The Baptism of the Lord

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

IT’S one of the intriguing episodes in the gospel. Why did Christ ask to be baptized by John the Baptist? In fact, John was hesitant to do so. “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” he said. (Mt 3,13) But Christ insisted. “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness,” Christ told John. And so, Christ was baptized.

This “to fulfill all righteousness” must mean that Christ wanted to establish the sacrament of baptism through which all of us can become members of his mystical body, the Church, and sharers of the merits Christ earned for us through his redemptive mission. With this sacrament we are given the chance to earn the “all righteousness” that is meant for us.

This episode of Christ’s baptism also highlights the interesting fact that Christ was clearly confirmed as the Son of the Father. That’s when suddenly a voice was heard while Christ was still immersed in water, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

We should therefore have no doubt as to the importance and indispensability of the sacrament of baptism and as to the identity of Christ in whom we should give total belief and love. 

Our belief in Jesus as the Christ, as the First Letter of St. John says, proves that one is born of God. This is how one becomes a child of God. More than that—by believing in Jesus as the Christ, one shows his love for God by keeping God’s commandments. (cfr. 5,1-3)

Again, the question may be asked: why do we still need to be baptized if in the first place, man has already been created in God’s image and likeness? The answer, of course, is that the original image and likeness man had at the beginning was deformed because of the sin of our first parents that led all of us to be born with original sin. We need to recover our dignity as children of God.

This was done when God became man in Christ who offers us “the way, the truth and the life” that is proper to us. We need to be conformed to this God-made-man. And this conformity of ours to Christ starts to take place in our baptism.

This time, our continuing creation and testing would need us to conform to the sacrament of baptism which was instituted by Christ himself through his own baptism in the River Jordan.

With baptism, we have Christ as the pattern of our salvation, embedded, so to speak, in our life. That is why we need to be baptized. It is to recover our original dignity as true children of God, his image and likeness, meant to participate in the very life and nature of God. 

With Christ, we can receive the supernatural grace that would enable us to attain our ideal state. It would not be enough for us to know God with our intelligence and to love him with our will, without God’s grace through Christ.

We need to clarify and emphasize the importance and necessity of baptism since there is now a trend to downplay this sacrament in our life. But even before that problem came to be, the usual issue is that many people do not realize the implications of the sacrament—that we need to duly correspond to the abiding redemptive action of Christ all throughout our life.

We have to be aware that once baptized we commit ourselves to vitally identify ourselves with Christ, which is going to be a lifelong process!

Philippine-German Relations (II) - Philippinische - Deutsche Beziehungen (II)

One of my real heroes is also the Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, who stayed in Germany from 1886 to 1887. It was in Berlin, where he published his novel NOLI ME TANGERE, which inspired the Philippine revolution of 1896. I am glad to have NOLI ME TANGERE in English, Spanish and German in my library.

Since then in 1896 the Philippines has enjoyed long and close relations with Germany. Of course, Germany has become one of the Philippines' major trading partners and biggest sources of foreign investment and development aid.

"The dawn is not far. Spain opens the east for her beloved Philippines, and times are changing and I am positive that more are being done than we imagine." (Jose Rizal).

The existence of a German community in the Philippines during the years before 1836 was impossible, as my mentor Professor Dr. Hermogenes E. Bacareza wrote in his book about Philippine-German Relations, published 2007 in Manila (UST Publishinghouse). The Royal Decree of February 2, 1800 prohibited foreigners to reside in the Philippines. Other similar decrees were issued in 1807 and 1816. In 1844, another royal decree prohibited foreigners to travel to the Philippines under any pretext wath so ever. It was evident that Spain wanted to keep foreigners out of the Philippines soil, believing in some way that the Philippines a dollar gained by a foreigner was one taken from the Spaniards. 

During his second administration  the former President Marcos said, "No redemption is possible without the solid foundation of virtue." In EL FILIBUSTERISMO Jose Rizal said, 'Redemption presupposes virtue; virtue means sacrifice, sacrifice means love ... it means existing reason and the dignity of the individual, loving whatever is just, good and noble."

Dr. Jose Rizal is indeed the initiator of Philippine-German Cultural Relations. He was one of the first Filipinos who admired the Germans in the Philippines and abroad. More than anybody else, it was he, "initiated the cultural relations between Germany and the Philippines and German speaking scholars. Dr. Cecilio Lopez, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Oriental Studies at the University of the Philippines, wrote in his article "Rizal and the Beginning of German-Philippine Cultural relations," that: "With his inquisitive nature and thirst for knowledge, particularly in what concerned his country, Dr. Rizal sought out these scholars, exchanged ideas with them, and nurtured friendship to the end." (Quotation from "The Joint Enterprise", Manila: Rizal Publishing House Co, page 33).

In "One Hundred Letters of Rizal", page 24, one can read what he wrote to his parents:

"With respect to my studies about diseases of the eye, they are progressing well. I know how to perform the operations. I shall have to train in studying the ocular fundus which needs much practice. In Germany, I am told that they teach this well. I am going to Germany with nearly $100 which will be reduced to $75 after deducting the transportation fare. If I find that the cost of living is cheap I shall matriculate and it may not be necessary to help me in two or three months. In six months, I hope to speak german, study and follow my specialty... ."

I also learned from my mentor Professor Dr. Monsignor Hermogenes 'Gene' E. Bacareza, that Rizal even translated Friedrich Schiller's "Wilhelm Tell" (William Tell), which his compatriots in Spain asked him to do. In his letter to Blumentritt dated October 2, 1886 Rizal wrote:

"Meine Landsleute haben mir tagalische Übersetzungen von Schiller's Werken verlangt. Wie schwer muss diese Arbeit für mich sein, dass können Sie sich leicht einbilden, welche einer sehr verschiedene Ausdrucksart als die die Deutsche hat. Ich muss erst eine Phrase lange besinnen und betrachten, und dann suche ich den entsprechenden Ausdruck in Tagalisch, die Umschreibungen und die Germanismus sorgfältig vermeidend. Ich tröste mich mit dem Gedanken, dass ich die Ehre haben werde, den grossen Schiller die Philippinen in Tagalisch vorzustellen.

My countrymen asked me for a Tagalog translation of Schiller's work. You can easily imagine how difficult I shall find this task, as the modes of expression are very different in German. First, I have to study and examine a phrase for a long time, then I try to find a corresponding expression in Tagalog, carefully avoiding paraphrases and Germanism. I console myself with the thought that I have the honor of presenting the great Friedrich Schiller to the Philippines in Tagalog". 

Sometimes we want to see in every Filipino "another Rizal". I agree with Father Gene, that, surely not every Filipino can equal Rizal in intellectual endowments and in heroic grandeur. But in the facts of his or her personality, every Filipino has within him- or herself the capacity to be "another Rizal". With a citizenry such as that being developed in the new  Society and in accordance with the mandate of the new Constitution of the Republic, the Filipino people could move on without trepidation and face with courage and confidence the hazards and challenges of the future.

Philippine-German Relations - Philippinisch-Deutsche Beziehungen (I)

 

In 1984, I met my mentor the late Professor Dr. Hermogenes E. Bacareza. During that time, he became the chaplain of the Philippine community in Berlin. 

I learned a lot from you, "Father Gene" - then Monsignor... .

One thing, I have been always interested in, has been (and is still!) the history of Philippine-German relations. Father Gene published a lot of books about it in the Philippines - unfortunately only in English. The close relations between the Philippines and the Federal Republic of Germany have been evident in all aspects, especially in the economic and cultural fields, as former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stated in one of her forewords. Yes, it's true: from the 1970s to the 1990s, several agreements have been made on financial and technical cooperation, in which Germany has become one of the most active partners in the progress and development of the Philippines.

There are a lot of dynamics of Philippine-German partnerships. Father Gene taught me a lot. It helped me to understand especially Filipino culture and to overcome the culture clash, while living in the Philippines for good.

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1984 traf ich meinen Mentor Professor Dr. Hermogenes E. Bacareza zum ersten Mal. Während dieser Zeit war er der Kaplan der Philippinischen Gemeinde zu Berlin. 

Ich habe viel von Dir ,"Vater Gene" (später Monsignor), gelernt!

An einer Sache war und bin ich bis heute immer noch interessiert: das ist die Geschichte der philippinisch-deutschen Beziehungen. "Vater Gene" hat mehrere Bücher über dieses Thema geschrieben, die auf den Philippinen auch veröffentlicht wurden. Leider nur in Englisch. Die engen Beziehungen zwischen den Philippinen und der Bundesrepublik Deutschland beweisen sich in vielen Aspekten, besonders, wenn es zu den Themen Wirtschaft und Kultur kommt, wie die frühere Präsidentin Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in einem ihrer verschiedenen Vorworte zum Ausdruck brachte. Ja, es stimmt wirklich: zwischen den Siebzigern und Neunzigern wurden verschiedene Vereinbarungen auf den finanziellen und technischen Sektoren getroffen und unterzeichnet. Deutschland entwickelte sich zu einem der aktivsten Partner für die Philippinen.

Es gibt eine Reihe von dynamischen Beispielen, wenn wir über philippinisch-deutsche Freundschaft oder Partnerschaft sprechen. "Vater Gene" hat mir viele Beispiele gelehrt. Es hat mir sehr geholfen, die philippinische Kultur zu verstehen und den Kulturschock zu bewältigen, nachdem ich mich entschied, auf den Philippinen für immer zu leben!

After a three-year break due to the pandemic, the Quiapo Church sets up ...

 

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Jan 5, 2024 #MBNews #NewsPH #News

After a three-year break due to the pandemic, the Quiapo Church in Manila, also known as the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of the Black Nazarene, is all set for the highly anticipated celebration of the Feast of the Traslacion of the Black Nazarene this year. Here are the things that should be expected as the Feast of the Black Nazarene nears. #MBNews #NewsPH #News #Nazareno2024 #Nazareno #Quiapo

Davaoeños urged to follow 8 rules

By Philippine News Agency

January 5, 2024 40

DAVAO CITY: The city government has called on residents to observe road discipline and community safety through eight rules as the new year starts.

The local government said Davaoeños should adhere to the use of pedestrian lanes for safe crossing of the streets to avoid "jaywalking penalties" as embodied under the Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Code of Davao City.

"Secondly, the public should also use overpasses to ensure safe crossing of roads," the city government said in a statement Thursday.

It also emphasized the proper parking of vehicles in designated areas to avoid inconvenience to other motorists and ensure safe sidewalks for pedestrians.

Fourth on the list is the "don't drink and drive" rule under the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Law or RA 10586, and fifth is the observance of the city's Speed Limit Ordinance.

Meanwhile, for community safety, Davaoeños are urged to practice proper waste disposal in designated areas.

"Davaoeños are urged to avoid littering and to only throw waste in garbage cans," the statement said, adding that the measure aligns with the prevention of dengue under the locality's Mosquito-Borne Viral Disease Prevention Program.

"If our environment is clean, we can lessen bacteria. Also, if our environment is clean we will not have open containers which can be a breeding place for mosquitos," Tomas Ababon, the city health officer in charge, said.

Davaoeños are also urged to follow the Anti-Nuisance Ordinance, which limits loud noise until 10 p.m.

Surprising Facts about PHILIPPINES! Tourism in PHILIPPINES 2024!

Travel Facts

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4,220 views Dec 13, 2023

Surprising Facts about PHILIPPINES! Tourism in PHILIPPINES 2024! PHILIPPINES Travel vlog Documentary! Places! Hey everyone. Now, we are going to talk about this country, which consists of 7641Seven Thousand Six Hundred Forty one islands, and is known as the short message service “SMS” capital of the world, the people here are very polite, 175 plus languages are spoken here, and there is also an underground river with a very beautiful view, so let's talk about the Philippines. If you are planning a trip to Philippines, or simply intrigued about the country, here are some interesting facts. After the facts, we will talk about top beautiful destinations in Philippines 2024. Before starting, please like this video and subscribe to our channel for the future updates. Let’s start. 1. There are 7,641 islands in the Philippines, some of which don't even have names. With about 114 million residents, it ranks as the 38th most densely populated nation in the world. 2. Manila is the capital and the second most populous city in the Philippines. 3. Philippines is the only country where the flag is flown upside down to indicate the state of war. 4. The national animal of the Philippines is Carabao, also known as the water buffalo. 5. The Banaue Rice Terraces, often called the "Eighth Wonder of the World," were carved into the mountains over two thousand years ago. 6. The Philippines is considered one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, with a vast array of unique flora and fauna. 7. The Philippines is the second largest producer of coconut products in the world. 8. The Chocolate Hills in Bohol are a unique geological formation, consisting of around One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty eight perfectly cone shaped hills, that turn chocolate brown during the dry season. 9. The San Juanico Bridge, connecting the islands of Leyte and Samar, is the longest bridge in the Philippines. 10. The Philippines has won the Miss Universe title four times: in 1969, 1973, 2015, and 2018. 11. Arnis, a traditional martial art in the Philippines, is known as Eskrima or Kali and is the national sport and martial art. 12. Boxing is one of the popular sports in the Philippines. Manny Pacquiao, one of the world’s greatest professional boxers, hails from the Philippines. 13. The Cagayan River is the longest river in the Philippines, running through Luzon. 14. The Philippines is home to the world's largest pearl, known as the "Pearl of Lao Tzu." 15. The national dish of the Philippines is adobo. The national bird is the Monkey Eating Eagle. 16. Filipinos ranked as the highest selfie takers in the world! 17. The Philippines has unique transportation modes, such as tricycles, jeep, and kalesas. 18. There are 175 plus languages in the country. Filipino and English are the official languages of the Philippines. 19. The Philippines is known as the "SMS Capital of the World" because it sends more text messages than any other country. 20. The Philippines has the largest underground river. It is located in Puerta Princesa Subterranean River National Park. 21. The Philippines founded Asia’s first basketball league, the Philippines Basketball Association, in 1975, making basketball a beloved sport in the country.