A vibrant Catholic devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary is a widely known fact in the Christian as well as in the non- Christian world. Such honor becomes more pronounced during the months of May and October. Hence, I felt that I woul be remiss in my responsibility as a devotee to let the month of May pass without taking time to reflect on Her role in my life as in the lives of those she has touched.
Volumes of books about Mary, our Blessed Mother, point out that among all the women who ever lived, she is the most celebrated, the most portrayed, the most honored and the most venerated. Among Catholics, our Lady is recognized, basically, as the Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
"What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ," so states the Cathechism of the Catholic Church. It is best for us to know Mary, our Blessed Mother, as explained in this book since it embodies the whole precepts and truths which every Catholic should recognize and believe.
Among the truths about Mary are :
1. Mary's Predestination
God prepared Mary to be the Mother of His Son. To prepare a body for Him, He wanted the free cooperation of a woman. Mary was invited and she accepted to conceive the Son of God in whom the fulness of divinity would dwell "bodily." The Holy Spirit santified the womb of the Virgin causing her to conceive the Son of God in a humanity drawn from her own. Thus, the Word was made flesh! Her "Yes", her "Fiat", provides believers the perfect model of humility and submissiveness. Her Magnificat, a paean of praise and justice is one of the most daring songs of liberaton ever chanted by any man or woman!
2. Mary's Immaculate Conception
To become the Mother of the Savior, Mary was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role. By the grace of God, she was preserved from all stain of original sin at the instant of her conception.! God the Father blessed Mary more than any other created being and chose her, " in Christ to be holy and blameless before Him in love." It means that the Holy Spirit dwelt in and totally possessed her at the first moment of her conception. Since every human being inherits human nature tainted by Original Sin, the action of the Holy Spirit on Mary is called Immaculate Conception. The grace we receive in baptism, God gave to Mary even before her birth to prepare her to be the Mother of the Redeemer.
3. Mary's Divine Motherhood
In the Liturgy, we honor Mary, Ever-Virgin, Mother of God - a title which was declared to be the faith of the Church at the Third Ecumenical Council held in Ephesus in 431 A.D. At that time, the question was whether Jesus Christ was one person or two persons. The Church teaches that Jesus Christ has two complete natures- human and divine, but is only one person, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. If Jesus were two persons - human and divine- then Mary could not be the Mother of God but only mother of the human person. Defining Mary as the Mother of God was the clearest way for the Church to say that Jesus Christ although having two natures was and is only One Person.
Mary is rightfully called Mother of God not in the blasphemous sense of having existed before God but as an affirmation of the truth of the Incarnation. Belief in the Incarnation of the Son of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith!
4. Mary"s Virginity
From the first formulation of her faith, the Church teaches that Jesus was conceived solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The Church sees here the fulfillment of the divine promise given through the prophet Isaiah: "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son." This account understands the virginal conception of Jesus as a divine work that surpasses human understanding. The meaning of this event is accessible only through faith which understands this mystery in the totality of Christ's mysteries from His Incarnation to His Passover!
The role of the Spirit in Jesus' conception represents the constant thinking of the Early Church about the relationship of Jesus to the Spirit. Eventually, John's Gospel will clearly place that relationship as existing even before conception since in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."
5. Mary's Assumption
Another aspect of the holiness of our Blessed Mother is brought out in her oldest liturgical feast - Mary's Assumption - celebrated yearly on August 15th. It means that Mary is one with the Risen Christ in the fullness of her personality - body and soul.
Pope Pius XII solemnly proclaimed on November 1, 1950 :
" The Immaculate Mother of God, Mary Ever-Virgin, after her life on earth, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory." In her assumption, Mary manifests the fulness of redemption and appears as the spotless image of the Church - the people of God. Our Lady sharing the glory of her Son strengthens our hope in the destiny of the entire Church. It is our Catholic conviction that in her present union with the Risen Christ, we shall be with her in heaven after our earthly sojourn. She is therefore solicitous over our welfare. She is ever desirous that we become more like Jesus - His hands and feet on earth!
6. Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces
"Mediatrix" is a familiar Catholic term to describe the unique role of the Mother of Jesus in her Son's mission to redeem mankind. As Mediatrix, Mary takes away nothing of Jesus Christ's all sufficient mediatorship between God and us. Pope Paul VI put it this way, "Since Mary is rightfully regarded as the way we are led to Christ, the person who encounters Mary cannot help but encounter Christ."
This title, Mediatrix of All Graces, refers to two activities of Mary :
1. Her role in the redemptive death of Jesus
2. Her role now in interceding for God's blessings
Mary's physical role in Christ's death is clear in the Gospel of John 19:25 which describes her as standing close to Jesus at the cross. God allowed her to feel the excruciating pain of seeing her beloved Son suffer in Calvary so that here and now she is with us infused with the power of sharing with us Redemption. Certainly, Mary shared in God's redemptive plan.
Mary is the Mediatrix of All Graces because she intercedes on our behalf for God's blessings. In the same manner, we ask our favorite saints to pray and intercede for us and for our special intentions. Mary's compassionate heart intercedes for us, sinners, who call on her for help, who reach out to her for strength and endurance as we extricate ourselves from the mire of sin and bondage of addiction in any form.
Mary's life can and should affect the life of everyone of us. Let us turn to Mary to help us offer to God not just our joys and our sufferings but ourselves - our life of faith and love. Let it encompass the poor who are not only those who hunger for bread but also those who hunger for affection and justice; the thirsty who are not only those who long for a drink but also those who yearn for a touch of kindness in the midst of their loneliness and want and the naked who are not only those who need a piece of cloth but also those who seek dignity and respect. Yes, let us turn to Mary, our Blessed Mother, to help us be true messengers of God's boundless love!
Monday, May 31, 2010
May 30, 2010 - Memorial Day Celebration
Memorial Cay Concert - 2010
The Public Broadcasting Station, KQED, aired a most beautiful concert in Washington DC to commemorate Memorial Day today. Memorial Day used to be called "Declaration Day." Then in 1967, President Lyndon Johnson officially made the celebration yearly in honor of the men and women in the United States Armed Forces who lost their lives in the defense of freedom. Yes, freedom of speech and press, freedom from want, freedom from fear and freedom of worship.
Since then, it has been observed as a public holiday so as to ensure that the young as well as the more mature segments of our society are made more aware of the cost of the freedom they enjoy now. It was meant to instill in every citizen's heart the love for country and for which it stands. It was aimed to keep their patriotism burning against all the odds the nation is inevitably subject to in the course of its history.
I watched the Memorial Day program replete with songs as, " The National Anthem", "America, The Beautiful", "God Bless America" and the display of the colors by the uniformed Guards of Honor. My love, pride and gratitude for this country that has provided safe haven for me and my family found release in the tears that could not be contained. I reached for more Kleenex tissues when combat clips and the appurtenances thereof boldly flashed in the TV screen with the information re the unfolding scenario. Who could not identify with the women who had become widows at age 20? Whose heart would not bleed for the infants and toddlers who had become orphans never to experience playtime with Dad? Who won't pray for peace in this fair land of ours, nay, for peace in this world which at this instance is in the brink of a global catastrophe the likes of which is unheard of? My mind was reeling with many questions beyond understanding or solutions. I sighed my acceptance of helplessness and defeat.... for now.
The Memorial Day rites struck a chord in my heart. It was a refrain that reminded me of the two things that affect everyone in America - taxes and death! When the Ash Wednesday pronouncements of "from dust thou art, to dust returnst," come to fruition, our life slip into the dark pit of mortality. With the blink of an eye, all pain, all sorrow, all frustrations and distress as well as all joy, hopes and dreams fade into the misty unknown. Gone are the "I could have" moments...of saying, "I love you" to those who mean so much to us which we had postponed time and again; of reconciling with those who have hurt us or with those we found difficult to love; of giving of ourselves- our time, talent and treasure to others and of leaving a legacy of faith and honor to a Supreme Being , the Source of all life to those who will follow our footprints in the sands of time.
When a man or woman enters the threshold of "Seniority" and gains the coveted(?) title of Senior Citizen, a number of benefits come into focus. There is the enviable discount given by restaurants, amusement parks and public utilities. There is the reserved seats on public transportation. Though infrequently visible nowadays, there is still some courtesy extended to the 60 and over crowd. While the enthusiasm for life may not have diminished, some physical breakdown in the human mechanism gradually makes its presence felt. Quite often, the elderly remembers and claim Isaiah 31:3-4, " Strengthen the hands that are feeble. Make firm the knees that are weak. Say to those who are frightened: Be strong. Fear not. Here is your God! He comes with vindication, with divine recompense. He comes to save you."
Memorial Day thoughts come to titillate the minds of senior citizens more often than the once-a-year- May attention it gets. It reminds them that we are only transients in this world and that our true home, for eternity, is with our Creator in heaven. It asks the question, " Have I prepared myself for heaven? Have I done my best to deserve it?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
May 13, 2010 - THE ASCENSION OF JESUS
Christian doctrine states that the Ascension of Jesus in the presence of His apostles occurred on the 40th day after His resurrection. This is mentioned in Luke 24:51, Mark 16:19 and in Acts 1: 2, 9-11 of the Holy Bible. It has always been observed on a Thursday since the 3rd Century. It is an ecumenical feast, universal in nature, according to Pope Leo XIII.
St. Augustine claims that it is of apostolic origin, hence is ranked with the Passion, Easter and Pentecost.
The belief in the Ascension of Jesus is found in the Nicene Creed and affirmed in the Apostles' Creed. Both the Western and the Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate this feast although usually on different dates due to the difference in their calendar. But this year, 2010, both churches observe it today, May 13, 2010. Austria, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland celebrate it as a public holiday. The Roman Catholic Church in some countries, including the United States has obtained permission from the Vatican to move the observation of the feast from the traditional Thursday to the following Sunday. The Paschal Candle is extinguished on this day.
What is the importance of the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ?
1. By ascending into His glory, Jesus Christ completed the work of our Redemption. We therefore, celebrate our Salvation and the pledge of our glorification with Jesus Christ.
2. The image of Jesus rising bodily into heaven reflects the ancient view that heaven is above the earth.
3. The Ascension of Jesus is interpreted as the culmination of the Mystery of the Incarnation. Remember, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that those who believe in him may not perish but may have life everlasting. For God did not send His Son into the world in order to judge the world but that the world may be saved through Him." (1 Cor 3:16-17)
4. The Ascension of Jesus is understood as the final token of Christ's two natures - Human and Divine. His human nature will cease to exist.
5. When Jesus ascended in His glorified body to sit at the right hand of the Father, it consummated the union of God and Man.
6 The Ascension of Jesus marked the beginning of the physical presence of Jesus Christ on earth in the Body of Christ - the CHURCH. (1Cor 12:12-27)
The Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem is a Crusader building constructed in 384. But in 1198, Saladin acquired the site and ordered it to be a mosque. But it was never used by Muslims because the overwhelming majority of visitors were Christians. As a gesture of goodwill, Saladin allowed Christians to visit and ordered the construction of a mosque nearby for Muslim worshipers. Though still under the control of the Muslims at present, the Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem, as it is properly called, is open to visitors for a nominal fee.
During my first visit to the Chapel of the Ascension in 1994, I was dismayed with a residue of sadness to see the truly small round, domed building almost left unmaintained though regal with the patina of age, commemorating a most important event in the life of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! Not knowing that it was under Muslim control, I felt that some care and even "embellishments" could have been given the chapel as in some centuried buildings in Rome and in other European nations.
Inside the chapel is an enclosed opening to a slab of stone which looks like a combination of granite and marble about 12 to 15 inches below the present floor level. The rock bears an imprint of the right foot of Jesus as He ascended. It is venerated by Christians as the last point on earth touched by the Incarnate Christ! I bent low to rest my palms on it. It was cold! A cold shiver ran down my spine as goose bumps flared up and tears flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks. I felt a signature blessing of touching the rock upon which the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, as Man, stood on earth. My mind could not fathom the meaning of such a unique privilege and unmerited blessing to me- a truly flawed creation! My heart was bursting with joy and thanksgiving yet extremely full of remorse for the times I failed to be the person God created me to be. I lifted my hands from the rock and laid them crisscross on my forearms. I felt heat!!! Iwas stunned. I could not understand why from the cold rock my hands derived heat. i stood motionless, tears still flowing from my closed eyes as I savored the energizing heat enveloping my whole being. It was like a warm embrace! It brought an inexplicable sense of peace, of complete surrender, a state of letting go of everything that mattered. It was good!
Anxious to find out if the feeling was for the first experience only and actually hoping to "taste the elixir " again, I visited the Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem in 1995 and in 1999. It was duplicated..triplicated. I believe that the last piece of earth Jesus Christ touched carries a message all its own for me and for every pilgrim to this hallowed spot.
St. Augustine claims that it is of apostolic origin, hence is ranked with the Passion, Easter and Pentecost.
The belief in the Ascension of Jesus is found in the Nicene Creed and affirmed in the Apostles' Creed. Both the Western and the Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate this feast although usually on different dates due to the difference in their calendar. But this year, 2010, both churches observe it today, May 13, 2010. Austria, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland celebrate it as a public holiday. The Roman Catholic Church in some countries, including the United States has obtained permission from the Vatican to move the observation of the feast from the traditional Thursday to the following Sunday. The Paschal Candle is extinguished on this day.
What is the importance of the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ?
1. By ascending into His glory, Jesus Christ completed the work of our Redemption. We therefore, celebrate our Salvation and the pledge of our glorification with Jesus Christ.
2. The image of Jesus rising bodily into heaven reflects the ancient view that heaven is above the earth.
3. The Ascension of Jesus is interpreted as the culmination of the Mystery of the Incarnation. Remember, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that those who believe in him may not perish but may have life everlasting. For God did not send His Son into the world in order to judge the world but that the world may be saved through Him." (1 Cor 3:16-17)
4. The Ascension of Jesus is understood as the final token of Christ's two natures - Human and Divine. His human nature will cease to exist.
5. When Jesus ascended in His glorified body to sit at the right hand of the Father, it consummated the union of God and Man.
6 The Ascension of Jesus marked the beginning of the physical presence of Jesus Christ on earth in the Body of Christ - the CHURCH. (1Cor 12:12-27)
The Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem is a Crusader building constructed in 384. But in 1198, Saladin acquired the site and ordered it to be a mosque. But it was never used by Muslims because the overwhelming majority of visitors were Christians. As a gesture of goodwill, Saladin allowed Christians to visit and ordered the construction of a mosque nearby for Muslim worshipers. Though still under the control of the Muslims at present, the Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem, as it is properly called, is open to visitors for a nominal fee.
During my first visit to the Chapel of the Ascension in 1994, I was dismayed with a residue of sadness to see the truly small round, domed building almost left unmaintained though regal with the patina of age, commemorating a most important event in the life of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! Not knowing that it was under Muslim control, I felt that some care and even "embellishments" could have been given the chapel as in some centuried buildings in Rome and in other European nations.
Inside the chapel is an enclosed opening to a slab of stone which looks like a combination of granite and marble about 12 to 15 inches below the present floor level. The rock bears an imprint of the right foot of Jesus as He ascended. It is venerated by Christians as the last point on earth touched by the Incarnate Christ! I bent low to rest my palms on it. It was cold! A cold shiver ran down my spine as goose bumps flared up and tears flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks. I felt a signature blessing of touching the rock upon which the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, as Man, stood on earth. My mind could not fathom the meaning of such a unique privilege and unmerited blessing to me- a truly flawed creation! My heart was bursting with joy and thanksgiving yet extremely full of remorse for the times I failed to be the person God created me to be. I lifted my hands from the rock and laid them crisscross on my forearms. I felt heat!!! Iwas stunned. I could not understand why from the cold rock my hands derived heat. i stood motionless, tears still flowing from my closed eyes as I savored the energizing heat enveloping my whole being. It was like a warm embrace! It brought an inexplicable sense of peace, of complete surrender, a state of letting go of everything that mattered. It was good!
Anxious to find out if the feeling was for the first experience only and actually hoping to "taste the elixir " again, I visited the Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem in 1995 and in 1999. It was duplicated..triplicated. I believe that the last piece of earth Jesus Christ touched carries a message all its own for me and for every pilgrim to this hallowed spot.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
May 9, 2010 - MOTHER"S DAY
" Who ran to help me when I fell... I... fell
And would some pretty stories tell ...stories... tell
And kiss the place to make it well ...it...well
My mother, m..y m.. o ..t .. h ..e ..r !
This grade-school song reverberated in my mind as soon as I woke up this morning. I guess it got anchored in my subconscious during my sleep since last night I tried to write something including a poem about my mother. She had a tremendous influence in my life so that what I am now I owe immensely to her. Though she has been with our Creator for more than four decades, her memory has remained fresh in my mind and heart through all these years. I believe it would remain so till the day I die!
My mother, Carmen Miranda Calara, was a very religious woman. Her faith in God and special devotion to our Blessed Mother was common knowledge among her family, relations and friends. It was to this unshakable faith that she managed to survive the vicissitudes of life inherent to a woman with eight mouths to feed, to clothe and to educate. This dependence on God was distinctly manifested in her warm personality with a soft-spoken nature unmarred by harsh words of contempt or ridicule. I remember her languid brown eyes always so expressive of love which burned within her. Never, I mean never, have I witnessed those eyes sporting a menacing look of anger or disgust with her children or with anyone else for that matter. Neither can I recall any instance when she ever raised her voice in "boiling" anger or say invectives colloquially considered among the so-called "bakya crowd." The term, "bakya crowd" was a coined Filipino phrase which referred to the termagant, uncouth, despicably ill-mannered persons often times among the riotous saleswomen in the wet market.
My mother had an intense love for our Lady of Lourdes. Though she never had a chance to visit the shrine in France, she knew the events that took place in sequential clarity. On many occasions, she told us the whole story without missing a cue. Her description of the hallowed grotto where Our Virgin Mary appeared, Saint Bernadette and her conversation with the Lady, the police and their tactics plus the frightening "inquisition" of the sickly, asthmatic visionary was so vivid that our eyeballs seemed to have popped out in wonder. From all indications, our enthusiasm towards listening to the story again and again never waned.
During my growing -up years, it was customary for Catholic mothers to pass on their devotion to our Lady of Lourdes by letting their daughters be "consecrated" to Her. The investiture of the blue sash on a white dress became the "habit" or uniform of the devotees for Sunday mass. I remember how happy and proud I was when I was admitted to the Legion. In my memory, I can still see my mother's beaming face radiant with smiles as she looked at her five girls- Ding, Lourding, Glory, Beth and I - in our Sunday best. It was our tradition to worship together as a family on the Lord's Day. The Sta. Ana Church in Manila, Philippines was only around five or six blocks walking distance away from our home. The row of ladies in white with the blue sashes gently swaying to our gait often made many necks turn. Neighbors and friends we met on the way always had affirming words of admiration for us. I believe that while her daughters were tickled pink with the compliments, my mother enjoyed the pleasantries the most.
Growing up in such an environment naturally led me to a keen desire to visit the world-renowned sanctuary of our Lady of Lourdes in France. I guess, my affinity to this pilgrimage site is deeply rooted to my childhood vicarious attachment to the place. It was a dream held secret in the innermost recesses of my heart! It was an "impossible dream" that sometimes flitted through my mind during my high school years and through college. Marriage and raising up four children pushed the "impossible dream" farther out to orbit in outer space. I consoled myself with the thought that it was better to have dreamed and lost than not to have dreamed at all - an analogy to the familiar cliche on love. Nevertheless, I sometimes whispered it as an addendum to my prayers but always added, "As you will it, Lord." Then I rested on His promise to trust Him! Do you know what happened? As the Lord willed it, I have had sixteen visits to the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France to date. And I am booked for another pilgrimage there again this coming June 26,2010 with two grandchildren, Michael and Christian and my son, Bobby and Carla. My grandchildren Diana, Joshua, Christina and Tiffany Anne have been with me to Lourdes, Paris and Lisieux in my previous visits to fulfill my promise that the France sojourn would be their gift for their Grade VIII graduation and/or as an achievement award. Only my last and youngest grandchild, Melanie Mary who recently turned seven will need to wait for at least three more years before she visits France. It is a remarkable fact that each of my Lourdes encounter in the series of visits was emblazoned with an expectancy and enthusiasm innately akin to my very first visit !!!
My mother nurtured in us the love of our Catholic faith. Observance of religious practices within the Catholic tradition seeped through every member of our family. My self-appointed task of keeping the family altar spic and span with an occasional burst of fresh flowers was a source of pride and accomplishment for me. I was happy every evening, I repeat, every evening when the whole family gathered before the altar for prayers and the Rosary. To think that we prayed the beads in Spanish and on our knees! In fact, I learned the "Our Father" and the "Hail Mary" in Spanish before the English version. Truly, my mother's constant reminder to stay close to God and the Blessed Mother is her legacy that I will pass on to my children and my children's children now and to future generations!
Generosity was my mother's second name. Friends and relations teased her about this because she personified a person "generous to a fault." She was the proverbial person who will take off his shirt to give, to help someone in need. She always prepared food in excess of our family's consumption because the neighbors had to be given a share. Since not everyone in the neighborhood can be supplied daily, she kept a record of at least two beneficiaries a day. Once the list is finished, then another cycle began. She will let go of her savings for the coming schoolyear tuition fees of her children if anyone who was in dire need approached her for help. She claimed that her heart "bled" for a friend's helplessness and her conscience would not give her rest. When reminded of her coming need herself, she would always say," God will provide." Apparently, God had always kept His promise of provision to her through all the years!
For a considerable length of time, she sponsored the daily breakfast bread for a few very poor families through the corner Chinese store. The owner kept a record of the cost of the bread distributed daily and collected from her the full amount at the end of the month. When cautioned of the possibility of dishonest cost listings of the storeowner, she replied, "God knows everything. God does not sleep." With the kindness she extended to one and all, one would think that she reaped the usual "Thank you." Not that she wanted an audible note of gratitude for any help she had given. But I remember one instance when a beneficiary even accused my mother of discrimination, in no uncertain terms, because she learned that another one got a bigger share of the handouts. Can you beat that? But the incident did not alter her generosity a bit!
During the early childhood years, my ears got attuned to the refrain,
"Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you." I did not know then that it was the Golden Rule. During playtime, my mother often mentioned it in several instances that presented a need- the sharing of toys,etc. She really took time to rub it into our psyche and as I grew older I began to understand and appreciate the significance of the Golden Rule. Truly, the home is the first learning institution and the first teacher is one's mother!
My mother used to tell us to respect our individual differences. In so many ways, she championed and made us more aware of individual idiosyncracies and the care and respect each of us should address it. She would open wide her hands and say, "Look at the fingers. They are not of the same size. The thumb does not look like the rest of the fingers. The little "Pinky" is unlike the ring finger although they stay close to each other." Then she would look at us, directly at each pair of wonder-stricken eyes awaiting her further pronouncements and say, "You are like these fingers, different in some respects from each other but all connected and belonging to one hand - one family. Every finger is important to the hand just as each and everyone of you is special to the family," she said. The successive nodding of heads showed the unified assent to her explanation. Then she would say with a tone of finality," That is why you should love one another, hold each one close to your heart because you are family, you all came from the same womb!" Then a big hug for each of us ended the short session. My mother's smiles affirmed the impact of her message to our young minds. Like the electric drill that penetrates through thick cement walls, my mother's words sipped through our young minds and hearts. No wonder, then, we, siblings, grew up being so close to each other since the concept of having come from the same womb lie impregnable as a rock in our psyche. In fact, I relayed the same message to our children as they were growing up and even now sometimes tease them about their spouses as being, "ibang tao" (a Tagalog term meaning, a different person), not a sibling who came from the same womb. I praise and thank the Lord for Bobby, Marissa, Noel and Cielo, who are so close to each other up to now as they have always been since their childhood. Praise the Lord!!! In my own way, I try to remind them of the different kinds of love that we are endowed with - love of parents, love of spouses, love of children, love of siblings, love of neighbor and above all, love of GOD ....and His WORD !
I would go away from the circle with some questions in my little head. Why? Because I saw the callouses on my mother's hands occasioned by years of household chores, cooking, washing clothes (washers/dryers were not yet invented or maybe not within our means to buy), cleaning, etc. She was meticulously clean and orderly in everything, constantly reminding us to "Have a place for everything and everything in its place." But how is it that those same hands feel so soft and smooth every time she caressed my brow to ease a headache or soothe a pain somewhere in my young body? Why were those hands so soft and smooth as they rubbed Vicks Vaporub on my chest and back during my bouts with colds or cough?
How come I did not feel those callouses at all?
My parents championed the cause of education as a means of improving one's life. "We do not have any money for your inheritance, only your educaton," was an oft-repeated refrain from my father and mother. Hence the outpouring of their love was tempered by a discipline the likes of the military. My father was, at the time of my birth, a retired staff sergeant in the U.S Army contingent known as the Philippine Scouts. To this praiseworthy balance of love and discipline of my parents I attribute the character and personality each of us, children, developed and treasured.
In a nutshell, my mother was a woman nobly planned - to warn, to comfort and to love and my father was a tower of strength, discipline and command.
Good-Bye for now... till I finish my poem, A Tribute to My Mother.
And would some pretty stories tell ...stories... tell
And kiss the place to make it well ...it...well
My mother, m..y m.. o ..t .. h ..e ..r !
This grade-school song reverberated in my mind as soon as I woke up this morning. I guess it got anchored in my subconscious during my sleep since last night I tried to write something including a poem about my mother. She had a tremendous influence in my life so that what I am now I owe immensely to her. Though she has been with our Creator for more than four decades, her memory has remained fresh in my mind and heart through all these years. I believe it would remain so till the day I die!
My mother, Carmen Miranda Calara, was a very religious woman. Her faith in God and special devotion to our Blessed Mother was common knowledge among her family, relations and friends. It was to this unshakable faith that she managed to survive the vicissitudes of life inherent to a woman with eight mouths to feed, to clothe and to educate. This dependence on God was distinctly manifested in her warm personality with a soft-spoken nature unmarred by harsh words of contempt or ridicule. I remember her languid brown eyes always so expressive of love which burned within her. Never, I mean never, have I witnessed those eyes sporting a menacing look of anger or disgust with her children or with anyone else for that matter. Neither can I recall any instance when she ever raised her voice in "boiling" anger or say invectives colloquially considered among the so-called "bakya crowd." The term, "bakya crowd" was a coined Filipino phrase which referred to the termagant, uncouth, despicably ill-mannered persons often times among the riotous saleswomen in the wet market.
My mother had an intense love for our Lady of Lourdes. Though she never had a chance to visit the shrine in France, she knew the events that took place in sequential clarity. On many occasions, she told us the whole story without missing a cue. Her description of the hallowed grotto where Our Virgin Mary appeared, Saint Bernadette and her conversation with the Lady, the police and their tactics plus the frightening "inquisition" of the sickly, asthmatic visionary was so vivid that our eyeballs seemed to have popped out in wonder. From all indications, our enthusiasm towards listening to the story again and again never waned.
During my growing -up years, it was customary for Catholic mothers to pass on their devotion to our Lady of Lourdes by letting their daughters be "consecrated" to Her. The investiture of the blue sash on a white dress became the "habit" or uniform of the devotees for Sunday mass. I remember how happy and proud I was when I was admitted to the Legion. In my memory, I can still see my mother's beaming face radiant with smiles as she looked at her five girls- Ding, Lourding, Glory, Beth and I - in our Sunday best. It was our tradition to worship together as a family on the Lord's Day. The Sta. Ana Church in Manila, Philippines was only around five or six blocks walking distance away from our home. The row of ladies in white with the blue sashes gently swaying to our gait often made many necks turn. Neighbors and friends we met on the way always had affirming words of admiration for us. I believe that while her daughters were tickled pink with the compliments, my mother enjoyed the pleasantries the most.
Growing up in such an environment naturally led me to a keen desire to visit the world-renowned sanctuary of our Lady of Lourdes in France. I guess, my affinity to this pilgrimage site is deeply rooted to my childhood vicarious attachment to the place. It was a dream held secret in the innermost recesses of my heart! It was an "impossible dream" that sometimes flitted through my mind during my high school years and through college. Marriage and raising up four children pushed the "impossible dream" farther out to orbit in outer space. I consoled myself with the thought that it was better to have dreamed and lost than not to have dreamed at all - an analogy to the familiar cliche on love. Nevertheless, I sometimes whispered it as an addendum to my prayers but always added, "As you will it, Lord." Then I rested on His promise to trust Him! Do you know what happened? As the Lord willed it, I have had sixteen visits to the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France to date. And I am booked for another pilgrimage there again this coming June 26,2010 with two grandchildren, Michael and Christian and my son, Bobby and Carla. My grandchildren Diana, Joshua, Christina and Tiffany Anne have been with me to Lourdes, Paris and Lisieux in my previous visits to fulfill my promise that the France sojourn would be their gift for their Grade VIII graduation and/or as an achievement award. Only my last and youngest grandchild, Melanie Mary who recently turned seven will need to wait for at least three more years before she visits France. It is a remarkable fact that each of my Lourdes encounter in the series of visits was emblazoned with an expectancy and enthusiasm innately akin to my very first visit !!!
My mother nurtured in us the love of our Catholic faith. Observance of religious practices within the Catholic tradition seeped through every member of our family. My self-appointed task of keeping the family altar spic and span with an occasional burst of fresh flowers was a source of pride and accomplishment for me. I was happy every evening, I repeat, every evening when the whole family gathered before the altar for prayers and the Rosary. To think that we prayed the beads in Spanish and on our knees! In fact, I learned the "Our Father" and the "Hail Mary" in Spanish before the English version. Truly, my mother's constant reminder to stay close to God and the Blessed Mother is her legacy that I will pass on to my children and my children's children now and to future generations!
Generosity was my mother's second name. Friends and relations teased her about this because she personified a person "generous to a fault." She was the proverbial person who will take off his shirt to give, to help someone in need. She always prepared food in excess of our family's consumption because the neighbors had to be given a share. Since not everyone in the neighborhood can be supplied daily, she kept a record of at least two beneficiaries a day. Once the list is finished, then another cycle began. She will let go of her savings for the coming schoolyear tuition fees of her children if anyone who was in dire need approached her for help. She claimed that her heart "bled" for a friend's helplessness and her conscience would not give her rest. When reminded of her coming need herself, she would always say," God will provide." Apparently, God had always kept His promise of provision to her through all the years!
For a considerable length of time, she sponsored the daily breakfast bread for a few very poor families through the corner Chinese store. The owner kept a record of the cost of the bread distributed daily and collected from her the full amount at the end of the month. When cautioned of the possibility of dishonest cost listings of the storeowner, she replied, "God knows everything. God does not sleep." With the kindness she extended to one and all, one would think that she reaped the usual "Thank you." Not that she wanted an audible note of gratitude for any help she had given. But I remember one instance when a beneficiary even accused my mother of discrimination, in no uncertain terms, because she learned that another one got a bigger share of the handouts. Can you beat that? But the incident did not alter her generosity a bit!
During the early childhood years, my ears got attuned to the refrain,
"Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you." I did not know then that it was the Golden Rule. During playtime, my mother often mentioned it in several instances that presented a need- the sharing of toys,etc. She really took time to rub it into our psyche and as I grew older I began to understand and appreciate the significance of the Golden Rule. Truly, the home is the first learning institution and the first teacher is one's mother!
My mother used to tell us to respect our individual differences. In so many ways, she championed and made us more aware of individual idiosyncracies and the care and respect each of us should address it. She would open wide her hands and say, "Look at the fingers. They are not of the same size. The thumb does not look like the rest of the fingers. The little "Pinky" is unlike the ring finger although they stay close to each other." Then she would look at us, directly at each pair of wonder-stricken eyes awaiting her further pronouncements and say, "You are like these fingers, different in some respects from each other but all connected and belonging to one hand - one family. Every finger is important to the hand just as each and everyone of you is special to the family," she said. The successive nodding of heads showed the unified assent to her explanation. Then she would say with a tone of finality," That is why you should love one another, hold each one close to your heart because you are family, you all came from the same womb!" Then a big hug for each of us ended the short session. My mother's smiles affirmed the impact of her message to our young minds. Like the electric drill that penetrates through thick cement walls, my mother's words sipped through our young minds and hearts. No wonder, then, we, siblings, grew up being so close to each other since the concept of having come from the same womb lie impregnable as a rock in our psyche. In fact, I relayed the same message to our children as they were growing up and even now sometimes tease them about their spouses as being, "ibang tao" (a Tagalog term meaning, a different person), not a sibling who came from the same womb. I praise and thank the Lord for Bobby, Marissa, Noel and Cielo, who are so close to each other up to now as they have always been since their childhood. Praise the Lord!!! In my own way, I try to remind them of the different kinds of love that we are endowed with - love of parents, love of spouses, love of children, love of siblings, love of neighbor and above all, love of GOD ....and His WORD !
I would go away from the circle with some questions in my little head. Why? Because I saw the callouses on my mother's hands occasioned by years of household chores, cooking, washing clothes (washers/dryers were not yet invented or maybe not within our means to buy), cleaning, etc. She was meticulously clean and orderly in everything, constantly reminding us to "Have a place for everything and everything in its place." But how is it that those same hands feel so soft and smooth every time she caressed my brow to ease a headache or soothe a pain somewhere in my young body? Why were those hands so soft and smooth as they rubbed Vicks Vaporub on my chest and back during my bouts with colds or cough?
How come I did not feel those callouses at all?
My parents championed the cause of education as a means of improving one's life. "We do not have any money for your inheritance, only your educaton," was an oft-repeated refrain from my father and mother. Hence the outpouring of their love was tempered by a discipline the likes of the military. My father was, at the time of my birth, a retired staff sergeant in the U.S Army contingent known as the Philippine Scouts. To this praiseworthy balance of love and discipline of my parents I attribute the character and personality each of us, children, developed and treasured.
In a nutshell, my mother was a woman nobly planned - to warn, to comfort and to love and my father was a tower of strength, discipline and command.
Good-Bye for now... till I finish my poem, A Tribute to My Mother.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
May 2, 2010 Gospel - COMMANDMENT TO LOVE
The Gospel account today is on Jesus' last supper with His apostles. He said,"My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment : love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
What is love? Love is a word that has been defined and redefined by so many people in so many ways that it has assumed a multi-faceted sometimes ambiguous meaning. The common denominator seems to be that it is within the realm of the emotions. Webster's dictionary defines love as a deep and tender affection for another person. In the Bible, aspects of love are enumerated by St. Paul in I Corinthians 13:1-13:
"Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud. Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up and its faith, hope and patience never fails. Faith, hope and love- and the greatest of these is love."
God's love is all embodied in St. Paul's teaching but there is something more!
But what is God's love? What qualities distinguish God's love from the love borne by common man?
1. God's love is universal.
The love of God is given to every man, woman or child, everyone of His creation who live in the plush, high-tech cities of the world or in the dark forest primeval or in the tall mountain ranges of the unknown hemisphere of this planet. His love is poured out to those who acknowledge Him as Lord, to those who has not even heard of Him or those who vehemently refuse to recognize that He exists.
2. God's love is unconditional.
The love of God is not based on your gender, color of your skin, what you do for a living, the house you live in or the car you drive or the kind of person you are. You are not a surprise to God. He knows what he was getting when He created you. He loves you, no matter what!
3. God's love is eternal.
The love of God has no boundaries. It is not limited by time, distance or space. In Jer 31:3, the Lord says," I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, have I drawn thee, taking pity on thee.""
4. God's love is like that of a Father and Son
The protective, understanding and patient love of a Father is manifested by God towards His Son and to all creation. It is the kind "of love that covers a multitude of sins." In Jer 17:23-26, Jesus says, "...that the world may know that Thou has loved them even as Thou hast loved me. And I have made known to them Thy name in order that the love with which Thou hast loved me may be in them as I in them."
5. God's love is unchanging.
Nothing that we do, whether we worship and adore Him as our personal Savior or completely ignore Him as to be among those unbelievers can ever change the love that God has for us. It is sure and precision- timed, changeless as the rising and the setting of the sun and the movement of celestial bodies in the universe.
In conclusion, Romans 8:38 clears states, " For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
What is love? Love is a word that has been defined and redefined by so many people in so many ways that it has assumed a multi-faceted sometimes ambiguous meaning. The common denominator seems to be that it is within the realm of the emotions. Webster's dictionary defines love as a deep and tender affection for another person. In the Bible, aspects of love are enumerated by St. Paul in I Corinthians 13:1-13:
"Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud. Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up and its faith, hope and patience never fails. Faith, hope and love- and the greatest of these is love."
God's love is all embodied in St. Paul's teaching but there is something more!
But what is God's love? What qualities distinguish God's love from the love borne by common man?
1. God's love is universal.
The love of God is given to every man, woman or child, everyone of His creation who live in the plush, high-tech cities of the world or in the dark forest primeval or in the tall mountain ranges of the unknown hemisphere of this planet. His love is poured out to those who acknowledge Him as Lord, to those who has not even heard of Him or those who vehemently refuse to recognize that He exists.
2. God's love is unconditional.
The love of God is not based on your gender, color of your skin, what you do for a living, the house you live in or the car you drive or the kind of person you are. You are not a surprise to God. He knows what he was getting when He created you. He loves you, no matter what!
3. God's love is eternal.
The love of God has no boundaries. It is not limited by time, distance or space. In Jer 31:3, the Lord says," I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, have I drawn thee, taking pity on thee.""
4. God's love is like that of a Father and Son
The protective, understanding and patient love of a Father is manifested by God towards His Son and to all creation. It is the kind "of love that covers a multitude of sins." In Jer 17:23-26, Jesus says, "...that the world may know that Thou has loved them even as Thou hast loved me. And I have made known to them Thy name in order that the love with which Thou hast loved me may be in them as I in them."
5. God's love is unchanging.
Nothing that we do, whether we worship and adore Him as our personal Savior or completely ignore Him as to be among those unbelievers can ever change the love that God has for us. It is sure and precision- timed, changeless as the rising and the setting of the sun and the movement of celestial bodies in the universe.
In conclusion, Romans 8:38 clears states, " For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
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