Bad people

There are bad people.

Human history exposes the barbaric and bestial acts committed by nations, rulers and armies. The 20th century witnessed the mass execution of Jews by Nazi Germany, not to mention innocent civilians who became casualties between the warring nations.

In recent times, there were the internecine wars in Africa and Europe which gave rise to the term “ethnic cleansing”. Just a week ago, the world was stunned at the news that 57 people were murdered in Maguindanao province in Southern Philippines, 30 of whom were media people covering a political activity that turned into a bloodbath. We also read about senseless killings of people in public places and even in safe havens like schools.

Pride and envy caused Cain to kill Abel. The slaughter of innocent children by Herod was a result of fear of the rise of a Jewish king. And despite doing good deeds and sharing wise teachings, Jesus Christ was crucified for He defied the authorities who were jealous of His power.

God the Father, out of His eternal love, creates each person to be good, to do good, and to die good. But because He likewise gave us free will; we decide on what to do with their lives. There are those who follow God’s will; but others become attached to worldly ambitions and material wealth. The latter easily succumb to the temptations of Satan who find joy in evilness and selfishness of sinners. These sinners are the bad people that bring about trouble, if not chaos into this world.

It is easy to condemn bad people; yet God looks at them with love, with hope – as He does to those who are obedient to Him. “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” (Luke 6:35)

It is not for us to judge others, but then it is not also correct to allow wrongdoing to happen, if not thrive. We are asked, “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” (Psalm 94:16) Each one is empowered to rise against evil; each one is to stand against the workers of iniquity. How? “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

For the righteous will always be victorious over people who do bad deeds. “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12)

by Mel Libre

One True Servant King

Fr Ruben Elago, MSP, chaplain of the Filipino community in Auckland, New Zealand, in his homily on the occasion of the Feast of Christ the King said that the kingship of Jesus is totally opposite that of how the world views people holding high positions. To make his point, he narrated about a newly arrived migrant who had yet to find work introduced himself to the priest and asked the latter in what way he could serve the parish. “That is leadership,” he explained, “it is that desire to volunteer, to work, to serve others that makes one a leader.”

A good example of a true leader is Efren Peñaflorida who was recognised as the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year on November 21, 2009 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. The Filipino street educator who heads the Dynamic Teen Company was honoured for the “Kariton Klassroom” (pushcart classroom) programme that brings education to more than 1,500 poor children as an alternative to gang membership in Cavite. He leads 10,000 volunteers who teach the 3 Rs as well as basic hygiene to these children.

In his acceptance speech, Efren said: “Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colours, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry, Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.”

Saints and martyrs are heroes of faith. They lived lives of selflessness, humility and sacrifice.  Dedicating themselves to serve others, they modelled themselves after the Leader of leaders, the King of kings. Jesus Christ had no palace, no army, no slaves, though he reigns over Heaven and earth. He offered His life by dying on the cross to save humanity from sin and Satan. “Though [Jesus Christ] was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to...In human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God.” (Philippians 2:6-8) Christ is the one true Servant King.

Efren was given a total of US$125,000 cash prize for his feat. When asked how he would use the money, he responded: “Iyong 90% cash mapupunta sa Dynamic Teen Company. Iyong 10% sa church...Nothing for me.” He added: “Nandito po ako para i-represent ang mga bata, iyong mga dedicated volunteers, iyong mentor ko, iyong selfless and hardworking Filipinos.”  As Fr Ruben would say: “That is leadership.” And may I add: “That is servanthood.”

by Mel Libre

Knock at Doors

Let me begin with a story and an invitation.

A migrant couple knocked at doors in a distant town, as the woman was with child. Not one gave them shelter; so they had to settle for a stable for animals where the King of Kings was born. To undo the injustice the human race did more than 2,000 years ago, Catholic groups in North Shore (Auckland, New Zealand) invites you to the Open Gathering on 20 December at the Fr David Nolan Auditorium, St Joseph’s Takapuna where we shall sing Christmas songs; share food and drinks; and offer you gifts. We shall celebrate the true spirit of Christmas for migrants such as you.

Now allow me to proceed to the issue at hand. It concerns us migrants who have come to Aotearoa New Zealand in these uncertain economic times. We had met several times to discuss our plight and we made proposals to the National Party government through Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman to ease our suffering, to relieve our misery.

Dr Coleman’s reception has been cold. He has failed to realize that migrant workers are not sucking up the economy. In fact, many are borrowing money from home to keep them going. All we are asking for is a chance to have them here a little longer, to find a job, and for Immigration New Zealand to abide by its original promise when it issued the Work-to-Residence visas – for them to fill up the shortages for skilled workers.

 At the end of the day, everyone suffers, including the New Zealand economy, if we send these workers packing.

We have therefore asked Members of Parliament who understand the situation of the migrant workers to come to our rescue. Today, we turn over to them for sponsorship a petition signed by more than 2,000 individuals that aims to address urgent concerns. In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be adopted and extraordinary representatives of the people are needed to sponsor the measures.

As I begun this talk with a story. Let me end with another one. A group of migrants knocked at the doors of Aotearoa New Zealand – and they were let in, as Work-to-Residence visa holders and temporary workers. They were amazed with its vibrant cities and beautiful sceneries. It was dream come true out of the postcards and the inviting materials in the Immigration New Zealand website. But as soon as they began job searching, they woke up to the reality that they’ve been led to the backdoor that directs them to the stable for animals, becoming an underclass in what they thought was a fair and caring society.

by Mel Libre

A Special Day For A Special You

Danny Milano is a lechon maker who works for Claudia’s Lechon, one of the most popular suppliers of Philippine flavoured roasted pigs in Auckland. He marked his 50th birth anniversary on November 1, 2009. Proprietor Sendo Menchavez went out of his way with the help of more than 50 friends to surprise Danny with a celebration. Sendo told Danny that there was an order for lechon to be delivered in the Social Hall of the Good Shepherd Parish in Balmoral.  Just to make sure that Danny would have no inkling about the activity, Sendo gave Danny a free parking ticket in Sky City, which is several blocks away, to make it appear that a more private affair was arranged later.

 

By 5:30pm, Danny arrived at the Social Hall and as he entered the room, the well-wishers greeted him with a “Happy Birthday” song. Danny’s face glowed with joy and amazement and this remained so throughout the programme; with people dedicating songs to him and close relations sharing tributes to a humble and valuable individual. Though he did not have the company of his own family, Danny must have felt the love of the people who surrounded him at that moment.

 

It was the same warmth in the heart that I experienced on November 6, when my three children – Kim, Jam and Me-el – surprised me with a little celebration on my 53rd birthday. While my wife, Debbie and I went out, they hurriedly cooked delicious recipes and ordered a decorated cake. We all had a wonderful time in the dinner table, a precious moment that I wanted to last forever.

 

Birthdays are usually associated with feasts and parties with family and friends around, with food and drinks served, where fun and laughter abound. Some look forward to it as a time for receiving gifts; while others approach it as an occasion for sharing. 

 

The key to celebrating a birthday is for a celebrant to consider it as a special moment for a special person. Menachem Mendel Schneerson wrote: “Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year:  The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.” Whether you spend your birthday among friends, with family or alone, you ought to be happy and acknowledge to God: "You have filled my heart with great joy. It is greater than the joy of people who have lots of grain and fresh wine." (Psalm 4:7, NIrV)

 

There are no surprises as far as God is concerned for all His children. "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."(Ephesians 2:10, NLT)  He promises us eternal life in His Heavenly Kingdom and each year as we mark our birthdays, we must rejoice for we draw ourselves closer towards God’s destiny for us. "All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16b, NIV)

by Mel Libre

The Best Treat

On the eve of October 31, Halloween is observed in most Western countries with children (and even adults) dressing up in witch costumes, putting on skeleton masks and that of other horrifying creatures.  The tradition is to knock at doors of neighbouring homes and greeting the house owners, “Trick or Treat?” The commercialisation of the event goes beyond the get-ups as it dominates the theatres as well – with horror films like “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, “Saw”, and “Paranormal Activity”.

An official of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, Masbate Bishop Joel Baylon says that Halloween merchandise encourages bad behaviour and promotes negative aspects of All Saints’ Day.  He said, “I’m worried that Halloween has the potential to trivialize the realities of evil in the world and occult practices should not be condoned, even if they are only being presented like toys.”

Two of the biggest movie franchises are Harry Potter and Twilight. The first one is about the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while the second one deals with teenage vampires with angst.  While these may just be fantasy movies based on popular novels, the franchises have actually brought black magic and satanic creatures into pop culture. Subtly creeping into the sub-consciousness of young readers, these practices and beliefs maybe accepted as natural and harmless.

We may not know it, but Satan is spreading his evilness in what seems trivial. The truth is “We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) If we think, we are making fun of the devil, think again, Lucifer may be the one playing tricks on us.

If the effort people exert in securing costumes, masks and lollies for Halloween is reverted to a more meaningful exercise of praying for, offering to and recollection on saints and the souls of the dear departed, then we can surely help those spirits who are in purgatory, we can learn about the sacrifices and rewards of those who championed the faith, we can bring ourselves closer to our Almighty Creator.. Our solemn ritual may be the best treat we can share to the youth and the little ones for when we will ourselves be among the departed, they will remember us and pray for us, so our souls will join the angels and saints in the company of God.

by Mel Libre