The story is told about a man who lay dying on his hospital bed. All the family members around him were crying, talking, and wailing. He tried desperately to say something but no one could hear him. It turned out he was saying that he could not breathe because someone had accidentally kicked and unplugged the respirator!
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In today’s Gospel (Lk. 23, 35-43), no one could hear Jesus as He was dying on the cross. The rulers were sneering at Him, the soldiers were jeering and insulting Him. One of the two criminals hanging on crosses beside Him was even reviling Him. The other man was rebuking his fellow criminal.
Everyone was talking when Jesus was dying. No one was listening.
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Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King. Are we listening to our King? In this world where everything is loud, and where everyone is talking all at once, we hardly have the time or even the interest to listen to what our King is saying. On a personal level, do we take time to pray, listen, and take our marching orders from our King?
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A lot has been said, and is still being said, about Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” and the talking goes on. While the people are suffering, there’s a lot of blaming, finger-pointing, and politicking going on, which is really sickening. Let us focus on the situation, not on our own interests or positions. And let us also focus and really listen to the Lord of our present situation. Through it all, He is speaking. Are we really listening as a people and as a nation?
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Christ our King must be tremendously happy at the many untold stories of love, sacrifice, and generosity going on worldwide to help the survivors of Yolanda. It is so heartwarming to see and hear of people going out of their way and comfort zone to be of help. Let us remember what our King will tell each one of us in the final judgment: “Whatever you did to the least of your brothers and sisters, you did it unto Me.”
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In Korea last week, all local TV channels flashed a phone number on the screen which, when called, will automatically deposit an amount in US dollars for the typhoon survivors in the Philippines. Outside Myongdong Cathedral in Seoul, I chanced upon nuns braving the cold to sell some religious articles to help our suffering people. Most heartwarming was when an old Korean woman, upon learning that I am a Filipino, simply said: “You will be blessed in the Philippines because of your sufferings.”
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Next week is the start of Advent. It is the season of hope. Over and above the negative talk going around, we need to listen to our King’s message of hope, victory, and liberation. “You will forget your misery, and remember it as waters that pass away…and you shall be secure, because there is hope.” (Job 11, 16:18)
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A lot of families, communities and companies have downgraded or altogether scrapped their Christmas parties to give aid to the typhoon survivors. I know of many people who have volunteered to repack relief goods, or who have doubled their prayer time. A lot of stories of goodness, heroism, and love will not be seen or heard by this world, but our King sees, knows, and hears everything, and everyone. He had this to say in today’s Gospel: “You will be with me in paradise.”
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Fatima Soriano, a visually impaired girl who has not allowed her disability to distract her from her mission, received the Blessed John Paul II award at the Catholic Mass Media Awards this month for her contributions in spreading the Gospel though the mass media. Praise God! Thank you, Mama Mary!
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Food for the journey: “God reserved something special for you. There is more to your life than you ever thought. There is more to your story than what you have read. There is more to your song than what you have sung. A good author saves the best for the last. A great composer keeps his finest for the finish. And God, the author of life and the composer of hope, has done the same for you. The best is yet to come!”
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Zonta Club of Manila 1 will have a Christmas bazaar on Dec. 1, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Grand Ballroom of Hotel InterContinental in Makati City. The proceeds will be for the benefit of the survivors of Yolanda and for the scholarship and skills training projects of Zonta.
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Everyone is invited to the 26th Eucharistic Congress on Nov. 30, 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at St. Joseph’s Convent of Perpetual Adoration, 71 Hemady Street, Quezon City. The congress will start with a Holy Mass, followed by prayers to and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The activity has been simplified to allow for the donation of the budget to the survivors of Yolanda.
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Bantay Matanda also invites you to a lay forum on Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, at Janssen Hall of Christ the King Seminary on E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City. Encarnacion Ramos will speak on “A Healthy Diet for Everyone.” For inquiries, call 373-2262, 998-2548, or 0917-4167849.
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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, you are talking. Are we listening? Amen!