Eternal Rest

Travelling to the north of the Philippines with my grandparents and the rest of the clan many years ago, has been informative and instructive for me.  From Manila going to Ilocos Norte, you would easily learn by heart the various provinces that you need to pass through to get to your destination: Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union,  and Ilocos Sur (now this province makes travel time longer as you have to pass through its entire stretch).  You would also see for yourselves the old churches and other edifices, learn which is the capital of which province, etc.  

As devout Catholics, Lolo Paul and Lola Piling would pray the Rosary as part of our journey.  But what made me wonder was that every time we would pass by a cemetery, Lolo Paul, in his booming voice, would utter "Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord".  To which, the rest of us (or at least those who know it) would respond "And let perpetual light shine upon them". "May they rest in peace," Lolo would then say. To which every one would reply "Amen".  You could imagine how many times this "exchange of words" would occur in our itinerary.  

Apart from this practice, I have been tagged along by my grandparents to a number of wakes and have assisted the late Fr Loreto Palafox, St Rita Hospital's Chaplain at that time, in the Mass.  We would also have Masses celebrated by Fr Palafox during All Souls' Day when we visit graves of his siblings at the La Loma Cemetery as well as the cenotaph at the Manila North Cemetery erected in memory of Tito Chito and companion scouts.  

I don't know where exactly my grandfather learned this devotion to the faithful departed, but I would imagine he learned this from his parents or from his older brother, Lolo Padi, whom he would have assisted in Masses for the Dead.    Apart from that, as doctors he and Lola Piling would have often encountered life and death situations. Being religious, they would have that cultivated a spiritual insight on these situations; that life is something to be cherished and shared with others for the glory of God and that death is not the end, but the beginning of life everlasting.

Lola Piling told me that on his last day on earth, Lolo Paul wanted to talk about death while making their way home from church.  Hours later, he would pass away. She told me how she consoled her dying husband, shouting prayers towards his ears.  I am amazed at how strong a woman my grandmother was when my grandfather died. She said "I could not cry, but shouted, “Thy will be done, O Lord".

In our Catechism we are taught of the 7 Corporal and 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy.  One of the Corporal Works is "to bury the dead".  One of the Spiritual Works is "to pray for the living and the dead".  My grandparents have shown, in their own way, how to practice these.  I'm grateful that they have shown me the way.  It gives me hope in what St Augustine once wrote: "Then we will be free and will see, will see and will love, will love and will praise. See, in the end it will be without end".

Lolo Paul, as we remember your 29th Death Anniversary this 19th of November, we implore that the Risen Lord would grant you, as well as Lola Piling and all the faithful departed (particularly those who died in the earthquake and typhoon that hit the Philippines recently), the eternal rest that you have always aspired and prayed for.  May you now enjoy that freedom to see, love, and praise God in His kingdom. We love you!

Mama's Best Lesson

During our Rosary devotion a few nights ago, the topic for our sharing was on the best lesson in life taught to us by our mothers.  This topic was inspired by the role that Mary played as Mother of Jesus, who became Man to be our Saviour.

For me, the best lesson I learned from my mother is to practice humility.  As a kid, she would always remind me to refrain from being mapagmalaki  (haughty).  As concrete examples of humility, she exhorted me to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to those who have helped me, to treat others, regardless of their shortcomings, with diplomasya (respect), to be open to correction (and other lessons imparted by experience and people), and to be thankful for whatever God has given me.

There were instances that I took humility to the extreme (i.e. self-pity) and she cautioned me not to go that way otherwise it would be impossible for me to overcome any trials that is thrown my way.

This Year of Faith, we are called to revisit and rekindle on what we believe in.  It is good to take that moment to have another look at the tenets of our faith.  Why do we believe in one God? Is Jesus really present in the form of bread and wine at the words of Consecration?  How come Mary was immaculately conceived in her mother's womb? Why confess your sins to a priest who is also human like us? Is there life after death? These and many questions on our faith abound.  And yet, we have faith.  I'm sure that faith is sustained by humility.  For how can we adhere to these truths if we are full of ourselves, if we are not open, if we are proud? Indeed, as St Augustine once said "Humility must accompany all our actions, must be with us everywhere; for as soon as we glory in our good works they are of no further value to our advancement in virtue". 

Ma, thank you for teaching me the virtue of humility.  I must admit that there are still moments when it's much easier for me to be proud than to be humble. And yet, I've seen the sad and bad consequences of my mistakes as well as the good fruits of being down to earth.  I will keep on doing as you have taught me so that I would be worthy of God's favour. 

Happy Birthday, 'ma! May Jesus, who is meek and humble of heart, grant you a long, healthy, and holy life. May Mama Mary continue to watch over you so you may reflect her motherly love to us, your children and grandchildren. 

Love, kisses, and prayers from your first baby :)

Persevere, Change, Witness

Last Monday, August 26, a great crowd of Filipinos marched to Luneta to protest the corruption besetting the government.  The PDAF (a.k.a. pork barrel) scam was on top of the list of the most hated forms of corruption that involved a number of legislators on both houses of Congress. Previous to the Million Man March, President Aquino announced that he is abolishing the pork barrel. I am against the pork barrel since I first started to hear about it when I was in college as it reeks of corruption and traditional politics.  For me, it should be the governors and mayors who must dispose this to their constituents. After all, they are the ones who get in direct contact with people. Not the legislators who, by the nature of their job, must create laws.

When P-Noy made the announcement, I was overjoyed that I posted on Facebook that he is abolishing it.  My excitement backfired.  P-Noy won't abolish it until 2015. And his own pork will not be covered by the abolition!

At any rate, people marched to the streets to air their protest. As a sign of unity with them, Chiara and I wore white that day, the color of the protester's attire.

A day after that protest, we celebrated the feast of St Monica.  This great saint is known for her perseverance in prayer. Her sacrifices bore fruit - first, the conversion of her pagan and adulterous husband Patricius and later, the conversion of her restless and unsettled son Augustine.  

Imitating St Monica, Filipinos need to persevere, to be vigilant lest the Evil One outmanoeuvres us. Lest the pork becomes bacon, sisig, bagnet or lechon for the corrupt and callous-faced politicians and their minions.

Following St Monica's feast day, is her son St Augustine's fiesta. After his metanoia, this "son of many tears" (as what St Ambrose described Augustine in his previous life) would later become a bishop and doctor of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has mentioned quite a lot of St Augustine's writings.

As a nation, like St Augustine, we need to have that metanoia, that change of heart.  Giving funds at the politicians' discretion is an occasion for sin.  Issuing statements that belie irresponsibility and incompetence is uncalled for.  Incidentally, PDAF scam matermind Janet Lim-Napoles has turned herself over to P-Noy on St Augustine's Day. This is a good sign of conversion. I hope others concerned would do the same.

As of this writing, the Church commemorates the Passion of St John the Baptist.  The Lord's cousin and forerunner called a spade a spade.  His humility and truthfulness were the foundations of his call for repentance. His brutal frankness annoyed Herod and especially Herodias. Later on, this incestuous woman had her way of having this great prophet beheaded.

"Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi, ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo", goes the final line of our National Anthem.  Following the footsteps of St John let us bear witness to the truth even to the point of shedding our blood for it.

Persevere. Change. Witness.  Three essential course of action the Philippines has to take to be saved, to be renewed.

***

Talking about the Philippines, you may or may not heard the news that the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino passed a resolution way back in April to use "Filipinas" instead of "Pilipinas" to recognize our history and development as a nation.  When I was in high school, the subject Pilipino was changed to Filipino because the modern alphabet has already included 'F' in its roster.  Fair enough!  But I am sceptic about changing how we call our country. Imagine changing the seal of the President into "Sagisag ng Pangulo ng Filipinas". How about "Pambansang Awit ng Filipinas"? Or (when communicating with a compatriot) "Saan ka sa Filipinas?".   I am comfortable with Pilipinas!

Beauty So Ancient and So New

There have been recent events that have made me realize the Beauty that is God. In his Confessions, St Augustine called God as “Beauty so ancient and so new”.

A week ago, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) concluded its year-long Quadricentennial Celebrations. Looking back from its early beginnings up to the present, I could see how UST has been a reflection and a bearer of God for the past 4 centuries. As Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Soc Villegas would put it in his homily during the Closing Mass in UST: “… our alma mater feeds us Jesus, clothes us with Jesus and teaches us Jesus.”
UST may have been that ancient, yet the beauty it exudes is always new, always fresh – thanks to the abiding presence of Jesus in her.

It may be tempting to rest on one’s laurels, to be complacent, or worse to be falsely proud. A renowned theologian and professor once had a vision of Christ on the Cross and was asked by Our Lord what reward he wanted for all he had done and written. He answered, "Non nisi te, Domine"-only you, Lord. That guy was St Thomas Aquinas, UST’s Patron Saint. If the University remains humble, always seeks the Lord, and always at His service then no amount of calamity or bad publicity can bring it down. It is built on solid ground.

I’m touched that the good archbishop did not only mention UST’s renowned alumni, but also the unsung Thomasians who in their own small way share Jesus with others as well as those “ out there in the dark alleys, inside jails and prisons, in cramped government hospital wards, in unnamed graves in public cemeteries…sons and daughters of UST who did not succeed, dropped out of the way and have faded away in shame and guilt.”

Moving on to the next century, I think UST should reach out to these people since, as the prelate said: “UST will never forget.”

Go USTe!


***

Closer to home, a new member of the Samaniego-Albano Clan was born on Thursday 26 January 2011: Stella Gianna, Gio(my brother) and Marcia’s first daughter.

Every new-born baby is a reminder of how gracious God is (Incidentally, the name Gianna is the feminine equivalent of Giovanni which in turn means “God is gracious”.) and how he entrusts to us mere mortals the precious gift of life. The birth of another human reveals to us the beauty of life, the beauty of its Author. From a parent’s perspective, a baby tells us a new story based on an old one, a sequel to the enduring love of God passed on from one generation to another.

Welcome to the family, Stella! Well done, Gio and Marcia!

Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang

As I write this article, the Church is commemorating one of its greatest doctors – St Augustine. This saint, who is one of my favourites, reminded me of a popular song interepreted by Ogie Alcasid (and later by Freestyle):

Bakit ngayon ka lang?
Bakit ngayon kung kailan ang aking puso'y
Mayron nang laman?
Sana'y nalaman ko
Na darating ka sa buhay
'Di sana'y naghihtay ako

Ikaw sana ang aking yakap-yakap
Ang iyong kamay lagi ang aking hawak
At hindi kanya

Bakit ngayon ka lang dumating sa buhay ko?
Pilit binubuksan ang sarado ko ng puso
Ikaw ba ay nararapat sa akin
At siya ba'y dapat ko nang limutin?
Nais kong malaman
Bakit ngayon ka lang dumating?

Prior to his conversion, St Augustine’s life was in shambles. He was a disciple and staunch promoter of a wrong belief. He had a live-in partner of whom he had a son. He was, according to St Ambrose, “the son of many tears”. Through her mother’s perseverance, he came back to his senses and uttered his now famous “Late have I loved you”. If the Blessed Mother has the “Ang puso ko’y nagpupuri” as her song, St Augustine would have “Bakit ngayon ka lang” as his.

We too could ask God, “Bakit ngayon ka lang dumating?” Why only now when I am in my comfort zone? Why only now when I am rich or in power? Why only now when I am happy with what I am doing with my life? Why only now when everything in me is worthless?

Our questions can go on and on. Yet God won’t force us if we don’t want to accept His invitation. Having said that, St Augustine chose to follow Him and leave the ‘happy go lucky’ kind of life that he was so used to.

The choice is ours. Welcome the Lord in the many times He comes into our lives or keep on asking “Bakit ngayon ka lang?”