Angels are real

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          ON the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

(September 29), we are presented with that amusing gospel episode

about the calling of Nathanael. (cfr. Jn 1,47-51) We might be

wondering how Nathanael’s vocation is related to the existence of

angels.

          My personal take on this question is that Nathanael, whom

Christ described as a man without guile, must have been enabled to

recognize Christ as the Son of God, the King of Israel, through the

help of the angels.

          When Christ told him, in response to Nathanael’s question

about how Christ knew him, that Christ saw him under the fig tree

before Philip came, some angels must have been involved in that event.

          We can somehow support that speculation by referring to the

fact that at the end of gospel episode, Christ told Nathanael, “Amen,

amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God

ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” What Nathanael was doing

under the fig tree must have something to do about who the Son of Man

is, and about heaven and angels.

          In any event, our faith tells us that angels are real and

that they are our great ally, helping us in all our needs, from the

most trivial to the most important. Yes, angels exist. They are real.

We need to say this now since angels, if they are ever referred to

nowadays, are often considered as mere figments of our imagination

that at best can be used as literary and sentimental devices.

          Obviously, faith is needed to believe in angels. They are

creatures whose presence goes beyond what our senses can perceive.

They can however assume bodily forms as mentioned several times in the

Bible. But essentially, they are pure spirits. As such, they are

readily available to help us, since they are not limited by time and

space.

          We have to develop and popularize a devotion to angels,

especially to the archangels. They are great allies that we can count

on especially during our difficult moments. They are so close and so

identified with God that we can refer to them as God’s organic or

vital extensions of his own self, if we may describe them that.

          Remember what Christ said about angels in general? It was

when he talked about the angels of little children whom the disciples

wanted to shoo away from Christ for being a disturbance. “See that you

do not despise one of these little ones,” he said. “For I tell you

that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in

heaven.” (Mt 18,10)

          Our guardian angels, for example, are very helpful to us in

our task of navigating the most tricky spiritual and supernatural

realities. When there are strong temptations, or when some unknown

evil spirits seem to bother us, or when we are undertaking a spiritual

and supernatural project like coming up with an apostolic initiative,

our guardian angels make themselves available to help us in any way.

          It’s important that we be aware of the existence of these

very powerful angels who, for sure, would be most willing and most

happy to help us in their own way. We just have to enliven our faith

in them and develop the appropriate devotion.

          Many great saints have benefited from the help of the

angels. It would be good if we train ourselves to develop an intimate

relationship with them. To be sure, only good things can come out of

such relationship!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Cebu Pacific launches special 25th anniversary credit card

Cebu Pacific surprises everyJuan on its 25th anniversary with the launch of the new Cebu Pacific Gold and Platinum Credit Cards, in partnership with Go Rewards, UnionBank of the Philippines, and Visa.

Using this card will enable everyJuan to earn Go Rewards points to fly faster as cardholders will get one point for every PHP 100 spent with Cebu Pacific. If used anywhere else, one point will be earned for every PHP 200 spent. As a valued cardholder you are eligible to be a Black Card member of Go Rewards. When flying as a Black card member, you can get the preferential earn rate of 1 Go Rewards point for every PHP20 spent (for the base fare and some ancillaries) when flying with Cebu Pacific.

Cardholders will also get early alerts for CEB promo fares, and other Go Rewards, UnionBank and Visa exclusive offers.

Platinum cardholders will also gain exclusive access to Pacific Club Lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 on top of a worry-free travel insurance of up to P10 million.

“We are very happy to announce this partnership with Go Rewards, UnionBank, and Visa. Through this, everyJuan will now have easy access to endless value-for-money deals and rewards – whether for booking those much-awaited trips, or just buying day-to-day needs,” said Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and customer experience at Cebu Pacific.

To make it even more special, those who sign up for a card starting today, September 27, 2021 until December 31, 2021, will receive Go Rewards bonus points which can be used to book a CEB flight online conveniently. A Gold cardholder will receive 5,000 points, while a Platinum cardholder will get 10,000 points.

All these points can be redeemed not just for your dream flight, but even to purchase those essentials you’ll want to take with you. These credit cards are also accepted worldwide through the accredited merchants of Visa.

 

CEB continues to offer the lowest fares on flights across its widest domestic network. To date, it operates regular flights to 32 domestic destinations which include Boracay, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Siargao.

CEB has been rated 7/7 stars by airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance as it continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, in accordance with global aviation standards. These include daily extensive cleaning and disinfection protocols for all aircraft and facilities, antigen testing before duty for all frontliners and crew members, and contactless flight procedures. Its jet fleet are equipped with hospital grade HEPA air filters, keeping viruses at bay.

BB

Is English replacing Filipino in the Philippines?

 

Dayang C Marikit

4,006 followers

368 following

I’m a Philippine history professor and my Quora account is mainly focused on promoting and educating people about the pre-colonial period. Below are some of my articles and as well as some informative videos.

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.”

Be wary of bitter zeal

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          YES, we have to be most careful with our tendency to fall

into bitter zeal. It’s that zeal that was rebuked by Christ in that

gospel episode where his disciples suggested that fire rains on those

who did not welcome them while they entered a Samaritan village. (cfr.

Lk 9,51-56)

          While it’s true that we should try to be always zealous in

our life, we have to make sure that our zeal is righteous, holy and

charitable, not bitter, with a clear and proper sense of purpose, not

just aimless.

          Righteous zeal is always respectful of legal, juridical and

most importantly of moral standards, especially that of charity and

mercy. Bitter zeal wants instant results while ignoring legal and

moral requirements, let alone the requirements of charity and mercy.

It may pursue a valid cause, working for truth and justice, but

without taking care of the appropriate means.

          Bitter zeal makes a person hasty and reckless in his

assessment of things. It fails to consider all angles, to listen to

both sides, so to speak. He is prone to imprudence. In the end, it’s

animated by the evil spirit of self-righteousness.

          Inflammatory, incendiary words are its main weapons. Being

belligerent is its style. It relishes in rousing controversies and

sowing intrigues. It’s actually not as interested in looking for the

objective truth and justice as carrying out his own personal agenda.

          Especially when we engage ourselves in matters of opinion,

we have to learn to practice restraint and moderation since no one has

the exclusive ownership of what is right and fair. Opinions are views

that are hardly based on absolute truths of faith and dogmas. They are

more expressions of one’s preferences and tastes, and therefore we

should expect a wide spectrum of differences, since things depend on

people’s different temperaments, backgrounds, cultures, etc.

          Yes, we can have some exchanges and try to sort out these

different and even conflicting opinions if only to clarify things and

perhaps to eke out a most fair view with respect to a particular

issue. We can attempt to have a kind of consensus.

          But all these should be done in an atmosphere of mutual

respect and utmost charity and delicacy. We have to avoid bitter zeal,

sarcasm, irony, insults, ad hominems, mockery, vulgarity, nitpicking,

fault-finding, one-upmanship, the crab mentality and the like.

          If we are truly animated by Christian charity, there would

be zero bitterness in our exchanges of views, opinions, and even of

beliefs. True love, as St. Paul describes it, “takes no pleasure in

evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all

things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor 13,6-7)

          We just have to learn to be patient in handling whatever

contradicting reactions we get from all the goodness that we may be

doing. We just have to look for an alternative way in resolving issues

and situations like this.

          This was the case of Christ when his apostles suggested that

fire rain down on a Samaritan village that did not welcome them since

they were heading to Jerusalem. (cfr Lk 9,51-56) As the gospel puts

it, Christ rebuked the apostles and they journeyed instead to another

village.

          We have to make sure that we are always burning with the

zeal of love. We need to fill our mind and heart with love, and all

that love brings—goodness, patience, understanding and compassion.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

What Filipino culture and values are now slowly fading?

 

By: Samuel Astacaan Escabarte

 What should be done to reserve this?

Unfortunately, there are Filipino culture that are no longer practiced or have lost their significance particularly among the new generation of Filipinos.

Below are just some of them:

Pagmamano or kissing the hands and forehead of the elders: parents and grandparents parents. Only few young Filipinos observed and practiced this particular tradition or values

Paninilbihan or servitude

This is one of the courtship customs that should not have been faded. This is particular tradition that Filipinos should be proud of. But unfortunately and for still unknown reasons, this tradition is seldom practice by the new generation of Filipino suitors.

These are just some of the long-established traditions/values that are slowly fading.

How to preserve these traditions/values?

To preserve these traditions, there must be collective efforts among the Filipinos like intensified awareness campaign of these traditions to be initiated by the government.

Another way of preserving these traditions is by teaching and practicing during school and community activities.

For more about Philippine Culture, you may visit my Facebook Page: Philippine Society and Culture.

Typisch Philippinisch (XXXI) - Typical Filipino (XXXI): Haben Sie schon gegessen? Kumain ka na ba?

"For Filipinos, feeding each other is a way we demonstrate love, and this particular way of eating, [is] a literal, tactile way of connecting with what nourishes us and the land it comes from," says Katherine Prince, an activist and organizer with the Portland, Oregon, chapter of GABRIELA, an organization for Filipina (Pinay) women. "To me, using my hands and seeing the banana leaves reminds me that even how we eat can be colonized, and my participation in this ancestral tradition is revolutionary in its own right.”

A mix of fried fish, longanisa, lumpia, pancit, and nilaga served with vinegar and onions, ketchup, banana ketchup, chopped tomatoes, and fresh mango over rice.

A mix of fried fish, longanisa, lumpia, pancit, and nilaga served with vinegar and onions, ketchup, banana ketchup, chopped tomatoes, and fresh mango over rice. 

The term kamayan can be used to describe the act of eating by hand, but a traditional kamayan meal is a feast served family style, usually over banana leaves. There’s no limit to what you can eat when hosting your own kamayan, but in general, grilled and fried things with rice are easier to eat sans utensils, because they aren’t as messy as soups and stews (though that didn’t stop my mom from serving soup in bowls at our last kamayan, so anything’s fair game).

Essen ist ungemein wichig für die Gemütsverfassung eines Filipinos/einer Filipina. Es scheint, als sitze ihnen stets die Angst im Nacken, Hunger leiden zu müssen. Wohin man auch geht, wird für ausreichend Proviant gesorgt. Selbst unterwegs muß noch an einigen Läden oder Obstständen noch etwas dazugekauft werden.Es gibt kein Treffen von Filipinos , an denen nicht Essen aufgetragen wird. Es gehört zur üblichen Gastfreundschaft, Besuchern nicht nur Getränke sondern auch Speisen anzubieten. Die übliche philippinische Begrüßung lautet: "Haben Sie schon gegessen?" - "Kumanin ka na ba?"

The great value of spiritual childhood

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THE gospel of St. Luke 9,46-50, shows us how being childlike

in spirit would enable us to accept Christ as he is as well as to

accept everybody else irrespective of how they are. It’s a great

lesson we have to learn if we want to be truly Christian.

          In that gospel, Christ clarified how being simple and humble

like a little child would enable one to accept Christ. “Whoever

receives this child in my name receives me,” he said. “And whoever

receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least

among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”

          This clarification of Christ came as a consequence of the

apostles talking among themselves about who among them was the

greatest. It can be supposed that they must be feeling important since

they realized they had the fortune of knowing and being with Christ.

          But that was not enough. The gospel somehow links being

simple, humble and childlike with the capacity to be accepting and to

be able to have a good working relationship with everyone irrespective

of who and how they are, despite the unavoidable differences and

conflicts among them. This point Christ established when he said,

“Whoever is not against you is for you.”

          We have to realize that if we want to be with God always and

to know the fine points of his mysterious will and ways, we need to be

always simple and childlike. Christ may have told us also to be clever

and shrewd like serpents, but that quality which is also a necessity

in our life here on earth should never compromise our simplicity. In

fact, that cleverness should also spring from our simplicity.

          Christ is quite clear about this point. “I give praise to

you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,” he said, “for although you

have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have

revealed them to the childlike.” (Mt 11,25)

          Christ reiterated this necessity of being childlike a number

of times during his preaching. “Unless you change and become like

little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt

18,3) “Let the children come to me. Do not prevent them, for the

Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mk 10,15) St. James, in his

letter, made the same affirmation. “God opposes the proud but shows

favor to the humble.” (4,6)

          We need to devise an interior mechanism, more spiritual than

material, to keep ourselves like children even as we grow in worldly

knowledge and skills, and prone to thinking that we can already live

by ourselves, independently of God.

          To be childlike would also enable us to be accepting of

everyone and to be able to work with everyone, irrespective of who and

how they are. The mere fact that everyone can be presumed to be

looking always for what is true and good, even if they are wrong in

their pursuit, can signify that we have a common bond. Those who

differ with us cannot really be against us. And so, we can always find

ways of how to deal with them in a charitable way.

          If we follow the example of Christ, we would know how to

live the truth in charity and charity in the truth. Somehow the

exclusivity of truth blends with the inclusivity of charity! How

important therefore to grow in spiritual childhood in our life!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

A ridiculous fact

My column in Mindanao Daily News and BusinessWeek Mindanao

OPINION

By KLAUS DORING

 September 24, 2021

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A mistaken belief accompanies us each and every second of our life. Incorrect decisions and wrong doings are part of our daily life.

 

It is almost a ridiculous fact that man wants to know certain truths about mundane things. But really, he seems least interested in even mundane truths as can be read many times in our daily newspapers or online for example. There seem to be too many rash judgments, and the readers absorb these and make these their own. A fatal attraction!

 

This is sometimes referred to as journalistic mentality wherein accusations are generously made without proof. Evolution started this trend, when scientists stated for example that man evolved from the apes -  without proof. The only proof they had was the missing link, and, if I am not mistaken, it's still a missing proof until now.

 

To look for proofs is a mental activity, which is no longer a common thing nowadays, because it takes really time, effort and is too serious to think about. Yet in Christian education, thinking right is very important.That's why Philosophy is important in Christian life. To avoid error in thinking, the rules of right reasoning must be studied and mastered. Is it really totally neglected in today's modern education?

 

Thinking is actually an enjoyable activity but when one is pressured to get a good job for one's sustenance, then the other more mundane becomes attractive. After all, great thinkers often do not get (good?) jobs... .

 

Spiritual writers like the British Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) noticed that mankind had stopped thinking even two centuries ago. Wow. That was during his age.

 

Man probably stopped thinking even earlier. He has ceased many times to search for the truth. It's easier to listen to gossip and believe in it. What a sign of weak minds!

 

Too often we are blind to the truth. As a consequence, we easily believe in lies; we only have to like it. Too bad, if people always like to close their eyes and ears especially while experiencing the delusion of error. 

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.