Monday, February 23, 2015

275: How Do We Help?

Image From: https://fullydevoted1011.wordpress.com/
A week ago, a man got into the bus that I was riding on my way to the office and spoke out loud in the middle saying that he needs help to pay for his badly injured leg due to an accident. To prove that he wasn't lying, he showed his wound, and the smell of a festering wound surrounded the enclosed bus. You cannot imagine how a festering wound smells like.
Learn how to cry for the Poor
While he solicit coins, Pope Francis' message in UST echoed in my mind. Here is the man who needs help, how can I help?
[...] There is a worldly compassion which is useless. You expressed something like this. It’s a compassion that makes us put our hands in our pockets and give something to the poor. But if Christ had had that kind of compassion he would have greeted a couple of people, given them something, and walked on. But it was only when he was able to cry that he understood something of our lives. [..]
I may be rushing on my way to the office, but here is my opportunity to practice my being a better Christian by reaching out, but one cannot help but wonder: how can someone who's a middle class worker, who's in the rush to reach to her office, who currently has no influence, no power, no position can help?

But besides, the helping, you cannot imagine how bad I feel for the guy. You can feel how much he was unwanted in the bus because of his wounds. I didn't want to add more injury to the guy, instead of wincing on the smell, or showing grossed out by evading his outstretched hand, I stretched my hand and handed him some money. The only consolation I can offer at such limited time was my sincerity, so I looked at him straight in the eye, smiled, and nodded.

It was the only thing I can do at the moment. I hope it was suffice, but a week after, I am still disturbed that it felt like I fell on the category of those people who just gives money on those who asked. I seriously hope I have done something else that would have told the guy that there is still some people out there who are not indifferent on his sufferings.

If I can go back at the moment, I would have reached out, grabbed his hand and say 'I will pray for you'. It may be some of the last thing that he needed, but a sympathy from a stranger might at least a balm on his soul. I wish I have done this, but I am glad that this came to me, I'll do this when I get an opportunity in the future, and I hope that in spite of my limitations to help, I may have done something.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

274: It's Lent Season!

Image from http://www.holyfamilysisters.org

It’s Lent Season! This is possibly one of the biggest event for Catholics, next to Christmas. To say, this is the first time that I am actually excited. I never really cared much about Lent because I found it too melancholic. For those who do not live in Philippines, during Lent you can really feel that the nation is in mourning. There are little, to no regular TV programs, most especially during Good Friday to Black Saturday. The retail stores are closed, the people are in their own respective houses praying, meditating, and simply savoring the silence. To me, it’s too bleak. But of course, while others are doing vigil, there are those who spend the Holiday in beaches. It really depends. But where I live, it’s evident that we are in vigil.

You might wonder why I suddenly had a change of perspective. With my renewed relationship with God, this will allow me to go deeper with my reflections and meditations. I want to spend the Holy Week meditating on God‘s love to save us. For me, this is an opportunity to further deepen my relationship with Him, and I’d also like to reflect on my own sinfulness and what can I do to in return for God’s love for me.

CONFESSION
. Funny moment. Like what I have said, I never really participated that much during Lent so this is actually my first time to do fasting. I thought that the fasting would start next week, so earlier I enjoyed eating hotdog and egg during breakfast. To my regret, I was told that actually, the fasting starts today. You cannot imagine my confusion with what to do with the hotdog and egg that I ate. I asked my mom if I have to poke my throat so I can throw up the contents of my stomach. On the other hand, I thought I’d confess it to the priest, but then saying ‘Father I have sinned, I ate hotdogs and eggs when I should be fasting’ sounds ridiculous.

Actually, I still do not know what to do with the hotdog and the egg. But yes, I’m actually fasting, I’ve given up Facebook and Twitter, and will reduce my eating to only one full meal in a day.

You, what are you going to do this Lent?

By the way, if you have tumblr. Can you please follow the two blogs that I have created?

http://weareromancatholics.tumblr.com/
http://longlivepopefrancis.tumblr.com/

Friday, February 13, 2015

274: “Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment

New read! I just finished reading Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore
One of my projects! I love how I rendered the picture of Pope Francis. It's so cute. Look at the details by the way.
He even has a dove on top perched on his head.

Every day planning is best done with brewed coffee and Cassava Cake.
My fascination and love for figurines seems to be growing

Monday, February 9, 2015

273: Definition of Success?


My sister and I usually have one of the most interesting conversation. I am glad of these types of conversation because it does not border on the usual dialogues, most of them were actually thought-provoking. The type of exchange that I enjoy so much is ideas, and about life.  So one day while we were on our way to a coffee shop (hint: the green mermaid), my sister and I were talking about success.

"How can you say that you are successful?" my sister asked as she stirred her coffee.

I was taken aback, that it felt like everything stopped for a split-second, that like as if a lightning just struck the coffeetable between us. After all the exchanges that we had, that's the ultimate question. Yeah, so how can one really tell to that s/he is successful? 

Instead of answering her, I shot back a question "wait, how do you define success? Success is subjective."

The reason why I was taken a-back because there's just no concrete answer to that question (IMHO). Sometimes some people get that thinking that success means having all the materials in the world, when some could say that s/he is successful by just raising healthy-God fearing kids. So, I'm not sure if my definition of success is the same as to what my sister is thinking.

My sister answered me of her definition of success. It actually ended up listing down the things that she wanted to achieve. I gave mine as well in list. While I was telling her what I want to achieve, it dawned on me that yeah maybe success is after all an achievement of things that we want. :|

It's actually funny, because when we think of success, material things suddenly pops into the mind. I guess we already have that preconceive thoughts because of the influence of the media. But I think if we look into our hearts, we have our own definition of success that is free from society's definition. How simple. Defining what we really want, getting it, is what makes a success. Basic.

So you, my dear readers, how do you define your success?

Monday, February 2, 2015

272: An antithesis of what Love and Hate can do

First and foremost, I really had to delay posting my real post because it feels so insensitive on my part to check how my January went by when we are still mourning of the injustice of how our fallen heroes were massacred. It seems my rants were so small and insignificant, that I have no right whatsoever to rant when I should be grateful for what I have.

The past few weeks had been a roller coaster for our nation. Two weeks ago we celebrated Love, Mercy, and Compassion while Pope Francis was here. We were a nation united by Love then. We have united ourselves through Christ's Love. During that time, we witnessed a leader who had braved the storm to comfort, and to show solidarity. We have witness an embrace, tears of joy, laughter, humility, and most of all Love. We rejoiced.



A week after, we were terrorized: We saw massacre. We witness hate, tears, wives being widowed, fatherless children weeping, and heard of lies, of doubts, of different stories. In all of this, we saw what a man can do to another man who knew nothing of Love.

A juxtaposition of week. An antithesis of what Love and Hate can do. A leader's love to comfort. A leader's hate to massacre.

Rest in Peace to our fallen heroes. You are never a number, you will never be forgotten.


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