Christ wants us to be apostles

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

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 also share 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 (“relictis 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.

This duty actually springs first of all from our nature. We are not only individual people. We are also social beings. Our sociability is not an optional feature. It is part of our essence, violating which would be equivalent to violating our very own nature.

We can never live alone. We need to be with others. And more, we need to care for one another. We have to be responsible for one another. And while this caring and loving starts with the most immediate material human needs like food, clothing, etc., it has to go all the way to the spiritual and most important and ultimate need of ours.

That’s why we need to practice affection, compassion, understanding, patience and mercy on everyone. We have to understand though that all these can only take place if they spring and tend towards God, “the source of all good things” for us.

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.

On our part, we should just be as generous as we can be in carrying out that responsibility. “Without cost you have received. Without cost you are to give.” (Mt 10,8) For sure, with these words of Christ, we are strongly reminded to be generous, to give ourselves completely to God and to others, sparing and keeping nothing for ourselves, because God has been generous with us. 

We need to develop a keen sense of generosity and self-giving that is also a result of detachment. Let’s never forget that whatever we have comes from God who wants us to work for the common good. Thus, we hear St. Paul saying, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor 4,7)

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Typical Filipino (XXX) - Typisch Philippinisch (XXX): "Compadrazco" - Die Patenschaft

 

The Compadre System, or the “Extended Family” is the basis of Filipino social structure. It is a kinship system which extends one’s relationships beyond one’s immediate family to include up to about 400 people.

Als Verwandte zählen natürlich auch die entferntesten Vettern und Cousinen. Darüber hinaus vergrößert sich die Verwandschaftsgruppe und wächst u.a. durch Heirat über die Blutverwandten hinaus. Die christliche Sitte der Taufpatenschaft schafft eine feste Verbindung zwischen Patenkind und Patenteltern.

Nach der strengen Tradition gelten Patenonkel und Patentante als die zweiten Eltern des Kindes. Man erwartet von ihnen, daß sie sich um das Kind kümmern, wenn ihnen etwas passiert. 

Das Patenkind nennt seinen Patenonkel NINONG und seine Patentante NINANG. Es selbst heißt INAANAK, was wörtlich übersetzt "geschaffener Bruder/Schwester" bedeutet, also ein durch ein Ritual erworbener Bruder oder Schwester zu den eigenen Kindern.

Ausländer genießen auf den Philippinen ein hohes Ansehen und werden deshalb oft gefragt, als Pate für eine Taufe oder auch Hochzeit aufzutreten. Da dies als Auszeichnung gilt, ist es nicht leicht, eine derartige Bitte abzulehnen. Man sagt am besten zu. Wenn Sie nicht in die komplizierten Verwandschaftsbeziehungen eindringen wollen, so wird bereits Ihre Teilnahme an der Zeremonie  als  ausreichende Ehre verstanden.

Of course, even the  most distant cousins count as relatives. In addition, the kinship group expands and through marriage, i.e., grows beyond the blood relatives. The Christian custom of sponsorship creates a solid bond between the sponsored child and the sponsored parents.

According to the strict tradition, godfather and godmother are considered the second parents of the child.You are expected to take care of the child if something happens to them. The godchild names his godfather NINONG and his godmother NINANG. It itself is called INAANAK, which literally translated means "created brother or sister" - in other words, a brother or sister to one's own children acquired through a ritual.

Foreigners enjoy a high reputation in the Philippines and are therefore often asked to become a sponsor of a baptismal or wedding. Since this is considered an award, it is not easy to refuse such a request. It's best to say yes. If you do not want to intrude into the complicated family relationships, your participation in the ceremony is already understood as a sufficient honor.

What can you say about the Philippines?

By: Jonathan Sayles

Married to a Cebuana for 11 years with 2 great kids

Until 11 or 12 years ago I didn’t even know where the Philippines existed on the planet. I had no intent to find out either. I was quite happy just knowing about the big players. Countries where you feel safe going on holiday to.

I first found out about the country from someone I met online. We used to chat on the internet and before Facebook existed as it does today we used to webcam through Yahoo Messenger.

I ended up marrying that person and now all I think about is the Philippines. It was quite an eye opener. The first time I visited Cebu, I was surprised to see electric cables hanging down to maybe 1 meter off the floor on most of the streets. Great big holes in the pavements. Floods on a regular basis. Mosquitoes that had me as a 3 course meal.

I’ve experienced the chaos of elections, the calm of thai massages and traditional Nipa huts at relatives of my wife.

I see a people that work hard for little pay, and others that work little, earn a lot and pay no taxes. It is a country of diversification and yet at the heart it is such a close community of people who have great pride in Filipino’s that do well overseas.

My dream is to emmigrate there. To try to get back to a life that western countries used to have. I’m tired of people in the UK moaning about how hard their lives are when they earn £20000-£40000 a year. Filipino’s survive on far less and seem happier.

Save me a place! I’ll be there as quick as I can!

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND UNFULFILLED DREAMS

My column in Mindanao Daily News and BusinessWeek Mindanao

OPINION

By KLAUS DÖRING

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Very often - sometimes too often! - the thought is back! If we wake up in the morning (or even many times in the middle of the night), the thought is back. Sometimes, the thought will not let us sleep. The "act of thinking". the "reflection", the "opinion" or the "serious consideration", no matter how we describe it - our memory and conscience is always with us as a permanent companion.

 

Especially in times of this pandemic, some people struggle to get to sleep no matter how tired they are. Others wake up in the middle of the night and lie awake for hours, anxiously watching the clock.

 

Yes, we brood over unsettled problems. Sometimes we bear unfair treatments, arrogance, ignorance, incompetent know-it-all-betters, and unbearable oddballs, who inexorable love to make our life a hell while living themselves a disorderly life.

We would not like to be distracted, but we're toying with some good ideas how we could throw overboard all that "human garbage". What will come next is a matter of conjecture.

Of course, we've got my ideas, but we're not mind readers. Too many trains of thought make us thoughtless and absent-minded especially in difficult and important daily life situations.

Does waiting and/or sleeping solve our problems? Or is it just again in time? Our life's central idea should not be that while waiting, time solves all our problems. Thoughts should intensify, condense and deepen plans followed by actions.

It's good and helpful to carry thoughts in us all the time. Incomprehensible, or better unfinished and un-matured thoughts, no matter whether positive or negative, should be slept on, before tiredness outstrips us with supersonic speed.

Sometimes we feel that our thoughts and ideas can't be fulfilled with life. Where the heart is willing, it will find a thousand ways; but where the heart is weak, it will find a thousand excuses. If doubts begin to take roots, we should rouse from pink-tinted idealism or wear down and annihilate nightmares and erase and wipe out such thoughts and ideas.

If our thoughts are good and have the chance to be fulfilled in action, especially if "the other side" is prepared and willing to step on to such a bridge of life, we might get support and words of encouragement.

And, if not? No action? Maybe it is God's will to keep and protect us from a careless, rash, disadvantageous and uneasy action. Every new day gives us new inexhaustible possibilities to survive, to bear trials and to start a new beginning. We overlook and fail to notice many chances to lie through our sluggishness and laziness while thinking and dreaming of unequaled and unfulfilled ideas.

Long time ago,Pope John XXIII said, " Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do".

God can call us in a surprise

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THAT’S true! God can call us in a surprise. But that’s not because of God who wants to surprise us. Rather, it is because of us. To be sure, everyone is called by God because we are supposed to be like him and to be with him, sharing in his life and in his work.

Insofar as God is concerned, our calling or vocation has already been made from all eternity. But insofar as we are concerned, yes, our vocation can come as a surprise, because we have been ignoring this basic aspect of our life and may have been living a rather colorful life until God’s irrepressible intervention jolts us.

We all need to remind ourselves of this basic truth. All of us have a vocation. We have to sharpen that sense and make it the directing and shaping principle of our life.

Vocation is not only for a few, and for some special part of our life. It is for all of us, since as creatures and children of God, our relation with him is never broken. Our life will always be a life with him, whether we are aware of it or not.

God continues to be with us, and while respecting our freedom always, he calls us to him, for it is him, more than us, who directs and shapes our life. This is the essence of vocation—God calling us to share his life and activity with us, since we are his image and likeness.

Let’s always remember that God created us for a purpose. He did not create us just to leave us on our own. He created us to participate in his life and in his love which is the essence of God.

God can manifest this vocation to us in some dramatic way, often involving drastic changes in the recipients. God can enter into our lives and make his will more felt by us in some special way. Though we cannot help it, we should try our best not to be surprised by these possibilities.

Consider St. Paul, St. Augustine, the apostles themselves, and the patriarchs and prophets like Abraham, Moses, Jonas, Jeremiah, etc. Consider St. Edith Stein, and our very own St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod. 

Their stories are full of drama and suspense. St. Paul received his vocation while on a mad campaign to arrest the early Christians. St. Augustine, though gifted intellectually, had a colourful past. The apostles were mainly simple people, mostly fishermen. 

St. Edith was an intelligent Jewish agnostic before her conversion. And our own Filipino saints were catechists doing some domestic work for some priests. All had their defects, and sins, and yet they became and are great saints.

Nothing is impossible with God, and with our trust and faith in him, we can also do what is impossible with God.

We have to feel at home with the idea, nay, the truth that all of us have a vocation. Let’s not play blind and deaf. God’s call is actually quite loud enough. And when we are given a special vocation, let’s not be afraid, but rather go for it at full throttle.

Ok, we may hesitate at first, we can have doubts, but if we are honest, we will soon see there’s nothing to be afraid about. God takes care of everything. All he needs is that we trust him, that we have faith in him, and that we try our best to cooperate.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

We are meant to be the world’s light

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

TO be truly Christian, we should be what Christ wants us to be—light of the world. As such we have to learn how to give good example to others, obviously with the proper motive and purpose. Christ pointed this out when he said, “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light.” (Lk 8,16)

Yes, if we go by our Christian faith, we are meant to be the light of the world. We are supposed to be a light to the others, to guide them to our proper and ultimate end who is God. We are supposed to be eager to give good examples to the others.

All this is based on what Christ said once. “You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 5,14-16)

It’s a light that we ought to produce even with our mere presence, or with our words and deeds. It’s a light that we are supposed to produce all the time and everywhere, and not just intermittently and in some places. Even in our sleep, it has to radiate. More, even in our absence, it can continue to shine in the memory of others, in their minds and hearts.

It’s actually the most real, ultimate and necessary light we have on earth. All the other lights will come and go, in varying ways and lengths of time. This one can last forever. It will never wane nor fade away. It goes beyond time and space.

As such, we need to realize that it is a duty of ours, as Christians, to always give good example to others. Not that we have to flaunt whatever good thing we have or do, for Christ clearly said also that we should not show off our good deed before men, to be seen by them, lest we lose our reward in heaven. (cfr. Mt 6,1)

We have to be aware that we always have to give good example to others for the sole purpose of leading others to God. It is to edify others, to encourage them to be holy and to pursue the path of sanctity in an abiding way.

This duty, therefore, should be carried out deliberately. It should somehow be planned and aimed at. It should not just be something incidental or something optional. Of course, this duty should not be done out of pride or vanity, but out of obedience to the will of God who wants to save all men. (cfr. 1 Tim 2,4)

We can be this light, and thus give good example to others, if we strive to identify ourselves increasingly with the source of the Eternal Light, God himself, through Christ in the Holy Spirit. 

This light can come about if we truly desire to know more about God and to grow in a more intimate relationship with him, praying to him in adoration, thanksgiving, expiation and petition, and receiving the sacraments.

We can have this light if we earnestly study the doctrine of our faith, making it flesh of our flesh, such that we can arrive at the awareness we are living with God and not simply by ourselves. Also, when we always strive to grow in the virtues.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Do you think we Filipinos were influenced by the Western colonial mentality?

 

Bisaya

Barok and Takya Blog | Bisaya Podcast

The Spaniards colonized the Philippines for over three centuries and by the Americans for about half a century. Because of this long period of colonization, it is to be expected that there will be some elements in our culture that are left-over from much earlier times. Many Filipinos today still follow Spanish customs like the celebration of fiestas, some of which are religious. Many Filipinos have surnames from the Spaniards, for example, Cojuangco. Still, there are also Filipinos with Chinese names like Co Lee or Ong, so these were derived from the southern traders before Spanish rule.

The Western colonial mentality believes that it's better to be white, that other races are inferior. The colonial mentality is the belief that it's better to be rich than poor. The colonial mentality is also acceptance of authority without question and thinking there's nothing wrong with having an authoritarian leader. This type of mentality was transmitted through the education system, where it was ingrained in students' minds that Westerners were superior.

Filipinos today are exposed to foreign cultures through television, books, magazines and the Internet. But Filipinos need to remember that they should not be influenced by foreign culture because if their own culture is being marginalized, then it's no longer Filipino anymore.

57 NCR areas under granular lockdown – DILG

Romina Cabrera - The Philippine Star 

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 57 areas in Metro Manila are on granular lockdown under the new quarantine alert level system, with 11,808 people breaking health protocols on the first day of its implementation last Thursday, authorities said.

Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, spokesman for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), told the Laging Handa media briefing yesterday that the 57 areas under granular lockdown are spread throughout all local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“We had an orderly pilot run on the first day of implementation of the alert level system. LGUs were clear on the guidelines, which were the result of a series of consultations with the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) and mayors,” Malaya said in Filipino.

He said LGUs have deployed marshals and officers to monitor compliance of establishments with the guidelines as more businesses are allowed to reopen under the new system.

He noted that there were unvaccinated individuals caught in barber shops and they were instructed to leave.

Malaya said LGU personnel and police have been ordered to intensify their enforcement of minimum health standards, as enforcing the rules across so many more establishments allowed to operate is a challenge.

“On the issue of warning (residents in lockdown areas), that’s in the hands of the LGUs,” Malaya said. “I must emphasize the granular lockdown is smaller and better (managed). Our goal in intervention must be to the smallest possible affected area. PNP flags 11,808 violators

The first day of the new alert level system with granular lockdowns was “generally peaceful” even if the Philippine National Police (PNP) recorded 11,808 health protocol violators.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said yesterday about 55 percent of these individuals flagged by the police were warned, 38 percent of them fined and seven percent charged with various violations of mandates against mass gatherings and wearing of masks.

“Compared to MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine) the past 26 days, we were averaging 12,600 violators per day.

So it’s almost the same number even though we all know that more people are expected outdoors because of additional permitted industries to operate,” Eleazar said.

Police personnel have been ordered to maintain their presence in outdoor leisure areas such as parks amid the enforcement of Alert Level 4 in Metro Manila.

“The presence of our uniformed personnel in these areas will serve as a reminder for our citizens to continuously observe the necessary protection for themselves and their companions,” he said.

Those who are not allowed outside their residences under Alert Level 4 are people aged below 18 and above 65; those with immunodeficiencies, comorbidities or other health risks and pregnant women.

These individuals will only be allowed to go out to access or obtain essential goods and services, or if it is for work in permitted industries and offices.

Like restaurants and other business establishments, tourist spots are also gradually opening.

In Manila, Rizal Park now allows the entry of a maximum of 500 people at a time, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.

Several areas in Intramuros also reopened but under shortened hours of operation. Alert downgrade eyed. MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos said they are aiming to have a downgrade of the alert level once the pilot implementation of the new quarantine system lapses at the end of the month.“The challenge here is for us to be successful, because we (Metro Manila LGUs) are the pilot implementation. If we are successful, hopefully, we could go down one level so the economy would be more open,” Abalos told an episode of the “The Chiefs” aired on Cignal TV’s One News.

“The goal is to make sure that the region would be downgraded by one level, into Alert Level 3, so there would be an increased capacity of 30 percent (in business establishments),” he added.

Christ’s cross clarifies our human condition

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

        

  I FIND it amusing if it were not a disturbing and sad story.

While Christ was already predicting his passion, death and

resurrection, all that his apostles did was to discuss who among them

was the greatest. (cfr. 9,30-37) This, to me, is the example par

excellence of what is termed as impertinence.

          That’s when Christ told them to be as humble as a little

child. “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives

me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

          Of course, receiving a child in Christ’s name means

receiving Christ and everything that he has done for the salvation of

man, and this would include suffering and loving the cross. The cross

is necessary in our life. It plays a big role in clarifying our true

condition in our earthly life which is marked by sinfulness and thus,

in great need of redemption.

          We need to know the purpose of the cross because the cross,

through Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, is where everything

in our life is resolved. Christ’s passion, death and resurrection is

the culmination of Christ’s redemptive mission on earth.

          Yes, Christ preached. He performed miracles. But in the end,

he had to offer his life on the cross because no matter what he did,

our sins are such that they simply cannot be undone and forgiven

through the preaching of the truths of our faith and the tremendous

effects of the miracles. Christ has to offer his life on the cross!

          We might ask, if Christ is God, why did he have to go

through all that suffering and death? Why not just say, “Everything is

now all right, guys.” As God, nothing is impossible with him. With the

movement of his will, with a flick of his hand, everything would be as

it should be.

          I must say, it is a good question to ask. Indeed, nothing is

impossible with God. He does not have to do anything spectacular to

repair what was damaged. A word from him, and everything would be as

he wants it to be.

          Be that as it may, the fact is that Christ chose the way the

Father wanted it. “Not my will, but yours be done,” Christ said. (Lk

22,42) And I imagine the reason behind this is because God respects

our human nature as it is, as it has been created by him, capable of

loving and hating, and also capable of being faithful and unfaithful

and faithful again after some conversion, and some consequences

follow.

          The return to fidelity, given our nature, will unavoidably

involve suffering and death which Christ took to himself, showing us

the way of how to go about these consequences of our sins.

          In other words, the cross and all the suffering it involves

are the consequences of our sins which need to be forgiven and undone.

And that can only happen when with Christ, we go through the

consequences of our sin by suffering them with Christ on the cross.

Thus the cross of our sins has been converted by Christ into the cross

of our salvation. That’s how we have to understand the cross and all

the suffering it involves.

          We should not be afraid of the cross. In fact, we should be

looking forward to have it if only to help in Christ’s continuing work

of our redemption.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Is the Filipino language Tagalog close to the Spanish language?

Dayang C Marikit

I’m a Philippine history professor. I would like to inform people that “nothing is set in stone” because we are constantly gathering information and learning about our history, somethings may change in the future, but for now the things that I publish are the things that we currently perceive to “know about.”

No, Filipino language is a part of the Austronesian language family, specifically the Western Malayo-Polynesian branch. We may have adopted some Spanish loanwords but our languages are related to other Maritime Southeast Asian languages, such as Malay and Javanese.

On a side note, even Malay and Javanese had also adopted Portuguese, Dutch, English, Arabic and Sanskrit loanwords. While Spanish had also adopted many Arabic loanwords as well.

• It's normal for languages to adopt loanwords. In the Philippines we actually have multiple words for the same thing. We may have a "Spanish based loanword" and a "Local translation" as well. Ex: (Mesa/Hapag = Table), (Kwarto/Silid = Room), (Libro/Aklat = Book), (Bandila/Watawat = Flag), etc.

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Would Spanish speakers understand these?