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

Philippines youth join Grammy winner Kirk Franklin for song ‘Lean On Me’

 Kirk Franklin (center)

by Robert Requintina, Manila Bulletin

Six youth from the Philippines have been chosen as part of a global choir to join Grammy-winning music artist Kirk Franklin to re-release his single, “Lean on Me” on Friday, Sept. 24. 

The youth, who are part of Compassion International’s child development program, was chosen to join peers from 24 other countries to participate in the Compassion Youth Choir.

For the past several months, Franklin has been working with youth from all 25 countries in Compassion’s child development program. Through virtual auditions and rehearsals, the Compassion Youth Choir made up of more than 120 youth, ages 11-19, worked with the artist to record the song, which was originally released in 1998.

“It was an honor working with so many young, talented and gifted kids from across the globe!” Franklin emphasized. “I’m grateful to the team at Compassion International for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity.”

The six youth are Yshara, 11; Hannah, 12; Tessa, 15; John, 18; Kevinker, 18; and Catherine, 18. They came from poor families and auditioned online.

“I’m very excited to be part of the Youth Choir, to show everyone my talent in singing, and to be with other singers from different places as well. My favorite experience so far in working and meeting with Sir Kirk Franklin is when I met him in Zoom. I asked him a question that he answered, and we talked to each other. He gave me advice on how to sing a song well, and he shared his life’s experience to us,” says Yshara, 11, the youngest choir member from the Philippines. 

During the virtual sessions, Franklin provided vocal coaching, answered questions about his life and musical career, and even taught the group some dance moves.

The music video for the re-release of “Lean on Me,” featuring the Compassion Youth Choir, can be seen at compassion.com/kirkfranklin or on YouTube.

Franklin concludes, “It’s unbelievable that a song like this still resonates with so many people. I pray this version provides a little hope for the people across the globe.” 

Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records and Franklin will donate proceeds from the sales and streams of the song to Compassion.

How does music affect the culture of the Filipinos?

Bisaya

Barok and Takya Blog | Bisaya Podcast

Music as a whole can be used as an encouraging or depressing way to look at life. In this sense, it plays a big role in shaping the culture and values of people and the rest of the world. We see this through kundiman - it carries sentiments and emotions that evoke memories and images for Filipinos. These may clash with the outside world, but this clash gives us identity: these cultural imprints are then integrated back into society to create our metamorphosis into another era. So it's not just about tradition; it's also about forging new ground for generations to come.

This ever-evolving system creates such wonderful flavours that we're able to adapt ourselves better than ever before--we learn new things and explore different ways to make the best out of them. Music is one way we express ourselves, and through this method, we show our appreciation for humility and hard work, two values that shape our bustling nation into a happy place worth living in.

So what does music really mean to Filipinos? It simply tells us where we've been and where we could go. It tells a story that everyone can appreciate and relate to, which is why it's a big part of every Filipino culture.

When our death can lead to our resurrection

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

         THE secret, of course, of having our death as a way to our

resurrection is to die with Christ. Only with him can our

resurrection, our victory over sin and death, take place after our

death. St. Paul encapsulated this most wonderful truth of our faith

when he said, “For if we have been united with him in a death like

his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like

his.” (Rom 6,5)

          No wonder then that Christ culminated his redemptive work

with his passion and death on the cross. Only then would his own

resurrection take place. Christ made this point clear when after being

rightly identified by Peter as ‘the Christ of God,’ he proceeded to

talk about his passion, death and resurrection.

          “The Son of Man must suffer greatly,” he said, “and be

rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be

killed and on the third day be raised.” (Lk 9,22)

          We have to deepen our belief that with Christ’s

resurrection, sin and death have been definitively conquered, and a

new life in God is given to us. We are now a new creation, with the

power of Christ to conquer sin and death and everything else that

stands in the way of our becoming true children of God.

          And so we have every reason to think that we can live

forever in Christ over whom death no longer has dominion. In spite of

whatever, we have every reason to be happy and confident, as long as

we are faithful to Christ.

          We just need to realize more deeply that Christ is alive and

wants to live his life with us, because we are patterned after him.

Let us not miss this most golden opportunity.

          We therefore have to learn how to keep him alive in our

minds and hearts. We have to learn to feel in an abiding way the new

life, the new creation he has won for us through the cross.

          And this can mean that we have to go through the daily

process of dying and rising with Christ. In other words, our earthly

day-to-day life should be the precious time of rehearsal for the final

and crucial moment of our death. Our death should be a dying with

Christ so that we too can rise with him.

          We need to be aware of this very important significance and

purpose of our life here on earth, and to act on it accordingly.

Everything that happens in our life can and should be related to this

significance and purpose of our life. Nothing in our life, whether

humanly good or bad, right or wrong, is irrelevant to our life’s

purpose.

          We should be wary of our tendency to degrade our life’s true

and ultimate meaning and purpose. That happens when our understanding

of our life’s purpose and our reactions to the different events of our

life are derived simply from our human estimations of things, as from

our senses and emotions alone, or from some sciences or philosophies

or ideologies or superstitions.

          With these attitudes and frame of mind, we put ourselves

vulnerable to despair and helplessness, since we would not be able to

cope with all the trials and challenges of life. We would be tying the

hands of God who knows how to resolve even our most unsolvable

predicaments. We should go through our earthly suffering and death, so

that we can resurrect with Christ!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

What is it like to live in Manila?

 

Zain Hoda

AlphaHat.com

In some ways this is a very difficult question to answer because your experience will differ drastically depending on how much money you have. I'll give you my experience with the caveat that it is by no means representative of most people who live there. Although if you're a foreigner who's coming to live in Manila, this probably is representative.

I was born in Manila in 1984 and lived there until I left for college. However, I am not Filipino. My family is Pakistani and I inherited their citizenship since the Philippines does not grant citizenship based on birth in their territory.

My father worked for the Asian Development Bank, which is headquartered in Manila.

These are some of my thoughts from living there. Some of these are not necessarily specific to Manila but the Philippines in general.

• Filipinos are some of the friendliest people in the world.
• Almost everyone speaks English, though to varying degrees. I lived there for 18 years and I only learned Filipino by watching local television (I still remember watching Noli De Castro saying "Magandang Gabi.... Bayan"). However, when we got cable TV in 1992, I stopped watching local channels and my knowledge of the language has steadily declined since. Talking to taxi drivers or going to local shops does not require knowledge of Filipino.
• The traffic is terrible. Home to school was only 12 km but it took 30-45 minutes by car. If there was heavy rain? Forget about it. It would sometimes take hours if there was flooding.
• There are various methods of transportation available. Taxis are quite common in the business districts. Buses are everywhere. There are also Jeepneys, which operate fixed routes like buses and usually have very cheap fares. There is a light rail system but it's not comprehensive. It only goes down a few of the main roads. You can rent a car and generally rental cars come with drivers. If you buy a car, be aware that to reduce traffic, based on your license plate number, you cannot drive on certain days of the week during rush hour. If you're renting a car, the rental car company will send you a car that has the correct license plate for that day.
• Malls are everywhere. Every few years it would seem that a gigantic new mall was built that would rival the last gigantic mall.
• These days electricity is very reliable. In the mid 90s brownouts were very common but these days brownouts are very rare.
• Compared to the US, the wealth disparity is very extreme. However, there is a much more robust middle class than what I saw in Pakistan.
• Poverty, however, is very visible and heartbreaking. If you drive around you will generally see street children begging or selling items on the road.
• If you have access to housing, generally you will either live in a "village" or a condominium. A "village" is perhaps most analogous to a "gated community" in the US. However, depending on which village you live in, there may be extremely heavy security. In order to get in to any of the villages, you need to have a sticker on your car that shows that you live in that village. If you don't, you have to stop at the gate and you have to tell the guard where you're going and leave your license at the gate. The exception is that if you live in one of the Makati villages that are part of the Makati Village Association, your sticker is interoperable with any other Makati Village.
• Foreigners cannot buy property in the Philippines. However, you can buy a condominium unit so long as Filipinos own at least 50% of the condominium units in the building.
• Armed security guards are everywhere. You'll find them at villages, offices, malls, and yes, at corner 7-11s. Most of this security is just a deterrent. You don't typically hear about security guards actually discharging their weapons. In fact, I'm pretty sure that many of the weapons aren't even loaded.
• Labor in the Philippines is relatively cheap so you'll see a lot of jobs done by people that would be mechanized elsewhere.
• If you live in a house in a village, generally you're going to have domestic helpers. In the first house we lived in, we had 3 maids, a driver, and a gardener. Our neighbors had 10 (10!) maids.
• When you go to a big department store like SM, the sales staff are friendly but not particularly useful. I'm not sure if there are perpetual supply chain issues or if this is just a cultural tendency but 90% of the responses I've gotten from sales staff are "Out of stock, sir."
• Expect to be called "Sir" if you're a man or "Ma'am" if you're a woman.
• Basketball is huge
• There is a lot of good food and good restaurants
• There's a ton of stuff to do at various price ranges so you can never really be bored.
• I loved the weather, about mid-80 degrees all year round. Not everyone finds this comfortable.
• Government services more or less work. If you need to get a driver's license or have some other interaction with the government it's possible to do so without having to pay any bribes. This is unlike a lot of other countries where it's necessary to pay bribes.
• Pretty much everything that is available in the US is available in the Philippines.
• BEWARE OF THE VOLTAGE! The Philippines plug system is very deceptive. Every outlet will have two types of plug points. It will have one flat plug point (that is 220 V) and it will have one round plug (that is 110 V). Beware of this because US appliances are 110 V and have the flat plug, so if you stick that into an outlet that fits in the Philippines, that appliance is going to go bust.
• Mosquitos are very common. All windows usually have screens on them so that you can open the window without letting bugs in.
• If you look like you're of Chinese origin, you have to be careful about kidnap-for-ransom. Just be sensible.
• I went to International School Manila, which is the main international school. The curriculum is American until high school and then you can pretty much choose to be on an AP track or an IB track. From what I've seen of US schools, ISM beats most of them.

MEDICINE FOR HEART AND SOUL

My column in Mindanao Daily News

OPINION

By KLAUS DÖRING

 September 21, 2021

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In Pandemic times , music helps me to overcome many daily hurdles. I learned from a psychological  friend that music, because of its deep connections with the brain, is intrinsically meaningful to humanity as a race. We thrive off it. It drives our actions and emotions, and its influence on our brains creates a sense of unity with music that few other art forms can provide.

 

We are beginning to understand our own love of music not only as a cognitive reflex, but as a true art form. Because of being too busy in the past, I neglected this special love. And the relation between religion and music too. 

 

The relationship between religion and music can be coined as the “spirit” of the “sound.” Both provide a means of transcending human existence.

 

Music has the ability to deepen the meaning of words that accompany it, both in a religious context or even on your local pop radio station you listen to on the way to work. As described by St. Augustine in Weiss and Taruskin’s Music of the Western World, St. Augustine reflects on his baptism, “The tears flowed from me when I heard your hymns and canticles, for the sweet singing of your church moved me deeply…The music surged in my ears, truth seeped into my heart, and my feelings of devotion overflowed…

 

Yes, music has a way of filling in the gaps in thought, feeling, and emotion that words cannot do justice, which can be incredibly powerful when accompanied by a spiritual belief. Using music for religious reasons also gave early humans the ability to experience and explore the tantalizing effects of music without committing a sin. In the present day, music is used much more widely and for purposes other than worship, which has allowed religious music to grow and expand into many types of praise that have a wider impact on many people. Music is a nearly universal part of religion because it appeals to and heightens human senses in a pleasurable way which, in turn, allows humans to praise through a medium that makes worship more enjoyable.

 

A life without music? I wouldn't survive!

When misunderstood and hated

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

 

         THAT gospel episode where Herod the tetrarch was perplexed

about Christ and was more disturbed than simply curious about him,

(cfr. Lk 9,7-9) reminds us that if we are to be like Christ, we should

be ready to be misunderstood and even hated.

          Like Christ, we can be a sign of contradiction to some

people. We should therefore learn how to handle that condition the way

Christ handled his. It’s going to be an unavoidable feature in our

life, especially nowadays when there are many powerful and influential

people straying away from God’s will and ways.

          In this life, in this world, we just have to be ready to get

dirty without compromising what is truly essential in our spiritual

life. Evil is unavoidable in this world, and we just have to know how

to deal with it, always focused on going toward our eternal destiny

with God in heaven.

          We should not worry too much about the misunderstanding and

even hatred against us that we can provoke in others, because we have

been given all the assurances that if we are with God, everything

would just turn our right. The challenge now is how to handle the many

evil things that will always get mixed up with the essential good of

this life and of this world that all come from God.

          Evil does not have the last word, unless we let it. It is

the good that will have the last word. And so we just have to learn

how to go through such things even to the extent of cooperating with

evil materially, not formally, if only to change things for the

better.

          In this, we should look at Christ not only as the model but

also and most especially as the power to enable us to derive good from

evil regardless of all the dirt involved in the process.

          St. Paul has something relevant to say in this regard. “God

made him who had no sin to be sin for us,” he said, “so that in him we

might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5,21)

          That is why Christ allowed himself to take on all the

suffering so unjustly inflicted on him and ultimately to offer his

life on the cross to bear all the evil of our sins in order to conquer

sin and death itself with his resurrection.

          We have to understand then that our life here on earth, if

patterned after that of Christ, cannot but get involved with the dirt

of evil. It would be naïve on our part if we think that Christian life

is pure clean living pursued in a sterilized environment as if in some

controlled laboratory.

          In this, we have been amply warned by Christ himself. “In

this world,” he said, “you will have trouble. But take heart! I have

overcome the world.” (Jn 16,33) More graphically, he said:

          “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off

and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or

crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal

fire.” (Mt 18,8)

          We just have to learn how to suffer, how to let go even of

some legitimate things if only to get what is truly essential. In

other words, we have to learn how to get dirty and how to suffer with

Christ.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Residents in Barangay Casoon benefit new multi-purpose hall

  

Davao de Oro --- The residents of Barangay Casoon in Monkayo town benefited the newly completed multi-purpose hall worth P2.6 million funded from the 20% Development Fund of PLGU-Davao de Oro on September 15, 2021.

Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy lead the ceremonial turn-over of key to the recipients and emphasized the importance of new building as part of the government's efforts to provide much needed infrastructure to the barangays and key sector.

The ceremony was also witnessed by Congressman Manuel E. Zamora, PEO PG Department Head, Engr. Roderick Digamon, LTC Aswani P Muti, Battalion Commander of 25th IB, PLT Richard V Mara, RPSB Team Leader Cluster 4, and other provincial and barangay officials.

Barangay Captain, Anastacio Esguerra thanked the governor for his unending support and programs to their barangay due to it's geographic location from the economic center.

 

"Kung kaniadto gihandom lang natu kini, apan karun ania na jud sa atuang lugar, mapasalamaton ug malipayon kami labina sa atuang gobernador nga gi priority niya ang atuang barangay nga mahatagan ug development programs sama niining bag-ong multi-purpose hall nga amoa gayung paga-ampingan ug gamiton sa saktong purpose niini", Esguerra said.

Meanwhile, the PHP20 million Level III Potable Water System is soon to rise in the said barangay under the Local Government Support Fund-Barangay Development Program of the NTF-ELCAC which will provide the entire village of sufficient water supply. (Rheafe Hortizano - Provincial Information Office, Photos by Ronel Alvarez)

TESDA, DTI conduct skills training to residents in Barangay Manurigao

Davao de Oro --- The Provincial office of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) conducted skills training on "Squash Delight and Pickle Production" and "Packaging and Labeling of Products" to over 50 Mandaya scholars on September 16, 2021 at Sitio Macopa, Barangay Manurigao, New Bataan, Davao de Oro.

The program is a joint effort of the two agency with the end goal of helping the residents to generate income amid the pandemic and enable them to participate in local economic development activities.

TESDA Regional Director Engr. Lorenzo G. Macapili thanked the participants for expressing their eagerness to learn on how to make foods from vegetables and emphasized the role of both agencies in uplifting communities especially those identified as conflict-affected barangays.

"This activity is part of the poverty reduction programs of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) which aims to empower the residents of far-flung communities through various skills training", Macapili said.

In a statement, DTI Provincial Director Atty. Lucky Seigfred M. Balleque explained the importance of packaging and labelling of products in promoting their unique and quality of products in the market. At the end of the activity, each participant received food packs and training kits.

Present during the activity were TESDA Provincial Director Jasmin J. Neri, DNAS Administrator Nobernia O. Magpatoc, DTI Division Chief Patrick Kim D. Evangelio, TESDA-DdO EO Focal Person Mafel Joan N. Gamale, Barangay Captain Marcos Lino, and personnel from Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. (Rheafe Hortizano - Provincial Information Office of Davao de Oro)

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