Saturday, December 31, 2011

Start with the Heart


While today is the civil New Year celebration, the church celebrates also the Solemnity of the Virgin Mary Mother of God or Theotokos, the oldest title of Mary. The gospel reading narrates how Mary, after experiencing all that was happening around her with the birth of a son, pondered everything in her heart. It speaks so much of her deep desire to understand more fully the mystery that was unfolding before her eyes. Mysterious as it may seem, God gives glimpses to the miracle of Christmas. Mary, by pondering everything that happens, allows her heart to hear silence were mysteries are revealed. She was affirmed more than ever of her “yes”! May we learn to listen more, so we will know better Gods plan for us. This New Year, start with a listening heart and like Mary ponder deeply so we can respond effectively.

by aats

Friday, December 30, 2011

Strategic Patience

I was following the current events in North Korea, more so with the death of their Dear Leader Kim Jong-il. There were a lot of analysis and opinions as to how the democratic countries can better engage with the new leadership. They look back about the strategy of the United States and its allies that they dubbed as “Strategic Patience”. It’s the strategy of containing North Korea while patiently waiting for some positive changes. Containment is important because they have nuclear capability and at the same time one of the largest standing army in the world. They have to be strategic at the same time in there approach because people are dying inside North Korea and the world cannot just stand by while people are suffering.
                                                                                  
We can actually apply strategic patience in our personal lives. There are things and situations in life that are beyond our control and all we need is be patient enough until the fruition of our dreams and desires. Until then, we have to strategically do something about our present condition, so we can be fruitful in our journey. The early bird may catch the worm but it’s the patient turtle that wins the prize.

by aats

When Will We Ever Learn

 
The Philippines commemorates the death and martyrdom of Doctor Jose Rizal, genius and foremost hero of the Filipino people. We have heard about him in many symposiums, we have learned about his life and works at school and we have read many books about him. Human as he is, he has this quality that humanity needs in order to save us from ourselves.  His life was never easy; it was a life with poverty, ignorance and enslavement as a backdrop. For more than hundred years since his martyrdom, we could have used all the learning we could get and use it for the betterment of every Filipinos. Yet, it seems like we keep on repeating the same mistakes again and again. When will we ever learn? We are seemed informed, learned and yet practicing it differently. There is so much disconnect from what we say and what we do. We don’t need intelligent leaders anymore; we need leaders with integrity, leaders who can walk their talk.

We need more Rizal! Patriots who will love their country above themselves, nationalist who will put the interests of the nation above personal gains and leaders who has the integrity and creativity to move us forward. No more rhetoric’s instead do the talking!

Read also: The Great Ideal

by aats

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Dichotomizing Faith


As Christians it so easy to say that we believed in Jesus Christ, we recite the Apostles Creed and we fully believe in our church. This is very commendable. I even had conversations with some fellow believers and they would even dare to say that they are willing to die for there faith. Such a die hard, we may say. But faith, as it is, is not measured by how much we talk but how much we do. It is not just “Sola Fide” by faith alone. Faith has to be translated into actions and live out in our daily life. The book of St. James in the bible says, “Faith without work is dead.”

We go to mass every Sunday, attend religious activities and perform pious devotions, yet when we go back to our homes and work places we act differently. We dichotomize faith, we are good when we are in the confines of the church and on the other hand, we can do other ungodly things outside of it. That is not faith!

We are good at reasoning and giving excuses, but the truth will always be the truth. If it’s a sin, it is a sin whether we like it or not. We can never be over zealous about faith without practicing it in our lives.

by aats


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs


Matthew 2:13-18

Why do innocent children have to die and for such large number of victims? Children ages around two, they have just started learning to utter a word, incapable of doing anything evil. They were very young. Yet God chose to give them the crown of martyrdom. His birth is priceless; it cannot be bought by the blood of older and mature people who have done so much evil in His sight. Purity of heart is what He is looking in us. Sacrifice, in order to be holy has to be pure like a child.

Lord, as we strive to be worthy of Your coming, grant us the grace to live up to our Christian name. Amen.

by aats

Cabalian Bahandi


Nahinumdom ko niadtong nag eskwela pa ko sa kolehiyo, hilig ko manikay-sikay sa mga karaang libro sa library. Tungod kay ang akong na-eskwelahan karaan man, para nako dako ang posibilidad nga daghan kog mabasa nga maka lamdag sa akong mga pangutana.

Pirme nako kadungog sa mga storya sa mga katigulangan bahin sa mga karaang panahon sa atong lungsod, diin nag gikan ang ngayan nga Cabalian ug nga kini gidayo sa mga lain-laing lahi tungod kay kini sentro sa komersyo, politika ug kultura. Kini nga mga impormasyon nakapa aghat nako paghimo ug ginagmay nga mga panikay sikay sa mga karaang libro. Didto nako nakit-an sa Filipiñana section sa library, nga tinuod, ang Cabalian naa na nahimutang sa mapa, nailhan na nga sentro sa komersyo, una pa sa pag abot sa mga Kastila. Tima-ilhan niini ang sulat ni Antonio Pigafetta ang manunulat ni Ferdinand Magellan sa iyang pagbiyahe sa kalibutan. Didto makita ang iyang sulat nga nakipag-sandugo (blood compact) kini sila sa kanhi-ayng Datu (Lider sama sa Sultan) sa Cabalian. Kini nga mga obserbasyon nga nahisulat sa bantugang manunulat, usa lamang ka tima-ilhan sa impluwensya sa komunidad. Dili basta basta makipag sandugo ang usa ka Espanyol kon makita nila nga walay gahum ang ilang ka istorya. Dinhi pud nato makita ang kagugi sa mga naunang Cabalianon, ug ang ilang panaghi-usa. Kini nagpakita nga dili batasan sa Cabalianon ang pagkatapulan ug paglibak-libak! Nagkahiusa sila, nagtibangay para sa kalambu-an.

Kini nga mga nahisulat, magtukmod unta natong tanan sa pagpaningkamot sa pagpalambo sa atong lungsod, tungod ug alang sa bantugan niyang kasaysayan. Dili basta basta ang Cabalian. Kini lungsod nga naay kalag! (A town with a soul!) Kini talagsaon nga himaya nga dili lamang nato pasagdan mawala. Ang pagtanaw sa kagahapon, makahatag kanato ug inspirasyon para maningkamot sa kaugmaon! Ang kaliwat Cabalianon, kaliwat bahandi! Mao tingali nga bisan gipulihan na ug laing opisyal nga ngayan ang lungsod, dili gihapon mawala ang ngayan Cabalian. Tungod kay kini naa sa dugo sa tagsa tagsa, dili mawala bisan unsa pay balaod nga ihalin niini.

Atong panghina-ut nga atong matagaan ug pagtagad ang kultura, kina-iya, ug mga maayong pamatasan sa Cabalianon. Ang tagsa tagsa mubuhat sa ginagmayng paagi. Sakto na ang binatikosay ug libakay hinuon magtinabangay, magtinambayongay, kay walay laing mutabang sa Cabalian kundili ang Cabalianon. Kini liyabe sa mabungahon nga ugma. Mabuhi ang Cabalian!

*Gelo Saludo - nagsuyat, simple nga Cabalianon, wayay laing tumong ug kolor

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

A Holy Extraction


Six months ago I had my first dental appointment in my new mission area and had some reflections on it titled “God is a Dentist(you can read it by clicking the link). God indeed is! This month I had another dental appointment and this time around aside from cleaning, I had a tooth extraction. Everyone who had gone through it probably dreaded the thought of having another one. Well, I did fear but with some careful thoughts I said to myself, I have no other option left, the Dentist already said there is no other way to save it.

We don’t like extraction. We don’t like something to be taken away or extracted from us. It’s easy if it’s the other way around. Extracting is different from giving because extracting means someone else is involved. So giving actually is easier to handle than having someone forcefully extract something from us. But extracting has its own merits specially if it’s the only way for us to be healthy again. It doesn’t have to be physical extraction; it can be spiritual, mental and emotional, were we feel something is taken away from us and it causes us great distress. Take for example we are taken away from family, or a family member is taken away from us. Another is if we will be extracted in the place we already called home and be transferred to another. Situation like this makes us feel something is missing and somehow force us reflect on what is really valuable. It somehow brings us back to our senses and allows us to realize that what matters in life are not the big and complicated things but the small and simple.

Sometimes the Good Dentist, the Lord Himself, can perform holy extraction if only to bring us back to our senses that we have to value the things that are more important to Him than what we think are more important to us. By extracting something, we become healthy again. 

by aats

Sunday, December 25, 2011

I am a Minor

The day before Christmas I went along with a Tito (Uncle for Filipinos) to a liquor store to buy some wine. Upon entering the store, the security person asked me if I have an ID, I said I have none my ID was in the car. He told me, I couldn’t get in.  So I asked if I do really look like a minor… and he just responded by saying, wait outside. Well, I told him, what you just said I take as a compliment. In British Columbia, the age officially considered adult is 19, so what the security person was implying was that I am below 19.

I am quietly amused by the incident. I thought how an external appearance affects another persons’ perception. Well, it really takes more than an ID to know one and certainly it takes more than just one encounter to love one. The lesson, don’t be contented with looks, dig deeper and you will know the truth. Love without truth is no love at all.

by aats

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Answers


Sometimes we ask, does God give a clear or a vague answer to our question? I think we should ask instead, are we really ready to hear the answer? Naa may tubag, di lang ta ganahan makabati sa tubag. Merong sagot, ayaw lang nating marinig ang sagot. (There is an answer; we just don’t want to hear the answer.)

by aats

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Emotions

In areas of our lives were emotions are involve, careful considerations has to be observe so as not to cause unnecessary hurts and pains. Emotional wounds are harder to heal. It lingers in time and eats the person inside out. Beware, playing with emotions is a lethal game.

by aats


Saturday, December 17, 2011

Something of Value

I remember my first few months in Canada having a bit of a challenge putting a new mindset when it comes currency. I don’t know what is cheap and what is expensive. My tendency is to convert the amount to Philippine Peso, because that’s what I’m used to. My orientation of currency value was totally different. It took sometime to adjust. I stop converting the amount in my mind or else I’ll end up buying nothing. One time I was in a supermarket and we were buying some groceries for the month and I was asking if that certain item was cheap or expensive, they told me its already cheap but when I converted it to peso my mind was telling me its expensive.

Sometimes what we think as more valuable than the other is actually just a matter of orientation. If our orientation is Peso then we will not fully comprehend the value of other currency and its buying power. Because we are used to a certain thing we are having a hard time appreciating the value of another. We need to be open to learn the value of other things if only to open our eyes that there is more than what we think we have.

Lord, open my eyes to value other things beyond what I am used to, so I can fully grasp the fullness of your blessings. Amen.

by aats

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Tatay


Goodbye. It’s been days that these words keep coming back into my mind. Goodbye is such a strong word for me. I honestly don’t like it. I remember the time when my Tatay was still alive. Tatay (Filipino for dad/father) my maternal grandfather was very close to me. I even inherited his name. When my brother and I were still in elementary years up to high school, we used to sleep beside him. He will always be at the middle to be our referee, because my brother and I used to fight.

My Tatay was a seaman, he used to operate ships until such time that he found a little business by manning the port in our town. So he travels regularly. Every time he travels, I cry if he would not let me go with him, so I usually ended up going with him. If not, he will always have a chocolate for my siblings and me when he goes home.  He would always joke, “I will put you inside the bayujot “(local bag made from the leaves of a buli or anahaw tree). He travels with it. It’s funny that he has a suitcase and yet he would still put the suitcase in the bayujot. Since he has access to the control area of the ship, I can go inside with him, have a look of the city at a distance using the binoculars, while he talks to the captain of the boat. I guess that’s were I got my fascination for places. I came to love travelling.

One of His favourite recreations, aside from Majhong, is fishing squid in our local port.  So the routine goes every six in the evening. I would go with him, ask him questions and being fascinated at his stories about what he called, “peace time”. The time before the Japanese invaded the Philippines. I am equally amazed at his stories of the war. He was one of those soldiers of USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East) who surrendered Corregidor and was at the death march to Capas, Tarlac. He was incarcerated and after the country was liberated, he was eventually released.  I listened intently to his stories, the like of how they manage to survive in prison with a ration of rice and salt. So to augment the usual food given by the Japanese, they would catch anything, like, lizards, rats, mouse or even cockroaches just to survive. And by the way, we usually have a squid or two, enough catch for the evening.

Tatay would bring me along anywhere he goes. We went to some appointments of his eventual recognition as a veteran of the war. Appointments after appointments, letters after letters, it went nowhere. He passed away unrecognized by the country he was serving. He serves the United States and the Philippines, and yet the same governments did not recognize him. I felt sad, how honour and justice as a veteran was not given to him. For me, it was not so much about the benefits that one will get, but more so of honour, justice and dignity he so rightly deserves.  I felt the pain of seeing him slowly passing by and feeling rejected. This was his last battle. Well, it’s seems all was lost, but I consider it an unfinished tasks that has to be done right.

When my siblings and I were studying already in Cebu and my mom would tell him that we are about to go home, he will wait patiently at the bus station for us to arrive. Come to think of it, before there was no cell phone site in our town, least a telephone, our way of communication is by writing a letter and sends it through a ship that goes weekly from our town and Cebu. This was the routine until up to the last time when the Lord took him. Now, every time I go home and get off from the bus, I felt the sting of pain when no one is waiting. I missed him dearly, yes, and yet he lives on in my memory where no one can take him from me. He lives forever.

My Tatay, in the words of so many towns’ people, was a “maajong tawo” (a good man). He is my hero. Recognized or not, I know he is.

+ Arsenio Vasquez Tan
December 14, 1920 – April 13, 2001

by aats

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Hope

When we begin to expect something and it did not materialize, we develop somehow a sense of fear to hope again. But hoping is different from expecting. Expecting is human while hoping is of God. Hope but don't expect. Huwag matakot umasa sa Panginoon sapagkat walang umasa sa Kanya na bumalik na walang dala. (Do not be afraid to hope in the Lord for no one who hope in Him went back empty handed.)

by aats

Friday, December 9, 2011

It Is And It Is Not


Sometimes we tend to forget that service is but an expression of our love for God, it is no way our God. Having a service mindset keeps us away from the true source of it all. We ask sometimes when a service is offered to us for discernment, what can I get from it? It is not what we can get but what we can do for God, with God and of God, nothing more nothing less.

by aats

Thursday, December 8, 2011

We Are Not An Accident

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, Mother of God. The dogma states that Mary was conceived without original sin. She was destined to be the bearer of the savior of the world.

One of the messages of today’s solemnity is that like Mary, whom was prophesied long before she was born in the book of Genesis, we too were created for a purpose. God has a plan for us even before we were born. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” There is meaning to our existence. We are not just a product of a big bang theory and we are not an accident either. We are planned ahead and destined for greatness!

The implication of being created for a purpose is to live a life of purpose. We do it by being Christian every minute of the day. 

by aats

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Coca Cola Effect



I was watching the new ad campaign of Coca Cola Philippines giving a surprise gift to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to be home on Christmas. Coca Cola just made me cry. I am on mission in a very far country with a totally different culture, time zone and climate and I can somehow relate with the situation.

I am home in my mission, no doubt about it. Mission is home to me. But watching this commercial allows me to be in touch with reality, the reality that I am away from the family, away from the comfort of home and away from the security of being with people I used to be with.  Family is such an immeasurable support for an individual. For Filipinos like me, it is the family that keeps me sane enough in facing the harsh reality of life. It is an unshakable support system that an individual could ever have. The common faith that each family has, provides an amazing stamina for an individual to dream on and dream big. It is the same reason that sometimes baffles foreign media, how someone in the midst of calamity can still smile.

I also feel for those whose kids have to be separated from their parents because of the work overseas. More than 11 million Filipinos seeking greener pasture abroad leaving behind their families. There is somehow a break down in family values with children growing up without parents around them.

It is true that the Filipino diaspora has become a blessing to other countries. The deep faith that we bring along with us invigorates the faith of our host countries. Filipinos indeed can turn the mourning into dancing. Like a bamboo, very resilient! But, we still have to find a way to reunite families. It does not excuse at all, our government and society to find every means to change this situation. We have to build our families by providing opportunities for parents to raise their children in there own home with their own presence. The situation is simply not sustainable. The country has to be a nurturing homeland in order for our good Filipino values to survive.

Thank you Coca Cola, at least in this commercial, for reminding us that at the core of our character as a nation is the family. 

by aats

Sunday, December 4, 2011

A Thousand Times for You


In my own little way, I had been trying to reflect on the love of Christ with the verse from John 13:34-35 “Love one another as I had loved you”. So many things had been said about love, but did we really try to fathom the depths of Christ love, the height and breathe of His faithfulness?

The Name of Love

Love is not just the character of God, nor is it just the nature of Him. Love is the name of God Himself. He loves us first, not the other way around. His love does not depend on us loving back, because He is love. The beauty is that God has gifted us with the will, so that we could freely choose to love Him back. So our love then, is not a coerced love, or love just based on obedience or fear, but out of our own free will flowing from our heart.

Loving Beyond

The problem we have is that we confused love with mere feelings. Sometimes our understanding of love is a love that does not get angry. We say it is love when there is no anger. We usually say, "May sasabihin ako ha, pero huwag kang magalit. (I have something to say but please don’t get mad at me.)" We say this because we don't want to hurt someone. But the opposite of love is not hate or anger, but indifference. The truth is, if we love, we will get hurt. The person that we love the most is the person that would hurt us the most. Kapag wala kanang pakialam, hindi kana nasasaktan (If you don’t care, you won’t get hurt anymore).

The two kinds of love:

1.  Romantic love – This is when we see what is beautiful of the beloved. Conversations such us, "Anak, huwag yan, ni hindi yan nagsisimba (Son, please not her, she’s not even a mass goer)." And the son replies, "Okay lang po Nay, maganda naman (It’s okay Mom, anyway she’s beautiful)." Or take this another example, "Bestfriend, ang panget naman ng buhok niya. (Bestfriend, he has a very horrible hair)." And the reply is, "Okay lang, magaling naman mag gitara. (It’s okay he is good at playing guitar anyway)."

2.  Mature love – This is when we see beyond what is beautiful of the beloved. When someone asks, "Pag nagalit ako, maiintindihan mo ba na mahal pa rin kita? (If I get angry, will you still understand that I still love you?) Mature love replies, "I know and my eyes are open that you have these weaknesses and I love you nevertheless."

So our love then should go beyond feelings and emotions. It must rise above what the eyes can see but what the heart can see. So when we relate to God in love, we will love Him not because He will get angry if we don’t, or we are afraid of punishment, because if that is so, then it is not mature love but love that is still in the level of feelings and emotions. We love God because we firmly believe that He loves us so much that He died for us.

A Thousand Times

When we look at the cross, we can always hear the voice that says, “I will do this a thousand times for you.” 1 Corinthians 13 affirms that His love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things and hopes all things. So confronted with human weaknesses and frailties we can always look at the other  and say yes, if He can do it, I can do it too. 

A reflection during the making of the 2008 YFC ILC, edited and added some present notes.
by aats

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Little Things, Big Things

Sometimes it is so easy to be caught up in trying to do big things, aiming to gain more and surpassing targets. The best example of this is the motto of the Olympics, Citius, Altius, Fortius , which is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger". We want to be faster still, higher even more and stronger than ever.

Along the way in aiming to be faster, higher and stronger in different fields of our lives, we forget to live. There is really nothing wrong with dreaming big, we should, but not at the expense of our life and others lives. The worst tragedy is to wake up one day realizing you are already old and hasn’t enjoyed life at all. So, while aiming high and dreaming big we should never lose sight of the little things. Little things are surprisingly beautiful and life giving. The little things we brush aside because we think we have more important matters attend to, only to realize that the little things are in fact the important things. Little things as visiting friends and family, cheering and caring someone, spending a lazy afternoon with love ones. All these and more cannot be compensated with anything in the world.

What is important to you? Look around there are little things we chose to ignore. It’s never to late to recognize it.

by aats

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

God and Mission

I love mission but I love God more. Unconsciously sometimes we already love mission more than the One who gives us the mission. Let not our love for mission equate with our love for God. God should be our ultimate love. Going on mission without God is not a mission but a vacation.

The world has given us so many “mission”, humanitarian missions, peace missions, and more. And, talking about humanitarian missions, there are so many of such kind in the world. World leaders had been going on missions for many good reasons. But for us Christians, loving and going on mission as it is, is no mission at all, its just humanitarianism, devoid of God. It is goodness at the pretext of mission.  For it to be a mission, Christ has to be the center. It is not enough for us to share goodness to the world; the world must know the source of all goodness.

God and mission not mission and God!


by aats

Monday, November 28, 2011

Above and Beyond Reproach

In leadership, we are not trying to be good for the sake of looking good, because that’s hypocrisy. We try to be good because our God is good! We don’t just walk our talk either for the sake of walking because that’s just fulfilling an obligation. We don’t just act because we are obliged, we act because we love! We walk our talk, because that’s what we should be, both in words and in actions. Above and beyond reproach!

by aats