Bare as a Child
Starting a web blog on one of the busiest day of a parish priest, Sunday, is something an added workload. No! It is a blessing because I still have the energy to work on it inspite of the schedule.
Today, the Catholic Church all over the world celebrates the feast of the Holy Infant. We, Filipinos, the former colonies of Spain and Spanish speaking countries called it Sto. Niňo, the Holy Infant Jesus. In the Philippine setting, this celebration becomes too popular not only on Cebu City with its Sinulog Festival, IloIlo City with its Dinagyang Festival, Kalibo, Aklan with its Ati-Atihan Festival, Pagadian City with its Zambulahawan Festival, Cagayan de Oro with its Pachada Seňor , Butuan City with its Kahimunan Festival, but in almost all of the parishes. The image of the Sto. Niňo is one of the common images in every Filipino Catholic household.
Here in my parish, the celebration is headed by Hermano and Hermana, aided by the Knights of Columbus. This year’s Hermano and Hermana is Brother Reggie and Sister Lea Florendo (We call the laity or the faithful as brothers and sisters) of Bagong Pook, Sta. Maria, Laguna. Parents of two siblings, the youngest was been born during the first Novena Mass. Novena masses were offered before the feast day. After the second mass, a procession is held in Honor of the Sto. Niňo along the Poblacion’s main street. Fun games for children followed after the procession. The next Hermano and Hermana for the year 2007 are Bro. Serafim and Raquel Dita of Brgy. II, Sta. Maria, Laguna. By lot, they were selected from several couples who are devotees and would like to become sponsors of the event for the year.
To start a blog on this special occasion is very symbolical to me. Not because I planned it. For several years, I yearn to put my own website, but due to financial constrained it remained a dream to be fulfilled. So, I decided why not putting up a web blog instead. It is free. Thanks to blogger.com and for those who make it free, the readers and the sponsors. Let me go back to its symbolism. Today, I will start anew to bare my thoughts and inner being not only to the Lord (personal meditation and prayer is a part of my everyday life, hoping to see myself in the eyes of God.)but to whoever might read this reflection.
There are times when the need arises that I speak blatantly and forwardly on some issues, but most of the time, I keep my distance. I am aware that my tongue is too sharp enough to the sensitivity of others.
Today, I hope to bare myself as an infant, like what Jesus did. Well, trying to be like Him. Emptying oneself to someone beside God is not part of my everyday life.
Contemplating on this issue, it becomes clearer to me that my training has something to do with it. However, it is not my training that make this way. It is me. My training reinforces only what I am. And I let it be.
Is this mid-life crisis people are talking about? While writing this article, somebody text me in my cellfone, inviting me to his 40th birthday this coming 19th of this month in San Vicente Biňan, Laguna. This place is already near manila but two or more hours from my place by car. I just finished marking that date when my secretary informed me that my fellow priests of the vicariate have moved our meeting to that date with the same designated time. Wow, I am feeling furious. I seldom accept outside engagement and then a sudden shift of events. The celebrant, by the way, is a fellow priest and contemporary, reminding me that my 40th birthday is not at all far from reality. Whatever this may be, I believe that this endeavor will help me because God let himself be seen as an infant, bare, not even with any power of a human being though a God.
This is not my homily. Just clarifying.
This gives me a second thought. What about writing also a portion of my homilies on this vast universe of world wide web.
Starting a web blog on one of the busiest day of a parish priest, Sunday, is something an added workload. No! It is a blessing because I still have the energy to work on it inspite of the schedule.
Today, the Catholic Church all over the world celebrates the feast of the Holy Infant. We, Filipinos, the former colonies of Spain and Spanish speaking countries called it Sto. Niňo, the Holy Infant Jesus. In the Philippine setting, this celebration becomes too popular not only on Cebu City with its Sinulog Festival, IloIlo City with its Dinagyang Festival, Kalibo, Aklan with its Ati-Atihan Festival, Pagadian City with its Zambulahawan Festival, Cagayan de Oro with its Pachada Seňor , Butuan City with its Kahimunan Festival, but in almost all of the parishes. The image of the Sto. Niňo is one of the common images in every Filipino Catholic household.
Here in my parish, the celebration is headed by Hermano and Hermana, aided by the Knights of Columbus. This year’s Hermano and Hermana is Brother Reggie and Sister Lea Florendo (We call the laity or the faithful as brothers and sisters) of Bagong Pook, Sta. Maria, Laguna. Parents of two siblings, the youngest was been born during the first Novena Mass. Novena masses were offered before the feast day. After the second mass, a procession is held in Honor of the Sto. Niňo along the Poblacion’s main street. Fun games for children followed after the procession. The next Hermano and Hermana for the year 2007 are Bro. Serafim and Raquel Dita of Brgy. II, Sta. Maria, Laguna. By lot, they were selected from several couples who are devotees and would like to become sponsors of the event for the year.
To start a blog on this special occasion is very symbolical to me. Not because I planned it. For several years, I yearn to put my own website, but due to financial constrained it remained a dream to be fulfilled. So, I decided why not putting up a web blog instead. It is free. Thanks to blogger.com and for those who make it free, the readers and the sponsors. Let me go back to its symbolism. Today, I will start anew to bare my thoughts and inner being not only to the Lord (personal meditation and prayer is a part of my everyday life, hoping to see myself in the eyes of God.)but to whoever might read this reflection.
There are times when the need arises that I speak blatantly and forwardly on some issues, but most of the time, I keep my distance. I am aware that my tongue is too sharp enough to the sensitivity of others.
Today, I hope to bare myself as an infant, like what Jesus did. Well, trying to be like Him. Emptying oneself to someone beside God is not part of my everyday life.
Contemplating on this issue, it becomes clearer to me that my training has something to do with it. However, it is not my training that make this way. It is me. My training reinforces only what I am. And I let it be.
Is this mid-life crisis people are talking about? While writing this article, somebody text me in my cellfone, inviting me to his 40th birthday this coming 19th of this month in San Vicente Biňan, Laguna. This place is already near manila but two or more hours from my place by car. I just finished marking that date when my secretary informed me that my fellow priests of the vicariate have moved our meeting to that date with the same designated time. Wow, I am feeling furious. I seldom accept outside engagement and then a sudden shift of events. The celebrant, by the way, is a fellow priest and contemporary, reminding me that my 40th birthday is not at all far from reality. Whatever this may be, I believe that this endeavor will help me because God let himself be seen as an infant, bare, not even with any power of a human being though a God.
This is not my homily. Just clarifying.
This gives me a second thought. What about writing also a portion of my homilies on this vast universe of world wide web.
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