Charity should animate our zeal

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

WE should see to it that our zeal to do the things of God is always animated by charity. Without charity, that zeal would do us more harm than good. It would be a zeal that defeats the purpose of serving God.

We are reminded of this danger in the gospel when some of the apostles told Christ to rain fire on those who did not welcome him who was then passing by a certain town on his way to Jerusalem. (cfr. Lk 9,54) Christ had to tell them, “You know not of what spirit you are. The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save.” (Lk 9,55-56)

When the zeal is not animated by charity, it can only mean that that zeal is not righteous, that it does not channel the zeal of Christ who himself once said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk 12,49) It would be a zeal that would only satisfy one’s own desires. It is a self-righteous zeal that often is marked by bitterness and recklessness.

The zeal that is animated by charity is always marked by patience, understanding, compassion, magnanimity. And while it can connote quickness of action, it is also very much compatible with prudence. While it is clear about its focus or goal, which is the glorification of God and salvation and sanctification of man, it is willing to adapt to the way people are. It is quite versatile.

This aspect of the zeal proper to us is very relevant these days since we are bombarded with so many things and have to contend with so many confusing developments. A proper amount of restraint and moderation is needed if only to study things well and come out with a good action plan.

When we have a charity-animated zeal, we would always end up energized and optimistic in spite of the great effort and sacrifice that may be involved. It would be zeal that is self-perpetuating, since it would be fueled more by the grace of God than by our mere efforts.

We have to be careful with the phenomenon that is called bitter zeal. It is the wrong zeal of intending to do good but discarding the requirements and details of charity. It is Machiavellian in spirit.

Bitter zeal makes a person hasty and reckless in his assessment of things. It makes him fail to consider all angles, to listen to both sides, so to speak. He is prone to imprudence.

Inflammatory, incendiary words are his main weapons. Being belligerent is his style. He relishes in rousing controversies and sowing intrigues. He’s actually not as interested in looking for the objective truth and justice as in carrying out his own personal cause.

He is prone to keeping resentments and to being unable to forget the perceived wrongs done on him. He finds it hard to understand, much less, forgive others in their mistakes. He likes to exact vengeance of the tit-for-tat type, evil for evil.

We have to learn the art of loving with the love of God as shown by Christ on the cross. It is a love that is patient, willing to suffer for others. It is gratuitously given, even if it is not reciprocated.

We have to make sure that we are always burning with the zeal of love!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

True charity surpasses our human systems

By Fr. Roy Cimagala*

“I TELL you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.” (Jn 5,20) Words of Christ that warn us of the danger of self-righteousness as exemplified by the scribes and Pharisees of his time and that undermine the true charity that comes from God who is the very essence of love as fully manifested by Christ.

We have to understand that this charity surpasses whatever human standard we have about love. This charity is a love without measure, given without calculation, without expecting any return. It just gives and gives, even if along the way it encounters difficulties, rejection, suffering. It embraces them, not flee from them. By its nature, it is given gratuitously. 

Love engenders generosity and its relatives: magnanimity, magnificence, compassion, patience, pity, etc. This is the language of love, the currencies it uses. It thinks big, even if the matter involved is small according to human standards. In fact, it’s love that makes small, ordinary things big and special.  

    

      That’s in theory. In practice, though, there can be elements that put limits and conditions to that love. This can be due to a number of reasons. One of them is because man grows by stages, and his capacity to love also develops in stages. It goes through a development timeline, much like one’s growth timeline from childhood to adulthood and maturity.      

We have to understand that to be able to love, we need to be with God, for God is love. He is the source, pattern and end of love. All our loves here on earth, to be real, have to be inspired by that love that is in God. Otherwise, they are fake.   

It stands to reason then that we need to go to him, to pray and meditate on his love—how he created us and endowed us with the best things in life, making us his image and likeness, and in fact children of his.      

 

We need to realize deeply that his love goes to the extent of forgiving us for our sins and stupidities, and not only by decreeing things, but by assuming even our sinfulness and dying to it.     

We need to feel that love in a very direct and immediate way, which can only be achieved first of all with his grace, but also with our effort. We need to feel that such love is the one that inspires, directs and energizes our loves here on earth. 

So, we really need to spend time entering into this reality, first of all, by praying, by meditating, then by studying the doctrine of our faith, since God’s love is not mere sentiments. It involves truth whose substance is passed on to us through the doctrine revealed and lived by Christ, and now authoritatively taught by the Church.    

We need to outgrow our tendency to fall for an unrealistic and sugary understanding of love, so common these days, especially among the young, or worse, associating love with the purely carnal and selfish. Unfortunately, there are many caught in this kind of predicament.   

   

      When we have this kind of love, we will spring into action, always with joy and peace. Sadness, feeling lazy and the like are dregs and signs of self-love. God’s love, on the other hand, makes us very alive even in the midst of so much trials and suffering.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU IN LIFE?

What counts: Faith? Hope? Charity? Very often I ask myself: What's the sense of doing like and like that? What's the real meaning of life?

Nearly every morning, we get up and hurry to work. We see so many remorseful faces of people as if there are full of problems that a smile to them is like a sunbeam trapped behind the black clouds. Yes, sure, in these pandemic times, many of us might have already forgotten to smile.

Whether in good or bad times, our day at the workplace or in the home office goes on with our colleagues, employees or employers. And leisure time is there, no matter how great or small our zest for life is. 

So, we live our life in a logical sequence: day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year.  Every day is a cycle of life: every morning is like a birth and every night like a death.

But how do we live our life? Often we can notice people living an easy-go-lucky way of life. Others feel good and satisfied when they can make someone else's life hell. Others have to escape with their bare life while still others experience life-and-death-struggle.

What counts for us? Success? Power? Or money? Is it contentment? Peace on earth and in our souls? Really zest for life? 

If I observe people who really choose to be unhappy even without any reason at all, I feel sad. Being unhappy makes life miserable. Whatever happens around me, I don't like to be unhappy. For me, the meaning of happiness is to try to manage life even with problems and difficulties. Easier said than done! I know, I know.

The Bible states that love is greater than both faith and hope. We couldn't live our lives without faith or hope: without faith, we cannot know the God of love; without hope, we would not endure in our faith until we meet him face to face. Thus, love is the virtue upon which all Christian faith and hope now stand.

Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (20 April 1826 – 12 October 1887) was an English novelist and poet. Allow me to quote her, "When faith and hope fail, as they do sometimes, we must try charity, which is love in action".

Ano ang mahalaga? Paniniwala? Pag-asa? O kaya pagbibigayan at pagtutulungan?

Charity requires toughness

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          WHEN Christ talked about the lost sheep and how the good

shepherd would do everything to find it (cfr. Mt 18,12-14), he must be

telling us that we should be tough in our love and care for one

another, such that even if someone is in grave error, we should do our

best to help and save him rather than leave him to remain lost.

          This is the charity Christ is showing us. It’s the charity

that is meant for us. With God’s grace, let us learn to develop that

charity, cultivating the relevant allied virtues of optimism, patience

and fidelity, so that instead of being turned off or scandalized by

the evils of others, we would even rev up our concern and solicitude

for those in some form of disorder.

          We need to be tough in this life, otherwise we will fail to

follow Christ who is the epitome of how we should be since he is the

pattern of our humanity, the savior of our damaged humanity, the “way,

the truth and the life” for us.

          Christ was tough to carry out his mission of saving us. He

knew from the beginning that he would be betrayed by someone close to

him, that he would suffer and die a most ignominious death, but these

did not deter him from pursuing his mission. His love for us was and

is such that he can take on anything that would come his way.

          Christ already warned us of the kind of suffering to expect

in our life. “They will seize and persecute you,” he said. (Lk 21,12)

“You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and

friends, and they will put some of you to death.” (Lk 21,16)

          All these should not affect our charity. If anything at all,

we should even be more charitable with those who give us trouble.

Thus, St. Paul described such charity when he said that “love bears

all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all

things.” (1 Cor 13,7) Christ already reassured us that as long as

suffer with him, we will also have the victory of his resurrection.

          In other words, we have to learn how to be friends with

everyone regardless of how they are, because only then can we help

them to attain the ultimate goal common to all of us. We also have to

learn how to deal with any situation, no matter how difficult and

ugly, not so much in physical terms as in the spiritual and moral. If

we are truly Christian, we would have his desire “not to condemn the

world but to save.” (cfr. Jn 3,17)

          As one saint said it, we should be willing to go to the very

gates of hell, without entering it, of course, if only to save a soul.

This obviously would require of us to be tough and clear about the

real goal to reach, and yet flexible and adaptable to any person and

to any condition.

          In this regard, we have to learn how to fraternize with

sinners. We have to replicate Christ’s attitude towards sinners, who

actually are all of us—of course, in varying degrees. We have to give

special attention to the lost sheep and to the lost coin. We have to

open all possible avenues to be in touch with all sinners.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Truth in charity and universal outlook

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9,40) With these

words, Christ told his apostles, and is telling us now, that we should

have a universal regard for everyone, irrespective of the unavoidable

differences and conflicts we can have among ourselves.

          Especially when these differences and conflicts are just a

matter of personal preferences and opinion, we should not sacrifice

our good relations with others because of them.

          And even if these differences and conflicts concern serious

matters like our core beliefs and religion, we should see to it that

we don’t cut ourselves from the others. There will always be some good

and positive elements that we can see in these differences and

conflicts, and no matter how insignificant they are, we should take

advantage of them to maintain friendship.

          This is how truth is lived in charity, or the other way

around, how we can live charity in the truth. This point was

illustrated in that gospel episode where an apostle told Christ that

he forbade someone who was driving out demons in Christ’s name because

that someone did not follow them, the apostles. (cfr Mk 9,38)

          That’s when Christ told them, “Do not prevent him. There is

no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time

speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk

9,38-40)

          We have to be wary of our tendency to fall into some kind of

exclusivistic mentality or lifestyle. We should be open to everyone.

As long as we can see that one has an earnest desire to know and

uphold the truth and what is good, no matter how different from our

way of knowing and upholding them or even how wrong, we should try our

best to maintain good relations, since only then can we be following

Christ’s example.

          This kind of attitude is most relevant in our effort at

ecumenism and the apostolate “ad fidem.” We have to learn how to be

open-minded, flexible, tolerant in the manner Christ spelled out for

us when he said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.”

          In this regard, we have to take extreme care in avoiding

causing scandal to others. This point was again highlighted by Christ

in the same gospel episode. He was quite strong in this regard.

          “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me

to sin,” he said, “it would be better for him if a great millstone

were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

          Scandal is when we lead others to sin. This can start with

our attitude itself and can worsen with our behavior. We have to see

to it that even in our internal forum, in the way we think, judge,

assess, reason, conclude, etc., the good things like charity,

compassion, understanding should be deliberately pursued.

          Then we can expect good actions to follow, for our thoughts,

desires and intentions are the mother of our actions. How important

therefore it is to keep our thoughts clean, our desires pure, and our

intentions full of love and compassion toward others! Our actions are

just expressions of our thoughts, desires and intentions.

          This is how we can live the truth in charity following the

teaching and example of Christ, and thereby attain a universal outlook

amid the complicated drama of our life here on earth.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Red charity Gala to showcase Filipino designs

By Analou De Vera

The Red Charity Gala, one of the most awaited charity fashion events in the country, will once again showcase another creative talent of a Filipino designer, while at the same time raising funds for worthwhile causes.

Now on its ninth year, The Red Charity Gala 2017 will bring to the runway the creations of designer Joey Samson.

FASHION SHOW FOR A CAUSE – Kaye Tinga (third from left), designer Joey Samson (fourth from left) and Tessa Prieto-Valdez pose beside models during the press conference Wednesday for the Red Charity Gala at the Manila Hotel. The event will be held on October 14. (Jay Ganzon | Manila Bulletin)

The event will be held on October 14 at The Shangri-La at the Fort, Taguig City, with the support of Bench, as part of the clothing brand’s 30th anniversary.

During the event’s press conference at the Manila Hotel on Wednesday, Samson gave a glimpse of some of his creations.

With the theme ‘PilgrimAge,’ this year’s gala “pertains to a journey, a religious devotion, and a voyage to a sacred place.”

“This collection will be a balancing act. It will run the gamut from tradition to something a bit outre, remixing looks and reshuffling garment elements,” said Samson.

“I want the clothes to be a revival of old wardrobe favorites, as if relics of a long passage, at the same time, something with a sense of familiarity, with a contemporary feel transitioning from conventional, street, to ceremonial,” he added.

Samson, being the Red Charity Gala honoree for this year, joins the league of world renowned Filipino designers who previously graced the event such as Dennis Lustico, Furne One, Michael Cinco, Cary Santiago, Ezra Santos, Jojie Lloren, Lesley Mobo, and Chito Vijandre.

“Joey is coming from a different design philosophy which I think is a good breather and a different change. It’s about time that his creation comes on stage,” said society figure Tessa Prieto- Valdes, one of the key persons behind The Red Charity Gala along with Ms. Kaye Tinga.

Also present during the press conference were The Manila Hotel President Atty. Joey Lina, and The Manila Bulletin Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III.

Talents for a cause

Valdes said that for nine-long years, they have been supporting the Philippine fashion industry for a good cause.

“We are so proud that we have already built so many homes, like 300 homes already in Mercedes, Samar, and also helped with so many daycare centers. We’ve also built their library and a multi-purpose center,” Valdes told The Manila Bulletin.

“We’ve done multiple daycare centers in Taguig as well and also helping with the Makati and Taguig Red Cross,” she added.

Aside from supporting the Philippine Red Cross and the Assumption High School Batch 1981 Foundation, “we are also adding this year the foundation of Jewelmer which help farmers and their families,” she said.

According to Valdes, their main target is to help the underprivileged children.

“We really aim to primarily make our charities for children because we feel that those underprivileged children have really no chance of bettering their life. And even if we feel that we can’t really help as much, somehow, slowly we can create a dent in helping them,” Valdes explained.

This year’s Red Charity Gala event is presented by Bench in cooperation with the following sponsors: Globe Platinum, Megaworld, SunLife Financial, Fuentes Manila, Jewelmer, Omega, Philippine Airlines, Remy Martin, Robert Blancaflor, Abitare Internazionale, The Manila Hotel, Adworks, Bluewaters Sumilon Resort Beach, Emperor Watch and Jewelry, Royal Gem, Viking Range, W/17, World Travellers, Auro Chocolates, Gardenia, Goldilocks, and The Botanist.