Because I'm SICK of people judging me and my faith because of this whole freakin' RH BILL issue, I decided to rant

Here's of the best articles I've read regarding not pushing for the RH Bill. This is written by my friend Kia Alvarez. I hope you guys like this.

WHY WHY WHY must I, along with other Catholics who oppose this bill, must be put under the spotlight and be subject to offense? I'm writing this note to put an end to all the rants in my mind and to finally speak my mind about why I'm in this opposing position. Along with that, I want to answer all those who are questioning my morals, my beliefs and to a certain extent, my faith. To those who shall take the time to read this, let me reiterate that I write this from my point of view as a Catholic and as a Filipino. Take note: as a Catholic. Meaning, I'm basing this on the morals firmly implanted in me by my Catholic faith. Hence, my inclusion of my stand for the sanctity of marriage will be mentioned more than once... all that and more.

First, I oppose the RH bill because it is deceptive. "Abortion remains a crime and is punishable" and then followed by the clause "post abortion management"? If abortion is a crime, there should be no post-abortion management. Since the bill assures "While nothing in this Act changes the law on abortion, as abortion remains a crime and is punishable, the government shall ensure that women seeking care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner."... what does that say? It's like saying that yes, we condemn abortion, but just in case you decide to kill your child, WE'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU. Isn't it a little bit deceptive, then?

This line "Abortion remains a crime and is punishable" conditions the mind of the readers that the bill confirms the absolute criminality of abortion, while it does not and it cannot. That's why there's the post abortion management clause. The purpose is to make it look like an anti-abortion bill. In reality, the law on abortion “may” change; it just needs a charter change. One of the problems with just reading the text of HB5043 is that it would be more difficult to see the intentions of those who “really” wrote it and what are the influences behind it. Oh, and besides, do we really need to have an additional law in order for the health care providers to be "humane and compassionate" to the people who have undergone abortion? Do we need another bill just to have the government give enough budget for the facilities needed to treat post-abortion complications?

Another example:

"The POPCOM, in coordination with the Department of Education, shall formulate the Reproductive Health Education curriculum, which shall be common to both public and private schools and shall include related population and development concepts in addition to the following subjects and standards:

a. Reproductive health and sexual rights;

b. Reproductive health care and services;

c. Attitudes, beliefs and values on sexual development, sexual behavior and sexual health;

d. Proscription and hazards of abortion and management of post-abortion complications;

e. Responsible parenthood.

f. Use and application of natural and modern family planning methods to promote reproductive health, achieve desired family size and prevent unwanted, unplanned and mistimed pregnancies;

g. Abstinence before marriage;

h. Prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and other, STIs/STDs, prostate cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and other gynecological disorders;

i. Responsible sexuality; and

j. Maternal, peri-natal and post-natal education, care and services."

Abstinence before marriage, and yet: 

"SEC. 10. Contraceptives as Essential Medicines. – Hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectables and other allied reproductive health products and supplies shall be considered under the category of essential medicines and supplies which shall form part of the National Drug Formulary and the same shall be included in the regular purchase of essential medicines and supplies of all national and lord hospitals and other government health units."

At no point in the bill was it mentioned that artificial contraception as a choice of means for family planning is only for MARRIED COUPLES. So how can you teach abstinence before marriage if your are making the artificial contraceptive readily available as essential medicines to everyone who has access to them? Won't that give them the idea that it's okay to engage in premarital sex, then?

Article II Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, which says, “The State shall protect human life from the moment of conception.” However, Representative Edcel Lagman  insists that “fertilization of the ovum is not the same or synonymous to conception.”

Looking into a master reference or even countless online definitions, it all states the same thing: 

Con·cep·tion  (kn-spshn) n.1. a. Formation of a viable zygote by the union of the male sperm and female ovum; fertilization.

b. The entity formed by the union of the male sperm and female ovum; an embryo or zygote.

Now isn't that kind of a problematic claim? Doesn't Mr. Proponent's statement sort of prove the deception of the whole document? Just sayin'.

The RH bill is biased. Section 9 requires all national and local government hospitals to make tubal ligation and vasectomy services available, with such services even qualifying for PhilHealth benefits. Why is there no similar provision making natural family planning services required in all hospitals? Why are there no provisions for benefits for those who want to avail of NFP? And also, going back to section 10, contraceptives (in short, artificial – not natural – “family planning”) are declared to be “essential medicines”. All national and local hospital and other government health units are required to regularly purchase supplies of contraceptives. In contrast, there is no requirement for the same units to invest in purchasing educational and other materials necessary for the dissemination of information on NFP.

I have too much to say about this bill. To summarize it though, to me it's just plain deception. These are just few of the key points that I have seen emphasized and I greatly agree with. Now on to another one of the things that really bother me: why are the RH Bill supporters so heated up about the Roman Catholic Church for taking a stand?

The Iglesia Ni Cristo has, in recent days, upheld artificial contraception while condemning natural family planning. This, in effect, requires any member of the INC who wishes to practice family planning to use contraceptives. From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (9/16/2008):

"In a statement, INC spokesperson Bro. Bienvenido C. Santiago said, “The Iglesia ni Cristo accepts modern family planning methods or the use of what others call ‘contraceptives’ as long as they are not abortifacient in nature and they do not impose prolonged abstinence from sexual intercourse among married couples... He clarified, however, that INC rejects the rhythm method and other so-called “natural” family planning methods because “it is really contrary to nature.”

If the supporters of the RH Bill are, as they say, not biased against NFP, then they should denounce the Iglesia Ni Cristo with equal fervor for rejecting NFP, as they are now condemning the Roman Catholic Church for not accepting artificial contraception.

In fact, the supporters of the RH Bill are praising the INC to the high heavens for being so “enlightened” as to support artificial contraceptives while saying nothing about the INC’s condemnation of natural family planning. In the same way, the supporters of the RH Bill are crucifying the Catholic Church with their malicious propaganda even as they are giving no attention to its support for NFP.

For the record though, I have nothing against Iglesia Ni Cristo, I'm just trying to emphasize a point here. And here's the thing, doesn't this make the supporters of the RH Bill who judge us Catholics also biased?

And what about that Carlos Celdran stunt? People are reacting against us because he was charged with offense to religious feeling? According to Atty. Jose Sison, people who believe in God whether Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or any other faith would certainly feel offended if somebody disrupts the very rite or liturgy that is the center of their faith, the celebration of God’s presence in their midst. These rituals are the most sacred to them. This is the reason behind the provision of our Revised Penal Code (RPC, Article 133) penalizing with imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years and 4 months “anyone who shall perform acts in a place devoted to religious worship or during the celebration of any religious ceremony” which are “notoriously offensive to the feelings of the faithful.

Further more, he states, "For Catholics “the Mass is the center of the Church. Nothing can compare to the Mass because it is the renewal of the Sacrifice on the Cross where Christ offers Himself up for all humanity. It is the moment when heaven and earth unite”. Disrupting the Mass is therefore the most offensive act against the feelings of Catholic faithful. Anyone who disrupts the mass like that Intramuros tourist guide (his name is not worth mentioning) certainly deserves to be imprisoned. His act can never be justified by his deep resentment against the prelates who oppose the RH bill. It is willfully, willingly and feloniously done during a rite most sacred to Catholics and therefore punishable under the RPC. Muslims and Buddhists would also feel offended if such disruption was committed against them. There is no reason why disruption of a Catholic ritual should be treated differently.”

Yes Mr. Celdran had the right to take a stand, he had every right to his freedom of speech... in the same manner that we, Catholics, also have the right to practice our rituals in peace; the constitution has a provision for that and what Celdran did was punishable by law. He wasn't sent to jail because he supports the RH bill and was vocal about it, he was jailed because he violated Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code. You break the law, you pay. Isn't that the way things work around here?

Finally, I think this whole bias against the Catholic Church was spurted from the threat to excommunicate the President should he allow the RH bill to be passed. There is the issue of the Church "meddling" in State affairs, hence the issue (Damaso) of the Separation of Church and State.

First, allow me to redefine what "Separation of Church and State" really means. 

What Separation of Church and State really means is that the State does not have any State or “Established Church”, it does not subsidize the Church or pay the salary of its clergy, and that no Church has any official access to the instruments of State power (e.g. it cannot use the armed forces to fight other churches or to enforce its beliefs and practices on citizens). Furthermore, in the Philippine legal and constitutional context, the Separation clause has its origins in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which states that:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

In a true situation of Union of Church and State, the State will force its citizens to adhere to a particular Church, with punishments for those who do not want to conform. Where there are no such penalties, there is no question of an “Established Church”. 

In modern times, the Establishment clause has been broadened in some countries to include the non-use of government property or funds in order to promote the beliefs of a particular Church or religion over that of other churches and / or religions. Nevertheless, the principle that no Church must be established by the state has never been understood to mean that no one has the right to speak out in public in accordance with his or her religious beliefs.

In short, the Separation of Church and State was established in order to prevent the government from forcing a particular church down the throats of its citizens, and from encroaching upon the rights of the Church. It was established in order to protect the Churches, not the State.

Separation of Church and State does NOT mean that Church officials cannot speak or try to influence state policy. In a democratic republic, any citizen has the right and duty to use his influence and moral suasion in order to persuade the government to take a particular course of action. Since Church officials are citizens, they continue to have the right to speak out in favor of their beliefs, as long as they use purely moral, non-violent and legal means of expressing these beliefs. This is what the CBCP does. Its members are only exercising their rights under the Constitution, and they have certainly not resorted to violent means.

Separation of Church and State does not mean that Catholics are required to leave their religious beliefs in their private life, and that they should act like they have no Catholic beliefs at all in the public square. To force Catholics to think and act like they are not Catholics, outside the confines of their private lives, is plain and simple discrimination.

Speaking of violent means, I'd like to move on to my next point: excommunication.

Since most, if not all, of the contents of the RH Bill does not conform to the Catholic Dogma, passing it while in presidential power places PNoy in the Hall of Shame for the Catholic Church. Face it: it is against the morals and the teachings of the Catholic Church. The Church, being a society, has the right to exclude and deprive of their rights and social advantages its unworthy or grievously culpable members, either temporarily or permanently. This right to excommunicate is necessary to every society in order that it may be well administered and survive. The fundamental proof, therefore, of the Church's right to excommunicate is based on her status as a spiritual society, whose members, governed by legitimate authority, seek one and the same end through suitable means. Members who, by their obstinate disobedience, reject the means of attaining this common end deserve to be removed from such a society. 

For the Roman Catholic Church, PNoy, a Catholic, if he will in fact pass this bill that does not adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church, knowing that it will have a grave effect on those who are practicing the Catholic religion, will have to consider that act as grievously offensive. Just as exile presupposes a crime, excommunication presupposes a grievous external fault. 

In the same manner that the Filipino people ousted Estrada and put Marcos off the presidency for breaking the laws of the republic that caused the suffering of the nation, PNoy will have to face the charges incurred to the Roman Catholic Church should he pass the law which will be against the morals and beliefs of those practicing the religion. Excommunication applies to every Catholic who incurs a grave offense against the Church; it has been done before. Perhaps this just caused some sort of uproar because it sparked from the RH bill issue, and someone as big as the newly elected president is involved.

But don't you get it? The Catholic Church is just doing its job. They are not twisting PNoy's arm telling him not to pass the bill because it's bad for the Filipinos, we all know that not all Filipinos are Catholics; the Church is merely reminding him that the act will be classified to be a grave offense to the Catholic faith, hence, he will be faced with the highest penalty incurred by the Church. It's a crime against the Catholic Church, not the state. The Church has its own laws it must conform to. It's not a threat; it's a reminder. Same principle applies here: you break the rules, you pay for it.

And by the way, excommunication is NOT a vindictive penalty. It is not so much to punish the culprit, rather to correct him and bring him back to the path of righteousness. It necessarily, therefore, contemplates the future, either to prevent the recurrence of certain culpableacts that have grievous external consequences, or, more especially, to induce the delinquent to satisfy the obligations incurred by his offence.

So, tell me, what REALLY is the issue here? Why are you all up in our grill? I mean, seriously. Why am I reading all these posts against the Church, my religion, especially the CBCP... they're just doing their jobs. Can't we all just take a step back and for once, see the bigger picture here before judging anything, let alone, anyone? Or maybe, take a step closer to analyze what the issue really is... before making a stand and yes, again, judging anything or anyone.

I spent two hours on this note. Thought I'd just share that, really.

Credits:

Catholic Encyclopedia (Excommunication)

Carlos Aquino Palad

Vanillae (for the full text of the RH bill and for the ideas you have shared on the posts)

Manny Amador for his Open Season for Catholics article

Mister Webster and eight online dictionaries

Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Novena to God's Love by Bo Sanchez

This is a powerful prayer written by Bo Sanchez. Hope that you pray

Today, I receive all of God's love for me.
Today, I open myself to the unbounded, limitless, overflowing abundance of God's universe.
Today, I open myself to Your blessings, healing, and miracles.
Today, I open myself to God's Word so that I become more like Jesus every day.
Today, I provlaim that I'm God's Beloved.
I'm God's Servant,
I'm God's Powerful Champion,
And because I am blessed,
I will bless the world,
In Jesus' Name.
Amen

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: Reflection

Here's a reflection from Fr. Godwin during the mass last Sunday.

There are two questions drawn from today's Gospel:

1. Why was the rich man led to Hades?

2. Why was Lazaro led to Heaven? 

To answer the first question, we have to reexamine ourselves. How do we look at sin? We have to be reminded that there are two kinds of sins: sin of commission and sin of omission. The latter refers to the good things which we are capable to do but we did not do. In the Confiteor, we say, "I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts, and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask the Blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you my brothers and sisters to pray for me to the Lord, our God." 

The rich man was led to Hades not because He did something wrong, but because He did not do anything. He was given the opportunity to help his needy brother, Lazarus, but He never showed care. All he thought of was his personal pleasure, his temporary riches. 

To answer the second question, we need to realize that this is the only parable which mentioned a name: Lazarus. It is so because that name is powerful. And it tells us why Lazarus was led to Heaven. Lazarus is a Greek name which translates to Eleazar in Hebrew. Both names mean "God is my help."   

Lazarus, despite his poor condition, never blamed God nor anyone. He was still, confident that God will never forsake him. He put his absolute trust in the Lord. He was completely dependent on his Creator. He totally surrendered his life to the Almighty. Such things made him eligible to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The reflection in 365 Days with the Lord has a similar message.

•   Use properly your riches. The parable invites us to reflect not so much on hell but on how we use our riches. The warning of Jesus is evident: "Do not focus your attention on the means but on the end. Do not let riches hinder you from becoming more human. Instead, let riches make you more in solidarity with the needy."
• Trust in God, not in your riches. Nothing is said if the rich man has gained his treasures unjustly. The Gospel does not accuse or condemn the fact of merely being rich. It condemns those who are rich yet do not care about the welfare of others. Jesus calls foolish those who put their trust in things that are "passing" and not in God. These could not be their "passport" to life. The rich seem to have everything but come empty-handed before God.
• Sin of omission. The rich man does not do anything evil to Lazarus. He does not hurt Lazarus. But neither does he do anything  good for Lazarus.

This happens not only among rich and poor nations but also among families, ecclesial communities, and concrete persons. Sometimes we forget the finality of the material goods of the earth. We are called to share with others what we have. This is an invitation for both the rich and the poor. 

The Gospel and Technology: If only Saint Paul were alive.

I just finished (well, almost finished) the Great Bible Adventure Bible Study and I'm very much amazed at how Saint Paul would go around the world, proclaiming God's love and mercy, even to those who don't him. How he would untiringly offer his life in spreading the Gospel. No wonder that he screams this at the top of his lungs I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).


You guys know that I've been blogging here since time immemorial and I share with you everything that I've experienced, reflected and all the learnings that I've gained in order to share with you who God is in my life and how He has loved me well. However, I stopped blogging because of the following reasons:

• I don't think that there are people reading my reflections and sentiments here.
• I get tired of work and forget about my reflections about God.
• Pressure from my ex-girlfriend then to write most of my blogs about her.
• I've never recognized God's presence in my life and how He as moved me to places.

Sadly, this is my life. I was not the man that I used to be who is writing about God much in my life.

Until one day that I saw a new feature of Blogger which has Stats. I wondered what could this be, so I tried it and clicked it. Once the page was loaded, I was shocked to what I found out.

This is a geographical image of all the people who have been reading my blogs since I start this. I was amazed at how my reflections have reached people from around the world and from all parts of the world.

Then I felt that God told me this, See my son? Your reflections are contributing much to the building of my Kingdom on earth. Be my instrument of light and not of darkness. Be my missionary.

If only Saint Paul were still alive in our generation, I bet he would be blogging in his desk and everyday write reflections, teach people about God, and reach out to people in bringing everyone to God.

Truly, technology have brought about this, and I believe this fulfills what Christ said before He went back to the Father.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1: 8).

Living Stones

I got this story from watching The Great Bible Adventure.


There was once a stone that was placed by a builder that is so white and so smooth. He said to himself, "I'm the best that he has." As the builder continued placing other stones beside him, the other stones beside him were very jealous of him because of his smoothness.

As soon as the base layer was done, the builder started putting another layer of stones on top of them. When the builder placed a stone which has a huge dent on top of the smooth stone, this stone said to the builder, "What are you thinking? Can't you see that you're putting this old, dented and dirty stone on top of me? Can't you see that this does not fit? Are you blind? It took me many years for me to achieve this."

Then the builder said in reply, "You know, you're right!" and he took that stone and placed it beside him. When he saw that, he said to the rest, "Now I don't want to see what will happen to that!"

Without him knowing, the builder took out his chiesel and carved that perfect stone on top. The stone shouted in pain, "What are you doing? You're hurting me so much!"

The builder said to him in reply, "I'm making room for him to fit into you." Then, he took the stone and it was a perfect fit to him.

What kind of stones are we?

Loving Others Well - a Sharing with Men Pursuing Purity

MEN PURSUING PURITY – Loving Well
By Rolando C. delos Reyes II


Growing up, I thought love means that "kilig" feeling you have when you see someone – I equated love to attraction. However, as a young boy I was disturbed because I have "kilig" feelings not towards girls but towards boys and men. I tried to stop these feelings by burying myself in studies and prayer, but it won't go away. Then through suggestive romantic stories I got the idea that when people are in love, they do stuff with one another's bodies – I then equated love to sex. At 14 years old I had my first homosexual experience with my schoolmate who happens to be my neighbour. My father caught us one time during the act, and even though I was trembling with fear, deep inside many questions were left unanswered – "Why am I doing this?", "Am I gay?", "Is this love?".

I hid myself in my innermost shell, turned to religion, and decided to enter the seminary after high school. With high spirits, I thought I had finally escaped that dark part of my childhood. After a year, we had a subject on counselling – little did I know my Pandora's box will be opened – my dark spirit came back with a vengeance. My hunger for love, which I equated with sex, grew out of proportions, and two of my fellow seminarians became victims of that hunger. I was advised to leave the seminary – my dream of becoming a priest was shattered, and I felt my life in shambles. I came home shattered – I equated love as evil. I pronounced an inner vow that I must be careful about loving someone.

I came to UP Diliman and was shocked by the liberal thinking that pervade the learning halls. With a spirit of rebellion, I embraced this new way of thinking and began exploring the homosexual lifestyle. After graduation, I came to teach in a school were most of the teachers are practicing homosexuals. They introduced me to the gay world – going to movie houses, gay clubs, bath houses – and began involving myself in indiscreet casual anonymous sexual encounters with other men. I was like a vampire looking for men to devour to satisfy my insatiable hunger, from my waking hours to my wildest dreams. My friends taught me not to get seriously involved because men will just hurt us. I then equated love to a game, a game of seduction and control. And I did exactly that. However, each night I return from my escapades feeling empty within. One night I ask one of my friends the most profound question: "Ganito na lang ba tayo?". My friend responded "Masaya naman di ba?". But I know I wasn't happy.

To balance my sinful life, I also joined a choir at our parish. Every Sunday, I served in the choir to pay back the week of sinful acts. I know it wasn't good enough, but I felt better. A choir member invited us to a Christian Life Program of Singles for Christ. I relented thinking this might earn me more good points before God. I finished the program and began attending some activities. Our care group of men showed me kindness, but I did not receive it. I thought to myself – I do not deserve this kind of love. I left SFC and isolated myself once more. I came back to my sinful ways.

In 2001, after working 3 years in a corporation, an officemate told me they are opening SFC in the office, and they wanted to invite me to be part of it. Full of pride, I asked to have a talk with the chapter head, and I told him that I was gay and he needs to accept me as such. He just smiled, shook my hands and embraced me. I didn't know how to react, but I said to myself "Lets give this another try". I attended the meetings and quickly became friends with most of the people. At this time, I also got acquainted with the support group Courage, who helps persons with homosexual attractions. For the first time, I felt I was not alone in this struggle with sin.

In SFC I met two heterosexual men who asked me to be part of their accountability circle. At first I hesitated – how can I relate with you, and how can you relate with me, we live two different lives? But eventually I yielded. As we shared one another's struggles and problems, we found out we were no different from each other. Benj and Biboy became my best friends. However, in time they got married, and though in my mind I know that's ok, in my heart I felt I lost a big part of myself. I held an agreement – love will eventually leave you alone. At the same time I had a Courage brother who has resentments towards me and spreads ill accusations against me. I held another agreement – love will eventually betray you.

That's when I met Living Waters. It is here that I learned that our need for love is so much greater than our capacity to love. I surrendered to be the victim of the Father's unfailing love, and it was then that I began to gain knowledge of my true self in God's eyes – that I was Forgiven, that I am God's son whom He is well pleased, that I am not just a man but God's knight whom He calls to serve in front of His army. In every program I let God take full control and He flooded me with torrents of love – and I discovered that it is only when I am full of God's love that I can truly love others well.

I am incapable of love outside of God's love. Without God, I can easily treat others with envious lust or rash judgment. Without God, I tend to isolate myself and go back to my false self. As God fills me with His love, I am able to love another out of the abundance of the love He gives me. God's love enables me to be secure in my identity as His son. As I am secured in His love, no unlovable act of others affects me. Sin becomes meaningless in the face of perfect love. As I continue to recognize God's presence in me, a positive sobriety begins. And I begin to understand the meaning of Jesus' command "Love one another as I have loved you" – we are able to love another only in the degree that we experience God's unfailing love and mercy towards us. As we grow in our love relationship with Jesus, we slowly become united with him, and it is then that we become another Jesus to others.

The Three Visions

I would like to share with you my experience and the message which God has given to me before and during the Metro Manila Conference in Tagaytay.

I was reading the book The Confessions of St. Augustine on my way to work. I was so amazed as how St. Augustine writes his confessions, not as a bishop but as a person -- an ordinary human being like you and me -- with extra-ordinary longing and desire to love God in every way. And as I read it, I said to myself, "Wow! How can such a man write about God, telling Him about everything, with complete reverence and honor!" And at that point, I saw a vision which made me shed a tear.

I saw myself facing Jesus on top of a hill. We were talking like friends do. From what I saw, He was of the same height as I am. And as we were discussing, I saw Him grew bigger and bigger until he was like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.

I don't have any words to say at that time. I was so tiny. I was worthless.

I just cried.

The second vision came to me after the workshop Silent Love. Bro. Ton asks us to close our eyes and imagine the Lord. As I closed my eyes and imagined Him, I asked, "Where are you Lord?" And then, I saw Him waving from afar as if very excited to look for Him. And He said, "I'm here, Ryan. I'm here."

Then, tears came down my cheeks.

The third vision came to me during the second talk entitled Heartwired. It was at the latter part that this happened. We were in a prayer session in preparation for confession. As I was praying, I saw my heart opened like a garbage bag. There I saw the filth, grime and dirt, and I hated the smell of it. Then I saw a hand which is about to put inside. And a voice came to me and said, "Can I clean it up?"

I don't know what to say.

I was ashamed of my dirty heart that I don't want Him to clean it.

I was full of pride and all.

And as I reflected everything that God had revealed to me, He wants to say these words to me.

I love you. I AM the Lord of the earth and the Lord of your heart. I am the Lord of everything.

I love you forever and will continue to love you until the end.

Just come back to me.

Amen.

Are You Loyal To Him?

Since my birthday this year falls on Palm Sunday, I thought of sharing to you one of my reflections way back 2007 regarding Palm Sunday. I'll add a little of mine here.

======================================================

Last Palm Sunday of 2006, my entire family attended mass.  Actually, this is not the first time that I attended, but I would say that this is the first time that my family went with me to celebrate mass.

When we arrived, the commentator told us that those who have palms must proceed to the front door of the chapel.  Since I was the only one in my family carrying a palm, I joined in the group.  

So I stood there with them, raising my palms and shaking it (but I didn't shake it that much because the noise irritates me).  Then, the priest read the Gospel about the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem.  As he did that, I visualized what happened on the first Palm Sunday, especially through this verse:

As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest."  (Luke 19: 36-38).

I said to myself that this was the same thing that happened! But that visualization changed when I saw myself not carrying a palm, but a whip.  I also saw that the same people that welcomed and praised Jesus as he entered in Jerusalem were the same people who shouted "Crucify Him!"  They were the same people who laid their cloaks and shouting praises to Him before were the same people who threw stones and mocked Him. 

I asked myself which group I was? It was at that point that I wept because I saw myself in the second group.

You see, we are like them.  When everything that we asked from God is given to us, we praise Him.  But when that does not happen, we persecute Him, at most curse Him.

We are like the same people who, when Christ entered into our lives, are joyful, energetic and happy.  But when trials come our way and we feel that He is not with us, we throw Him away or refuse to recognize His presence.

This is where our loyalty to Him enters.  You see, He did not make this world a better place because if He did, then there is no use coming here.  There is no use of tears or tissues, or even sad love songs.  Because everything is perfect!

In every trial or problem that we encounter, He is there with us.  We feel His undying presence.  He tests us to see whether we are with Him and keeping His promise or not. The sad part of this is we ask this question when trials come our way: Does God even care for us?

Or, do we stand up to what is right rather than allowing to be led by what is morally wrong. As we look around, many laws are passed which are not in accordance to His teachings like using embryonic stem cells or same-sex marriages. Do we stand up with the Holy Catholic Church in rejecting these actions? Or do we allow ourselves to be led by what the world dictates just as what Pilate did?

Will you be loyal to Him until the end?

Renewable Marriage Contract?!?! Hell NO!!!!!

Sorry for being harsh, but this is how I feel and what I believe in.

I was on my way home when I heard over the radio that there is something as a "Renewable Marriage Contract". I became curious that when I arrived home, i started searching for it until I found it in this link: http://donavictorina.blogspot.com/2010/01/marriage-not-forever.html

I became furious at this because it just shows what society we have now. Moreover, they have forgotten the true essence of marriage, especially for Catholics.

It is our faith and believe that marriage is indissoluble, that is No Human Being has the right to break the bond made and blessed by God alone. It all roots out to the logic that as the love of God to each one of us is unbreakable, our love for husband/wife should also be unbreakable. This is His covenant to us and we, His Children, should do the same to them. No wonder that there are three rings seen in the Couples for Christ logo as it tells us of the marriage between our husband/wife and our marriage with God.

If given the chance, I would like to ask this question to them: Would this solve the marriage problems everywhere, especially in the Philippines? My answer: NO for the main reason that this is a form of escape rather than a solution. Life dictates that whenever we escape on a situation, even how small it is, will haunt us for life unless we face it head on and seek help if needed.

I would somehow like to conclude that truly, the devil has wandered here on earth and is trying his best to take us all out of the love of God. Let us continue to defend the faith which we believe in and stand up for God and His teachings.