Our hope of glory

When I welcomed all participants worldwide to the 51^st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in the article, “God’s creative intentions” posted December 16, 2013 @ nestofglory.blogspot.com, I did not expect to be one of the thousands in attendance.

Together with Judy, my wife and Francis John, our only son, we were privileged to attend the historic international significant event in the Catholic Church. 

Our souvenir picture

Judy and I are communicants who strive to attend the Holy Mass daily.  I believe that “the Eucharist … becomes the venue of God’s revelation” (Sabbath 2016. p. 62) allowing us to see, encounter and experience Him in our daily living.

Our attendance and participation in the various activities of the 51^st IEC strengthen our resolve to receive Christ daily through Holy Communion.  Impressive, awesome, amazing, astonishing are some of the adjectives to describe the different activities of the week-long event. Looking at the two (2) ways to live our lives, little miracles happened “as though everything is a miracle in one end while at the other end, nothing is a miracle” (Albert Einstien cited by Ignatius Fernandez, Life Lessons: A Christian Sharing. p. 15)

With my desire to connect my reflective thoughts to the vast minds of the world and ultimately with the Infinite Mind, I exchanged “calling cards” with national and international participants encountered. Its punch lines, “Mankind should be our business, … our trade.” Let us build the “bond of charity” (theme of the 34^th IEC at Budapest, Hungary in 1938) where the “Christ in us is our hope of glory” (Col 1:27) reflecting the theme of the recent Congress.  One of those I met and briefly exchanged pleasantries was a school director in Togo, South Africa who in spite of the language barrier being French speaking, both encountered the “Christ in us”. 

The life testimony of the Thai entrepreneur who shared how she was persecuted and eventually converted to Catholicism was highly impressive that Judy took the opportunity to pose with her after she delivered her public declaration and profession of faith.

With Ms. Sarindhorn Mativachranon who “survived and succeeded in life despite grim circumstances”

As a couple, Judy and I shared the “story of the Lord” in our lives in a joint breakfast fellowship of the BCBP Consolacion Chapter on March 5, 2016.  We claim, “for over two (2) decades, we continue ‘to go, grow and glow’ bearing fruits ‘seeking first the Kingdom of God…’(Mt 6:33) through our proactive membership in the BCBP Community from Mactan to Mandaue and now with the Consolacion Chapter”.

Blissfully, the glorious realization of hopes and dreams for our family was joyfully  attained through our attendance to the Family Lenten Retreat last March 12, 2016.  The theme was “Family and the Eucharist” through the able leadership of Sis Ann and Bro. William Roiles. It was a unique opening salvo for the many activities involving the whole family.  The day-long activity was facilitated by the Verbum Dei Catholic Missionaries headed by Rev. Fr. Michael Cheong.  Life lessons were learned and relearned.  The first miracle of turning water to wine at the wedding in Cana connects Jesus with the family. 

The institution of a successful marriage requires communication which can be expressed in five (5) love languages: words of affirmation; quality time;.giving of gifts; acts of service and physical touch. For the family, the message reverberates, “the Eucharist being a consolation, a promise and a calling”. nmg

A cheerful family picture at Hotel Pier Cuatro, Cebu City after the 

“Family Prayer Dynamics” courtesy of Sis Marissa S. Macaraig, BCBP Consolacion Chapter 

Personal humility is true humility

Humility is tantamount to servanthood. It is a measure of a “successful life” as pointed out by the Gospel according to St. Matthew. We are admonished, “The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself with be exalted” (Mt 23:11-12).

Greatness is measured by “a successful life involving personal relationships, family experiences and spiritual involvement as well as our professional lives” (Sir John Templeton’s Golden Nuggets). “Great and respected people acknowledge that their greatness comes not from their personal self but from a higher power working through them. True humility knows that the personal self is a vehicle to a higher power”.

On the occasion of the installation of the governance or new set of servant-leaders (2016-2018) of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) Consolacion Chapter last November 29, 2015, humility is highlighted and emphasized in his homily. Rev. Fr. Clyde Salitrero, OCarm. is once upon a time BCBP Consolacion’s young member who took charge of our children before entering the seminary. Now, we are fortunate to have him back to officiate and celebrate with us the Holy Mass during the installation and thanksgiving.

"BCBP time is on time" with Sis Miriam Loren as coordinator

Rev. Fr. Clyde Salitrero, at the pulpit in Big Hotel, Mandaue City  

Before the Holy Mass, I briefly exchanged pleasantries with my cousins who are servant-leaders in one BCBP Chapter in Cebu who were among the invited guests.  “Gi-bugha!!”, metaphorically as in being “axed timber for firewood” in their leadership was a lamenting response.

Providentially, they must have been relieved by the homily of Fr. Clyde who stressed the importance of the virtue of humility in our service to the Lord as “personal humility”. Application of the lessons learned in philosophy and sanctity are classified under “intellectual and spiritual humility”, respectively.

Fr. Clyde pointed-out, “servant-leadership is not a bed of roses but nails and thumb-tacks requiring a lot of kneeling to pray...servant-leaders are broken to be shared”.  This is a “key note” that is thought-provoking and worth living.

During the last teaching night of the Chapter after the first Friday Mass (December 4, 2015), the governance laid down the platform or plan of action commonly termed “action plan” in the action group level, the basic unit of BCBP.  The platform for the next three (3) years is coined to The 3 Ps to stand for Presence, Participation and Personal Spiritual Growth.  The individual servant-leader of each service group presented their respective strategies encompassing or embracing The 3 Ps.

Every BCBP member committed to know, love and serve God in a personal way must be reminded that “the beginning of humility is triggered or ignited when we realize how little we know and how much there is to learn”.  “True humility can lead us to a prayerful attitude.  Prayer can bring us in tune with the Infinite.”  “When we are genuinely humble and grateful for God-given blessings, the door is open to a kind of Heaven on Earth, here and now”.

Truly inspiring and moving are the following lovely and analogical statements from the Golden Nuggets:  “When we are permeated with a lively faith and a sense of a sincere desire to learn, messages of love and guidance flow to us and through us like a beautiful river that has found smooth passage through our life stream.  To find contentment in the heart and a sense of fulfillment in the mind, it becomes important that we learn to praise and affirm life and the goodness of living”. nmg

Patient but not a patient

The Catechism of the Catholic Church listed down 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1832) while the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians has 9 (Gal 5:22-23).  Patience is one among these Fruits.

We must be aware that there are conditions how and when God answers what we petition in prayer.  God’s outright positive response certainly increases our faith in Him.  Not giving what we are asking means that we are not worth it.  We need to discern what is best for us according to His will and plan.  A delayed response is testing us our patience to wait.

Perseverance, endurance, steadfastness, persistence, consistency and sustainability are terms synonymous to patience.  The poet Henry Wadswoth Longfellow must be inspired by the Acts of the Apostles to “pray in faith…it is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22) and the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians, “persevere in prayer that God may open the door” (Col 4:2).  He  claimed, “perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody”.

Last August 27, 2015 on the occasion of my persevering wife Judy’s 58^th birthday and the first founding anniversary of Rhodora Inn, we celebrated a Holy Mass in thanksgiving and house blessing officiated by Rev. Fr. Clyde Salitrero, OCarm.  We are reminded of “St. Monica’s patience with her husband, her long years of prayer coupled with a strong, well-disciplined character finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband and her once wayward son, now St. Augustine. She is a model wife and mother.  St. Monica is our model of patience” (Sabbath 2015. p. 246).

In the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) Consolacion Chapter, we experience and are witnesses to manifestations of God’s grace through patience and persevering intercessory prayer as a Community.  The birth of Sis Girlie & Bro. Wilbert Ang’s daughter after 17 years is one among the many answered prayers.

Kuya Joe Caminade is patient but not a patient.  The noun patient means a person is undergoing treatment while the adjective patient means a person tolerates affliction with calmness.  Pati is the Latin word which means to endure.

When asked by a BCBP sister now residing in Canada through the facebook, how we are?, I readily responded, “We are what you see!”.

Our September 2015 picture after the BCBP Consolacion joint breakfast fellowship @ Siknoy, Insular Square, Mandaue City  

Kuya Joe and I with our respective wives are pioneering members of BCBP Mactan Chapter since 1994.  Together, we were moved to Mandaue Chapter and now, we are with the Consolacion Chapter.  That span of time is a measure of our endurance and perseverance tempered with patience, the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Kuya Joe is a self-made man who is diligent.  After his retirement from money-making activities associated with financial setbacks due to bankruptcy in his business, he  occupied himself with his skill and passion for carpentry that brought him to an uncalled for accident at home. The electric drill he used dropped and injured his foot. The serious bacterial infection prompted the attending physician to recommend for immediate amputation.  However, through the prayers of brothers and sisters in the BCBP Community, he was “saved by the bell”. After more than a week hospitalization, he was bed-ridden for 2 months and 6 months more for physical therapy.  During this period, brothers and sisters took turns in praying-over him in their home during our visits to console him.

 

It was during his periodical laboratory examinations that he was found out to be inflicted with the third stage of lung cancer.  It was “shocking” to him. Like anyone who is diseased, he underwent the 5 stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance (Life Lessons by Kubler-Ross & Kessler. pp. 78-79).  Feeling that his earthly life is over, the Caminade couple anticipated a celebration and renewal of  marriage vows on their 45^th wedding anniversary at home well-attended by brothers and sisters in the BCBP. 

After a financially draining chemo-therapy and radiation excluding the free professional fee of an oncologist BCBP brother, he gave-up and turned to proper nutrition and self-medication with the aid of the internet being an active “netizen”.  He has “an able body” although his mobility is limited.  He has “an open-mind” keeping himself occupied with gathering knowledge and information on proper nutrition through the internet.  He has still a mission to comply.  Through their nightly couple prayer, he is “sanctifying his spirit”. The cheerful and sociable Ate Norms is his persevering care-giver loving him “forever more”. Indeed, Kuya Joe is in “perfect health” brought about by an able body, an open-mind and a sanctified spirit. Instead of self-pity, he makes himself available in almost all BCBP activities specially the regular Saturday breakfast fellowships. He is passionately engaged in home-baking and preparation of “finger foods”. In fact, during some of our intercessory prayer times when their action group is assigned, he used to share with us food for snacks. The BCBP Consolacion brethren regularly intercede for his healing.  With expectant faith, he looks forward to celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary in 2016.

Kuya Joe is blessed to be an epitome, our model, idol and inspiration of calmness and patience amidst adversity. “Obedience and submission to God’s will being better than sacrifice” (1 Sam 15:22) is his guiding post that “everything is going to be fine developing our faith that God has a plan” for all of us. 

  

In 2010 before his papacy, Pope Francis pondered on the theme of patience.  “There are times when our lives do not call so much for doing as far as our ‘enduring’, for bearing up with our own limitations as well as those of others”.   nmg  

"Desire sets the compass..."

Have you experienced uniting fantasy with reality?. . . or a reconciliation between  miracle/mystery with natural phenomenon?

In our private and individual lives, every year-end or when the new year commenced, we are confronted with “new year’s resolution”.  This is simply subjecting ourselves to self-evaluation, how far we are going in our pilgrimage or earthly journey.

The “mystical fiction”, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling book by Mitch Albom (as shown below) partially and positively answers the above-question re: “uniting fantasy with reality” and “reconciliation  between miracle/mystery with natural phenomenon”.

I acknowledge with much appreciation to the Christmas 2014 gift-giver, Archt Easter Colette P. Gloria-Nakila, UAP.  Thanks a lot, Yette!!

Interspersed with the historical background of the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell claiming “Ahoy!!” over Thomas Edison’s “Hello!!!” as the most appropriate and standard greeting, Mitch Albom connects Heaven with the phone.

The introduction of Philip Yancey’s Soul Survivor is intriguing and timely that pictured two (2) separate scenarios.  He compared the mountainous pile of garbage at Smokey Mountain in Manila, Philippines with the debris of Ground Zero in New York City after the 9-11-2001 bombing.  A sense of closeness was built in me with Philip Yancey.

 

I was excited to open the Christmas 2014 gift from our architect daughter. I was moved with the heart-warming letter of Mitch Albom to his treasured Readers in the Philippines with his visit to Tacloban City after Typhoon Yolanda. I felt I am one of those avid readers who met him.  It provided a much greater intimacy that ignited me to go on reading.  I’m sorry I did not make it to his visit and book signing in SM City, Cebu.

Albom’s mystical novel, the first phone call from heaven may or may not increase our faith and belief in the afterlife, that there is Heaven.  I can sense skeptical Jehovah Witnesses (JW) friends who are laughing while reading with the highly imaginative, creative and “criminal” mind of the author. But, I think they should be entertained with the twist of events.

 

A group of them (JW) handed me the December 2014 issue of Awake, Watchtower and the handbook, What the Bible Really Teaches?.  In appreciation, I commented in a question form, “Is this your Christmas gift to me?”.  They were taken aback because they don’t celebrate Christmas and other Holidays of the Catholic Church.  Much more, they don’t believe in Heaven.  Doubtful and unsure, they said, “please look down on us when you are up in Heaven”.

Sometime in August 2014 when Judy was confined in the hospital followed by our only son, Francis John, I read and finished reading not a spiritual fiction, nor a Fifth Gospel but a religious novel.  It is a compilation of the Story of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Seen by Mystics.  Many discoveries/rediscoveries and or religious lessons are learned not written in the Bible which other Christian religions do not believe, being Bible-believing Christians (sola scriptura).

In our earthly journey, we may have several forms of wishes and desires especially during the New Year.  They may include material or financial blessings; physical & emotional health and spiritual well-being.  Mitch Albom claims, “Desire sets our compass but the real daily life events steer the course”.  Our ultimate “desire” must be with our Almighty Father in His Kingdom in Heaven so that this desire sets our “life compass” to that final destination.  In our journey, many good and bad events happen that may weaken or strengthen our steering ability. 

Literally, we have a BCBP brother, Kuya Ed Lanticse who is engaged in “compass adjustment” in his capacity as ship captain and COO of the Universal Shipping Management & Services (USMS), Cebu City.  Kuya Ed, I claim my “commission” for the advertisement and endorsement.

Are you aware that big or small “miracles” take place daily?  I recognize a “little miracle” when Dr. & Mrs. Sulpicio Bantugan were stranded for 3 days/nights at home because of Typhoon Seniang (Dec 28-30, 2014).

We had ample time to exchange notes regarding our respective “servant-leadership” with CFC on his part while mine with BCBP.  We travelled back in time as co-alumni of the Visayas Agricultural College (VAC) during our college days, our employment with the Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA), our professional advancement at UPLB and many more including our respective love stories until my voluntary resignation in 1992 as horticulturist and his retirement last year (2014) as animal scientist.  We recognize the major role of God in our lives and our recent individual tests/trials or predicaments experienced in our respective families that may strengthen or weaken our faith.

Our family’s desire for the year-end 2014 was a closer bond with our first daughter who has a family of her own making a living in Brunei.  We were apprehensive and anxious over her emotional instability giving up her career over motherhood to take care of their 5 yr old son, the witty & persuasive Nykko and the 1 yr old twin daughters: the sweet & sensitive Zarah and the jolly & active Zitah.  I praise and thank God for His Divine Providence giving us the opportunity to be strongly bonded during the Christmas Season.

Those are our year-end “little miracles”.  “As what happens with all miracles, once life goes on, those who believe retell them with wonder. . . those who do not, do not” (Mitch Albom p. 322).

I admire Albom’s final acknowledgement in his mystical book, “anything created by my heart and hand is from God, by God, through God and with God”.  This is parallel to what I claim in the articles, “Why do I write?” and “How do I write?” @ www.nestofglory.blogspot.com posted January 31, 2011.  In my write-ups, I abide with Jesus Christ being the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. nmg

Ordinary ‘lay faithful’ not “Pastor”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 897 – 913) defines the role, mission and vocation of the lay faithful, the ”laity”.  Through the Sacrament of Baptism, ”we are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ” (CCC 897).

Judy and I delivered our respective “life testimony” or the “story of the Lord in our life” last March 22, 2014.

Four (4) days later, I was one among the 28 godparents or principal sponsors of Luther V. Dejadena and Ma. Kristine Hope L. Ibañez during their wedding at Metropolitan Cathedral, Cebu City.  Their wedding date (March 26, 2014) is personally significant to me because 38 years ago, I graduated from the Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA) to earn a degree in agricultural education.

In God’s appointed time, I met and actively interacted with one of my co-sponsors during the reception.  Wittingly and with a good sense of humor, he tried to qualify what it is to be “past Thor” and “present Thor”.  (Looking back at my life, “it is past, Nestor!”)

He is Bro. Allan Abelgas, Oasis of Love and co-host of “Paghigmata” CCTN TV 47 program every Monday, 9 – 10 pm.

Days earlier, Judy and I were requested by the Phil. Coconut Authority (PCA Reg. 7) to be part of the “stress debriefing” program for PCA Reg. 8 employees.  That unexpected invitation was through Ms. Bing Escoton.  Without hesitation, we readily accepted the responsibility because we were too excited for a reunion with co-alumni and previous co-workers from the Visayas Agricutural College (VAC) later on renamed the Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA), Baybay, Leyte. 

We were not given specific function but allotted an hour with the 30 participants.  With Judy and our daughter, Marianne Claire ready to help me facilitate, I prepared an outline employing the “Look, Listen, Love Method” of life sharing we gained from our active involvement with the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP). 

In the afternoon of the day before the schedule, the team from PCA Central Office met  us. But, before we were formally introduced to each other, the psychological counselling expert from UP Diliman was already ”blowing her trumpet”. The 1-hour allotment to deal with “looking at life”; “listening to God” and “loving in action” was simply rejected with her claim that she is the one being paid.  Unsure about her religion, I was uneasy and stressed with her over-emphasis for the need of a pastor with the abilities of a certain Pastor Villanueva who has an evangelical TV program to deliver the inspirational message.  They expected inspirational messages full of Biblical verses.

After more than 2 hours of stressful deliberation, Judy and I agreed to deliver our life story. But then again, they were apprehensive that we will be boasting our achievements.  They were not sure whether we can inspire the participants.  Not knowing about BCBP, I readily “stood up for Jesus”.  In that instant, I remembered our “multi-disciplinary team’s” visit to upstate New York, U.S.A. in 1984.  I bought and  proudly wore the Hanes t-shirt with its print, ”Yes, there is a Chateague!”.  At that very moment, I readily proclaimed, “Yes, there is BCBP!  We are active members and we will deliver the inspirational message following the BCBP culture.”  Instead of the one (1) hour allotment, we agreed a maximum of 30 minutes delivery.

We arrived at the venue an hour earlier than the schedule but we were required to deliver soon.  Dismaying, annoying and distracting was the flashing of the “5 mins. left” for Judy’s testimony on “prayer, service and surrender” on a personal level. At a national and global scenario, I delivered, “God’s creative intentions” posted December 16, 2013 @ www.nestofglory.blogspot.com that fitted in the participants' experienced trauma with Super Typhoon Yolanda.  I was subjected to the same irritating flashes of the “5 mins. left” that reminded me of the same experience when I delivered the talk, Repentance and Faith in a Christian Life Program in a BCBP Chapter in Cebu City many years ago.  Although we felt being harassed and unwanted, we tried our best to set the tone of their day-long “stress debriefing”.  Judy and I received our respective certificates of appreciation though. 

In the conduct of the Brotherhood Christian Marriage Retreat (BCMR) at the Consolacion Chapter, Judy and I used to deliver the talk, “Serving God Through Christian Marriage” defining the role of the husband and father as pastoral head of our “domestic church”, our family. However, the title ”pastor” is not applied to the Catholic Church but to other religious denomination.

My younger brother being converted as “Jehovah’s witness” by marriage was off-guard and did not expect the striking question of our father, “Ruben, pastor ka na sa inyong reliheyon?”  Once serving as Catechist in Christ the King Parish, Alang-alang, Mandaue City for four (4) consecutive years, I saved him from humiliation and readily explained to the satisfaction of our father who used to serve as Lay Minister himself at a younger age.

Our voluntary service to deliver the inspirational message for the PCA Reg. 8 employees was a ‘labor of glory’, an “Opus gloriae, the fundamental destiny of every creature and above all of man, who was created in order to become in Christ, the priest, prophet and king of all earthly creatures” (Crossing the Threshold of Hope by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. p.18). nmg

Prayer, service and surrender by Judy P. Gloria

My dear brothers and sisters, Good Morning! How are you today? We are so glad to be with you this morning. 

The life testimony I am sharing with you is inspired by a verse in the Book of Psalms, “Because they cling to Me, I will rescue them says the Lord, I will protect those who know My Name” (Ps 91:14).

In each person’s life, there is always a moment of truth, reality and acceptance. I always see this in lives of the persons I am mentoring. Mine came last January 20, 2013 the day Cebu celebrated Sinulog Mardi Gras in honor of Señor Santo Niño.  I experienced shortness of breath accompanied by severe chest and back pains. I passed out. The reality of my situation was clear. I was on death’s hour.  Silently, I kept praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy asking for a happy and quick death. The naked truth of my unpreparedness flashed like lightning. I saw my baggage of ill feelings, my arrogance, my pride, my bitterness, my unwillingness to forgive. My only refuge was God’s mercy. I asked for the impossible, “I could not imagine myself using a cane as a third leg. It was between happy death and full recovery and nothing in between.” My feeling was like a pendulum swinging from pleading, arguing, helplessness and finally acceptance.

God willed me to live! I was discharged after 5 days in the Intensive Care Unit. But my health was still downhill. I could not do any physical work because I felt so weak. My prayer life has become my major activity. I ask God to put me back on my feet, my activities and community services since He granted me another chance to live. Day in and day out, in my waking moments, I bombarded Heaven to put me back in my feet. Praying without ceasing . . . and in four (4) months, God answered my pleadings. I was able to attend a health wellness seminar. I decided to stop all my synthetic maintenance medication. Simply changing the kind of food I eat reversed my health condition. I lost a total of 17 kgs body weight. What was so impossible has become easy and very possible.

Last August 2013, I gave myself a birthday gift. Together with few friends, I joined a Silent Retreat at Mountain Pines Place, Bukidnon, conducted by the Sisters of the Opus Dei. How can I appreciate a retreat with silence and my personal journal as companions and all alone in my room? The instruction was, write one or two realizations that could be implemented.  This retreat was a big mistake. I presumed it was a retreat like the ones I usually attended where we share reflections in small groups.

Every now and then I saw participants taking pictures. I always avoid group pictures because I could not see any beauty in my face and figure! But I followed suit for lack of something to do. And behold, I was able to capture the face of a strict, frowning, unhappy woman. The previous day lecture was “GOD WANTS ME TO BE HAPPY!”  So I took another selfie picture, this time smiling and …what a transformation! I now join group pictures with a smile always pasted on my face. I will remember that God wants me to be happy always! That was my first workable reflection entered into my journal. For a person not used to express this emotion, well, it is an effort.

A priest was always available for confession during the retreat. I took the opportunity to unload my miserable feeling. His first question was, “why are you angry?” My lame answer was, “I could not remember!” His reply, “Are there some expectations not met? Still I gave a confused answer. Finally, he instructed “when you can remember, then comeback!”

The following day, we were introduced to two simple steps to forgiveness. First step: excuse a person’s doing, action, words when you feel hurt but no sin has been committed or it is not the intention of the doer to hurt. Do not believe on messages passed to you because the circumstance and emotion when the messages were expressed could not be passed on. Believe when it is said directly to you. It is your ego that has been hurt? . . . . Ah. . . that was why I forgot the reason of my anger. SO EXCUSE STARTING TODAY! This was my second doable reflection written in my journal.

 

Second step: Decide to forgive anyone who has sinned against you! Ah very tall order but difficult to implement. It was the second statement that gave me the wisdom to follow! We, you and I are all sinners, Jesus decided to forgive! He took the first move to reconciliation even though He has not sinned! I DECIDE TO FORGIVE! This was the third entry to my journal.

After I decided to be HAPPY, to EXCUSE and to FORGIVE, many long overdue petitions were answered. The many answered prayers that were personal and those requested were tremendous. I am amazed at the Power of God and His Perfect Timing. One significant grace received is the mending of my relationship with our eldest and married daughter. This is a 15 years old prayer petition.

Our youngest and only son decided to quit college this semester to pursue his passion in cooking. It was mind blowing for us. Nestor and I took refuge in prayers, waited and reflected on God’s wisdom. One reason I did not consent was I could not imagine him called “kusenero” and how much do we pay Kuseneros? But God provided us the means to enroll him in an International Culinary Arts Academy in Cebu City (ICAAC) and their graduates are called “Chefs”. Ah class na! Ok na ko! Chefs earn big money!

Our middle child is an Applied Physics graduate. After her graduation she wanted to study further on Medical Physics. Since this entails radiations and the like, we did not support her but instead prayed what is best for her and waited. She is now gaining prominence as she develops her skills in Live Blood Analysis (LBA) being part of the medical team of her networking business. Soon, she will be opening her LBA and Healthy food center in Mandaue City.  All these are answered prayers.

One universal law is the giving back to God our treasure, time and talents. We give tithes to our community and chosen parish.  Nestor, my sister and I went to the parish where our coconut farm is located to give our tithes derived from the farm income last December 16, 2013. When we arrived late in the afternoon, the rectory was closed. A gardener was around, so we inquired for the priest. He went inside and brought along the cook. The cook informed us that the priest was asleep and should not be disturbed because it was the first day of Mesa de Gallo. My sister and I waited outside wondering what to do. In silence, I prayed and asked for Divine intervention. We traveled for two (2) hours just for nothing? The cook made us enter the rectory and disappeared. Since the parish priest was new, we were not able to recognize him when he went out from a room. We exchanged greetings and introduced ourselves. We informed him of our intention to give our tithes.

The parish priest was teary eyed when he thanked us being the answer of his day-long prayer for financial assistance to repair part of the church roofing destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda. We became God’s instruments to answer his prayer.  He was very grateful and amazed for the amount we gave was three (3) times more than what he prayed for. Isn’t God so amazing?

To pray without ceasing is our life-line to God. Service is our paying forward for the graces received and answered prayers. Returning back to God a portion of our treasure, time and talent is our submission to His ownership of everything that we are and have. We acknowledge we are nothing without God and His Divine Providence.

Brothers and sisters I am your humble servant, Judy Perez Gloria an agriculturist by profession; a real estate lessor by business and a health wellness consultant by hobby. I am married to Nestor M. Gloria also an agriculturist and a real estate lessor and a blogger as hobby.  We have three children and three grandchildren.

The Lord promises us, “When they call Me, I will answer, in time of trouble, I will be with them, I will deliver and honor them, I will satisfy them with long life, and show them My salvation” (Ps 91:15-16).

Your being here today is not a coincidence. The Lord protected you from the snares of super typhoon Yolanda because you called His Name!

Thank you and have a blessed and enjoyable day!

God’s Creative Intentions

“When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all this must happen first, even though the end is not so soon” (Lk 21:9).  We are admonished to “watch at all times and pray that we may be able to escape all that is bound to happen” (Lk 21:36).

The floods in Luzon, the earthquake in the Visayas and the war in Mindanao and all other ontic and moral evils are all part of the bad and negative life experiences of the Filipinos.  The message re: “few (acronym for flood, earthquake and war) are praying” spread in the social media.  “Few are praying” most likely because “few believe”.  “Prayer and faith go together”. According to St. Augustine, ”believers strengthen themselves by believing”.  God is calling us to repent and believe in the Gospel, the Good News of our Salvation.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his apostolic letter, Porta Fidei for the Year of Faith has the following significant information and milestone.  The Year of Faith started October 11, 2012.  It commemorated the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.  It also marked the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  The Year of Faith concluded last November 24, 2013 at the end of the liturgical calendar (Weekday Year I, Sunday Cycle C) and the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Universal King, the King of kings. In 1967, the Year of Faith was announced by Pope Paul VI.  It was celebrated to commemorate the martyrdom of Sts. Peter and Paul.

I attended the Regional BCBP men’s breakfast fellowship at Montebello garden hotel, Cebu City last August 31, 2013.  It was God’s divine providence that I briefly met and interacted with Fr. Peter Uchenna Nwanowanye, C.S.Sp.  He is the author of Hegel’s Metaphysics and the Problem of Evil.  Although heavy and relatively indigestible (“nose-bleeding” to my young blog followers), I understand bit by bit the philosophies of life, why good and evil go together. I am introduced to the term dielectic, the conflict of opposites.  “The experiences of evil are necessary, albeit negative elements in the unfolding of history to show that suffering and pain which constitute the elements of human existence are part of the creative process”, according to Fr. Peter.

A pose with Fr. Peter (Hegel's Metaphysics and the Problem of Evil) with Bill Granert of BCBP Cebu Central.

During the Year of Faith, we experienced the dielectical drama of our Philippine history.  Dramatically, I finished reading Fr. Peter’s book with the aid of a candle light in the evening after super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) lambasted Samar, Leyte, Northern Cebu, Iloilo and other provinces of the Visayas. Applicable to the Philippines’ progressive dielectical processes, Fr. Peter concluded, “The good and the bad, the positive and the negative experiences of life are part and parcel of the dielectical processes which are necessary and constituent elements of God’s creative intentions”.

In the Year of Faith, we encountered moral and ontic evils.  “Moral evil is an act of man’s inhumanity to man. It is an evil action done with qualified intentions and circumstances.”  This is exemplified by the most celebrated and well-noted ”pork barrel scam” with the fall guy, Janet Lim Napoles (JLN) because “Congress is the Phils’ biggest criminal syndicate” (Tony Lopez).  

Another significant moral evil was the war in Zamboanga City.  The delay of the distribution of relief goods and the inhuman substitution of imported canned goods with the local ones are immoral.  Highly immoral and immeasurably inhuman is the reported selling in Malls of the sealed and ready to eat packed meals intended for the typhoon victims. 

On the other hand, “Ontic evil could be an experience of a thing, event or action that annihilates or causes pain, suffering and death to living things including plants, animals and human beings.  It is the lack of perfection in anything.  Accidents such as plane/car crash or shipwrecks that have no direct relation to a moral agent are ontic evils. It cannot be strictly ontic when natural calamities are the result of human carelessness and violation of nature by human beings like today’s global warming and drastic climatic change”.

Why and how do these ontic and moral evils contribute to the creative process or creative intention of God?  Take note that the Philippines is second to the Vatican City and the only remaining Christian nation that do not legally succumb to the “culture of death” (divorce, euthanasia, abortion, termination of life and homosexuality) depending on the developments of the reproductive health (RH) bill.  .

My limited mind and “finite existence” looks at the investigation of the “pork barrel scam” as God’s creative process to correct corruption in our government and private business leadership. Tony Lopez (Congress is the Phils’ biggest criminal syndicate) has a substantial data about the billions of pesos looted by 3 gov’t departments and 4 gov’t corporations from the taxpayers’ money resulting to “greater penury (poverty), misery and economic enslavement” of the Filipinos including myself being an honest taxpayer.    

I remember proud comments of multi-cab drivers declaring, ”Malunod na jud ang Bohol!” meaning, ”Bohol must be sinking!”.  It was when the 28th BCBP National Anniversary Celebration was held in April 4-6, 2008.  What they jokingly predicted happened last October 15, 2013.  The earthquake with its 7.2 intensity destroyed a number of historic Catholic Church buildings to rubbles in Bohol.  With God’s creative intention, new, more durable and more beautiful but restored historical values of church buildings will rise as far as I can see.

During our action group meeting (AGM) that evening after the earthquake,  Kuya Ben Sangco dubbed that prayer meeting as ”stress debriefing”.  We shared our respective fears and trauma.  Our spiritual renewal through the BCBP nurtured and strengthened our faith.  We believe that in whatever circumstances, we are protected when we totally trust and be holistically dependent on God.   

We were spared from the terrifying devastation of super typhoon Yolanda.  The local and international media brought us to empathic tears looking at our brethren from directly affected areas.   Thousands were injured, missing and died. We pray for them with empathy, faith and charity.  Individuals, religious communities, private corporations and government agencies concerned responded to the varied immediate needs of the thousands of victims.  However, there were many observable “moral evils”.

As a family, we respond to the recovery needs of our identified “social responsibility”.  Twenty-three (23) households in “Kalubian ni Lolo” in Lugo, Borbon, Northern Cebu are recipients of several cubic feet of coco lumber to repair their respective damaged houses.  The cost of chain-sawing a considerable number of old coco trees that fell is handled by us with free delivery to their respective damaged houses.  Our copra dryer (repaired after the May 2005 accidental burning) was not spared by super typhoon Yolanda. It was a blessing they did not take refuge in it because if they did, “matacluban sila!!” (being covered by the heavy roofing that collapsed).

    

The Year of Faith is coined and concluded as annus horribilis (horrible year).  It was a purposeful and forceful call for a “time of profound change, to profess our faith in fullness with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope” (Porta Fidei. p. 12).

What the Indian prophet, Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj prophesied came to pass. However, relieving and inspiring is the “Cinderella-like” story of Ms. Abby Watanabe. In the dielectic process of Philippine history, she represents the “good and positive” side of our life experiences.  She changes the image of OFW’s in Japan.  From being a GRO, she is now a big time businesswoman motivated by her good-natured Japanese husband.  For the relief and recovery operations, they are giving back.  I know there are more compatriots doing the same for a “new Philippines”.               

“Uwa asaala anya” is an Igbo tribe language of Southeast Nigeria that Fr. Peter used to hear from an old woman when he was still a child. It means, “the world has opened its eyes”. The immediate inflow of relief goods, voluntary humanitarian services and millions of dollars in aid from all charitable nations are concrete indicators that the eyes, hearts and hands of the whole world are ever ready to lift up and rebuild a “new Philippines”. We, ourselves need to be awakened, repent and turn our ways to God.

I attach the creative and timely audio-video presentation by the Red Lions, Unlimited Network of Opportunities, Inc. (UNO) Cebu City prepared by our daughter, Marianne Claire. For me, it is “touching, awakening and life-changing realities of life and living, death and dying”. Click this link to see the video, Tribute to Yolanda Victims.

    

“Cleansing”, “healing of the land" and "purification” in whatever form are continuing dielectic processes or “God’s creative intentions”. God has His Eyes on Cebu, the humble cradle of Christianity in the Philippines. Cebu will be the venue for the International Eucharistic Congress by the year 2016.  Mabuhay Cebu!! God bless the Philippines!!!! nmg