Monday 27 July 2009

We Become Strangers

How many hours do we spend in front of the computer or the television?  The technological advances in the past 25 years have turned many of us to robotic mode in many aspects of our lives – work, entertainment, relationship, romance etc.
 
Most professionals face the computer throughout the day updating, searching, analysing, and distributing data and information. Arriving home, they face the television for the news or series, if not play a computer game. Often, they compete with other family members for the use of the computer to connect with loved ones and friends in other parts of the world. The singles conveniently cultivate friendships in the net. The total number of hours that a white-collared individual spend before an electronic gadget should be no less than 10 out of 16 waking hours!
 
Most affected by technology is the family home. Haven’t you noticed that we could exchange pleasantries longer with the individual on the other end of the line than we do with people who are present in a room with us? The attitude is like “Why bother, they’re just around anyway?” As we connect our lives to the distant, we detach ourselves to those near. The chips that make up closeness fall and before we know it, we have become strangers with those whom we love.
 
How do we cultivate our relationship in the family?
  • It all begins with one’s self. An individual must accept the person that he or she is. No one is perfect; yet, we must strive to be perfect not in the eyes of man, but before God. One must be able to smoothen the flaws in one’s self, and at the same time, nourish the good within.
  • Be genuinely interested in the other person. What makes this son unique? What are likes and dislikes of this daughter? What makes Dad or Mom happy? It’s not always about us, but it’s about the people around us. One must look at the other with compassion and understanding to set the tone of closeness. Constant and meaningful communication is key towards building enriching family relations.
  • Gather the family. There was a time when sharing the meal in the dining table was the norm. But the busyness has taken its toll on family togetherness. Tradition was for families to gather together at six o’clock in the evening before the image of the Virgin Mother to pray the Rosary. These things should not be relegated to the past; but should remain alive to strengthen the family.  Parents should be like church elders of old. “He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:4-5)  Every Wednesday night, my family would gather in the living room. We start with singing, then follow through with prayers, Gospel reading and reflection. We then proceed to recite the Rosary and conclude with singing. After the gathering, there is always a sense of peace, happiness and security in our home.
  •  Make God the centre of the family. It is the responsibility of parents to nurture the spiritual growth of their children. “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Psalm 16:24). To be effective, the parents must be strong in and knowledgeable of their faith. Teaching the Good News must be demonstrated in daily acts of living and loving. God must be the Master of the home; and He will be, if the family prays together for His help and blessings.  
 
We are judged by the fruits that we bear. Parents must do their utmost best to raise Godly children. Children must obey their parents as God willed parents to be his representatives on earth.            
 
We must realise that the core to peace in the world is the family. Pope Benedict XVI said in December 2008: “By looking to the family as the prototype of every social order, humanity can learn how to achieve peace. The family is the foundation of society for this reason too: because it enables its members in decisive ways to experience peace." The Pontiff said. "It follows that the human community cannot do without the service provided by the family. Where can young people gradually learn to savor the genuine 'taste' of peace better than in the original 'nest' which nature prepares for them?”

Monday 20 July 2009

The Family Rosary


In 1953, the biggest religious gatherings in the Philippines were the Rosary Rallies with about a million in attendance each in Manila and in Cebu. Rev Fr Patrick Peyton, founder of the Family Rosary Crusade, came to the Philippines with the message of having every family make a habit of reciting the Rosary together. Fr Peyton whose parents were Irish farmers prayed the Rosary as a family. When he became a priest he discovered that he had incurable tuberculosis. He surrendered himself to the Blessed Mother. A few months later, doctors were baffled that he was completely cured. The miracle intensified Fr Peyton’s devotion to the Blessed Mother and he spent the rest of his life promoting the Family Rosary.

The rosary is the perfect prayer for it allows us to reflect on the awesome story of our salvation through the lives of Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother. In her message in Fatima, so important is the Rosary that Our Lady chose to identify herself as "The Lady of the Rosary." It is said that in each of the six apparitions she asked for the daily Rosary, and especially as an instrument of world peace. As she revealed in the third apparition: "You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war for only she can obtain this." Pope Leo XIII also viewed the rosary as a vital means to participate in the life of Mary and to find the way to Christ.

The rosary is also an old family prayer. This specific family devotion has been supported by several popes. In his encyclical Ingruentium Malolrum, Pope Pius XII said: "The custom of the family praying of the Holy Rosary is a most efficacious means. What a sweet sight - most pleasing to God - when, at eventide, the Christian home resounds with the frequent repetition of praises in honor of the High Queen of Heaven! Then the Rosary, recited in the family, assembled before the image of the Virgin, in an admirable union of hearts, the parents and their children, who come back from their daily work. It unites them piously with those absent and those dead. It links all more tightly in a sweet bond of love, with the most Holy Virgin, who, like a loving mother, in the circle of her children, will be there bestowing upon them an abundance of the gifts of concord and family peace."

In today’s hyperactive, if not wired up, society, setting aside time for family and for prayer is becoming a burden, rather than being a priority. There seems to be so many other things to do; so many commitments to fulfil that family and prayer cannot simply fit into one’s diary. The most important, the most basic are often relegated to the last priority. The end result: unhappy marriages and broken families. The end result: disconcerted communities and a troubled world. Fr Peyton’s message remains relevant today as when he started his crusade. In 1987, Pope John Paul II said, "May the Rosary once more become the accustomed prayer of the Christian family." We can attain a little piece of heaven on earth beginning in the family by praying together the Rosary.

by Mel Libre

Monday 13 July 2009

The Borgueta Family


Together they arrive for the regular gatherings of TawagAwit-St Thomas More Parish Chapter. Three brothers carry musical instruments; the father has the amplifier and the mother the music sheets. The Borgueta family provides the musical backbone of the group and their commitment is an inspiration to the other ministry members.

It took me nearly a year to convince Bro Noel and Sis Gladys to join the group; and it was only later on that I realised that they were waiting for their eldest son, Justine, to arrive in New Zealand. Justine was left behind in the Philippines to finish his degree in the University of San Carlos in Cebu, while the rest settled in Auckland.

Once the family was complete, it wasn’t difficult to persuade Bro Noel and Sis Gladys to join TawagAwit. That was nearly a year ago. During the feast of St Thomas More on July 11, 2009, the family accepted the task of providing the band music during the program. They came early to put in place the instruments and the sound system. The boys, whose band is called TBB or The Borgueta Brothers, rehearsed their songs inside the children’s room; while their parents prepared the stage for them. When the boys (joined by pop-rock artist Junnes) started their performance, Bro Noel documented the performance while Sis Gladys was smiling and on her feet proud of her boys, more so when the youngest son, Eric, sang for the first time before a crowd. It was such a joy to witness the support of the parents and the unity of the family as they offered their gift of music to the delight of the audience.

God created the first family unit out of one of Adam’s ribs (Genesis 2:21-22) for He meant the family to be united in flesh, in blood and in spirit. He wants the family to support each other not just in the basic necessities in life, but in all its other aspects. "Now if anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1Timothy 5:8).

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: "You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them"; while business leader Lee Iacocca tells: "The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works is the family." It is important for an individual not to take for granted the family; for among the greatest joys in life are time spent with family. In his book The Life of Reason, George Santayana writes: "The family is one of nature's masterpieces." I would opt to re-phase that: "The family is one of God’s masterpieces."

by Mel Libre

Monday 6 July 2009

President Cory


There are people who prefer to be in the sideline; working quietly to serve others.  Though wont to be in the limelight, some are destined to do bigger things for the better good.

Corazon “Cory” Aquino stood under the shadow of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., a popular political figure in the Philippines who led the opposition against President Ferdinand Marcos who placed the country under martial law.  She took care of her children while at the same time visited Ninoy who was imprisoned. When her husband was sent into exile, she joined him leaving behind her life in the Philippines.  But there was a higher calling other than being Ninoy’s wife. Her husband was assassinated and the Filipino people sought her to become the leader to oust the dictator.

Hesitant at first, Cory agreed to the call. Through a dramatic turn of events leading towards the 1986 People Power Revolution, she was sworn in as President of the Republic of the Philippines. She set out to dismantle the machinery of the dictatorship and lead the Filipino in building a better nation through reconciliation. She said: “Reconciliation should be accompanied by justice, otherwise it will not last. While we all hope for peace it shouldn't be peace at any cost but peace based on principle, on justice.” While her government was threatened by coup attempts by displaced military officers, she declared: “As I came to power peacefully, so shall I keep it.” On a personal note, Cory Aquino signed the amnesty paper of my father, Angel Jr., who was persecuted by the Marcos regime. To her, our family remains indebted.

Cory Aquino, who suffers from colon cancer, lies physically frail in a Makati City hospital and her family decided to cease chemotherapy and other medical interventions. But the entire Filipino nation prays for her healing and of late her spokesperson said that: “she's stable, she's comfortable now and I can tell you that she received communion last Sunday,"

Marcos once said that Cory was undeserving to be president because was “just a woman”.  But it was because of her womanhood that made her the leader the Philippines needed as it struggled in its new found freedom.  With so many people with diverse causes and interests around her, Cory listened.  “Fools think their own way is right; but the wise leader listens to others.” (Proverbs 12:25) In the worst coup attempt against her government, Cory was said to have retreated to a room in Malacanang and knelt down to pray; and yes, loyal soldiers (and surely angels) protected her.  She was first and foremost a prayerful leader.   “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”(Proverbs 3:5-6)
Let us all pray for Cory Aquino. Let us pray that she will be well again. Let us pray that she will not be in pain. Let us pray that in her living we can learn from good she had done to the Filipino people and the world as well. Cory once said: “I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.”  President Cory, you lived a meaningful life, for truly you touched our lives.

by Mel Libre