, clothing, medicines, electrical devices and other amenities because they didn’t want to grope in the dark. Everybody was in panic!

But when the clock struck at 12 midnight of January 1, 2000, there was jubilation rather than dread. And life came back to normal.

Not until now, when these abovementioned warnings came back with a vengeance, supported by various horrifying events that took place around the globe. Storms, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods and droughts served as a foretaste of this so-called “Armageddon”. However, it was not sheer fate that ascertained all of these disasters, for the results were actually consequences of the wanton destruction of the environment. Perhaps most of us are already familiar with Global Warming but there are some who are still confined in their apathy, thinking that everything in this world is inexhaustible and can exploited over and over again, only to regret later on when they have experienced the havoc brought about by their own capriciousness. In fact, our country was not spared because recently, we also had a dose of our own medicine. The chaos brought about by super typhoons “Ondoy” and “Peping” left a grim mark in the very consciousness of Filipinos, and these ruinous aftermaths will forever be written in the pages of our history.

Last year when I was assigned in a parish as a deacon, one of the many things that we did after the Typhoon Frank was to go to different schools and baranggays in order to give a short catechesis on ecology. In order to prepare myself, I had to watch a made for television documentary entitled, “Signos: Banta ng Nagbabagong Klima” that tackled climate change, which was the effect of variations in solar radiation, the Earth’s rotation in its orbit, mountain building and continental drifts, and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. The earth’s atmosphere is being protected by a layer that usually controls the temperature below and determines the life of our planet. But because of human activities, i.e. neglectful industrialization and modernization, there was a drastic change in our climate and ecological systems. The increase in our global temperature has caused sea levels to rise and changed the amount and distribution of precipitation throughout the world. Thus, the result was unpredictable weather events that in due course inflicted massive devastations.

For the record, prior to Ondoy and Peping (or even Frank), we already have experienced the worst of disasters and I just want to pinpoint some:

In the 2006 list of World’s deadliest disasters, the flashfloods that took place in different towns of Albay were included. The town of Guinobatan, which was badly ravaged by Typhoons Milenyo and Reming was entirely covered in lahar, changing the rural landscapes, with houses, rice fields, and live stocks being swept away, killing more than 700 persons.

In General Nakar, Quezon Province, the mountainous areas inhabited by the cultural group, the “Dumagat” was in dearth. They were forced to go down, abandoning their houses because they were experiencing too much dryness and humidity at the same time, and this has caused a deadly epidemic, Malaria contracted through mosquitoes.

In Baranggay Pilar, Bauang, La Union, the 30 hectares of land occupied by a big fishing community was reduced to a meager 3 hectares because of unpredictable rise of sea level that resulted in coastal erosion.

The Artex Compound in Malabon, Metro Manila who used to be a happy village that hosted merry fiestas and basketball tournaments was gradually drenched in flood waters because it became a catch basin of torrential rains, transforming the entire place into a water world, where people relied on paddling in order to make ends meet.

Having confronted with all of these horrifying events, I can’t help but think of the imminent end. Beyond the prophecies of doom, are scientific and practical claims that tell us to brace ourselves for more catastrophes, with an appeal to our very minds and hearts that we SHOULD REALLY LEARN from our mistakes. We only have one planet to subsist, and if we destroy this, life will be totally wiped out.

The Apocalypse is indeed very near.

45th Heartbeat

AN ANGEL IN DISGUISE

Angel of God, my guardian dear

To whom God’s love commits me here.

Ever this day/night be at my side

To light, to guard, to rule and guide.

Amen.

Angels are considered spiritual beings and the belief in their existence are found in many religious traditions. They are generally considered as messengers of God, for they are usually sent in order to do and fulfil God’s tasks.

Angels are often perceived to have human-like appearances and they usually have wings. At times, angels could also serve as guardians, protecting every human soul from possible harm. They serve as assurances of God’s abiding presence that no matter what happens, they are there to accompany, to guide, to defend and to watch over.

In the past week, angels were honoured twice through the celebration of two important feasts: The Feast of Archangels and the Feast of Guardian Angels. Although in our present age, it has been contested whether they really appeared in flesh or not to select individuals considering that there were claims that aver to such experiences (visions, or voices that communicate a warning, a feeling of being touched or lifted that saved an individual from a dangerous situation, an encounter with a human countenance with wings, in the form of extraordinarily beautiful or radiant human being, or a being of light), angels will always be understood as man’s defender and guide, and they continue to instil that firm faith in an individual’s heart, that someone is watching over him.

I myself would have wanted to see one, even just my own guardian angel. But in my day to day experiences, I have seen their marvellous works more than what I ever expected. Angels revealed themselves to me not as spiritual beings with wings attached to their backs for they would often disguise themselves as ordinary human persons capable of doing something divine- showing utmost generosity, estimable kindness,and unconditional love. They are angels who are willing to show their vulnerabilities and yet, go beyond their human strength just to save and protect somebody from harm. They are angels who set aside their personal wants and desires in order to attend to the dire needs of others. They are angels who have sacrificed their lives so that others may live.

There’s this timeless story of a young angel whose heart was big enough to offer something so precious, and his innocence brought him to a realization that he is capable of emptying himself for the sake of his older brother.

Once there were brothers who were so close to each other in such a way that they were not ashamed to show their affection to people because that was what their parents taught them. One day, the eldest got sick and was hospitalized. According to the findings of the doctors, he had a dengue fever and there was a need to undergo a series of blood transfusion because his blood platelets went down drastically, and if these will not be replaced immediately, he would eventually die. The parents were so desperate to look for donors and the cubic centimetres of blood that they were able to collect were not enough to meet the required prescription of the hospital. They even had themselves tested in order to check whether they have the same blood type with their son but unfortunately, none of them could be a potential donor. Anxious about the condition of their eldest son, they asked the doctor if it was also reasonable to have their youngest son tested in order to know his blood type, because he might be their one last hope. After few hours of waiting at the hallways of the clinical pathology section of the hospital, the parents was informed that the blood of their youngest was compatible with their eldest and that the former could be a possible donor. The parents, after knowing this from the Medical Technologist were so happy but worried at the same time because they didn’t know how to convince their youngest son to donate blood for his big brother. However, because of this urgent need, the mother unhesitatingly approached her youngest son and told him if he was willing to give his blood to his big brother, who was in a critical condition at the ICU during that time. The boy, who was barely eight years old then, paused for a while, looked at the distance in a very pensive mood, and with a soft, shaky voice said “yes” to the pleading of his mother. He had one condition though. He asked his mother if it was possible to put him to sleep while giving blood to his “Manong” so that he would not feel any pain. The mother granted his simple wish and soon enough, the young boy was put to sleep and the blood transfusion took place.After several hours, this young boy woke up and when he saw his mother, he cried out so hard that it caused a commotion inside the hospital. The mother asked her youngest son, “Are you alright?”; “Does it hurt still?”; “Is there anything wrong?” with a pat on his back, assuring him that the procedure was over and that he had nothing to worry about because his “Manong” was finally saved from dengue and can go home very soon, but the young boy continued crying leaving them confused. When he was finally appeased, the mother again asked him, “What happened to you? Are you alright?” The boy, still with tears from his eyes, told his mother, “Mama, naghibi ako kay hindi bangud masakit ang pagtuslok sang dagom sa akon. Naghibi ako kay nakibot gid ako nga-a nakabugtaw pa ako. Abi ko anay, para ma-save si Manong, ubuson gid sang doktor ang akon dugo kag indi na ako makabugtaw, te nga-a nakabugtaw pa ako haw? Wala man gali nila ginhatag tanan ko nga dugo kay Manong, te no na lang ato bi? Basi bala kulangon na naman sang dugo si Manong!” When the boy was telling this to his mother, the mother just cried profusely. In his innocence, the boy was very much willing to give, not just some cubic centimetres of his blood, but his very life just for the sake of his older brother. This little boy of eight was such an angel!

“Angels have no philosophy but love.” (Adeline Cullen)

44th Heartbeat

ASWANG

Do you believe in aswang?

This mythical creature gained so much popularity in Filipino folklore for it has been a subject of a wide variety of myths and stories, the details of which often vary greatly. Even Spanish colonizers claimed that the Aswang was the most feared among the mythical creatures of the Philippines, even in the 16th century.

The myth of the aswang is well known throughout the country. It is especially widely held in Capiz, Iloilo and Antique. It even assumed other regional names such as “tik-tik” and “wak-wak.” An aswang is often described as a combination of a vampire and a witch, but it also serves as a generic term applied to all types of witches and warlocks, mananangals, shape shifters and monsters. Aswang stories and definitions vary greatly from region to region and person to person, so no one particular set of characteristics are ascribed to the term. There are a lot of Filipinos who are very supersitious, and would adorn their homes with garlic bulbs, holy water and other objects believed to repel an aswang. Since the stories recount aswang eating unborn children, pregnancy is a time of great fear for those who are gullible to this lore. The wide variety of descriptions in the aswang stories make it difficult to settle upon a fixed definition of aswang appearances or activities. However, several common themes that differentiate aswangs from other mythological creatures do emerge: Aswangs are shape shifters. Aswangs would usually live as regular townspeople and they are oddly quiet, shy and elusive. At night, they transform into creatures that enjoy eating unborn fetuses and small children, devouring human livers and hearts. Some have long proboscises, which they use to suck the children out of their mothers’ wombs. Some also make noises, which are done to confuse its potential victim. They may also replace their live victims or stolen cadavers with surrogates made from tree trunks or other plant materials. This surrogate will return to the victim’s home, only to become sick and die. An aswang will also have bloodshot eyes, the result of staying up all night searching for houses where wakes are held to steal the bodies.[1]

When I was young, I have heard a lot of aswang stories from my folks. One of my relatives even told me that she and her companion had an encounter with an aswang on their way home from the wake. They saw a very huge and bizarre-looking pig that walked transversely along the road and this creature was trying to block their track. Scared of what might happen to them, they ran for their lives without minding the creeping darkness, and as soon as they reached their house, they were hysterical as they noticed a lot of bruises all over their bodies. What they have experienced during that spine-chilling night was the talk of the town the next day and they made a vow never to pass that route again. Hearing their story terrified me but I was quite sceptic then, as I conditioned myself that I will only believe if I will see one. Many years have passed and still there was no encounter on my part until I buried this possibility in my memory.

But I just encountered one this week. And mind you, it was a horrifying experience for me.

The aswang that I was referring to was not a creature that lurked in darkness, nor did it assume a beast-like appearance in order to frighten me. I didn’t come across this creature face to face but, having a detailed account of what he has done was enough reason for me to have chills down my spine. A mentally-ill man repeatedly hacked his mother and his father to death inside their residence in Pontevedra, Capiz. And to make things grosser, he decapitated his father with a bolo used in cutting sugarcane, placed the head inside a pot and boiled it. He even put some seasonings so as to come up with a concoction, and tasted the brew from time to time.

When I read this story of gore from the local newspaper, all I ever wanted to do was to puke. It was beyond madness because it showed how man has transformed itself into a monster, an unimaginable felony that can only be done by a vicious beast. The tales of aswang that used to fill me with fear and dread can now be hidden in my long forgotten desire and musing because I don’t have to see one in order to believe in something hideous and evil. Despite being considered as the highest form of creature, with the capacity of establishing a culture, technology and even civilization, man is still susceptible to savagery.

Oddly enough, humanity and monstrosity still subsist hand in hand, and this reality serves as a wakeup call for all of us.

43rd Heartbeat

THE PRINCE WHO BECAME A PAUPER

One of the most beloved stories penned by Mark Twain was the Prince and the Pauper. I find it amusing that a poor commoner and a young prince switched places just to get a feel of each other’s lives.In this classic tale, Tom Canty is a young man from a pheasant family who bears a striking resemblance to Prince Edward, the son of a King and eventually, the heir to the throne. Both of them met by chance, and they agreed that Edward will get to live as an ordinary boy, and Tom will be able to enjoy the life of a royalty. But what seemed to be a jocularity became an adventure of a lifetime, particularly when Tom discovered as he pretended to be Prince Edward that the castle is drenched in dishonesty and corruption. What I liked about the story was the fact that these two individuals had the capacity to shape their respective destinies, and learned from each other’s identity as they discovered the things they truly deserved.I know that in the end, they were brought back to where they truly belonged but they have learned a lot from the big switch: to claim the things that are rightfully theirs, to stand for the things they believe in, and to value authenticity, justice and kindness.

Last week, I also had the chance to meet the “Prince and the Pauper”. But this title does not refer to two individuals, but to one person who also experienced this “big switch” not because of the choice that he has made for himself but there were bad and cruel people who eventually brought him to a pitiable situation. Put simply, I happened to come in contact face to face with the “Prince who eventually became a Pauper”.

Tatay Ikot (His real name is Kiyohiko Miyasato) has been with our family for the longest time. He was known to be a very hardworking man who tended my grandparent’s farm. He and his sister, “Sichang” were brought here in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation, together with their Father who was a high-ranking military official. When the Second World War broke out, they were separated from their father and they were taken care of by their nanny as they stayed at my grandfather’s house. My mother told me that she used to encourage ‘Tay Ikot to study, but he was not interested in school. He would rather ride on the carabao and stay all day at the rice fields. Several years, he received a letter from the Japanese government, asking him to go back to his country and when he returned there, he found out that he is an heir to a lucrative jewelry shop business. He never realized that he was very rich until his cousins started to get jealous with him because of his fortune. One ill-fated day, he was kidnapped, shackled, tortured and left in the middle of a vast sugarcane plantation until he lost his mind. When the authorities found him, he was in a panic-stricken mode and his condition was the very reason why the wealth left by his father was not given to him. His cousins made the lawyers believe that he has a psychological sickness and this dimmed the chance of ‘Tay Ikot to get what he actually deserved. He came back to the Philippines, sunken, exasperated, and not in his proper state of mind. In the past years, we have seen him talking to himself, enraged at his fellow Japanese for making his life miserable. I actually had no idea about ‘Tay Ikot’s life until my mother told me everything about his harrowing and depressing experience from the merciless hands of his cousins.

Last weekend, I came to visit ‘Tay Ikot in order to give him the Sacrament of Holy Anointing. It was a heartbreaking experience for me upon seeing him confined to his bed, unable to stand because of the many complications that struck him. I saw in him a prince, who endured so much pain and strife through the years because of other people’s greed, envy, and ruthlessness. This prince did not have the slightest chance of residing in a castle and enjoying the lavish life of a royalty because he took on the character of a pauper, curbed into his own melancholic world, inside a shanty that could barely protect him from rain and cold.I just allowed my musing to look into the possibility of a sudden reversal of destiny as I asked myself: “Ano ayhan kung wala gid man ginkuha sa iya ang mga butang nga dapat kuntani sa iya, manggaranon na siguro si ‘Tay Ikot”. But the more I entertained this likelihood at the back of my mind, the more I felt disheartened for him. Man’s excessive desire for money and wealth has shattered ‘Tay Ikot’s only chance to experience a better life…a life that should have been rightfully his, as he now suffers from destitution, relying on the big-heartedness of his neighbors. In the many random acts of kindness shown to him by those who were moved by his wretched condition, all he could ever say is “Arigatou Gozai Masu” (Thank you very much!), and this simple utterance of gratitude served as his own way of holding on to that optimism that despite the ordeals he has gone through in his life, there are still people who are blameless, who are compassionate and who are generous to him.

I left his small crude shelter feeling distressed but I was reminded again of that true to life statement mentioned by Saint Paul in his First Letter to Timothy which I rephrased:

“The love of money, wealth, and power is the root of all evil…and a person’s eagerness to be rich, wealthy and powerful have wandered him away from God and later on, plunged himself into a more insufferable pain”.

I know that in God’s time, good will prevail over evil…justice will banish every trace of bigotry…love will overshadow the pain caused by selfishness and hatred. The prince will recover everything that has been taken pitilessly from him and he will live happily ever after.

Please pray for Tatay Ikot.

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42nd Heartbeat

FULFILLING A DESTINY (Post Candle @ 18 Reflection)

September 9, 2009. I was surprised to see people flocking into the entrance doors of Jaro Cathedral in order to attend the 5:30 P.M. Mass in honor of Our Blessed Mother, whose birthday we commemorated. Coincidentally, it was also the 18^th year anniversary of the parish weekly paper, Candle Light. In my reflection, I was actually groping for words especially on how I will be able to connect everything in order to make sense until I came up with one word: DESTINY.

Albert Einstein, one of the famous modern scientists who gave significant contributions in the field of Physics, defined destiny as “everything determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is ascertained for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, would all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper”. It appears that everything is written under the vast constellations of the night sky that we have no other choice but to submit ourselves to where fate will lead us in the offing. Einstein’s definition may sound appealing but I’m afraid if this will be taken seriously, it may create an attitude of passivity because it seems that there is nothing we can do to change our future, or maybe, if we really decide to pursue the things in store for us in all likelihood based on our human instinct, we are not given the optimism to creatively engage in them and be convinced that we personally claim them as our own.I still would like to believe that our destiny is a matter of choice and upon choosing, we will do our very best to attain what we truly deserve.

This understanding of destiny was actually my basis in reflecting upon the very life of Mary. Sacred Scripture does not actually record Mary’s nativity but it is still celebrated because of her significant role in the economy of salvation. It is not the individual greatness of Mary that the Church celebrates, but her part in man’s redemption, a task directly connected to the own coming of Jesus Christ into the world. Lumen Gentium, Vatican’s II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church supports this declaration by asserting that Mary’s birth lies at the coming together of the two Testaments–bringing to an end the stage of expectation and the promises and inaugurating the new times of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. Mary, the Daughter of Zion and ideal personification of Israel, is the last and most worthy representative of the People of the Old Covenant but at the same time she is “the hope and the dawn of the whole world.”[i] Given all these affirmations, perhaps I can conclude that Mary was destined to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the mother of the Redeemer, who in flesh, carried in her womb this promised Messiah, the Emmanuel that signifies “God is definitely with us”. But pondering upon her life, this destiny that she accepted is not something passive, because she worked hard in order that this may reach fulfilment through the Paschal Mystery of her Son- the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Cross. She actually introduced a paradox which most of us never learn, even in our entire lifetime: that destiny is not just received or accepted but it is also something that we work for; that hope is not just merely an expectation of something out of nothing but an acknowledgement of our present gifts, as we await for the greater gifts that are yet to come. Her coming into the world as well as her motherhood is a fusion of predestination and grace, by which our faith and reason are given this extra-ordinary privilege of unfolding the mystery of the Word made Flesh through the humanity of Jesus Christ.

Last week when we were having breakfast, Fr. Andy shared to us priests that everything that was blessed, inaugurated, and launched during the birthday of Mama Mary became successful and lasting. He actually made mention three important institutions that have been present in our parish for the longest time- The Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Kinder School, the Libreria Candelaria and of course, our Parish Weekly Paper, the Candle Light. Guided by this certainty, the Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative was also launched on the Nativity of Our Mother with a blessing of the Candle-Making Factory in Buhang, Jaro. With all these important happenings in the life of our parish, I am again reminded of that word “destiny” particularly in the continued existence of Candle Light. I would like to believe that there are things that are destined to last long, confidently surpassing the various challenges of time not only because it is preordained, but because there are really persons who have worked hard for its fulfilment. And this is perhaps the untold secret of Candle Light’s continuing success, a reminiscent of what Saint Ignatius of Loyola taught about Divine Providence which complements the real definition of destiny: “To pray as if everything is dependent on God, and to work as if everything is dependent on us”.

While collating all the articles for the special anniversary edition of Candlelight, I was able to read the two articles submitted by Fr. Andy and I gave myself a deep sigh upon knowing the things the he went through as he, being the second editor, together with his editorial staff endured the birth pains of Candle Light. He admitted that one of the causes for the signature limp and cane when he was in the cathedral was Candlelight.Stress was not the culprit of his arthritis but stress worsened the pain and he thought to himself that was the reason why it dramatically subsided when he was transferred to another parish. He also mentioned that one of the underlying reasons why Fr. Emman, the third editor lost his hair was because of the stress he got from Candle Light. Good thing though, that in my time, before I assumed the responsibility as the tenth Candlelight editor, I already lost all of my hair (because I was doomed to be bald!) and I was confident enough to claim that there was nothing to lose anymore and the only prevailing indications of my stress were my bulging eye bags and my insatiable appetite for food.

But mind you, it was a necessary stress. At the end of the day, after we have submitted the lay-out for printing, after we have seen eager parishioners getting copies of our weekly paper, after we have received feedback from people who have the sincerest desire of supporting us despite our limitations and unworthiness, we realized that service is already our reward, and we believe that this stress is something born out of love and generosity. It is a stress that did not topple us into disillusionment and urged us to give up. It is a stress that actually gave us the willingness and enthusiasm to think, to reflect, to ponder, to pray, to write and to publish over and over again in the past eighteen years.

Hence, in my little and humble column this week, let me take this opportunity to thank each and everyone for your unceasing support to our Parish Weekly Paper. I know that it is not just sheer luck why Candle Light has gone this far. And to quote Manong Rio, the first editor of our Parish Weekly Paper, “Candle Light will never be appreciated apart from what it has been”.

P.S.

Some of these thoughts are excerpts from the homily I delivered during the 5:30 P.M. Mass last Tuesday, September 9, 2009.

41st Heartbeat

PESTENG YAWA! (A story of Violence)

“Pesteng Yawa Ka!”

I heard this expression from old folks in our baranggay several years ago and they usually blurt this out whenever they curse somebody who has offended them so much. The statement was born out of one’s hatred and would also entail the consequence of not giving the person a chance to redeem himself and be forgiven.

In its etymology, the expression is somewhat petrifying because it signifies two gruesome things in life: the “pest” and the “devil”…the “bane of one’s existence” and the “brute”. Sometimes, in my jocularity, I’d like to think that this “Pesteng Yawa” can be translated as “The Devilish Pest” or “The Pest-y Devil” But to use this translation in regular conversation could be the most degrading insult you can give to the human person because it’s like drowning him into the great abyss, wishing and hoping that he is rather dead than living.

Last week, I had an encounter with this “Pesteng Yawa”, a devil in disguise through a testimony narrated to me by the sister of the victim of a shoot-out. I’d like to believe in the inner goodness of the person but to those whom this “Pesteng Yawa” has hurt so much, it was so difficult for them to accept this fact. The family of the victim wanted this devil to be banished from their very eyes because they could no longer contain their abhorrence. They would want the authorities to hasten their investigation and manhunt so that the culprit will be put behind bars and suffer the perpetual incarceration. While listening to them, there was so much loathing and I was drained emotionally after the conversation.

This story of violence started with a happy and closely-knitted family. They lived harmoniously in a compound where they treated each other with much respect, supporting one another in difficult times. Then one day, the brother of the wife of the victim decided to live with them. He stayed on the other room together with his own wife and children. Everything went on smoothly except for occasional rift between the victim and his wife’s brother but it was more of a “war of the words” especially when the victim is drunk and frenzied. He would utter derogatory and sarcastic statements that often annoyed the brother of his wife. But the next morning, the victim would still find ways to settle things for good considering that he didn’t mean to say those words and he valued the fact that they are a “family.However, one ill-fated evening, the victim was drunk again and created a commotion inside their compound. His wife’s brother got upset again but never said a word. Little did they know that he bought a gun and was ready to pull the trigger during that time. When the victim went out of their wooden gate, he was shot and helplessly sprawled on the ground. He was begging to his wife’s brother not to shoot anymore but to no avail. He was gunned down over and over again until he breathed his last. There was bloodshed in the neighborhood. People panicked as they responded to the victim. The culprit and his family were able to escape that until now, they could not be found despite the thorough investigation of the authorities. The “Pesteng Yawa” found solace in the oblivion of darkness and evil.

As I was talking to the sister of the victim, I felt her pain and anguish. They wanted to take revenge. They wanted this criminal, whom they considered as “part of the family” to suffer exactly what their defenceless brother had endured in his vicious hands. In the period of our conversation, I never said a word at all because I was stunned by the things that had happened. On my way home, there was a deafening silence around me as I pondered on the existence of evil in this world. Paradoxically, this evil was created by man himself, who is considered as the pinnacle of creation- formed, shaped, fashioned after the image and likeness of God.There was a protest on my part because I have always been a firm believer in the inner goodness of the human person. Nagapati gid ko nga ang Dios wala nagtuga sining “Pesteng Yawa”.

In my consternation, I just said a little prayer, particularly to this person who has gone astray because he could no longer face the crime he has committed. If he is hiding right now, I believe that it is not just for the reason of keeping himself away from the authorities or the family of the victim. Hopefully, his escape will become an opportunity to look into his very self from the vantage point of right and wrong. I’d like to imagine that he is being bothered by his conscience right now and it will be the most difficult thing to deal with because it will make him culpable before God, who created him in the first place. Perhaps, this “Pesteng Yawa” will later on surrender to the authorities, will be subjected to the mandates of the civil law, will get jailed for life, but will eventually redeem himself before his Creator.

“In violence we forget who we truly are” (Mary McCarthy) because we choose to turn ourselves into evil rather than good…the human person that God wants us to be.

Homily Delivered During the 18th Candle Light Anniversary Mass

Maayong Hapon sa inyo tanan!

I was actually groping for words last night on what I will share to you this evening after being requested by Bishop Gerry to give the homily on this Birthday of Our Blessed Mother. Coincidentally, it is also the 18^th year anniversary of our weekly paper, Candle Light. I was trying to figure out how I will connect everything in order to make sense until I came up with one word: DESTINY. And so, allow me to share to your some few thoughts about destiny.

Albert Einstein, one of the famous modern scientists who gave significant contributions in the field of Physics, defined destiny as “everything determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is ascertained for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, would all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper”. It appears that everything is written under the vast constellations of the night sky that we have no other choice but to submit ourselves to where fate will lead us in the offing. Einstein’s definition may sound appealing but I’m afraid if this will be taken seriously, it may create an attitude of passivity because it seems that there is nothing we can do to change our future, or maybe, if we really decide to pursue the things in store for us in all likelihood based on our human instinct, we are not given the optimism to creatively engage in them and be convinced that we personally claim them as our own.I still would like to believe that our destiny is a matter of choice and upon choosing, we will do our very best to attain what we truly deserve.

This understanding of destiny was actually my basis in reflecting upon the very life of Mary, whose birth anniversary we celebrate today. Sacred Scripture does not actually record Mary’s nativity and perhaps the earliest known writing regarding her birth can be found in the Protoevangelium of James, which is an apocryphal writing from the late second century, but nevertheless we still celebrate because of Mary’s role in the economy of salvation. It is not the individual greatness of Mary that the Church celebrates, but her role in man’s redemption, a role directly connected to Jesus Christ’s own coming into the world. Besides, what matters is not the historicity of the account, but the significance of Mary’s birth as well as of Jesus. Lumen Gentium, Vatican’s II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church supports this declaration by asserting that Mary’s birth lies at the coming together of the two Testaments–bringing to an end the stage of expectation and the promises and inaugurating the new times of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. Mary, the Daughter of Zion and ideal personification of Israel, is the last and most worthy representative of the People of the Old Covenant but at the same time she is “the hope and the dawn of the whole world.” With her, the elevated Daughter of Zion, after a long expectation of the promises, the times are fulfilled and a new economy is established. Ginapakita sang aton pagtuluohan ang labing dako nga responsibilidad ni Maria sa kaluwasan sang katawohan. Given all these affirmations, perhaps we can conclude that Mary was destined to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the mother of the Redeemer, who in flesh, carried in her womb this promised Messiah, the Emmanuel that signifies “God is definitely with us”. But if we reflect upon her life, this destiny that she accepted is not something passive, because she worked hard in order that this may reach fulfilment through the Paschal Mystery of her Son- the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Cross. She actually introduced a paradox which most of us never learn, even in our lifetime: that destiny is not just received or accepted but it is also something that we work for. That hope is not just merely an expectation of something out of nothing but an acknowledgement of our present gifts, as we await for the greater gifts that are yet to come. Her coming into the world as well as her motherhood is a mixture of predestination and grace, by which our faith and reason are given this extra-ordinary privilege of unfolding the mystery of the Word made Flesh through the humanity of Jesus Christ.

Sa akon nga pagpamalandong sining realidad nahanungod sa Pagkatawo sang Mahal nga Birhen Maria, ginpamalandungan ko man ang kaangtanan sini sa Pagkatawo man mismo sang aton Parish Weekly Paper, Candle Light. Sang nagligad nga semana, si Fr. Andy nag-share sa amon samtang kami nagapamahaw nga ang tanan kuno nga ginabendisyunan kag gina-launch sa sini nga adlaw ginabugayan gid sing bug-os sang Mahal nga Dios paagi sa pag-ampo sang Mahal nga Birhen sang Candelaria. And he made mention three important institutions that have been present in our parish for the longest time- The Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Kinder School, the Libreria Candelaria and of course, our Parish Weekly Paper, the Candle Light. Amo man ini ang rason nga-a subong nga adlaw, ginbendisyunan man sang aton pinalangga nga Kura Paroko ang bag-o naton nga Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative sa may Buhang, Jaro, nga may tampad kag himpit nga paglaum nga ini sa ulihi mangin mabinungahon man paagi sa pag-giya sang aton Mahal nga Birhen. With all these important happenings in the life of our parish, I am again reminded of that word “destiny” particularly in the continued existence of Candle Light, whose 18^th birthday we also celebrate today. I would like to believe that there are things that are destined to last long, confidently surpassing the various challenges of time not only because it is preordained, but because there are really persons who have worked hard for its fulfilment. And this is perhaps the untold secret of Candle Light’s continuing success which reminded me of what Saint Ignatius of Loyola taught about Divine Providence which complements the real definition of destiny: “To pray as if everything is dependent on God, and to work as if everything is dependent on us”.

Kagapon, ginbasa ko gid sang masunson ang duha ka article nga ginsubmit ni Fr. Andy para sa special issue sang Candle Light subong nga adlaw, and I gave myself a deep sigh upon knowing the things the he went through as he, being the second editor, together with his editorial staff endured the birth pains of Candle Light. He admitted that one of the causes for the signature limp and cane when he was in the cathedral was Candlelight.Stress is not the cause of arthritis but stress can worsen the pain of arthritis and he thought to himself that was the reason why it dramatically subsided when he was transferred to another parish. He also mentioned that one of the underlying reasons why Fr. Emman, the third editor lost his hair was also because of the stress he got from Candle Light. Mayo lang gid kay sa akon na nga tiempo, bag-o ako nag-assume sang akon responsibilidad bilang ikana-pulo nga editor sang Candle Light, naubos na ya ang buhok sa akon ulo and I’m confident enough to claim the fact that there is nothing to lose anymore and the prevailing indications of my stress are my bulging eye bags and my insatiable appetite for food. But don’t get me wrong. It’s not that we are complaining about the stress that we get for accepting the difficult position of being your Candle Light Editors in the past and in the present. At the end of the day, after we have submitted the lay-out for printing, after we have seen eager parishioners getting copies of our weekly paper, after we have received feedback from people who have the sincerest desire of supporting us despite our limitations and unworthiness, I, for myself, could speak in behalf of our former editors that it was a necessary stress…a stress born out of love and service…a stress that did not bring us into disillusionment and urged us to give up…a stress that actually gave us more courage and enthusiasm to think, to reflect, to ponder, to pray, to write and to publish over and over again in the past eighteen years.

Let me take this opportunity to thank each and everyone for your unceasing support to our Parish Weekly Paper. I know that it is not just sheer luck why Candle Light has gone this far. And to quote Manong Rio, the first editor of our Parish Weekly Paper, “Candle Light will never be appreciated apart from what it has been”. Kabay nga paagi sa pagpangamuyo sang aton Mahal nga Iloy, maangkon naton ang tinutuyo kag ginalauman sang aton huna-huna kag taguipusoon. Kabay nga ang tanan nga bugay nga nagikan sa kaalwan sang aton Amay mangin kahigayunan para sa aton tanan sa pagtuman sang iya kabubot-on samtang ginapatigayon naton ang aton tagsa-tagsa nga mga hilikuton, para sa pagdayaw kag paghimaya sang iya Ngalan.