Defy Darkness with Friendship

Take nothing but pictures,
Leave nothing but footprints,
Kill nothing but time.

This has been a famous quote in mountain-hiking. As for me, as I enjoy Christmas vacation, I had this privilege to escape from the noise of the metropolis to my escapade at Batangas. The stay highlighted a youthful motive: to hike Mt. Maculot – our resident mountain.

Shooting two birds with one stone, the three-day stay started with the event of a friend’s house blessing and then an unplanned/unorganized/unforeseen trek towards the mountain. I thought about hiking early in the morning of the 30th but since there was this unanimous decision while I was snoring on the bed, we hiked late afternoon of the 29th right after the blessing took place.

We knew that leaving late afternoon would mean that we would reach the peak early evening of that same day. We brought extra shirts and consumable supplies that were necessary for the hike. One necessity foreseen was bringing flashlights since we knew that it would be a late-evening hike down the mountain, but we didn’t take it seriously and so we hiked without any. Actually we thought about ‘divine providence.’ Seems foolish since we defied our foresights right? Anyway, we continued the adventure!

Going up was already tiring and exhausting. Halfway towards the peak, the sunset as if told me that no light would be provided for on top – doubling the effort to hike up is necessary – it was already getting dark. A companion, Kuya Gary led the way to the top. He stopped for a while and called me. Responding to him, he instructed me to turn back and try noticing the trail. I was surprised to see nothing but dark silhouettes. I smiled and said, ‘That was nice, you should have said it earlier.’ Then we went on. Upon arriving on top, we rested for a while. We met co-hikers fully equipped with everything for an overnight stay.

An idea came to us about the possibility of staying since we were tired, but it was too cold up there, no one would survive the night without any fitting equipment. We were tired but we knew that we needed to go down and follow the plan for the day – go down without any flashlights. Good enough that we brought our mobile phones with us, the light might not be strong to guide, but it was the only option to survive. Down the mountain we went, the should-have-been thirty-minute hike down became two hours. We crawled like babies, walked like toddlers and despaired like prisoners. We kept the faith by singing all the melodies we could think of though not the world could imagine, all songs that could kill time, all genres that anyone could think of. We made it to the foot exhausted and almost desperate, but we knew that it was a thrilling, exciting, and memorable experience to be banked on our hearts.

At the end of the day, the famous quote was not realized except for the last line.

Take nothing but pictures, [but we’ve no cameras]
Leave nothing but footprints, [but we couldn’t since it was dark]
Kill nothing but time. [yeah! It was a double dead!]

Thank you Alan, Jesser, Kuya Gary, Igy, and Iman for being my companions during this very unique experience. It was my privilege to be with you.

Pag-asang Buhay

Taon ng pagbabago
Pagbabagong luma
Lumang nais baguhin
Baguhing panibago

Panibagong buhay
Buhay na ako
Akong nagbabago
Nagbabagong hirap

Hirap magbago
Magbagong patuloy
Patuloy na kailanman
Kailanma’y lalakad

Lalakad ang panahon
Panahon na luma’t bago
Bagong nagiging luma
Lumang minsa’y bago

Bago may lumilipas
Lumilipas parang tao
Taong luma’t bago
Bagong ako

Ako na minsang bago
Bagong magiging luma
Luma ma’y pag-asa
Pag-asang buhay

Ang Drama sa Pasko

Masaya ang unang pasko. Maluwalhati ang unang pasko. Higit sa lahat matensyon ang unang pasko. Si Maria, nang sabihin ng anghel na buntis s’ya hindi dahil sa isang lalaki ngunit gawa ng Espiritu Santo – Ganun? Espiritu Santo? Sinong maniniwala sa’yo? Ang labas kay Maria, disgrasyada. Kay Jose, masakit na tanggapin si Maria sa ganoon kalagayan, ikakasal na sila sa sandaling panahon – mahirap maniwala kay Maria, masakit kausapin si Maria. Magulo ang damdamin ni Jose at Maria sa unang pasko. Hindi man ipinakita sa mga kwento, marahil kung ikaw si Jose, o di kaya naman ay si Maria, anong mararamdaman mo? May ibibigat pa ba kaysa sa naramdaman nila? Ang drama sa unang pasko.

Madaming bagay na mahirap, bagamat tama. Madaming bagay na masakit, bagamat dapat. Madaming bagay na mapait, bagamat mabuti. Ito marahil ang hatid ng pasko. Isang Diyos na pinili ang hirap, sakit, at pait, dahil alam n’yang ang mga ito ang tama, dapat, at mabuti.

Nativity Picture from: http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n292/blog_files/Nativity/NativityScene.jpg

Thinking about CHRISTmas

Problema? Madami!

Sa Caroling Concert sa DBTI Makati nung Lunes, nagbiro ako sa isang pamilyar na pari:

Father, bakit may mga Salesians na sa unang tingin lang, parang walang problema? Ang sarap nilang tingnan. Parang ang gaan sa pakiramdam - parang ikaw!

Problema? Madami! Pero itinatapon kong lahat sa Kanya (sa Diyos.) Pero sabi n’ya, Oy, magkasama tayo dito ah.

Pinipigilang maging seryoso ang usapan, napatahimik ako, lumayong dahan-dahan at di nagpahalatang naantig ang puso; tinamaan ako.

May katotohanang nananatili sa puso ng paring ‘yon. Alam n'yang kasama n’ya ang Diyos. Ibinibigay na n’ya ang lahat araw-araw. Magaling s’ya ngunit hindi mayabang. Sa buhay-pari n'ya, alam n’yang hindi n’ya kayang wala S’ya (ang Diyos), magkasama lagi sa lahat ng problema.

Masmasarap pala ang pakiramdam na alam mong may kasama ka sa daan kaysa sa pagmasdan ang iba na tila walang problema.

Kwarto

Ng: Sugarfree

Maglilinis ako ng aking kwarto
Na punong-puno ng galit at damit
Mga bagay na hindi ko na kailangan
Nakaraang hindi na pwedeng pagpaliban

Oohh… Oohh…

Mga liham ng nilihim kong pag-ibig
At litrato ng kahapong maligalig
Dahan-dahan kong inipon
Ngunit ngayo’y kailangan nang itapon

Di ko na kayang mabuhay sa kahapon
Kaya mula ngayon, mula ngayon

May jacket mong nabubulok sa sulok
Na inaalikabok na sa lungkot
May panyong ilang ulit nang niluhaan
Isang patak sa bawat beses na tayo’y nasaktan

Mula ngayon

Ala-ala ng lumuluhang kahapon
Dahan-dahan ko na ring kinakahon
Natagpuan ko na ang tunay kong ligaya
Lumabas ako ng kwarto’t naroon siya

Magpapaalam na sa ‘yo ang aking kwarto
Magpapaalam na sa ‘yo
Magpapaalam na sa ‘yo ang aking kwarto

Sa aking pakikinig sa “Kwarto” ng Sugarfree, isa lang ang naiisip ko – Kumpisal. Ako ang kwarto. Sa aking paglabas-pasok ay pinagamasadan pala ng Pag-ibig. Nandyan Siya, naghihintay pa rin.

Love of my L.I.F.E

For the past week, we’ve been discussing differences in relationships. They could be categorized in four general fields. We call it L.I.F.E: Love, Infatuation, Friendship, and Exploitation.

Let me focus on love. Love is commonly believed as a give-and-take relationship, but actually it’s never like that. It’s unconditionally a give-give-give relationship. “Nemo dat quod non habet.” Nobody gives what one doesn't have.

An example could be like this: I cry because I broke-up with my girlfriend, but to whom am I really weeping for? If those tears are for me because I feel emptiness in me, therefore I have not loved but more of infatuated since am only attracted to her presence. I feel the need of her presence masked by so many other created reasons. Life is not worth living since she left me here all alone. This is never love but infatuation.

Love your neighbor + as you love yourself. The Lord commands that we should love ourselves, with a condition, “as you love yourself.” This is a very particular commandment from God. He could have just commanded to love our neighbor, yet he gives distinction to this.

The love I project to others is the love I have for myself. This is the same quality of love that one could give to the other. And so, love could only be realized if one is overflowing of love for himself. All the rest of love pouring out from him could be given to the other with the assurance from him of being stable and capable to love always.

Christ Revealed in the Disabled

It was a grace-filled experience to be part of the People with Disability (PWD) Day in Don Bosco Makati last Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007.

I was a volunteer caregiver of three recipients: Kuya Abe and Kuya Ed who were both lame, and Rochelle who has down-syndrome. I was with them the whole day. Honestly, it was really difficult for me to be a caregiver since am not patient; nevertheless we acknowledged the presence of one another. At the end of the day, we have to separate ways, and say our goodbyes. That ends my task for the day.

It was a tiring day. I did my duty, but at the end of everything, am faced with many questions before the Lord. I did my duty but was I able to “be” with them: to touch their lives for a moment, a moment that could be treasured for a lifetime? Was I able to share my life or just my time and my physical presence? I felt that I missed the point of that day since I looked at it as a mere duty. Perhaps, this also gives me the reason why I respect guardians taking care of disabled people.

I am guilty and at the same time grateful. I felt that I wasn’t able to bring Christ to them; otherwise they brought Christ to me. It shakes me to realize these matters. After that Saturday, my affection for the disabled people sinks to the reserved section of my heart. It was my pleasure being with you Kuya Abe, Kuya Ed, and Rochelle, for God is with you. Thank you for the presence. Thank you for bringing God with you.

His Hero's Journey

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a step, just as the journey of a hero starts with a decision. The first battles of a hero start at home. There he struggles and learns the primal matters for survival. There he feels the loveliest years of life: a hero’s childhood.

From the home, he travels to the meadows, mountains, forests, rivers; searching for his treasure that home once taught him to realize; a hero in the making. There he fights his battles, side-by-side with the Providence through his heart. He is born to battle. He is a hero.

He thinks about many things in the journey: love, women, sex, entertainment, prayer, and survival with all his heroic prudence. He thinks about anything under the great sun.

Once, he thought about happiness, thought about the love he left, women loved, curiosities passed, friends met, prayers doubted and graced, and how he survived for the time that he has been journeying. He asked and even doubted if he has become, and is happy being a hero. He despairs for a moment, and then again thought about his being.

I am a hero, I fight my own battles. I am a hero, winning means struggling. I am a hero, I didn’t choose to be one, but I was made one by Providence. Am I happy? Not quite, but the extremities of both sides of happiness and despair puts me in the middle and learns the virtue in between. I am happy yet loaded with all the problems imaginary and real that the journey offers a hero: am at ease and still searches for my Providence from whom I could ask for my treasure and thank for making me His hero.

He goes home after a long battle and celebrates his struggles. Either win or lose, he homes back and rest for a while. Gains strength and readies himself for another journey.

You are the hero of many people.
You are the hero of yourself.
You are the hero of the Providence.

Be one.

This composition is offered to a discouraged companion very dear to my heart.

Love Fears Nothing

What is love? If you'd ask John Denver, he would perhaps say that:

Perhaps love is like a resting place, a shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort, it is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble when you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home

Perhaps love is like a window, perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer, it wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself and don't know what to do
The memory of love will see you through

Love to some is like a cloud, to some as strong as steel
For some a way of living, for some a way to feel
And someone say love is holding on and some say letting go
And some say love is everything, and some say they don't know

Perhaps love is like the ocean, full of conflict, full of pain
Like a fire when it's cold outside, thunder when it rains
If I should live forever, and all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

Love may not be defined completely by this song “Perhaps Love,” nevertheless my own version tells me that there is a higher choice in discovering love. I think that is the choice to decide: love is decision, and fear is always intertwined with it. The challenge would normally go like, how much love did you give? But more so, how much love would you still able to give without the fear? Then faith is realized.

Di Makausad

Minsan nga’y may himig na narinig.
Himig na tumatawag at nang-aakit.
Sinasambit ay ngalan kong ibig.
Ako nama’y nakinig.

Madilim at kulob.
Malamig din sa loob.
Dinig pati lagaslas ng tubig.
Sinundan parin and tinig.

Tanging dala’y sarili.
Ni anong ilaw ay wala.
Kani-kanina’y lagusay tanaw pa.
Tanaw dati’t ngayo’y hindi na.

Nasaan ako?
Nanlalamig na’t nagugutom.
Kumukulo ang tiyan
Tila mga kawayang naglalagutukan.

Natatakot sa hindi nakikita.
Nabibingi sa katahimikan.
Gaspang lang tanging dama.
Tinig ay nananaghoy pa.

Di na nga makausad.
Nanginginig sa pagnanais humakbang.
Ayoko na!
Ngunit naririnig parin kita.

In My Despair, Will You be There for Me?

There for Me
By: Sarah Brightman (duet with Josh Groban/ Andreia Bocelli)

RON:
There for me, every time I've been away
Will you be there for me, thinking of me everyday
Are you my destiny, words I never dared to say
Will you be there for me?
Just think of you and me, we could never tow the line
It's such a mystery just to hear you say you're mine
And while you're close to me, so close to me
Just hold me

JC:
When you're feeling cold and all the city streets are grey
Walking all alone and watching how the children play
Voices in the wind and faces from the past go dancing by
They're asking why

RON and JC:
Will you be there for me, everytime I go away
Will you be there for me, thinking of me everyday
Are you my destiny, words I never dared to say
Will you be there for me?

RON:
And while you're close to me, so close to me
Just hold me

JC:
Can you really want me more than for a little while?
What are the stories hiding there behind your smile?
Wishes in a dream and figures in a world that I could share
And everywhere

RON and JC:
Will you be there for me
Will there ever come a day when all the world can see
Things were meant to be that way
Will you be there for me?
Can you hear the people say
That you're just
There for me

JC:
There for me

RON:
There for me


In my despair would you be there for me JC? When you're so close to me, would you just hold me and let me feel you? If my love fades, would you still love me and hold me? Would you despair with me or strengthen me with your warmth? Would you be there for me even if I couldn't give back and be there for you? JC, do we ask the same questions as we grow in love with one another everyday?

Kanya-kanyang Buhay-lakbay

Naglakbay kami nang sabay-sabay
Sabay-sabay na nag-iisa
Nag-iisang magkakasama
Magkakasamang ngayo’y iisa na

Bakit tila iniwan na’ng mundo
Mundong dati’y kami
Kaming ngayo’y ako
Ako na lang

Naisip ko’y baka nga ganito
Ganito ang buhay ng tao
Taong nilalakbay ang buhay
Buhay mag-isa sa karamihan

Bumalik ako sa simula
Simula ng paglalakbay nang magkakasama
Magkakasama’y hindi na
Hindi na natagpo pa

Ang buhay-paglalakbay ay kanya-kanya
Kanya-kanyang buhay-lakbay
Buhay-lakbay na akin at kanya
Kanya na naman

Iisa lang naman ang tungo
Tungong hangganan ng lahat
Lahat na iisa
Iisang katotohanan

Pagal ma'y di hihinto
Di hihinto sa pagtungo
Pagtungo sa hinahanap
Hinahanap na iisa

Sa iisa nga’y magkikita
Magkikita sa tungong lahat at isa
Isa na uugnay muli sa paglalakbay
Paglalakbay ng lahat at isa

I Hunger for You

What love can be greater than to lay one’s life for one’s friend? Today is Corpus Christi Sunday. This feast is the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ continually offered in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Just a thought from a good homily I heard this morning. “Di ba kung love mo, pakakainin mo? Di ba kung love mo, bubusugin mo? Kung pwede lang, magtake-out ka pa…” This is how we love. We give. We give the best. And what giving could be better than giving one’s life for the other. Indeed Christ doesn’t only offer us much; he offers us everything by offering himself. In return, I hope our longing and hunger for God is also much, is also worth our everything.

I hope I won’t get tired giving and loving anytime soon.

Passing E-Motion

Relationships exist in venues. We’ve our homes which eventually become the normal and primal venue for every sprouting relationship, there we nurture our ties to our family. The school is the venue for camaraderie, there we experience having friends and factions, there we experience the falling and rising actions of life’s physics. There are those places which are very dear to us, those places which we’ve discovered something in ourselves, that eventually triggered by people we’re with. Then relationship exists.

I wouldn’t be able to go to those places for quite sometime. Here comes the nostalgia. Here comes the longing and yearning for something that was me. Here comes the recollection of those friends and acquaintances which have caressed the child within me way back our moments. Though I haven’t been meeting them in those places anymore, the vivid pictures of our moments are kept still in the memory of my heart. Then we progress.

Get Along with the Beat

A continual drop of water could smoothen even the sharpest edge of a stone.

God knocks to our hearts, he always does, and the least thing we could do is to give-in to His will. Though more often, we would choose to numb ourselves as not to sense the God knocking within, then we miss the point of being invited to join the beat of every knock. There where it is music for those who notice that there is a beat in every knocking, a consolation in every calling, then we get along with it.

Faith is the medium of every opening to God; a complete bet that could make or break us, and yet we are challenged to gamble everything. Anyway, God’s love still drops continually.

Alfred's Psalm 23

“If we live life without loving God, we miss life altogether.” – Fr. Alfred Cogliandro, SDB +

Today is the 15th death anniversary of Fr. Alfred. I have glanced at posts of some friends in the congregation and most of their posts today speak about Fr. Cogliandro. I have never met this great salesian, but I encounter him most of the time through the good night talks, those moments of grace where I get to acknowledge his wisdom and holiness. The stories behind the holy life that he has lived and how he prepared towards death are all history, but one thing’s sure, he was most prepared to die; he was ready to meet his Creator.

Let me share in Fr. Cogliandro’s thought regarding his motto. I think none of us does things at the same time yet gives the same focus needed. If I choose to do things with certainty, therefore that choice gives the element of surrender to what I might have done on the other given option, and then we miss the other stuff. Only to find out that we’ve also done the other option in another given time, at another given choosing moment. What I mean is that there are things that need to be accepted first before complaining about them. I remember my first weeks in the seminary, I was grumbling greatly about how they (my co-seminarians) do things and how they give variety of reasons about their way of life. After some time, I’ve learned to get along the adjustment struggle and started to seek the reasons in the way of life I wanted for myself as a seminarian.

Yes, we miss things, but missing life would be a devastating truth for someone. Let’s not miss life; let’s not miss loving God.

Look to Your Heart

“Ron, don’t look at people, they’re bound to disappoint you.” Thank you for this Donnie. I remember him whenever I feel that the world hates me because of some people whom I have not yet learned to accept. While it’s a fact that differences exist in a community, I think respect for each other should always be above the rest of our individual issues. It might sound dysfunctional not to talk about such things while in the heat of an emotional expression, but I think doing so would be prudent and mature. People are animate being, each has his own purpose. It would be objective to examine the self rather than look outside and see nothing true to what the mind senses.

Panatang Manatili

Dahil pag-ibig ang alay sa ‘yo, mananatili ako.
H’wag nang naising tayo’y mawalay,
H’wag nang isiping
Magwawakas ang paglalakbay.

This is one of the stanzas of “Pananatili,” my "panatang manatili".

One moral I’ve learned in all my coming and going, to and from the hearts of the people whom I’ve touched and have loved dearly is that, they are some choices that I’ve made; the choice to love them and be part of them.

I believe that the seminary walls are not high barracks which distinct the world of the holy and that of the unworthy, but rather bridges where we meet truth and vessels where God’s grace towards our hearts is realized.

Dahil nga pag-ibig ang alay ko sa’yo, ano pa man, saan man, kailan man, nand’yan lang ako sa puso mo, nananatili. – I can’t explain how love remains even if the corpus is not seen, contact for a long time has gone, and memories have put beneath the reach of mind. You never stop loving someone you’ve loved. Love endures.

H’wag nang naising tayo’y mawalay, h’wag nang isiping magwawakas ang paglalakbay. – For your life and mine is a journey, and if ever catastrophe comes to our way, look inside your heart, there you’ll see that love never tires. Continue the journey.

Measuring God's Grace

Some months ago, I read a compilation of homilies by some famous Jesuit fathers in the country. One of the authors is a prominent priest of the society. He tells about an incident when he was still a young seminarian who’ll in just a matter of months become a young Jesuit. There was a point when he felt discouraged. He came to his spiritual friend. Upon listening to him for quite sometime, the priest said, “Why don’t you try giving without counting the cost?” This perhaps would be an ideal thing to talk about, but I think many people have come to the realization of this statement so far.

My soul is restless these days while thinking about the priest’s advise. I’ve been preoccupied with much reflection about many things. One thing would be about measuring God’s graciousness. I think God is so good that he’d still forgive and love me even if I continually live sinful everyday, I mean to the extreme point of repenting insincere during the sacrament of confession. Sounds a weird idea right? The possibility of deceiving priests during the sacrament may be realized by some people today, but we don’t fool God when we try to deceive Him, He knows it anyway. Then the next thing to do would be fooling themselves. Being mesmerized by God’s graciousness would be something really good to experience and think about. Though understanding it fully wouldn’t be humane, and making it a basis for justifying our jealousy and pride to God would be insane, man expresses His possessing nature by making himself in the level of anyone; even of his own Creator. In short, man tries to limits God by comparing Him to himself.

In the end, I come to the recurring reminder that surrendering and trusting God’s grace would always be a prudent act when such crisis comes, and the story of the Jesuit father would always remind me that embracing a world greater than your own would remain possible when you don't count the cost.

Si Nanay... Naghihintay

Doon nga sa bahay
Si nanay naghihintay
Sulo nya’y buhay

Huwag Kang Matakot

Eraserheads

Huwag kang matakot
'Di mo ba alam nandito lang ako
Sa iyong tabi
'Di kita pababayaan kailan man
At kung ikaw ay mahulog sa bangin
Ay sasaluhin kita

Huwag kang matakot na matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot na umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot

Huwag kang matakot
Dahil ang buhay mo'y walang katapusan
Makapangyarihan ang pag-ibig
Na hawak mo sa iyong kamay
Ikaw ang Diyos at hari ng iyong mundo
Matakot sila sa 'yo

Huwag kang matakot na matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot na umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot na magmukhang tanga
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot sa hindi mo pa makita
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot

Huwag kang matakot na matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot na umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot

Huwag kang matakot
'Di kita pababayaan kailan man


Napakaganda ng pahiwatig ng awit na ito sa aking buhay at bokasyon ngayon. Marahil, ito rin ang nais ipagbigay-alam ng Diyos sa sinumang nagnanais na sumunod sa kanya. "Huwag kang matakot, 'di kita pababayaan, nandito lang ako."

Psalm 84

How lovely is Your dwelling place
O, Lord, mighty God, Lord of all.

Even the lowly sparrow finds a home for her brood,
and the swallow, a nest for herself
where she may lay her young
in Your altars, my King and my God.

Blessed are they whose dwelling is Your own, Lord of peace.
Blest are they refreshed by springs and by rain
when dryness daunts and scathes.
Behold my Shield, my King and my God.

I would forsake a thousand other days anywhere
if I could spend one day in Your courts,
belong to You alone.
My strength are You alone,
my Glory, my King and my God.

How lovely, Your dwelling place
O, Lord, mighty God, Lord of all.

This was a hit responsorial psalm during my stay in Don Bosco Mandaluyong. Memories of my last years in high school revolved in this song. And perhaps if people would be asked on what song they remember me, this would be it. I have sung this psalm many times during our masses, and every time I would sing it, it is as if it would be the only opportunity to sing it, and so I would sing it with all my being. My friend Igy loved it when I would sing this before, I don't know if he'll still love to hear me sing this after some years that had passed, and actually if I were to choose our friendship song, this would be my pick; the song that witnessed the story of our friendship. Igy, this is for you.

Incidents Not Accidents

When God creates, His creation is realized by his outpouring love; and we came about because there is a God who has always shared his extra Godly love. Though identified as the highest form of creation, we benefit from the truth that we share His extras brought about by His own being, which makes us truly little less than a god. And I guess, this realization should broaden our perspective on how we are to live the gift of life, that since we are mere extras made into being, we are also to choose to share, love and live life by and through the same love that we’re.

The God You're

Let me love my God through my heart
The heart that was made before His
His image and likeness eternal

Eternal is his Love
The Love that is, was, and will
Boundless it is, penetrating reality

Reality of my life
The love of God exists
Exists in being

Being is a perfect gift
Gift that is from perfection
Perfection that is God

God You’re

You are My Everything

“…You hold on to me tight that I may keep the fight
To love you more and all the more each day”

I was really struck by these end lines of “You are My Everything.” It has just been played during our benediction service awhile ago led me to a recurring realization about God’s love for us; that God is with us in our fight against our human inclinations, if only we would hold on and keep the faith, winning would be inevitable.

Towards Perfect Happiness

Man is on a continual journey towards his daily goal: to be happy. While we think that we experience happiness in our lives, we might have asked this at least once, “Am I happy enough?”

Perfect happiness is a yearning of the heart. Though it’s not a reality of this world, the possibility of happiness being sought and found exists. While the world tells us that every moment of happiness has its price, and had to be bought to acquire the ever-longed experience of happiness, we find ourselves with lots of created needs but never satisfied happiness.

The heart’s longings were made not to frustrate man, but to encourage him to seek greater things which a created matter such as the world cannot offer. As the reality of the world tells us that every created being has a time to expire, we cannot but seek for happiness from something or someone who doesn’t expire: God.

Let us seek the Perfect Happiness with great enthusiasm and hope.

Perfecting Perfection

God is perfect, and since He's perfect, the reason why he must be doing anything must also be for something perfect: Himself. Otherwise, He contradicts Himself in settling for reasons less than perfection.

We might be often caught unaware of this fact, but the other side of our humanity tells us that since we are made from God’s perfection, there would be no higher purpose for doing but also for perfection who is God.

The great picture shows us that God created everything for the progression of His perfection. His creation adds nothing to Himself. It doesn’t make Him any lesser or any better, for the lone fact that He’s God. Since there is nothing and no one more deserving to accept God’s will than Perfection Himself, God doesn’t create because he is egotistic.

Never Too Good

Some people have this tendency to be labeled as “too good to be true.” Though it might seem unbecoming to be truly good these days, let us look at the other side of the coin that tells us that the basis of the same statement is rooted in man’s journey towards himself.

How can there be something too good if goodness itself is already perfect? Goodness that comes from Perfection, who is God, cannot but be perfect in its nature.

I just got reminded of this truth. We are good. We’ll always be good. Nothing can put us away from our very nature since everything is from Perfection. Not even the choices we make would separate us from God, but as we realize God’s goodness let us also be reminded that our existence would always be for God’s progressing perfection and glory.

It doesn’t imply that God’s creation was made for His leisure, but the other side of the story tells us that we are in, with, and for his Perfection.

†Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam et Salutatem Animarum

Who Writes?

At the moment, people (seminarians) here who own blogs have similar entries sharing different viewpoints on the philosophy of writing. It’s a requirement in their subject, and when you see their pieces, all of them bound to answer this question: “why do I write?”

From there, I have also started to justify personal answers to the same question. So, where do you think should I draw them? As I write this article, I am trying to picture a writer when he writes. As a skill, he writes for discovery, comprehension and integration of what the mind knows and what it would want to express. Otherwise, the art of writing gives him a sense of fulfillment and liberty. Most of the time, he writes because he just feels like writing. His writing lives in him and he in his writing.

When I write, the motive of writing mirrors the product of my work, thus I become my own piece.

Soar High Under

Born for Greater Things! This has been the cry of Don Bosco Canlubang for the past years of its existence while it is still vital challenge to everyone up to the time-being.

But how does someone become great in the eyes of his lauder? Perhaps a good number of people here have their idols or people whom they look up to. It might also be said that they have this binding commonality which moves them to laud and acknowledge the influence of his power. If this factor truly exists then what is it?

I often process the feeling of being envious to people who project themselves to the public as superheroes who feel that they are indispensable in the eyes of the people they meet as they try to save the world while their motives suffer in the unprocessed part of their being. But possibly, this phenomenon was never cited in the viewpoint of a lauder.

I am a lauder myself. I also have idols. I have my definition on how I should deal with them. I am a part of my question. I also have in me that binding force from which we lauders are unconscious. If I may identify my issue, let me say that it is our desire to be like them that makes us a wanderer. Though the existing truth is, we would not just want to be like them, but as we identify, we corrupt and yield ourselves to the same identity thus, we become – them.

Probably, “born for greater things” imply that the moment we were formed in the womb accompanies us in the reality towards our great being. Nevertheless greatness doesn’t stop there. As we progress through the years, it becomes clear to us that there is more in being the great person for it was already a given, and it is from there that our call to higher things comes to realization. We are great in our nature, and it is in that same nature that we would desire to be more. But the call towards surpassing this given nature challenges us not to desire higher but to dig deeper in the discovery of ourselves; self-mastery.

“If it dies, it bears much fruit.” - Jn 12:24 Let me die in my greatness and my desires of reaching the blue sky that my person may long for his deeper reason, and in digging deep I may grow and bear much fruit, better than before.

Buhay-kandila

Ang mitsa ay ang pagsilang
Pagkamulat sa mundong patunaw
Umaagos ang init at pusok
Sa dulo'y hupang nagbabanta
Sa ilaw ay buhay
Sa simoy ay kamatayan
Sinasaklaw ang pangkalahatan
Nauupos sa pagkadakila
Sa liwanag ay dilim
Taglay ng sindi'y banta
Payak na't di lalaon
Nakadapang tila pasuko
Patunaw at pakalat
Pinapatay ang sarili ng kusa
Masdan ang buhay-kandila
Ikaw

Buksan

Pinhid ng pintuan, mistulang dingding,
Walang sinuma ang maaring tanggapin.

Anong pumipigil? Anong nagbabawal?
Sa sariling mundo'y ba't di ka lumaya?

Buksan ang 'yong mga mata kahit may luha.
Mamahalin parin kita. Tutulungang Lumaya

Ang basong may tubig lagyan mong muli.
Aapaw dahil wala nang silid.
Ang pusong may galit, di maaring umibig.
Bulag sa wasto, alipin ng isip.

Buksan ang 'yong mga mata kahit may luha.
Mamahalin parin kita. Tutulungang Lumaya.

... siguro kung kaya kong bumalik, pipiliin ko paring pumasok sa seminaryo. Doon kung saan nabuksan ang pintuang mistulang pader sa kapal at bigat. Doon kung saan pinapalaya't hinihiom ang puso. Doon na ang baso ng pag-ibig ay ang puso; bottomless! Siguro nga'y nakapiring ang mga mata ko noon, walang buhay na maaninaw. Ngunit di nangahulugang, di ko kayang piliing nakapiring at pikit-matang itaya ang pangarap at buhay ko sa pagkasalesyanong seminarista. Sinong mag-aalis ng piring? Hindi ko alam. Tanging batid ko'y nakagapos din pala ang aking mga kamay. Nakayapos sa Iyo Panginoon.

Inside the Heart of A True Friend

*Dedicated to my good friend Mikky Manaligod as he owns his retreat on March 10, 2007. Thanks for being loyal and true.

I do not feel the need to send you this letter,

Yet I write letting the thoughts

And the spirit of those thoughts crawl from my heart

Toward my hands

And type all the words needed to write this letter.

And so I write without any reason at all.

For all those reasons

Are already with you and within you;

Inside the heart of a true friend.

Keep those values that we’ve learned through you.

Keep those memories that we’ve made true.

Keep them where they can only exist;

In the heart of a true friend;

Truth.

The past nor the future does not exist.

Believe me they don’t.

But only does the present.

How do we look back to nothingness

And look forward to a dream?

They only exist in the plane

And so look at your heart.

Your heart where nothingness is defied

And dreams come true.

Exist.

Carry One

New year never means going back to zero and start again. It means carrying over, carrying on, and being responsible of the past so that you can move on, hopeful for the future.

A blessed year ahead!