Honoring the Life of
Pope Francis

A
PEPP Statement on the passing of Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome
April 25, 2025
He has shown you, O
mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act
justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah
6:8)
The Philippine Ecumenical
Peace Platform is profoundly saddened by the passing of His Holiness
Pope Francis on this solemn Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the
age of 88.
A man of compassion and
humility, Pope Francis—affectionately called “Lolo Kiko” by
Filipinos—devoted his life and ministry to the service of the Lord.
He inspired millions of people around the world by his prophetic
pronouncements, especially in defense of the poor and the oppressed.
He strongly condemned
economic policies that deepened poverty, inequality and
environmental degradation, stressing that occasional acts of charity
are not enough. In his message for the World Day of Peace last
January, he reminded us that the earth and its resources are meant
to be used, enjoyed, and preserved by everyone, not just by a
privileged few. He also appealed to richer nations to cancel the
foreign debts of poorer countries, in recognition of the ecological
debt owed by the former to the latter.
He consistently advocated
for the welfare of refugees, the liberation of prisoners of war and
political prisoners, and the protection of marginalized peoples. He
denounced war and all forms of violence, upholding the inherent
dignity of every human being. During his Easter message on Sunday,
April 20, he called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of
hostages, and food for the starving. Embracing the Gospel call to be
peacemakers, he urged us to tear down the walls of division and
build a community of peace rooted in justice.
His Holiness saw these as
the true weapons of peace that can shape a better future.
May this time of mourning
move us to reflect on the life of Pope Francis, who acted justly,
loved mercy, and walked humbly.
Let us follow his example
and heed God’s call to be instruments of justice, peace, and the
protection of human rights for our fellow countrymen.
Issued and signed on this day, 25th of April 2025.
(Sgd.) Archbishop Emeritus Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, D.D.
Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City
Co-chairperson, PEPP
(Sgd.) The Rt. Rev’d. Rex B. Reyes, Jr.
Episcopal Church in the Philippines
Co-Chairperson, PEPP
Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF)
(Sgd.) Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr., D.D.
Diocese of Kalookan
Head, PEPP Secretariat
(Sgd.) Sr. Mary John D. Mananzan, OSB
Office of Women and Gender Concerns-Conference of Major Superiors in
the Philippines (OWGC-CMSP)
(Sgd.) Rev. Dr. Aldrin M. Peñamora
Executive Director, Peace and Reconciliation Commission-Philippine
Council of Evangelical Churches (PARC-PCEC)
(Sgd.) Ms. Minnie Anne M. Calub
General Secretary, National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)
A right path towards
achieving peace based on justice
A Statement on the arrest
of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
March 18, 2025
Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their
cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and
the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them. (Ps.
10:17-18)
After years of crying out for justice, the families of victims of
extrajudicial killings during the administration of former President
Rodrigo Roa Duterte held higher their hopes on Tuesday, March 11,
2025. On that day, the International Criminal Court (ICC), through
the Philippine National Police, served the warrant of arrest to the
former president for crimes against humanity.
The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), joins all people of
goodwill in welcoming former Pres. Duterte’s arrest. This is a
significant step towards justice for victims of drug-related
killings – many of whom were denied due process and, ultimately, the
right to life. This marks progress towards accountability, upholding
of human rights and God’s gift of human dignity. The arrest is a
signal to ending the culture of impunity prevalent in the country.
It is also a right path towards achieving peace based on justice.
During his stint as mayor of Davao City and as president of the
Republic, Duterte waged a bloody “war on drugs,” purportedly to
eradicate criminality and the illegal drug trade, which he framed as
a threat to the safety of Filipinos. However, this campaign resulted
in thousands of deaths, disproportionately affecting the poor and
marginalized. Their families, already burdened by grief, were pushed
deeper into poverty as many victims were breadwinners. Furthermore,
among those killed were children – whom Duterte and his chief drug-war
implementer, Sen. Bato Dela Rosa, dismissed as mere “collateral
damage.”
Human rights advocates repeatedly condemned Duterte’s campaign of
mass killings, urging him to address the underlying issues that
drive people into drug abuse and criminality. Duterte could have
looked into widespread poverty, unemployment, lack of access to
social services, the inequitable distribution of resources,
corruption, and bad governance. There are also the roots of unpeace.
His refusal to heed these calls has now led to his reckoning, as he
is now facing the bars of justice for the lives his drug war took,
lives he was sworn to protect.
One must recall that former Pres. Duterte unilaterally terminated
the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the
Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the
Philippines (NDFP) in November 2017. Consequently, he declared the
latter, as well as the Communist Party of the Philippines and New
People’s Army (CPP-NPA), as “communist-terrorist organizations.”
After the termination of peace negotiations, he released Executive
Order 70, formed the National Task Force to End Local Communist
Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), and launched an all-out war against the
CPP-NPA-NDFP and “communist terrorist front organizations”. This
resulted in rampant red-tagging, filing of trumped-up charges,
tokhang-style extrajudicial killings like the “Bloody Sunday” of
2021 in CALABARZON, and other violations on human rights and
international humanitarian law. Duterte’s inhumane project included
the indiscriminate bombing of communities. The situation worsened
when the Legislative bodies, upon his prodding, passed the vague
Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL).
As peace advocates, we continue to stand in solidarity with the
families of the victims and affirm the sanctity of human life
through human rights. We also reiterate our unwavering call for the
resumption of the GRP-NDFP peace process and the government of Pres.
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to abolish the NTF-ELCAC and other laws like
the ATL, which are impediments to the peace process.
May this be a time to bear one another’s burdens, demonstrating
through our prayers and actions the Lordship of Jesus Christ on
earth. Let us pray and participate in ensuring that God’s justice
and righteousness will prevail in the verdict of Duterte’s upcoming
trial, revealing how the Lord of all despises evilness, especially
the mistreatment of widows and orphans (Exod. 22: 22-25).
Issued and signed on this day, 18th of March 2025
(Sgd.) Archbishop Emeritus Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, D.D.
Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City
Co-Chairperson, PEPP
(Sgd.) The Rt. Rev’d. Rex B. Reyes, Jr.
Episcopal Church in the Philippines
Co-Chairperson, PEPP
Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF)
(Sgd.) Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr., D.D.
Head, PEPP Secretariat
(Sgd.) Sr. Mary John D. Mananzan, OSB
Office of Women and Gender Concerns-Conference of Major Superiors in
the Philippines (OWGC-CMSP)
(Sgd.) Ms. Minnie Anne M. Calub
General Secretary, National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)
What to do when tempted
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
March 8, 2025
OBVIOUSLY, the thing to do
is to immediately go to Christ who will show us and empower us with
the proper way to deal with the many temptations in our life. We
should never just be by ourselves when these temptations come,
thinking that we can rely solely on our own strength. Such thought
definitely would come from the tempters themselves – our wounded
flesh, the world’s allurements and the devil himself.
When we find this recourse
to Christ difficult to do, we should just force ourselves to be
humble, always acknowledging our helplessness before the forces of
evil, and begging our Lord to help us. This way we can even convert
these temptations into golden occasions to grow in our spiritual
life. St. Paul said so in so many words: “In all things God works
for the good of those who love him.” (Rom 8,28)
It’s only when we refer
these temptations to Christ that things get clarified. Let’s
remember that temptations will always make use of something
desirable, anchored on some good and true things which are subtly
and deceptively distorted and corrupted.
They will always appeal to
our weaknesses. Thus, if we would just use a little bit of common
sense, temptations can offer us some advantage since they point to
us where our weaknesses are, where we have to focus our efforts to
correct.
In a sense, temptations
encourage us to develop the virtues that are affected by them. They
remind us to be always humble and to ever depend on God rather than
on our powers alone.
And so, we have to work
hard in building up this relation with God if we want to keep some
safe distance away from temptations. If our love for God is hot, the
devil and the other tempters will find it hard to get near us, just
like a fly would not get close to a hot soup.
Our usual problem is that
we tend to be by ourselves when temptations come, and to rely simply
on our powers which actually are already heavily compromised since
our wounded flesh is an ally of the enemies of our soul. We always
have a Trojan horse in our personal lives.
Without God’s grace we
simply cannot do anything except to fall, if not soon then later. It
would just be a matter of time. But when we are with God, we get to
see the whole picture, and can distinguish the poison embedded in
the many good, beautiful, true and sweet things that the temptations
come with.
From there we would know
what strategy to take. Very often, what can be effective is simply
to ignore the temptation and to pour scorn on the evil spirits
behind the temptation. This is effective if in the first place our
spiritual life is healthy, with faith and love for God and for souls
vibrant and strong.
But then when such faith
and love is not that strong, the temptations can gain some foothold
in us. When we notice this, our reaction should be just to stay calm
and not to dare to get overexcited. When there is a storm around, we
usually would stay home or at a safe place to ride it out, and avoid
going around.
The same with this
particular case of temptations gaining some foothold in us. It
simply means that God is allowing these temptations to come to show
us where we are weak, and therefore where we should do something
about.
Living out the spirit
of EDSA: A call to the Church people
A statement by One Faith. One
Nation. One Voice.
February 24, 2025
As followers of Christ, we
are called to be bearers of truth, justice, and righteousness. Our
faith is not passive; it demands that we take a stand against
oppression and work for the liberation of the poor and the
marginalized. The spirit of EDSA People Power 1 is a testament to
this call – a powerful reminder that when people are united in faith
and purpose, they can overcome even the most entrenched forms of
tyranny.
The victory of EDSA was not just a political triumph; it was a moral
and spiritual awakening. It showed us that courage, compassion, and
solidarity could break the chains of dictatorship. People from all
walks of life – rich and poor, religious and secular, young and old
– came together with a shared hope: to reclaim their dignity
and restore democracy. This was more than just an act of resistance;
it was an expression of love for our country, fueled by faith in a
God who sides with the oppressed.
Yet, decades later, we
find ourselves confronting the same forces of greed, deception, and
repression. The same powerful family that was unseated by the people
now holds the reins of government once again, perpetuating a system
that keeps millions in poverty, silence, and fear. The biblical
mandate for justice has never been more urgent. Proverbs 31:8-9
commands us:
"Speak up for those who
cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are
destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor
and needy."
As a Church, we cannot be
neutral. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity. The
prophetic tradition of our faith calls us to be the voice of the
voiceless, to expose lies with truth, and to resist evil with love.
Living out the spirit of EDSA means more than remembering history –
it means embracing a continuing commitment to social transformation.
We must educate ourselves
and our communities about the realities of injustice, the
distortions of history, and the threats to democracy. Let us root
ourselves in Scripture and in the social teachings of the Church so
that our faith informs our activism.
The struggle for justice
cannot be fought alone. Just as EDSA was a collective movement, we
must build communities of resistance and hope, standing together in
the fight against corruption, disinformation, and oppression.
Faith without works is
dead (James 2:26). Our commitment to Christ must manifest in
concrete actions – advocating for human rights, supporting the poor,
exposing lies, seeking accountability for misdeeds, and challenging
the systems that perpetuate suffering.
The challenge is before
us. Will we remain passive in the face of oppression, or will we
rise as a prophetic voice for justice and righteousness? The spirit
of EDSA is alive whenever we choose to act in faith, speak truth to
power, and build a nation where justice and peace reign.
Let us stand together –
for God, for people, for truth, for freedom.
"Blessed are those who
fear the Lord"
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
February 13, 2025
THAT’S from Psalm 128,1.
The verse is often used as a responsorial psalm in many of the
Masses during the year. And it definitely talks about a healthy kind
of fear that is nothing other than a gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s a
fear that protects and prevents us from offending God through sin,
through disobedience to his loving and saving will for us.
We have to know when to be
afraid and when not. We have to distinguish between a good fear and
a bad fear, a healthy one and a sick one. We need to know how to
handle and deal with our fears that are unavoidable in our life.
Fear is an emotion that we
need to educate also. It just cannot be on its own, guided only by
our spontaneous judgments and reactions, and appearing when it’s not
supposed to, and not appearing when it’s supposed to. It has to be
grounded and oriented properly, expressing the sublimity of our
dignity as persons and children of God.
We need to fear because
that is what is proper of a child of God as we all are. There’s
always a healthy kind of fear involved in any relationship that is
based on love and respect. It is the fear of not offending the other
party. And this is much more so if the other party is superior to
us. If the other party is God himself, then this filial fear is
absolutely needed.
Besides, such fear can
trigger a series of good effects. A passage from the Book of
Proverbs affirms this. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom.” (9,10) Pope St. Gregory the Great, in explaining the
dynamism of this filial fear, says:
“Through the fear of the
Lord, we rise to piety, from piety then to knowledge, from knowledge
we derive strength, from strength counsel, with counsel we move
toward understanding, and with intelligence toward wisdom and thus,
by the sevenfold grace of the Spirit, there opens to us at the end
of the ascent the entrance to the life of Heaven.”
With this fear of the
Lord, we acknowledge we are creatures who are always dependent on
God. This is what is called the ‘poverty of spirit’ that figures in
one of the beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in the spirit for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
It’s this fear that we
should foster, especially these days when we see a lot of people who
are not afraid anymore to offend God. Though to be fair, we can also
say that many do not fear God anymore because in the first place
they don’t know him. No one fears what he doesn’t know.
We have to acknowledge
some facts that we can gather nowadays. Like, there definitely is a
lack of religious formation among many people, especially the young
ones. This is aggravated by the fact that the reception of the
sacraments is getting less and less. There is also a shortage of
vocations and the rate of fidelity and perseverance to one’s
vocation is low.
There is also a loss of
the sense of sin even among Christians. And those who appear to be
Christians often lack consistency with their faith when scrutinized.
There definitely is a great need for catechesis and pastoral
accompaniment.
Let’s hope that we can
properly tackle these issues that should lead us to have a holy fear
of God.
Baybay's rising hope:
Doves of peace and a brighter future

By
Pastor AL MAGNO TINIO
February 8, 2025
On February 7th, 2025, under the clear Leyte sky, a breathtaking
spectacle unfolded. More than a ceremony, it was a testament to the
indomitable spirit of Baybay City. As white doves ascended, their
wings catching the sunlight, they carried with them not just
feathers, but the hopes and dreams of a community reborn. These
weren't mere birds; they were living symbols of purity, cleansing
the city of the past's shadows and ushering in a new era of peace.
This declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC)
marked a pivotal moment, a victory hard-earned through shared
sacrifice and unwavering commitment. It was a profound
acknowledgment of the resilience of the Baybayanons, their strength
forged in the crucible of conflict.
The ceremony itself was a symphony of emotion: palpable relief,
cautious optimism, and a profound sense of gratitude. Mayor Jose
Carlos L. Cari's words, heavy with the weight of years spent
striving for peace, resonated deeply. His voice, a chorus of thanks
to the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, and the DILG,
echoed the collective sentiment. Their collaboration, a powerful
embodiment of the "Whole of Nation Approach," had yielded a harvest
of hope.
Brigadier General Noel A. Vestuir's commendation was more than a
formality; it was a heartfelt tribute to the sacrifices made. His
words, "The declaration… signified our hard-earned victory of
winning the peace in which some of us offered the ultimate sacrifice
to achieve," resonated with a poignant blend of loss and triumph.
The unspoken stories of bravery and loss, carried on the wind
alongside the doves, served as a solemn reminder of the price of
peace. Yet, amidst the sorrow, a brighter future emerged, painted
in the hopeful white of those soaring birds.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Pledge of
Commitment was not merely bureaucratic; it was a sacred promise, a
collective vow to safeguard the delicate bloom of peace. This
promise, carried on the wind, whispered a hope for a transformed
Baybay City – a city where children's laughter would finally silence
the echoes of conflict.
This SIPSC declaration is not an ending, but a glorious dawn after a
long, dark night. It stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of
the Baybayanons, a beacon of hope illuminating a future where peace
and understanding reign supreme. The path ahead may hold challenges,
but today, in Baybay City, hope takes flight. The doves' ascent is
a potent visual metaphor for the boundless possibilities that lie
ahead – a city liberated from conflict, empowered to build a better
tomorrow. A tomorrow where children play freely, and families plan
for the future without fear. In Baybay, the future is not just
bright; it is soaring.
Demonic attacks on the
rise
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
February 3, 2025
THIS should be no surprise
to us. With the way things are now – new technologies offering more
temptations than real advantages, and people spiritually and morally
impoverished – what can we expect? That’s why requests for exorcism
and deliverance have dramatically increased these days, not to
mention the increasing cases of mental illness, psychological
disorders, suicide, etc.
We should never take the
devils for granted. They are always around, ever scheming and
plotting against us in many, many ways, and often in a manner that
is so subtle that we may not even notice them. As St. Peter would
put in his first letter: “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around
like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” (5,8)
We should never consider
the devils as a myth, or as some kind of literary device only to
highlight a point in the drama of our life. They are as real as you
and me. Our problem is that we think lightly or, worse, falsely of
them. And so, we become completely unprepared to deal with their
antics.
But in spite of that
unfortunate fact of life, we should remember that the devils cannot
do anything against us unless allowed by God. And if allowed, it is
because God in his mysterious providence can always draw a greater
good from any evil the devils may cause in us.
We need to have a good
grip on this rapidly emerging menace. And the first thing to do is
to entertain the possibility that indeed these people who are
disturbed by evil spirits are both mentally sick and demonically
bothered.
Yes, while it’s true that
the predicament can be an either-or proposition, we should not
dismiss the possibility that it can also be a both-and one. Not just
disjunctive, but also conjunctive. Let’s remember that the devil is
always around. It’s not paranoia to be always alerted of the devil’s
existence and his constant efforts to destroy us, usually in very
sweet ways.
It would be good if we
level up in our knowledge of psychology. This field of science is
getting to be more and more relevant these days. It cannot anymore
be the exclusive interest of some people. Everyone should know at
least the basics of psychology and from there start accumulating
relevant helpful information.
But we should never forget
that the psychological and mental mechanism of a person is steeped
in his spiritual dimension that can lead him either to the
supernatural or infranatural world. It cannot be studied from the
point of view of empirical science alone. It has to input the truths
of faith to enable it to cope with the full range of its
possibilities.
This is a point that
should be taken more seriously these days. The complicated
challenges of our times that have brought about many good things and
also many bad things cannot but make this kind of demand. We have to
take our faith more seriously, assimilating it in our system and
making it the guide and shaper of our lives.
With our faith, we have
the answer to all the questions, the solution to all our problems,
even if the answers and solutions it offers may not be the ones we
want. But they are the answers and solutions that God himself gives,
and not just us.
Faith is the great healer,
the constant pacifier, because it brings Christ into our lives,
Christ who heals and who constantly tells us, “Do not be afraid...”
We should bring our faith to bear on our sciences and on our other
sources of knowledge.
“Today is born our
Savior, Christ the Lord”
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
December 25, 2024
THAT’S the Good News of
great joy for all of us! Let us take time to savor the significance
of Christmas so that whatever happens in our life, however the
twists and turns of life may take us, we are assured that we have a
Savior who will take care of us in all our conditions, whether good
or bad.
In one of the readings of
the Mass for Christmas, from the Letter of St. Paul to Titus, we
read the following assurance: “The grace of God has appeared, saving
all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and
to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await
the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of our great God and
savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all
lawlessness and cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do
what is good.” (2,11-14)
May we never give in to
the subtle tricks of the enemies of our soul – our wounded flesh,
the allurements of the world, and the devil himself—who would urge
us to fall into discouragement, despair and hopelessness. We have
everything that we need to be what God wants us to be, despite
whatever failings we will always have.
But let’s go through some
process of lifelong training under Christ’s guidance, if not with
Christ himself, so that we would learn to live as true children of
God as God wants us to be. In this regard, let us learn how to deal
with our weaknesses, temptations and all evil and negative things we
have to contend with in this life.
That Christ allowed
himself to be tempted (cfr. Lk 4,1-13) means that he wants us to
know how to deal with temptations. As we can see in that episode,
the temptations the devil played on Christ involved good things but
poisoned with a bad intention. Temptations are always like that –
they will always be based on something good since evil cannot exist
without being anchored on something good and true which it tries to
distort and corrupt.
Like Christ, what we
should do is to clarify the real intent and purpose of the good and
the true that the devil and the tempter want to distort. This can
only happen if we refer the temptation to God himself, and not just
to ourselves and much less to the tempter himself. In the
temptations of Christ, Christ clarified things to the devil.
Once we realize the real
intent of the good and the true that the tempter uses with
deception, let us make use of the very urgings and promptings that
the temptation provokes in us to pursue the real intent of the good
and the true as defined by God and described by the many
instrumentalities we have in the Church.
Indeed, temptations can
occasion a great good if we would only know how to see the good and
the true that they try to distort, and then channel their urgings to
do the real good and the true as defined by our Christian faith.
To be sure, this way of
reacting to temptations will give us peace and joy, and a drive and
a zeal to do good. It will start to heal our spiritual and moral
weaknesses. In a sense, temptations, if dealt properly, can be a
great gift!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
Clemency is closing a
bitter chapter
A press statement of the
Ecumenical Bishops’ Forum (EBF) on Mary Jane Veloso clemency
December 10, 2024
After close to fifteen
years of imprisonment, the Ecumenical Bishops’ Forum joins other
groups in urging the Philippine Government to grant full clemency to
the detained mother of two boys – Mary Jane F. Veloso. This, after
the Indonesian Government agreed to the repatriation of Veloso to
the Philippines. Meanwhile, those responsible for Veloso’s arrest
after she was arrested as a “drug mule” at an Indonesian airport
were also arrested and jailed.
Mary Jane F. Veloso has
long become the living symbol of what Filipino overseas workers
undergo while seeking a job elsewhere and after they land a job.
They endure a myriad of suffering at the hands of merciless persons
who take liberties of their gullibility while seeking overseas
employment.
We rejoice at the
magnanimity of the Indonesian Government and the diplomatic efforts
of the Philippine Government. We hope that the Philippine Government
will complete the joy of the family by extending full clemency to a
person vexed so wrongly and for a long time. The season of Advent
calls for such. She has endured a lot. Lessons from her have been
drawn. We congratulate the Indonesian and Filipino lawyers including
the National Union of People's Lawyers who provided legal assistance
to her as well as the migrant advocacy groups and other supporters
of Mary Jane around the world.
“He who sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously will also reap
generously.” (2 Cor 9:6)
Issued and signed on this
day 10 December 2024.
BISHOP Ciriaco Q.
Francisco, (Ret.) UMC
Co-chairperson, EBF
THE RT. REVD. Emelyn
Gasco-Dacuycuy, IFI
Co-chairperson, EBF
THE RT. REVD. Dindo de la
Cruz Ranojo, IFI
General Secretary, EBF
BISHOP Joel E. Tendero,
UCCP
Treasurer, EBF
BISHOP Emeritus Deogracias
S. Iniguez, Jr., DD.
Auditor, EBF
About the end of the
world
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
November 26, 2024
IT’S understandable that
since we are now at the end of another liturgical year, the gospel
readings focus on this truth of our faith – that both time and
the world will end. Thus, in one gospel episode, Christ was asked
about the signs that such end would be approaching. (cfr. Lk
21,5-11)
Thus, Christ responded:
“See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name,
saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!”
Looks like we are seeing these things nowadays. There are some
people who are posing as the very son of God, etc. Let’s be warned.
Then Christ continued:
“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified’ for
such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the
end.” There we have a clear indication of what to expect and the
appropriate attitude we should have toward it.
Finally, he said: “Nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and
awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”
We should be prepared for
this eventuality by making sure that we are guided always by our
faith and the almighty and merciful providence of God, instead of
allowing ourselves to be played upon by our fears and worries. We
should be eternity-ready. That is to say, prepared to see God during
our judgment and eager to be with God, fully identified with him for
all eternity.
In this regard, we should
rather be aggressive in our pursuit of our ultimate goal, the proper
attitude to have in this life. Of course, we should first of all
have a clear vision of our goal in life, knowing how to translate
that goal into stages, and then let’s stir up all our faculties to
achieve that goal.
We can take St. Paul’s
words as some kind of inspiring slogan: “Do you not know that in a
race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a
way as to get the prize.” (1 Cor 9,24) Yes, our life is like a race.
The Letter to the Hebrews said as much: “Let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us...” (12,1)
The good thing about this
attitude is that it engages our faculties properly and helps us
avoid getting lost, being held hostage by the allures of this world,
wasting time, etc. We would always be on the move, and would know
how to put order in our daily activities, knowing the right
priorities, etc.
And what is the ultimate
goal that we should pursue? None other than that we become another
Christ, if not Christ himself, ‘alter Christus, ipse Christus.’ This
is simply because we have been created by God to be his image and
likeness.
That image and likeness of
God is Christ who as the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the
pattern of our humanity, and as the Son of God who became man, is
the redeemer of our damaged humanity.
Our creation is God’s
project before it is our own. It is a work in progress that requires
our cooperation precisely because as image and likeness of God, we
have been endowed with intelligence and will that would enable us to
correspond to God’s creative and redemptive action on us.
“My kingdom is not of
this world”
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
November 22, 2024
WORDS of Christ in
response to Pilate’s question, “Art thou the king of the Jews?” (Jn
18,33) That was when Christ clarified who he really was, and yet the
poor Pilate and many of the Jews of that time could not get it.
These words are part of
the gospel reading for the last Sunday of the liturgical year which
is dedicated to Christ as King, the real King. (cfr. Jn 18,33-37)
They remind us that our kingdom is not in this world. It is where
Christ as our true King is – that is, in heaven from where we really
originated and to where we are supposed to be destined in our
definitive state of life.
These words remind us that
our earthly life is a test whether what God wants us to be – that
is, to be his image and likeness, sharers of his divine life and
nature – is also what we ourselves would want to be. This test
actually takes place every moment of our earthly life. We are made
to choose whether we would like to be with God through Christ who is
the “way, the truth and the life”, or to be by ourselves only.
We should always be aware
of this test and should try our best to make the proper choice,
avoiding getting lost and swallowed up by the drama of our life here
on earth. And so, we should sharpen our awareness of the real
purpose of our life here on earth as we go through the varying
situations, conditions and circumstances of our life.
We should be excited and
eager to reach our real destination. And reaching it should not be a
problem since we have been given all the means to achieve it. What
can help is that at the end of each day, we remind ourselves of the
real end and purpose of our life, and then examine ourselves how we
are doing to approach that end.
We should develop a keen
send of the real end and purpose of our life. This is unavoidable
and indispensable. Even in our ordinary affairs, we take it for
granted that we ought to have some idea of the end or purpose in
mind before we move.
There should be at least
the sensation that we are getting nearer it, knowing that one day
more or one year more in our life is actually one day less or one
year less in our life too. We should just be ready since we would
not know when the zero-balance of this consequential equation would
take place.
To get the sensation that
we are getting closer to our final destination means that we are
realizing that we are becoming more and more like Christ, who is the
pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity. He
should be the king, the everything for us.
Thus, we have to learn how
to submit everything to him, especially our inmost self – the heart,
the will and mind together with the emotions, feelings, etc. That is
how we make Christ our king.
We are supposed to be
‘alter Christus,’ the goal and ideal that is meant for us, though we
need also to do our part, free beings as are, to achieve that
status. God, our Creator and Father, wants us to be that way, though
he does not impose it on us without our consent that should also be
shown with deeds and not just with intentions or words.
Even Christ had to pray
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
October 28, 2024
IT’S worthwhile noting
that even Christ had to spend the night praying before he made that
big decision of choosing his 12 apostles among the many disciples
that he had at that time. (cfr. Lk 6,12-16) This could only mean
that for Christ to be completely in union with the will of the
Father, he had to pray.
There should be no doubt
on our part that we too should learn how to pray not only from time
to time but rather all the time, if we want to be completely in
union with the will of God as we should. Christ is showing us the
example, and we should just try our best to follow it. It’s what is
proper to us.
Prayer should be like the
breathing and the beating of the heart that we need to keep
ourselves spiritually alive. It’s what would enable us to enter,
start and keep sharing the very life of God as we are meant to do.
Without prayer, we would put ourselves in an anomalous condition as
we separate ourselves from the very source of our true identity and
dignity.
We have to learn to pray
all the time, converting everything into some form of prayer by
doing it always with God and for God and not just by ourselves,
motivated only by some earthly and temporal reasons. This is always
possible and practicable because God has designed everything as a
form to connect ourselves with him. It’s up to us to follow that
design or not.
Ideally, everything should
be an act of prayer, whether we are doing our sacred or mundane
duties, whether things are good or bad for us, whether we are alone
or in a crowd, etc.
Prayer should not be
understood only in its sacred, solemn mode. It can lend itself to
all the situations and circumstances of our life. It is practicable
in any situation. We just have to develop the proper discipline
which, of course, will require some training.
And just like any
training, it at first has to be taught under a controlled
environment. That is why, at the beginning we were taught as
children to recite and put into memory some vocal prayers. We may
not understand everything said there, but that at least initiates us
to the practice of prayer.
Then further steps ought
to be made. We have to learn how to exercise our faith, how to
meditate and contemplate, how to find a proper place, time and even
posture for it. And then how we can have presence of God the whole
day, the rectitude of intention in all our actions, the habit of
offering everything to God, and literally of conversing with God and
discerning his will as we go on with our daily activities.
Let’s remember that
without God who is our creator and source of all good things, we can
only do evil. We would be like a branch cut off from the vine. We
may manage to give an appearance of life and goodness, but without
Him, we actually have and are nothing.
We have to be constantly
aware that we cannot be simply on our own. We need God and we need
to be with everybody and everything else. We have to overcome our
tendency that we can afford to be isolated. We should never forget
that we are always in communion and we need to make that communion
alive and healthy. Prayer does that for us!
We are light-bearers
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
September 23, 2024
WE have to be more aware
of this great responsibility of ours if we are to be consistent with
our Christian identity. We should not be shy or afraid to show our
Christian identity to everyone. Let’s show it in such a way as to
inspire others to follow and love Christ.
Christ himself told his
disciples: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or
sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that
those who enter may see the light.” And he continued: “For there is
nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that
will not be known and come to light.”
To top it all, he said
that depending on whether we fulfill or fail to carry out this duty,
there definitely would be serious consequences, for this is what
Christ said in this regard: “To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be
taken away.” (cfr. Lk 8,16-18)
And so, we just have to be
more aware of this most important duty that is actually incumbent on
everyone of us, and not just on some special people. We know that we
are all interrelated, obviously not biologically that only has a
limited scope, but definitely to a large extent, politically,
economically, socially, etc. The fact that we all live in the same
one world somehow makes us all interrelated.
But there’s actually a
more radical basis of our interrelation. And that is that we are all
creatures of God, children of his, meant to be the people and the
family of God. It is a relationship that is spiritual more than
material, forged by a supernatural principle and not just something
natural.
This basic truth about
ourselves gives rise to the duty that we have to help one another
spiritually more than anything else. It is in our spiritual bond
that actually gives rise to all our other relations with everybody
else according to the different aspects of our nature.
This is what is meant by
our duty to inspire others. Etymologically, the word ‘inspire’ means
to breathe into. And it definitely is not only air that we should
breathe into others. We have to breathe a spirit that in the end is
nothing other than the spirit of God, who is the original inspirator.
Obviously, we have to see
to it that that we inspire others properly. And by that, we mean
that the spirit we ‘breathe into’ the others even by our mere
presence or by our words and deeds, should be the spirit of God.
And so, the question to
ask ourselves at the end of the day is whether in all our dealings
and transactions, the effect of the spirit of God which is charity
was made, that is, that we managed to inspire, motivate and edify
others.
Inspiring, motivating and
edifying others are certainly not a result of a mere gimmick or
ploy, a fruit of one’s intelligence and cleverness alone. These can
only happen when we are vitally united with God whose essence is
love. These are primarily a spiritual affair, driven by divine love.
Thus, when we say that the
others should be left inspired, motivated and edified by us in all
our dealings, we need to understand that we achieve those goals
always in Christ, with God’s grace, and not just by our own human
powers, though all these human powers should also be harnessed at
the instance of grace.
Good governance and
visioning
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
August 22, 2024
THAT gospel parable about
a king who gave a wedding feast for his son (cfr. Mt 22,1-14)
reminds us that we should be ready when God calls us to himself. In
that parable, the king was frustrated because all those whom he
invited refused to come. And so, he ordered his servants to call
whoever they would meet in the highways and byways. Still, he
expected that those who would come would at least be properly
dressed.
This means that we should
truly be prepared for the eventual call and invitation that God
would give us so we can be with him as he wants us to be. In this
regard, we have to know how to “govern” our life such that at any
time we would be ready for this eventuality.
Yes, some art of good
governance over our life should be learned. We just cannot be at the
mercy of chance and fortune. We need to know and be constantly aware
of the real and constant purpose of our life, and arrange our life
in such a way that that purpose is always pursued.
Just like in any serious
business enterprise, there has to be goals set, short-term and
long-term plans made, regular reviews, auditing and pertinent
modifications made. We should have the sensation that there is
progress in the pursuit of the real purpose of our life. Of course,
when we notice that the “balance sheet” at any given moment of our
life shows a red rather than a black, we should immediately do
something to correct it.
Knowing that the real
progress in our life is ultimately measured in our love for God and
for others, we should somehow try to echo some lyrics of an old
Spiral Staircase song which goes this way: “I love you more today
than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow!”
We should have a clear
vision of our ultimate and definitive eternal destination and able
to relate everything in our life to that goal. For this purpose, we
should develop the practice of making daily examinations of
conscience.
In our spiritual life, it
is important that we settle accounts with God regularly. In fact,
saints and the Church herself have recommended that we make a daily
examination of conscience just before going to bed.
This practice can only
mean that we understand that our life is not just a natural,
material, individual or social affair. Or that it is simply our own
life. It would show that we know that our life is a life with God
and with others, pursued and developed in the spiritual and moral
spheres more than anything else.
We need to do some
accounting of it not only for our own interest, but also and more
importantly for the sake of God and of the others. It would show
that we understand that our human acts – those that we do knowingly
and freely and thus we are responsible for them – either lead us to
our proper end or not. Thus, we understand that our human acts have
a moral dimension and therefore need to be assessed by us.
It would also make us
aware of our most basic duty as children of God to pursue our own
personal sanctification and to cooperate in the continuing work of
God’s redemption of mankind through personal apostolate.
This way, we can somehow
feel secure that at any given moment we would be eternity-ready,
prepared to see God for judgment when he would finally call us to
himself!
Marriage and divorce
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
August 16, 2024
“SOME Pharisees approached
Jesus, and tested him, saying, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce
his wife for any cause whatever?’” (Mt 19,3)
This is the opening
passage of the gospel of the Mass on Friday of the 19th Week in
Ordinary Time. It brings out the question of marriage and divorce
that now is being hotly discussed in many parts of the country.
Some proponents of divorce
claim that we seem to be backward since we are practically the only
country that does not have a divorce law yet. It’s an argument that
does not really need any serious attention. Truth is, we should be
very proud that we do not have a divorce law, since divorce is from
beginning to end an anomaly.
Divorce clearly goes
against the very nature of marriage that is validly entered into by
a couple. It breaks something that is supposed to be lifelong,
regardless of the things that can take place in it.
As the couple vowed on
their wedding day, they committed themselves to be wedded to each
other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness
and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
Of course, the nature of
marriage is defined not by us but by God, the Creator. And as Christ
himself said it clearly, when a marriage takes place, “a man shall
leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two
shall become one flesh. So, they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore, what God has joined together, a man must not separate.”
(Mt 19,5-6)
Perhaps to explain it in
more common language, we can say that in marriage it is presumed
that it is love that motivates the couple to enter into it. And by
definition, love is total self-giving which, in this case, since it
involves the use of the body which cannot be shared with anybody
else once it is given to one spouse, can only be entered into by one
man and one woman and for a lifetime.
The difficulties and
challenges the couple meet in their marriage are always to be
expected. They always come, one way or another, in one form or
another, whatever one’s state of life is. But if the couple is
animated by their Christian faith, they know that these difficulties
and challenges are the occasions and reasons for their love to grow
even stronger and more meaningful.
The nature of marriage can
be defined by just looking at it, discerning what it is supposed to
be, what its purpose is, etc. It’s based on the nature itself of man
who for his proper development needs an institution to perpetuate
himself and his descendants in a way fit for his dignity.
And this can only be
marriage as it is known up to now – a life-long commitment between a
man and a woman, based on the fullness of love that includes the use
of the body.
We are capable of entering
into this commitment, and this commitment also in turn helps in
developing us toward full human maturity. We are capable of this
commitment because in spite of our changing conditions there is
something in us – precisely our spirit, our soul, our heart and will
– that enables us to remain constant and consistent even as we face
varying circumstances.
That is why, more than our
bodily senses and powers, we really have to take care of our
spiritual faculties, because they are the main engine for our
development and our fidelity in our commitments.
Let’s be ready to carry
Christ’s cross
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
August 8, 2024
IF Christ is the pattern
of our humanity, then we have to be ready to carry his cross which
is his ultimate expression of love for us. To carry his cross is the
ultimate way we can identify ourselves with Christ as we should.
We should not be afraid of
the cross in whatever form it may come to us. If we carry the cross
with Christ, we know that all our suffering has a positive and
favorable aspect. It’s not all entirely bad and negative, though in
itself it will always be bad. But if viewed and lived through our
Christian faith, there is something in it that can give us a greater
good. We may refer to this advantageous aspect of suffering as the
happy Good News or Gospel of Suffering.
Our pains and suffering
are always the result of sin, ours and those of the others. They are
the necessary consequence of our separation, whether temporary or
permanent, from God from whom all good things come. (cfr. Ps 16,2;
James 1,17) We may not be the direct cause of our own suffering, but
in this world, we cannot escape the effects of sin, and so we must
be ready for them just the same.
We have to remind
ourselves that we are not meant to suffer. Our original as well as
our ideal definitive state in heaven excludes suffering. Our first
parents, Adam and Eve, were in the state of original justice, where
everything was in order and in harmony. No pain and suffering
touched them, until they fell into sin.
And as the Book of
Revelation would put it, in our definitive state of life in heaven
“He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of
things has passed away.” (21,4)
In this life, we have to
expect and be prepared for the unavoidable pain and suffering. And
this means that whether we are guilty or not of our pains and
suffering, all we have to do is to go immediately to Christ who
shows us how to handle our pains and suffering and who is ready to
forgive us if ever we are guilty of suffering.
If we really want to truly
love, we should be willing to suffer for the others out of love for
God and for all souls. We need to realize that the willingness to
suffer is the ultimate proof that our love is genuine. Love should
not just be matter of goodwill, of benevolence, of doing some good
to others. It has to go all the way to an eagerness to suffer for
the others.
This is what Christ has
done for us and has commanded us to do. Being both God and man,
Christ should be seen by us as the epitome of true love which is the
very essence of God that is also meant for us since we are supposed
to be God’s image and likeness.
We have to be willing to
suffer the way Christ suffered for all of us. That is what true love
is. No wonder that Christ himself said: “Greater love has no one
than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15,13)
It is this willingness to
suffer that would show how, like Christ, we can go all the way to
giving ourselves completely to everyone, irrespective of how they
are. That is also why Christ commanded us, as an integral component
of true love, that we even love our enemies.
The monster of wokeness
By
LANCE PATRICK C. ENAD,
lancivspatricivs@gmail.com
July 24, 2024
Last July 22, 2024,
Cebuano speaking social media blew up with denouncements of how an
entitled man dressed as a woman publicly embarrassed a waiter and
made the waiter stand for two hours just because the waiter referred
to the transvestite, Mr. Jude Bacalso, as "Sir." Of course, people
were quick to jump into the bandwagon of condemnation -and rightly
so. What many don't realize however is that such brazen entitlement
is a logical consequence of either tolerating or supporting
wokeness.
Wokeness is the popular
term for Adaptive Marxism. Marxism in its original form simplified
reality into economic class struggle: the class struggle between the
oppressor, the bourgeoisie and the oppressed, the proletariat.
Adaptive Marxism, however, without economic paradigms, shifts the
class struggle into whatever it has. For example, third wave
feminism (first wave feminism which simply advocated for equality is
acceptable) holds that all of reality is a gender class struggle
between the oppressor (men/patriarchy) and the oppressed (women).
And so, if there are any problems in the world it is because of
being oppressed by men and if there is going to be any solution, it
is going to be the domination by women. Another version of Adaptive
Marxism is Critical Race Theory (eg, Black Lives Matter movement).
For Critical Race Theory, all of reality is basically a class
struggle between the oppressor -white people- and the oppressed
-colored people.
The LGBTQ+ ideology and
transgenderism is a category of Adaptive Marxism or Wokeness.
Reality, therefore, is the struggle between the oppressor
(homophobes and transphobes -which is anybody who disagrees with
this ideology) and the oppressed (Homosexuals and/or Transgenders).
This is why, in order to be liberated, those who profess this LGBTQ+/
Transgenderist ideologies hold that they need to assert themselves.
So now, as in countries like Canada, the US, and the west in
general, there are legislation which allows transgenders to legally
change their biological sex, there are laws that criminalize
refusing to use their preferred pronouns and identified genders. In
short, institutionalized madness.
In the Philippines, this
is basically pushed forward by things like SOGIE bill, the public
celebration of pride month in schools and establishments, and by a
general toleration by people, and by support by mainstream media.
Heck even newsrooms reporting on the debacle are even using “her” to
the transvestite man.
This is why people like
that transvestite have the nerve to publicly embarrass a waiter for
'misgendering' him by calling him sir. He has the nerve to commit
such brazen profanity because he believes he is in the right because
of his transgenderist LGBTQ ideology being tolerated by society,
being supported by Media, and not being opposed by voices that
should. Politicians who want to be voted for do things to make
themselves relevant to by fostering this ideology by sponsoring
pride month celebrations, etc. People who should be speaking out
against this like the clergy, are not doing so.
Anyone with common sense
can see that just because a man had a surgery to make himself like a
woman, does not make him a real woman. Anyone with a common sense
can see that this ideology is a distortion of reality -which is what
you get from an anti-metaphysical philosophy.
In short, people shouldn't
be shocked.
People who have tolerated
Transgenderism and LGBTQ should not be surprised at this. They have
fed this monster by their tolerance and they should not be surprised
how big it has grown.
We have been fed with
Wokeness by main stream media, by ideologues, in small quantities
until we no longer find wokeness repulsive. People need to wake up -
you can say this is the real wokeness, lol. People need to realize
that wokeness is poison. Wokeness is anti-christian. Wokeness is
Satanic.
Do not tolerate sodomy. Do
not tolerate any form of Adaptive Marxism. Do not support
establishments that support LGBTQ ideology. Oppose degeneracy. Fight
against the poison of wokeness. Fight against any ideology that
tries to nullify the laws of God. Fight for the social kingship of
Christ. Ave Christus Rex.
How to enter God’s
kingdom
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
June 27, 2024
CHRIST said it very
clearly. “It is not anyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will
enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my
Father in heaven.” (Mt 7,21)
Indeed, we always have to
be open to God’s will and ways that oftentimes can be quite
challenging and unattractive, since they demand everything from us.
They require a lot of sacrifice. We just have to realize as quickly
as possible that this is the language of real love. God gives us his
all. We should also learn to give our all to him. As a saying goes:
Love is repaid with love.
This truth of our faith is
somehow highlighted when Christ gave this apparently harsh response
to somehow who expressed his desire to follow him. “Foxes have dens
and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to
rest his head.” (Mt 8,20)
When we truly love and
follow Christ, we would have complete trust in his will and ways,
regardless of the cost it asks of us. We know that his providence
never fails. And the unavoidable suffering we can encounter along
the way are actually golden occasions for us to learn some precious
lessons, to grow in some virtues, and in the end to make ourselves
more and more like Christ which is actually the purpose of our life
here on earth.
We should just be ready
for wherever God’s providence would take us. We have to be open to
it all the time. Even as we make our plans and pursue them truly as
our own, we should not forget that nothing in our life is actually
outside the providence of God who can adapt himself to us, even in
our worst situations and predicaments, and still lead us to himself.
Let’s always remember that
God’s will is the source of everything in the universe. The whole of
creation in all its existence, unity, truth, goodness and beauty
starts from God’s will and is maintained by it. The entire range and
scope of reality – be it material or spiritual, natural or
supernatural, temporal or eternal – is “contained” there, not only
theoretically but in vivo.
The task of looking,
knowing and loving the divine will, therefore, has to be made more
known by us, because we tend to simply have a superficial knowledge
of God, restricting him to some sentimental considerations or to
some images we form of him in our mind. Hardly would we get to know
what he wants us to do in any given moment, if we are mainly guided
by sentimental considerations and visual or conceptual images of
him.
Getting to know and do
God’s will is what actually would comprise the very substance of our
relationship with him. That’s simply because that is what love is
all about, what it entails, which is the very essence of God, as St.
John affirmed (Deus caritas est). Love is deeds and not just sweet
words or feelings. Real love is deeds done to correspond to God’s
will for us.
We need to develop the
proper attitude toward God’s will. We should first be aware that
there’s such thing as God’s will, and not just God’s image. We
should cultivate the desire to know, love and obey it until we can
make as our own Christ’s very attitude toward his Father’s will,
“Not my will, but yours be done,” and Mary’s words, “Be it done to
me according to your word.”
Sanctifying sex
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail
June 5, 2024
THAT may sound like an
impossible and quixotic thing, but truth to tell, not only would it
be possible and practicable, but also and more importantly, it is an
indispensable duty of ours, failing in which would be tantamount to
degrading ourselves to the animal level, not to mention the ultimate
failure of ours when we miss the real purpose of our humanity which
is to be God’s image and likeness, sharers of his life and nature.
We are reminded of this
duty in the gospel reading of the Mass on Wednesday of the 9th Week
in Ordinary Time where Christ told some Sadducees who did not
believe in the resurrection that “when they (all of us actually)
rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but are like the angels in heaven.” (cfr. Mk 12,18-27)
In other words, sex only
has a temporal value. In our definitive state of life in heaven,
when we are truly identified with God, we can still be male and
female, but there would not anymore be any use for sex whose main
purpose is to cooperate with God in creating another person.
In short, in heaven there
is no more reproduction. The population is fixed, so to speak, and
as Christ said, we would be behaving like angels, still with our
bodies but which would already be completely spiritualized. That is,
our bodily dimension with all its biological and other earthly
components would be completely infused with the spirit of God, which
is the spirit of love.
In our earthly life, we
need to understand that sex has an important role to play. And that
is, for us to cooperate with God in the making of man, something
that should only be done only in the context of a lifelong
commitment of marriage since the making of man and its indispensable
need to be taken care of as human persons who are God’s image and
likeness would require such commitment.
To sanctify sex means to
understand its purpose and use according to God’s will and law about
it. It should be trained to behave according to God’s will and law
about it. But given our wounded nature, where it is very vulnerable
to just follow the blind and erratic ways our hormones and other
earthly factors, we really need God’s grace, first of all, and our
all-out effort to attain its ideal condition.
Given how difficult this
task can be, we have to understand that we may have to resort to
some extraordinary means to keep our sexuality in its proper
condition. In this regard, a saint once said: “To defend his purity,
St. Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, St. Benedict threw himself
into a thorn bush, St. Bernard plunged into an icy pond…” (Escriva,
The Way 143)
Indeed, we should not be
surprised if we need to make use of some extraordinary means to keep
ourselves on the right path with respect to how to sanctify sex. Sex
should be a clear expression of love of God and of neighbor.
Thus, we need to
understand that we can only sanctify sex and use it properly when we
grow in our love for God and neighbor, such that we freely follow
what God’s will and law on it is. As a corollary to this, we will
understand that sex is actually a very sacred thing, and not just a
toy to be played around according the movements of human or animal
lust.
Marawi IDPs’ louder
call for peace, truth and justice towards safe and dignified return
A press statement from the
Marawi Advocacy Accompaniment (MAA) On the 7th Anniversary of Marawi
Siege
May 23, 2024
We, members and networks
of Marawi Advocacy Accompaniment (MAA) composed of bakwit
communities (internally displaced persons - IDPs), civil society
organizations, women and youth, and Meranaw leaders today, in
commemoration of the 7th anniversary of the siege of our beloved
Marawi City, reiterate our calls for justice, truth, human rights
protection and peace towards the full realization of an IDP-centered
and IDP-sensitive safe and dignified return of all IDPs back to
Marawi.
Dubbed 'Kapanademtadem sa
Marawi': 'LAKBAY KAMBALINGAN, LAKBAY KAPAYAPAAN', a ‘Solidarity
Peace Caravan’ in various IDP areas in Marawi City was held today in
Marawi City.
Seven years have passed
since the Marawi Siege, the crisis of prolonged displacement still
puts many lives in grave peril and has deprived the IDPs of their
rights as human beings. Amid much publicized rehabilitation efforts
in the city’s Most Affected Areas, the promise to rebuild the lives
of the victims and survivors of the siege remain heavily
unfulfilled.
The United Nations Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says that
approximately 80,300 people (16,070 families) remain displaced since
May 2017. Around 70% of the internally displaced population are in
home-based settings while the rest are in transitory sites or
temporary shelter communities.
Today, we demand that the
Marawi Compensation Board (MCB), in the conduct of providing
compensation for the families of those who perished and lost their
properties and livelihood due to the Marawi siege in 2017, observe
the principles of just compensation, fairness, and justice and
prioritize those who need urgent compensation.
Beyond this, we believe
that the national government has an obligation to address the issue
more comprehensively by looking at the justice claims for the
victims of the siege.
We urge both the national
and regional Bangsamoro governments to take into account equally
relevant challenges confronting the IDPs including land conflict and
dispossession in Marawi, which affects especially four (4) barangays
within ground zero; building of large-scale public infrastructures
inside MAA which are reportedly unfit for the needs of residents;
the continuing militarization of the entire province of Lanao with
the intimidating presence and mounting of various military camps;
and the critical issue of delivering justice to the innocent victims
of the siege, who after seven years remain unidentified.
Until today, Marawi IDPs
have been experiencing difficulties since our forced evacuation in
May 2017. There are still unmet needs and challenges while we wallow
in the cramped IDP camps and shelter communities such as lack of
food and livelihood opportunities, poor sanitation and hygiene
conditions, access to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), and
pursuit of education for our children. The dire state of the IDPs is
further exacerbated by the lack of programmatic intervention and
inaction of some relevant government agencies who must attend to the
needs of the IDPs.
We reiterate our view that
rebuilding Marawi must go beyond rebuilding the streets destroyed
during the siege. Rebuilding the city must begin with rebuilding the
lives of the displaced population by pursuing truth, justice and
accountability within a transitional justice framework to
comprehensively address the roots of festering conflict and to
ensure that another Marawi siege or a similar tragic incident will
never happen again.
A truth-seeking process to
investigate the roots of Marawi siege and documentation of the dead
in the mass grave (Maqbara) must be initiated by conducting an
independent legislative inquiry on what really happened in Marawi
and how billions of budget allocation for rehabilitation of the city
has been spent since 2017. Delaying justice for the victims of the
siege is resulting in prolonged emotional and psychological trauma
to the families and survivors.
More importantly, the
government must recognize the critical need to listen to the IDPs,
Meranaw leaders, civil society, and the broad peace movement in
Marawi in order to restore genuine peace and help Marawi get back on
its feet and fulfill the promise of the Bangsamoro peace process.
There is an urgent need to
institutionalize relevant peace and social justice measures to end
decades of conflict and structural poverty in the region, and most
importantly address the historical injustices committed against the
Bangsamoro and all other inhabitants of Mindanao.
We believe that the issue
of displacement, especially one that is driven by armed-conflict, is
a transitional justice issue that must deliberately respond to the
justice claims of the IDPs by addressing the bakwits’ most pressing
needs, redress for the victims and their families, and by supporting
their advocacy for durable solution.
We urge the general
public, our progressive allies in the media, partner communities,
human rights and peacebuilding civil society organizations, and
champions within the government to remain in solidarity with the
IDPs. Rebuilding Marawi to its old and new glory requires honoring
and recognizing the heroism, culture and faith, optimism and
resilience of the people of Marawi.
Today, we reaffirm our
commitment to sustain our collective advocacy and struggle towards
the safe and dignified return of the IDPs back to Marawi.
Seven years after the
siege, our call remains louder: KAMBALINGAN! (Kambalingan is a
Meranaw term which means ‘voluntary, safe, and dignified return’ of
IDPs)
Christ gives himself to
us completely
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
April 18, 2024
THAT’S what we can gather
from what Christ said about himself being the Bread of Life. “I am
the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eats of
this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give,
is my flesh, for the life of the world.” (Jn 6,51)
This gives us a great
reason to be truly happy and confident in our life which will always
be marked with all sorts of challenges, trials, difficulties, etc.
Christ wants to give himself completely to us so he and us can be
one as we should, since we are God’s image and likeness, despite our
weaknesses, limitations and sins.
We need to process this
truth of our faith thoroughly and try our best to receive Christ as
the Bread of Life in Holy Communion as worthily and frequently as
possible. We need to enliven our belief that in Christ we have
everything, we have what is truly and ultimately needed by us. Many
of our needs are passing, are of a temporal nature. It is Christ who
we truly and ultimately need.
And he gives himself so
completely to us as to make himself bread to be eaten by us.
Although he is like air since we cannot truly live without him, he
compares and makes himself bread, because unlike air, he as bread
has to be deliberately sought.
This duty of seeking him
is what we have to be more aware of. In the Gospel itself, we hear
our Lord saying, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and
all these things shall be yours as well.” (Mt 6,33) Not only that,
we should also spread this most wonderful truth as widely as
possible.
In the first reading of
the Mass on Thursday of the Third Week of Easter (cfr. Acts
8,26-40), we are told about the Apostle Philip who preached about
Christ to an Ethiopian eunuch, giving us an example of how eager we
should be to make Christ known, loved and received by as many people
as possible.
Christ as the Bread of
Life means that he is truly and really with us even while he sits at
the right hand of the Father in heaven. We are not left only with
some picture or souvenir or symbol of his. And he accompanies us in
our earthly sojourn, giving us the ultimate means we need to tackle
whatever we may encounter in this life.
It’s a madness of love to
which we have to correspond as best that we can. God himself gives
us the grace in abundance to enable us to correspond to that love.
We should not be scared of the tremendous prospect before us. But
it’s up to us if we choose to love him or not. We should do
everything to make use of what God is making available to us.
We are told that if we are
generous with God, God will even be more generous with us, for he
cannot be outdone in generosity. He assures us that whatever little
we give to him will always yield us a hundredfold. It’s always good
to keep this divine assurance in mind.
We have to learn to
subordinate our earthly and temporal concerns and plans to the task
of seeking Christ. We have to be wary of being influenced mainly if
not solely by the standards of practicality, convenience and other
worldly values. That’s our problem. God is often left behind in the
play of our competing interests.
The challenge of
Christian poverty
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
April 9, 2024
THE readings of Tuesday of
the Second Week of Easter (Act 4,32-37 / Jn 3,7-15) somehow reminds
us of two things: we need to live Christian poverty which demands
all from us, and for that to take place, we need to be “born again,”
so that the spirit of Christ would truly animate us and not just our
human spirit.
Christian poverty is no
joke. As depicted in the first reading, the believers of Christ sold
or turned over everything, created a common fund which was
distributed to everyone according to their needs.
This is a big challenge
for us, considering that we always tend to get attached to the
things of this world in a way that undermines true love that
channels the very love of God for all of us.
Let us remember that in
our relation with God, there is no middle ground. It is either we
are with him completely or not at all. We have to overcome that
strong tendency to think that we can be partly with God and partly
with our own selves, even if we can say that we are giving God 99%
of what we have and keep only 1% for us.
We have to give all! In
fact, with God we have to give our very own selves, and not only
things, not only some possessions. Remember Christ telling us that
we have to love God with “all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind.” (Mt 22,37)
Let’s hope that we can
echo these words of an old song: “I have no use for divided hearts.
I give mine whole, and not in parts.” Let’s strive to reach that
goal. It’s not an easy goal, but neither is it impossible. With
God’s grace and our all-out humble efforts, we can hack it.
But given our human
condition which allows us to learn things in stages, we have to
understand that everyday we have to conquer our tendency to some
earthly attachments so that we can say we are giving ourselves more
and more to God until we give ourselves completely to him.
We have to learn to let go
of our possessions, our preferences, our opinions, etc., until we
can say that we are letting go of our whole selves so as to give
everything to God.
This is what generosity is
all about. Instead of feeling emptied, we feel filled with peace and
joy. No earthly happening can add or diminish that peace and joy.
It’s a peace and joy that can only be the effect of having God with
us. As St. Teresa once said, “Solo Dios basta,” with God we have
enough.
Christian poverty is never
a state of misery and pure suffering and privation, even if in human
eyes it can be seen that way. It is always motivated by love of God
and neighbor, and is filled with all goodness, generosity and
magnanimity.
It is a spirit of total
self-giving that goes beyond any effort at quantification and
measure. It’s never a matter of how much we give and keep. It’s
purely a matter of total self-giving that identifies us with God of
whom we are supposed to be his image and likeness.
We have to learn to
develop and live this true spirit of Christian poverty which first
of all would need God’s grace which we have to constantly beg and,
of course, to exert our all-out effort.
The cross is necessary
in our life
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
March 15, 2024
WE have to realize that we
need the cross. Whether we like it or not, the cross will be
unavoidable in our life due to our wounded human condition. We
should, therefore, develop the proper attitude toward it, and that
can only be the attitude Christ had toward the cross.
The gospel tells us that
Christ knew he was going to offer his life on the cross as the
ransom for all our sins. When it was not yet his time to do it, he
managed to escape the attempts of those who wanted to arrest him. (cfr.
Jn 7,1-2.10.25-30) But when that time came, he even went to offer
himself for his eventual arrest and execution.
We have to understand that
the cross, in any form it comes to us, is the way to our redemption.
Christ had to win our redemption through the cross. And if we
believe that we are meant to follow Christ, then we too, like
Christ, has to win our own redemption through the cross with Christ.
It’s important that we
lose the fear of the cross. For this, we need to ask first for God’s
grace, and then train ourselves to develop a certain love for the
cross. While the cross would inevitably cause us some suffering, we
have to look at it with faith and convince ourselves that it
actually is what would give us true joy.
So, we just have to be
sport and cool about the whole reality of the cross in our life.
What we need to do is to follow Christ in his attitude toward them.
For Christ, embracing the cross, is the expression of his greatest
love for us. We have to enter into the dynamic of this divine logic
and wisdom so we can lose that fear of the cross.
Thus, we have to
understand this very well. Unless we love the cross, we can never
say that we are loving enough. Of course, we have to qualify that
assertion. It’s when we love the cross the way God wills it – the
way Christ loves it – that we can really say that we are loving as
we should, or loving with the fullness of love.
We have to be wary of our
tendency to limit our loving to ways and forms that give us some
benefits alone, be it material, moral or spiritual. While they are
also a form of love, they are not yet the fullness of love. Given
our human wounded condition, the fullness of our love would always
need the cross.
So, everyday let’s see to
it that we have the cross. It can come to us in different ways –
sickness, trials, difficulties, losses, death, etc. – and if we seem
to have no cross for the day, then let’s look for it, the way Christ
looked forward to embracing his cross.
This can take the form of
taking the initiative to do a lot of good to others, or to make
better use of our time, fighting against our tendency to laziness
and complacency, or to do some small mortifications like denying
ourselves some food, drink, the use of gadgets, etc.
We have to see to it that
the cross figures prominently in our daily life, since the cross
would clearly enable us to follow Christ instead of just following
our own will and ways, which is a strong tendency for us. Our own
victory over sin and death can only come through the cross, the
cross of Christ.
The real purpose of
fasting
By Fr.
ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
February 16, 2024
THE Lenten Season being a
time for intense spirit of penance and mortification in preparation
for the ultimate act of love by Christ as he offered his life on the
cross and finally conquered our sin and death through his
resurrection, we should try to understand appreciate the necessity
for such penitential acts like fasting and abstinence.
In the readings of the
Mass on Friday after Ash Wednesday, we are given some ideas of what
true fasting is. For example, in the first reading, from the Book of
Isaiah, we are clearly told about true fasting is. “Is not this
rather the fast that I have chosen?” it says
“Loose the bands of
wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, let them are broken go
free, and break asunder every burden.” (58,6)
Fasting is not just a
matter of refraining from our usual intake of food. We have to make
sure that such act would have the effects mentioned above. When we
fast we should keep in mind the effects we intend to produce and
come up with the appropriate plan to achieve them.
The gospel for the day (cfr.
Mt 9,14-15) is even more specific as to what fasting is for. It is
to see to it that we foster our longing for Christ, our burning
desire to identify ourselves with him.
In so many words, this is
expressed thus, “The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not
fast?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as
the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when
the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.’”
Indeed, we have to see to
it that our fasting and abstinence would truly fuel our desire and
hunger for Christ, identifying ourselves with him to the extent of
even offering our life for the sins of men, just like what Christ
did for all of us.
Let’s remember that only
when we truly identify ourselves with Christ can we also share in
his powers and everything that he has. Let’s remember that he is not
sparing in this regard, but is making himself fully available for
us.
Toward this end, we have
to realize the need for fasting. That’s because our body needs to be
disciplined, because with our earthly condition that is wounded by
sin, it usually finds its pleasure in earthly things rather than in
God. And fasting is one such effective form of self-denial and
carrying the cross of Christ.
With fasting we align our
body according to the dynamics of God’s love that will always be
motivated by the salvation of mankind and will involve sacrifice. We
don’t fast simply because of some health reasons, be it physical
health or mental or emotional. Our fasting should be motivated by
love.
And fasting nowadays may
involve more than food. It can involve the use of our modern gadgets
and technologies that if resorted indiscriminately can truly spoil
and enslave us.
We really need to practice
restraint and moderation in the use of these new things so that we
would not compromise our spiritual and supernatural bearing. We need
to purify our intentions and set clear limits when using them. In
fact, we have to come out with a concrete plan to translate this
ideal into reality.
The story of David and
Goliath
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
January 17, 2024
THIS story (cfr. 1 Samuel 17,32-33.37.40-51) simply tells us one
important lesson: that as long as we carry out our struggles with
God, no earthly obstacle, challenge or trial can really put us down,
no matter how formidable they are and how weak we may appear before
them.
The youthful David with a sling only as his weapon managed to defeat
the vaunted warrior Goliath because God was with him. May this story
reassure us that as long as we are doing God’s will and ways, our
victory is guaranteed, even if that victory may be in a form that is
not in accord with our desires.
We have to learn how to deal with the difficult and the impossible
things in our life. Let’s remember that as long as we are here on
earth, we have to contend with all sorts of difficulties, trials and
temptations.
And as if these are not enough, we also have to contend with the
truth of our faith that tells us that we are meant to pursue a
supernatural goal that definitely cannot be achieved simply with our
own human powers, no matter how excellent they are.
The secret is always to go and to be with God who can make the
impossible possible. In all our affairs and situations in life, we
should always go to God to ask for his help and guidance, and to
trust his ways and his providence, even if the outcome of our
prayers and petitions appears unanswered, if not, contradicted.
This should be the attitude to have. It’s an attitude that can only
indicate our unconditional faith, trust and love for God who is
always in control of things, and at the same time can also leave us
in peace and joy even at the worst of the possibilities.
Remember the Book of Ecclesiastes where it says that for everything
there is a season, “a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to
plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a
time to heal…” But everything is under God’s control, and even if we
are capable of eternity, we just the same “cannot find out what God
has done from the beginning to the end.” (3,1ff) We just have to
trust him.
We have to follow the example of the many characters in the gospel
who, feeling helpless in the many predicaments they were in,
earnestly rushed to Christ for some succor. They went to him
unafraid and unashamed and they got what they wanted.
There is no denying that life always has more to offer to us than
what we can understand, let alone, cope. And they can come in all
shapes and sizes, good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant, likeable
and hateful. There are surprises and moments when we seem to rot in
expectation and still things we long for don’t come.
In the face of all this, I believe the attitude to have and the
reaction to make is to be calm, pray hard, and while we do all we
can, we have to learn to live a certain sense of abandonment in the
hands of God.
We just have to remember that Christ never abandons us and is, in
fact, all ready and prompt to come to our aid, albeit in ways that
we may not realize, at first.
“A holy day has dawned
upon us”
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
December 25, 2023
FINALLY, it’s Christmas! A
child is born for us! Thus, in the Alleluia verse of the day’s Mass,
we are made to say: “A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you
nations and adore the Lord. For today a great light has come upon
the earth.”
It’s indeed a day of
great, undescribable joy! In the Opening Prayer of the Mass for the
day, a beautiful sentiment is expressed: “Lord God, we praise you
for creating man, and still more, restoring him in Christ. Your Son
shared our weakness: may we share his glory…”
Once again, our Christian
faith tells us who we really are. Despite our natural awkwardness in
believing this truth of our faith, the truth is that we have been
created to be like God, to share in his very life and nature. And no
amount of our sins and foolishness can detract from that truth. God
will do everything to recover us. All we have to do is to go along
with God’s will and ways as far as we can.
We need to process this
truth of our faith about ourselves very slowly, because it will
obviously astound us to think that we are supposed to be one with
Christ. Who, me, one with Christ? We most likely would be tempted to
say, tell it to the Marines!
But that’s just the naked
truth about us, whether we like it or not. We cannot be any other if
we just bother also to know why it is so. An expression that is
relevant to this matter is ‘alter Christus,’ another Christ. And
it’s worthwhile to know what it is all about.
We are supposed to be
‘alter Christus,’ the goal and ideal that is meant for us, though we
need also to do our part, free beings as are, to achieve that
status. God, our Creator and Father, wants us to be that way, though
he does not impose it on us without our consent that should also be
shown with deeds and not just with intentions and words.
We are supposed to be
‘alter Christus’ simply because, if we have been created in the
image and likeness of God, and Christ is the Son of God who is the
perfect image and likeness that God has of himself, then we can only
conclude that we have to be like Christ.
In other words, Christ as
the Son of God is the pattern of our humanity. If we want to know
who we really are, how we ought to be, all we have to do is to look
at Christ and try our best, with God’s grace, to identify ourselves
with him.
More than that, because of
our sin that defaced the original state in which we, in Adam and
Eve, were created, Christ is the Son of God who became man to save
us. The immediate conclusion we can derive from this truth of our
faith is that for us to know how to handle our sinfulness, again all
we have to do is to look at Christ and try our best, with God’s
grace, to identify ourselves with him.
So, let’s welcome Christ
to our life. At his birth on Christmas Day, we should also remind
ourselves that Christ actually wants to be born in each of us, so we
can truly be “alter Christus” (another Christ), if not, “ipse
Christus” (Christ himself).
Have a Merry and Blessed
Christmas, everyone!
The virgin birth
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
December 20, 2023
“THE Lord himself will
grant to you a sign. Behold, a virgin will conceive, and she will
give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel,” which
means “God is with us.” (Is 7,14)
Thus, the prophecy about
Christ’s birth was announced and was fulfilled in Mary. When she
asked the Archangel Gabriel how she can conceive a son since,
according her, she had “no relations with a man,” the angel told her
about the Holy Spirit who will overshadow her and with that she will
conceive a son in her womb. (cfr. Lk 1,26-38) And with her
faith-filled “Be it done,” the virginal conception took place.
That a virgin can give
birth without human intervention clearly tells us that the birth
involves a divine intervention that shows that the one to be born is
not only man but is also, first of all, God. He is both God and man,
perfect God and perfect man!
What can we derive from
this truth of our faith? What we can only conclude is that, indeed,
God and man share the same life and nature, without of course
blurring the distinction between God who is the Creator, and man as
a creature made in God’s image and likeness.
This is, of course, a
truth of faith that is really incredible! Given the way we are, we
can only say, “No way.” But again, whether we believe it or not, the
truth still remains that we share the same life and nature of God.
It’s just really up to us, if we rev up our faith, to accept the
truth about ourselves.
In this regard, the way to
go is to follow the example of Mary whose faith in God is so
complete and perfect that she, being a creature, could become the
daughter of God the Father, mother of God the Son, and spouse of God
the Holy Spirit.
All these came to be
because of her response, “Fiat” (Be it done) to God’s messenger. Her
openness to God’s will, her obedience to the divine designs for man
somehow started the healing of the disobedience of our first parents
that plunged all of us into a life and a world of sin.
That “Fiat” is the best
example of obedience that man as a creature can have in relation to
the will of God, our Creator and Father. It perfectly echoes in a
mysteriously anticipative way also Christ’s obedience to the will of
his Father – “If it is your will, let this cup pass by me, but not
my will but yours be done.”
Mary’s “Fiat” is the
perfect model of how our will ought to be conformed to God’s will.
We have to be reminded that by the very nature of our will, the very
seat of our freedom, our will is supposed to be in synch with the
will of its Creator. It just cannot be by itself, turning and moving
purely on its own.
It is meant to be engaged
with the will of God, its creator and lawgiver. It is the very power
we have been given by God that enables us to unite ourselves with
God in the most intimate way. All the other aspects of our
life—physical, biological, chemical, etc. – are also governed by
God-given laws but, by themselves, they cannot bring us into
intimate union with God.
It is with this faith that
the impossible to us becomes not only possible but would be
actualized. The virgin birth is proof to this truth of faith!
The end times
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
November 28, 2023
NOW that we are ending the
liturgical year, we should not be surprised that the readings and
the tenor of the prayers at Masses these days somehow refer to the
end times. It’s a good occasion to remind ourselves of this reality,
not to scare us but rather for us to be realistic in our life here
on earth and learn to prepare ourselves for the end times.
We are told in the gospel
that the time will come “when there will not be left a stone upon
another stone that will not be thrown down,” and that “nation will
rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom,” and that “there will
be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” (cfr.
Lk 21,5-11)
To top it all, we are told
not be deceived because as Christ said, “many will come in my name,
saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘the time has come.’ Do not follow them!” It
would seem that as the end of time approaches, the enemies of God
and of our soul would use the most duplicitous tactics to mislead
us. So, let’s be properly guarded.
We have to learn to
prepare for this eventuality. If Christ, who is God made man and who
is our Redeemer, could not help but had to offer his life to save
us, how can we think that our life and the world in general would
take a different path?
Remember Christ telling
his disciples, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they
persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (Jn 15,20) So we have
to expect to have the same fate as Christ. And that means that we
have to prepare for the worst scenario. The world will end badly.
That’s already a given, a truth of our faith.
What we have to do is to
always have a proper focus in life. Especially these days when we
are easily carried away by many distracting elements, what with all
we can devour in the social media, videos, etc., we need to remind
ourselves quite strongly that we have to be well focused on what is
truly essential in our life.
We have to remind
ourselves that our life here on earth is actually a testing and
training ground for what God, our Father and Creator, wants us to
be, that is, that we be his image and likeness, adopted children of
his, meant to share in his very own life in eternity.
Everything that we are, we
have and we do in this life should be made as an occasion, material
or reason for us to attain that God-given goal for us. Everything
should be related and referred to him. Simply being on our own and
doing things on our own, without any reference to God, is an
anomaly. It would surely end in tragedy even if we feel we are
having a good time in our life.
This fundamental truth
about ourselves should be proclaimed time and time again because we
are notorious for taking it for granted, if not for violating it. We
have to remind everyone that we have to take the necessary steps for
us to be aware of this truth and to live according to it.
Obviously, what is truly
helpful in this regard is that everyone learns really how to pray,
how to engage God in a continuing conversation, or at least to have
an abiding awareness of his presence and interventions in our life.