Category: Friends

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Holy Divos!!!

When I was growing up, the priests, as I knew them, conformed to what I always expected of the religious. They said Mass, heard Confession, officiated during weddings, baptisms, and wakes. They were retreat masters, theology teachers, frequent lecturers (with me falling asleep half of the time). You know what I mean…

Lately, a new breed of priests capture the attention of ordinary folks like us and bring us closer to the Lord in a different and personal way primarily because they do things we ordinarily do and share the Word of God in the ordinary-ness of life. They are bloggers and gym rats, composers of songs, lyricists, creative writers, artists. And on my last visit to Dumaguete over the holidays, I met a group of priests who did something else which Filipinos love to do a lot — SING!

Fr. Ray Victor Pascual used to be the chaplain at SM Megamall and some of you may have attended his Masses there. He was also concurrently the Orientation Year and Vocation Director at the San Lorenzo Mission Institute. Several years ago, he was assigned as parish priest of Mary Immaculate Parish in Dumaguete after its parish priest passed away. Since then, that parish has flourished and grown into a dynamic one with an active and vibrant choir and involved parishioners. Fr. Ray also happens to be a relative of my hubby (their ancestors came from the same small Chinese village).

What many probably did not know was that while still in Manila, Fr. Ray was part of a group of singing priests. He had a good singing voice and was just as good with the guitar. Their concerts were always packed. So when he assumed his new post in Dumaguete, it was no longer a surprise that eventually, he and 3 other priests (Fr. Ramonito “Ram” Maata, Fr. Carmelito “Junjun” Limbaga, and Fr. Felino “Linlin” Jumawan) would find each other and put up their own singing group, known as the “Priests in Music”.

The Priests in Music have performed in several concerts and private functions in metro Dumaguete. At my in-laws’ Diamond Anniversary celebration last December, they performed to the delight of the crowd.

When priests like these are able to break into the circle of the youth, they show the young that the priesthood is a vocation which need not be boring, staid or outdated. They are able to share God’s Word without “lecturing” — a big turn-off many times for kids who are used to fast-paced multimedia. The blogger priests I know communicate in the medium best known by the youth. They are able to REACH OUT, then REACH IN.

Who knows….maybe down the road we will see a priest who can breakdance and hiphop alongside the kids. Now that I am looking forward to!

Here is a YouTube video showing the Priests in Music in one of their Dumaguete concerts (Fr. Ray is the one in the opening video, in a purple shirt):

….and “BARKADA” sung in a Visayan upbeat way…

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Innocent Friendship in the Face of Adult Animosity

It pained me to watch the news on TV. It pained me to read about it again on the online news.

There was 13-year old JC Abalos, grandson of former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos being interviewed on TV and admitting to the public his close friendship with Abe Lozada, the son of Jun Lozada who is in the middle of this recent political debacle.

JC said his admission to being friends with Abe was not instigated by his family — that his decision to publicly admit to this friendship, amidst their elders being on opposite sides of the fence, was his own decision.

This friendship was confirmed by LSGH friends who were likewise interviewed. From the news I gathered, the friendship of these 2 boys went as far back as third grade.

My heart goes out to these 2 boys. They are innocents caught in the middle of a political battle way beyond their understanding. And I must admit I was impressed with the young Abalos who was reported to have said:

Yung pagkakaibigan, wala yun sa quantity of time na pinagsamahan niyong dalawa, wala rin yun sa number of times na nagkaroon kayo ng mga magandang conversations. [Sa] tingin ko, friendship is more on [its] quality. (Friendship is not in the quantity of time you have been together; it is also not the number of times you had wonderful conversations. In my view, friendship is more on quality.)

It must be painful for these 2 boys to watch the political drama involving their loved ones. There must be times when they are torn between their long bond of friendship and love for their families. I can only think: do they feel awkward having to bump into each other again in school, knowing the history of their elders? Do they wonder what people say or think about them when they are seen together?

This is what I pray as a mother who can imagine what it would be like if one of them was my boy (I have my own 13-year old boy too):

I pray….that media leave them alone and stop playing up on TV or in the news the stories of their friendship.

I pray…that all their friends, classmates, teachers and school authorities continue to encourage their friendship within the boundaries of their school.

I pray…that whatever becomes of the animosity that develops with the older branch of their families, that these 2 innocent boys may be spared.

I pray…that these 2 boys show us adults the magnanimity of their hearts and their ability to transcend everything going on around them and to preserve their friendship whatever the cost.

It is not their fight. It is not their battle. Let us leave them to be boys, remain good friends, and grow up to be good citizens of this country.

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Our Youth Are the Hope of This Land

I have tried to make this blog as apolitical as possible as my theme is about LIFE and all its many facets as it affects me. But I cannot help but blog about the impact of our youth on me, especially during this time when we are once again faced by a scandal of humongous proportions. This post is not a political one. Rather, I believe that this represents our HOPE for a BETTER LIFE.

In my younger days, I was no activist. I was never in political rallies during martial law days. I chose to just focus on my studies and I must say I was a pretty good student and made good grades. But when I went for graduate studies to the States, I became aware of many things. My loneliness, being away from family, made me keenly appreciate my country even more (this is really cheesy but I would get teary-eyed whenever I would hear Lupang Hinirang). I realized I was part of a few who were given a chance for a better life when many back home could not even get to eat 3x a day. I was there when Ninoy Aquino was exiled, got invited along with some friends to a party hosted in NY for the Marcoses during their state visit (we were appalled by the excessive show of opulence that we left soon after dinner and chose to walk around NY for a change), was among Filipino students who met similarly-exiled Charito Planas during her school visit and got a personal view of what the country was facing then. I was absorbing all these, and without realizing it, this was to be my big step to a more active participation ahead.

When Operation Quick Count of NAMFREL was set up, I got involved. Without going into more details, suffice it to say that my love of the Philippines was heightened all the more during those days. We worked long, long hours in LSGH in the aftermath of the presidential snap elections of ’86. I was there when Card. Sin and Senator Lugar of the US, among other dignitaries, paid a visit to the LSGH gym where we were based. I was one of those who broke out cheering and applauding when they announced that the PICC tabulators had walked out. And during EDSA 1, I was one of the millions who found ourselves in EDSA. My heart was bursting with love for my country and hopes for the future.

But with scandal after scandal coming out, I fear for my kids and what future they will have in this country. There is so much for them to be proud of. The countryside is beautiful. Whatever is left of our rich, natural resources (depleted by greedy moneymakers) is still a sight to behold. The simple folks in the provinces show us what the real heart of Pinoys are. Opportunities abound to give and to receive — within moral and economic boundaries.

But what values are my kids picking up? Will they continue to be principled, fight for what is good and right, put country over personal interest? Will they want to stay in this country and put their talents and skills to use here rather than dream of working abroad? How do I teach them that money in itself is not bad if they can put it to use to make lives better? When they look at TV, hear the Senate investigations, and study current events in school, how do these scandals impress their young hearts?

I worry.

These days, I am just an ordinary wife and mother. My days are humdrum, revolving around planning the kids’ schedules, trying to earn a decent living, and enjoying yoga with friends.

But last night, my good friend Dine told me about her son Vince who, at the Ateneo mass at Gesu for Jun Lozada, gave up his St. Ignatius pin (which was given to him just a week ago) in order to fulfill the wish of Lozada to come out of Ateneo with a blue pin.

Vince earned that blue pin. It was a pin given in recognition of his school leadership. But in giving that pin to Lozada, Vince symbolized all the youth behind him who were in effect entrusting their future in the hands of the likes of Lozada. Here was a youth leader telling an adult that there was hope for our land and this was an encouragement for Lozada and others to likewise stay the course and let the TRUTH come out.

If our youth, like Vince, continue to love this country and feel deeply for it like I remember feeling years ago, there is hope for this country. If they can discern what is NOT right in the actions of my generation, there is a chance for them to rectify these in their generation. They are the hope of this land.

(Vince with Sumilao farmers at the Gesu Mass for Lozada — photo courtesy of Dine)

Vince, you do your family proud and I am happy to have met you through your mommy. Be assured that we are all behind you and your generation and will always pray that you all stay in the light. As for me, I continue to be a proud Filipina.

To view a short video of Vince (also taken by Dine) giving his pin to Lozada, click HERE and HERE.

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After Fr. Nico…..Fr. Danny!

Just a few weeks ago, I blogged about Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J. (lovingly called Fr. Nico) being selected the new Jesuit General. In that post was a lengthy speech on Fr. Nico given by Fr. Danny Huang, Provincial Superior of the Philippine Jesuits.

A few days ago, we got another bit of bittersweet news. Our beloved Fr. Danny, whose humorous and yet profound homilies were well-known, was appointed by Fr. Nico as one of his 10 Regional Assistants and will be in charge of East Asia-Oceania.

This appointment means that Fr. Danny will be posted in Rome. It will mean a change of the guards as a new Provincial Superior is sought from among the Philippine Jesuits. In Fr. Danny’s own words:

“I think my deepest regret is that the Province will have to be inconvenienced because of my new mission. It is clear that this assignment means, not just a little sacrifice on my part, but also sacrifice on the part of the Province. Plans for the future now have to re-adjusted, and will involve some disappointment and dying to self on the part of others beyond myself. I am consoled however that Fr. General and other members of the Congregation have acknowledged and expressed gratitude for the “sacrifice” on the part of the Philippine Province. I am deeply consoled too by the response of many Jesuits and lay partners from our Province who have texted or emailed me, expressing their sadness but also their strong desire to subordinate the good of the Province to the good of the universal Society, their simple acceptance of the will of God.”

I have mixed emotions about this. The selfish part of me wishes he could spend more years in the Philippines as his term has been vibrant and filled with wonderful achievements and plans for the Philippine Province. Our family will likewise miss him. But looking back at how he became head of the Philippine Jesuits at a young age, I can see that that was a divine preparation for this new mission.

(our boys with Fr. Danny)

In a response to his appointment, Fr. Danny admits to being overwhelmed and wonders if he can even begin to learn Italian at his age (48) to get by in Rome. But in the same breath, he exhibits that faith and trust in the Lord’s plans by adding: “I thank God that I am at peace, grateful that I can serve Fr. General and the Society in this new way. I trust that if this is God’s will that I am accepting, He will take care of me and of the Province, and He will guide me along the way that unfolds from this day.”

We will all miss Fr. Danny when he takes up his post in Rome. Let us all continue to pray for him and his mission.

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Sending You Peace and Love for Christmas

I am now taking my Christmas break in the province of my in-laws where the entire side of this island is surrounded by the sea. It is a wonderful place to do yoga. Quiet, countryside home. No sounds of traffic. Just the birds, trees abounding, and the honking of geese, neighing of horses, and other animals that wander freely around the manicured lawns of our family home. It is a great time away from the frenetic pace of Manila. It is becoming my own individual yoga retreat.

Today, I did some yoga in our room which overlooks the greenhouse. No distractions. Just myself and nature. Wonderful!

As the time for Christmas draws near and the New Year is just around the corner, I would like to wish all my yogi and yogini friends as well as all of my blog readers…

a SERENE CHRISTMAS and a PEACEFUL NEW YEAR AHEAD!

Namaste!

(photo courtesy of CardsDirect)

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Travel Preparations Go High Tech

Tomorrow I leave for the province with the 2 girls. Hubby and boys follow the next day.

I am looking forward to these next 2 weeks in so many ways. First, it’s my in-laws’ 60th wedding anniversary. Big celebration. Lots of guests, Family coming home from abroad. Reunions galore. Food everywhere. Yup, I think I am gonna love this vacation. And maybe, just maybe, I will finally gain some decent weight…..

Of course, the flip side is all the work I need to bring with me since I am in the middle of a systems implementation project which requires decisions, consultations, teleconferences, and so on.

My kumpare Lito (who works for this company I consult for) gave me the 4-1-1 on how I can be up and running and in touch with the project team through my 3G handset (which I got because it looked nice but never went as far as using it to surf the internet).

This is what I went through:

1. Bought a Smart prepaid SIM (Smart only charges P10 for half an hour — like an internet cafe — while Globe charges by kilobyte downloaded, which will quickly empty your load).  Loaded P300 on it.

2. Configured my phone’s settings and installed Nokia PC Suite on hubby’s laptop

3. Set up via PC Suite the internet connection so the laptop could recognize my Smart wireless connecton

4. Tested everything by logging onto Smart via laptop and voila! I WAS CONNECTED!

Now, it means I can check email and chat with my project team members either via my 3G mobile or on the laptop, using the mobile as a modem.

Hey! I learned something new!

Also found out that my in-laws’ place is a wi-fi spot. Woohoo!

So maybe I need not say good-bye to all of you because it looks like I could actually get some blogging squeezed in during this vacation. Unless…..I get bogged down practicing (I heard we need to prepare for a program during the dinner celebration!!!).

Oh…and yeah! Guess what else I am lugging along….

MY YOGA MAT!

Hahaha. Hope to do my teacher Pio proud!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!