YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND

My column in Mindanao Daily News and BusinessWeek Mindanao 

OPINION

By KLAUS DÖRING

 September 29, 2021

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When I was still a young boy, I was taught that there might be fairy creatures offering us three free wishes. We should be always so wise enough to think it over very well and select the best wishes for our very own. Sure, there will be always classic stupidities regarding fairy-wishes. We are all human beings and don't belong to the fairy category.

Your wish is my command! And, there is someone who wishes at first a strong health, and - sure, he or she receives it, because good fairies never hesitate. And now and then? Here he is, for example, the healthy man is like a boulder in the surf, but surrounded by a world of war, flames and so-called military conflicts. But this man is still alive and as fit as a fiddler. Why should he wish for a strong health...?

Well, maybe we have to formulate our wishes for something moreimproved. But what? Discretion is the better part of valor. Let's try it like a fairy-tale and ask for wealth, riches and abundance. These are the one and only things on earth, right?

With money we can travel around the globe, find friends, even in far away distances, and we can do charities. Well, and if we might become sick, maybe seriously sick, we must not worry. We can afford and finance the most affordable doctors and most updated hospitals to give us back to good health. And if not?

In many fairy tales we can also find the one with unassuming manners, inconspicuous, poorly dressed-up, a little bit silly, mostly disregarded and easily to be overlooked. This guy has only one wish, such as eternal salvation and bliss with a little stool in heaven besides God. And guys, be sure, that he will get it, and, he is happy and very Thank you. So far so good, it seems the simpleton has been the brightest.

It's all right: three wishes and no one more. A different thing, isn't it?
If all human beings on this entire globe could be all around happy, which means to say: nobody must go hungry any more, nobody must be despairing, nobody must be worried about wars and cat astrophes, and everybody should be able to enjoy health and happiness without bearing trials ... yes, if ... Then we wouldn't need fairy-wishes... .

Real life looks different. Real life is not a fairy tale. We need prayers and should be more respectful and friendly to each other. Especially nowadays. All around the globe. Each one of us has his or her own three wishes. Me too.

One of them:  peace on earth!

How does being a Filipino affect your selfhood?

 

By: Bisaya

Barok and Takya Blog | Bisaya Podcast

Being a Filipino is such an incredible, rewarding and challenging thing to be.

The Philippines is such a beautiful country with so much history and culture. One of the most traditionally rich cultures in the world, which unites 128 million people in peace and hope for a better future. We have temples that surpass architectural beauty, with meticulous attention to every detail built by our ancestor's generations ago. Natural wonders range from perfect white sand beaches to majestic mountains with lush cascades of waterfalls pouring down their sides, leaving you speechless from their majesty. When we make these things accessible to you, not only do you feel proud but also energised because there is always something grand on this island, never ceasing its natural beauty or cultural heritage, which unite us as one.

The motivation to be a Filipino, however, comes from within; the rich history of our forefathers and ancestors who fought for freedom against foreign rule. We were even one of the few countries in Southeast Asia freed from colonial control, which gives us such a rare sense of pride and gratitude towards leaders like Rizal and Bonifacio, who fought for us before. We do not forget the lessons of history and how it tells us, as citizens, to fight against oppression to ensure democracy lives on forever constantly.

The rich culture ignites our passion every day because it shapes who we are today. The values instilled in us promote responsibility which all Filipinos know is vital for success in society. We value honesty, diligence, patience, humility and generosity, among many others which live on through us even today into the future generations of Filipinos. These values are what makes us strong as a people because they give us the moral compass to direct our lives in a way that brings glory to God and benefit for society at large.

It is important to remember we are Filipinos, and we make it a point to be the best citizens we can be. We never let anyone or anything diminish our Filipino identity, which makes us stand tall and proud in society today. The values instilled in us give us the confidence to continue fighting for others when times get tough because there is no greater calling on this earth than to be a Filipino, fighting for freedom and democracy in the name of God.

For that reason, I am very proud to be a Filipino.

We will always fight for our rights as citizens, and we shall never forget who we are as Filipinos. We live simply because there is no such thing as having too much; we live a humble life because we know the value of what we have and how it should be used responsibly. We do not waste. We respect our elders and give to those less fortunate than us, giving them the same opportunities as everyone else in society. Our values are deeply embedded in our history, culture and religion, making them so essential for us to live by. Our culture gives us joy and happiness every day, so we can always share with others less fortunate than us.

Our rich history of war against oppression fills us with the courage to face any challenge life has for us. The lessons of all the great Filipino heroes before fuel our fire today to fight for democracy, freedom and what is proper. We never stop fighting, and we never give up on our goals because we know they make us a better citizen and person in the long run. A Filipino is someone who will always stand for what is right, fight against oppression and support democracy no matter which corner of this earth we may be in.

Continuing Christ’s redemptive mission

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          CHRIST’S redemptive mission is very much an ongoing affair,

and he involves all of us actually in this business. Those words that

he addressed to his apostles, giving them their mission, can be

considered as addressed to us also.

          “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few,” he said,

“so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his

harvest.” (Lk 10,2) The task, of course, is overwhelming and we are

asked to give our all. But we should not worry because Christ will

always be with us. It’s his work, after all, before it is ours. We

should just cooperate with him.

          In this regard, we have to give special attention to what

may be considered as the new mission lands nowadays where we do not

have to go far to carry out this duty. This can be done right where we

are.

          Yes, there is no doubt we are all meant to be apostles of

Christ, to be his ambassadors. That’s simply because we are meant to

be like Christ, to be ‘another Christ,’ and so we share also in his

redemptive mission which is a continuing affair as long as we are

still in this world.

          No wonder then that Christ would just choose his apostles

seemingly at random. He would just pass by a certain place, and upon

seeing someone, he would just say, “Come, follow me.” And wonder of

wonders also, the person called would just follow him without

question. In fact, it is said that the person called would leave

everything behind (“relictic omnibus”).

          We are all meant to be apostles of Christ with the lifelong

concern for doing apostolate, taking advantage of all the occasions

and situations in life. Vatican II spells it out very clearly. “The

Christian vocation is by its very nature a vocation to the

apostolate.” (Apostolicam actuositatem, 2) So, anyone who wants to be

truly consistent to his Christian identity and calling should realize

ever deeply that he is called to help others get closer to God. This

is what apostolate is all about.

          We need to be familiar with this Christian duty. We have to

do apostolate, and we need to see to it that the zeal for it is always

nourished, stoked and fanned to its most intense degree.

          We have to understand though that in doing apostolate, we

should rely only on Christ’s power. Thus, Christ in commissioning his

apostles, told them to “take nothing for the journey, neither walking

stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money…” (cfr. Lk 9,1-6) He will provide

for everything that we need.

          And nowadays, we seem to get more convinced that the new

mission lands are not anymore those places and people who are far away

from the mainstream, those who still are kind of primitive in their

culture and deprived even of the basic material necessities, or who

are still into their own pagan ways. Of course, due attention and

evangelization should continue for them. These should never stop.

          But we are more convinced that the new mission lands are the

more developed countries that are in the middle of the mainstream

world but are very far in their faith. More than far from the faith

and from God, they look more like resistant and even against God and

anything that has to do with religion. They are more challenging since

the attention and evangelization to be given to them require a more

complex strategy.

          We have to give special attention to these new mission lands!

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com