HOLY FAMILY (A)

HOLY FAMILY (A)
Mt. 2:13-15, 19-23

maayong buntag sa tanan!  ug maayong pasko!
kumusta man ang ang inyong pasko?..(okay ra, bibo, mingaw..)
naay moingon bibo kay naay handa, inum, videoke, paboto, litson ug uban pa.
naa poy moingon nga mingaw kay walay kwarta walay handa.

mga igsuon dili kani mao ang basihanan sa malipayong pasko.
wala sa kaon, sa inum, sa paboto, etc...kun dili, atong hinumduman nga didto
sa pasungan walay litson, inum, videoke, etc...ang naa didto mao ang Ginoo
nga nagpakatawo arun sa PAKIG-UBAN kanato.

didto sa pasungan o sa unang pasko gipakita ug tataw kaayo nga importante
ang relasyon sa Ginoo ug sa mga tawo.  naay magbalantay (pooR) hari (rich) ug
hayop. RELATIONSHIP ang gipakita sa belen.  sa belen nato makita ang imahe
o modelo nga relasyun diha sa Ginoo ug sa mga tawo.  ang relasyun ni Jose, Maria, ug
Jesus nga gitawag nato ang sagrada pamilya o Holy Family.

pwedi ba makatindog ang kumpleto nga pamilya nga karun misimba?  arun sa pag acknowledge
kaninyo.  ato silang palakpakan mga igsuon.  pweidi ba mohangyo kaninyo ug ingon sa inyung mga anak
nga i lab you nak.  mga anak pakiingon pud ko sa inyong ginikanan ma/pa i lab you pud.   unya panahun sa peace gihangyo ko kamu nga mo kiss, amen o hug sa inyong matag myembro sa pamilya.

mga igsuon ko diha ni Kristo ang atong simbahan karun nag saulog sa kapistahan sa Sagrada pamilya o Holy Family.  nganung gitawag man sila ug Holy?  tungod kay:  una, Jesus, the living son of God is the center of their lives.  pangkaduha, silang tanan naninguha sa pagtuman sa kabubut-on sa Dios.  Si Maria sa iyang Annunciation; si Jose sa iyang pagtuman unsay imando sa angel, si Jesus didto sa garden sa Getsemane.  pangkatulo, they prayed (bisita sa templo).

bana/papa, asawa/inahan, ug anak naay espesyal nga parte o role nga pagkabuhaton arun ang usa ka pamilya ma balaan.

una para sa mga amahan/bana angay nga mosunod sa ehemplo ni San Jose-mahadlokon sa Dios, maki-angayon, magbalantay ug maalagaron.  ang amahan untay mahimong sumbanan sa inspirasyon diha sa ilang mga anak labi na sa paghimo sa maayong butang.  apan subo nga realidad nga naay amahan nga mao nahinooy mag tudlo sa ilang mga anak ug binuang sama sa grabing inum, drugs, tan-aw ug bold ug ang amahan kahadlukan na nuon sa ilang mga anak instead of loving them.

naay usa ka storya:  naay niduol ang amahan sa usa ka pari arun sa pag pa counsel.  diha sa iyang pag-istorya mikalit lang dayun siya ug hilak.  kini gipasagdan lang sa pari hangtud nga siya mahuwasan sa iyang gibati.  ug ang amanhan nangayo ug pasensya ug miingon:  akung anak padre wala na sa ako mipuyo.  but i still love them, and i want to know kumusta na siya diri sa seminaryo.  ug ang amahan miingon pag usab giunsa siya pag biya sa iyang asawa ug 4 ka mga anak atong hapona kanus a siya gibiyaan.


he was a building contractor and sometimes worked 16 hours a day.  naturally, he saw little of his family, and they slowly grew farther and farther apart.  then ang amahan said something sad...i wanted to buy my wife and kids all those things i had dreamed of giving them.  but in the process i got so involved in working that i forgot about what they needed most:  a father who was around at nights to give them love and support (RELATIONSHIP)...

we can get so involved in what we are doing that we forget why we are doing it.  we can get so involved in living that we forget the purpose of living.  we can get so involved in pursuing the things money can buy that we forget about the things money can't buy....RELATIONSHIP...

sa ikaduhang bahin mga igsuon ang mga inahan angay mahisama kang Maria-maampoon, maayo maminaw, manggihunahunaon ug mapinanggaon.  a mother must be spiritually breast-feed her children.  apan subo pamalandungon nga anaay mga inahan karun nga concerned kaayo sa ilang anak sa pagpa wafa/wafo para anindot tan awun apan nalimtan na nila ug tudlo unsaon pag pa wafa/wafo sa kasingkasing sa bata.

naay storya:  usa ka inahan ang masuk-anun nga naanaway sa iyang anak.  wala gyud kay kapuslanan bataa ka!  tapulan, laagan, hugawan ug uwagan...mas maayo pa nimo si zandra nga atong silingan diha kay responsable nga bata.  mitubag ang anak:  nay dili man sab maayo nga ikumpara ko nimo kang zandra kay nakabentaha man si zandra nay kay buotan iyang nanay!.

sa katapusan mga igsuon ang mga anak angay nga manundug sa panig-ingnan ni Hesus-masinugtanun, matinahuron, responsable ug matinabangon.  the greatest way for a child to honor a parent is to become a saint.  sometimes, it is hard to obey parents.  and all of us know that.  but if Jesus, who was God, could obey his human parent's, then, surely we can.  and the call to honor one's parents continues through out the whole of life.

sa laing bahin, lisud kaayo para sa mga bata ang pagkat-on og maayong binuhatan o nindot nga hiyas kon ang ilang mga ginikanan iresponsable, palahubog, sugarol. babaero, o ngil-ad ug binuhatan.  kon makig istorya ka sa mga tawo nga atua sa bilangguan o sa rehab imong masayran nga daghan kanila nagagikan sa nabungkag nga pamilya.

the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus would remind us that true joy and happiness is only possible when there is intimacy and affection between people.  let us not allow material things and our desire for wealth to take away our time for each other.  may we always remember that good relationships are much more important than any material possession.

(my personal experience about my family -FIDELITY-)

LASTLY, WE DO NOT CHOOSE OUR FAMILY, THEY ARE GOD'S GIFT TO US, AS WE ARE TO THEM.

hinaut pa unta!

RH BILL

RH BILL -REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ?
or
DISEASE ?

Rodrigo  M. Alenton, M.D.

Will RH Bill decrease maternal deaths, infant mortality & Abortion?

   NO ,

   RH Bill will even increase Maternal & infant deaths, & Abortion

Leading CAUSES of DEATH in the Philippines ( DOH 2005 Data )

1. Heart Disease

*Hypertension, Heart Attack, Stroke

2. Vascular Disease        

                *Venous Thrombosis

3.CANCER – Breast & Cervical cancer

Leading CAUSES of DEATH in the Philippines ( DOH 2005 Data )

4-Pneumonia

5-Accident

6- Tuberculosis

7- Chronic Respiratory Disease

8-Diabetis Mellitus

9-Perinatal Mortality- congenital disease & sepsis

10-Nephritis

Side Effects of
CONTRACEPTIVE  PILLS

1. Cancer of the Cervix

2. Breast Cancer

3. Hypertension

4. Heart Attack

5. Stroke

Side Effects of
CONTRACEPTIVE  PILLS

6. Deep Venous Thrombosis

7. Birth Defects

8. Infertility

9. Migraine

10. Tumor of the Uterus

11. Abortion

Higher Mortality in
Pill Users vs. Non-Users

All Circulatory Disease=  320%

Stroke                                                       =  110%

Ischemic Heart Dse     =  290%

Study Population – 23,000 women

(Layole & Beral, Lancet, 1981)

Mortality of
Pill Users Vs. Non-Users

All Circulatory Disease  = 120% more in pill users

Cerebrovascular Disease = 170% more in pill users

*25 yrs study, started May 1968

*46,000 women

(Beral, Hermon, et al. British Medical Journal 1999)

Increased Risk of STROKE in
Pill Users vs. Non-Users

100% higher risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke in Pill Users

199% higher risk of Ischemic Stroke in Pill Users

(Lancet 1996, Poulter)

 The Pill and cancer of the Cervix

study of 4 7,000 women on the link between the pill and cervical cancer

Conclusion:  more than 4X  Incidence of cervical cancer ( 300% increase) in pill users than never  users

                              Beral and                                

                         Hannaford (Lancet 1988)

Cervical dysplasia and Carcinoma in situ with the Pills

 Review of 135 scientific papers

“Elevated risks with 2 or more years of Oral Contraceptive use”

2 fold increase in risk at 10 years (a 100% increase)

               Schlesselman (Contraception1988)

Carcinoma of uterine cervix and Pill

130 % risk of cancer of the cervix with more than 6 years use of oral contraceptive pills

         (Medical Journal of Australia 1989)

Birth Defects associated with Pills

Cardiovascular Malformations

                Like- TETRALOGY OF FALLOT

Birth Defects assoc. with Pills

Contraceptive pill’s modes of action

IS OVULATION ALWAYS SUPPRESSED BY THE PILLS?

NO

Ovulation occurs in 2% to 10% of cycles of women taking the pill.

     ref:  6 publications and

Textbook of Contraceptive Practice.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

If 60 million women worldwide are on the low dose pill, there would be 1.2 to 6 million ovulations possible.

This is known as –

BREAKTHROUGH OVULATION

WOMEN ON ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OVULATION DOES OCCUR?

The egg can be fertilized, however, the transfer of the new life through the fallopian tube slows down so the embryo maybe too old to be viable when it enters the uterus.

Under development of the uterus lining caused by the pill prevents implantation

WOMEN ON ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES:

Breakthrough Ovulation… cont.

The embryo dies and the remains are passed with the next bleeding which is not true menstruation but rather a form of chemical abortion.

Interception- Abortifacient action of the Pill

Interception- is that part of pharmaceutical abortion occurring prior to implantation

In practice ‘interception’ means that the fertilized ‘ovum’- now a new human individual- is prevented from implanting in the endometrium

           (Goodman and Gilman’s The Pharmacologic Basis of Therapheutics 1990)

Complications of Tubal Ligation & Vasectomy :

Respiratory problems

Bleeding

Injury to the uterus,cervix,bowel,bladder or major pelvic vessels

Insufflation of the gas under the skin(subcutaneous emphysema)

Death

RH Bill = Contraception

v  Contraception- is a health hazard

v  Therefore, RH Bill is a health hazard; It should not be passed; it can not be repaired

v  We do not need RH Bill to improve maternal & Infant mortality

v  We need medicines for leading causes of death , trained health personnels ,& improved health facilities instead

v  The budget for contraceptives should be spent rather for  medicines for cardiovascular diseases and antibiotics

When does CONCEPTION occur?

Human from the Beginning

The State can not redefine the beginning of life

Nature & Science tell us that life begins in fertilization;  the state can not change this

Will the condom stop AIDS?

CONDOMS have HOLES !!!

5-50 MICRONS in size

50-500 times larger than AIDS virus

                                (0.1 microns)

                                                                (Michael Roland,Head Polymere section, Naval research Lab ,Washington DC USA)

The Long-Term Result of Secular Sex Education (US data, 1960-1991)

PHILIPPINES: OVERPOPULATED???

Population Density & Per Capita GNP

                 Conclusion

1)      RH Bill since it promotes contraception, will increase maternal & infant mortality & abortion  rather than decreasing it. It will further increase the cardiovascular & cancer mortality in women due to the adverse effects of contraceptives.

2)   Human Life begins in fertilization, not in implantation, destroying the human embryo by contraception after fertilization, before or during implantation is abortion.

                Conclusion

3) Sex Education in school will result to adverse events in the personal and family life

4) Large family / population is not the cause of poverty, its corruption & poor governance.

5) The Filipino people(Human resources) is our best resource, lets not cut it down by contraception thru RH Bill.

6) RH bill is anti-life & anti-family, it should be totally rejected & should not be passed into law,not even the consensus bill that still includes contraception.

Conclusion

1)      RH Bill since it promotes contraception, will increase maternal & infant mortality & abortion  rather than decreasing it. It will further increase the cardiovascular & cancer mortality in women due to the adverse effects of contraceptives.

2)      Human Life begins in fertilization, not in implantation, destroying the human embryo by contraception after fertilization, before or during implantation is abortion.

Conclusion

3) Sex Education in school will result to adverse events in the personal and family life

4) RH bill is anti-life & anti-family, it should be totally rejected & should not be passed into law.

There is a more effective method

They now target our young ones E.g.:
Found’n for Adolescent Dev’t / Population Comm.

MEDICAL ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CONTRACEPTIVES

Rodrigo  Alenton, M.D.

IS OVULATION ALWAYS SUPPRESSED?

NO

Ovulation occurs in 2% to 10% of cycles of women taking the pill.

     ref:  6 publications and

Textbook of Contraceptive Practice.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

If 60 million women worldwide are on the low dose pill, there would be 1.2 to 6 million ovulations possible.

This is known as –

BREAKTHROUGH OVULATION

 Is the Pill a "Contraceptive"?

Ovulation is not always stopped; cervical mucus is not always made impenetrable...

the pill acts in part  `....BY PREVENTING IMPLANTATION OF A FETILIZED EGG IN THE UTERUS"

                     (Cohen- The Guttmacher

                              report 1999)

WOMEN ON ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES:

Breakthrough Ovulation… cont.

The embryo dies and the remains are passed with the next bleeding which is not true menstruation but rather a form of chemical abortion.

CAUSES of DEATH in the Philippines ( DOH Data )

1. Heart Disease

*Hypertension, Heart Attack, Stroke

2. Vascular Disease        

                *Venous Thrombosis

*CANCER – one of the top 10

                                                                causes of death

Side Effects of
CONTRACEPTIVE  PILLS

1. Cancer of the Cervix

2. Breast Cancer

3. Hypertension

4. Heart Attack

5. Stroke

Side Effects of
CONTRACEPTIVE  PILLS

6. Deep Venous Thrombosis

7. Birth Defects

8. Infertility

9. Migraine

10. Tumor of the Uterus

11. Abortion

Birth Defects associated with Pills

Cardiovascular Malformations

                Like- TETRALOGY OF FALLOT

Birth Defects assoc. with Pills

Birth Defects associated with Pills

Meningocele

Meningomyelocele

Encephalocele

Hydrocephalus

Major Birth Defects

Gastroschisis

Omphalocele

 The Pill and cancer of the Cervix

study of 4 7,000 women on the link between the pill and cervical cancer

Conclusion:  more than 4X  Incidence of cervical cancer ( 300% increase) in pill users than never  users

                              Beral and                                

                         Hannaford (Lancet 1988)

MORTALITY: TEN LEADING CAUSES No. & Rate/100,000 Pop. Philippines, 1998

CAUSES of DEATH in the Philippines ( DOH Data )

1. Heart Disease

                *Hypertension, Heart Attack, Stroke

2. Vascular Disease        

                *Venous Thrombosis

*CANCER – one of the top 10

                                                                causes of death

Side Effects of
CONTRACEPTIVE  PILLS

1. Cancer of the Cervix

2. Breast Cancer

3. Hypertension

4. Heart Attack

5. Stroke

Side Effects of
CONTRACEPTIVE  PILLS

6. Deep Venous Thrombosis

7. Birth Defects

8. Infertility

9. Migraine

10. Tumor of the Uterus

11. Abortion

Oral Contraceptives causes Resistant Hypertension

JNC 7-  7^th Report of the Joint National Committee  on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and treatment of High Blood Pressure ,

   May 2003

Myocardial Infarction & the Pill

Oral contraceptive pills increased risk of myocardial infarction in women by 211 %

        Lewis, British Med. Journal 1996

                        

Higher Mortality in
Pill Users vs. Non-Users

All Circulatory Disease=  320%

Stroke                                                       =  110%

Ischemic Heart Dse     =  290%

Study Population – 23,000 women

(Layole & Beral, Lancet, 1981)

Mortality of
Pill Users Vs. Non-Users

All Circulatory Disease  = 120% more in pill users

Cerebrovascular Disease = 170% more in pill users

*25 yrs study, started May 1968

*46,000 women

(Beral, Hermon, et al. British Medical Journal 1999)

Increased Risk of STROKE in
Pill Users vs. Non-Users

100% higher risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke in Pill Users

199% higher risk of Ischemic Stroke in Pill Users

(Lancet 1996, Poulter)

Protective Effect of Rhythm method and Breast Feeding against Cervical Cancer

“A protective effect against cervical cancer was found for women who practiced rhythm method of birth control

   and for women who breast feed more than 7 months”

               

       (Medical Journal of Australia 1989)

Protection Vs Breast cancer- early age pregnancy, multiple births, closer births space

Closer birth space after 1^st pregnancy = lower risk of breast cancer

50 % less risk of breast cancer for early age and multiple pregnancy

          (Dr. Colditz- Society for Gynecologic Investigation 1996)

CONDOMS have HOLES !!!

5 MICRONS in size

50 times larger than AIDS virus

                                (0.1 microns)

                                                                (CM Rowland,Ph.D )

VISITATION OF MARY (A)

MARY VISITS ELIZABETH (A)

LK.1:39-45

MAAYONG BUNTAG SA TANAN!

LAST DECEMBER 11-12 GISAULOG NAMU SA SEMINARYO ANG FAMILY DAY.  SA TANAN FAMILY DAY NGA AKONG NAAGIAN MAO NI ANG PINAKA DA BEST.  AKONG MAMA UG PAPA BISAN LAIN ANG GIBATI SA LAWAS MIANHE SA SEMINARYO ARUN SA PAG TAMBUNG UG PAGBISITA SA AKOA.

PANAHON SA RECOLLECTION, DIHA SA PAG SHARING DIDTO NAKU NABATI NGA MURA KO UG GIBAYAW SA LANGIT.  SA AKONG PAGPAMINAW KANILA MILUAG AKONG KASINGKASING UG MIGAAN AKONG GIBATI.  IT WASMY FIRST TIME NGA NAGHILAK KO SA ILANG ATUBANGAN SAMTANG NAMINAW SA ILANG SHARING...

...SALAMAT KAAYO.......

...SORRY KAAYO....

...NAHIUBOS KO NIMO.....

MGA IGSOON UNSA MAY MAKALIPAY SA INYO PANAHON SA PASKO?  KASAGARAN MALIPAY TA KUNG MAKADAWAT TA UG BUNOS, 13^TH MONTH PAY, PARTY, UG REGALONG MATERIAL.  KUNG KINI MADAWAT NATO MALIPAY KAAYO TA, MAKUMPLETO GYUD ATONG PASKO DAYUN.

PERO SA EBANGHELYO KARUN NALIPAY KAAYO SI MARIA NGA MIBISITA KANG ELIZABETH ARUN SA PAGBALITA NGA NADAWAT NA NIYA ANG PINAKA DA BEST NGA REGALO...

APIL SI ELIZABETH UG SI JUAN NALIPAY SA REGALO NGA DALA NI MARIA, MAO ANG BATANG JESUS NGA IYANG GIPANAMKUN.

ANG TINUOD NGA REGALO KARUNG PASKO MAO SI JESUS, KAY SIYA ANG BUGTONG MAKAHATAG UG KALUWASAN SA ATONG KINABUHI.  DILI NA UNTA KITA MAGPABILIN SA REGALONG MATERYAL.  KUN DILI ATO PUD PUY-AN ANG REGALO SA KALUWASAN UG KAPASAYLUAN NGA NAGA GIKAN KANG KRISTO. (PERSONAL NAKU NGA OBSERBASYUN SA MGA BALAY NGA AMONG NAAGTUAN PANAHUN SA AMONG KAROLING...DAGKO KAAYO ANG XMAS TREE, SERRIES LIGHTS, SI SANTA CLAUS ETC..APAN SUBO PAMALANDUNGON WALA JUY IMAHE SA BELEN...)

ISIP MGA KRISTIYANOS DILI NA UNTA KITA ANGAYAN MANGAYO UG REGALO ARUN LANG MALIPAY KARUNG PASKO...KAY SA PAGKATINUOD LANG NADAWAT NA NATO ANG GREATEST GIFT KARUNG PASKO NGA MAO SI JESUS.

BATA O TIGULANG, DALAGA O MINYO, DATU O POBRE...KITANG TANAN NNAKADAWAT NA UG REGALO NGA MAO ANG KALUWASAN  UG KAPASAYLUAN...

SA LAING BAHIN...NAAY DUHA KA REALIDAD SA ATONG KINABUHI.  UNA MAO ANG REALIDAD NGA KITA PAGA BISITAHUN.  ANG IKADUHA, NGA KITA ANG MOBISITA.

SA PANAHON SA PASKO NAA GAYUY MOBISITA KANATO DIHA SA ATONG PANIMALAY.  SAMA SA ATONG MGA BINATA, IG-AGAW UG UBAN PA.  UNTA SA ATONG PAGHATAG SA ATONG PINASKUHAN KITA MAG MALIPAYUN UG MAPASALAMATON SA GINOO NGA KITA NAKAHATAG.

GAHINAN PUD NATO UG PANAHON ANG PAGBISITA SA ATONG HIGALA O MYEMBRO SA PAMILYA.  SI LOLO, LOLA, UNCLE, AUNTE, MAMA, PAPA ETC.  DILI SA PAGPANGAYO UG PINASKUHAN KUN DILI SA PAGBISITA UG PANGUMUSTA LANG KANILA.  KINI NGA BUHAT MAKALIPAY KAAYO SA KINABUHI SA TAWO.

MAPAREHA UNTA KITA KANG MARIA..MARY WAS NOT ONLY READY TO SERVE GOD, SHE WAS ALSO QUICK TO HELP OTHERS IN NEED.  THIS XMAS SEASON, IT WOULD BE VERY MEANINGFUL IF, LIKE MARY, WE BEGIN TO CONSIDER HOW WE CAN PROVIDE GENUINE ASSISTANCE TO OTHERS WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE.  ORDINARILY, WE WOULD LIKE TO WONDER, “KINSA KAHA ANG MAKAHATAG SA AKO UG TSADA NGA PINASKUHAN?”, O “UNSA KAHA AKONG MADAWAT KARUNG PASKO?”.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS...ANG ATONG EBANGHELYO KARUN NAGAHAGIT KANATO NGA INSTEAD OF ASKING SOMETHING WHY NOT GIVING SOMETHING TO THE LESS FORTUNATE PEOPLE.  LET US EMULATE MARY’S EXAMPLE OF GENEROUS SELF-GIVING.

TAPUSON NAKU KINI AKONG PAAMBIT SA USA KA ISTORYA:

(2 DAYS BEFORE XMAS) AMAHAN NGA NAA SA VALENCIA MITAWAG SA IYANG ANAK NGA TUA SA MANILA...ANAK AYAW KASUKO KANAKO SA AKONG E ISTORYA KANIMO UNTA MAPASAYLO KO SA PAGGUBA SA IMONG ADLAW...ANAK MAGBULAG NAMI SA IMONG MAMA...ANG ANAK MITUBAG, :HA?NA UNSA NAMAN MO?NGANO MAN?” ...ANG AMAHAN MIINGON KAPUYAN NAKU UG EXPLAIN ANAK...KAW NAY BAHALA PAHIBALO SA IMONG ATE NGA TUA SA DUBAI HA...DIHA DIHA DAYUN ANG ANAK MITAWAG USAB SA IYANG ATE NGA TUA SA DUBAI UG GIINGNAN NIYA UNSAY GIPAMULONG SA ILANG AMAHAN...DIHA DIHA PUD DAYUN MITAWAG USAB ANG ANAK NGA TUA SA DUBAI SA ILANG AMAHAN...TAY, UNSA MANING AKONG NADUNGOG?NGANUNG MAGBULAG MAN MU?  DILI MO DAPAT MAGBULAG HA..AYAW UG DESISYON KUNG WALA PAKO...MAG ISTORYAHANAY RA GUD TA ANA PAG ABOT NAKO DIHA...BASTA TAY AYAW SA UG HIMO UG DESISYON..DIHA KO MAG PASKO ARUN MAGHUSAY TA...ANG AMAHAN ME SMILE UG MI NGISI UG MILINGI SA IYANG ASAWA..DARLING OKAY NA DIRI MAG PASKO ATONG MGA ANAK KARUNG PASKO...YAHOOO...

MGA IGSOON HINAUT UNTA NGA MAGAHINAN NATO UG SAKTONG ORAS ANG ATONG MGA MAHAL SA KINABUHI...SAMA NI MARIA ME GAHIN UG PANAHON SA PAGBISITA KANG ELIZABETH...SAMA NI JESUS MIGAHIN UG PANAHON NGA MAKIG UBAN KANATO DIRI SA KALIBUTAN...AND IN VISITING LET US BRING PEACE AND JOY TO EVERYONE...AMEN!

HINAUT PA UNTA

Are Prayer Useless?

During WWII, the Germans prayed for victory over the allied forces; the americans, on the other hand, prayed for the defeat of the germans.  we believe that God always answers our prayer.  whose pryers seems to be useless?  the Lord tells us to keep on asking to receive what we ask for; to keep on seeking to find what we are searching for; to keep on knocking, to have the door opened for us (Mt.7:7).  "whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (Jn 14:13)

how then do we make sense of prayers offered by people with contrdictory needs?  whose prayers will God answer?  or take the case of our situation during the Martial Law years.  many prayed that the martial law government would stay because there seems to less conflicts and disorder.  others prayed for the end of the Marcos dictatorship.  whose prayer was heard by the Lord?

to understand the meaning that "prayer is always answered", we must first presume that the prayer's life is intent on fnding the will of God in all things, the presumption that he is close to the Lord and in the state of frienship (sanctifying grace) with Him.  for such a person's prayer is always answered for he would not dare ask what i contrary to God's will.  " and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing to his sight...if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you" (1 Jn.3:21,22; Jn 15:7).

hence, Augustine' famous qoute is fitting:  "love God and do what you like."  the love of God determines one's choices in life.  the german's prayer for victory over the enemy is not according to God's will (viewed by hndsight).  what is more in line with God's will are the end of the Nazi regime and the restoration of the country.  this is a victory but not the kind wanted by the Germans.

in the case of the Marcos goverment, prayers were answered not according to what people wanted.  the deepest desires of the filipinos were answered.  although not articulated in prayer, these deepest desires were for the restoration of freedom and peace theough respect of human dignity and humn rights were achieved through people power.  in these intances, God answered the prayer of the people according to what is best for the country concerned, not what the people needed at the moment.

needless to say, we need the Spirit to enable us to ask what we really need in line with the purpose for which God made us.  we know that, weaks as we are, our not-so-sure motives force us to ask what we like and not what is best for our good and that of others.

we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  and he who searches our hearts know the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit inercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will (Rom.8:26-34).

Bishop Honesto Pacana, SJ.

LETTER TO THE SEMINARIAN FROM POPE BENEDICT XVI

Dear Seminarians,


When in December 1944 I was drafted for military service, the company commander asked each of us what we planned to do in the future. I answered that I wanted to become a Catholic priest. The lieutenant replied: “Then you ought to look for something else. In the new Germany priests are no longer needed”. I knew that this “new Germany” was already coming to an end, and that, after the enormous devastation which that madness had brought upon the country, priests would be needed more than ever. Today the situation is completely changed. In different ways, though, many people nowadays also think that the Catholic priesthood is not a “job” for the future, but one that belongs more to the past. You, dear friends, have decided to enter the seminary and to prepare for priestly ministry in the Catholic Church in spite of such opinions and objections. You have done a good thing. Because people will always have need of God, even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalization: they will always need the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, the God who gathers us together in the universal Church in order to learn with him and through him life’s true meaning and in order to uphold and apply the standards of true humanity. Where people no longer perceive God, life grows empty; nothing is ever enough. People then seek escape in euphoria and violence; these are the very things that increasingly threaten young people. God is alive. He has created every one of us and he knows us all. He is so great that he has time for the little things in our lives: “Every hair of your head is numbered”. God is alive, and he needs people to serve him and bring him to others. It does makes sense to become a priest: the world needs priests, pastors, today, tomorrow and always, until the end of time.

The seminary is a community journeying towards priestly ministry. I have said something very important here: one does not become a priest on one’s own. The “community of disciples” is essential, the fellowship of those who desire to serve the greater Church. In this letter I would like to point out – thinking back to my own time in the seminary – several elements which I consider important for these years of your journeying.

1. Anyone who wishes to become a priest must be first and foremost a “man of God”, to use the expression of Saint Paul (1 Tim 6:11). For us God is not some abstract hypothesis; he is not some stranger who left the scene after the “big bang”. God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. In the face of Jesus Christ we see the face of God. In his words we hear God himself speaking to us. It follows that the most important thing in our path towards priesthood and during the whole of our priestly lives is our personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. The priest is not the leader of a sort of association whose membership he tries to maintain and expand. He is God’s messenger to his people. He wants to lead them to God and in this way to foster authentic communion between all men and women. That is why it is so important, dear friends, that you learn to live in constant intimacy with God. When the Lord tells us to “pray constantly”, he is obviously not asking us to recite endless prayers, but urging us never to lose our inner closeness to God. Praying means growing in this intimacy. So it is important that our day should begin and end with prayer; that we listen to God as the Scriptures are read; that we share with him our desires and our hopes, our joys and our troubles, our failures and our thanks for all his blessings, and thus keep him ever before us as the point of reference for our lives. In this way we grow aware of our failings and learn to improve, but we also come to appreciate all the beauty and goodness which we daily take for granted and so we grow in gratitude. With gratitude comes joy for the fact that God is close to us and that we can serve him.
2. For us God is not simply Word. In the sacraments he gives himself to us in person, through physical realities. At the heart of our relationship with God and our way of life is the Eucharist. Celebrating it devoutly, and thus encountering Christ personally, should be the centre of all our days. In Saint Cyprian’s interpretation of the Gospel prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread”, he says among other things that “our” bread – the bread which we receive as Christians in the Church – is the Eucharistic Lord himself. In this petition of the Our Father, then, we pray that he may daily give us “our” bread; and that it may always nourish our lives; that the Risen Christ, who gives himself to us in the Eucharist, may truly shape the whole of our lives by the radiance of his divine love. The proper celebration of the Eucharist involves knowing, understanding and loving the Church’s liturgy in its concrete form. In the liturgy we pray with the faithful of every age – the past, the present and the future are joined in one great chorus of prayer. As I can state from personal experience, it is inspiring to learn how it all developed, what a great experience of faith is reflected in the structure of the Mass, and how it has been shaped by the prayer of many generations.
3. The sacrament of Penance is also important. It teaches me to see myself as God sees me, and it forces me to be honest with myself. It leads me to humility. The Curé of Ars once said: “You think it makes no sense to be absolved today, because you know that tomorrow you will commit the same sins over again. Yet,” he continues, “God instantly forgets tomorrow’s sins in order to give you his grace today.” Even when we have to struggle continually with the same failings, it is important to resist the coarsening of our souls and the indifference which would simply accept that this is the way we are. It is important to keep pressing forward, without scrupulosity, in the grateful awareness that God forgives us ever anew – yet also without the indifference that might lead us to abandon altogether the struggle for holiness and self-improvement. Moreover, by letting myself be forgiven, I learn to forgive others. In recognizing my own weakness, I grow more tolerant and understanding of the failings of my neighbour.
4. I urge you to retain an appreciation for popular piety, which is different in every culture yet always remains very similar, for the human heart is ultimately one and the same. Certainly, popular piety tends towards the irrational, and can at times be somewhat superficial. Yet it would be quite wrong to dismiss it. Through that piety, the faith has entered human hearts and become part of the common patrimony of sentiments and customs, shaping the life and emotions of the community. Popular piety is thus one of the Church’s great treasures. The faith has taken on flesh and blood. Certainly popular piety always needs to be purified and refocused, yet it is worthy of our love and it truly makes us into the “People of God”.
5. Above all, your time in the seminary is also a time of study. The Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension. Were it to lack that dimension, it would not be itself. Paul speaks of a “standard of teaching” to which we were entrusted in Baptism (Rom 6:17). All of you know the words of Saint Peter which the medieval theologians saw as the justification for a rational and scientific theology: “Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an ‘accounting’ (logos) for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15). Learning how to make such a defence is one of the primary responsibilities of your years in the seminary. I can only plead with you: Be committed to your studies! Take advantage of your years of study! You will not regret it. Certainly, the subjects which you are studying can often seem far removed from the practice of the Christian life and the pastoral ministry. Yet it is completely mistaken to start questioning their practical value by asking: Will this be helpful to me in the future? Will it be practically or pastorally useful? The point is not simply to learn evidently useful things, but to understand and appreciate the internal structure of the faith as a whole, so that it can become a response to people’s questions, which on the surface change from one generation to another yet ultimately remain the same. For this reason it is important to move beyond the changing questions of the moment in order to grasp the real questions, and so to understand how the answers are real answers. It is important to have a thorough knowledge of sacred Scripture as a whole, in its unity as the Old and the New Testaments: the shaping of texts, their literary characteristics, the process by which they came to form the canon of sacred books, their dynamic inner unity, a unity which may not be immediately apparent but which in fact gives the individual texts their full meaning. It is important to be familiar with the Fathers and the great Councils in which the Church appropriated, through faith-filled reflection, the essential statements of Scripture. I could easily go on. What we call dogmatic theology is the understanding of the individual contents of the faith in their unity, indeed, in their ultimate simplicity: each single element is, in the end, only an unfolding of our faith in the one God who has revealed himself to us and continues to do so. I do not need to point out the importance of knowing the essential issues of moral theology and Catholic social teaching. The importance nowadays of ecumenical theology, and of a knowledge of the different Christian communities, is obvious; as is the need for a basic introduction to the great religions, to say nothing of philosophy: the understanding of that human process of questioning and searching to which faith seeks to respond. But you should also learn to understand and – dare I say it – to love canon law, appreciating how necessary it is and valuing its practical applications: a society without law would be a society without rights. Law is the condition of love. I will not go on with this list, but I simply say once more: love the study of theology and carry it out in the clear realization that theology is anchored in the living community of the Church, which, with her authority, is not the antithesis of theological science but its presupposition. Cut off from the believing Church, theology would cease to be itself and instead it would become a medley of different disciplines lacking inner unity.
6. Your years in the seminary should also be a time of growth towards human maturity. It is important for the priest, who is called to accompany others through the journey of life up to the threshold of death, to have the right balance of heart and mind, reason and feeling, body and soul, and to be humanly integrated. To the theological virtues the Christian tradition has always joined the cardinal virtues derived from human experience and philosophy, and, more generally, from the sound ethical tradition of humanity. Paul makes this point this very clearly to the Philippians: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (4:8). This also involves the integration of sexuality into the whole personality. Sexuality is a gift of the Creator yet it is also a task which relates to a person’s growth towards human maturity. When it is not integrated within the person, sexuality becomes banal and destructive. Today we can see many examples of this in our society. Recently we have seen with great dismay that some priests disfigured their ministry by sexually abusing children and young people. Instead of guiding people to greater human maturity and setting them an example, their abusive behaviour caused great damage for which we feel profound shame and regret. As a result of all this, many people, perhaps even some of you, might ask whether it is good to become a priest; whether the choice of celibacy makes any sense as a truly human way of life. Yet even the most reprehensible abuse cannot discredit the priestly mission, which remains great and pure. Thank God, all of us know exemplary priests, men shaped by their faith, who bear witness that one can attain to an authentic, pure and mature humanity in this state and specifically in the life of celibacy. Admittedly, what has happened should make us all the more watchful and attentive, precisely in order to examine ourselves earnestly, before God, as we make our way towards priesthood, so as to understand whether this is his will for me. It is the responsibility of your confessor and your superiors to accompany you and help you along this path of discernment. It is an essential part of your journey to practise the fundamental human virtues, with your gaze fixed on the God who has revealed himself in Christ, and to let yourselves be purified by him ever anew.
7. The origins of a priestly vocation are nowadays more varied and disparate than in the past. Today the decision to become a priest often takes shape after one has already entered upon a secular profession. Often it grows within the Communities, particularly within the Movements, which favour a communal encounter with Christ and his Church, spiritual experiences and joy in the service of the faith. It also matures in very personal encounters with the nobility and the wretchedness of human existence. As a result, candidates for the priesthood often live on very different spiritual continents. It can be difficult to recognize the common elements of one’s future mandate and its spiritual path. For this very reason, the seminary is important as a community which advances above and beyond differences of spirituality. The Movements are a magnificent thing. You know how much I esteem them and love them as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Yet they must be evaluated by their openness to what is truly Catholic, to the life of the whole Church of Christ, which for all her variety still remains one. The seminary is a time when you learn with one another and from one another. In community life, which can at times be difficult, you should learn generosity and tolerance, not only bearing with, but also enriching one another, so that each of you will be able to contribute his own gifts to the whole, even as all serve the same Church, the same Lord. This school of tolerance, indeed, of mutual acceptance and mutual understanding in the unity of Christ’s Body, is an important part of your years in the seminary.
Dear seminarians, with these few lines I have wanted to let you know how often I think of you, especially in these difficult times, and how close I am to you in prayer. Please pray for me, that I may exercise my ministry well, as long as the Lord may wish. I entrust your journey of preparation for priesthood to the maternal protection of Mary Most Holy, whose home was a school of goodness and of grace. May Almighty God bless you all, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Yours devotedly in the Lord, Benedictus PP. XVI

GLOBALIZATION AND ENVIRONMENT

INTRODUCTION

“God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." (Genesis 1:28)

            God created the universe.  He made everything here on earth and God saw it and “it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).  He created man in His image and likeness to rule over to His creation to be steward and not to be destroyer.   Natures are God’s gift to mankind.  Taking good care of His creation is our gift to our Creator.  To dominion the creation assigned to us by God, is to become God’s vice-regent, steward, or manager to his creation.  This should be the correct interpretation of the biblical text from Genesis.  But mankind is misguided and takes the wrong notion of the meaning of dominion.  Hence, we need to “harmonize with nature in order to have a better existence here on earth.”[1]  Plus, “man’s vocation is to love the earth as God loves it and to delight in the diverse creatures to our planet as God delight in them.”[2]  Because of man’s wrong notion of dominion and misuse of freedom, it creates destruction to God’s creation, specifically in the environment or ecosystem.   It seems that nature is made simply for human beings to exploit.  Humans exploited natures because of the profit-oriented mentality which is adopted from the ideology of globalization. That is why when we talk about globalization it is also talking about our environment.  Globalization has its good effect to the world but we cannot deny the fact that has also has its bad effects not only to the small businessmen but most especially to the environment. Thus this study aims to explain the effect of globalization in the environment.  And to find what will be the response of man to the environment as steward of God’s creation.

CHAPTER 1

GLOBALIZATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Historical Perspective of Globalization

            Because of globalization the face of the earth is change.  It changes the life-style not only to the human beings but also to the different species living here on earth and it also changes the face of our environment.  However, globalization started with the “emergence of trade along the silk road during the Han period in China (202 BCE-220 CE) and the Roman Empire in the West (100 BCE-550 CE), the Eurasian continent was linked with other world cultures for the first time.”[3] Then, at the “age of exploration initiated by the Europeans, the planet became gradually linked and the interchange of species, as well as goods and culture, became more evident.”[4] Because of explorations, the colonialization and industrialization began at first in almost part of the world.  At the height of industrialization that was also the time of the rise of technological advancement, likewise it was also the time of the environmental destruction.  Thus, “in thinking about globalization in its many forms, it is becoming increasingly clear that the environment emerges as a key issue that will determine all others.”[5]

Meaning of Ecology

            Human beings are part of the global community.  A community not only for human beings but also for the animals and non-human beings.  Everything is made for a reason and purpose.  Each one of us is interconnected, since we are living in this earth.  If we exploit the rivers or the seas the effect will not limit only to the sea creatures but also to human beings.  If man cuts all the trees in the forest, it is not only the animal will suffer but man will also face the worse consequences. “Everything here on earth is interconnected.”[6]

The word “ecology” actually comes from the Greek oikos, meaning “household,” “home,” or “place to live.”[7] Henceforth, “ecology attempts to understand the complex web of linkages, relationships and interdependencies in a particular environment or ecosystem.  It reminds us that human beings are part of the “house”.[8]

Therefore in everything we do to our Mother Nature, it has always something to do with the course of humanity.  The global warming is the concrete repercussion of man’s exploitation to our Mother Nature.  Furthermore, “human species has emerged as the dominant species in almost all ecosystems.  This domination has led to the degradation of the natural environment.”[9]

Effects of Globalization to our Environment

            There are two problems that we are facing today in terms of the effects of the globalization to our environment.  The Climate change which was only a prediction before, now it becomes a reality because of man’s abusive power over nature.  Second is the species extinction.  These two problems existed because of the “increasing industrialization, destruction of ecosystem, raped use of resources, and population explosions.”[10]

How come that this population explosion create a massive destruction in the environment?  “Increasing population does not necessarily have to mean increasing environmental degradation.”[11]   But large number of people burdens the ecosystem.  This means that our natural resources are limited and if there are so many people, our natural resources cannot suffice the needs of the people.  Furthermore, reality speaks that there are more poor people than the rich ones.  Poor people will somehow go to the urban cities for survival purposes.  Mostly they will reside near at the rivers and somehow they will pollute the river banks and kill the living species in the river. By throwing their garbage anywhere and no proper comfort rooms inside in there home.  Other side of the story if there are many people it means there are also lots of shelters to be made.  Since there are no more spaces in the urban cities, constructor will build home on the mountain.  Putting houses at the mountain means cutting more tress and destroying another form of habitat. If there are lots of people and our resources are then they will tend to use chemicals in there agriculture to meet the demands of the market for supply.  Without knowing that putting chemicals to our crops can make the soil infertile, “chemicals destroy the long-term natural fertility of soil,”[12] and the environmental degradation will follow. 

            Second is about the technology.  We cannot deny the fact that technological advancements improve our human life and create economic growth yet it also consumes huge amounts of energy and contributed most of the pollution in the atmosphere and in the water.

“The impact of these technologies on ecosystems has been enormous. Take for example, the forests of the earth.  The technologies that have made the harvest of ancient forest tracts possible in a short period of time are easy to pinpoint.  The chainsaw, road building equipment draglines, and the truck revolutionized the harvest.  Underlying these technologies were the skills of the large equipment operator, the expert tree faller the accountant the administrator, and the ideology of scientific management.  Species and ecosystems have no defense against this kind of power.  Of special importance to the degradation of forest communities and ecosystems is the road building made possible by bulldozers, road graders, and other heavy equipment.  Where roads go, immigrants go, forests go down, and forest dwellers go out.”[13]

            Lastly is the anthropocentric attitude of man which means human-centered.  Thus is says:

“Strong anthropocentric attitudes were appropriate or at least did minimal harm to ecosystems when humans wielded little power.  They are inappropriate in the present context when humans have the power to exploit all ecosystems.  In this new situation utilitarian attitudes lead to the devaluing of nature and consequently to exploitation.”[14]

                Population explosion, technologies, and anthropocentrism are not only the effects of globalization to the environment.  There are lots of them.  But these three probably the basic reasons constitute globalization that will cause environmental degradation.

CHAPTER II

BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES ABOUT STEWARDSHIP IN OUR ENVIRONMENT

Old Testament

            In Genesis 1: 26, “Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."  This text suggests that we humans are stewards of the earth.  Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it.”  Human being is told to “cultivate and care” what God has given.  It means that “human beings are part of the unfolding of creation, called to participate responsibly in the dynamism of ongoing creation.”[15] Deuteronomy 22:6-7, “If you come on a bird's nest, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, with the mother sitting on the fledglings or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. Let the mother go, taking only the young for yourself, in order that it may go well with you and you may live long.”; Numbers 35:33, “You shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.” Job 12: 7-10, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these do not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being.”  These texts tell us that God teaches humans through nature.  Jeremiah 2:7, “I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.” This text tells us that God expects humans to be His stewards with nature.

New Testament

            John 1:3, “All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being.” This text means that God made everything.  Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” this text indicates that God has a relationship with all of His creation.  Revelation 5:13, “then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"  This text indicates that God calls all of His creation to worship.  Roman 1:19-20, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse;” this text shows that God teaches Humans through nature.  Luke 16:2, 10, 13, “and he called him and said to him, “what is this I hear about you?  Give me an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.  He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous in much.  You cannot serve both God and mammon.” These texts show that God expects humans to be His stewards with nature.

            It is now clear to us that God Created, blessed, and protected everything.  As stewards of His creation we are called to do no less.  It is now our duty to protect the other species and their habitat.  The bible is clear that creation expresses God’s wisdom and power.

CHAPTER III

CHURCH TEACHING ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT

            Our late Pope John Paul II has called for Christians to respect and protect the environment, so that through nature people can contemplate the mystery of the greatness and love of God.  it is also stated in the CFC that, “we are called to exercise  in our daily activities which we can rightfully consider as a prolongation of God’s continuing work of creating and a service to our fellow men and women.”[16]  Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, Pope John Paul II encyclical stated that:

“We even have to respect the natural world around us.  We cannot use the different kinds of beings-animals-plants-minerals-simply as we wish.  We have to take their nature into account.  We should realize that our natural resources are limited.  We should be aware of the consequences for our health.”[17]

These are other teachings of our Church that deal towards the environment.

            The message of Pope John Paul II during 1990, World Day of Peace:

“Finally, the aesthetic value of creation cannot be overlooked.  Our very contact with natures has a deep restorative power; contemplation of its magnificence imparts peace and serenity.  The Bible speaks again and again of the goodness and beauty of creation which is called to glorify God.”[18]

Ecclesia in Asia:  Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II:

“When concern for economic and technological progress is not accompanied by concern for the balance of the ecosystem, our earth is inevitably exposed to a serious environmental damage, with consequent harm to human beings.  Blatant disrespect for the environment will continue as long as the earth and its potential are seen merely as objects of immediate use and consumption, to be manipulated by an unbridled desire for profit.  It is the duty of Christians and of all who look God as Creator to protect the environment by restoring a sense of reverence for the whole of God’s creation.”[19]

            Evangelium Vitae:  Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II:

“In fact, the dominion granted to man by the Creator is not an absolute power, nor can one speak of a freedom to ‘use and misuse’, or to dispose of things as one pleases.  The limitation imposed from the beginning by the Creator himself and expressed symbolically by the prohibition not to ‘eat of the fruit of the tree’ (cf. Gn. 2:16-17) shows clearly enough that, when it comes to the natural world, we are subject not only to biological laws but also to a moral ones, which cannot be violated with impurity.”[20]

            Populorum Progressio:  Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI:

“In the very first pages of Scriptures we read these words:  “fill the earth and subdue it.”  This teaches us that the whole of creation is for man, that he has been changed to give it meaning by his intelligent activity to complete and perfect it by his own efforts and to his own advantage.”[21]

To summarize it all, we are called to be a steward of the whole creation.  We will not abuse or exploit the whole creation.  Our power to dominion is to cultivate and nurture the environment for man’s advantage to survive.

The environment and the whole of ecosystems are self-expression of the Creator, therefore the whole community of the “house” is an image of God.  For that reason we need to respect and love our “households” because they are all image of God.  Man is made by His image and likeness and the whole of environment is an image of God. There is only one perfect image of God, and that is Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the true image of God. He is the first born of all things in creation.  He is the image of God not just for human beings but also for all creatures.”[22]  Natures give us temporal life here on earth but Jesus is the source of eternal life.  Both of them give life to human beings.  That is why the Church encourages and challenges us to promote life by saving our Mother Earth.

CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSION

            There is still hope in saving our “home” from dying.  Human being desires to rule and exploit the whole creation is the starting point of the devastation of our “home”.  Human being is the primary cause for the destruction of our environment.   Only the human being can do this to the environment. Therefore man is the only solution to solve the problem.  When God created the world there was no problem like this in our environment.  But when man started to innovate using his intellect, our environment becomes more vulnerable to fragility.  There was a quote from the movie entitled ‘the day the earth stood still’ that states, “the problem is not technology…the problem is you (human)…you (human) lack the will to change.”  Technologies or machines can only do its purpose if man will use it in a proper way.  But since man of today becomes more profit-oriented and self-centered, machines and technologies become harmful to the environment.  The challenge then is that man must change in their ways of living their life here on earth.  To change the face of the earth is to change ourselves first.  How?  By doing simple things that can contribute to big things, we must think globally but act locally.  Like recycling, conserve water, live simple life-style, segregate and throw garbage properly, tree planting, regulate the use of electronic devices and many more.  If all of us are serious for this cause probably our “home” will become favorable place for living.  Cooperation of everybody is very important factor to help and prevent the longevity our “home.”  What is money then if we are no place to live in?  Moreover, if the “environment will sink into degradation, the world economy will collapse.”[23]  Leo Tolstoy said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”  This is a challenge for everyone; change must begin in ourselves and leave all the rest to God.

CHAPTER V

PERSONAL REFLECTION

            It is stated in the Viannista Credo that “I must be a steward of creation”.  This is somehow indicates who I am as a priest to be in our diocese.  Priest not only for human beings but also for all of God’s creation here on earth.  As I do my reflection I remember what Fr. Julius shared to us about the ten ideas on priesthood.  That is why this reflection of mine will somehow connect to those ten ideas on priesthood by George Oliver.  Out of the ten ideas on priesthood I will only get three images on priesthood for this reflection.  As priest to be, ecological concerns ought to be at the heart of my pastoral ministry. And promote creation spirituality and simple lifestyles as a way of responding to the destructive impact of our global consumer society.

 The first image of priest is Imago Dei or image of God.  As priest to be I must be the God whom I adore.  A priest who love his flock, never leave his flock, and protect his flock from the hunters.  These ‘hunters’ are those people who exploit the natural resources, illegal loggers, etc…  It is my call to stop the ‘hunters’ by a peaceful process like dialogue, as a sign of my pastoral care for my flock.  It is also my call to teach and preach to the people the importance of taking good care the environment.  Accordingly, priest is called by God to help the people’s redemption.  By protecting the natural resources in my diocese, is one way of expressing people’s redemption.  I was grade two then, when Fr. Neri Satur was shot dead because of his campaign to illegal logging.  But it was only during my college years I value his cause.  I realized then, how important it is to protect the forest in Bukidnon and how noble he is as a priest.  I thought that dying because of saving the forest is useless and nonsense but I was wrong about it.  He sets a good example for me as a faithful and loving priest not only to his vocation but also to the environment.

Second image is as a Pilgrim Companion.  Priest to be must be with the people whom I am serving.  Live with the people and suffer with the people.  A companion who gives hopes especially those people who are victims of natural calamities.  A priest who encourages the faithful to stand up even standing is hard enough.  A priest who gives hope despite of all the bad things that are happening here on earth.  A priest who can inspire people to change their heart by showing good example to them. As priest to be, it is my duty to teach the people that natural calamities are not coming from God rather it is because of man’s exploitation to the environment.  And lastly a priest who will walk his talk; if he encourages his parishioners for a change to save the world he must be the first one who will act on it.  In addition, simple living is one way of showing that I really care and give reverence to our Mother Nature. 

Lastly the image of Prophetic Person.  As priest to be, to prophesy is one of my missions.  Because of the complexities of our life today, technologies and worldly allurements people forget the basic values.  People think that having material things are the real essence of happiness.  People nowadays always think how to make a profit, they are busy earning profit yet they forget the essential things in this world.  Because of this kind of mentality people do not care anymore what are the effects of these things in the society or to the environment. Man becomes anthropocentric.  They think that creation is for man’s satisfaction.  That is why this is a big challenge for me as a priest to be and as a prophet.  I need to teach and preach the truth about life and the wisdom of the sign of times given to us by God.  This is my call, this is what I call for, and this is what I am form to become a theologian at the same time ecologian to be more effective prophet in my ministry. A prophet of Hope.

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[1]  Khandi Ferrarez, Saving Our Environment for the Future, “Youngster 54, no.3” (October-November, 2009): 5.

[2]  Denis Edwards, Ecology at the Heart of Faith (Maryknoll, New York, Orbis Books, 2008), 17.

[3]  J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., Globalization and Catholic Social Thought (Maryknoll, New York, Orbis Books, 2005), 87.

[4]   J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., Globalization and Catholic Social Thought, 88.

[5]   J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., 91.

[6]  Denis Edwards, Ecology at the Heart of Faith, 1.

[7]  Stephen B. Scharper and Hilary Cunningham, The Green Bible (Maryknoll, New York, Orbis Books, 1993), xii. 

[8]  Sean McDonagh, To Care for the Earth: A Call to a New Theology (Sante Fe, New Mexico, Bear and Company, 1986), 17.

[9]  James B.M. Schramm and R.L. Stivers, Christian Environmental Ethics: A Case Method Approach (Maryknoll, New York, Orbis Books, 2003), 9.

[10]   J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., Globalization and Catholic Social Thought, 92.

[11]   James M.B. Schramm and R.L. Stivers, Christian Environmental Ethics: A Case Method Approach, 11.

[12]   Sean McDonagh, To Care for the Earth: A Call to a New Theology, 19.

[13]  James M.B. Schramm and R.L. Stivers, Christian Environmental Ethics: A Case Method Approach, 14.

[14]  James M.B. Schramm and R.L. Stivers, 18.

[15]  Denis Edwards, Ecology at the Heart of Faith, 28.

[16]   Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Catechism for Filipino Catholics (Metro Manila: ECCCE and Word and Life Publications, 2005), 87.

[17]  J.G. Donders, ed., John Paul II: The Encyclicals in Everyday Language (Philippines, St. Paul, 2001), 137.

[18]  J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., Globalization and Catholic Social Thought, 102.

[19]  J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., 103.

[20]   J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., 105.

[21]   J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., 111.

[22]   Denis Edwards, Ecology at the Heart of Faith, 15.

[23]  J.A. Coleman, S.J., and W.F. Ryan, S.J., ed., 20.