It's Saturday and the brothers are free to spend their time to attend to their needs. I spend mine fixing Fr. Charles' PC. I am (and still) installing the latest version of an operating system to his five-year old computer. I checked the specifications and found that they meet the minimum requirements. I proceeded on inserting the DVD installer and after a few minutes I was already in the set-up screen... and remained there the whole morning.
Yes, it seems like the Gospel verse "new wine for new wine skins" has got its own upgrade. It's now new software for new hardware. No matter how software giants try to make their products backward compatible, there is a minimum requirement for something new - paradigm shift. We have to think new when we accept something new. Otherwise we would act like unbudging traditionalists and conservatives who are blind to the signs of the times, then everything would just be a stick dance of life.
This is where we find flexibility most useful, when while holding on to the essentials of truth and faith, we dance with signs of the times, the challenges, that come our way. We open our horizons to new sights. We move our points to new perspectives.
As for Fr. Charles computer? Well, there still is hope and a quest for more patience. I've agreed to give it some hardware makeover from the computer spare parts that I could in the stock room. But sooner or later, we would have to upgrade.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Pop Spirituality Anyone?
For some decades now the term "Pop Psychology" has been in use to describe the way Psychology has become available to the common man it has become part of popular culture. Speak of self-help books and motivational speakers, they're part of a sprawling network that strives to "help" an individual do some psychological face-lift. Yet let me extend this "pop" thing to Spirituality, where persons, after reading some spiritual books or listening to inspirational talks, become so "filled up with the Spirit" they seem to blaze with new-found level of sanctity.
It's quite common but silent phenomena among us, when we are so inspired by one talk or another, or some book, or some event that recently happened we tend to think we have actually crossed heaven's threshold way ahead of time. Sure, 180-degree conversions have taken place miraculously, but for the most of us, conversions don't happen in a single spark of inspiration. I'm not pouring water over the action of the Spirit, but if we talk of conversion, we are actually talking of a life-long struggle.
As they say, there is never a shortcut to heaven without really passing through Christ and his cross. So forgive me if I doubt some magnanimous conversions because the first thing I really search for in a true conversion are the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Without sensing these fruits of the Spirit one could not have received real conversion.
I admit, I quite find myself irritated with persons who act like they are saints, so pious in religious practices, but then are found wanting in the qualities that you can find in those who have really found the treasures of heaven. Maybe it's because it's my own pitfall too and maybe I find too many of them in the churches. True sanctity, I believe, is achieved through hard work and through the grace of God who gives it generously to those who ask for it.
One thing that I find most useful for anyone who wishes to become a holy, if not holy then someone who just wants to get closer to God, is fidelity to Truth. You can never work on your weaknesses and develop your strengths if you can't see the Truth within you. Being honest to one's self, perhaps is the first step. But, let me remind you, I'm no guru in sanctity. I too have my own struggles and falls, and I hope we all persevere in our own struggles that we may be found worthy of God because, despite our misdeeds and mistakes, we have always set our eyes on Him.
It's quite common but silent phenomena among us, when we are so inspired by one talk or another, or some book, or some event that recently happened we tend to think we have actually crossed heaven's threshold way ahead of time. Sure, 180-degree conversions have taken place miraculously, but for the most of us, conversions don't happen in a single spark of inspiration. I'm not pouring water over the action of the Spirit, but if we talk of conversion, we are actually talking of a life-long struggle.
As they say, there is never a shortcut to heaven without really passing through Christ and his cross. So forgive me if I doubt some magnanimous conversions because the first thing I really search for in a true conversion are the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Without sensing these fruits of the Spirit one could not have received real conversion.
I admit, I quite find myself irritated with persons who act like they are saints, so pious in religious practices, but then are found wanting in the qualities that you can find in those who have really found the treasures of heaven. Maybe it's because it's my own pitfall too and maybe I find too many of them in the churches. True sanctity, I believe, is achieved through hard work and through the grace of God who gives it generously to those who ask for it.
One thing that I find most useful for anyone who wishes to become a holy, if not holy then someone who just wants to get closer to God, is fidelity to Truth. You can never work on your weaknesses and develop your strengths if you can't see the Truth within you. Being honest to one's self, perhaps is the first step. But, let me remind you, I'm no guru in sanctity. I too have my own struggles and falls, and I hope we all persevere in our own struggles that we may be found worthy of God because, despite our misdeeds and mistakes, we have always set our eyes on Him.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
True Friends Stick Like Super Glue
"Kahit maputi na ang buhok ko..." so goes the song. I was listening to some oldies as I was enjoying again my past and one thing really struck me. You guessed it right,
I had the experience of dealing with fingers stuck together with some super glue, the skin so strongly pasted together you might literally tear yourself apart if you force it. Such are friends who really care. No matter what the circumstances, they stick on and hold on. Even when your hair turns grey.
I have excellent examples of friends who never left me and excellent examples of people who you thought were friends leave you behind or abandon you. Not entering into bittersweet melancholy mode, we all have our share of good friends and fake friends. So, beware, both of the danger of fake friends and of the danger of being the fake friend.
Since we are approaching the big day of our Father and Teacher, St John Bosco, let me connect this with the saints. The halls of sanctity is also marked with pairs and pairs of really good and loyal friends. As they say, you don't get to be a saint alone, you bring others with you. For a short and interesting list, here you go:
From humanity to sanctity, we need friends whom we can depend on. We need friends who can accept us for who we are and love us just the way we are. We need friends who can push us to change for the better. We need friends who we can grow together with. Friends are gifts from God. We need to take care of them. So take care of your friends who have always stuck up with you through thick and thin. Find and thank those who have been silently supporting you in the dim background. Beware of those who wear masks who could easily betray and abandon you, people who really don't value you.
As a note, I'd like to thank all my friends out there, who have been always a source of inspiration for me. Once you touch my life, your print stays forever.
True Friends Stick Like Super Glue
I had the experience of dealing with fingers stuck together with some super glue, the skin so strongly pasted together you might literally tear yourself apart if you force it. Such are friends who really care. No matter what the circumstances, they stick on and hold on. Even when your hair turns grey.
I have excellent examples of friends who never left me and excellent examples of people who you thought were friends leave you behind or abandon you. Not entering into bittersweet melancholy mode, we all have our share of good friends and fake friends. So, beware, both of the danger of fake friends and of the danger of being the fake friend.
Since we are approaching the big day of our Father and Teacher, St John Bosco, let me connect this with the saints. The halls of sanctity is also marked with pairs and pairs of really good and loyal friends. As they say, you don't get to be a saint alone, you bring others with you. For a short and interesting list, here you go:
St John Bosco and his good friend Louis Comollo.
Bl. Augustus Czartoryski and Ven. Andrew Beltrami.
St. Francis of Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal.
St. Francis of Assisi and St. Claire.
and there was Jesus and Lazarus.
From humanity to sanctity, we need friends whom we can depend on. We need friends who can accept us for who we are and love us just the way we are. We need friends who can push us to change for the better. We need friends who we can grow together with. Friends are gifts from God. We need to take care of them. So take care of your friends who have always stuck up with you through thick and thin. Find and thank those who have been silently supporting you in the dim background. Beware of those who wear masks who could easily betray and abandon you, people who really don't value you.
As a note, I'd like to thank all my friends out there, who have been always a source of inspiration for me. Once you touch my life, your print stays forever.
Beyond
I wish to go beyond, to faraway
Somewhere far, farther than today
Beyond the small confines of my fears
Above the grey clouds of my saline tears
To where I can soar towards the golden sun
Where I won't have to hide or run
I wish to go beyond, somewhere
Fields of green and life to share
With those I love and closely keep
Near my heart and then gently sleep
In night's embrace and day's caress
In deep slumber of sweet peacefulness
I wish to go beyond, sometime
Where time stands still in my solitary mind
Each moment is all mine to seize
Wishes and dreams for my hand to reach
Far beyond, and farther still
Until nothing is but love to feel
Somewhere far, farther than today
Beyond the small confines of my fears
Above the grey clouds of my saline tears
To where I can soar towards the golden sun
Where I won't have to hide or run
I wish to go beyond, somewhere
Fields of green and life to share
With those I love and closely keep
Near my heart and then gently sleep
In night's embrace and day's caress
In deep slumber of sweet peacefulness
I wish to go beyond, sometime
Where time stands still in my solitary mind
Each moment is all mine to seize
Wishes and dreams for my hand to reach
Far beyond, and farther still
Until nothing is but love to feel
If You Will It
Cast out from the mainstream light
Into the unknown, quandary night
No more now as I was then before
Scarred and chipped, disfigured sore
Heard then I from a distant shout
Walls that kept me once but out
That hope has come to take me in
Back to what my home has been
I willed it not, none will let me in
Hearts afraid of this fearful thing
Who once before was among many
Kins and friends of my past story
So if you will it, Lord, come take me in
Restore, renew, remake me clean
For none more painful than be away
From those you love from distant day
Will it, Lord, please make me whole
Only in you is my heart's console
I dare not touch, but I dare to plea
Before these people's cold apathy
Not in disguise I have come to ask
With nakedness in light I bask
For me to see my own misery
And beg you, Lord, take away from me
If you will it only, Lord, I cry
I bow to ask salvation nigh
O, look with pity on this sorry man
Lift him up, please, if you just can
I will it, yes, you said to me
I will it so wholeheartedly
In faith you came, more faith you go
Tell none, so that no one may know
How love has come to take your pain
And stripped you off your pride and vain
To clothe you in new man's dignity
And be assured you are loved by me
***
This poem has been inspired by the Gospel episode where a leper asked Jesus to heal him, saying "If you will it, Lord..."
Into the unknown, quandary night
No more now as I was then before
Scarred and chipped, disfigured sore
Heard then I from a distant shout
Walls that kept me once but out
That hope has come to take me in
Back to what my home has been
I willed it not, none will let me in
Hearts afraid of this fearful thing
Who once before was among many
Kins and friends of my past story
So if you will it, Lord, come take me in
Restore, renew, remake me clean
For none more painful than be away
From those you love from distant day
Will it, Lord, please make me whole
Only in you is my heart's console
I dare not touch, but I dare to plea
Before these people's cold apathy
Not in disguise I have come to ask
With nakedness in light I bask
For me to see my own misery
And beg you, Lord, take away from me
If you will it only, Lord, I cry
I bow to ask salvation nigh
O, look with pity on this sorry man
Lift him up, please, if you just can
I will it, yes, you said to me
I will it so wholeheartedly
In faith you came, more faith you go
Tell none, so that no one may know
How love has come to take your pain
And stripped you off your pride and vain
To clothe you in new man's dignity
And be assured you are loved by me
***
This poem has been inspired by the Gospel episode where a leper asked Jesus to heal him, saying "If you will it, Lord..."
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Let me fall in love with Love
Let me fall in love with Love
When all other loves have faded
Let me fall in love with Love
In eternity it has painted
Shining stars in my broken dreams
Winds of flight for my broken wings
Let me fall in love with Love
Falling and loving again
Hopes falling to pieces in passing joys and glory
That pop like bubbles in my own small story
Of unbelieving faith and shaky trust
That fell down as in a cloud of dust
Then I realized I have lived in vain
When I saw love survive the pain
In pride I thought I loved the best
But such love could not pass the test
Of falling down and loving again
In standing up and spreading wings
To soar the sky of limitlessness
The depth and height of loveliness
When all other loves have faded
Let me fall in love with Love
In eternity it has painted
Shining stars in my broken dreams
Winds of flight for my broken wings
Let me fall in love with Love
Falling and loving again
Hopes falling to pieces in passing joys and glory
That pop like bubbles in my own small story
Of unbelieving faith and shaky trust
That fell down as in a cloud of dust
Then I realized I have lived in vain
When I saw love survive the pain
In pride I thought I loved the best
But such love could not pass the test
Of falling down and loving again
In standing up and spreading wings
To soar the sky of limitlessness
The depth and height of loveliness
Let me fall in love with Love
Falling and loving again
Friday, January 7, 2011
Losing Memories
The provincial of the x-sems (the largest congregation in the world), Odie, asked me to upload the photos that I took last December vacation. Looking at the image files again reminded me that I lost half of the contents of 8 GB memory stick because of a freak accident. I don't know what happened, maybe it was God's will that half of what I took in two weeks, starting from December 19 and onwards were corrupted beyond repair.
I stormed, not the heavens, but the web for data recovery tools, and labored day and night to recover the files. Windows' chkdsk utility is the main culprit for turning my folders into 32KB empty and useless files. No matter what data scavenging was done, the pictures were all gone (I'm rhyming again).
With all the technology in our fingertips and in our hands, we really can't be so secure. True, digital photos help keep the memory alive but I think true memories reside in the heart (char!)
Now I remember and on a side note, that bringing the digital camera with you has its own downsides: you never get to be in the pictures! How often have I wished that I have clones to take my pictures.
Losing those data files may tantamount to losing memories, but not totally, only on the details. I just thank God for the memory that I have since birth which has kept all the back-up of those files.
I stormed, not the heavens, but the web for data recovery tools, and labored day and night to recover the files. Windows' chkdsk utility is the main culprit for turning my folders into 32KB empty and useless files. No matter what data scavenging was done, the pictures were all gone (I'm rhyming again).
With all the technology in our fingertips and in our hands, we really can't be so secure. True, digital photos help keep the memory alive but I think true memories reside in the heart (char!)
Now I remember and on a side note, that bringing the digital camera with you has its own downsides: you never get to be in the pictures! How often have I wished that I have clones to take my pictures.
Losing those data files may tantamount to losing memories, but not totally, only on the details. I just thank God for the memory that I have since birth which has kept all the back-up of those files.
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