Why poverty and austerity are important

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THE reason can be found in that parable Christ told his disciples about the rich man, dressed in purple, and the poor man, Lazarus, who was lying at the rich man’s door, covered with sores and waiting to get even the scraps of food that fell from the rich man’s table. (cfr. Lk 16,19-31)

As the parable unfolded, both of them died. The poor man was carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man was buried in the netherworld. While at first sight, the parable might strike us to be unfair, since if God is a God of love and mercy, he should therefore be willing to save both of them.

But I suppose that without detracting from the universal love and mercy God has for everyone, the purpose of the parable is simply to teach us about the deadly danger of worldly wealth and the great redeeming value of Christian poverty and austerity.

Wealth in itself is not evil as long as we do not allow it to corrupt us. In fact, poverty and austerity can be bad if they are lived in bitterness and anger, if not hatred against God. 

For wealth to be a good thing, it has to be lived with the Christian spirit of poverty and austerity. That means that wealth is used to give glory to God and to serve everybody else. It is not meant to be used for self-indulgence.

Money and richness can become a problem when we are led to get attached to them such that we cannot anymore give ourselves fully to God. They can blind us with respect to our duty to God and to everybody else. We may give the appearance that we are giving a lot, but if it is not the whole of ourselves, then it is not the total self-giving which God deserves and expects from each one of us.

Let us always remember that God wants the whole of ourselves. He wants our entire heart, not a divided heart. He wants to be everything to us, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. He wants to be given priority over everything else, including our own life.

Especially these days when we are practically bombarded with so many tempting things, we should really be guarded, otherwise we end up completely materialistic and consumeristic, completely dead and numb to the spiritual and supernatural dimensions of our life as children of God.

We need to regularly check on what we have at the moment, what our real desires of our heart are, to see if indeed we are living the proper spirit of poverty and austerity that Christ himself lived. We know how easy it is for us to lapse into the opposite of poverty and austerity, like greed, envy, etc. With the way the world is developing these days, this practice of checking is very important.

Poverty and austerity allow us to love God and others properly. They clean our hearts of any trace of selfishness and self-indulgence. They make us simple, enabling us to develop many other virtues with ease. They rid us of unnecessary burdens in our life.

Poverty and austerity actually enrich us with a richness that is proper to us. It is the richness of being with God and in communion with everybody else. They enrich us with the love that channels the very love of God for us.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Zahlreiche Unfälle auf glatten Straßen: Polizei in der Eifel und Aachen hat zu tun

Update vom 8. März, 14.03 Uhr: Schnee und Glätte machen Verkehrsteilnehmern zu schaffen. Die Straßen sind extrem glatt. Dutzende Unfälle meldet die Polizei aus Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen und Schleswig-Holstein.

Mehr als hundert witterungsbedingte Verkehrsunfälle sind allein in Aachen (NRW) laut Polizei registriert worden (Stand: 12.30 Uhr). In den meisten Fällen blieb es bei Blechschäden, doch es gibt auch Verletzte. In der Eifel (Rheinland-Pfalz) ist der Winterdienst im Dauereinsatz. Sechs Schulkinder wurden bei einem Unfall leicht verletzt, berichtet die Polizei Trier. Ein Fahrer eines Kastenwagens hatte die Kontrolle über sein Fahrzeug verloren und ist frontal in den Kleinbus auf der Gegenfahrbahn gekracht. Beide Fahrer mussten zur Beobachtung in ein Krankenhaus gebracht werden. Bis zu 10 Zentimeter Neuschnee sind über 400 Meter gefallen. In Staulagen lokal bis zu 20 Zentimeter, teilt der DWD mit.

Wintereinbruch in Deutschland: Schnee bis in tiefe Lagen. Der DWD hat eine amtliche Unwetterwarnung herausgegeben. © IMAGO/Rene Traut

In Schleswig-Holstein verunglückten mehrere Autos und Lastwagen. Ein Milchtransporter rutschte Mittwochfrüh bei Dellstedt in einen Straßengraben und verlor einen Teil seiner Milchladung. Der Fahrer wurde leicht verletzt. Die Bergungsarbeiten werden bis in die Abendstunden andauern. 

In Hessen meldete die Polizei in der Nacht vom Mittwoch mehrere Unfälle auf schneeglatten Fahrbahnen, die meistens glimpflich ausgingen. Im Werra-Meißner-Kreis habe der einsetzende Schneefall, laut der Polizei Nordhessen, keine größeren Auswirkungen auf den Straßenverkehr und die Anzahl der Verkehrsunfälle gehabt, So kam eine 19-Jährige mit ihrem Wagen beim Abbiegen ins Rutschen und kollidierte mit einem Verkehrszeichen. Ein 52-Jähriger rutschte in der Nacht in einen Straßengraben, ebenso erging es einem weiteren Autofahrer am Mittwochmorgen.

Alarmstufe Rot – Unwetter in Deutschland: Der Wetterdienst warnt vor Schnee, Sturmböen und Glätte

Update vom 8. März, 11.40 Uhr: Alarmstufe Rot! Der Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD) warnt vor Orkanböen (bis 110 km/h) in Lagen über 1000 Metern vor allem in Bayern und Baden-Württemberg. 

Im Schwarzwald können von bis zu 130 Kilometern pro Stunde erreichen, teilte der DWD im Warnlagebericht für Baden-Württemberg mit. Der Wind frischt demnach am Mittwoch in der Südhälfte des Landes auf. Diese Kreise sind aktuell (Stand: 8. März, 10.54 Uhr) von der Unwetterwarnung betroffen.

• Alarmstufe Rot in Baden-Württemberg:
• Kreis Lörrach
• Kreis Waldshut
• Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis
• Kreis Emmendingen
• Kreis Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald und Stadt Freiburg

• Alarmstufe Rot in Bayern:
• Kreis Oberallgäu
• Kreis Ostallgäu
• Kreis Garmisch-Partenkirchen
• Kreis Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen
• Kreis Miesbach
• Kreis und Stadt Rosenheim
• Kreis Traunstein
• Kreis Berchtesgadener Land 

Wintereinbruch in Deutschland: Besondere Wetterlage sorgt für kräftige Schnee und Schneeregenfälle

Erstmeldung vom 8. März 2023

Offenbach – In der Nacht auf Mittwoch (8. März) hat es im Westen Deutschlands schon kräftig geschneit. In Nordrhein-Westfalen und Hessen sorgte der Wintereinbruch für zahlreiche Unfälle. Lastwagen blieben auf den glatten Straßen hängen. Mehr als 10 Zentimeter Neuschnee verursachten auf der A44 in Hessisch Lichtenau (Werra-Meißner-Kreis) massive Probleme. Die Polizei sperrte Auf- und Abfahrt komplett ab. Im Westen ist am Mittwoch weiter mit Schneeregen und Schneefällen zu rechnen. Die breiten sich im Tagesverlauf weiter nach Osten aus. 

Starkregen und Schnee: Luftmassengrenze sorgt für extremes Wetter in Deutschland

Für den Märzwinter ist eine sogenannte Luftmassengrenze verantwortlich. Diese Luftmassengrenze liegt über der Mitte Deutschlands. „Auf ihrer Nordseite liegt Meeresluft polaren Ursprungs, in der sich das Wetter beruhigt. In den Süden wird dagegen immer mildere und feuchte Atlantikluft gelenkt und es kommt zu teils ergiebigen Niederschlägen“, erklärt der DWD.

Besonders in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz und Hessen schneit es kräftig bis in tiefe Lagen. Im Süden breitet sich dagegen milde Luft aus. Der DWD warnt vor Wind und Sturm. In tiefen Lagen ist mit starken bis stürmische Böen (7 bis 8 Bft) zu rechnen. Im Bergland Sturmböen (9 Bft). In exponierten Berglagen schwere Sturmböen bis Orkanböen 

Wetter in Deutschland: Luftmassengrenze trennt die kalte Luft im Norden von milderer Luft im Süden, wie die DWD-Grafik zeigt. ©  Screenshot Twitter/DWD

Aktuelles Wetter: Typischer Märzwinter in Deutschland?

Die Wetterlage ist für den März „total typisch“, so Diplom-Meteorologe Dominik Jung, Geschäftsführer beim Wetterdienst Q.met in einer Pressemitteilung mit. Der März sei wie der April ein Übergangsmonat. Es gehe vom Winter in den Sommer über. „Dabei liegen sich die alten kalten Winterluftmassen und die schon recht warmen sommerlichen Luftmassen aus dem Mittelmeerraum sehr oft direkt gegenüber. Das erleben wir in diesen Tagen bestens.“ (ml)

Japan to send team of experts to assist in oil spill removal ops

Published March 9, 2023, 9:25 AM

by Aaron Recuenco 

The Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) has committed assistance to the Philippine government in containing and cleaning the oil spill off the waters of Mindoro Island. 

In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard said personnel from the JCG are expected to be deployed in the country to assist in the ongoing oil spill response operations, particularly in Naujan town of Oriental Mindoro.

photo: PCG

“According to Ambassador of Japan in the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Japan will send a disaster relief expert team on oil removal and control to augment the country’s manpower and assets,” the statement read. 

Aside from Japan, the United States Coast Guard has already informed the Philippine government that it will assist in the same operation.

The oil spill occurred after the MT Princess Empress sank off the waters of Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28. It carries more than 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil.

The oil spill has already affected the coastal areas of at least eight towns of Oriental Mindoro while oil slicks were monitored in nearby areas. The oil spill also threatens to reach tourist spots in the nearby areas. 

Discussions are still ongoing to contain the spread of the oil spill, including the mapping out of strategies on what to do with the oil tanker. 

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In a statement, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the location of the vessel was already located through the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) BRP Hydrographer Ventura.

Based on the DENR data, the vessel was located about northeast of Pola, Oriental Mindoro but it is “believed to have moved southeast from its last known position where it completely submerged.”

The site is about 1,200 feet or approximately 400 meters below sea level.

Cash-for-work

On Wednesday, March 8, the PCG started meeting with the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro to deploy as many people to help in the oil spill clean-up drive.

photo: PCG

During the meeting, it was agreed that the government will hire one person per family in all affected coastal areas under the “cash-for-work” program.  

“There will also be a massive and simultaneous shoreline clean-up on Friday, March 10,” the PCG statement read.

For other missions, BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) applied 1,200 liters of oil dispersant in the vicinity waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. 

Meanwhile, shoreline clean-up teams, LGU representatives, and volunteers collected several sacks of oiled debris in Pola, Oriental Mindoro.

BLACKPINK sets Guinness World Records title as most streamed female group on Spotify

Published March 9, 2023, 8:43 AM

by Jonathan Hicap

The Guinness World Records officially declared that K-pop group BLACKPINK as the most streamed female group on Spotify.

Guinness World Records made the announcement on March 8, tallying that BLACKPINK’s “songs have a whopping 8,880,030,049 individual streams.” 

BLACKPINK in Hong Kong (Twitter)

It said BLACKPINK “overtook British pop group Little Mix by 400 million streams.” 

Their most streamed songs on Spotify include “How You Like That” (746,198,263 streams), “Kill This Love” (672,084,360) and “DDU-DU DDU-DU” (574,613,362).

“All four individual members of BLACKPINK have at least 66 million followers on Instagram, while the group’s joint account has racked up 53 million followers,” Guinness World Records added. 

BLACKPINK have several Guinness World Records titles such as “most subscribers for a band on YouTube as well as becoming the first K-pop group to reach No.1 on the UK albums chart (female) and the first K-pop group to reach No.1 on the US albums chart (female).”

“Spotify currently has over 480 million users worldwide, making genres like K-pop a lot more accessible to global audiences,” it said.

Sara Duterte says capability, not gender, was main reason why Pinoys elected her VP

by Raymund Antonio

Despite receiving more than 32 million votes, the highest in the country’s election history, during the 2022 national elections, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Wednesday, March 8, claimed that there were Filipinos who did not vote for her simply because of her gender, and that more Filipino men voted for her than women. 

Vice President Sara Duterte delivers a speech on the International Women’s Day celebration organized by the Philippine Council for Women and United Nations Women in Taguig City on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (Screenshot from PH Council for Women/Facebook)

In a forum with the theme “Breaking the Code: Equality for All Through Technology and Innovation” at the Samsung Theatre in SM Aura for the International Women’s Day celebration hosted by the Philippine Commission on Women and United Nations (UN) Women, the official shared how she managed to survive a male-dominated election. 

“But I have to tell you that I never saw myself by my gender, I never presented myself ever when I campaign, when I go out and talk to people and say na, ‘Piliin ninyo ako (Choose me) because I am a woman.’ I never show myself by my gender. I only see myself as a person, an individual with my unique qualities,” she told the audience. 

The Vice President shared that a focus group discussion (FGD) during the 2022 campaign period revealed that “people do not vote for me because I am a woman, and more men voted for me than women.”

In her speech, she underscored the importance of education, financial literacy, and economic empowerment for women, especially those in far-flung areas in Mindanao. 

“Gaya po ninyo, naniniwala rin ako na kapag ang mga kababaihan sa isang komunidad ay nabigyan ng pagkakataong maging produktibo, kapag sila ay nabigyan ng edukasyon at nagkaroon ng kapangyarihan ng kaalaman, at kapag sila ay nahasa na mamuno, kaya po nilang baguhin ang mukha ng kanilang komunidad (Like you, I also believe that when women in a community are given the chance to become productive, when they are educated and empowered with knowledge, when they are trained to lead, they can change the face of their communities),” Duterte said. 

As the former mayor of Davao City, the official shared the  transformation story of Paquibato District, which used to be a “stronghold” of the New People’s Army (NPA) there. 

She reflected on how the district became a “landscape of peace” by simply empowering the women there through livelihood programs, financial literacy, and by setting up a market for their produce. 

Through her Peace 911, “a government-initiated but civilian-led peace initiative that required people to help us help themselves,” they were able to turn Paquibato District around. 

“Today, it is important for us to advocate for an inclusive digital education that will provide opportunities for women and girls to overcome any inequality affecting their development and involvement in the community,” Duterte said, expressing hopes for several programs, such as the Innovations for Women Enterprises or iWomen Project, Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises (WHWise) Program, and the newly launched Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day program.

Meanwhile, Duterte also stressed that while the country tries to “narrow the gender gap to digital accessibility,” it should likewise protect Filipinas, including girls, from violence committed against them at home, in their workplaces, and in online communities.

As an Education chief, which she holds in a concurrent capacity, the Department of Education (DepEd) launched Learner Telesafe Contact Center national hotline, where learners can report cases of abuse including online child sexual exploitation.

And while teenage pregnancy is still a problem in the country, Duterte said this could be addressed by allowing teenage mothers to continue their education through Alternative Learning Systems (ALS), open universities, and Alternative Delivery Modes. 

“Let me emphasize that the pursuit of gender equality is not solely a women’s issue. Filipino men are encouraged and have been advocating for gender equality, too,” she stressed. 

“By helping women access economic opportunities, for example, we empower them to be financially independent, improve the standard of living of their families, and are better able to ensure the good health and education of their children,” the Vice President added.

Alex Eala stuns seeded rival, advances to second round of W60 Trnava tourney

by Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

Alex Eala returns to action with a stunning first-round victory in Slovakia. (File Photo/Alex Eala Facebook page)

Alex Eala returned to competition on a high note after stunning Leyre Romero Gormez of Spain, 6-1, 6-0, at the start of the W60 Trnava 2nd Empire Women’s Indoor Tennis Tournament in Slovakia Tuesday, March 7 (Wednesday in Manila).

The 17-year-old Eala hardly broke a sweat in dispatching her sixth-seeded rival with superb shots to advance to the second round of the $60,000 event.

The easy victory arranged the Filipina tennis sensation a meeting with fellow unseeded rival Sonay Kartal of Great Britain, who needed more flexing in edging wildcard bet and hometown player Natalia Krockova, 6-4, 6-3.

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This would be the first time that Eala and Kartal are facing in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) scene, with the PH bet holding a slight advantage against her Slovakian rival.

Though younger than Kartal by four years, Eala boasts of a higher ITF ranking at No. 220 compared to the Slovakian’s No. 262.

Kartal, however, has four ITF titles last year – all from $25,000 events – and is coming off a semifinal appearance at the W25 Glasgow tournament in Great Britain last February.

Eala, for her part, is coming off a one-month respite from competitions, with her last appearance at the Thailand Open in January where she finished in the first round after going through two qualifying matches. 

Aside from the singles, Eala is also seeing action the doubles with Lithuanian partner Justina Mikulskyte where they are set to clash against Slovakian pair Ela Platenikova and Nina Vargova in the opening round.