Gospel for June 16, 2015 (Tuesday)

Mt 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?  Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?  Do not the pagans do the same?  So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Word in other words

When our lives and even that of the Church's are ranged against the demands and standards of the Gospel, they will always fall short.  There will always be a big gap between the fulfillment of its demands and the expectation inherent in the demand.  No wonder the theme of conversion is a constant one.  It is because we try to do as much as we can.  This also gives reason why reforms are a never ending desire and dream of an individual and of the church.  It is because we have done enough or we have veered off far enough from our goal.  The church is semper reformanda, as the saying goes.

Reforms have also dotted the history of the church.  The religious orders like the Benedictines (they put order into the prayer life of the church), the Franciscans (they pushed for simplicity into the lifestyle of the church), the Dominicans (they revived the primacy of the word and its preaching), the Agustinians and Carmelites (they mined the ideals of their founders and applied them to their actual situations) --- they have all contributed in bridging the gap between reality and the Gospel demand.  The Councils at Pisa (1490), Constance (1414-1418), Sienna (1423-1424), Basel-Ferrera-Florence (1431-1439) and Lateran V were all aimed at strengthening the unity within the church by the conciliar definition of papal primacy in its legal and political senses.  A stronger leadership meant a credible one and therefore would inspire.

When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as elected to the Papacy and had acted or spoken with what could be construed as novelty, even if in the same mold as John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the clamour for reform within the Curia and in some other areas of Church governance and teaching became even louder.

The above examples are just small snippets at how the church tried to fulfill the demands of the gospel.  Definitely, they are inspiring stories because they show the human spirit at its best.  It is a never ending attempt to be faithful. Yet, it could also be seen as an effort doomed to fail and perceived as rejoicing only at our own suffering.  It might appear that frustration, failure, and disappointment are the lot of a Catholic.

                     - Fr. Joey Miras, SVD (Toronto, Canada)

Labor of Fun and Creativity

It started in 2006 when my sister purchased a desktop and printer that she commenced making simple invitations for wedding occasions.  Her then boyfriend, now her husband of five years, was her creative partner and together they ventured in this hobby-turned-income-generating activity.  Now, their products and services reached parts of Mindanao, Luzon, and even Calgary, Canada!

They used to name their 'company', TamWorks but in 2013, they re-branded it as Rookiehands-Crafts and Prints.  Maybe because they still consider themselves as rookies for this kind of endeavor yet I already consider them as genius in this field - spare you me having to patronize, hehehe.

I am featuring their arts and crafts as they also made our wedding save-the-dates and formal invitations for our December 2014 wedding.  How my then fiance appreciated the amazing designs and well-crafted details!  We had a Filipiniana theme wedding and it was one-of-a-kind. Even my sister was quite ecstatic as she worked on the project.

                                                          Our Save-the-Date Invitations

                                                              Our formal invitations

Here are also some of her creations...

                                              During her 2nd baby shower for Rookie

                                                                      Wedding favors

                                                                      Wedding favors

                                                                    For a kiddie party

If  you want personalized and hand-crafted invitations, programs, or favors, my sister will be more than happy to discuss with you.  She can deliver your project given the 2 week window otherwise there will be an add on fee for rush jobs.

Here are her latest projects...

You may reach Rookiehands- Crafts and Prints at 085-342-2294 or 0912-378-9501.

Gospel for June 15, 2015 (Monday)

Mt 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.  When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.  If anyone who wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.  Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.  Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow".

The Word in other words

Now and then, we read in the newspaper that a certain airport personnel or taxi driver returned to its owner a bag of money found in the airport or a taxi,  The finder could have used the money to answer some personal or family need, but she/he stood by her/his principles and returned that money. Such honesty is nowadays a rarity and for that reason the finder's story becomes a national news item.

Can we correctly say that such an honest guy loves his neighbor?  Certainly, for he did what he knew to be good for the other person.  And that is love--- to do what is good for the other.  In returning the money to its owner, he did what love requires of him to do in such a situation.  How about us? When making a choice or a decision, do we tell our self that we should do what love requires?

In today's readings, Jesus warns us against the unloving attitude of revenge - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.  Our Lord is telling us we should love our neighbor.  And love means not just refraining from revenge but taking an extra mile for the one we love.  Jesus tells us that when we love others, we should also love our enemies.

Doing things which are good and beneficial to the one we love is the language of love. And doing things out of love should not be burdensome to a loving person.  And doing things out of love should not be burdensome to a loving person. Where there is love, there is no labor but delight: ubi amatur, non laboratur;  aus si laboratur, labor amatur.  When we speak the language of love, we do not preset or predetermine how far or to what extent we will show our love and concern for the other.  Look at Jesus "our Tremendous Lover" --- He loves us without measure.  Indeed, in the words of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the only measure of love is to love without measure.

                               -  Fr. Ernesto M. Lagura SVD (USC, Cebu City)

Finding and Overcoming Failed Job Applications

I used to work with the government project called Listahanan.  It is a database management system where it identifies who and where the poor are.  My job involved conducting data-sharing lobby among LGUs of Caraga region, providing technical assistance so those that already have the database of poor will be able to maximize the information, serve as resource person during seminars or training, and monitoring field staff during field operations.  These varied activities were not office-based thus I was out doing field work and I could not be happier than to go and to just enjoy the many trips that I made for almost 3 years.

Then I got married last December and my life completely turned 360 degrees.

I moved here in Baguio where my husband left me as he needed to go back to North America.  When I found out that I was pregnant, I was very ecstatic and I couldn't wait to be a mother breast-feeding my child.  

To keep myself from being bored to death, I tried to look for online work-at-home jobs. First try was Bizmates, an online part-time English tutorial for Japanese market.  I found their ad while scrolling my facebook timeline.  They were very professional and nice.  However, I did not pass their demo-interview. That happened a week after I had my initial interview. The Bizmates hiring process is as follows: Online application, Email confirmation and booking of initial interview, Interview Demo, Training, and Final Interview.  You will also need to have 1mbps upload and 0.5mbps download speeds, good lighting condition, quiet working station, and plain background (you will be having skype interviews and eventually lessons with the students should you pass).  What I like about Bizmates is the fact that they are very professional in their hiring process and I had fun nonetheless.

Second online application that was also an epic fail was my attempt to work with MOD or My OutDesk.  They have part-time and full time jobs as virtual appointment setter and general admin virtual assistant.  After the online application sent to them, I got an email informing me of my interview schedule at the given time-slot.  However, when I was already logged in to skype and letting them know I was already online, I got a very informal message of "hi" and told me that since skype was responding poorly interview will proceed through mobile phone call.  I waited until 5pm (interview schedule was supposed to be within 12noontime to 4pm).  Around 9past in the evening, when I was already lying on my bed, the phone rang and Private Number displayed on screen.  I thought it was my husband calling overseas instead it was a guy from MOD.  Interview only lasted for less than 5 minutes and he informed me that although I was applying for a part-time stint, I would still be working graveyard shift.  This said, I informed him that I was going 6 months in my pregnancy, yet I told him that I will still give it a shot.  Before we hang up, he informed me that an email will be sent to me within the week. Lo and behold, after an hour, I received an email informing me that I did not meet their 'criteria'.  They did not even elaborate what part of their 'criteria' I failed considering that I was an agent and team lead for more than 3 years in one of the biggest contact centers in the country and I believed I have what it takes to do the job. Then again, with much courage I humbly accepted my defeat.

Third, my online application to Rev.  It's a company dealing with transcription, caption, and translation.  I applied as a transcriptionist.  Their online application process consists six steps. They have grammar, writing, and practice transcription tests.  The last part was critical because it took me about an hour to transcribe a quite nonsensical conversation that lasted for 2 minutes and 37 seconds. After clicking on submit, I was able to finally go to bed.  Morning came, I checked my email and found out 2 emails from Rev with different time stamps and checked the one that arrived first. The email informed me of the turn-around time of applications that would last even up to 3 weeks.  The second email informed me that I did not make it and I should not contact them to ask for reason of their decision. They also said that I can still re-apply after 6 months.

Lastly, I have posted my online profiles in two freelances sites - Elance and Upwork (oDesk before).  Apparently, been sending applications to no avail spare for 3 scam and bogus job posts.  I almost worked for free if I had not checked and verified the sites provided to me. These are the sites www.1url.com/sample,  www.1url.com/servers, http://koloteam.com/bablo.php, and http://wordtexttypingjob.blogspot.com/.  Anything related to these sites are unreliable and should not be working for them as your accounts may be compromised or you would end up conspiring with hackers.

After all these failed applications, how shall one overcome? For me, I take them as humbling experiences and try to learn and to improve. I also learned how to be prudent and wary and not get too excited.  I know that job for me is just around the corner, I just have to keep going and moving on. Who  knows, I might get my dream job after I give birth to our son. I am just positive.

How about you, have you got similar experiences?

Gospel for June 12, 2015 (Friday) - Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Jn 19:31-37

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of the week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other who was crucified with Jesus.  But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe.  For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled:  "Not a bone of it will be broken."  And again another passage says: "They will look upon him whom they have pierced".

In Other Words

There are "conspiracy theories" surrounding the death of Jesus on the cross.  Some say He merely fainted, and that later on His body was spirited away to some place where He was revived.  Later, they say He traveled to France to begin a new life there.  And to think that there are people who actually swallow this "theory" as though it were "gospel truth".

The truth is what the Scriptures record: that Jesus did die and He was certified dead, and reported as such to Pontius Pilate.  There was no play acting for Jesus Christ truly died, period.  All this was to fulfill the Scriptures about the death of the Messiah.

It is however the meaning of His death that matters.  For it was sacrificial death: Jesus Christ died so we may have salvation and eternal life in His kingdom.  We, who witness His death through our loving, meditative and prayerful reading of His Passion and Death, should be overwhelmed by the sacrifice of this "Tremendous Lover".  No one who reflects on Christ's passion, death , and resurrection should come away unaffected, unappreciative and untouched by the "greatest love of all".  Yes Christ has dies, Christ is risen; and all of this is for us.  Oh what He did for love, what He did for love...

                                 - Fr. Lino Nicasio SVD (SHP, Kamuning, Q.C.)

Gospel for June 11, 2015 (Thursday)

Mt 5:20-26

Jesus said to His disciples, "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.  Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.  Do not take gold or silver or copper for your bells; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.  The laborer deserves his keep.  Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it and stay there until you leave.  As you enter a house, wish it peace.  If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let you peace return to you".

The WORD in other words

More than a hundred years ago in a Japanese village an earthquake struck.  The Japanese along the seashore thought nothing of it.  But an old rich farmer on a high plain happened to be looking at the sea and saw that a tsunami was fast rushing to the seashore village.  His thought was to rescue the people but what to do?  In his large bodega lay his crop of rice.  Piled in stacks ready for the market, it was worth a fortune.  With haste he set his bodega on fire.  When the villagers saw the big fire, they rushed and ran up to the higher plain to help put out the fire.  As they reached the plain the tsunami struck.  Four hundred lives where saved. (L. Hearn)

This is a classic example of a sacrifice: a farmer sacrificed his fortune to save lives.  The Gospel speaks of an empty sacrifice, one that is devoid of love.  If we heed St. Agustine's definition of sacrifice, then we would offer to God only what signifies our inner adherence to His will, and so our offering would be acceptable.  God's will is for us to live in harmony with others, which is worth more than a huge but empty sacrifice.

When we come to Mass, therefore, let's not come empty-handed.  Let's bring along the good life that we live.

St. Barnabas, pray for us.

                                                -Fr. Atilano Corcuera, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)

To have a Beautiful Skin is to have a Beautiful Life

Just as gifts are sometimes judged by its wrappings and trimmings, so as a person is judged by their outer package.  The skin as considered the largest organ in the body covering almost every inch and cranny.  In fact, we Filipinos always look up to people having beautiful and fair skin. Yet, for me, I do not care whether you have fair or not-so-fair skin as long as it is smooth and clear for the skin can tell you many things.  The WebMd tells us even of the different types of skin and how to take care of it. True enough, I get to see a lot of write-ups and posts on how to get smooth and clear skin.

I am just quite blessed to have smooth and clear skin. Spare you the fact that I have childhood signs of having a rough and carefree life with all the scars.  But do you really want to know the secret? Well, it will no longer be a secret because I will be telling you now...

Flashback 32 years ago, born as the eldest of four, my mother had the privilege to breast-feed me and she was so blessed with lots and lots of milk that she would end up bathing me with her sprouting milk.  This practice is now being confirmed when I get to read a lot of articles on breast-milk-for-beautiful-skin soap  .  My mother's initiative and undying effort instead of just wiping the extra milk from her breast, finally paid off. I am just very thankful that I never experienced having pimple eruptions during adolescence or having pimples when period is coming. Moreover, should I ever have wounds I would immediately apply sebo de macho or mantica di cacao.  These are over the counter topical creams that we grew up with and proved to be very effective. You just need to apply them as the wound or scratch are on its healing phase when you feel they become itchy or turn pinkish. Also since I have oily skin, I don't usually wash my face too often because it gets to be oily all the more. I just comfort myself by washing my face once a day with good ol' Butuan's famous Carrot Soap.

My skin has already brought me far.  I am just being blessed that every time I get exposed by the heat of the sun, I will just turn beet-red and not get burned. However, one thing is for sure, when you are at the beach, you will need to apply sunblock often because the beach is treacherous.  Because you are always wet from swimming, you will never feel the heat nor the burning sensation.  Never apply regular lotion when you get off from the water or else you will get burned skin.

To have a beautiful skin is to have a beautiful life, they say. No wonder dermatologists and whitening products proliferate on and off the internet and the showbiz people can attest and even acknowledge all their beauty care sponsors. This said, fans of these showbiz personalities tend to follow their idols and even emulate their beautiful skin senses. It seems to be injected in the minds of people that if you have fair and smooth skin, you will also have a great life. What do they exactly mean by beautiful life? It is when you get the best of both worlds, having the attention and all from significant and not so significant people in your life, and getting what you desire and want. But for me, beautiful life is when you have the love and respect of people whom you also love and being able to accept whatever limes or lemons in your life and make lemonades and most of all keeping the sunny side of life.

So whatever your skin color or type is, what is important is that you keep your self healthy and happy and it will eventually show in your skin and tell the world that after all you have a beautiful life.