The good book tells the story of an entrance that was meaningful in its simplicity. Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem on a humble donkey with palm leaves waving in welcome, not as a conquering king but as a servant ready to embrace suffering for humankind’s redemption.
The story is told of a man who excitedly forwarded to his friend this text message: “We are invited to join the birthday party of Edong this Saturday. It will start at 8 a.m. No problem with entrance fee at the beach resort. No problem with food and drinks either. Eat and drink all you can! Whole day of fun and entertainment as well. The problem is I don’t know who this Edong is! Do you?”
The story is told about a man who went to confession and told the priest that he had found a wallet with lots of money in it. The priest asked him if he had returned the wallet or turned it over to anyone. He replied: “Not yet, Father. I am still deciding if it is a temptation from the devil, or the answer to my prayer.”
The story is told about an old man who was asked: “At your age, what would you prefer, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s?” He said: “I’d rather have Parkinson’s. Better to spill half of my wine than to forget where I kept the bottle!”
Someone sent me this text message: “If you eat litson baboy (roasted pig), you eat pork. If you eat litson baka (roasted cow), you eat beef. So if you eat litson kawali… you eat a frying pan?!”
The story is told about a teacher who asked her students what their dreams were. Miguel said he wanted to become a doctor. Rose said she wanted to become an accountant. Claro said he wanted to become a lawyer. And Nenita said she simply wanted to have many children. When the teacher asked Isko what his dream was, his answer was: “Ma’am, I just want to help Nenita in her dream.”
“The spirit of the old Jovito Salonga is gone,” said Steve Salonga of his 92-year-old father, our former senator, whose body is hopelessly incapacitated and expiring from the effects of dementia, Alzheimer’s and a stroke. Is a person’s spirit recognizable only by his/her physical and mental condition? From a slightly higher window, people should be able to see that it’s the body of Jovito Salonga that’s gone (nearly gone), not his spirit. His spirit lives, guides and even argues with us through his works, writings and everything good that he stood for and that we honor and appreciate—even take for granted—about him today.
I marched in the graduation ceremonies of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, last May 4. Pending a successful defense of my dissertation, I will receive a doctoral degree in criminal justice. From a maligned ex-inmate in one of the most crowded jails in the Philippines, I will become “Dr. Narag,” with specialization in prison administration.
It was blasphemous and ridiculous of Mr. Rigoberto Tiglao to liken former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Chief Justice Renato Corona to Jesus Christ in his column titled “The people cried, crucify him!” (Inquirer, 3/5/12). In the first place, Christ was a poor man whose only possessions were his coarse tunic and his dusty sandals. He was never accused of amassing illegal wealth. Nor did he hold high public office. In John 18:36, he declares: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” Both GMA and Corona are very much of this world, one a former ruler like Herod Antipas, and the other a high magistrate, like Pontius Pilate.
THE story is told about a man who posted and sent this Christmas message: “To all my inaanak (baptismal godchildren), in order to get a gift from me, please bring with you your birth certificate, baptismal certificate and your baptismal picture with me. Deadline for claiming gift is until Dec. 31, 2011 only.” * * [...]
As Christians all over the world celebrate the advent of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace who came so that all may have abundant life (John 10:10), the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), the largest ecumenical formation of church leaders in the country, reiterates our call for the resumption of the formal peace talks between the government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in accordance with their prior bilateral agreements.
About two weeks ago, Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar, outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, urged the faithful to once again make Jesus Christ the center of the celebration of Christmas. In a statement at the beginning of Advent, Odchimar said, “During the Christmas season, we are celebrating the coming of Christ, not Santa Claus.”
