Bunker Hill Forest Preserve Remembered
On a crisp, sunny Sunday of the last day of July, a large crowd thronged Grove 4 of the Bunker Hill forest preserve for many activities. It was a record-breaking attendance. It's Hudyaka Illinois 2011, an annual festive celebration of the people from the province of Zamboanga del Norte on the island of Mindanao, Philippines here in Illinois. It is a yearly jovial camaraderie, fellowship, get-together, reunion, chit-chat, and picnic session. Picnic tents dotted the mowed park of Grove 4.
This yearly summer gathering is vital to these province mates to showcase their talents and skills. Friendly competitions emerged in volleyball, tennis, bowling, and dart throwing. And also in dancing and sungka, a hometown game with similar to dama (a prisoner's favorite game) or Chinese checker. In the game of Sungka, players use marbles or pebbles and whoever has the last marble or pebble wins the game. It is fun and like chess, your mind must be as nimble as your hands move. These games were participated by organizations of the towns, the schools, the youth, and business groups within the coastal province of Zamboanga del Norte known in the e-world as ZANORTE and later as the Zamboanga del Norte Association in Illinois ( ZAMNAI).
The ballroom dancing contest and sungka staged on the shed sent standing ovations while wows and aahs filled the air. However, the crowd changed their attention when Volleyball was played under the blistering heat of the July sun.
I met a buddy who was an erstwhile bank manager and is now one of the owners of a home healthcare outfit. He told me that he still can't forget about my remark concerning his nasty smoking habit. He was glad about it and his children reminded him too of that. So, he did his best to stop smoking but he said, he couldn't even if he tried hard to do so. Well, I told him, how about, with my right fingers pointing skyward... prayer? Oh yes, I am doing my morning prayer..." Oh, Jesus through the immaculate heart of Mary, I offer"...That's good, I answered but tried harder, praying the Rosary and at this point, telling him of my devotional prayer to the *Lord of Pardon which was my shield against the devil that's always waiting on our every corner and another weapon, the rosary bead hidden in my pocket. By the way, don't leave home without it.
Before we parted ways, I dug from my pant's left rear pocket my wallet and took the chaplet of the Divine Mercy. There was that unique smile that enveloped his grateful countenance. Yes, a little thing can make a gigantic reward that will last a lifetime.
Note:
*This Lord of Pardon devotion consists of the daily praying of 15 Our Fathers, 15 Hail Marys, and invoking the almighty power and blessings of God, the Father humbly admitting your sinfulness being a sinner then asking the Most Holy VirginMary to intercede for you to her Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Then, ask pardon for your sin and protection from your enemies and that eternal glory be granted to you. Say, "Pardon, oh my God, Pardon me, my offenses, Pardon, Lord, grant me"
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Stranger at Lowe's Home Improvement Store
8/17/2011, Wed
A Glow at Lowe's
The crossing of the path
I was looking for a bi-fold door for our apartment one Wednesday afternoon at Lowe's Home Improvement Store in Lincolnwood, Illinois when I stumbled on this Asian-looking lady. She was on something for her home or domicile I figured because she drifted her gaze on an item on the shelf. My direction was geared for some cleaning items for our house. This woman's right hand picked up a baking soda with a tag price of $0.88 cents for her old refrigerator. My intuition prodded me to politely tell this woman that baking soda in the Aldi food store cost only half of that price. And I opened the idea of savings to her that there is a cheap way to clean our kidneys and parsley can do it. Then a Lowe's salesperson passed by and I asked him if he is familiar with this parsley herb of which he positively and confidently said that it is true. He knew it as he was in the Orient for a number of years. And that herbs are very good for our health; even going to the extent of giving the address where herbal medicines are sold. ( Parsley is a herb with crinkled green leaves. )
Parsley for cleaning your kidney.
On a clean pot filled with potable water boil the parsley for ten minutes. Let it cool before transferring the boiled water of parsley to a bottled container and put it in the refrigerator. To clean your kidney you have to drink a glass of that boiled parsley water daily. With that routine, you'll experience a totally different physical world. Being a slave to good habits leads you to the road of healthy success. And healthy success is what you eat or drink or think which is supplied by Mother Nature and not provided by drug stores. Today is the propitious time to like and love the abundance that Mother Nature avails.
Place matters not
As familiarity took hold of the moment's meeting, this woman said that she is a Thai and she sure recognized me where I came from. Was that, she stammered... Manila? I replied, no but I came from the second largest island, Mindanao near Borneo. Manila is on the largest island, Luzon. Anyway, its in the Philippines.
Matter doesn't age
The conversation continued and touched a delicate subject which is about the numbers of stay on this planet. I told her that I was retired for a number of years. She almost fainted. She looked for a place to sit. How did you do it, came the question? Looking at my head, she noticed something that caught her attention. Ah, yes- the big ears which are a sign of long life. "Well", I said, "that depends entirely on you. Habits, attitude, gratitude, prayer." Oh, she replied, Hail Mary... I knew that as I went to a Catholic school because it has a very good education. The subject matters trickled into scholastic performance. She mentioned her masters and doctorate degrees. That she has also taken journalism in her country. She asked me what highest scholastic attainment I have achieved. Humbly, I told her I have taken master subjects too and hang out with press and radio people but what I did not reveal is of my being a "sum-suman san laude" graduate of the University of Hard Knocks and a member of the defunct " Toastmo-naut club." Remember- astronaut, cosmonaut?
An Epilogue
Somebody has said:
" Happiness keeps you sweet; trials keep you strong. Sorrows keep you human; failures keep you humble. Success keeps you glowing but only God keeps you going!"
Until we meet again. Have a wonderful day!
A Glow at Lowe's
The crossing of the path
I was looking for a bi-fold door for our apartment one Wednesday afternoon at Lowe's Home Improvement Store in Lincolnwood, Illinois when I stumbled on this Asian-looking lady. She was on something for her home or domicile I figured because she drifted her gaze on an item on the shelf. My direction was geared for some cleaning items for our house. This woman's right hand picked up a baking soda with a tag price of $0.88 cents for her old refrigerator. My intuition prodded me to politely tell this woman that baking soda in the Aldi food store cost only half of that price. And I opened the idea of savings to her that there is a cheap way to clean our kidneys and parsley can do it. Then a Lowe's salesperson passed by and I asked him if he is familiar with this parsley herb of which he positively and confidently said that it is true. He knew it as he was in the Orient for a number of years. And that herbs are very good for our health; even going to the extent of giving the address where herbal medicines are sold. ( Parsley is a herb with crinkled green leaves. )
Parsley for cleaning your kidney.
On a clean pot filled with potable water boil the parsley for ten minutes. Let it cool before transferring the boiled water of parsley to a bottled container and put it in the refrigerator. To clean your kidney you have to drink a glass of that boiled parsley water daily. With that routine, you'll experience a totally different physical world. Being a slave to good habits leads you to the road of healthy success. And healthy success is what you eat or drink or think which is supplied by Mother Nature and not provided by drug stores. Today is the propitious time to like and love the abundance that Mother Nature avails.
Place matters not
As familiarity took hold of the moment's meeting, this woman said that she is a Thai and she sure recognized me where I came from. Was that, she stammered... Manila? I replied, no but I came from the second largest island, Mindanao near Borneo. Manila is on the largest island, Luzon. Anyway, its in the Philippines.
Matter doesn't age
The conversation continued and touched a delicate subject which is about the numbers of stay on this planet. I told her that I was retired for a number of years. She almost fainted. She looked for a place to sit. How did you do it, came the question? Looking at my head, she noticed something that caught her attention. Ah, yes- the big ears which are a sign of long life. "Well", I said, "that depends entirely on you. Habits, attitude, gratitude, prayer." Oh, she replied, Hail Mary... I knew that as I went to a Catholic school because it has a very good education. The subject matters trickled into scholastic performance. She mentioned her masters and doctorate degrees. That she has also taken journalism in her country. She asked me what highest scholastic attainment I have achieved. Humbly, I told her I have taken master subjects too and hang out with press and radio people but what I did not reveal is of my being a "sum-suman san laude" graduate of the University of Hard Knocks and a member of the defunct " Toastmo-naut club." Remember- astronaut, cosmonaut?
An Epilogue
Somebody has said:
" Happiness keeps you sweet; trials keep you strong. Sorrows keep you human; failures keep you humble. Success keeps you glowing but only God keeps you going!"
Until we meet again. Have a wonderful day!
Love is God's free gift
Aug. 17, 2011, Wednesday
1st Reading: Jdg 9:6-15 Gospel:Mt 20: 1-16
"So will it be: the last will be the first, the first will be last."
Jesus tells us that justice is granted to those that deserve it while love is given with unmerited generosity. In today's world, nothing is free. Things have prices. You can have them if you are willing to pay for the charges. You have to earn them.
God is a God of love. And essentially His ultimate value is love manifested in generosity. He is also a God with pure and overflowing generosity.
Despite our flaws and demerits, God loves us. He continues to bless us, to guide us, to help us. We don't realize that what we are enjoying are things that we really don't deserve. Let us then turn to God as He gives us things guaranteed free of charge and not to what we hear over the airwaves, read in the newspapers or the internet.
1st Reading: Jdg 9:6-15 Gospel:Mt 20: 1-16
"So will it be: the last will be the first, the first will be last."
Jesus tells us that justice is granted to those that deserve it while love is given with unmerited generosity. In today's world, nothing is free. Things have prices. You can have them if you are willing to pay for the charges. You have to earn them.
God is a God of love. And essentially His ultimate value is love manifested in generosity. He is also a God with pure and overflowing generosity.
Despite our flaws and demerits, God loves us. He continues to bless us, to guide us, to help us. We don't realize that what we are enjoying are things that we really don't deserve. Let us then turn to God as He gives us things guaranteed free of charge and not to what we hear over the airwaves, read in the newspapers or the internet.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
People and the word of God
The Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:1-23)
The gospel of Matthew about the parable of the Sower is relevant to us in our everyday life. During the time of this gospel writer, the community understood the seed as the word of God that yields harvest according to the situation of the one who hears the word being proclaimed.
Let's pause for a while and consider ourselves as the farmer. As a farmer's son and grew on a farm, I am familiar with farming the natural way using the wooden and steel plow, the harrow, the carabao or water buffalo, and lots of prayers for rain and a bountiful harvest. Farmers at that time don't use fertilizers, chemicals, or machines. Everything runs on its smooth course as Mother Nature intended it to be, unadulterated. Farms teemed with mudfish, catfish, other freshwater species of fish, edible snails, and diet-friendly farm frogs. Myriads of kangkong (comparable to spinach ) dotted the sunlight ricefields, quails swarmed in droves, and mayas (small crimson-colored rice bird) flowered the rice fields with their lovely presence. Herons or carabao egrets and kingfishers were familiar visitors. And at that time, harvests were in abundance because we sow in abundance. In fact, we have a small rice granary to store the rice and corn seeds.
In this high-tech world of computers and cell phones and e-cameras, how do we sow our time, our talents, and our energy? If we sow scantily, we will reap scantily. If we plant in abundance, the harvest is bountiful.
The gospel of Matthew about the parable of the Sower is relevant to us in our everyday life. During the time of this gospel writer, the community understood the seed as the word of God that yields harvest according to the situation of the one who hears the word being proclaimed.
Let's pause for a while and consider ourselves as the farmer. As a farmer's son and grew on a farm, I am familiar with farming the natural way using the wooden and steel plow, the harrow, the carabao or water buffalo, and lots of prayers for rain and a bountiful harvest. Farmers at that time don't use fertilizers, chemicals, or machines. Everything runs on its smooth course as Mother Nature intended it to be, unadulterated. Farms teemed with mudfish, catfish, other freshwater species of fish, edible snails, and diet-friendly farm frogs. Myriads of kangkong (comparable to spinach ) dotted the sunlight ricefields, quails swarmed in droves, and mayas (small crimson-colored rice bird) flowered the rice fields with their lovely presence. Herons or carabao egrets and kingfishers were familiar visitors. And at that time, harvests were in abundance because we sow in abundance. In fact, we have a small rice granary to store the rice and corn seeds.
In this high-tech world of computers and cell phones and e-cameras, how do we sow our time, our talents, and our energy? If we sow scantily, we will reap scantily. If we plant in abundance, the harvest is bountiful.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Minister of Care at Swedish Covenant Hospital
Sunday, July 24, 2011
1st Reading: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12, 2nd Reading: Rom 8:28-30
Gospel: Mt. 13:44-52
Memorable Sunday.
At 8:30 A.M. on a muggy summer Sunday morning, I was awakened by a cell phone call. Immediately, I swept the cobwebs of sleep, went to meditating moment, paused for greetings to the Great Provider, and welcomed the inevitable coming of the day. I am one of the MOCs, Minister of Care. We are lay ministers sanctioned by the Parish Pastor to minister to the sick at hospitals, nursing homes, and homes; to those people who have no luxury to be at their Sunday's best to go to the cathedral, church, or chapel. I was on a schedule that Sunday. ( either I lost my schedule or I was not sent one; this is not new to my lector-minister's lexicon. ) I told Glynda, the one who called me to bring the things needed - the host and copies of the church's bulletin. So she did and we three MOCs met at Swedish Covenant Hospital.
I was assigned to the East Wing of the hospital's 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors.
I knocked on the door and introduced myself with greetings. This male person lying on his bed was hesitant to welcome me and told his tale of woe; the reason why he had not been in the church for over ten years. There was a tragic incident in his family life; a child died. I told him I was sorry for what had happened. Then I unfolded a story of a man who migrated to America, found a decent job, got married, and realized the American dream meaning a single-family home with a big backyard and garage, loving wife, dear child, latest model car. He even bought another car for his wife's birthday gift. In a nutshell, he was successful. He made it, so to speak. He loved his job but he loved his wife and children more. His family was a frequent churchgoer. He was up to date in his church's contribution and donation. He was living a typical, happy American life until tragedy struck. His beloved wife died in a car accident. He was hurt. He saw suffering and hopelessness. His life turned upside down. He blamed and cursed God. The wheel of a fortunate, happy life screeched to a stopped.
One day while walking on his way home, a sudden strong rain fell hard that it lasted over an hour. He was cornered and nowhere to go except to find shelter while the rain was pouring vehemently. By a fluke of circumstance and beyond his control, he found himself in a Sanctuary. He found a corner pew to rest his tired body and maybe his weary soul. What he heard from the pulpit was comforting and consoling. His heart was softened; his mind enlightened. Was this the Holy Spirit's light "amidst the encircling gloom?"
He came home attired with a smile and whistling. He played his favorite songs. He totally changed the way he looked at life. His attitude is more of gratitude.
The man with his lovely young wife was now willing to take communion. And I encouraged him to always pray especially that America needs the prayer of our Lady of Fatima. That prayer is very powerful. The world witnessed how and what prayer had done for Russia and Germany. And that man was very grateful that I came.
I knocked on another patient's door. This time a lady was happy to welcome me but she told me that she cannot receive the Holy Communion because she was not married in the church. I respected her wish. I gave her the church's bulletin, anyway.
I looked at my cell phone. It's quarter to eleven and I was a scheduled lector at eleven o'clock. I drove home to get my wife for the eleven o'clock mass. We arrived in the nick of time. My wife went to the Choir side and I sat at the lector's chair. Rev. Peter Fernandes, the pastor was ready to proceed together with the acolytes to the altar to commence the celebration.
"Those whom God predestined he called, and those whom he called he makes righteous, and to those whom he makes righteous he will give glory."
The second and third verses of St. Paul's letter to the Romans have the complex concepts of foreknowledge and predestination. These concepts have been the subject of intense theological debates over the centuries. St. Paul using the language of divine foreknowledge teaches us that God has been at work even before the creation of the world. Psalm 139 clearly tells everything. We can't hide or run away from God. He knew us before we were born. He foresees our thoughts and actions...
1 "Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me... 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord....16 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be...
Even before the beginning of time, God's plan for the redemption of the world began.
After the eleven o'clock Mass, St. Timothy's choir members gave Manny Lucero a good-bye lunch at a Chinese Buffet on Howard and Western. Fr. Peter Fernandez was present. Manny took over the music directorship temporarily when Julie Demerath, the music director passed away. He did a good job together with his pianist/singer-wife, Lorna Buenconsejo Lucero. Their last day in the choir is on Sunday, July 31, 2011, which coincided with the last mass of Fr. Peter D'Mello, SFX who is leaving for Goa, India for a new directorship position.
1st Reading: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12, 2nd Reading: Rom 8:28-30
Gospel: Mt. 13:44-52
Memorable Sunday.
At 8:30 A.M. on a muggy summer Sunday morning, I was awakened by a cell phone call. Immediately, I swept the cobwebs of sleep, went to meditating moment, paused for greetings to the Great Provider, and welcomed the inevitable coming of the day. I am one of the MOCs, Minister of Care. We are lay ministers sanctioned by the Parish Pastor to minister to the sick at hospitals, nursing homes, and homes; to those people who have no luxury to be at their Sunday's best to go to the cathedral, church, or chapel. I was on a schedule that Sunday. ( either I lost my schedule or I was not sent one; this is not new to my lector-minister's lexicon. ) I told Glynda, the one who called me to bring the things needed - the host and copies of the church's bulletin. So she did and we three MOCs met at Swedish Covenant Hospital.
I was assigned to the East Wing of the hospital's 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors.
I knocked on the door and introduced myself with greetings. This male person lying on his bed was hesitant to welcome me and told his tale of woe; the reason why he had not been in the church for over ten years. There was a tragic incident in his family life; a child died. I told him I was sorry for what had happened. Then I unfolded a story of a man who migrated to America, found a decent job, got married, and realized the American dream meaning a single-family home with a big backyard and garage, loving wife, dear child, latest model car. He even bought another car for his wife's birthday gift. In a nutshell, he was successful. He made it, so to speak. He loved his job but he loved his wife and children more. His family was a frequent churchgoer. He was up to date in his church's contribution and donation. He was living a typical, happy American life until tragedy struck. His beloved wife died in a car accident. He was hurt. He saw suffering and hopelessness. His life turned upside down. He blamed and cursed God. The wheel of a fortunate, happy life screeched to a stopped.
One day while walking on his way home, a sudden strong rain fell hard that it lasted over an hour. He was cornered and nowhere to go except to find shelter while the rain was pouring vehemently. By a fluke of circumstance and beyond his control, he found himself in a Sanctuary. He found a corner pew to rest his tired body and maybe his weary soul. What he heard from the pulpit was comforting and consoling. His heart was softened; his mind enlightened. Was this the Holy Spirit's light "amidst the encircling gloom?"
He came home attired with a smile and whistling. He played his favorite songs. He totally changed the way he looked at life. His attitude is more of gratitude.
The man with his lovely young wife was now willing to take communion. And I encouraged him to always pray especially that America needs the prayer of our Lady of Fatima. That prayer is very powerful. The world witnessed how and what prayer had done for Russia and Germany. And that man was very grateful that I came.
I knocked on another patient's door. This time a lady was happy to welcome me but she told me that she cannot receive the Holy Communion because she was not married in the church. I respected her wish. I gave her the church's bulletin, anyway.
I looked at my cell phone. It's quarter to eleven and I was a scheduled lector at eleven o'clock. I drove home to get my wife for the eleven o'clock mass. We arrived in the nick of time. My wife went to the Choir side and I sat at the lector's chair. Rev. Peter Fernandes, the pastor was ready to proceed together with the acolytes to the altar to commence the celebration.
"Those whom God predestined he called, and those whom he called he makes righteous, and to those whom he makes righteous he will give glory."
The second and third verses of St. Paul's letter to the Romans have the complex concepts of foreknowledge and predestination. These concepts have been the subject of intense theological debates over the centuries. St. Paul using the language of divine foreknowledge teaches us that God has been at work even before the creation of the world. Psalm 139 clearly tells everything. We can't hide or run away from God. He knew us before we were born. He foresees our thoughts and actions...
1 "Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me... 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord....16 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be...
Even before the beginning of time, God's plan for the redemption of the world began.
After the eleven o'clock Mass, St. Timothy's choir members gave Manny Lucero a good-bye lunch at a Chinese Buffet on Howard and Western. Fr. Peter Fernandez was present. Manny took over the music directorship temporarily when Julie Demerath, the music director passed away. He did a good job together with his pianist/singer-wife, Lorna Buenconsejo Lucero. Their last day in the choir is on Sunday, July 31, 2011, which coincided with the last mass of Fr. Peter D'Mello, SFX who is leaving for Goa, India for a new directorship position.
Lector at Transfiguration church
Friday, July 22, 2011
Reading: Song 3:1-4b (or Cor 5:14-17) Gospel: Jn 20:1-2, 11-18)
I was the scheduled lector at Transfiguration Church where there is a novena every Friday at 7:00 PM.At precisely every seven o'clock on a Friday evening, the Holy Rosary starts followed by a novena to Jesus, the Nazarene. After that, is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. (This devotion is made popular in Quiapo Church, Manila, Philippines.It had helped weary travelers and ambitious students from the provinces.)
The first reading was on Song 3:1-4b. "On my bed, at night I looked for the one I love, I sought him without finding him; I called him and he did not answer. I will arise and go about the city, through the streets and the squares; I will seek the love of my heart... I sought him without finding him, the watchmen came upon me, those who patrol the city."
"Have you seen the love of my heart?" As soon as I left them,I found the love of my heart. I held him and I would not let him go till I have brought him to my mother's house, to the room of her who conceived me."
Love's recognition is unfolded in the encounter of Jesus and Magdalene. A name when uttered makes one feel something as did Mary come to her senses. Magdalene's eyes were opened seeing her beloved, Jesus. Likewise, our acknowledgment of God's presence will be awakened when in the sanctum of our hearts we intensely missed Him. When our whole being is geared and focused on that obsessed encounter with the Lord, we will truly know and love Him. And that love for the Lord comforts us to that enduring wait for Him.
Jesus (addressing to Mary Magdalene) said, "Touch me not, for I have not yet returned to my Father."
The gospel of John, particularly verse 17, reminded me of Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal's title to his controversial and immortal novel, Noli Me Tangere (Touch me not). Rizal was shot at Bagumbayan now the Luneta because of the prevalence practices of those in power like social cancer that was plaguing the country. And today, the Palace has not found a cure to that social cancer of graft and corruption that spread throughout every bureau, private and government offices, and business enterprises. Politics' strong tentacles are powerful.
The rich are powerful; the poor are pitiful.
(Note: Jose P. Rizal is the Philippines' national hero. He is a doctor, linguist, surveyor, writer, novelist, poet, lover, and patriot.
Reading: Song 3:1-4b (or Cor 5:14-17) Gospel: Jn 20:1-2, 11-18)
I was the scheduled lector at Transfiguration Church where there is a novena every Friday at 7:00 PM.At precisely every seven o'clock on a Friday evening, the Holy Rosary starts followed by a novena to Jesus, the Nazarene. After that, is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. (This devotion is made popular in Quiapo Church, Manila, Philippines.It had helped weary travelers and ambitious students from the provinces.)
The first reading was on Song 3:1-4b. "On my bed, at night I looked for the one I love, I sought him without finding him; I called him and he did not answer. I will arise and go about the city, through the streets and the squares; I will seek the love of my heart... I sought him without finding him, the watchmen came upon me, those who patrol the city."
"Have you seen the love of my heart?" As soon as I left them,I found the love of my heart. I held him and I would not let him go till I have brought him to my mother's house, to the room of her who conceived me."
Love's recognition is unfolded in the encounter of Jesus and Magdalene. A name when uttered makes one feel something as did Mary come to her senses. Magdalene's eyes were opened seeing her beloved, Jesus. Likewise, our acknowledgment of God's presence will be awakened when in the sanctum of our hearts we intensely missed Him. When our whole being is geared and focused on that obsessed encounter with the Lord, we will truly know and love Him. And that love for the Lord comforts us to that enduring wait for Him.
Jesus (addressing to Mary Magdalene) said, "Touch me not, for I have not yet returned to my Father."
The gospel of John, particularly verse 17, reminded me of Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal's title to his controversial and immortal novel, Noli Me Tangere (Touch me not). Rizal was shot at Bagumbayan now the Luneta because of the prevalence practices of those in power like social cancer that was plaguing the country. And today, the Palace has not found a cure to that social cancer of graft and corruption that spread throughout every bureau, private and government offices, and business enterprises. Politics' strong tentacles are powerful.
The rich are powerful; the poor are pitiful.
(Note: Jose P. Rizal is the Philippines' national hero. He is a doctor, linguist, surveyor, writer, novelist, poet, lover, and patriot.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sonnet
On Wisdom, A Sonnet
(Dedicated to Msgr. Salvador Mora)
Remember the music, the dance.
The meeting of the minds, the touch,
Of medicine, the legal parlance,
Of Tanduay rum, fisherman's fresh catch?
That words turned to action uttered
Were not written in the white sand
But fully engaged to be heard;
Was a profound message of the land.
The distractions of today's world
Lead us to hostile disregard
For the great Treasure unexplored
Have found no place in our innards
Yet hidden in the everyday strength
Is the power of the greatest of Bards.
N.B. (This poem is about the memorable moments of my bachelor's days in the Philippines with Msgr. Salvador Mora. We were able to befriend non- Catholics and also non - Christians. Msgr. Mora ( an honorary title) is not a bishop but a non-ivory tower priest and a good friend. He is a San Jose' Seminary, Manila, Phil graduate run by the Jesuits. I, once upon a time, have been a part of the campus of that Seminary along Highway 54 at (EDSA ) Epifanio de los Santos Ave., Metro Manila where the historic People Power Revolutions of Feb.22-25, 1986 (3 days) took place that leads to the unbloody replacement of a nation's top leader; paving the way to a woman's occupancy.
(Dedicated to Msgr. Salvador Mora)
Remember the music, the dance.
The meeting of the minds, the touch,
Of medicine, the legal parlance,
Of Tanduay rum, fisherman's fresh catch?
That words turned to action uttered
Were not written in the white sand
But fully engaged to be heard;
Was a profound message of the land.
The distractions of today's world
Lead us to hostile disregard
For the great Treasure unexplored
Have found no place in our innards
Yet hidden in the everyday strength
Is the power of the greatest of Bards.
N.B. (This poem is about the memorable moments of my bachelor's days in the Philippines with Msgr. Salvador Mora. We were able to befriend non- Catholics and also non - Christians. Msgr. Mora ( an honorary title) is not a bishop but a non-ivory tower priest and a good friend. He is a San Jose' Seminary, Manila, Phil graduate run by the Jesuits. I, once upon a time, have been a part of the campus of that Seminary along Highway 54 at (EDSA ) Epifanio de los Santos Ave., Metro Manila where the historic People Power Revolutions of Feb.22-25, 1986 (3 days) took place that leads to the unbloody replacement of a nation's top leader; paving the way to a woman's occupancy.
Greg In. Trabanca
(07/19/2011)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Met Fr. Rodrigo "Eric" Zafra & some Labasonians
July 14,2011, Thursday
Not An Ordinary Day...
Met town-mates and high-school-days friends after over a score plus years and of course that "those were golden memories" permeated the air. You'll figure these are people of the retired level mark in life. And you'll readily recognize the physical changes- the slow gait, the missing-tooth smile, the composed way of talking as these are grandparents who came to be with their grandchildren to do their "apostolic mission." (apo in the local lingo means grandchild). But they are immigrants. In the birth country, a mother is always a source of perpetual succor. Then, the "very long-time hugs", together with smooches; meantime the e-cameras kept on ticking.
They were our townmates and schoolmates who are daughters of the town's pioneers- Norma Cabading Balais and Linda Galea Valeros, whose children are nurses and doctors. We are proud to be born and raised in the coastal town of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte. Labason, ZDN is the only town during the '40s that has two citadels of higher learning. It has one private Catholic high school, Ferrer High School with a tinge of a secondary Jesuit education when a San Jose' Seminary diocesan priest, Fr. Anacleto Pellano, took over the directorship but left and turned it over to the RVM sisters. It has also one private Protestant college, Southern Philippines College with a western touch as manifested in its gala Founder's Day celebration, a replica of California's annual parade of roses. The founder-director was a Col. Leodegario Orendain, who sojourned in America during the sacada era wave of immigration.
Labason, Zamboanga del Norte with a mark of many diverse professionals, has produced 28 priests to date, which is truly a record. The Catholic church is now sporting a new look; it's bigger and wider. Thanks to the generous donors and combined ideas of priests who had ministered to the sanctuary. The town proper has a wide area and well-planned roads and streets. Thanks to its first mayor, Mr. Gil Sanchez.
And now the memorable moment came. The background music was subdued; the forks and spoons were stilled. The conversations commenced interspersed with guffaws and "what we all need" laughter. Yarns of good old days and the high-tech world were woven to blanket the atmosphere.
I am a firm believer in love at first sight, to animate or inanimate objects, persons, or panoramas. I met a person whose visage is familiar. It turned out that he is a man in the Roman collar sans the collar. He nonchalantly introduced himself as Fr. Rodrigo Zafra. Fr. Eric, that is. We talked about schools. We glimpsed of those seminary moments. My short-lived seminary days. My linkage of that ilk- seminarians, nuns, and priests. We talked of his uncle, the first Bishop of Dipolog, ZDN., the late Msgr. Felix S. Zafra, our good friend. And also of my students of Ferrer High School, who are now priests "sowing the seed" of Catholicism in the snowy ground of the East Coast, Fr. Faron and Fr. Edito Amora who is I presumed at Davao, Mindanao, Philippines.
Thoughts of priests and religious and nuns cascaded intermittently, in my mind. What was this priest's mission? Is he a roaming pilgrim priest, an itinerant preacher or just want to break the solitude of being a parish priest to find meaning and definition on the unfolding will of God? Is he on a mission appeal, on a vacation seeking for the "aha" moment or the feeling of Eureka?
In the priest to a layperson talk, I bared out what his Bishop's uncle intimated to me that the binding force of priesthood and the pillars of Christian faith are the Rosary and the Holy Eucharist. That a priest who is negligent in saying the Mass and the Rosary is prone to the temptation of leaving the robe. And that the seed of spirituality finds fertile soil in the silence of the sanctuary.
We parted. I said goodbye. And when his sight was swallowed by the balmy Chicago summer night, I silently muttered to myself "til we meet again Fr. Eric."
An addendum - On July 27, 2011, Wednesday afternoon, Fr. Eric called on his way to Baltimore, Md. for "thanks for that memorable chat." Truly, I muttered to myself this young priest had in mind that "gratefulness, is the heart of prayer." And, there was the spark of joy. He made my day. Brother David Steindl-Rast-O.S.B. wrote "Joy is that extraordinary happiness that is independent of what happens to us. Good luck can make us happy, but it cannot give us lasting joy. The root of joy is gratefulness. Yet even bad luck will give joy to those who manage to be grateful for it. We hold the key to lasting happiness in our own hands. For it is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful."
Not An Ordinary Day...
Met town-mates and high-school-days friends after over a score plus years and of course that "those were golden memories" permeated the air. You'll figure these are people of the retired level mark in life. And you'll readily recognize the physical changes- the slow gait, the missing-tooth smile, the composed way of talking as these are grandparents who came to be with their grandchildren to do their "apostolic mission." (apo in the local lingo means grandchild). But they are immigrants. In the birth country, a mother is always a source of perpetual succor. Then, the "very long-time hugs", together with smooches; meantime the e-cameras kept on ticking.
They were our townmates and schoolmates who are daughters of the town's pioneers- Norma Cabading Balais and Linda Galea Valeros, whose children are nurses and doctors. We are proud to be born and raised in the coastal town of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte. Labason, ZDN is the only town during the '40s that has two citadels of higher learning. It has one private Catholic high school, Ferrer High School with a tinge of a secondary Jesuit education when a San Jose' Seminary diocesan priest, Fr. Anacleto Pellano, took over the directorship but left and turned it over to the RVM sisters. It has also one private Protestant college, Southern Philippines College with a western touch as manifested in its gala Founder's Day celebration, a replica of California's annual parade of roses. The founder-director was a Col. Leodegario Orendain, who sojourned in America during the sacada era wave of immigration.
Labason, Zamboanga del Norte with a mark of many diverse professionals, has produced 28 priests to date, which is truly a record. The Catholic church is now sporting a new look; it's bigger and wider. Thanks to the generous donors and combined ideas of priests who had ministered to the sanctuary. The town proper has a wide area and well-planned roads and streets. Thanks to its first mayor, Mr. Gil Sanchez.
And now the memorable moment came. The background music was subdued; the forks and spoons were stilled. The conversations commenced interspersed with guffaws and "what we all need" laughter. Yarns of good old days and the high-tech world were woven to blanket the atmosphere.
I am a firm believer in love at first sight, to animate or inanimate objects, persons, or panoramas. I met a person whose visage is familiar. It turned out that he is a man in the Roman collar sans the collar. He nonchalantly introduced himself as Fr. Rodrigo Zafra. Fr. Eric, that is. We talked about schools. We glimpsed of those seminary moments. My short-lived seminary days. My linkage of that ilk- seminarians, nuns, and priests. We talked of his uncle, the first Bishop of Dipolog, ZDN., the late Msgr. Felix S. Zafra, our good friend. And also of my students of Ferrer High School, who are now priests "sowing the seed" of Catholicism in the snowy ground of the East Coast, Fr. Faron and Fr. Edito Amora who is I presumed at Davao, Mindanao, Philippines.
Thoughts of priests and religious and nuns cascaded intermittently, in my mind. What was this priest's mission? Is he a roaming pilgrim priest, an itinerant preacher or just want to break the solitude of being a parish priest to find meaning and definition on the unfolding will of God? Is he on a mission appeal, on a vacation seeking for the "aha" moment or the feeling of Eureka?
In the priest to a layperson talk, I bared out what his Bishop's uncle intimated to me that the binding force of priesthood and the pillars of Christian faith are the Rosary and the Holy Eucharist. That a priest who is negligent in saying the Mass and the Rosary is prone to the temptation of leaving the robe. And that the seed of spirituality finds fertile soil in the silence of the sanctuary.
We parted. I said goodbye. And when his sight was swallowed by the balmy Chicago summer night, I silently muttered to myself "til we meet again Fr. Eric."
An addendum - On July 27, 2011, Wednesday afternoon, Fr. Eric called on his way to Baltimore, Md. for "thanks for that memorable chat." Truly, I muttered to myself this young priest had in mind that "gratefulness, is the heart of prayer." And, there was the spark of joy. He made my day. Brother David Steindl-Rast-O.S.B. wrote "Joy is that extraordinary happiness that is independent of what happens to us. Good luck can make us happy, but it cannot give us lasting joy. The root of joy is gratefulness. Yet even bad luck will give joy to those who manage to be grateful for it. We hold the key to lasting happiness in our own hands. For it is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful."
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
June 26, 2011 Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Reading 1 Deut: 8:2-3, 14b-16a Read 11 1 Cor 10:16-17
Moses addressed his people as they approached the Promised Land after wandering in the desert for 40 years, reminding them with encouragement what the Lord has truly done for them. That going with out food and drink humbled them. Their only sustenance was: manna from heaven and water that flowed from the rock which leads them Israelites to know God's love and care; that every word that comes from the Lord's mouth provides sustenance.
There is a connection here to the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. The manna is linked to the bread of the Eucharist and the water to the wine. In addition, it also relates to the deeper liturgical truth that it is the one table of the Word and Eucharist from which we partake every time we participate in the Mass. (Dei Verbum, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, 21)
Being a lector on this Sunday, I came face to face with the reality concerning all the Lord has done for me and my family. And as I prepare to proclaim this reading memories flood my mind like when I felt I have been tested, when my preparations were not enough, when I sensed being criticized, or when I felt alone sans God's presence. Yet, recalling those moments brought me to my knees in humility, especially some sincere feedbacks from the assembly. Then I think of how great and good God is, how He fed me and enabled me to go on the task of proclaiming His Words that feeds and gives life to the congregation.
" I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever."
Jesus gives Himself to us totally, not only to sustain us day by day but for us to attain the fullness of life. Then the question, What do we really need in life? Pause, ponder and be silent for a moment. Search in the deepest center of your being.
Forget self and focus on what you can share with others that would really satisfy the greatest desire of their hearts.
Reading 1 Deut: 8:2-3, 14b-16a Read 11 1 Cor 10:16-17
Moses addressed his people as they approached the Promised Land after wandering in the desert for 40 years, reminding them with encouragement what the Lord has truly done for them. That going with out food and drink humbled them. Their only sustenance was: manna from heaven and water that flowed from the rock which leads them Israelites to know God's love and care; that every word that comes from the Lord's mouth provides sustenance.
There is a connection here to the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. The manna is linked to the bread of the Eucharist and the water to the wine. In addition, it also relates to the deeper liturgical truth that it is the one table of the Word and Eucharist from which we partake every time we participate in the Mass. (Dei Verbum, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, 21)
Being a lector on this Sunday, I came face to face with the reality concerning all the Lord has done for me and my family. And as I prepare to proclaim this reading memories flood my mind like when I felt I have been tested, when my preparations were not enough, when I sensed being criticized, or when I felt alone sans God's presence. Yet, recalling those moments brought me to my knees in humility, especially some sincere feedbacks from the assembly. Then I think of how great and good God is, how He fed me and enabled me to go on the task of proclaiming His Words that feeds and gives life to the congregation.
" I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever."
Jesus gives Himself to us totally, not only to sustain us day by day but for us to attain the fullness of life. Then the question, What do we really need in life? Pause, ponder and be silent for a moment. Search in the deepest center of your being.
Forget self and focus on what you can share with others that would really satisfy the greatest desire of their hearts.
Monday, June 20, 2011
June 19,2011
Reading 1 Exodus 34:4b-6,8-9. Reading II 2 Cor 13:11-13.
Gospel John 3:16-18
June 19, 2011 is the 150th birth anniversary of the Philippines' national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. He is the spark that blazed the road for our (the Filipinos') independence due to his brilliant ideas and martyrdom. He is the father of the Philippines and his birthday anniversary coincides with the Father's Day celebration in the United States.
The gospel today is also my favorite bible verse- the love of the Father that sent His only Son to die in His thirties to save the world from sin. Rizal came back to his native land unafraid to give his life. He died too in his thirties so his country will eventually be free and independent.
In the backyard, Father's Day was celebrated with grilled meat and fish and steamed rice over bottles of beer and cans of coke by two fathers and their wives. The gathering was unplanned and in a flash of the moment.
That moment made marriage alien to divorce as the conversation floated from birth to wanderlust,to new found country, the pains and the laughter, the agony and the glory. Nerves were restored to normalcy and a perfect respite from the day's doldrums.
Indeed, that was a Father's day to remember.
Reading 1 Exodus 34:4b-6,8-9. Reading II 2 Cor 13:11-13.
Gospel John 3:16-18
June 19, 2011 is the 150th birth anniversary of the Philippines' national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. He is the spark that blazed the road for our (the Filipinos') independence due to his brilliant ideas and martyrdom. He is the father of the Philippines and his birthday anniversary coincides with the Father's Day celebration in the United States.
The gospel today is also my favorite bible verse- the love of the Father that sent His only Son to die in His thirties to save the world from sin. Rizal came back to his native land unafraid to give his life. He died too in his thirties so his country will eventually be free and independent.
In the backyard, Father's Day was celebrated with grilled meat and fish and steamed rice over bottles of beer and cans of coke by two fathers and their wives. The gathering was unplanned and in a flash of the moment.
That moment made marriage alien to divorce as the conversation floated from birth to wanderlust,to new found country, the pains and the laughter, the agony and the glory. Nerves were restored to normalcy and a perfect respite from the day's doldrums.
Indeed, that was a Father's day to remember.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tribute to Msgr. Salvador Mora, a friend
06/17/2011
Tribute to a Friend in Roman Collar
All of the things that you rained on me
Are manna for my soul in plight;
They are dewdrops in my pale dawn,
Beacon light in my gloomy night.
A rudderless boat on the sea;
Without direction but held on
To its destination with glee
You appeared- I was not alone.
From rugged Visayan terrain
To Zamboanga's shore, you came
To ease the penury and pain
In your humility to proclaim.
We sang the melody of love,
Of sharing and of forgiving
Of humanity's hearts that throb
With a rhythm of life worth living.
( The poem is a grateful dedication to Msgr. Salvador Mora. a diocesan priest;
Tribute to a Friend in Roman Collar
All of the things that you rained on me
Are manna for my soul in plight;
They are dewdrops in my pale dawn,
Beacon light in my gloomy night.
A rudderless boat on the sea;
Without direction but held on
To its destination with glee
You appeared- I was not alone.
From rugged Visayan terrain
To Zamboanga's shore, you came
To ease the penury and pain
In your humility to proclaim.
We sang the melody of love,
Of sharing and of forgiving
Of humanity's hearts that throb
With a rhythm of life worth living.
( The poem is a grateful dedication to Msgr. Salvador Mora. a diocesan priest;
an alumnus of San Jose' Seminary, Manila-, Philippines. With
his friendship. I drank the wisdom of loving God and neighbor
and beheld the beauty of humility. He instilled in me prudence on critical subjects but conversant on agreeable matters. He is a typical down-to-earth, non-ivory tower priest in his human secular capabiltiy.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
May 29,2011, Sunday 25 years of Pilipino Catholic Ministry in Chicago; Our 37th Wedding Anniversary.
My wife and I sang in the 11:00 o'clock mass as members of the St. Timothy choir and at 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, we attended the 25th year of Pilipino Catholic Ministry at the Cathedral. I was also one of the ushers wearing my barong Tagalog, formal wear among Filipinos comparable to the coat and tie of the western world.
After the celebration, a stomach filler was served in the cafeteria followed by a musical rendition in the Auditorium. Pilipino church choirs of different parishes and some young musical talents rendered Philippine favorite songs and medleys in the vernaculars plus the dances which were a mixture of Spanish and native influences, that sent ovations from the crowd. Even Cardinal George who was in the front row favorably remarked on the great performance.
Watching the stage renditions, flashed back home memories streaming in my mind - the crimson-colored small rice bird (maya) in the rice fields, the carabao egrets wading in the puddles, (tinikling dance), the bamboos swaying along the river, the vintas (Philippines sailboats) slashing the wavy sea, on the backdrop of the beautiful sunsets, of Romeos serenading in the tropical moonlight nights. Oh, those wonderful, lazy days and sleepless memorable nights!
My wife and I sang in the 11:00 o'clock mass as members of the St. Timothy choir and at 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, we attended the 25th year of Pilipino Catholic Ministry at the Cathedral. I was also one of the ushers wearing my barong Tagalog, formal wear among Filipinos comparable to the coat and tie of the western world.
After the celebration, a stomach filler was served in the cafeteria followed by a musical rendition in the Auditorium. Pilipino church choirs of different parishes and some young musical talents rendered Philippine favorite songs and medleys in the vernaculars plus the dances which were a mixture of Spanish and native influences, that sent ovations from the crowd. Even Cardinal George who was in the front row favorably remarked on the great performance.
Watching the stage renditions, flashed back home memories streaming in my mind - the crimson-colored small rice bird (maya) in the rice fields, the carabao egrets wading in the puddles, (tinikling dance), the bamboos swaying along the river, the vintas (Philippines sailboats) slashing the wavy sea, on the backdrop of the beautiful sunsets, of Romeos serenading in the tropical moonlight nights. Oh, those wonderful, lazy days and sleepless memorable nights!
May 28, 2011 Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer, Patron Saint of Dipolog City, Philippines.
Celebration of the Feast Day at Bunker Hill Forest Preserved in Chicago, Illinois was significantly attended by a record crowd. Con-celebrants of the Catholic Mass were Fr Peter Raposo and Fr Alan Lastimosa on a picnic shed surrounded by 5 tents. There was a flowering offering to the Blessed Mother Mary and dance homage to the beloved Saint Vincent Ferrer.
When Filipinos gathered in the name of God, hearts are filled with gladness, sharing, and love. It is the Filipino tradition that keeps them going in the world amidst the brewing catastrophe and pervading turbulence.
And what they have saved are offered freely as a thanksgiving for the blessings that the Great Provider has showered on them.
Celebration of the Feast Day at Bunker Hill Forest Preserved in Chicago, Illinois was significantly attended by a record crowd. Con-celebrants of the Catholic Mass were Fr Peter Raposo and Fr Alan Lastimosa on a picnic shed surrounded by 5 tents. There was a flowering offering to the Blessed Mother Mary and dance homage to the beloved Saint Vincent Ferrer.
When Filipinos gathered in the name of God, hearts are filled with gladness, sharing, and love. It is the Filipino tradition that keeps them going in the world amidst the brewing catastrophe and pervading turbulence.
And what they have saved are offered freely as a thanksgiving for the blessings that the Great Provider has showered on them.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
05/05/2011-Thursday
The Lemon Tree
By: Greg In. Trabanca
Just past midnight, I have the urge to either read The Poetry of Pablo Neruda, K.O.C's Columbia or the emails. It was the email. What caught my attention was that of all things my favorite- the lemon. In fact, one Sunday afternoon at St. Timothy's Church basement with the Choir members we were carried to unstoppable medleys of vernacular and old favorites. It's one of those moments of break time after a two Sunday mass of choir singing. And the old favs were: Lemon tree is very pretty... followed by Yellowbird, You are my sunshine, etc... and the vernacular oldies.
Indeed, the lemon tree. The email's subject is Lemon to Fight Cancer. Wow! This reminds me back home of our use of lemon in our diet especially when we have the raw food of kinilaw, sushi, or fresh fish soaked in vinegar, lemon, salt, and pepper. Or in grilled fish and pancit (noodle dish ), we use lemon.
The email said that lemon (citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. Its 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy. That lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease of cancer. The taste is pleasant and does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. The Lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes. Besides, you can eat the pulp, press it for juice, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc. It produces an amazing effect on cysts and tumors. The Lemon tree is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. It is very useful in all variants of cancer. It is also considered as an anti-microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi. It is effective against internal parasites and worms. It regulates blood pressure which is too high and an antidepressant, combats stress, and nervous disorders.
Source of the information is one of the world's largest drug manufacturers. That after 20 years of laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers including colon, breast, prostate, lung, and pancreas. The compounds of the lemon tree showed 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells. Even more astonishing is that this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells.
(Institute of Health Science, 819 N. LLC. Cause Street, Baltimore, MD 1201)
The Lemon Tree
By: Greg In. Trabanca
Just past midnight, I have the urge to either read The Poetry of Pablo Neruda, K.O.C's Columbia or the emails. It was the email. What caught my attention was that of all things my favorite- the lemon. In fact, one Sunday afternoon at St. Timothy's Church basement with the Choir members we were carried to unstoppable medleys of vernacular and old favorites. It's one of those moments of break time after a two Sunday mass of choir singing. And the old favs were: Lemon tree is very pretty... followed by Yellowbird, You are my sunshine, etc... and the vernacular oldies.
Indeed, the lemon tree. The email's subject is Lemon to Fight Cancer. Wow! This reminds me back home of our use of lemon in our diet especially when we have the raw food of kinilaw, sushi, or fresh fish soaked in vinegar, lemon, salt, and pepper. Or in grilled fish and pancit (noodle dish ), we use lemon.
The email said that lemon (citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. Its 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy. That lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease of cancer. The taste is pleasant and does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. The Lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes. Besides, you can eat the pulp, press it for juice, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc. It produces an amazing effect on cysts and tumors. The Lemon tree is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. It is very useful in all variants of cancer. It is also considered as an anti-microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi. It is effective against internal parasites and worms. It regulates blood pressure which is too high and an antidepressant, combats stress, and nervous disorders.
Source of the information is one of the world's largest drug manufacturers. That after 20 years of laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers including colon, breast, prostate, lung, and pancreas. The compounds of the lemon tree showed 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells. Even more astonishing is that this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells.
(Institute of Health Science, 819 N. LLC. Cause Street, Baltimore, MD 1201)
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
... in the heart of a seed... Greg In. Trabanca
In this challenging time and changing environment, I am excited to take this opportunity to put this in my blog. I don't know who wrote this but it is very appropriate to read and to ponder.
THE SEED
A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young company executives together.
He said," It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." the young executives were shocked, but the boss continued, "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant this seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He watered, and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grows. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by - still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however; he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim had told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot, but she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach. This was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful - all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor, and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him.
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO, "Today, one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure. Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front of the room, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim."
Jim couldn't believe it. He hadn't even been able to grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others murmured.
Then, the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take that seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But - I gave you all boiled seeds. They were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. therefore, he is the one who will be your new Chief Executive Officer!"
Remember - If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment. If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
So - Be careful what you plant now. It will determine what you will reap later.
what's the seed you have planted in your heart until it is manifested into action.
In this challenging time and changing environment, I am excited to take this opportunity to put this in my blog. I don't know who wrote this but it is very appropriate to read and to ponder.
THE SEED
A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young company executives together.
He said," It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." the young executives were shocked, but the boss continued, "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant this seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He watered, and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grows. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by - still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however; he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim had told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot, but she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach. This was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful - all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor, and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him.
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO, "Today, one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure. Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front of the room, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim."
Jim couldn't believe it. He hadn't even been able to grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others murmured.
Then, the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take that seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But - I gave you all boiled seeds. They were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. therefore, he is the one who will be your new Chief Executive Officer!"
Remember - If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment. If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
So - Be careful what you plant now. It will determine what you will reap later.
what's the seed you have planted in your heart until it is manifested into action.
Monday, October 04, 2010
On September 23, 2010, Autumn begins and leaves start to fall.
Summer wind signaled the advent
Of Autumn when leaves start to fall
And in our life the great event
Is witnessed at Paradise hall.
Back home my thoughts are of wet and dry
As we roam the fields and mountain
And we love to dance, sing and cry
Then a class of life to attain.
Over here there are four seasons
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn
And school to go in all sessions
When your love begins to blossom.
Summer wind signaled the advent
Of Autumn when leaves start to fall
And in our life the great event
Is witnessed at Paradise hall.
Back home my thoughts are of wet and dry
As we roam the fields and mountain
And we love to dance, sing and cry
Then a class of life to attain.
Over here there are four seasons
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn
And school to go in all sessions
When your love begins to blossom.
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