A Flock of Birds

The flock of bird leaders met to discuss their plan for the avian festival. The dove suggested that a side event could focus on those who’ve lost their wings for whatever reason.  The crow responded negatively, explaining that the side event would diminish attention to the festival. “Those disabled ones will also require additional work with the special care they need. We don’t have enough resources for them,” he added.  Dove responded: “But isn’t it our responsibility as well to bring the beauty of flight to those who can no longer fly?”

The gathering became unwieldy as the members of the flock sided with either of the two speakers.  The chair bird, Eagle, had a hard time containing the loud chirping, as he himself couldn’t decide where to side. “Let’s put this to a vote,” he ordered.  When the votes were counted, dove’s suggestion obtained majority support.  “The side event for lost wings will happen,” announced eagle, “but dove, for making the suggestion, is responsible for this.” 

Dove was happy and sad at the same time. Happy for the unwanted birds; sad of the half-hearted support by their leader.  As he was about to fly back, a number of his colleagues in the leaders’ flock came forward asking how they could help. He wasn’t alone after all. But what moved him the most was the gratitude of hawk who told him that he broke one of his wings once, and how lonely he was in his brokenness. He told dove, “Nobody helped me then, but that is alright. What lifts my heart is that we can do something to the least ones.”

Dr Ludwig Gutmann of the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in UK was much like dove, by doing something to the least ones. He hosted a sport competition (called International Wheelchair Games) on the opening day of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, for British World War II veteran patients with spinal cord injuries. This continued in 1952 and had taken the name “Stoke Mandeville Games”.  Twelve years from 1948, the first official Paralympic Games happened in Rome during the 1969 Olympic Games. The fifteenth edition of Summer Paralympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 with 204 nations expected to participate.

Each individual has a place in the world. Each individual has a role to play.  The handicapped have as much right to have fun as those physically-able. The poor are as deserving as the rich to enjoy the gifts in life.

There are those who think they deserve better than others, so they work to accumulate more than they need. As a result, there is imbalance in the distribution of resources and of wealth.

Try we must to be instruments to regaining dignity for the hapless and the helpless on earth. For with God, they have a special place in His heavenly kingdom.

Heed we must to Christ’s teaching:” For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’”  (Matthew 25:35-40) 

Private Tiny

Drill Sergeant PG, as usual, came out early to wake the squad of young penguin recruits in the boot camp.  In less than five minutes, they were all good to go for the cold morning run, swim and catch exercises that would take nearly a day.  They were told that the trainings these days were more grueling than in the past, as the ocean was more polluted and the fishes fewer.

Except for Private Tiny, the rest of the squad had the build and stamina to cope up with the standards of Drill Sergeant. Private Tiny always came out last in the every aspect of the exercises. Even how much the Drill Sergeant pushed him, still the little penguin just couldn’t cope up.

When graduation time came, each of the cadets was given their assignment. All except Private Tiny took the heroic task of hunting for food in the farther parts of the ocean.  He was given the post of lookout, to march to and fro daily at one of the higher elevations near the colony.  It was a thankless job, without much challenge.  But Private Tiny attended to his job enthusiastically and diligently. Tasked to make a daily account of what he observed, Private Tiny made detailed reports to the Chief Scribe.

One day, Private Tiny noticed an unusual movement in the glacier overlooking the colony.  At first, there were snowflakes as the wind became stronger than usual.  This was a snow storm! He immediately ran towards the warning horn and sounded this with all his might.  The sound stunned all the penguins, as they moved in fast cadence to a safe area. And then suddenly, an avalanche of snow totally wiped out the penguin colony.  Not one penguin died, except that Private Tiny was missing.

The penguin community including Drill Sergeant PG and the squad searched for Private Tiny.  They found him buried under the snow, just a few meters from the warning horn. And he was breathing! They carried him to the where everyone had settled and as he regained consciousness he could hear them shout, “Tiny, our hero!”

Saint Benedict the Black was a slave who became a solitary. Though he did not know how to read and write, he became the superior in the hermit community which was disbanded by Pope Pius IV.  He persisted in serving the Church, settling as a Franciscan lay brother and cook of St Mary’s convent near Palermo. He rose through the ranks becoming the superior of the convent, only to be relieved and returned to being the cook.  He attended to his assigned task with fervor and love, while at the same time performed miracles, and was sought as a confessor that brought many to the faith.  Though humble was his work as a cook, he became God’s instrument to be believers and unbelievers.

There is no thankless job. Everyone has an assigned role in the world, and we are meant to do our job well out of love. How therefore should you approach your job? “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people…The Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

Gwardia

The sheep farm was safe from wolves.  Farmer relied much on Gwardia, the guard dog, who had proven time and again of his courage against the predators that preyed on the sheep.  At times, Gwardia would bark aloud to awaken Farmer who’d bring his shotgun to scare the wolves.  But there was one time that Farmer was too tired that he failed to wake up; leaving Gwardia to fight off two wolves.  The guard dog suffered deep wounds, but was able to recover and return to his duty.  

One particular night, a she wolf lured Gwardia away from his post, while the rest of the pack killed several sheep.  Gwardia was then attacked by the wolves and would have died, had he not crawled towards a hole enough for him to hide.  For days, he took refuge in the hole. Though hungry and weak, he did have not courage enough to return to Farmer, ashamed of his failure.  

Little did Gwardia know; that Farmer was searching for him.   It was the fourth day that Gwardia could hear the voice of Farmer growing nearer and nearer.  Gwardia wanted to stay hidden, and just die in the hole; yet he could feel Farmer’s voice of worry and care.  Gwardia forced a deep howl of repentance that caught the attention of Farmer who pulled him out. Farmer then carried Gwardia tenderly back to the house.

The parable of the lost sheep and that of the prodigal son come to mind.  The shepherd left the ninety-nine in open country to look for one lost sheep. And even if his son squandered all that he had given him, the father was overjoyed when his prodigal son returned home.

For as long as one repents and turns a new leaf in life, God will embrace the individual in His loving arms.  Mary Magdalene was a sinner; yet she turned her back on her life of prostitution to follow the ways of Jesus, and as such, is revered as a saint.  According to one author, “there are over thirty saints who were very ungodly before they changed and after some time achieved saintly characters.” Among those are St Paul, St Olga, St Mary the Egyptian and St Camillus de Lellis.

How many times have we failed to follow God’s commands? We hide in our shame. There are others who take their own lives unable to cope with the burden they carry.  But we are never held captive by sin and Satan.  We can call upon God.  He is just a whisper away. “God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” (Psalm 53:2)

Supreme Moa

The land later called Aotearoa was uninhabited except for birds. The vegetation was lush and bountiful. The eagle was the king of the skies.

Yet there were flightless birds whose wings were not strong enough to take them off the ground.  The moa was supreme in the ground.  The mature ones reached 12 feet in height and weighed 510 pounds. With its beak like a pair of secateurs, it could easily clip leaves and twigs for food. And when provoked, these beaks proved fatal to others.

No bird would want to ever encounter a moa. More so by the almost blind kiwi birds that could see about six feet at night and around two feet during the day.  

An elder kiwi bird told others of how he had seen the might of the moa when a fight ensued between the giant bird and an eagle. He was so near that he was almost hit by the giant feet of the moa.  The eagle attacked the moa, but the latter was able to bite the former’s face, knocking it to the ground. The eagle died as the huge claws of the moa flattened its body to the ground. The story spread among the kiwi birds that then feared moas.  Most decided to hide underground and settled for worms as food.

Then the Maori people came and settled in the land.  The huge birds became fair game. With their slow speed in running and their having difficulty hiding their huge bodies, the giant birds were killed for their meat. The kiwi birds remained in hiding, safe from humans. When they were discovered, people had other sources of food, and the kiwi birds were deemed unattractive for cooking.

Today, the kiwi bird is protected, while the moa has long been extinct.

The world has seen the rise of mighty empires, yet not any of them survived.  Either they were conquered or succumbed to internal strife. Then there are communities that remain intact for centuries, untouched by civilization, living in harmony with nature.

Many people in these modern times seek fame and fortune, yet they fall hard in sin and shame; while there are those who commit to living in poverty and prayer, and are rewarded by the Living God with eternal bliss.

“Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." (Luke 13:30)

MaBird

MaBird left her four baby birds in the nest as she searched for food very early in the morning.  She looked for worms in the meadows, in the bushes and in the trees.  Four worms or insects would just be fine; instead, she was lucky, having caught six worms.  She ate one for herself as she needed to energize herself for the day.  Nearing the nest, she could hear the young ones crying out for food.

 When she landed, the birdies had wide-opened bills. She fed one worm each.  When they had consumed their share, they started to ask for the last one with MaBird.  It was not much of a problem for MaBird; she had divided the one worm into five pieces.

Fr Alfonso Dujali of St Joseph Catholic Church, Helensville, in one of his homilies shared his experience in Papua New Zealand when he was assigned in a remote island.  To spice up the calendar of activities, he proposed the holding of sports competition during a meeting among the locales. He said that the champion would get the highest cash prize, while the second and third placers get lower amounts of cash prizes. What happened next surprised him.

The participants in the meeting would not agree to the proposal on the prizes. He then asked why. The response was: the prizes should be equally divided. He then realized that the tradition of the people of the island was that whatever was brought to the community, everyone had an equal share.

In today’s world of materialism and competition, people tend to obtain more than they need and win at all cost. While these may have contributed to economic progress and innovations on one side, the downside is the increase in the gap between the haves and have-nots. I remember some time ago that farmers in a European country decided to dump their produce into the sea rather than give these away to people in the verge of starvation in Africa.

Humanity must unlearn some of practices of modern societies, and return to those that created communities where there was peace, harmony and equality. “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”  (Acts 4:32)

Smalley

It was the night before the grand family party. Most of the dogs were at the front yard guarding the house against intruders.  One tiny dog named ‘Smalley”, though was relegated to the backyard, as he was deemed without much of a bark, without much of a bite.  No one dared enter the gates, as the guard dogs were alert. 

Unknown to them, a motley crew of thieves climbed their way up the fence behind the house deep in the night. ‘Smalley’ barked and attacked the intruders.  Threatened and kicked, ‘Smalley’ persisted. For a moment, the house occupants heard the little dog. But instead of going out to see what was happening, shouted, “Shut up!” “Smalley” could not do anything more, for even the guard dogs didn’t mind him at all. The thieves were able to steal many items from the house that the party had to be postponed.

New Zealand conducted elections for its Parliament on September 20. During the campaign period, the Conservative Party (CP) that stood for Christian principles and traditional family values, campaigned intensely, but was barely noticed as the bigger parties, National, Labour and Greens, took primetime media coverage. Two other parties - NZ First and Internet-Mana - indulged in attention-grabbing controversies to entice voters for their causes. 

Sadly, there were those who criticized the Conservative Party for trying to bring New Zealand back to the “dark ages”, as if, good morals and traditional values have become outdated and passé. CP obtained 4.1% of the overall party votes, .8% short to bring its candidates to Parliament.  Like “Smalley”, CP barked hard, but failed to gain the needed support to have its voice heard in the legislature. But its leader, Colin Craig, said that he isn’t giving up, and will be back in three years time. Surely not, as CP is now ranked as the fifth most important party in New Zealand.

“Smalley” and the Conservative Party are voices in the wilderness, much like that of John the Baptist. “A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3) “Wilderness” in the modern world no longer applies to a place, but rather to the lifestyle of people.  For in the “wilderness” there is sinfulness that direct people from the highway to God to a desert of temptation, selfishness and immorality.

John persisted in his calling and according to one writer, “he was a "voice", but not a mere voice; nor was his ministry a mere voice of words, as the law was, but it was the sweet voice of the Gospel, proclaiming the coming of the Messiah; encouraging men to believe in him; calling them to evangelical repentance, and publishing remission of sins in the name of Christ, and pointing him out as the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world: this voice was "crying"; it was not a still small voice, it was a very loud one; John lifted up his voice like a trumpet; he delivered himself with great zeal and fervency; and it was "in the wilderness" where this voice was heard.”

In due time, the small voices in the likes of Colin Craig will become louder, and resonate through society. 

Scout

The cub named ‘Scout’ left the comfort of his shelter, curious of what was outside. Mama Lion was out searching for food, while Papa Lion was taking a nap. There was much to see and soon enough a giant python took notice of him. Afraid that Papa Lion would find out of his evil plan, the snake rolled a red apple in front of the cub. The innocent one played with the bait that was leading towards the snake’s den. A number of animals scampered away afraid of the snake’s wrath. There were others that called out the cub, but as the young lion failed to notice them, they went away as well.

A one-legged rabbit named ‘Wounded’ noticed the danger that faced ‘Scout’. He hopped towards the cub unmindful of his own safety. This angered the snake that he accidentally hit the apple hard that it rolled down in another direction as ‘Scout’ followed it.

A strong paw stopped the apple and when ‘Scout’ looked up, he leaped with joy – it was Mama Lion. Python had cornered ‘Wounded’ who could do nothing but pray. Before the snake could snap at him, the rabbit heard a loud roar that echoed through the forest. Papa Lion was advancing towards the snake that scampered away leaving ‘Wounded’ unharmed. Mama Lion and ‘Scout’ joined Papa Lion in thanking rabbit for his courage and heroism.

Over the weekend, a frantic mother was looking for her teenage son who left home when scolded about having a girlfriend at so young an age.   For 12 hours they searched for the boy, and even had the help of the police. They found him walking in the street, hungry and forlorn.  The entire family was overjoyed with the boy’s safe return.

In a Mass on November 7, 2013, Pope Francis in his homily following the reading on the parables of the lost sheep and coin, said “God is not a good loser, and this is why, in order not to lose, He goes out on his own, and He goes, He searches…He searches for all those who are far away from Him, like the shepherd who goes to search for the lost sheep.”

At times, we get lost, and seem not to find our way back. Be patient. God is sending out a search party to rescue you.

“I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (Ezekiel 34:16)

Father, I Love You

Grandpa Pigeon, who had become frail, had gone out for the day. His usual routine was to fly by the local church and say a prayer; take a short flight to the lake, pick some items to feed the little ones and return home.  It was a beautiful routine.

Grandma Pigeon became worried, as Grandpa Pigeon had not returned as the sun was about to set. A search party led by Elderson Pigeon was formed. The volunteers went to the church. Grandpa Pigeon was not there. They went to the lake, and asked Kingfisher if he noticed Grandpa Pigeon that day, and he said ‘No’.  The group returned to the route, and noticed the resting tree.  They stopped and there found Grandpa Pigeon covered by leaves and without life.  He had taken a final rest from the world.

On August 30, 2014, Eugenio Billones Dinolan, 77 years old, went to St Joseph Catholic Church in Milford as he usually did. He then proceeded to buy some stuff at New World Supermarket and was expected back to the house before noon.  But he didn’t come home. Eugenio died while inside the public toilet near the supermarket.  His wife, children, in-laws, grandchildren, relatives and friends were devastated by his sudden death. Their consolation was the knowledge that he had prayed to God prior to his departure.

The passage of Eugenio reminded me of my father, Angel Libre, Jr. who died of cancer. I thought about him when I wrote, in time for “Father’s Day” in New Zealand, a song entitled “Father I Love You”, whose lyrics read:

When I was a child

You were a giant of a man

You righted our wrongs

You taught us to be

The best in what we do

You worked so hard

To bring food on the table

You partnered with mom

To raise us up

And seek us when we were lost

Chorus:

Father to you I owe

What I am

You never lost faith in me

When I lost faith in myself

My gratitude to you

Father, I love you

The man that I knew

Has turned old, has turned gray

You need not worry

I am here for you

For I now am a father too.

If your father is living, tell him “I love you”.  For those who have lost their righteous fathers, be confident  for God takes good care of them. “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”   (Isaiah 57:1-2)

Stones, Pebbles and Sand

It rained hard. The river was nearly swelling as water flowed towards the dam. The townspeople were asleep as it was 3 o’clock in the morning. The dam upstream was shaking with the relentless water pressure. It could not take it anymore, as a portion on its right side started to crack. At the mountain sat a giant rock still and without life. Just as the dam’s concrete surrendered to the onslaught of water, the Master awakened the rock that followed His command to protect the community. It rushed down instantaneously and dived into the water, thereby covering the fallen portion of the dam. But the water continued to penetrate in the uneven form of the rock.

The rock then shouted, “Stones, pebbles and sand, I cannot do this by myself. I need your help!”  The nearby stones, pebbles and sand came to life, and they sealed the areas where the water penetrated. The water was contained and eventually calmed down.  When morning came, the townsfolk saw a giant rock covering a huge hole in the dam. They thanked the Lord for placing ‘St Peter’s Rock’ that saved them from certain death.

The apostle Simon Peter was not a perfect man. He had a lot of shortcomings, yet he was chosen by Jesus to continue His ministry.  “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18) Like the rock that was flawed, St Peter (and his successors) could not alone pursue God’s mission without the help of other disciples and believers.

Many of us are the “stones, pebbles and sand” that are called upon to complete God’s plan on earth. We may not be as prominent as the Pope, but we are important to the Church.  Pope Francis acknowledged this at the very start of papacy when he said, “And now I would like to give the blessing, but first – first I ask a favour of you: before the Bishop blesses his people, I ask you to pray to the Lord that he will bless me: the prayer of the people asking the blessing for their Bishop. Let us make, in silence, this prayer: your prayer over me.”

Do not belittle yourself; you are precious to God.

Soup

There was drought in the land, and the tribe had little harvest and sparse water.  One day, a man with a cart visited the tribe. The visitor said that he’d come to make soup for everyone. He asked the chief to produce the biggest pot and to make a fire in the middle of the village. He filled the pot with the barrel of water on his cart, and started to cut a cabbage that he placed into the pot. The people inquired, “Just one cabbage?”

The man asked the villagers, if they had a spare salt, spare spices, spare vegetables and spare meat or fish. Everyone said, “Yes” and they hurriedly went to their homes and returned with what little each had. All these were placed into the pot.  That day the tribe had the most delicious soup that everyone had partaken.  The visitor left, but he was remembered not just for the soup, but for the lesson he imparted.

Fr Valerian D’Souza at Our Lady of Lourdes-Glen Eden shared this story as part of his homily on the Gospel reading on the multiplication of the bread and fish. “They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full.  Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.” (Matthew 124: 21)

We often tend to think that those who have abundance are obliged to share, while those who have little are exempt. But in the many occasions of seeking donations for worthy causes I have worked on, those you expect to give, do not; while there are people out of nowhere who anonymously give. And the little offerings amazingly compose the bulk of the donations that go to the beneficiaries.

The world today suffers from drought, spiritual drought that is. All around us, we see wars, senseless killings, twisted values and sinfulness. Must we surrender to the evilness in the world? Or we can fill the Cup of Life that heals the peoples’ emptiness of soul?  

Each one of us, believers in Christ, must do our share to help those who thirst. 

“Thus says the Lord: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money come, receive grain and eat.” (Is 55:1-3)

Sacrifice

Kenyans rule the middle-distance and long-distance athletics contests, whether this be in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games or other prestigious contests. Catherine Ndereba won the women’s Boston Marathon four times, other than being a two-time world champion. Paul Tergat and John Ngugi are spoken with reverence. 

So it was no surprise that in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the gold and silver medals went to Kenyans, while the fourth top finisher was from Kenya as well. But what was intriguing was the bronze medal winner who was Caucasian and wasn’t even known in his country.

Zane Robertson from New Zealand earned the bronze in the 5000m final at Hampden Park, Glasglow. Where did this bloke come from? The answer: “Nowhere”.

Seven years ago, together with twin brother Jake, he decided to live in Kenya and train with world’s best long distant runners.  They never visited New Zealand in that span of time. He said, "I've worked seven hard years and in the early years in Africa I sacrificed a lot. I don't see it that way anymore. I'm living the dream, travelling the world and having absolute fun living my life. Today, all those sacrifices I doubted originally, they've paid off."

In a similar vein, superstar footballer Lionel Messi said, "You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it."  

I used to pity contemplative nuns who spend their entire lives behind walls, and away from people in the bigger community.  What sacrifice they offer: praying, reflecting, singing, living for the Lord. Yet their reward is far greater than any earthly recognition, any worldly possession.

How many of us have the passion of an athlete and the commitment of a contemplative nun in seeking the eternal company of the Divine, as promised by Jesus?  

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:15-16) 

Killing Children

Children have suffered, or have been killed, in conflicts or war in many parts of the world today. We’ve already read of the young and the innocent shot in schools by fools who have no respect for life. Most disturbing, though, are the senseless death of children in the hands of parents or their close relatives.

In the month of July 2014, we read of disturbing news about murdered children.

On July 8, Dayana Valencia, a 5-year-old girl, tried to stop her stepfather from attacking her mother, Facunda Velenzuelaleon, in their home in Kootenai County, Idaho.

The killer confessed to strangling his wife and to killing the child because she hit him as he was attacking his wife.

The crime was committed after the killer learned that his wife confessed to cheating on him during a trip to California. Dayana’s body had cut marks in her neck, throat and chin — and she had an electrical cord wrapped around her neck. The killer spared his two biological children by bringing them to a friend’s house prior to the killing.

On July 9 in Spring, Houston, Ronald Lee Haskell entered the Stay family home looking for Katie Stay’s sister whom he had been divorced. Failing to obtain an answer, Haskell shot Katie, her husband and their five children, aged 4 to 15.

One child, Cassidy, the eldest, whose skull was fractured by a bullet, played dead until the killer left. She immediately called the police to prevent him from killing her grandparents. The police intercepted the man before he could continue his killing spree.

The 15-year-old girl, in an interview, said that she felt as if angels were with her whispering to her to be quiet during the attack.

On July 10, a news item told of the Utah police announcement that Megan Huntsman, 36, admitted that she killed six of her newborns (from 1996 to 2006) and stored their bodies in a garage as “she was high on drugs and didn’t want the babies or the responsibility.”

It is incomprehensible that some people commit such horrendous crimes. Surely the justice system shall give them due punishment.

But what is far worse than the three instances is the institutional murder of children. Governments in a number of countries have allowed abortion, some with conditions, while others unconditionally.

For instance, Great Britain’s Abortion Act of 1967 permits abortion for a variety of reasons if certified by two physicians. In Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that abortion is legal for any reason at any stage of pregnancy.

In Sweden, abortion is legal in all circumstances within the first 18 weeks of pregnancy. Most shocking is Russia, where more babies are aborted than those who live,

and in China, where there is no defined time limits to access to the procedure.

What has become of the world? Do we not realize how precious the children are?

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)

In A Woman

I received a call early in the morning of June 23 from one of the organizers of an event that honors women, asking me if I could write a poem to be read during the awarding ceremony.

As I rode on the bus towards my workplace, I scribbled a few verses of the poem I titled, “In a Woman.” It was not difficult. I remembered my late mother, Milagros Batulan, who dedicated her life to care for us, her children.

I recalled the times she accompanied me to the dentist when my tooth ached and when she bought me supplies in Sen Hiap Hing at the start of the school year. I could see her smile as she listened to my inaugural speech as national president of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

I also thought about my wife, Debbie, who cared for our three children, bringing them to school and attending to important occasions in their lives.

I thought about my daughter Jam as she raises her two kids while working as nurse on weekdays. I thought about my daughter-in-law Krizia looking after her baby.

We find so much inspiration in the labor and love of women to their children, in the sacrifices they make to feed and raise their offspring, in their contributions to make the world a better place to live in.

It brought me to thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus, who carried the Holy Child in her womb, raised him towards maturity and witnessed his death on the cross.

The poem was completed within the day. On June 28, I read it before the eight women that were recognised. The room fell silent except for my voice (I was never asked to read a poem in public before), and not only could I feel the joy in the eyes of the awardees but those of most of the women in the audience as well.

The organizers had placed copies of my poem in picture frames and given to each of the awardees. I felt humbled when the daughter of one of the recipients asked me to affix my signature.

Here is the poem I wrote for all the women in the world:

In a woman’s womb/Is sown the life of the earth/A child shall be born/To ensure every tomorrow/

In a woman’s eyes/Is seen the splendour/Of the seas and the skies/Of the creations from Above/

In the woman’s mouth /Comes the warmth of words/Of care and assurance/That we are never alone/

In the woman’s hands/We feel the touch of affection/The grip of protection/The refuge of helplessness/

In a woman’s heart/Is a limitless amount of love/ To a child, to a husband, to all/To fill the world with joyfulness/

In a woman’s soul/Is the presence of the God/Whose only Son was conceived/In Mary, the Queen of the Universe//

Woman,/You are the precious gift/Of heaven to humanity/You are the most cherished treasure//

No Superheroes. Angels Yes.

In Acts 12:1-11, we are told about how St Peter escaped from prison through the help of an angel. When he had reached a safe place, the angel disappeared and “then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”

During our gathering among TawagAwit members on 29 June, I posed the question, “Do you believe in angels?” Everyone nodded their heads.

Sis Debbie, an Auckland resident, told about Joel C., a neighbor in Cebu, who believes that he has the gift of discernment.   Visiting Cebu to repair her house and look for an occupant, she had a chance to chat with Joel who told her. “You know Debbie, as you arrived, I saw ten angels accompanying you.”

Of course, she was surprised. But she was amazed of the positive things that happened thereafter, including finding a lessee who agreed to pay advance rental for one year!

Bro Ferdie, for his part, told us on how difficult it is to find a parking space in the University of Auckland when he fetches his daughter.  He says a short prayer for an angel to help him, and always he finds a space.

Counting the number of times angels are mentioned in the Bible, the total is 273.  Two of those read: "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10) and “And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” (Revelation 14:6) 

Superheroes are unreal. Angels? They are real, and you can always count on them in times of distress.

Two Saints

The Catholic Church welcomed two saints – St John XXIII and St John Paul II – on April 27, 2014 when Pope Francis canonized the two past popes to become members of the Communion of Saints.

After the celebratory feast on Easter Sunday, the faithful were gifted with the sainthood of two men who had differing paths, yet have contributed to Catholicism remaining as a vanguard against the changing morals of modern times.

St John XXIII through Vatican Council II made the Mass speak in many languages and allowed people to actively participate. St John Paul II, in his long period of papacy, was a pilgrim pope who tirelessly brought the Gospel to the four corners of the world and touched the young through the World Youth Day.  He was also the pope who canonized as saints the most number of holy people and martyrs in the Church’s history.

There have been issues regarding the canonization of the two popes, not just on the speed of the process, but also on their teachings and legacies. But one writer said, “Without assessing those objections, it’s worth noting that whenever a pope is beatified or canonized, Vatican officials insist it’s not tantamount to a declaration that every policy choice during their papacy was beyond reproach. It’s rather a statement that despite their human failures, they strove to live a holy life worthy of imitation.”

Let us rejoice and be glad for our new two saints. Let us make them our models for even with their human weaknesses, they offered their lives fully for Christ. I hear St John XXIII and St John Paul II resonate what St Paul told the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).

Black Sheep

He was the black sheep of the family.   He was the eldest son of my father, out of wedlock. He lived with us and we called him “Noy Warren”. While the rest of us put school first in our young lives, he was engaged with friends in the neighborhood (called estambays). As a young man, he worked as a taxi driver, while the rest of us busied ourselves getting an education.  “What would he turn out when he’d matured?” was a question at the back of my mind in those times.

But Warren Tesaluna was such a likeable person. He was charming and handsome having inherited the Hispanic-look of our father. And he always looked at the sunny side of life. Like in one instance, I visited him during my university days; there he was flying a kite in one of the crowded suburbs of Cebu City. He was always fun to be with.

As he got older, he became an entrepreneur and quite successful at it. He was a dedicated family man while pursuing his livelihood. The last time I saw him was about 9 years ago when he accompanied my family to the airport as we left for New Zealand to migrate. He helped us with our luggage and cargoes, and bid us goodbye. I came to realize at that moment how wrong I was in judging Noy Warren as a black sheep in my younger days. He was unique; but he was basically a caring and loving older brother that one could be proud of.

He is gone. He died on April 21, 2014 at the age of 70. I am sure he had no regrets in life: having a loving wife, having raised good children, and having fun until the end.

In the Book of Genesis, Jacob upon being released by his uncle Laban was asked, “Name me your wages, and I will give it.”  To which Jacob responded: “I will pass through all thy flock this day, removing from there every speckled and spotted animal of the flock, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and these shall be my wage.” (Genesis 30:32)

While “black sheep” today connotes one who contradicts the values and norms of a family, one author says that it could also mean, “People who have the innocent acknowledgment that they are not perfect; that they do tend towards evil and false things”. The “black sheep” is who Jesus came to save. The New Testament reads: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)

Farewell, Noy Warren. You can rest now as you find everlasting joy in the presence of the Lord.

Temptation

The 46-year old man fell on his knees, showed an engagement ring, and asked the woman her hand in marriage. The woman, 34 years old, responded affirmatively, taken by the gentlemanly and loving attention of the man. She said: “I’ve never been treated like that before.”

The man was arrested and charged with theft and fraud.  You see, a few days after making the marriage proposal, the man disappeared in thin air bringing along $600 worth of the woman’s property.  The man had used the same modus operandi with two other women who believed that he was a successful entrepreneur, kind, gentle and romantic.

While there is much goodness in this world, evil lurks in every corner. Worse, the evil can appear like a knight in shining armor to unsuspecting victims.  “And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)

Nobody is free from the temptation of Satan, as he even tried to lure Jesus Christ to earthly possessions. In Matthew 4:1 it is written, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” The devil failed as Christ countered with the Word of God.

How many times have you been lured by Satan with temptation of possessions and flesh?

At times, we fall. Those who fail to repent and change their ways are pulled towards the devil’s lair. Those who pray, who ask forgiveness, who change their ways are redeemed for God treats us as His children. For in truth, we are.

Long Life

On March 5, 2014, Misao Okawa observed her 116th birthday. Acknowledged as the oldest person in the world today, Okawa, according to a news report from Daily Telegraph UK, attributed her longevity to good eating habits, 8-hours sleep each night and staying relaxed.

On the other hand, Professor Yasuyuki Gondo, a specialist in geriatric psychology suggested that “people with a strong will, are outgoing and have a sense of curiosity live longer.”

There is no such thing as a Fountain of Youth that prevents people from growing old. As conception begins life, old age leads towards death. Okawa’s testimony and Prof Gondo’s findings are worthy of attention for those wanting to prolong their lives.

The Bible shares a secret to longevity: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.”  (Proverbs 16:31)  To live a righteous life goes beyond eating habits, sleep, and relaxation; it surpasses being strong willed, outgoing and curious. 

Righteousness comes at a level above the physical and emotional. It is one that is spiritual, that is, by following the example of Jesus Christ.  St Luke wrote, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”  (Luke 17:33)  For in truth, selflessness is how Christ lived his life.

Selflessness does not mean that you should forget about yourself, rather, one must live healthy and morally, while at the same time, be caring and be of service to others. Have you not noticed that the more you attend to the needs of people, the more fulfilled your life is? While it is good to live a long life, it is better to live a meaningful one. The latter one is what we should aim for.

Family Time

“Social media cannot replace the interaction of friends and family sitting around a barbecue or cafe discussing life and each other and providing a positive environment,” wrote John Ford of Glendowie in the Editorial and letters section of New Zealand Herald on February 25, 2014. He was commenting on the suicide of TV personality and Australia’s Top Next Model judge Charlotte Dawson as a result of character assassination in social media.

True that the internet has made the world smaller every day, with communicating with friends and family available at the tip of one’s finger.  But there is a dark side of technological advancement in social media, described in two words: “addictive” and “impersonal”.

One can fall into the tentacles of digital connectivity with engaging games, instant celebrity bonding, unlimited self-promotion & gratification, and a lot of dirty stuff. Under the cloak of secrecy, evil people commit fraud and cyber bullying.

Pope Francis has acknowledged the impact of social media saying that ““The Internet, in particular, offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God.”  He cautions us: “The speed with which information is communicated exceeds our capacity for reflection and judgment, and this does not make for more balanced and proper forms of expression. … We need, for example, to recover a certain sense of deliberateness and calm. This calls for time and the ability to be silent and to listen.”

We need to realize that the internet cannot substitute for personal interaction. Shirley Engelmeier in a business article wrote: “When personal touch is lost, time is not lost, but meaningful relationship building is. Technology has “lazyfied” the communications process and the outcome diminishes the effectiveness and efficiency of getting messages sent and received. Harnessing the power of face-to-face communication is key to harnessing the power of your workforce…keeping them happy, and working for you longer.”

If personal interaction is important in a business environment, more so in the basic unit of society: the family. When was the last time you all shared a meal in the dining table? Did you have a family picnic in summer? Do you still pray the Rosary together?

The pontiff advises: “It is not enough to be passersby on the digital highways, simply ‘connected’; connections need to grow into true encounters. We cannot live apart, closed in on ourselves. We need to love and be loved. We need tenderness.”