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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Father's Day

I have a friend laid-off of his overseas job and now stay in his home without income, savings and a remote chance to find an overseas job in the soonest time possible. His once vibrant personality is replaced by a timid and serious looks. Being jobless reaches his inner core that he began to feel useless.
How can you provide hope when everything around you seems embrace hopelessness?.
Two days ago, his son came from school crying and my friend asked why. The child said that he can not go to school anymore because his classmates teased him of having always no money.
My friend was devastated. He can take ridicule from anybody of having no money but for his son to suffer because of circumstances not his fault is not acceptable. He as a father can do something to earn money but his 7 years old can not. Who is going to act then, he asked himself.
Yesterday is Father's Day and that day he packed his bag and went to Manila to look for a new job. Not for his sake but for his child.
A man can be transform when he became a father provided that one ingredient reaches his core: love.

Monday, June 08, 2009

My dream


I was on my last day of my retreat in Lucban, Quezon. My mind is at peace and i am totally recharge. After several minutes of reading, I fall asleep. in my golden slumber, I have a dream. Let me share it with you.
A priest is very popular in his parish that his charisma attracts followers and believers. One day a poison letter is send to the bishop,priests of other parish and to lay people. The letter accused the charismatic priest of having a woman and getting her pregnant. Naturally, gossips and rumor mills circulated in the parish. The priest is devastated. For one month he refused to meet people and never say mass to any church. The poison letter is like a spear wounding his heart.
Then one day, the people is surprised to see the priest greeting people outside the church and began to say mass more passionately. The people are amazed on the transformation of the priest and they asked him how he overcome the gossips. The priest just say "I recognized that I can not please all people, that it is always possible that a leader is not a leader unless he is ready to be wounded".
After several years, the priest became a bishop and he transform his church by refusing to be served by anybody when he is invited to a lunch or dinner; he transferred his room air-con to the visitors waiting area; his room is bare only bed a small table and chair can be found; he refused to buy expensive car and rather take the bus or jeepney; he made sure that as a bishop he is a servant especially of the poor.
When he died, all parishioners weep as if a part of them died. He is the only saint they met in their lifetime.
As I wake up, I am crying because still I have to meet such priest/bishop in my lifetime.
Do you know somebody?