Speech for the Tree Lighting Ceremony 2009 - Provident

Sa kasaysayan ng mga Israelita, ang tinalagang bayan ng Dios sa Lumang Tipan, hindi kailanman maaaring tawagin ng tao ang Panginoon sa kaniyang pangalan. Napaka banal nito kung kaya, bilang tanda ng pag-galang, imbis na Yahweh {YHWH}, makikita natin sa Banal na Kasulatan ang salitang Adonai na, sa Latin ay Kyrios o Dominus, na ang ibig sabihin ay Lord.

Ngunit sa pagdating ni Cristo, tinuruan niya tayo ng tamang pananalangin; na sa ating pagdarasal, hinabilin ni Jesus na tawagin natin ang Dios, si Yahweh, ang lumikha ng langit at lupa, ng lahat ng nakikita at hindi nakikita ng “Ama”. {cf. Matthew 6:6-13

Ama namin,
Amahan namo,
Amay namon,
Our Father,
Padre Nuestro,
Pater Noster.

Hindi lamang Ama, kundi Ama namin - natin.
Kaisa natin si Hesus sa pagtawag sa Ama. Ama natin.

At kung Ama natin siya, tunay, dapat, matuwid at nararapat lamang na tawagin nating Bro ang ating Panginoong Jesu-Kristo.

Kung kaya binabati ko ang bawat isa sa atin na naririto sapagkat tunay, dapat, matuwid at nararapat lamang ang tema ng Provident ngayong taon.

We become Christ for Christ.

As it was so eloquently explained by the Chairman; “the Light of the World is with us, in the Tabernacle of our Chapel of the Two Hearts, and in our hearts.”

Because when Provident saw the hungry, we fed them. When Provident saw the thirsty, we gave them drink. When Provident saw those who were grieving because of the loss of a love one, we comforted them. When Provident saw that our neighbours in Bicol needed assistance, we assisted them. When Provident saw the homeless due to the three typhoons that ravaged our country, we aided them.

As the Lord said; “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” {Matthew 25:40}

Kung kaya tunay, dapat, matuwid at nararapat lamang na ating ipagbunyi ang Provident sa ating masugid na pagsuporta kay Bro sa pamamagitan ng ating walang kupas na pagtangkilik sa araw-araw na Banal na Santa Misa, sa Corporate Social Responsibility kung saan tayo ang nagiging Bro para kay Bro, at sa iba pang mga adhikain.

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The jewel that was - Manila in the 1960's

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A ‘smudging rite’ replaces the Penitential Rite of the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, diocèse of Sault Ste. Marie, Canada

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Third Requiem Anniversary Eulogy

Last 26th of September 2009, as I was sailing through flooded E.D.S.A. caused by Super Typhoon Ketsana, I had the chance to meditate on my grandmother, Ida Madarang, whose 3rd death anniversary was on the following day, and in my ruminations, I discovered that, for some unknown reason, the words “afterward, then”, and “next” kept recurring in my thoughts. I simply couldn’t see where these words would fit in with Ida.

And then, it came to me. “Afterward, then”, and “next”, when translated to Spanish, is “despues”.

Whenever we relayed something to Ida, or whenever she gave us points on what to do, she would always use the word “despues” to interpose the sentence.

“Let’s walk around the block, despues watch the latest basketball game on television.”
“Take your dinner, despues let’s play solitaire.”

or

“Oha , let’s buy your favourite Mango Nectar juice”, and she would say ¿Despues?”

Three years ago, Ida closed her eyes and ended her years of exile in this valley of tears.

Today, I cannot but ask, ¿despues?
What now? What’s next?

When she was till with us, it was easy to answer her ¿Despues?”. It was easy to say what the next step would be not because it would be painless. It was easy because we knew that she would be holding our hand throughout the journey, until her next “despues”.

But for the past three years, since the struck of 12 noon at the San Juan de Dios Hospital Emergency Room, I could hold on to only nothingness. I could not - I would not even dare - ask “¿Despues?” anymore.

The hand that held loose branches in the forests of Davao while in flight from the Japanese during the Second World War.

The hand that presented her youngest sister, Rita, to the Religious of the Virgin Mary despite the objection of the family.

The hand that held the yellow roses offered by Clemente, her husband.

The hand that duelled with the hands of Clemente in a middle-of-the-night game of Table Tennis to relieve them of the stress of checking the essays of his law students.

The hand that, drenched with tears on the demise of her husband, nursed five children.

The hand that prepared the best leche flan, pudding, and chocolate cake in the world.

The hands that was ever expressive and constantly moving whenever she recounted to me her life with Clemente.

The hand that played More on the piano.

The hand that guided me as a tot around Jaleville and around my world, and the hand that I guided as young man around Jaleville and around our world was now gone…

I miss those hands. I was never ashamed to hold them in mine. I would do anything to hold them once more.

For having lived for more than a quarter of a century, I have realized there are things that you do let go, things that you may have once steadfastly held on to. As St. Paul in his 1st letter to the Corinthians said; “Cum essem parvulus, loquebar ut parvulus, cogitabam ut parvulus. Quando autem factus sum vir, evacuavi quæ erant parvuli ” - a child talks, thinks, and reasons like a child but a man puts away childish things.

But with Ida, but with Oha, I shall always be her nieto.

And as a child at her feet, I learned from Ida, through her “philosophy of despues” that:

Suffre si queres gozar            Suffer if you want to rejoice.
Pierde si quieres ganar           Lose if you want to gain.
Bajar si quieres subir             Descend if you want to ascend
Muere si quieres vivir            Die if you wish to live.

That afternoon, I found myself humming a Ryan Cayabyab song, an apt tribute to her whom I long for most.

Kulang ang araw at gabi ‘pag kita’y kapiling.
Kahit ang bukas ay di rin sapat upang mamasdan lamang kita.
Labis kitang minamahal, pag-ibig ko’y walang kapantay.
Kung kaya ko lang abutin ang mga bituin t’yak ito’y gagawin

Three years ago, as sister death was closing her eyes, I whispered to her “I love you, Oha”.

Am sure she would have asked, ¿Despues?

Today, I would answer her

Oha, siempre. Always.

I am happy that I am three years nearer to seeing you again.

At last. Always.

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Three years ago

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Sa piling mo lang,

Nadarama ang tunay na pagsinta.

'Pag yakap kita ng mahigpit,

Parang ako'y nasa langit.

~

Minsan lang ako nakadama ng ganito

Pag-ibig na wagas at sadyang totoo

Nananabik itong aking puso

~

Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman

Kailangang mong malaman na ikaw lamang

Ang tangi kong minamahal

At tangi kong hiling ay makapiling ka lagi

~

Minsan lang ako nakadama ng ganito

Pagmamahal na hindi magbabago

At habang buhay na ipaglalaban ko

~

Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman
Kailangan mong malaman na ikaw lamang

Ang tangi kong minamahal

Ang lagi kong dinarasal

~

Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman
Kailangan mong malaman na ikaw lamang

Ang tangi kong minamahal

Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman

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Pagmasdan ang ulan,

Unti-unting pumapatak sa mga halama't mga bulaklak

Pagmasdan ang dilim,

Unti-unting bumabalot sa buong paligid t'wing umuulan
    ~

Kasabay ng ulan bumubuhos ang 'yong ganda,

Kasabay rin ng hanging kumakanta

Maari bang huwag ka na

Sa piling ko'y lumisan pa hanggang ang hangi't ula'y tumila na

~

Buhos na ulan, aking mundo'y lunuring tuluyan

Tulad ng pag-agos mo,

'Di mapipigil ang puso kong nagliliyab

Pag-ibig ko'y umaapaw,

Damdamin ko'y humihiyaw sa tuwa

Tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka

~

Pagmasdan ang ulan, unti-unting tumitila

Ikaw ri'y magpapaalam na

Maari bang minsan pa, mahagkan ka't maiduyan pa

Sakbibi ka't ulan lamang ang saksi

~

Minsan pa ulan bumuhos ka't h'wag nang tumigil pa

Hatid mo ma'y bagyo, dalangin ito ng puso kong sumasamo

Pag-ibig ko'y umaapaw,

Damdamin ko'y humihiyaw sa tuwa

Tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka

~

Maari bang minsan pa, mahagkan ka't maiduyan pa

Sakbibi ka't ulan lamang ang saksi

~

Buhos na ulan, aking mundo'y lunuring tuluyan

Tulad ng pag-agos mo,

'Di mapipigil ang puso kong nagliliyab

Pag-ibig ko'y umaapaw,

Damdamin ko'y humihiyaw sa tuwa

Tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka

~

Minsan pa ulan bumuhos ka't h'wag nang tumigil pa

Hatid mo ma'y bagyo, dalangin ito ng puso kong sumasamo

Pag-ibig ko'y umaapaw,

Damdamin ko'y humihiyaw sa tuwa

Tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka

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Hating gabi,

Gising pa't naghihintay

Na maidlip at nagbibilang ng tala,

~

Sa karamihan nito'y mayroong isang natatangi

At sa tuwing tatanawin

Mukha mong nasasa-isip

~

Ewan ko ba,

Bakit pa nagpakita pa

Sa panaginip sana'y mamasdan ka sa tuwina

~

Kahit na di na gumising pa

Huwag lang malayo sa piling mo

Iniibig kahit ika`y panaginip lang

~

Iniibig kahit ika`y panaginip lang

Iniibig kahit ika`y panaginip lang ......

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