Of Fame and Fortune

These past weeks I have seen the passing away of two famous Cebuanos: Winston Anthony N. Velez and Cerge M. Remonde. The former was a musician-artist, the latter a media personality and press secretary. Though I have not known them personally in life but I was touched by their demise.

Winston was a drummer. He was a member of the famous Z-Band. I heard, he was one of the best drummer in Cebu. Unfortunately he has no CDs or recordings to prove it. But his friends in the music industry could vouch for it. I met him when he was already inside his coffin. That was the time when my cousin Victoria, her schoolmate in Cebu Normal, invited me to celebrate mass at his wake in Cospomolitan Funeral Homes, Junquera St. He was only 50 when death took his drumstick away from him forever.

Cerge made a name for himself in Cebu. He was a writer and broadcaster before he became the Presidential press secretary. Though he was based in Manila, his friends attest, that he never changed despite his office and the power that goes with it. He remained a humble and compassionate man cognizant of where he came from. No wonder his townmates in Argao came in droves to bid him goodbye. He was like a shooting star - gone too soon. He died at 51! Several times I saw him during the Sto. Nino Procession. He was walking behind the caroza. He was a great devotee.

From their passing away I learned that fame fades easily and honor's glow disappear. Only one's goodness remain in the memory of friends and loved ones.

Heroic Laura

Laura Vicuña was a heroic 13-year old Chilean girl who offered her life for the conversion of her mother. Life had been cruel to Laura's family. She came from a noble family whose fortune changed during the revolution. When her father died, her widowed mother Mercedes was left poor and penniless. She had to migrate to Argentina to hide from the family's political enemies and to work to support her two young daughters. There, she became a domestic help in a farm owned by an abusive and alcoholic Manuel Mora. Mercedes soon became her mistress in exchange for sending her daughters to school.

Laura and her younger sister were enrolled in Mary Help of Christians School managed by the Salesian Sisters.Laura grew in knowledge and spirituality. Soon she realized the depravity of her mom's situation and secretly prayed and offered her life for her. Manuel became more abusive also to her as she grew to be beautiful. This led her to suffer greatly to the point of death. Before she died, she revealed her secret oblation to her mom who promised to change for the better. Pope John Paul II beatified Laura in 1988.

Her story teaches us that love can endure up to the end. There is no love without sacrifice!

Reflection & Prayer

The day after the Fiesta of the Holy Child, life goes back to the ordinary. It's back to the routine - children to school and parents to work. But the number of people for last week's festivity was amazing: 2.3 M joined the religious procession, 8 M attended the colorful mardi gras. Many indeed are devoted to the Sto. Nino.

But more than the ritual and the dancing, the challenge now is to link this devotion in ordinary life. As the child Jesus grew in wisdom and age so too should our faith in Him. Authentic devotion is measured by the growth of our responsibility and commitment.

I received this beautiful prayer in my e-mail from Peter Zabala. I'm inviting everyone to pray it and think about it. Let us pray for our country and our people to grow in the maturity of our faith.

LORD, HELP US TO GROW

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Please help us to grow.

Change our minds and hearts, change our lives.

Do shift our paradigms and attitudes to that of yours.

Enlighten us, move us, discipline us, guide us.

There is no other way but forward.

Let your grace push us to move on

when we feel complacent with our old self and ways.

Let your Spirit renew us.

Do help us realize that the practice of our faith is more than personal but communal.

Help us help one another in our common journey of faith.

Among many things,

help us realize that sin is more than just the breaking of laws and rules,

but the breaking up of our relationships with You,

with others (including nature), and with self.

Help our religious beliefs to bear fruit in our actions

and in our concern and love for others especially those who need us most.

Help us transcend from mere ritual practices and devotions

to the practice of listening (studying) and living your teachings.

Help us to transform our daily lives as a living ‘Eucharist’

– the ‘breaking-up’ of ourselves for one another

as you sacrificed your body and blood for us in the signs of bread and wine.

Change us, renew us...

Amen.

Honoring Commitments

I attended several wedding anniversaries at the start of this year. Jaime and Grace had a very meaningful and touching silver wedding anniversary surrounded by six well-mannered sons to their credit. Ching and Sioning marched to the altar in red motif to celebrate their ruby anniversary. Though they only had a son and a daughter, their “apos” are extending their small family. Tony and Nena had a simple but heartfelt renewal of their promise of love made 45 years ago. Only their two sons could join them while their two other daughters with their respective families were in the States. I’m sure they will be around for their parents’ golden anniversary God willing.

As I watched these couples promising their love once again I could sense a deeper timber in their voices. It was not the excited and inexperienced romantic love that they professed like the first time they made their vows. It was more of a resolute yes to the commitment borne out of years of pain and perseverance. The tenor of their voices was definitive and carried a depth of maturity. No ounce of regret could be traced from their years of togetherness as time is their proof that their love was real. This time their love went beyond looks and appearances. It was an inspiring witness that faithful love is still possible today.

The main ingredient of their commitment is the vow that they made “for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do us part.” I found it ironic that as these couples testified through their lives that unconditional love can still happen, a party-list group somewhere in Manila suggests to put an expiry date on marriages. It suggests a 10-year marriage validity mandate similar to a passport or a driver’s license. Failure to renew the license would automatically render the marriage null and void. In short marriage is likened to a piece of cake which has a “best before” label on its packaging. Thus it loses the real intent God has for marriage: a pact that should last for life!

We live in an age of broken vows and fragile promises. Some people do not trust in promises anymore. Moreover, they don’t trust on people making those promises. How often do we hear people say nowadays: “promises are meant to be broken.” Commitments have no hold because people have lost their word of honor. Perhaps there was a time when people were more honorable and kept to their word. Today, it’s a sad reality. Does it mean that we have to bend the rules because words like “honor” and “integrity” are lost? Do we have to lower our standards because the ideals are difficult to reach?

Ideals are like the stars. They are up there beyond our common reality. They inspire and give direction. They guide our experience and challenges us to live up to the dream. Christianity was once upon a time an ideal that generated much interest of a new heaven and a new earth introduced by Jesus Christ. It made and impact and it transformed the world. Obviously it has not lost its aura and its magic. Though many other fads and philosophy vie to catch the attention of people for a following.

The young are particularly the hapless victims of these “market control.” I once heart a speaker of a forum observe that many of our young people are characterized by their indifference to the world. They have no anthem. No battle cry. No cause to stand for. Just like the philosophy of Beavis and Butt-head: Do nothing. Absorb nothing. Stand for nothing. They have become shallow and superficial. Is it perhaps we have robbed them with their models and ideals or we have demanded so little from them?

The Archdiocesan thrust this year is on the “Evangelization of Culture: Becoming witnesses of hope, reconciliation and peace to the world in our time.” It’s time that we start transforming our culture of dishonesty with simple acts of sincerity. We begin by honoring our commitments and keeping our word of honor. Let’s keep our promises as our New Year’s resolution. Perhaps in the near future honesty will no longer be a “lonely word” for everyone will be more truthful and trustworthy like Jesus. Pit Senyor!

Better Self

I accompanied our Cambodian seminarians around the city at the start of this year. I brought them to SM, Ayala and other beautiful sights of Cebu. It was their first time and I noticed their keen interest and wonder. I have been to these spots a lot of time so I just took them for granted. Perhaps my eyes were accustomed to see them. But seeing them for the "first time" left a deep impression on my visitors. I realized indeed that "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder." My visitors taught me that I need to see things again like the "first time" or at least see them in a different way. This applies to many things especially on the way we look at ourselves, others and the world around us. The New Year is another opportunity to see our world in a different way.

After the tour, I found myself much enriched. I told myself I should not take things for granted. The Latins used to say CARPE DIEM! Sieze the day as we translate it in English. Life is lived but once and we have to live it to the full. Savor each moment for this moment will never come back. I realize things change every time. Even the landscape of Cebu has changed so much. New malls are made, new hotels are built, more people have settled in this city. It has become a metropolis - a global city so different back then 20 years ago. At the same time it has also become unfriendly and scary having so much strangers with evil intentions in their hearts.

On a positive note, it convinced me that I must never give up hope on becoming better. I need to progress and transform into a better invidual. Thus no matter what is our present status we can always change for the better. The only hindrance for us in this endeavor is our mental laziness when we think we can't go much further. If ideas can change the world, it can also change me or you! We are what we think we are.

So this year I resolve to do 3 things: My 3 Ms...
1. Maintain a healty lifestyle.
2. Manage a productive and fruitful habit.
3. Model by example.

So help me God!