I thought I was just gonna let the never-ending issue on "C-5" go and die a natural death. That is until I came across an analysis which Ms. Winnie Monsod reported on QTV. I thought I'd like to share it with you.
Showing posts with label opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label opinion. Show all posts
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Unleashing catastrophe
Let me share with you the editorial of the Philippine Daily Inquirer last January 17, 2010
(Filed Under: Laws)
THE decision of the Supreme Court to reverse itself on the League of Cities case last December, after its original ruling had become final and executory last May, is a ticking time bomb placed directly under the rule of law. When it explodes, the first casualty will be the Court itself.
In the constitutional crisis that shook the country after more than a third of the members of the House of Representatives voted to impeach Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. in 2003, the role of the Court as final arbiter of legal controversies was vigorously affirmed.
At that time, we wrote in this space: “The mere fact that some of the country’s best legal minds ... could not agree on a single position on the issue at hand is not a sign of confusion. It is a sign that the law may be a demanding mistress, but it is not an exact science. It is also proof that, if the Supreme Court did not exist, it would be necessary to invent it. Top lawyers may argue about the constitutionality of an issue, but at a certain point somebody must step in and decide. According to the Constitution, that somebody is not the Senate or the House; it is the Supreme Court.”
But last Dec. 19, a slender majority of six justices voted against this very principle. The Court’s reversal of the original League of Cities decision violated the governing idea that “at a certain point somebody must step in and decide.” The Court had in fact already stepped in and decided on the fate of the 16 cityhood laws that were the subject of the case; they were deemed unconstitutional by majority vote on Nov. 18, 2008; a motion for reconsideration was rejected by majority vote; a second motion for reconsideration was denied by a tie vote. On May 21, 2009, the ruling became final and executory.
And yet the Court decided to open the case again. Justice Antonio Carpio’s withering dissent in the League of Cities case quoted the petitioners’ view that “[n]otably, respondents craftily phrased and titled their motions based on the Court’s last denial order or resolution, and deliberately avoided reference to the previous repeated denials by the Court.” It is a shame that enough members of the Court agreed to reopen the case despite such duplicitous conduct.
It is a bigger shame, indeed it is a cause for apprehension about the future of the high court itself, that enough justices voted to overturn the ruling.
The argument against revisiting decisions already deemed final and executory is settled consensus; it is a by-now-unremarkable part of the law of the land. Carpio’s dissent offers a vigorous restating of the Court’s previous rulings. “Well-entrenched is the rule that a decision that has acquired finality becomes immutable and unalterable, no longer subject to attack and cannot be modified directly or indirectly, and the court which rendered it, including this Court, had lost jurisdiction to modify it. The Court laid down this rule precisely ‘(1) to avoid delay in the administration of justice and thus procedurally, to make orderly the discharge of judicial business, and; (2) to put an end to judicial controversies, at the risk of occasional errors, which is why courts exist.’”
And yet the Supreme Court not only revisited the case; it reversed itself. This unfortunate series of events can only erode the people’s confidence in the rule of law, and undermine the credibility of the Court. We can, legitimately, ask: If there is no such thing as a final and executory ruling, can there be an end to legal and judicial controversies? If the Supreme Court declines to respect its own jurisprudence, can anyone expect the ordinary citizen to respect the Court’s rulings? If sheer majority rule, not the hallowed principle of facts and the law, determines the decisions of the Supreme Court, can the public stop itself from treating the justices as the politicians they have become?
Carpio’s dissent defined the stakes. “Such an unprecedented ruling would resurrect contentious political issues long ago settled ... Countless other decisions of this Court would come back to haunt it ... Such a ruling would destabilize not only this Court, but also the Executive and Legislative Branches ... Business transactions made pursuant to final decisions of this Court would also unravel for another round of litigation ... This Court cannot afford to unleash such a catastrophe on the nation.”
The bomb is ticking.
(Filed Under: Laws)
THE decision of the Supreme Court to reverse itself on the League of Cities case last December, after its original ruling had become final and executory last May, is a ticking time bomb placed directly under the rule of law. When it explodes, the first casualty will be the Court itself.
In the constitutional crisis that shook the country after more than a third of the members of the House of Representatives voted to impeach Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. in 2003, the role of the Court as final arbiter of legal controversies was vigorously affirmed.
At that time, we wrote in this space: “The mere fact that some of the country’s best legal minds ... could not agree on a single position on the issue at hand is not a sign of confusion. It is a sign that the law may be a demanding mistress, but it is not an exact science. It is also proof that, if the Supreme Court did not exist, it would be necessary to invent it. Top lawyers may argue about the constitutionality of an issue, but at a certain point somebody must step in and decide. According to the Constitution, that somebody is not the Senate or the House; it is the Supreme Court.”
But last Dec. 19, a slender majority of six justices voted against this very principle. The Court’s reversal of the original League of Cities decision violated the governing idea that “at a certain point somebody must step in and decide.” The Court had in fact already stepped in and decided on the fate of the 16 cityhood laws that were the subject of the case; they were deemed unconstitutional by majority vote on Nov. 18, 2008; a motion for reconsideration was rejected by majority vote; a second motion for reconsideration was denied by a tie vote. On May 21, 2009, the ruling became final and executory.
And yet the Court decided to open the case again. Justice Antonio Carpio’s withering dissent in the League of Cities case quoted the petitioners’ view that “[n]otably, respondents craftily phrased and titled their motions based on the Court’s last denial order or resolution, and deliberately avoided reference to the previous repeated denials by the Court.” It is a shame that enough members of the Court agreed to reopen the case despite such duplicitous conduct.
It is a bigger shame, indeed it is a cause for apprehension about the future of the high court itself, that enough justices voted to overturn the ruling.
The argument against revisiting decisions already deemed final and executory is settled consensus; it is a by-now-unremarkable part of the law of the land. Carpio’s dissent offers a vigorous restating of the Court’s previous rulings. “Well-entrenched is the rule that a decision that has acquired finality becomes immutable and unalterable, no longer subject to attack and cannot be modified directly or indirectly, and the court which rendered it, including this Court, had lost jurisdiction to modify it. The Court laid down this rule precisely ‘(1) to avoid delay in the administration of justice and thus procedurally, to make orderly the discharge of judicial business, and; (2) to put an end to judicial controversies, at the risk of occasional errors, which is why courts exist.’”
And yet the Supreme Court not only revisited the case; it reversed itself. This unfortunate series of events can only erode the people’s confidence in the rule of law, and undermine the credibility of the Court. We can, legitimately, ask: If there is no such thing as a final and executory ruling, can there be an end to legal and judicial controversies? If the Supreme Court declines to respect its own jurisprudence, can anyone expect the ordinary citizen to respect the Court’s rulings? If sheer majority rule, not the hallowed principle of facts and the law, determines the decisions of the Supreme Court, can the public stop itself from treating the justices as the politicians they have become?
Carpio’s dissent defined the stakes. “Such an unprecedented ruling would resurrect contentious political issues long ago settled ... Countless other decisions of this Court would come back to haunt it ... Such a ruling would destabilize not only this Court, but also the Executive and Legislative Branches ... Business transactions made pursuant to final decisions of this Court would also unravel for another round of litigation ... This Court cannot afford to unleash such a catastrophe on the nation.”
The bomb is ticking.
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Editorial of the 2009 Fiesta Souvenir Program
Renewal of Family and Society, Calbayog Fiesta and Other Thoughts
By Dorie Magbutay - Lee
It was the escape from the frigid winter of Wisconsin to the balmy, sunny days of Arizona in late February that gave my husband, Len and I, the chance to see Emma again and meet her husband, Felix. In their lovely summer home in Mesa, Arizona, we basked not only in the sunshine but also in their hospitality. We had the opportunity to view the paintings of Felix’s that mirrored the beauty and majesty of the mountains, big blue sky and deserts of Arizona.
During this visit and subsequent e-mails, Emma informed me of her being one of the hermanas for the Calbayog City fiesta this year. (The other two co-celebrants are her sisters, Venan, and her friend Edele.) She also asked me if I could write something for the program that they are preparing for the fiesta - either about Calbayog or the theme of the fiesta.
Wow! What could this expatriate of 33 years write about Calbayog? Nothing but of some old memories and experiences as a student and teacher at Christ the King College. So, I turned into looking at the theme of the city fiesta: Towards 2010 and Beyond: Mary and the Eucharist in the Renewal of Family and Society. Not an easy topic either! But there are some personal thoughts of how I would go renewing myself through Mary and Eucharist.
What exactly is renewal, I asked myself and how will I go about this task? Not knowing exactly the mission and structure that the Parish of Our Lady's Nativity set up to accomplish this task transformation, I will go on my own exploration as to how the lives of Mary and Jesus (the Eucharist) can help me develop concrete approaches to help deepen my faith through increasing my understanding of Catholic teachings, the reception of the sacraments, practice of morality and prayer and how to connect and manifest all this in my everyday life, thus achieving renewal personality, and through my own example influence those in my family and other people in the community. A very tall order, indeed!
Living Christ made possible through the reception of the Eucharist is a daunting task. Modeling my life after Mary, the Mother of God, who is full of Divine Grace and free from original sin seems such an impossible task for an ordinary, run-of-the-mill Catholic woman like me! So, what in Mary’s life can help me renew myself?
Thinking of Mary as the embodiment of Divine Grace and Faith in God, the Mother of Jesus Christ, assumed and crowned in heaven, fills me with awe and wonderment but does not invoke any feeling other than that of supplication in time of need and consolation in time of sorrow. I need a more human connection with Mary to realize I can be more connected to her and through her to her Son, Jesus Christ, who comes to us in the Sacrament of Real Presence, the Eucharist.
Very little is known of Mary as a girl. However, we know through the Feast of Annunciation, that the angel Gabriel told her that she is the woman chosen to be the Mother of Jesus. Jesus and Mary: Redeemer and Redeemed! A mystery, but what could I get out of this relationship that I could meditate on and apply it to my own life? Here are some thoughts:
Mary had complete faith in God. Although perplexed that she would carry a Child when she knows no man, she bowed to the Will of God, when she responded, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, Be it done unto me according to thy Word.” How often do I fail to accept events that happen in my life; pray only for the good things in life and the bad things to go away!
Mary had physically experienced being pregnant. Although Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, the God-Man, was born of the Virgin Mary. She must have gone through all the pains of morning sickness, of the sense of bloating, back aches, labor pains, and all this! This I could relate to.
Mary experienced the joys, the fears and agony of being a parent. Just imagine the joy and the pride of seeing a son growing strong and intelligent that He can engage in discussion with the elders in the Temple, the fear and apprehension in going into exile to Egypt for the safety of her newborn baby, the anxiety of looking for a young son who wandered off, the agony of seeing her son accused of a crime, scourged, humiliated, and carrying a cross around town and crucified as a criminal!
Behind all these events Mary had Joseph, a man of faith, betrothed to Mary, (who became pregnant before they were married) who accepted the will of God without question, the man that took care of her and baby Jesus with quiet strength and forbearance. What a man for a husband!
The Eucharist, the mystery that transcends reason, when Jesus Christ offers His own Body and Blood to mankind. I believe and accept this most central of beliefs in my Catholic faith. All things are possible, if God wills it so. Just as Jesus united Himself with Mary in her womb, I take communion, I take in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. As Mary became the Vessel of God, when she became pregnant with Jesus, I receive the Real Presence of Jesus when I partake of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
With these thoughts of Mary and Jesus Christ, is it possible for me to live the life of the Christ? How does one do that?
We verbally profess our faith every time we recite the Creed, but
Unless heart and will be added, they will all be empty forms, mere appearance of piety.
At such a spectacle, the Virgin, borrowing the words of Jesus Christ, would address us with the just reproach: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”. (Matthew XV, 8).
How do I add my heart and will to my faith? In addition to what the Church expects me to do, I think I could renew and rededicate myself by doing everyday the simple things I do to live my life.
To give thanks to God for each new day as I rise in the morning.
To tell and show my husband, my family and grandchildren how I love them and how they enrich my life.
To speak kindly and do deeds of kindness to everyone I meet daily.
To say thank you and show appreciation to the gentle words and kindness shown to me.
To think ill of no one, to do nothing that will hurt someone.
To use my gifts and talents for my own good and those of others.
To use the gifts of this Earth wisely, consume only enough for me and my family’s needs and converse the rest for the use of others and future generations.
And before I retire for the night, to give thanks to God for the chance to do His will today despite the distractions and difficulties.
And above all, thanks to whoever thought of making the Nativity of Mary, the Feast Day of Calbayog. Of all the Marian Feast days they could choose from, they picked on that we all can relate to – a birthday!
Have a great celebration of Mary’s birthday, people of Calbayog. God bless you all!
By Dorie Magbutay - Lee
It was the escape from the frigid winter of Wisconsin to the balmy, sunny days of Arizona in late February that gave my husband, Len and I, the chance to see Emma again and meet her husband, Felix. In their lovely summer home in Mesa, Arizona, we basked not only in the sunshine but also in their hospitality. We had the opportunity to view the paintings of Felix’s that mirrored the beauty and majesty of the mountains, big blue sky and deserts of Arizona.
During this visit and subsequent e-mails, Emma informed me of her being one of the hermanas for the Calbayog City fiesta this year. (The other two co-celebrants are her sisters, Venan, and her friend Edele.) She also asked me if I could write something for the program that they are preparing for the fiesta - either about Calbayog or the theme of the fiesta.
Wow! What could this expatriate of 33 years write about Calbayog? Nothing but of some old memories and experiences as a student and teacher at Christ the King College. So, I turned into looking at the theme of the city fiesta: Towards 2010 and Beyond: Mary and the Eucharist in the Renewal of Family and Society. Not an easy topic either! But there are some personal thoughts of how I would go renewing myself through Mary and Eucharist.
What exactly is renewal, I asked myself and how will I go about this task? Not knowing exactly the mission and structure that the Parish of Our Lady's Nativity set up to accomplish this task transformation, I will go on my own exploration as to how the lives of Mary and Jesus (the Eucharist) can help me develop concrete approaches to help deepen my faith through increasing my understanding of Catholic teachings, the reception of the sacraments, practice of morality and prayer and how to connect and manifest all this in my everyday life, thus achieving renewal personality, and through my own example influence those in my family and other people in the community. A very tall order, indeed!
Living Christ made possible through the reception of the Eucharist is a daunting task. Modeling my life after Mary, the Mother of God, who is full of Divine Grace and free from original sin seems such an impossible task for an ordinary, run-of-the-mill Catholic woman like me! So, what in Mary’s life can help me renew myself?
Thinking of Mary as the embodiment of Divine Grace and Faith in God, the Mother of Jesus Christ, assumed and crowned in heaven, fills me with awe and wonderment but does not invoke any feeling other than that of supplication in time of need and consolation in time of sorrow. I need a more human connection with Mary to realize I can be more connected to her and through her to her Son, Jesus Christ, who comes to us in the Sacrament of Real Presence, the Eucharist.
Very little is known of Mary as a girl. However, we know through the Feast of Annunciation, that the angel Gabriel told her that she is the woman chosen to be the Mother of Jesus. Jesus and Mary: Redeemer and Redeemed! A mystery, but what could I get out of this relationship that I could meditate on and apply it to my own life? Here are some thoughts:
Mary had complete faith in God. Although perplexed that she would carry a Child when she knows no man, she bowed to the Will of God, when she responded, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, Be it done unto me according to thy Word.” How often do I fail to accept events that happen in my life; pray only for the good things in life and the bad things to go away!
Mary had physically experienced being pregnant. Although Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, the God-Man, was born of the Virgin Mary. She must have gone through all the pains of morning sickness, of the sense of bloating, back aches, labor pains, and all this! This I could relate to.
Mary experienced the joys, the fears and agony of being a parent. Just imagine the joy and the pride of seeing a son growing strong and intelligent that He can engage in discussion with the elders in the Temple, the fear and apprehension in going into exile to Egypt for the safety of her newborn baby, the anxiety of looking for a young son who wandered off, the agony of seeing her son accused of a crime, scourged, humiliated, and carrying a cross around town and crucified as a criminal!
Behind all these events Mary had Joseph, a man of faith, betrothed to Mary, (who became pregnant before they were married) who accepted the will of God without question, the man that took care of her and baby Jesus with quiet strength and forbearance. What a man for a husband!
The Eucharist, the mystery that transcends reason, when Jesus Christ offers His own Body and Blood to mankind. I believe and accept this most central of beliefs in my Catholic faith. All things are possible, if God wills it so. Just as Jesus united Himself with Mary in her womb, I take communion, I take in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. As Mary became the Vessel of God, when she became pregnant with Jesus, I receive the Real Presence of Jesus when I partake of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
With these thoughts of Mary and Jesus Christ, is it possible for me to live the life of the Christ? How does one do that?
We verbally profess our faith every time we recite the Creed, but
Unless heart and will be added, they will all be empty forms, mere appearance of piety.
At such a spectacle, the Virgin, borrowing the words of Jesus Christ, would address us with the just reproach: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”. (Matthew XV, 8).
How do I add my heart and will to my faith? In addition to what the Church expects me to do, I think I could renew and rededicate myself by doing everyday the simple things I do to live my life.
To give thanks to God for each new day as I rise in the morning.
To tell and show my husband, my family and grandchildren how I love them and how they enrich my life.
To speak kindly and do deeds of kindness to everyone I meet daily.
To say thank you and show appreciation to the gentle words and kindness shown to me.
To think ill of no one, to do nothing that will hurt someone.
To use my gifts and talents for my own good and those of others.
To use the gifts of this Earth wisely, consume only enough for me and my family’s needs and converse the rest for the use of others and future generations.
And before I retire for the night, to give thanks to God for the chance to do His will today despite the distractions and difficulties.
And above all, thanks to whoever thought of making the Nativity of Mary, the Feast Day of Calbayog. Of all the Marian Feast days they could choose from, they picked on that we all can relate to – a birthday!
Have a great celebration of Mary’s birthday, people of Calbayog. God bless you all!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Father
(A friend of mine who writes for the Samar Sunday Star, a weekly newspaper in Calbayog came up with an article in time for the Fathers' Day edition of the said paper. I thought it was just another piece about fathers, until I realized that it also had to do with fathers of a different kind - the ones who are supposed to care for our souls. Let me share with you that article.)
FATHER (by Eunice Ji*)
The month of June is here again. It is with great excitement that I enter into my world of grateful reminiscence once again every time we celebrate Father’s Day. Fond memories with the “great men of my life” always make me wish I am a little girl once more. As I wrote this I felt very emotional in praising God for giving me them. Ain’t I lucky?
It is very ironic though that at the very same time I also felt immeasurable sadness for the youth of today. Leo J. Trese, in his book MANY ARE ONE, exposed that “…in the primitive times, the father of the family was also the priest”. Eureka! I finally found the final piece to complete the puzzle I was so long trying to piece together to somehow find the answers to my innumerable whys – the causes of our ever increasing number of lost souls, both of this world and those in the other locations.
Like St. Thomas Moore, I think the most of us are also dreaming his dream for utopia. For who wouldn’t be? The killings that happened for the past few weeks are very disconcerting. It is a glaring truth that we have totally lost our reverence for life. I cry inside for every un-fateful eventuality, look up to the heavens and offer prayer, for that is all I can do. Literally, I sigh, where have all our fathers gone? What have they done when their kids were young? Where were they when their children needed them? What are they doing now? And I cry some more. Every time I feel the frustration I still shed tears of pain and loneliness maybe in realization that the dream will remain but a dream. What with the way things are.
As if this is not enough yet. The not-so-recent reshuffling of assignments (please correct me if I’m wrong) of our beloved priests in our most loved Diocese – in the words of Bishop Singzon, “the religiosity of the Calbayognon is second to none” – has stirred up and effected malicious controversy upon its flock and parishioners, as if adding insult to injury. Figuratively then, I ask, what happened to you “Fathers”? What is it in Theology that made you Theomaniacs? What exactly are you doing that for? Satisfy your hunger for money which you did not have, or had not enough of, when you were growing up because you associated it with power? How on earth can you make me believe what you preach when your actions do not make me? Aren’t you a little too confused maybe about service and income? In the words of my good friend: income in the guise of service? You are supposed to have stipend la because your chosen field is for the betterment and most especially salvation of the people’s soul – because it is what is eternal – you are not there for profit. Kaya nga po tinawag kayong Vicars for Christ, e.
Two (2) weeks ago, my dearest friend – a nun – sent me this text message: “it is not what we have but what we give; not what we say but how we live.” That is what service is all about, dear “Fathers”! “Without love, everything that we say is but an empty sound” (maski nano niyo pa kaupay magyinakan), according to Leo J. Trese, to which I add, and everything that we do is but a mere action. Only Love gives meaning to everything.
This nun-friend of mine, by the way, did not even finish college because when she was barely there, her heart was achingly longing to serve God through His people. So, off she went inside a nunnery despite objections from her father, since she is his only daughter.
What about you? What were your motives when you to entered priesthood? With all due respect, I need to ask you that because if I won’t, who will? Isn’t it about time you pay close and very serious attention to the thoughts of Carl Jung which said: “it is indeed high time for the clergy and the psychotherapists to join forces.”? Everybody needs to heal. No one is exempted. Nga sa akon personal la nga opinyon, ILABI NA GUD KAMO, ‘DRE!
The author of the book INTIMACY WITH GOD said, “we are culpable for every soul that we bring to hell.” At madaming-madami pong souls ‘yang nakaatang sa mga balikat ninyo. I’m sorry, I know I really don’t need to remind you that. Pero kasi, because “Wisdom comes only from God”, di natin namamalayan na iba na pala ang god na sinasamba natin kaya nawawala na tayo sa tamang landas. At pabobo na tayo nang pabobo, simply because we believed and were carried away by the lies and promises of the devil hidden in the materialism of this world. (see: Romans 1:21-25 and John 8:44)
I appeal to your heart and senses that if you must sell your soul, by all means, do that your self/selves. Kayo na lang po. Wag n’yo na pong dalhin at idamay pa ang ibang mga pobre at inosenteng kaluluwa. Excuse me for saying this, but I don’t believe na sa hell, the more the merrier pa rin. Lord, have mercy on Your people!
The very moment I realized that we are all brothers and sisters in one big family of God, I told my kids to call me the way they want to. In fact I had always laughed heartily every time my eldest son addressed me by my first name – because he knows I dreaded to be called so then (another reason perhaps I adopted a pen name? Maybe). It is my youngest son who’d gracefully call me by my nickname na pinapaganda pa n’ya lalo by pronouncing it sweetly in one syllable. (I especially came to like, and eventually loved, my nickname since my third child informed me what it stands for: consecrated to God, daw. Kaya I’m trying very hard to live up to it. And I always need God’s power to be able to.) Their calling me those did not last long though. They went back to calling me nanay. But I really believe in my heart it was not a case of “the tradition lived on” but a case of “respect begets respect”.
Again I say, people of God are people of courage. I wrote this not for the intention of hurting but for the purpose of awakening. True love must impose discipline through honesty. Jesus said, the Truth shall set you free. Catherine Booth’s words are inspiring to aspire: “if we are to better the future, we must disturb the present.” Here’s one more interesting quote I always read in a paper na matagal ko nang pinanggigigilang mag-react to: “evil triumphs because good men do nothing.” And I ask: “in that case, are they really good?” I really honestly think they are cowards yet. Sorry po…! To quote Leo J. Trese again: “It is easier to die for Christ than live for Him.”
As I say goodbye for now, may I leave you with what the Holy Bible said in Matthew 23:8-11 as follows: “but you, do not be called Rabbi; for one is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teacher; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your SERVANT.”
My evolution tells me that “Love is beyond religion.” That our choice of religion is our personal decision based on whatever reasons we have for choosing it, and for which nobody has the right to question. My opposition to what is currently happening is not at all indicative of any intent to leave (I am a self-declared Franciscan forever). For how are we to help if we are not there anymore?
Kaakibat ng desisyon ko to tread the narrow path ay ang desisyong wag bumitaw, even when I am confronted by the harsh realities of life. Byron MacDonald said: “it is difficult to live in a culture and not be a part of the culture”(THE MORNING COMES, AND ALSO THE NIGHT). Kaya palaging the correct path is “the road less traveled” (M. Scott Peck). I must stay the course, no matter! Keep my Faith, and adopt the principle to “hate the sin, not the sinner/s.”
“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Ciao, dearest friends, ciao!
(*Eunice Ji is a pen name. Check her blog: www.euniceji.blogspot.com)
FATHER (by Eunice Ji*)
The month of June is here again. It is with great excitement that I enter into my world of grateful reminiscence once again every time we celebrate Father’s Day. Fond memories with the “great men of my life” always make me wish I am a little girl once more. As I wrote this I felt very emotional in praising God for giving me them. Ain’t I lucky?
It is very ironic though that at the very same time I also felt immeasurable sadness for the youth of today. Leo J. Trese, in his book MANY ARE ONE, exposed that “…in the primitive times, the father of the family was also the priest”. Eureka! I finally found the final piece to complete the puzzle I was so long trying to piece together to somehow find the answers to my innumerable whys – the causes of our ever increasing number of lost souls, both of this world and those in the other locations.
Like St. Thomas Moore, I think the most of us are also dreaming his dream for utopia. For who wouldn’t be? The killings that happened for the past few weeks are very disconcerting. It is a glaring truth that we have totally lost our reverence for life. I cry inside for every un-fateful eventuality, look up to the heavens and offer prayer, for that is all I can do. Literally, I sigh, where have all our fathers gone? What have they done when their kids were young? Where were they when their children needed them? What are they doing now? And I cry some more. Every time I feel the frustration I still shed tears of pain and loneliness maybe in realization that the dream will remain but a dream. What with the way things are.
As if this is not enough yet. The not-so-recent reshuffling of assignments (please correct me if I’m wrong) of our beloved priests in our most loved Diocese – in the words of Bishop Singzon, “the religiosity of the Calbayognon is second to none” – has stirred up and effected malicious controversy upon its flock and parishioners, as if adding insult to injury. Figuratively then, I ask, what happened to you “Fathers”? What is it in Theology that made you Theomaniacs? What exactly are you doing that for? Satisfy your hunger for money which you did not have, or had not enough of, when you were growing up because you associated it with power? How on earth can you make me believe what you preach when your actions do not make me? Aren’t you a little too confused maybe about service and income? In the words of my good friend: income in the guise of service? You are supposed to have stipend la because your chosen field is for the betterment and most especially salvation of the people’s soul – because it is what is eternal – you are not there for profit. Kaya nga po tinawag kayong Vicars for Christ, e.
Two (2) weeks ago, my dearest friend – a nun – sent me this text message: “it is not what we have but what we give; not what we say but how we live.” That is what service is all about, dear “Fathers”! “Without love, everything that we say is but an empty sound” (maski nano niyo pa kaupay magyinakan), according to Leo J. Trese, to which I add, and everything that we do is but a mere action. Only Love gives meaning to everything.
This nun-friend of mine, by the way, did not even finish college because when she was barely there, her heart was achingly longing to serve God through His people. So, off she went inside a nunnery despite objections from her father, since she is his only daughter.
What about you? What were your motives when you to entered priesthood? With all due respect, I need to ask you that because if I won’t, who will? Isn’t it about time you pay close and very serious attention to the thoughts of Carl Jung which said: “it is indeed high time for the clergy and the psychotherapists to join forces.”? Everybody needs to heal. No one is exempted. Nga sa akon personal la nga opinyon, ILABI NA GUD KAMO, ‘DRE!
The author of the book INTIMACY WITH GOD said, “we are culpable for every soul that we bring to hell.” At madaming-madami pong souls ‘yang nakaatang sa mga balikat ninyo. I’m sorry, I know I really don’t need to remind you that. Pero kasi, because “Wisdom comes only from God”, di natin namamalayan na iba na pala ang god na sinasamba natin kaya nawawala na tayo sa tamang landas. At pabobo na tayo nang pabobo, simply because we believed and were carried away by the lies and promises of the devil hidden in the materialism of this world. (see: Romans 1:21-25 and John 8:44)
I appeal to your heart and senses that if you must sell your soul, by all means, do that your self/selves. Kayo na lang po. Wag n’yo na pong dalhin at idamay pa ang ibang mga pobre at inosenteng kaluluwa. Excuse me for saying this, but I don’t believe na sa hell, the more the merrier pa rin. Lord, have mercy on Your people!
The very moment I realized that we are all brothers and sisters in one big family of God, I told my kids to call me the way they want to. In fact I had always laughed heartily every time my eldest son addressed me by my first name – because he knows I dreaded to be called so then (another reason perhaps I adopted a pen name? Maybe). It is my youngest son who’d gracefully call me by my nickname na pinapaganda pa n’ya lalo by pronouncing it sweetly in one syllable. (I especially came to like, and eventually loved, my nickname since my third child informed me what it stands for: consecrated to God, daw. Kaya I’m trying very hard to live up to it. And I always need God’s power to be able to.) Their calling me those did not last long though. They went back to calling me nanay. But I really believe in my heart it was not a case of “the tradition lived on” but a case of “respect begets respect”.
Again I say, people of God are people of courage. I wrote this not for the intention of hurting but for the purpose of awakening. True love must impose discipline through honesty. Jesus said, the Truth shall set you free. Catherine Booth’s words are inspiring to aspire: “if we are to better the future, we must disturb the present.” Here’s one more interesting quote I always read in a paper na matagal ko nang pinanggigigilang mag-react to: “evil triumphs because good men do nothing.” And I ask: “in that case, are they really good?” I really honestly think they are cowards yet. Sorry po…! To quote Leo J. Trese again: “It is easier to die for Christ than live for Him.”
As I say goodbye for now, may I leave you with what the Holy Bible said in Matthew 23:8-11 as follows: “but you, do not be called Rabbi; for one is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teacher; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your SERVANT.”
My evolution tells me that “Love is beyond religion.” That our choice of religion is our personal decision based on whatever reasons we have for choosing it, and for which nobody has the right to question. My opposition to what is currently happening is not at all indicative of any intent to leave (I am a self-declared Franciscan forever). For how are we to help if we are not there anymore?
Kaakibat ng desisyon ko to tread the narrow path ay ang desisyong wag bumitaw, even when I am confronted by the harsh realities of life. Byron MacDonald said: “it is difficult to live in a culture and not be a part of the culture”(THE MORNING COMES, AND ALSO THE NIGHT). Kaya palaging the correct path is “the road less traveled” (M. Scott Peck). I must stay the course, no matter! Keep my Faith, and adopt the principle to “hate the sin, not the sinner/s.”
“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Ciao, dearest friends, ciao!
(*Eunice Ji is a pen name. Check her blog: www.euniceji.blogspot.com)
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