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Things As They Are

Of course things don’t always happen the way we wish they would. There are moments in which we feel we are seeking something that is not meant for us, knocking on doors that don’t open, waiting for miracles that don’t manifest themselves.

Fortunately that is the way things are - if everything went the way we wanted, soon we would no longer have anything to write about, nothing to guide our daily thoughts. This script serves our dreams as nourishment, but to our battles as energy. And as it always happens with the warriors that spend all their energy in the Good Fight, there are moments in which it is best to relax and believe that the Universe is still working for us secretly, even if we cannot comprehend it.

And so, let us allow the Soul of the World to fulfill its mission, and if we can’t help, the best way to collaborate is to pay attention to the simple things in life; the sunset, the people in the street, the reading of a book.

However, in many cases, time continues passing and nothing exceptional happens. But the true warrior of light believes. Just like children believe.

Because they believe in miracles, the miracles begin to happen.

Because they are certain that their thoughts can change their lives, their lives begin to change.

Because they are certain they will find love, this love appears.

Sometimes they are disappointed. Sometimes they feel hurt.

Then they hear the comments, “you are so naïve!”

But the warrior knows it is worth the price. To each defeat, there are two conquests in his favor.

In an interesting and diminutive book called “The Breviary of Medieval Knights,” there are some passages that have to be remembered in these moments of waiting:

“The Path’s spiritual energy uses justice and patience to prepare your spirit.”

“This is the Knight’s Path. An easy and hard path at the same time, as it urges us to let aside useless things and relative friendships. That is why, at the beginning, we hesitate so much to follow it.”

“This is a Knight’s first teaching: you will erase everything you wrote up to now on your life’s notebook: turmoil, insecurities, lies. And in place of all that, you will write the word courage. Beginning the journey with this word and going on with faith in God, you will arrive where you need to arrive.”

Even so, sometimes we keep on waiting - with patience, resignation, courage - and still, things around us don’t move. But since this is the path we chose, it seems impossible that life’s blessings are not working in our favor. It provokes, therefore, a deep reflection about what we call “results:” our destiny is manifesting itself in a way we are not able to fully comprehend . Jorge Luís Borges wrote a masterly short story about this issue.

He describes the birth of a tiger that spends great part of its life in the African wildness but ends up being captured and taken to a zoo in Italy. From then on, the animal thinks his life has lost sense and there is nothing left to do but wait for the day he dies.

One fine day, poet Dante Alighieri passes by this zoo, looks at the tiger, and the animal inspires a verse – in the midst of thousands of verses – of “The Divine Comedy.”

“The entire battle for survival that tiger went through was only so that it could be at the zoo on that morning and inspire an immortal verse,” says Borges.

Just like this tiger, we all have a reason – a very important reason – to be here, at this moment, this morning.

So relax. And pay attention.

(From Warrior of the Light)

Dilaw na Ilaw

Nitong mga nakaraang araw, panay ang nood namin ng mga news program upang saksihan ang mga kaganapan sa pagkamatay, burol at paglilibing sa ating mahal na Presidente Cory. Maraming mga indibidwal ang aking napanood sa telebisyon na nagpa-interview at nagbahagi ng kanilang mga eksperyensiya noong nabubuhay pa sya. Maging ang inyong lingkod ay may isang simpleng pagkakataon din na nakaharap ng malapitan si Tita Cory.

Araw ng miyerkules noon at ako ay dumalo sa novena mass sa Greenbelt Chapel. Sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, kasalukuyan din palang naroroon si Tita Cory. Sa kabuuan ng misa ay ilang beses ko yatang sinadya na sulyapan sya habang nakaupo sa kabilang bahagi ng simbahan mula sa aking kinalalagyan. Hindi ko nga yata masyado naintindihan ang homilya sa misa ng araw na iyon.

Hindi pa dyan nagtatapos ang kwento ko. Pagkatapos ng misa ay nag-lunch muna ako sa Greenbelt. Suwerte nga yata ako noong araw na yun. Pagkatapos ng lunch ay naglakad na ako pabalik sa aking opisina sa Makati. Sa pagbalik doon, ang pinaka-konbeniyente kong dadaanan ay ang elevated walkway sa may De la Rosa. Nang nasa bahagi na ako ng PLDT area, nakita ko na lang ang sarili ko na naglalakad kasabay ang isang babaeng nakasuot ng dilaw. May kasama syang isang babae at isang lalaking bodyguard yata. Kaming apat lang ang naglalakad ng mga oras na iyon.

Para akong na-starstruck! Hindi dahil nakakita ako ng artista, ngunit dahil parang nakakita ako ng santa. Maputi, naka-sandalyas na itim at malumanay maglakad. Naisip ko, ang nakita ko yata ay mga katangian na parang tulad sa isang madre. Si Tita Cory nga! At kasabay kong naglalakad! Gusto ko syang kamayan ng mga oras na iyon ngunit naunahan ako ng takot dahil baka sunggaban ako ng bodyguard. Ang tangi kong nagawa ay lingonin sya, ngumiti, at tumango upang magbigay pugay. Pagkatapos nun ay binilisan ko ang aking lakad upang mauna na. 

Yan lang ang aking simpleng “close encounter” kay Tita Cory. Ang ilaw ng ating bayan. Ang dilaw na ilaw.

It’s Your Time

God has planted seeds of greatness on the inside of you, and He has predestined that those things in your heart come to pass. You may have had more than your share of unfair things happen in your life. You probably have plenty of reasons to just settle where you are. But understand, the depth of your past is an indication of the height of your future.

If you’ve been through a lot of negative things in the past, it just means that your future is bigger and brighter and greater than you can even imagine. It’s your time to step out and embrace all that God has for you! Are there dreams and promises that you’ve let go of? Are there things that God has placed in your heart, but because of time, because of disappointments, you’ve given up on them?

Today is the day to give your dreams a new beginning. Today is the day to allow faith to rise in your heart. Remember, what’s happened to you is not nearly as important as what’s happened in you, and you are stronger and wiser than ever before. It’s your time; it’s your season to move forward into the destiny that God has prepared for you!

(From Joel Osteen Ministries)

It’s Time

True Investment Means Earnings.

Why wait? 

It’s TIME!

Trek@7

OFTR Rewind

To all my loyal and fortuitous visitors: Pardon me for the temporary hiatus. I had been busy with my new job. I’ll catch up soon.

In the meantime, I have posted some pix from a recent summer escapade-cum-poker-session with my “aging-but-wiser” OFTR friends. Check this link: http://jongoloids.multiply.com

The Way of the Cross

“Bisita Iglesia” is a widespread devotion in the Catholic church that is usually practised during Lent. This pious practice consists essentially of a devout meditation on the sufferings of Jesus Christ on his way to Calvary where he died on the cross. This traditional custom is performed through the Way of the Cross by going to 14 churches representing each “stations” — the various places where Jesus had stopped or met some people as he staggered along the road to Calvary. 

Since 2003, I had been doing this devotion by visiting 7 churches only. This year, I had the privilege to visit more than that. Together with my K of C colleagues, I visited 14 churches in Cavite.  Unfortunately, our group missed the first church since we were not able to catch-up with the convoy that left as early as 6:30 a.m. An added bonus is that we were able to pass-by the famous Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit for some photo opportunity.

The churches as listed in our itinerary are the following: (1) St. James Parish in Buhay na Tubig, Bacoor; (2) Sto. Nino Parish in Bahayang Pag-asa, Bacoor; (3) Holy Trinity Parish in Bayanan, Bacoor; (4) St. Michael’s Parish in Bacoor Bayan; (5) Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Binakayan, Kawit; (6) Mary Magdalene Parish in Kawit; (7) Nuestra Sra. Dela Soledad Parish in Sta. Isabel, Kawit; (8) Holy Cross Parish in Tanza; (9) St. Francis of Assisi Parish in General Trias; (10) The Annunciation Parish in Pasong Camachile; (11) Immaculate Conception Parish in Dasmarinas Bayan; (12) San Lorenzo Ruis Parish in Summerwind 4, Dasmarinas; (13) Ina ng Laging Saklolo Parish in Area1, Dasmarinas; and (14) Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Salitran, Dasmarinas.

I got some humble shots of the churches’ facade in http://jongoloids.multiply.com.

In Passable Dream

I got this from Bo Sanchez Soulfood Newsletter. This is his explanation about why focusing on your dream is important to your happiness. 

“The act of choosing is oxygen for your soul.

Choosing feels good!

I’ve met countless of people who can’t choose. They run their lives on fear. Because they fear others, and what other people say, they let other people run their lives. Their bosses. Their families. Their friends.

That is one miserable way to live.

Happy people create their future. It’s not created for them. They deliberately choose what they want to do and where they want to go.”

Photo Shopping

I have a Photoshop installed in my laptop but I’m using it for resizing and watermarking only. Today, I tried doing some tweaking for fun sake. Here are the results:

Patrick’s Day

Trek has made it again this year!

He got the following awards during their school’s recognition rites.

(1) Alagad ng Sining Awardee;

(2) Best in Computer;

(3) Best in Conduct; and

(4) First Honor in Grade 1.

Congratulations Trek!

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