Killing the Middle Class

In this country, the middle class are the pawns. The politicians ignored them by taxing them to death and by not making laws providing them opportunities to fulfill their aspirations. With only the lower class or the "masses" they always try to pleased because of their sheer number that can translate into votes. The middle class which are only few are the least priority of these politicians. How many of them stand up to defend them? How many write laws to protect them? How many wish to make them numerous?.How many of them feel that they are now financially squeezed?.
One of the key aspirations of middle-class families is to provide their children with the good education they’ll need to maintain — or exceed — their standard of living when they enter the work force. But the financial security of the middle-class has been strained by the rising cost of higher education, which has risen faster than overall inflation for much of the past decade.
The GMA regime failed miserably in protecting the middle class due to her extreme busyness in making sure of its survival.
Meanwhile, the middle class is facing the biggest question of their life: leave the country to survive or survive by fighting until death for this country?

What I learned from the Ateneo

The MBA program that I gone through at the Ateneo Rockwell demanded the best in me. The classrooms there are swanky, the equipment brand new, the technology updated and the professors rich in business experiences. But I learned a lot not because of them but because of the the sharing of my classmates in our case analysis and the rich collection of business and liberal arts books that shaped my thinking.
At the Ateneo, they are proud of their library and it is not a boast that in the country they have the most number of business books available.
In that library I am a constant visitor.
That is the place where I met colorful people who got great minds and best advice not found in the classrooms. Some of them are: Confucius who advised me to be humble in the face of business uncertainty, Freidrich von Schiller who pressured me to take calculated risks, Benjamin Franklin scolded me to have an emergency fund of 3 months living expenses, Miguel de Cervantes notified me not to put my money in one basket, Warren Buffet informed me that the best way to own stocks is through an index fund, Edwin Lefevre conveyed that I should be patient on my investment, Peter Lynch revealed to me that I don't need to time the market and John Kenneth Galbraith imparted that I should borrow only to buy assets that appreciate. These are some of the people who made my stay at the Ateneo worthwhile.
The cost of all the books I borrowed and read in the Ateneo Rockwell library may reached more than P200,000. More than half the fees I paid.
I already forgotten what my accounting professors taught us but I am forever grateful to the large collection of books I read and enjoyed.
The Jesuits are charmers and their snakes are libraries.

Lucban,Quezon

My family hails from Lucban, Quezon. A place well known as the summer capital of Quezon Province. Tourists flock to our town to see the famous Pahiyas and to eat the equally famous longganisa and pancit lucban. My ancestors were one of the pioneers of the town that is why you can find Cadeliña streets honoring them. There are lot to thank for my town. The climate, the people, the rain and the mountain. These are the reasons why artists abound in my town, they can be easily inspired by the environment.
The last time I visited Lucban, I was disturbed. Though it is still cold there but not as cold during my younger years. The people are still pleasant and hospitable but are now so numerous that water pollution in the once clean canal are evident. Surely, Lucban is now overpopulated. With its very small area, the throngs of people polluting the river will affect the drinking water which is the primary source of Lucena, Pagbilao and Tayabas.
There will come a time that Lucban will loose its luster and it's not because of the nature but because of the people who slowly destroying it.

Father Eduardo Hontiveros, S.J.(20 December 1923 – 15 January 2008)

I met him only once. Born in Molo, Iloilo a Jesuit whose simplicity will make you feel that you need nothing but faith. His passion will put ashame all persons who dont' have one. His courage will extinguish the fear in you. His love for music will make you sing and even will make you cry.
He is Father Eduardo Hontiveros, SJ the father of Philippines Liturgical Music.
In the past 25 years, millions of people all over the country sing his hundred hymns including " Papuri sa Diyos"; "Magnificat", "Maria"; "Luwalhati"; "Kordero ng Diyos"; "Bukang Liwayway"; "Pananagutan".
He is an inspiration to generation of composers. His songs of praise, thanksgiving, petitions, contritions and love for the Almighty enriched the rituals of the Holy Mass.
Fr. Hontiveros passed away last January 15, 2008 and buried yesterday at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches.
Good bye Fr. Hontiveros and for sure Heaven is waiting for you with thousands of angels singing your hymns!

My 2008 predictions

There are a lot of predictions flying in the air since January 1. I will leave the prediction who will die or who will get pregnant this year to Madam Auring.Let me predict simple things that will affect us in the year of the rat:
1. There will be recession in America and the economy of the Philippines will be
affected. The Americans will tighten their belts and will hold on their purse in anticipation of freeze on salary or layoffs.The subprime and property mess causing default of loans will aggravate the recession. This means they will consume
less and import less from other countries including the Philippines.
2. The stock market will not have a stellar performance like 2007. Though this will be an opportunity to buy mutual fund with a cheap NAV or a stock with a cheap price.
3. There will be more Filipinos who will be OFW because of lack of job in the
country.This will mean more dysfunctional families.
4. The cost of electricity,water, LPG and other utilities will continue to rise.Thereby penalizing millions of poor families.
5. There will be a lot of middle class that will slide to lower class this year.
This will propel them to take action hopefully a productive one and non-violent.
6. The cost of sending somebody to college will continue to rise because private
colleges and universities also need to survive. They have no other way but to increase their fees. The parents will be left with only one option: sending them to state colleges.
7. State colleges will also increase their fees because of less subsidies from the
government.They will accept more students looking less on their qualifications in order to get funds to pay their teachers.
8. The church will scrutinize itself if they meet the needs of the masses. They
already know that they are ineffective in providing solution to the poverty that engulfs the masses.They have the will to help but lacks cohesive action.
9. The President knows that she got only 3 years to leave a legacy. This year she
will do everything to make the economy resilient completely disregarding the corruption ghosts that haunts her administration.With the military on her back, she will survive this year.
10. It is up to each Filipino family to survive 2008. This year, they will do everything to feed their children legit or non legit. They are given a free will and many will stick to their values while others will throw away their towels seeing no hope.
These are predictions hence two sides of a coin:may or may not happen.

Hijaking of Christmas

Yes it's true, Christmas is hijacked by the mall and thrown in the sea of consumerism.
Christmas is not anymore praying together but eating and drinking together until we dropped dead.
Christmas is not anymore simbang gabi but disco sa kalye.
Christmas is not anymore christmas wreath but alcoholic drinks.
Christmas is not anymore 12 days of celebrating Christ but 12 days of celebrating Mammon.
Christmas is not Silent Night but Karaoke Night.
Christmas is not anymore caroling but shopping.
Christmas is not anymore Bethlehem manger but debt counting.
Christmas is not anymore celebration of faith but celebration of family fights.
Christmas is not anymore rejoicing but dwelling on pain and loneliness.
We hijacked the true meaning of Christmas and people asking themselves why they are not joyful this Christmas season.
How will you be joyful:
1. celebrate reconciliation this Christmas.
2. Celebrate reconnection this Christmas.
3. Celebrate the spirit of generosity.
Celebrate simply and if possible with little expenses.
Have a blessed Christmas.

The Consumer Country

Mario (not his real name) is an MBA classmate and officemate of mine when we were working then in Ayala. We have a lot of qualities in common that’s why we were at ease with each other for at most 10 years. One thing that differ him from me is that he is a spendthrift. Every payday I save money to invest in my house and college education of my children. Mario is different, he spend as if there is no tomorrow. Branded clothes, shoes, neckties, handkerchiefs and regular dining in fine restaurants are his usual “investments”. He is known in the office for being maporma. Me? I am just a regular guy.
When we reached 30 years old, Mario and I decided to have a small drink at the Greenbelt. After we downed 2 bottles, Mario got under the influence. He began to tell stories to me that he is heavily indebted. More than hundred thousand because of the plastic (credit card!!!). He can not pay anymore the loan because he has other loans with lots of people. He is about to be kick out from his apartment if he will not pay the rent which is due for 3 months. His girlfriend leaved him when she learned that he is bankrupt. Mario is totally devastated. Victim of zero savings habit and 100% consumptions propelled by his eveready credit card.
My life was reversed of him. I am not rich but I have a house and lot , college plan for my two children are paid in full and I have investment in mutual funds all before I reached 30. Not bad for a regular guy.
Mario and I parted ways when we both leaved PILTEL in 2001. I never heard any news about him. But I see a lot of Mario’s in our country. Children of OFWs, government or private workers and sabungeros. Only few people I know who has the propensity to save and invest.
Our country is a consumer country. With the exception of the Tsinoys and some enlightened brownmen the norm in our blood is to spend and consume. Postponing pleasure today in order to have a pleasant future is somewhat a blasphemy in our culture. To exorcise this spendthrift demon, some like Mario need to suffer first before expelling it while others kill it even before it step on their door mat.
The roads are difficult for the latter but sure as the sun shines it brings reward.

Mang Kulas

I met a family man called in my neighborhood as Mang Kulas. He is a father of three children and his wife is not working because of lack of education. Mang Kulas is a carpenter and a skilled one. He earns P300 per day and his earnings are erratic. Sometimes he earns P6000 a month especially during summer and there are times he earns nothing. Everytime we meet in the neighborhood he always flashes his toothless smile and at first glance strangers may say he has no problem at all.
One day I saw him in the mall and as I watched him he keep on glancing on the people eating at Chowking. I notice his daughter, about the age of 5, pleading that they eat also at Chowking. He never answers his daughter. As he walked away I called him and say kumusta and he answer ok lang sir pauwi na. As he talked to me I noticed that his body is shaking. His daughter innocently told me that they have not yet any meal since yesterday. I bought them food from Jollibee and accompany them in their home.
As I glance around the house of Mang Kulas, there is no appliance at all. A long chair made of bamboo, the flooring is not concrete but loam soil, a roof made of old g.i. sheet which are full of holes and a small table maybe use for eating, studying or even sitting.
When I leaved the house of Mang Kulas, I kept on asking myself how he managed to survived the onslaught of high prices of all commodioties and utilities. As a mathematician in me I compute it in my head:
Monthly Earning of Mang Kulas...............P6,000
Expenses:
Food Fish P140 kilo/day x 30 days........... 4,200
Jeepney fare P7.50 x 2 x 4 persons x 30..... 1,800
Electricity.................................. 150
Water.........................................130
Balance (negative).......................... -280
Imagine if Mang Kulas has no carpentry job. Where will he get the money to feed his family?.
This is new cancer that attacks our poor countrymen. The cancer that brings hopelessness, that brings crime and even death.
Everytime I see artistas showing off their new cars, new houses and even new nose I really get angry.When politicians distribute or receive corrupt money my blood hits in the boiling point. They are insensitive to the plight of the poor. The Pinoy Big brother is a big joke because his house is made of illusion. The real life and the real house we can find it in Mang Kulas. But the TV network will not even try to house celebrities in Mang Kulas house because they know they will not earn any money from it. The jokes are on us and damn it we laugh on it.

Yusuf Islam

Last night I watched a concert of Yusuf Islam. The DVD is aptly titled Yusuf's cafe Sessions and was captured live in the Porchester Hall in London. Songs such as Father and Son and Peace Train touched my soul that every lyrics haunted my inner being.
Yusuf Islam is Cat Stevens. Those who are familiar with Cat Stevens, he is a famous singer during the tumultous late '6os and the fiery early '70s. His hit songs such as Moonshadows, Peace Train and Father and Son were the national anthem of the youth of '70s. He abandoned his career in 1978 and converted to islam.
In our present times wherein Islam is portrayed as nest of terrosrist, Yusuf is the answer on the correct meaning of Islam. Moderate, peace loving and family oriented.
Hear his songs or better buy his DVD "Yusuf Cafe Session" and experience the true meaning that songs should be intended to love one another and praise God.
Cheers!

Amazing Grace

I am a person who is not afraid of taking risk even at the expense of being hurt badly. This recklessness of mine caused me and my loved ones a lot of heartaches. From the failures that I experienced those who gave the most deepest pain were the one who made me stronger. The tears gave me the decisiveness to say goodbye to the past, thank the present and hope for the future.
During my college days it is very common that I go to the university with money enough only to pay the jeepney fare. Merienda was as rare as ligthning. The person who saved from the agony was my girlfriend who lovingly pay for my jeepney fare, provide lunch and dinner when I have none. The challenge for me then was to graduate and lift myself and my family out of poverty. It was an amazing grace that I graduated and found a job right after graduation.
I have been working for the past 20 years and it is clear to me that in order for us to have a food in the table and a regular job we need to be a blessing to everyone we meet. I have been lucky to meet persons who gave me graces that up to now I still thank them in my prayers. Yes..... it is an amazing grace.
Everytime that I hear the song of John Newton, it touches me because it said a lot about me. The lyrics are :

Amazing Grace Lyrics

John Newton (1725-1807)


Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Marianette Amper

Sa bayan ng Maa, Davao may isang batang gumawa ng isang bagay na nagpaiyak sa akin. Si Marianette, anak ng isang karpintero, ay nagpakamatay dahil sa lubhang kahirapan.
Sa kanyang mga sulat hiningi nya sa Diyos na tulungan siya at kanyang pamilya na maiahon sila sa kahirapan. Sinabi din niya na hindi siya makapasok dahil wala silang laging pera para pambili ng pagkain at pamasahe.

Simple lang ang hiling niya, sapatos, damit, bag at bisikleta para makapasok sa eskwelahan.

Sa pangyayaring ito, si Marianette ay nagbigay sa atin ng isang matinding pahayag: ang matinding gutom at kahirapan ay nasa ating bansa. Anumang pagtatakip na gawin ng pamahalaan sa pagsasabing bumababa na ang bilang ng mga mahihirap ay kabaligtaran ang nagyayari sa tunay na buhay.

Kapag ang gobyerno ay walang kahihiyan sa pagsangayon sa pamimigay ng pera sa mga congressman habang maraming pamilyang Pilipino ang walang makain. Panahon na para dumalangin tayo na bigyan tayo ng sapat na lakas ng loob upang harapin ang dilim ng pangaapi.

Survival Thinking

Today more than 50 million Filipinos considered themselves as poor. We can see countless countrymen of ours living under bridge, in the stinking estero, in the cariton and even in cold pavements. Truly the government for the past 20 years failed to deliver their promise to uplift the economy and provide decent life to Filipinos.
Since we can not rely entirely to the inept government of ours, it is time to chart our own course. How can we then change? Let us start by aiming for survival thinking. Yes, before our poor thinks of buying anything they need to be enlightened on how to survive.
First is food. The member of the family should ensure that there will be food in the table. Food that will nourish them and make them work productively. How can this be possible when many poor people are without job?. That is the challenge. We have to act as a nation to provide cheap food for everybody. There are many ways to do it. For example, let us plant vegetables in the garden so that we can give or sell in a lower price for the poor. There are many creative ways we can do. Our failure to provide food for our family means our children can not go to school, can be sickly and unproductive and the country will produce mendicants rather than producers.
Second is water . We should ensure that the water we drink is safe and the source protected. Imagine if Lucena will not have water for one week and we will experience chaos. For a nation and a family to survive, water should be readily available. We should do everything to protect the source of water in Lucban, practice wise use of water and support the effort of the water district to improve their facilities.
Third is energy . A nation and a family will remain poor if there is no available energy to fuel the businesses and the homes. A nation that can not even provide electricity to a city harnessed unemployment. A nation that utilizes energy is a powerful nation. Just look at Russia. Our country is blessed with enough energy and we should try everything to protect it.
Fourth is stability in population . We should accept the fact that high population means more consumption of food,water and energy. In a typical family those who belong to a big family need more money in order to survive. The same thing in a country, those who are more populous are poorer than those who are not. We need to have a stable population.
How many politicians you meet discussing survival thinking? In Lucena have you experienced somebody advocating the need of the family and the country to survive? If none we have to act now. We only have one country and all of us will sink if we will not swim.
ALC

Letter to the People of Burma(Myanmar)

Dear Brothers:
Your country is experiencing a decade long repression that as a people you are not only given scarce but misleading information. You can not communicate outside of your country whether mobile or internet because the junta cut it off. Do not be intimidated my dear brothers. What is happening to your beautiful country , we experienced 20 years ago when the Philippines was under a dictatorship.
Hold on to your belief. We know that the junta raided your sacred monasteries, beat up monks and shooting unarmed students. These acts are desperate attempt to salvage their decaying regime. Remember my dear brothers that everytime they hurt you, their morale were attacked in return.
We are praying for your country. May you find consolation in our EDSA revolution 20 years ago when we marched unafraid. We were students who at that time were not thinking to oust a regime but to express our outrage to the assasination of Ninoy Aquino. But our outrage was rewarded by ending a 20 year dictatorship.
The Burmese people will also be rewarded and the Junta knows it. That is the reason my brothers why they are using violence. They inflict fear but deep inside their heart they are the one afraid.
I pray for you courageous Burma and may the faith continue to guide you. One day when the darkness is defeated (because it will surely come), I am the first Filipino to salute you.Even though we are ocean apart my heart is with you. Because once I stood up with more than a million Filipinos in 1986 against a regime quite similar as yours.
At the end you will be triumphant just like us. Just hold on!.

Arnel L. Cadeliña

Hot Dog Hazard

It was mentioned to me by a friend a long time ago that eating hotdogs are hazardous to one's health. I did not believe her until Dr. David C. Paik of Columbia University issued these findings Eating cured meats such as hot dogs, smoked fish, bacon or salami may double your risk of lung disease. People who ate cured meats more than 14 times a month were almost twice as likely to have pulomonary disorders, chronic bronchitis and emphysema than those who don't. The hot dogs got nitrite (SEE THEIR LABELS!!!!) which causes our lungs to age.
Eaters beware!

The Zagorsky Truth

A professor of mine was so brutal that he once said in our Finance class that intelligence and wealth are not linked. He convinced each one of us who claimed that we excel academically that we should rethink our position. He ended up saying that high intelligence is not a complete advantage. Just look at the car of bright professors, he said, they are old low value vehicles. The lesson is simple as the Zagorsky truth "Your IQ has really no relationship to your wealth. And being very smart does not protect you from getting into financial difficulty,”
Zagorsky is the famous Jay Zagorsky, Ph.D. of Ohio State University who is one of the top researcher in America.
He confirmed that when it came to total wealth and the likelihood of financial difficulties, people of below average and average intelligence did just fine when compared with the super-intelligent.How come because, Zagorsky found out that high-IQ people are not saving as much as others.
So for those below average and average students don't be despair you too have a chance to be wealthy just like the high-IQ people provided you know when to save and when to splurge.

Thank you Mother Teresa

A new book " Mother teresa: Come be my Light" was launched last month. It consist primarily of correspondence between Teresa and her confessors and superiors for a period of 66 years. It was dark indeed because the book reveals her doubt about God's existence. That she did not find Jesus in her heart or in the eucharist.
Why I am thanking the saint?. It's because all people experienced some doubt about his or her faith, about Jesus and about God. Especially when we are bombarded with problems that we felt the absence of God. It is only natural for us to experience this "dark night" and we need the help of other people to regain our spiritual equilibrium. Mother Teresa had one by the help of Rev. Joseph Neuner who counseled her resulting to tremendous sense of release.
This is what we need when we are confronted with a spiritual vacuum somebody who can tell us that there is no human remedy for doubt; that to have a proof that Jesus is present by having a craving to His graces and that experiencing doubt happens to everybody.
Now we know that as fellow travellers of this world it is not shameful to doubt our faith but rather see it as a tool to help the needy even we believe less.

ALC

Parable of the Pigeon

In the pigeon kingdom the King called for a meeting. There is trouble in the wersel forest and we need somebody to take care of it, said the King. So the pigeons started debating to one another and before sunset arrives they voted for the gray pigeon to head the wersel forest. Obedient as he is, the gray pigeon began transforming the troubled wersel forest. He wake up early and sleep late. For 24 months he never tires flying with the pigeons of wersel forests. He even teached them some tricks of flying. The gray pigeon made the wersel forest pigeons believe in themselves. The gray pigeon love it because he feels that they look at him as a pigeon who can fly wherever he like.
Then one day the gray pigeon was called by the King and entrusted a new job. He tried to reason out to the king that he still need to attend the wersel forest. He said that there is trouble in yako forest and he need my expertise. How can you say no to an insisting King?. So the gray pigeon work in the yako forest without explaining to the pigeons of worsel. While the gray pigeon is flying in the dark forest he met a sickly old hawk. She's begging for food but the gray pigeon said that the food is owned by the wersel pigeons and he need to give it to them. The plea of the sickly hawk melted the heart of the gray pigeon and gave her the food without realizing the consequences of it.
So the gray pigeon returned to wersel forests and brought no food. The wersel pigeons began to feel betrayed that after a long time of absence he brought them nothing. Many of them refused to fly with the gray pigeon. Some of them even gave an angry look.
After several days, the gray pigeon made stories that the food fell to the ground while flying. Who would believe anyway that the food for pigeons were given to a hawk? They would not even understand why a hawk and not a pigeon.
So for several sunset and sunrise the gray pigeon was disturbed. Sleep refuses to visit him. For him there was no reason staying at the worsel forest because no one accompany him to fly.
So one night the gray pigeon bravely apologized and told the truth to the wersel pigeons. There was complete silence, question and hesitation.Who can blame them? The gray pigeon flew in the dark forest without informing them. As tears fell from the cheek of the gray pigeon he realized their disappointment, his failure and ask for their forgiveness.
Is the gray pigeon forgiven? Will the gray pigeon be the same again? Will he sit on the same branch or look for a different nest? As the gray pigeon look in the sunset he can not find the answer. Maybe tomorrow it will come.

Paretto Principle

One of the best learning I got from the Ateneo was learning the Paretto Principle. Our Operation Management professor shared the Paretto Principle or the 80-20 rule very simple but with a lot of passion that after the class we were became believers.
What is this Paretto Principle?
The Pareto principle is also known as the 80-20 rule. Is the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity which states that, for many events, 80% of the effects comes from 20% of the causes. Simple?.
Business management thinker Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Paretto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population.
It is a common rule of thumb in business that "80% of your sales comes from 20% of your clients.
How do experience this principle in our lives:
1. we wear our 20% most favoured clothes about 80% of the time.
2. we spend 80% of the time with 20% of our acquaintances.
3. 80% of a country's wealth was owned by 20% of the population.
4. Relationship: 20% of the people you know (friends, colleagues, family) provide
you with 80 percent of nurturing support and satisfaction.
5. Business: Twenty percent of customers will account for 80 percent of profit.
6. Productivity: Twenty percent of your activities will account for 80 percent
of your success.

How can we put the 80-20 principle to good use?
The Pareto principle is great to increase focus. Don't try to do more. Just do more of the right things. For example, out of our many maladaptive behaviors, twenty percent of it will contribute to 80 percent of all our hardship and misery. So working on just these 20 percent can greatly contribute to our personal growth. Time management is another area where the rule can be very effective. If you have a lot of work to do, break it down to specific activities and figure out what twenty percent of the tasks listed contributes to eighty percent of the results you seek. Second, give your maximum concentration to those 20 percent tasks.
Thanks to Joseph M. Juran, you created followers beyond your dreams!.

alc

Best with Friends

There's no doubt about it, the ingredients for happiness includes good relationships. If I am with my TRUE (italics mine) friend I am happy, alert, cheerful and motivated.
When I interact with them my attention is to them and not to me. I fought depression by talking to them and their conversation stimulates me.
It is very hard to look for a good friend nowadays. From my experience you can say you have real friends if:
1. We have mutual benefits.. I endorse you to the next job and you invite me to a birthday party.
2. Relationship without exploitation . I am truthful to you and you are truthful to me. We never take advantage of each other.
3. Are not static . Meaning you are a friend all the way and not only when you have an influence, money or even power. If you are invited by a friend to attend an event even though you are far away the relationship is not static.
4. Provide emotional and intellectual stimulation . Meaning I can cry, laugh and frown without feeling embarrassed. We can talk a lot of things and love our differences. Silence to us is a mortal sin.

I remember a Chinese proverb that says:

If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a month, get married.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
IF YOU WANT HAPPINESS FOR A LIFETIME, HELP SOMEONE ELSE.

alc

Latin Mass

The Catholics around the world were not surprised when the Pope took the steps last July 7 to revive the ancient tradition of the Latin Tridentine Mass in Catholic churches worldwide. For one he is a conservative priest from the beginning who savor the sweet tradition of the faith.

Pope Benedict XVI signed a universal indult — or permission — for priests to celebrate again the Mass used throughout the Church for nearly 1,500 years.

The Vatican said the New Mass remained the "normal" form of Mass while the Tridentine version was an "extraordinary" one that would probably only be sought by a few Catholics.

When the pope said few he means group of Catholics who only like to hear mass in Latin.

My generation has zero experience of hearing a latin mass and it may bring excitement for others to attend one.

If this move can bring back strayed Catholics backed to the fold, so be it.