Day 23: Mary the Queen and My Daughter's Birthday

Birthday Girl

August 22 is the memorial of the Queenship of Mary and my daughter's birthday. I could not believe that 21 years ago, I held a little baby in my arms. I blinked and she's all grown up. Praise God for those 21 years!

Today's memorial speaks of the culmination of a life in the Lord - it is a life of obedience. One of the news is that the Ateneo president has issued a statement supporting the stand of the Catholic Church against the RH bill. This will definitely get a lot of flak from the intelligent Catholics. This bill has undoubtedly caused a heated debate to the country, but then, conflicts are bound to happen specially if we are talking about life.

A lot of my friends support the RH Bill. I do not support the RH bill. The politicians assure the people that this will not lead to abortion. Yeah right - politicians do not lie - just as I am from Mars. I am fed up with teachers in Catholic schools who push their own agenda and go against the teaching of the Church. First off, the schools are Catholic schools. Their mission is not only to encourage discussion. The purpose of Catholic education is to proclaim Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." How can one claim to love Jesus if one does not obey his commands? I support the bishops' call to investigate the teachers who publicly support the RH bill. I would go further and even suggest that they withhold communion from politicians who support it.

The memorial today reinforces the importance of obedience to Jesus. Mary became Queen of Heaven because she was obedient to Jesus. Many claim they are Catholics because: they pray the rosary everyday; they go to mass every Sunday; they contribute to the Church; they give to the poor; etc. BUT I suggest they read Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus disowned those who prophesied in his name, drove out demons in his name and  performed miracles in his name. And none of these were evil. Why?

Because they did not do the will of the Father. Christianity goes more than praying the rosary everyday. It goes more than going to mass on Sundays. It goes more than doing social justice work, doing good for the poor, etc, etc. It is knowing the person of Jesus Christ. And if one teaches in a Catholic school and still does not get this, then one should ask why one is still teaching at a Catholic school.


Anyway, back to nicer things. The day began with mass with my daughter. I thanked the Lord for giving her to me. We had breakfast at Jollibee and then went home. My brother and his son and daughter treated us at Tasty restaurant. The food was good. As an added note, I drove to the restaurant through the crazy streets of Monumento, EDSA and Bonifacio Ave.

We came home and another celebration for dinner - no wonder I am gaining weight. Not looking forward to going back to the gym.

Day 15: Refuge in a Busy Mall

I had a lunch meeting at SM MegaMall. It will take one bus ride and one MRT ride from where I'm staying to the MegaMall. I am impressed with the MRT. I won't say it is clean - but it is very efficient.

At the MegaMall, I was amazed at its size! I am more amazed that there is a chapel in it and further amazed that there is an adoration chapel beside it.


One of the good things about the prosperity of SM is that they promote the faith in their own way. You go to their malls and most of them stop to pray the Angelus at lunch time and the Divine Mercy prayer at 3 o'clock. (Please note, I am in no way suggesting that they are prosperous because they built these churches).

Only in the Philippines will you find such open devotion to the Lord - in a public place. And people accept it readily with most of them accepting it gratefully.

I was watching TV and one of the things that really ticks me off are those so called intellectual Catholics who argue as if they know everything. I believe the problem is these people think because they are highly educated, they think they know more than God. One such person is Representative Garin - co-author of the RH Bill. I'm wondering why she and the other congressmen are pushing for this bill. How much are they really earning for pushing this?

These people say the RH Bill will help the economy. But how will lesser people improve the economy? Even Lee Kwan Yew points out that his country needs to have more children to be born (Get Married and Have Babies). While prosperous countries want more babies, our law-breakers want less? Lee Kwan Yew steered his country to where it is now and he knows what he is talking about.

Other people who really tick me off are Catholics - specially priests and teachers or professors in 'Catholic' schools - who support the RH Bill. First of all, if one claims to be a Catholic and does not agree with the teaching of the Church, then that person should really, really really, think about what he is saying. For me - that person has gone over his head and is a person who looks for praises of men than praises of God. It is really, really disappointing that intelligent people miss the whole point of the argument and keep focusing on their own reasons.

They are not God and despite what they say or think, they do not know everything. No one gave them the authority to speak in the name of God. To even say, one is a Catholic and  not support what the Church teaches makes me cringe for their salvation. I just hope that when they come face to face with God, they have a good reason to give him.

I said it before, I'll say it again. If one does not agree with the teaching of the Church, one cannot be a Catholic. Just leave the Church. No one is forcing them to stay.

Being a Catholic is more than just being baptized. It is more than going to mass every Sunday. It is more than just doing good. It is definitely more than just having degrees - even doctorates in Theology. And definitely more than just professing that one is a Catholic. One is a Catholic IF one obeys and believes in the person of Jesus. And this results in obedience to Jesus and his Vicar. No argument can change that.

Like I said, if you cannot accept what I just said - then you should stop calling yourself a Catholic because you are not one.

Day 8: Flood - Day 2

There's flood again very early in the morning at 4 am to be exact. The flood waters started to get in to the driveway. My wife's nephews and brother-in-law were already panning out the water to the road.

It would really rain hard for several minutes which would cause the waters to rise. After that the rain would stop and the waters would recede. Of course, when the water rises, we would bail out the water from the driveway. This went on the whole day almost.

When the rain stopped, my wife, her niece and I went to SM (Again) hypermart to buy some water and rice. On the way, we saw what the road looked like. Slabs of asphalt had been torn off the road. The road was still flooded but passable. On the way back, it started to rain so we hired the 'de-pajak' - a tricycle but instead of a motorcyle driving it, a man was driving it with a bike.

The streets were getting flooded and it was difficult for the de-pajak to navigate through the waters. It also hit a pothole that almost cause the vehicle to turn.

One interesting thing about the rain is that there were a bunch of kids playing in the flood. They used the cover of a suit case as a raft and they rode the waves. They did that almost the whole afternoon.

That's Filipino ingenuity for you - and that is something the kids today do not have - outdoor fun.

There was a lull from the afternoon to evening but the rain fell heavier at night. We thought the water would get in but thankfully, the outpour was not long and the water subsided.

What this taught me are several things. The congressmen passed the RH bill justifying this as helping the economy. Well, if the Lord sends rain and wind for the whole year - there won't be an economy to talk about. The economy is not guided by men. It is still God's will that is done.

Day 7: Flood - More Fun in the Philippines?

Yesterday was relatively uneventful during the day. We went to the dentist at noon and finished at 5:30 pm. On our way home, it rained and as happens here, the streets become rivers.

We arrived in Monumento at around 5:45pm and the streets were a little flooded. My wife and I decided to wait because in the past few days, the rains would subside. Apparently, we were wrong. The rain got heavier and the streets started to get flooded.

We stood there with about a hundred people waiting for the rain to stop and it got heavier and heavier until the water was knee deep. We decided to brave the flood water which by that time was not only deep, but had a strong current.

We went to SM (another one?) Hypermart to buy some shoes because we did not want to damage our shoes. Then we went on to cross the Monumento river.When we got home, the flood water had reached the house. So we had to pan out the flood water. We arrived home at around 10:00 pm.

I observed two instances that really strengthened my belief in the people here. On our way, I was giving my wife my wallet to keep in her bag. A random woman who was also waiting for the flood water to subside offered to give us a plastic bag. And as we were walking on the road, there were people guiding us on where to go. I am hoping that this attitude would really overflow to their driving habits.

I do not believe in coincidence and I believe that all things happen for a purpose. Congress voted on the RH bill yesterday. I believe this to be God's warning to the members of Congress - that they just did something very evil. I continue to pray that the Lord will intervene and stop the evil without affecting the people of this country.

Day 4: Slow Day and Observations on Filipino Courtesy

Nothing much happened. Went to mass, had my eyes examined and bought a pair of new glasses at my High School classmate's clinic.

One thing I can say is SM really is growing. Everywhere you look there's SM malls or SM whatever. Surprisingly also, there's not a lot of traffic going to SM Centris and back. Maybe it was noon time. But I'm not complaining.

One thing I noted that I forgot to put before is the change in attitude in a lot of Filipinos. Everyone I talk to at stores and even conversations I hear, the people are very courteous. They call you "sir" or "ma'm" and always respond with a "po". I'm not sure where that came from but it is a welcome change.

Another thing I noticed days ago was there is a sense of concern for others. We were coming home from the dentist and there were two boys hanging from the jeepney. And since the jeepney was not full, one of the passengers gave way and told the boys to sit inside the jeepney because it was safer.

Then when a lady in the jeepney was getting off, she was carrying a baby and trying to open the umbrella but could not because of strong wind. One of the guys in the jeepney went down in the rain and opened it for her and helped her down. This was really a welcome sight. Now, how can you translate that to driving courtesy?

One more thing that is making some news is the video of a lady who stopped in the rain to clothe a street child. This is the best video I've seen since I arrived. It was touching and shows that despite the bad times in the country, there are still generous people who care. May God bless her.

I was watching TV about the debate on the RH Bill and the politicians really can lie through their teeth just to push their agenda. I just pray that those who will vote for it will be able to stand before God and justify their decision. I was reading materials about it and there is mention of abortion in the Bill. The Philippines is the only country aside from the Vatican that prohibits abortion. If this bill is passed, I believe, the country will lose its soul just like all countries that have gone this path. They want economic prosperity by limiting the number of people. People should realize, prosperity does not come from anyone except from the Lord. I pray this evil will not happen through God's intervention.

One politician told his fellow law-breakers not to be afraid of the Catholic vote. I say, yes, he is right. They should be afraid of the one who can send them to hell after killing them. I'm not wishing they all go to hell, that is unChristian, but I am saying this as a warning to them so they will not go to hell.

Anyway, it's morning and I plan to go to Sta Cruz for mass, then off to Chinatown.

Day 2: The Dentist and the Dark Knight

The day began with mass again. The priest said something about Jesus being the pearl of great price. Jesus being the one whom our heart desires. This is what this blog is about - to seek Jesus himself. Our faith is not a matter of intellectual knowledge or ideology. It is not a matter of the right actions in worship, nor is it only a matter of going to mass on Sundays. Pope Benedict said our faith is an encounter with an event and a person.

This is what I think is wrong with society today, in the Philippines and I would say in Canada also. People have reduced Catholicism to an ideology or superstition, thinking that they are Catholics just because they say so. We see this in the way the law makers and intellectuals are talking about the Reproductive Health bill. They accuse the Church of spreading AIDS/HIV because it bans condoms. Hello!!! The issue is not the use of condoms. The issue is sex outside of marriage.

Another reason is it is good for the economy. The question is whose economy? The law-breakers, I mean law makers or the country's? Europe and North America are slowing down because they have no people to work and pump their economy. Japan and other countries are hiring Filipinos because their population is aging. I also wonder, how can less people be good for the economy? I wonder which idiot thought of that reason. President Noynoy's battlecry during the election was, 'Kung walang Corrupt, walang mahirap'. And he has proven that. He has managed the growth of the country and infrastructure spending without raising taxes. Why? Because as he said, he has improved tax collection and decreased corrupt practices. So the solution to the country's economic growth is not less population but less corruption.

As a Catholic, I respect the bishops. But I think the fault also partly lies on some bishops. You see the bishops condemning evil yet, they willingly associate with these people. Sure, you need to separate the person from the deed, but in this case, these people are not repentant. Jesus associated with people who were seeking him. For those who had hard hearts, he had harsh words for them. He sometimes had harsh words for those seeking him if they could not understand him.

For these people, they will always look for reasons to justify their beliefs just because they do not want to listen to what the Church teaches and the sad thing is these people call themselves Catholics - and they think of themselves as intelligent people.

If they pass the RH bill, it will be the end of the country`s moral compass. This will open up to the culture of death. The only hope is to pray for justice and for true conversion of heart and also that the Lord will intervene again so that this evil plan will not succeed.

One last thing about these 'Catholics'. I just do not think one should call themselves Catholics if they do not totally and fully support the teaching (note the singular) of the Church. The teaching of the Church is one single whole and we cannot pick and choose. It is alright to doubt or question the teaching of the Church but the important thing is to seek the truth not according to what thinks but according to the mind of Jesus. In the end, what we think is nothing because the Truth is dictated by Christ.

Anyway, I went to the dentist yesterday and I spent 3 hours for a root canal. I have to go back on Monday and Wednesday for the cap of my tooth.

Inside IMAX Theater

In the afternoon, I took my children to SM North to watch Batman. I am amazed at the improvements in the recent years. The theater was clean - the seats were better than those in Silver City in Victoria. We also watched the Dark Knight in IMAX - all for P1,200 or P400 per person. That's less than CA$10 per person. You can't even watch a regular movie at that price in Victoria! The sound was excellent.

The movie has a twist at the end but it was very well directed. Excellent direction and storyline.

We had dinner which was a feast because my wife`s nephew was going back to the US the next day. Still trying to adjust to the time so I went to sleep at 8:30 pm.