Reflection for CHRIST THE KING Year A - November 23, 2008
May joke sa isang text: “Sa isang bus. BOY: I hate it when I see a girl standing in a bus while I’m comfortably seated. GIRL: So what do you do? BOY: I just sleep… It hurts my feelings eh!” hehe… suwitik! Madalas din bang masaktan ang iyong damdamin kapag nakakakita ka ng mga taong nangangailangan? Karaniwan ng tagpo marahil sa atin ang makakita ng lolang nagtitinda ng sampaguita sa harapan ng simbahan, o kaya nama’y mga pulubing may kapansanan na nakaharang sa daan, o mga batang gula-gulanit ang damit na haharang-harang sa daan at kakatok sa bintana ng iyong sasakyan. Anung nararamdaman mo kapag lumalapit sila? Napakadali silang iwasan, wag pansinin… dedmahin! Kung minsan nga nasisisi pa natin sila: tamad kasi! Ayaw magbanat ng buto! Buti nga sa kanila! Ngunit sa tuwing nababasa ko ang Ebanghelyo ng “huling paghuhukom” ay may takot na naghahari sa akin. Balikan natin ang mga salita ng Hukom: ‘Lumayo kayo sa akin, mga isinumpa! Kayo’y pasaapoy na di-mamamatay, na inihanda para sa diyablo at sa kanyang mga kampon. Sapagkat ako’y nagutom at hindi ninyo pinakain, nauhaw at hindi ninyo pinainom. Ako’y naging isang dayuhan at hindi ninyo pinatuloy; ako’y nawalan ng maisuot at hindi ninyo pinaramtan. Ako’y may sakit at nasa bilangguan at hindi ninyo dinalaw.’ Hindi ba’t sila rin ang mga taong nakakatagpo ko araw-araw? Bakit natatakot akong tulungan sila? Bakit nagdadalawang isip ako kung kikilos ako o hindi? Ang Kapistahan ng Kristong Hari ay muling nagpapaalala sa atin ng dalawang mahalagang dimensiyon ng ating buhay Kristiyano. Sa katunayan hindi sila magkahiwalay… magkadugtong sila. Ang tunay na pag-ibig kay Kristong ating hari ay dapat magdala sa atin sa tunay na pagmamahal sa kapwa nating nangangailangan. ‘Sinasabi ko sa inyo: nang pagkaitan ninyo ng tulong ang pinakahamak sa mga ito, ako ang inyong pinagkaitan.’ Wag sana nating paghiwalayin ang pagiging relihiyoso sa pagiging-tao. Ang pagiging maka-Diyos ay pagiging maka-tao din! Tunay kong mahal ang Diyos kung may pagmamalasakit ako sa kapwa kong nangangailangan. Nawa ay pagharian ng pagmamahal ni Kristong Hari ang ating mga puso ng sa gayon ay maging bukas ito sa paglilingkod at ng mapagharian tayo ng kanyang pag-ibig. Mabuhay si Kristo na ating hari!
November 24th, 2008 at 6:40 am
As a political analyst, I look at texts like these, and wonder why if the Philippines is so religious, then why are there a lot of corrupt people in the government, as well as in the elites.
If helping the poor, the homeless, the sick and the ones unlucky enough to not be born to a family of the elite is a divine mission given to us by Jesus Christ, then shouldn’t the government, being a State’s sovereign authority, use its authority to do good things?
To the senior citizen and the disabled person, to protect them and provide them social care and welfare, as well as an opportunity to work if they choose so, not in front of a church selling sampaguita flowers, but with subsidies, their own flower shop, or even fishball shops.
Children should be kept well-educated, because one less child off the street and in school is one more intelligent young person who will one day become a doctor, a soldier, a businessman, or even a politician. For this I recommend better public education, so that the only difference between private and public school quality education is that private schools have a more religious focus.
But more than those examples, what about the tricycle driver who only rents his machine, and has to pay the owner a huge commission? Or the sugar farmer in Negros who goes hungry for half a year? Or the woman who wishes to apply for a nursing job overseas, but cannot because she cannot pay the fees? More than praying to God, they need a more substantial answer. As the strongest authority in the land, government should BE the answer.
The Philippine economy is growing by about 7% a year, and I believe that if we invest in our countrymen, if we raise the level of education, create new jobs that cannot be shipped overseas, and give Filipinos a chance, we can improve our status of living.
I understand that there should be separation between Church and State, however, a common trend between the two is that they both believe in looking after the poor; the Church because there is a religious duty, and the State because the politicians were elected as REPRESENTATIVES of the people, and thus must work for the PEOPLE’s interests.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:35 am
acai side effects…
Nej, vi er ikke døde. Nej, vi har ikke mistet vores internet- og nej, vi……