JUST A LOAN

Sweet words are easy to say; nice things are easy to buy; but good people are different to find. Life ends, when you stop dreaming; hope ends, when you stop believing; friendship stops, when you stop sharing. A good friend of mine sent me this quotation. I commented back: So very true and very well said!

Our life is borrowed - from God. No rental charges are collected from us. Many of us have forgotten this and live life to the fullest. Our life is equal to a book from a library that lends one. But how insatiable and unbearable are we in disdainful acting towards life and therefore to ourselves? Remember: life is just a loan!

My life is on loan, like money borrowed from a bank. God is the lender, and He retains the right to call in the loan any time. Though I am responsible for taking care of it, I do not own this life; it is borrowed. Why should I fear its loss or the loss of anything else in this world when I must surrender it all anyway?

Life seems to be nothing, just being ready to riddle one with bullets. Life seems to be nothing, just being broken through indifference and unreliable and immoral behavior. Life seems to be nothing for those people who don't understand cries from the heart of other people around them - cries for their hearts and families, for justice and for many other things.

Life with all its ups and downs, is just a loan, but for many of our fellow creatures it just seems to be nonsense to be littered like a dump. And, if people try to survive, especially during these days, and if they just experienced (once more!) indifference, arrogance, ignorance or cheating by whomever - they will give up! 

I can assure you that every one of us can at first help in prayers and in reading the bible. "Proverbs" is the probably most down-to-earth book in the bible. Its teachings prepare you for daily life, the street and the market place. The book offers warm pieces of advice you get; practical guidance for making your way on earth. Proverbs covers any kinds of questions you might have right now. Anybody can relate to the generalities of Proverbs, because this book simply tells how life works most of the time.

While writing this piece, I observed that more and more people struggle through life: tired, hopeless, experiencing their rock-bottoms, believing in fallacious "people" around them. I also observed a lot of people living a thief life, as if it has been giving them without limitation.

"Let's enjoy every single loophole in law!" What a sad and fatal attraction!

PSEi rallies on positive earnings reports

By Ed Paolo Salting, Manila Times

THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) went up again on Wednesday by 67.78 points to close at 6,430.08.

Philstocks Financial Inc. research associate Claire Alviar and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said good earnings reports from the index members boosted market sentiment.

"Gains from the heavyweight companies, particularly the 3.38-percent income bump of SM Investments Corp., helped lift the PSEi," Alviar said.

Ricafort added that the market also took into account Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla's signal that inflation may have peaked in July 2022 and factored in the policy rate hike of 25 to 50 basis points on Aug. 18, 2022.

Alviar pointed out that since the market has breached its 6,400-resistance level, it will test the sustainability of that benchmark in the coming days. If the market breaks 6,400, the next indicator is 6,600.

In the United States, Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis Limlingan said that investors turned away from US markets as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to Taiwan added to the already tense US-China relations. Stocks also fell further after three Federal Reserve presidents hinted that further rate hikes would be necessary to combat high inflation.

For local catalysts, investors await the release of the PH CPI (Philippine consumer price index) on Friday and continue to be guided by release of additional earnings reports.

Oil prices are on the upward trajectory again. Limlingan said that oil futures edged up ahead of a meeting of OPEC+ producers this week that may not lead to a boost in crude supply amid concerns a possible global recession could limit energy demand. Brent futures rose 51 cents to settle at $100.54 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 53 cents to $94.42 per barrel.

Market volume was up, with a net value turnover of P6.09 billion, the highest since July 8's P6.27 billion.

Suffering as proof of true love

By Fr. Roy Cimagala*

WE have to be clear about the truth of our faith. If we truly have love, the love that comes from God and not just our own idea of love, we should be willing to suffer and die for our beloved who in the end is none other than God, and because of God, is also everybody else.

This truth of our faith can be gleaned from that gospel episode where Christ asked his disciples who he was. (cfr. Mt 16,13-23) A variety of answers were given by them, until Peter himself gave the right one. “You are Christ, the son of the living God.” To this answer of Peter, Christ was so happy that he exclaimed: 

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” Then Christ proceeded to tell Peter about the founding of the Church, giving him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, such that whatever Peter would bind on earth will also be bound in heaven, and whatever he loses on earth will be lost also in heaven.

But the more intriguing part of this gospel episode is that after this very dramatic exchanges between Christ and Peter, Christ proceeded to talk about his impending passion and death.

This part of the gospel narrative somehow tells us that for us to be with Christ, some suffering would be involved. Said in another way, suffering is a clear proof that we are with Christ and that we are truly in the dynamic of real love.

Thus, we all need to be reminded that all our suffering has a positive and favorable aspect. It’s not all entirely bad and negative, though in itself it will always be bad. But if viewed and lived through our Christian faith, there is something in it that can give us a greater good. We may refer to this advantageous aspect of suffering as the happy Good News or Gospel of Suffering.

We have to remind ourselves though that we are not actually meant to suffer. Our original as well as our ideal definitive state in heaven excludes suffering. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were in the state of original justice, where everything was in order and in harmony. No pain and suffering touched them, until they fell into sin.

And as the Book of Revelation would put it, in our definitive state of life in heaven “He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (21,4)

In this life, we have to expect and be prepared for the unavoidable pain and suffering. And this means that whether we are guilty or not of our pains and suffering, all we have to do is to go immediately to Christ who shows us how to handle our pains and suffering and who is ready to forgive us if ever we are deserving of suffering due to sin.

It’s true that God is always offended by our sin, and will somehow show his anger and disappointment to us. But let’s never forget that with him, anger would only be for a moment, while his mercy is forever. (cfr. Ps 30,5)

We should be quick to unite our suffering with that Christ on the cross, and thus convert our suffering as the very proof of real love!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

„Bis die Rente wieder reicht“: Senioren arbeiten mit über 70 in der Drogerie

Von: Patricia Huber, Merkur

Vielen Rentnern reicht das Geld zum Leben nicht mehr. So auch bei Wolfgang und Hannelore, die laut einem Bericht trotz Ruhestand in der Drogerie arbeiten.

Hamburg – Das Renteneintrittsalter steigt Jahrgang für Jahrgang auf aktuell bis zu 67 Jahre. Erst kürzlich hat sich der Präsident des Arbeitgeberverbandes Gesamtmetall, Stefan Wolf, für die Rente mit 70 ausgesprochen. Doch bereits jetzt arbeiten etliche Rentner trotz ihres hohen Alters weiter.

Arbeiten trotz Rente: Wenn das Geld nicht mehr reicht

Die Zahl der berufstätigen Rentner stieg in den vergangenen Jahren immer weiter. 2021 waren 1,05 Millionen Beschäftigte 67 Jahre oder älter, wie tagesschau.de berichtet. Auch der 72-jährige Wolfgang K. und die 78-jährige Hannelore H. arbeiten trotz ihres Alters noch. Vier Tage die Woche räumen sie je zwei Stunden in einer Drogerie in Hamburg Regale ein, wie die Hamburger Morgenpost berichtet.

Dafür erhalten Hannelore und Wolfgang jeweils 450 Euro. Würden sie mehr verdienen, würde ihnen die Rente gekürzt werden. Eigentlich haben die beiden den Job angenommen, um der Langeweile vorzubeugen. Mittlerweile ist er jedoch auch notwendig, um über die Runden zu kommen. Wolfgang erhält derzeit 1100 und Hannelore 1300 Euro Rente. „Früher hat das zum Leben gereicht und das Gehalt war ein schöner Bonus“, erklärt Wolfgang der Hamburger Morgenpost. Doch mit der hohen Inflation hat sich die Situation der Rentner verändert. „Seitdem die Preise steigen, bin ich darauf angewiesen.“

Wie das Statistische Bundesamt mitteilte, waren die Verbraucherpreise im Juli 2022 um 7,5 Prozent höher als noch im Vorjahresmonat. Besonders bei Nahrungsmitteln (14,8 Prozent teurer) und Energie (35,7 Prozent teurer) sind die Preise in die Höhe geschossen.

Hannelore und Wolfgang haben immerhin Spaß am Job. Er hilft ihnen dabei, fit zu bleiben – und zusätzlich den notwendigen Lebensunterhalt zur Rente hinzuzuverdienen. Aber wie lange soll das noch so weitergehen? „Na, solange es körperlich möglich ist! Bloß kein Müßiggang“, sagt Hannelore der Hamburger Morgenpost. Wolfgang fügt hinzu: „Bis die Rente wieder zum Leben reicht.“ (ph)