The Maguindanao Massacre

People all over the world remember a historic event that happened in the Philippines in 1996, the well-known ‘Edsa Revolution,’ a non-violent mass action by the Filipinos to end the dictatorship of the then President Ferdinand Marcos. It was historic because it was the first time ever that a sitting President was deposed, not by impeachment, but through a continuous pressure of mass rallies and protests without resorting to arms or bloody revolution.

The cry for change was the epitome of the Edsa Revolution. People then were fed up with corruption in government and they wanted to be free from the grips of martial law which was imposed as a ploy so that President Marcos could have complete control of the government, the military, and the citizenry. This was not to say the obvious: that he wanted to perpetuate his stay in power. But as we all know now, that move was a tactical mistake. When the rights and freedoms of our people were violated, they rose above themselves in concerted efforts to fight a common enemy.

The ongoing crises in the Philippines are not just vestiges of the past, but the past resurrecting itself with new face, but of the same reality. The cycle of corruption that has gripped the Philippine government in the past is still very much prominent in the current system, although some say otherwise. The Philippines is still poor as ever. Some years ago, Time magazine called the Philippines ‘the sick man of Asia,’ considering that among the association of South East Asian Countries (ASEAN), the Philippines was singled out among the poorest. Today there is still widespread poverty and unemployment in the country. As in the past, the gap between the rich and the poor is unconscionable. The problem of insurgency is still prevalent. The situation in Mindanao is getting worse. Not to mention that on November 23, 2009, just this past week, a mayor elect in Maguindanao named Andal Ampatuan, Jr. has been implicated for the gruesome mass murder and killings of 46 unarmed people including mass media people. This for me is not just deplorable and unconscionable, but it is symptomatic of a deeper problem, a cancer that had been metastasizing in the fabric and fiber of our society for so long a time. Now in the face of this gruesome murder, and the current and ongoing other problems facing our country, what should be our common stand? Is there any viable solution that we can endorse to end these problems?

I think it is important that we as a nation should make an honest and radical assessment of why we have these recurrent problems. The reality is, the past and present governments have not really done anything to improve our situation. If the leaders did anything good for their merit, it was only for the good of a few. Since Mr. Estrada assumed office some years ago, until today,the situation in the Philippines had remained stagnant, if not gotten worse.Under the reign of President Arroyo, the economy had improved a bit, as some observers have declared. Whether this is true or not, but the problems of poverty and unemployment are still widespread. Corruption and cronyism in government are still prevalent. In my view, there is a need for a swift,resolute and radical move to put our country in its rightful place, a place among the world of nations where we can salute with honor and dignity. We cannot just sit on the sideline and pretend that everything is going well. All of us need to know that there is an ongoing crisis in the country, a crisis that all of us need to address. Therefore, we need to make a common stand and a firm resolution to address this problem.

Besides the socio-economic problems that beset our country, we need also to address the political crisis in government. In my view, the gruesome killings in Maguindanao allegedly perpetrated by Mr.Ampatuan, Jr. was just a tip of the iceberg. How many Ampatuan’s are there in government right now that we know of? Why they continue to remain in power is mind boggling. Why can’t we do anything to depose these‘undesirables’ from their offices? Are we simply afraid of them, or are we just contented to accept our fate in misery and fear? The cry of one of our Catholic bishops yesterday is for me in order: In the coming national election in May 2010, the people should not vote for those political leaders and their accomplices who were allegedly involved in the gruesome murder. What happened in Maguindanao should be a wake-up call for all the Filipinos. The Filipino people should also make a stand as far as cleaning up the other ‘political undesirables,’ who may still be sitting so comfortably in their offices. The coming national election in May 2010 should be a good venue to start this process of change.

The Filipino people have suffered long enough. We therefore need to address these current problems swiftly and resolutely. As far as the gruesome murder in Maguindanao is concerned, first we demand that the sitting President, Ms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should follow up and make sure that the perpetrators of the dastardly acts in Maguindanao are apprehended and brought to justice. The question is,can we expect a free and judicious trial in the case of Mr. Ampatuan, Jr., the alleged mastermind and perpetrator, considering that he was a close ally of Ms.Arroyo? What guarantee can they give us that the process of judicious trial not be derailed by the big supporters and allies of the Ampatuan clan? In my opinion,if in case the trial of Mr. Ampatuan, Jr. is derailed, the Filipino people will know what to do. I believe strongly that if the trial of Mr. Ampatuan is derailed, the people of the land will rise up and stage another revolution, one that maybe even more daring than the two Edsa revolutions combined together.The people cannot be fooled anymore. They have had enough.

Our government should implement radical and substantive changes in our country’s political and economic systems. One time,before the second Edsa Revolution, the former National Security Adviser Jose Almonte outlined some urgent tasks that our government should do. First of all,Almonte was pushing for an institutional method of ‘correcting political mistakes’ where mechanisms of the people’s initiative, recall and referendum are to be invoked. Secondly, in promoting a ‘direct democracy,’ Almonte proposed that the electorate should be empowered to ‘intervene expeditiously and peacefully in political crisis. This would also increase the political accountability of all officials, whether elected or appointed. Thirdly, Almonte said that the new government must ensure transparency of all elected officials by protecting constitutional guarantees, including the “full public disclosure to all transactions involving public interest.” And fourthly, the administrative bureaucracy should be professionalized, ‘to make it strong enough to resist the ‘importunings’ of special interest groups.

What is needed today and the future is an overhaul of the whole system of government. I support some of Almonte’s suggestions as to how we can immediately address some of the current problems besetting our country. I endorse the idea that more people’s participation in government be made. There should be less control by the government and more control by the people. And a ‘constitutional mechanism’of ‘direct democracy’ must be in place.

There is no doubt that all these suggestions are positive and should be considered. I hope and pray that the next government leaders will consider these suggestions. But the problem is, who can effectively implement them. Words and ideas are good. But if they are not implemented the way they should be, what good is that? We therefore need a leader who has the right vision and resoluteness to restructure the government as we have envisioned.

At this time we need to stand together. We need to face the crisis and continue seeking the right solutions. We need to continue fighting for the good of the country. We should not lose hope. We believe that someday our country will become free and prosperous again. I therefore urge everyone to be wise and vigilant come election time. This time, let us really try to elect leaders who are qualified and ready to serve our country with selfless dedication and commitment, leaders who have the vision and the ability to implement the needed socio-political and economic programs for the betterment of our citizenry, and leaders whom we can be proud to emulate and follow. Let us make this our solemn pledge and contract with one together. Be a part of this process of change. To be silent or passive is not anymore an option. We should all wake up before another set of leaders will rob us again of our dignity.

Tribute To Rosa

Rosa was one of our members and a subscriber at Daily Gospel Reflection Website. Yesterday morning, October 14th,she passed away at Clara Maas Hospital, Belleville, New Jersey, of kidney and heart failure. Rosa was just 50 years old.

I have met Rosa a few months back. She was a member of our Church and quite active in the "Why Catholic" program of the parish. She was a single mom of an 18 year old daughter named Sarah. Sarah is a freshman in college. Before the opening of the school year, Rosa was so nervous about her daughter's going to college. At the same time,she was very excited knowing that her daughter is enrolled in a good and esteemed school.

I don't know much about the personal life of Rosa except that she was a very religious woman. I saw her come to Church almost every Sunday. She was a member of a "Why Catholic" group in our parish, where they meet regularly with the group to pray, reflect and study our Catholic faith. She was a native of Peru but has been living here in the United States for some years now. Rosa is an expert on web design and computer graphics. Actually, according to her, she studied computer graphics in school but never web designing. She learned by her own effort to design and build websites after she got laid off from work. In fact, she let me borrow her book about SqL and PhP programming, so I could learn it myself. She told me that she learned everything about web designing, servers, web hosting, etc. just by reading the book, and so I could learn it too, she said. When I tried to read the book myself, I could hardly understand anything. I told Rosa that she was very smart to learn from the book so easily. When I told her that, she just looked at me with a smile on her face.

Two weeks before the end of August, I wrote a little Ad in our Sunday Bulletin asking for volunteers to help me build a parish website. The next day, Rosa emailed me immediately and was volunteering her services. Two days later I called her and told Rosa that I wanted to meet her. We met a few days later and we started planning about building our parish website. She showed me some of her current work and designs and I was elated. Her designs were very elegant and professional, and I wanted her to build something similar. So, after our initial planning, Rosa began to work immediately on our parish website. After a few days, we met again because Rosa wanted to show me the progress of her work. At this second meeting, she was very happy to show me the progress of her work. To my surprise, she really did a good job building our website,although it was still at its initial stage. The structure was quite intricate.The design was simple but elegant. I was very happy myself about the result of her work. In that meeting she told me that in a few more weeks the website will be done and running. She promised to update me every now and then about the progress of her work. After this time I went out of the country on a pilgrimage to Europe. When I came back from the pilgrimage, I learned that Rosa was in the hospital. I immediately went to see her. When I saw her in the hospital, she told me that she was so sorry that she was not able to finish yet the parish website because she got sick. I told her not to worry about it. I told her as well that her health was more important than anything else at this time. She was already two weeks in the hospital when I went to see her. According to Rosa, the doctors were not yet able to diagnose what her sickness was in spite of the series of tests that they did to her already. She was feeling sick and dizzy. There appeared some rushes on herskin. After two weeks, Rosa went home from the hospital. At home, she was not getting better. So she got back to the hospital in a few days. I went to see her again in the hospital later in the week. This was just last Saturday. Even at that time, the doctors were not yet able to determine what was really wrong with her. At first they were telling her that she had low potassium, and then, they said that there was something wrong in her gall bladder.And, according to Rosa, they would be doing more series of tests in the coming week. During the past week, I never heard anything from Rosa since I saw her last. I just assumed that she was already well. Yesterday morning, three of Rosa's friends came to the rectory looking for me to inform me of the sad news. Rosa passed away yesterday morning. The doctors were finally able to determine her illness - the big C.

Rosa's friends were so worried because Rosa has no family here to take care of the funerals services and other incidentals. Rosa just had a daughter, a cousin and a few friends, who are all trying to help in some way. Sarah, Rosa's daughter, just started college and is not working. Rosa's mom, by the way, arrived from Peru last Thursday, just in time to see Rosa for the last time before her demise. Her mom is about 80 years old, who could not speak English. Now we are trying every way possible to help out the family, especially for the funeral rites. The family is in dire need of help. Her body still lies at the morgue in the hospital. At this time we are trying to make arrangement with the funeral home and the cemetery, if they could possibly extend free services and help for Rosa's funeral and internment. It's a very sad story with a very sad ending. But I hope and pray that Rosa will now find her peace.

Please join me as we pray for the repose of the soul of Rosa, and for her daughter Sarah whom she left behind. May God reward her for the good things she has done, and may she now rest in peace in the bosom of God.

I Call it a Miracle

As some of you may know, I just came back a week ago from a pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain and France. Our European tour and pilgrimage was so great & fascinating. It was not just a sightseeing of many wonderful and exquisite places, but a faith-filled journey. We visited many shrines and holy places, including Fatima in Portugal and Lourdes in France. These were the highlights of our pilgrimage.

On this pilgrimage, there was something that happened that I could not forget- and which I call a miracle. We were traveling from Burgos,Spain going to Loyola, Spain. This was a four hour journey. Along the way, we stopped by a restaurant to take lunch. Now I was carrying a small bag which contained all my documents like passport, Socialsecurity, xerox copy of my passport, our travel itinerary, camera,camcorder, and all my cash money. When we took lunch at this restaurant, I put my bag at the back of my chair. After lunch, when we got up to leave, I simply forgot my bag on the chair. I only realized that I left my bag in the restaurant when we were already in Loyola,Spain. That was four hours drive away. Now just imagine the feeling that I had when I realized that all my documents, and money were gone? We could not go back because we were catching up with our schedule. In fact, we were a little behind in our schedule already. In that evening, were were heading to Fatima, Portugal. But when we were in Loyola,Spain, during the mass that we had at the house of St. Ignatius of Loyola, we prayed during the mass that somebody will find my bag and return it to me. Believe it or not, after the mass- our tour guide and manager, Ari, was able to call back the restaurant to inquire. And lo and behold, someone found my bag. And this person who found my bag sent it by mail to our hotel in Caen, France. I received my bag in France after five days with everything in it. Nothing inside the bag was lost or taken. I had everything intact. Now, would you call this a coincidence? or a chance, maybe, or just mere luck? NO. I call this a miracle. I believe in the power of prayer and the goodness of people. We prayed earnestly for it, and God readily answered. For this experience I thank God that there are still some people in this world who are honest and good. And of course, if you pray earnestly, God will answer your prayers. Maybe not always according to your time. But He will answer you. No doubt about it.

GOSPEL IN ACTION

You may have seen the video "Ondoy's Trail of Fury" which I just posted in my site (WWW.DAILYGOSPELREFLECTION.COM). As you may know, On Sept.26, 2009, Manila had been flooded, and the neighboring provinces suffered greatly caused by one of nature's worst typhoon, ONDOY, with international name "KELSANA." According to the news reports, ONDOY poured more than a month worth of rain in six hours, submerging most parts of the bustling metropolis, especially Marikina, San Mateo Rizal, and neighboring areas, drowning at least a hundred people and more. Just watch the video from Youtube which I just posted here. I could never describe the scene on the video in words. The video speaks for itself.

I don't know what comes to your mind as you are watching this video now? For me, I could hardly watch it without my heart writhing in pain. My heart goes out for those people who lost loved ones, those who lost homes and properties and who have no where to go from here. I feel sorry for those children who lost their parents, who may have been buried in the mud or swept away by the raging waters. Now they are left alone to live and mend their own pains. I feel sorry for those parents who lost their children. Now they will forever grieve for their lost. I feel sorry for those people who have no food to eat tonight, no warm clothes to wear, and no shelter to lay their heads. Could somebody extend them some help?

Yes, I could watch the video over and over again, feel sorry about it, and then go on with my life. But is that who I am? Does the video affect me or you in any way? Are you affected by the suffering of your fellow human beings? Yes, we are. We are part of humanity. We are part of Christ's body. If one of the members suffers, the whole body suffers. As Christ's disciples, we need to pray for all the victims of the tragedy and for everyone who were affected by the typhoon. On the other hand, while prayer and good faith are good, they are not enough. Our faith and prayers should flow into action. "Faith without good works is nothing," says St. Paul.

It is in such moments like these that we are asked and challenged to manifest our faith through our good works and actions. One concrete way to show your love and compassion for those affected by the typhoon is to extend financial help, as you are able to. There are many civic or church's organizations which you can direct your donation or "love offering" for this sole purpose. But it is time to act now and show compassion to our fellow human beings. We cannot just sit on the sidelines, be content with our personal prayer and meditation, and we consider ourselves Christians. What we need to do is to meditate on the Word of God daily, and live it through our actions and good deeds. This is what I call Gospel in action.

God calls each one of us to be people of faith and action.

Home is Where My Heart Is

Every year since I came to the United States, I always made it a point to go back home to my native country, the Philippines, to visit family, friends and loved ones. As everyone knows, especially those who are working abroad and away from loved ones, to go back home and see one’s family is always a revitalizing experience. From my own experience I know for a fact that no matter how hard life is, no matter how difficult one’s journey may have been in life– going back home and be with one’s family gives you a sense of belongingness and affirmation, a sense of direction and purpose, a sense of “meaning,” if I may call it that way. There is so much truth to the saying of Frederick W. Robertson which says “Home is the one place in all this world where hearts are sure of each other. It is the place of confidence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self-defense, and where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and confiding hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule.” Very much so, indeed! When we go out and begin to explore the world, we are pretty much on our own – facing our own battles, carrying our own burdens, crying on the shoulders of no one. We are forced to live in our own independent world, seeking our own dreams and purpose solely by ourselves. And some of us may have gone a long way seeking their own dreams; some may have settled at a lower pace along the way; and some may have just given up hope trying to make some sense of their lives. But no matter what our achievements maybe( or defeat!) – there is nothing compared to going back home and be with family, and feel accepted and affirmed no matter what our achievements (or defeats) may have been. No matter what happens to our lives, our family will always be there to love and support us.

I was in the Philippines for the whole month of June for my annual vacation. After a year long of work, I think I needed and deserved a break as every one else. “Break” or vacation is always good for the body as well as for the soul. As for me, it was a time to recharge myself, break off with the daily routine, and a time to examine myself again. Well, I can tell you that I really had a wonderful experience. I spent most of my time with my siblings. While in the Philippines, we traveled around and visited some known tourist places like Baguio, the summer capital of the country. Going back to Baguio was a reminiscing experience, considering that I finished my college in Baguio some years back. I visited my Alma Mater, which has not changed very much in its physical structure. I met some seminarians from my Diocese, where I had a chance to talk and share with them some experiences. It was truly a fun reunion of some sort and a reminiscing of experiences.

From Baguio we traveled back to Manila. I had my home base in Fairview. Every year I see a lot of changes going on in the city. There were malls newly erected, new highways were built and rerouted, new schools, business establishments rising everywhere. Well, I guess it’s a good sign. The Philippines is finally catching up with the needed improvements. On the other hand, despite my own optimism, I still observed about the current traffic mess in the city, the garbage files on the side roads, the crowding of vendors on the side streets, and others. You still see a number of children peddling on the streets, and the poor people living under bridges and slums. The Philippine government, I was told, had been trying its best to improve the life of the poor through various project programs. In fact, to improve the economy is one of the urgent goals of the current President. But as to how this is translated into action is something to be seen and validated.

From Manila we went to Tagaytay. It took us about two hours and a half ride from manila. In Tagaytay one can readily observe a change of scenery. The climate too is different here, a lot cooler than Manila. In Tagaytay we went up to this place called people’s park (the highest peak), where you can have a nice bird’s eyeview of the city, see Taal lake, and the surrounding towns of Batangas. In Tagaytay I enjoyed so much not only the beautiful scenery but also I enjoyed eating all these native fruits like sweet pineapple, avocadoes, banana, and others. Along the road going to Tagaytay, you will find vendors one after the other peddling and selling all kinds of fruits and farm products.

From Tagaytay we went down to Matabungkay beach, a well known beach in Lian, Batangas. We stayed at Coral Beach Club owned by a British couple, I was told. Among the many resorts there, I found this place quite decent and secure. The resort was guarded twenty four hours so it was very safe. It has its own heated pool. The rooms were clean and classy. It has its own bar and restaurant. We really had a good time there. We stayed only for a night. The next day we went back to Manila.

As in the previous years, whenever I went back home, I did not just go and visit places, I also visited family and friends. In manila, we visited an uncle priest who is now retired. He is currently residing at Christo Rey in Christ the King Seminary in Quezon City. My uncle priest is an SVD missionary priest who spent all his life serving God and people. Before his retirement some years ago, he was the chaplain of the Pink Sisters (cloistered nuns) in Baguio City for a number of years. Before that, he was a priest chaplain of UP Los Banos, a parish priest in San Teodoro, Mindoro. During his younger years, he was the President of Divine Word College in Vigan. He is a very jolly and friendly priest. When we visited him, he told us of his current hobbies which are composing religious songs and learning how to play the guitar and violin. He is now 87 years old and yet he was able to learn and play the guitar and violin. I told him, “you are an amazing priest!” He just looked at me with a smile on his face.

I have also reconnected with a friend whom I haven’t seen in a long time. She is truly a wonderful person, with a generous heart. Her husband just passed away on June 6. He suffered from brain tumor. She herself, my friend, is battling some terminal sickness. Recently, her younger sister is facing the same fate. And yet, despite of everything, her faith is strong and her convictions are firm. I love to share with people her story because it is an amazing story of a beautiful soul. Too often we cannot understand why we suffer in this life, or why our love ones suffer terribly. And yet, there are some people like my friend (maybe not so many), who still hold on and believe on a good and loving God, despite of everything. What an incredible story of faith. Please pray for her and for her sister. I pray for all those who are in the same or similar situation.

I had some ambivalent feelings coming back to the US after my grand vacation in the Philippines. Once again, I had to say goodbye to my siblings, nephews and nieces. To say goodbye is always the most difficult thing. Yes, we promised to pray and call one another constantly. We said to one another that we hope to see each other again next year, God willing. But who of us can predict of tomorrow, or next year. Life is full of uncertainty. I hope that tomorrow and next year will come as we have dreamed. But between now and next year, we are left alone again to face our own battles. I just hope that the beautiful memories I have of yesterday with my family will give me strength, hope, and joy, as I tread on my journey for the future.

Farrah Faucet's Story

Yesterday I watched the video documentary of Farrah Faucet on hulu.com on her battle against anal cancer. This documentary, I was told, had been aired on NBC last Friday, where apparently there were about almost 9 million viewers who watched the documentary, according to the papers. As I was watching the documentary, it was a very heart-wrenching video as far as I was concerned. The documentary taught me a lot of lessons about many things. First, it gave me a better understanding about the life and pains of those people who are suffering with the same or similar kind of illness. Second, it made me see about human beings’ limitation and capabilities. In spite of the advancement of technology and science, man has not discovered any known cure for cancer. Billions of dollars are currently being spent for research and for trying to find a cure for this dreaded disease. But, until today, unfortunately, nothing has been discovered. Scientists and doctors are trying some alternative medicines to cure cancer patients, but these are nothing but experiments. We pray to God that scientists and researchers will soon discover a cure for this dreaded disease.

We all know Farrah Faucet. She was the golden girl among the three in the famous show called ‘Charlie’s Angels.’ If you watch the video documentary, your heart will cry out for her. In this documentary, it shows the life, pains and struggles of a cancer patient, who is trying to find a cure for her illness. She has availed the services of probably the best doctors in the world. She had seek treatment in Germany. She have had chemo and radiation and all kinds of treatment, including so called alternative treatments. Initially, in the beginning, her treatment seemed to be working out well. Her initial treatment and prognosis in Germany was very positive. She and the people who loved her were so elated and happy. Then, at a later examination, her doctors found out that the cancer has returned, and has metastasized in the liver. She had been treated with all kinds of treatment, but nothing seemed to be working out now. But the video presents the face of a Farrah who has not given up hope. Her son who was recently jailed was given permission to visit her in their house, maybe to see her for the last time. It was a very moving scene- the encounter of a dying mother and a son - in the documentary. But the documentary ends there, with lot of flashbacks about Farrah’s early and joyful life. What a very moving video.

It was about two years ago when she was told about her illness. From that day forward, her world changed dramatically. Remember, she was a famous actress, adored and loved by her family, and millions of people all over the world. She was a devoted mother to her son, and loving wife to Ryan O’Neal. She had everything anyone in this world could ever hope for. And yet, beyond anyone’s expectation, when she was diagnosed with this cancer, her world just collapsed upon her. No one could do anything else to reverse the situation, even the best doctors in the world. Now, she is at the verge of her demise. Her family and loved ones could not do anything else but pray for a miracle. Yes, life is so fragile. Our life and everything we have can be taken away from us in instant. We do not own our life. We are just stewards of God’s gifts.

After I watched the video of Farrah Faucet, I started to offer a prayer for her, and for all people who are stricken with the same or similar illness. I know that we can never understand why people suffer in this way, or why God allows suffering. But I also know that there is a purpose in everything. Just recently a friend of mine wrote me about her struggles, and pains and hopes- as she was also stricken with cancer, so with her husband, and recently, her youngest sister. It broke my heart to hear about their struggles and pains. But she has not given up hope. She continues to surrender herself to God’s will. I am so amazed by her deep faith and commitment to God. I pray for them constantly.

Now, I also promised myself to pray for Farrah Faucet. I know that millions of people may also be praying for her. But I know and believe that God, in his own good time, will cure her. Let us flood heavens with our prayers. We ask God to cure Farrah Faucet, so that His goodness maybe known to all men. He is a God who loves and cares for us, and that He can do even the impossible.

Happy Mother's Day

I was at CVS the other day to pick up a mother’s day card for my cousin. Then I realized that I was browsing for a mother’s card that I should have liked to give to my mom today instead. My mom passed away in 1999. But there is not a day that I don’t think about her.

Today we celebrate and honor the life and work of mothers. For me, motherhood is one of the most fundamental institutions of God’s creation. Although some of us may have struggled with their moms, but who of us can ever really forget our mothers.

Now and then we hear about unsung heroes. There is probably no more unsung a hero than a true mother.

If we consider what she has done for us, what she is doing for us, what she will do for us should some urgency require... and compare this to what little thanks she receives in turn –it’s so sad that mothers generally go unrecognized in this world.

Let us not make the same mistake.

The book of Ecclesiastes (17:24-30) states, “Honor thy father and mother and forget not the groanings of thy mother. Remember that thou hast not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.”

Our mother carried us nine months in her womb, she nourished us with her own substance; she gave us birth in a most painful way; she nursed us at the breast... when we could not feed ourselves, she fed us; when we could not change our diapers, she did. As we grew, it is true, the father began to share the pains of child raising. But is it “the groanings of thy mother” we are told not to forget. Mostly, mothers need be praised for giving us life.

In the Old Testament we read that when the elder Tobias was growing old, he said to his son, also called Tobias, “When God shall take away my soul, thou shall bury my body, and thou shall honor thy mother all the days of thy life: for thou must be mindful what and how great perils she suffered for thee in her womb.(Tobit 4:3-4)

Our mothers suffered to give us life... even now those heroic mothers who stay home to raise their children suffer. The father gets to leave the home most days of the week; he gets to intermingle with people and co-workers, perhaps have lunch with friends at a café; he may even receive promotions and certificates of “job well done.” It is different with a stay home mother. She stays home where she, day in and day out, looks at the same walls, hears the same voices, occupies herself with the same chores for which no promotion is forthcoming. It is a suffering of the humdrum.

Do we give our mothers appreciation even for this type of humdrum suffering? Perhaps. But as much as we ought, probably not.

Let us recall often the words of the book of Wisdom, “in the womb of my mother I was fashioned.”(7:1) Without my mother I would not have life. But to be praised too is that mother who sacrifices a job of the world for a world at home with her children.

On this day, and often besides, let us wish our mothers a happy day if not with words at least with a good life for virtuous children are the true pleasure of parents. Adults - we should daily pray for our parents; we should call, write, or visit them frequently. Children - pray every day for your parents, but also be obedient and uncomplaining; do your homework and chores on time and without complaint. Good deeds greatly please our mothers and will be a sign of our appreciation for what they have done for us.

There was an interesting story about John who was 12 years old, and who became self-conscious about his mother’s hands. Although she was in every way beautiful woman, her hands were terribly scarred and twisted. John’s father was the first to notice that John, who had once brought his friends home to play, now no longer did so. “Perhaps you would like to know how your mother came to have such hands,” said his father, “because when I married her, they were lovely. One day when you were just able to toddle about, your mother turned her back for a moment. You made for the fireplace and stood too close. You screamed, and because there was nothing else available and the flames were growing, she smothered the fire with her own hands. She saved you but sacrificed her hands in doing so.”

Our mothers will sacrifice anything and everything for us. That’s how they show their love for their children.

I have received this email a few years ago, and I have kept it till now. The title of the email is: “The Portrait of a Mother, written by Ermie Jaramillo.

What is a mother? Que es una madre?

A mother is someone who cares for and loves her children deeply.

A mother is a person who worries about her children, day and night, every moment.

When they are infants, a mother worries when they are sick, and stays up all night taking care of them and praying that they get well. When they get older, a mother worries about where they are going and whom they are with. A mother worries about her children constantly, hoping that they are being raised correctly and hoping that someday they will grow up to be good and loving parents, and live a respected and prosperous life.

A mother teaches her children the values of respect, the appreciation of hard work, and the affirmation of God and faith.

Young people of today, don’t forget that mothers are very special people, and you’ll only have one in your lifetime. Take care of your mother and never get tired telling her how special she is and that you love her. Make this day and every day special for your mother by the gift of love from your heart. She may not be with you next year, or the year after that. So, love you mother everyday and always.

Finally, mothers of all ranks, never forget the great reward laid up for you by the good God. By fulfilling well your vocation you have many opportunities in the day to show your love for God. We have only to consider the words of the blessed Lord to know this: “Whatever you have done for these little ones, you have done unto me.”

Happy Mother’s Day!

Please Pray for the Repose of the Souls of my Friends!

This morning I heard the shocking news that two of our active parishioners(who are sisters) died in a tragic car accident yesterday. Actually, there were five of them who perished in that car accident. Four of them were siblings --3 sisters, and a brother. The fifth person was a brother-in-law of our two deceased parishioners. All of the fatalities were in their 70's. According to the news story, all the deceased were riding on the same car. They just attended a wedding of a relative, and they were on their way to the reception when the accident happened. Apparently, their vehicle was struck from behind by a truck, which in turn ignited the car into flames. All of them died instantly.


If this was just a news that I read on the papers, it would have been different, I am sure. But what was so sad and heartening was that---I knew personally all the three sisters. Two of them were very active parishioners of our parish. The three sisters were members of my Faith Study Class. They used to come regularly and attend my class every second Friday of the month. One of them was very close to me. She was a member of my team who helped me out tremendousbly when I did our first parish recollection last March. The two sisters who were members of our parish just sent me a beautiful card for Easter, with their warm wishes and greetings. The day before yesterday, I just saw them in church when they accompanied their great grand nephew for his first reconciliation. Now and then I used to talk to one of them on the phone when I had some requests or things to be done. Now, you would understand why I feel so sad and downtrodden right now. I am sure many of our parishioners who knew them feel the same way. I could not understand why these two beautiful souls, who were very religious, God-fearing, service-oriented, loving and kind ...could just be taken from this world, just by the twinkling of an eye.Yes, life is indeed short. We have to be prepared always because we don't know when death will come knocking at our doors.


Yes, I prayed for them today, and all the members of their family who perished in that accident. Please, may I ask you to pray for them as well. We pray that God will bless their souls and reward them with everlasting life. May they rest in peace.

At the Bagel's Place

When I have time and don’t have any schedule early in the morning, I usually drive to Jollibee to buy some breakfast meal and have coffee. One early morning, as I was driving to go to this Jollibee place where I frequent to have breakfast, I spotted a small “bagel’s place store” at a corner of a main street, near the Jollibee place. For whatever reason, I just decided to try it out for a change and have my breakfast at this bagel’s place that morning. When I entered the place, I saw two guys chatting at a corner, enjoying their coffee. There was a big table strewn across the place. An elderly woman was sitting at the end corner, sipping her coffee, and chatting with another elderly lady who was eating her breakfast at the other end of the table. An African-American man, in his mid- thirties, was luxuriously eating his bagel at the middle of the table, with his daughter (who was maybe six or seven years old). There was another guy who was also seated at the table, sipping his coffee, and writing something on his calendar. When I went in, they all looked up as if surprised—and said, “good morning!” I said “good morning,” too, in response. I ordered a bagel with cream cheese and a coffee. I sat down at the table to eat my breakfast with the rest of the people. As I was eating my breakfast, I could hear this conversation from these people from the table. They seemed to know one another. They were calling each other by name. There was a lively conversation at the table about almost everything—on the status of the economy to the latest buzz in town. I was smiling to myself as I was intently listening to their conversations. After a while, some of the guys left, then the others. I had to leave too because I had to do something that morning.

You think the story ended there. No. The next morning, I went again to the same bagel’s place to have breakfast. To my surprise, it was the same fixture of people whom I saw there. The two men conversing at the corner, the two elderly lady who were conversing at the table, the African-American man with his daughter, and the guy who was sipping his coffee and writing on his calendar. It was like a small town, all-in-one in this small bagel’s place. At this bagel’s place, you hear the latest news on the economy, the latest buzz in town, and everything what’s going in the life of every American. I was really amused and entertained. I have been going to that place almost everyday, for almost two weeks now. I see the same faces, hear the same conversations, enjoy my breakfast like the rest. Know what? I enjoyed the company of these people. I don’t know any of them but I felt a certain sense of belongingness and community. Here I found the souls of ordinary people, who just want to live ordinary lives and not get caught up with the web of lies and intricacies of the world. Think of a place where you can sometimes escape? This was for me one of those places.

Life's Little Surprises

The other day, I had three unexpected little surprises. Now I call them “Life’s Little Surprises.”

I went to Staples in the afternoon to buy a new printer. At the same time, I brought along an old hp printer to be recycled. I have read in their Ads that Staples would give a rebate of $50.00 for anyone who brings along a printer to be recycled, but the customer had to buy a new printer not less than $179.00 in value to avail of their promotion. That’s exactly what I had in mind to do when I went to the store. When I arrived in the Staple store, there was a Filipina lady(also a customer) who saw me and apparently recognized me. But I had no recollection whatsoever who she was. After a while, she engaged in a conversation with me as if she knew me for a long time. She asked all sorts of questions about computers and printers and the like. Then when I told her that I was at the store because I was planning to buy a new printer, and that I brought along an old printer to be recycled so I get a rebate….to my great surprise, she immediately offered to buy a new printer for me. Now, would I call this a coincidence, or some kind of ‘good luck?’ I don’t know. I just thanked her for her overwhelming generosity. While driving home afterwards, it got me to think about what real generosity really mean - when you give something without expecting anything in return.

The second surprise. In the afternoon, I went to a Filipino restaurant to order some food. When the owner of the restaurant saw me, she declined to accept any payment for all my orders. In spite of my insistence, she would accept none of it. “Well, “ I said. “If you don’t accept my payment, you would go bankrupt.” She just smiled at me and said..” just remember me in your prayers.” Again, I was flabbergasted.

In the evening, I was invited by a friend to go for dinner- which I gladly accepted. The dinner was supposed to be at 7 PM. But due to some works I had to finish, I went to the restaurant somewhat late. When I arrived at the restaurant, to my great surprise and shock, a chorus of friends greeted me with a belated happy birthday. Talk about a surprise birthday party…that was it. I never expected that my friends would surprise me with a big bash birthday party. I almost fainted in shock. But, anyway, we had a wonderful evening together. I thanked all of them for all their warm wishes and generosity. It’s so nice and comforting to have friends who love you and whom you can depend on.

While lying down in bed that night, I could not but thanked God for such a wonderful experience I had during the day. And talk about life’s surprises…I had them that day.