Salutation #171

The First Day,
God spoke Light
and everything in everything
and all that is in all
became for Him.



(The First Day)

Truth
imparts form to the formless.
Knowledge is made meaningful because of it.
Formlessness creates form.
Form allows knowledge to be studied.
The understanding of knowledge is the labor of science.
But the labor of Man is to know the Truth.

Man through his labor learns knowledge.
For knowledge is the reward of study.
He receives it only through his learning
and is taught to his mind only because
it has preceded his being.

For all knowledge have existed before Man
and is possessed by him according to his labors,
it is given him only for a time - and passes away forever.

It is vanity to love knowledge for knowledge alone is vanity.

The learned profit not without a love of learning
and keep it not if they were wise.
For the profit of learning
lies not in an understanding of knowledge
but in an understanding of the truth.

He is one who sees the field
and knows the treasure that is hidden within
and so he sells everything he owned to buy the field
that he may cherish it forever.

Knowledge is received but truth is sought -
one is the reward of virtue, and the other a grace of faith.
All knowledge passes away, it is like time - a thing borrowed,
but the truth once possessed is possessed forever.

Happy those who possess the truth!
They are those whose spirits are poor
who in their poverty shall inherit the earth.

Knowledge is burdensome yet
when placed in the service of the truth
become easy and light.

Knowledge profits not the soul yet
when understood in the truth
is the gain of wisdom.

Science profits not the man yet
when understood in the truth
is the gain of all men.

For all knowledge
that is kept like a treasure rots -
its everlasting value lies in the giving away,
ever like tears shed for love of others
ever like a light shone in the darkness of the night -
but the wisdom of this freedom
shall ever return to thee, darling Starshine,
for ever by the grace of God,
truth shall set men free.
---<--@

The Paradox of Power

Starshine, do you know the paradox of power?



The paradox of power is that in the final accounting of things, there is no such thing as power, only responsibility.

:::Think and Unlock:::

Political Graffiti

When the strength of our governance is held in its thrall by its love of the nation and not with itself, it is a popular government.

For it is not a popular government to be popular, it is a popular government to stand with the people, and for the people prevail.

---<--@

The word I use for this is political graffiti; the worse ones are writ in steel and stone but the most prevalent ones are in paint and print.

There is nothing wrong with proper acknowledgement of persons, even elected persons must get due credit where credit is due, this is only right and just.

But when this sense of entitlement is taken out of the proper context of the Republic whole and the person becomes bigger (or have begun to think themselves to be so) than the Offices that empower his or her stewardship of a particular function of the government of the people - it becomes a dismaying display of narrow-minded self-interest over the public spirit and the common weal.

So when I see names or images bigger than the Seals or Titles of the one Republic whose ages in time shall - and must - outlast all of our lifetimes in this present time, I cringe.

I ask myself, "what kind of message does it imply to the littlest Filipino?"

That we are ruled by mere individuals vulnerable to every idiosyncratic whim and fancy and the corruption of time not by vision and laws, ideals and virtue, that under the vigilance of Almighty God stand invulnerable to the folly of Man and the ravages of time.

Who do the people serve but the national success? What ensures our destiny is not the life of individuals but the longevity of our Republic undertaking of Country - yea, and long may she live - mabuhay!

Upon this we have all committed our lives, fortunes and sacred trust, have we not?

I love us all, but I have to disagree with those who think otherwise.

This is why I support the Anti-Epal bill: May it be further argued and definitively proven to be necessary to further perfect our Republic undertaking and be made part of the laws that safeguard the same.

Shalom. Salaam. Peace. God bless us all.
---<--@

20110727

This is my initial reaction to the SONA 2011 -

My one Filipino nation, with the Peace of the LORD - I salute you.

What I noticed the most is the President's call for national transformation.

Let me explain:

Our Country seem insulated from tragedies such as that which recently befell brave Norway. This is so because most Filipinos are too busy trying to survive from day to day.

My fellow Filipino compatriots, if we as an emerging Republic get the workings of the foundations of our fledgling national culture right - here and now, when in time we become developed enough for our people to start confronting those problems developed Countries must presently confront at this time, we shall not find our nation as vulnerable to such crimes as those wrought by the terrorist intents of the likes of Mr Breivik (or Mr. McVeigh, or OBL on the other extreme for that matter).

A mature Republic is proof against War in the heart.

It is this gathering spirit dwelling in our culture that we are presently trying to awaken into here now today through all our Salutations and our conversations in this blog so that when time comes (and it will) and we are, God-willing, developed enough in our material prosperity as one Republic whole, my honorable compatriots, our present generations will also have had (as a gift from us) the spiritual maturity to seamlessly advance this Country of ours into its fourth and most fruitful age upon this earth.

(You have to excuse my language here and bear with me, I am expressing them in a form that is native to this blog alone. They shall be meaningful to you only if you have been following me in this conversation of ours.)

In a sense, I get President Aquino's speech about the wang-wang mentality. The transformation he is spearheading is a necessary thrust in the right direction away from the night that has long engulfed our Land of the Morning.

We must let go of the wang-wang mentality that says, "I will lord it over others." Jesus Christ the Lord Himself warned us about this mentality.

This is nothing more than the "them" and "us" mentality that flies in the face of our just equality as human beings and peers to each other before God and the law.

It is the elitist mentality of the so-called servant who does not actually will to respond to the Divine calling to serve the nation in the Republic but rather, seeks through selfish ambitions to possess the fruits of the virtue of others instead.

- selah -

My brothers and sisters of the Promise, you know as well as I do that this long night can not last forever. We are here now and step by faithful step, we shall lead each other away from the tired old ways of the past.

We shall break ourselves free from the gravity of the last 2000 years by the sheer brightness of our remembrances together, each to the other, a keeper and friend, all to the All, one whole sky.

No longer shall mindless division, political discord and a dissolute spirit confound, weaken and trouble our belongings to each other as citizens to this nation God has commissioned for a Country the LORD has commanded to prosper and prevail over the darkness of an unknown earth - allied to the peace of all our kindred nations.

We shall break new ground in our ways of thinking and belonging as a people, and of building, sharing, and enjoying through our labors together, this land and its fruits.

And we shall defend this endowment - continually being won for us by our people and eternally granted to us by our God - against all takers, foreign and domestic.

Indeed, we shall as citizens to each other advance this Country and its posterity into the dawn that is promised by the LORD to all those nations who love and fear Him as God to one and All, once and for all.

(So let us out of fear, dispense with thousands of years of rigid, formal introduction, Beloved of God, for there is but one God and one LORD alone: As you love God, you know Him.)

---<--@

Salutation #43

(Service)

Any undertaking of Country

- across its generations in time -

easily span the width and breadth

of human lives in their millions.

God is severe enough with sins against individuals

but to willfully sin against Country,

it is beyond my understanding what will happen to those souls

who knowingly and maliciously deprive an entire nation

and their generations their own God-given house,

which is their shelter and sanctuary against War in this world.

Indeed,

countless human lives have from different times and places

been taken from us before their time

only because they lack the shelter of Country.

Remember them today,

bring their hopes for a better world with thee...

and with forbearance, serve.

Starshine,

there are as many holy innocents in heaven

- pleading constantly to the LORD -

for an end to War and the breaking of this midnight world

as there are grains of sand on all the beaches of the earth.

So remember the LORD today,

trust in the wisdom of God even in thy midst

- do not despair in the midst of all this darkness -

for the LORD allows rain to fall on the good and the evil alike

so be thou good - Beloved of God - shine for Him

and with forbearance, serve.

- selah -

Do not be scandalized by the tares in the wheat!

---<--@

Some Suggestions:

I agree with Senator Marcos - employing the poor in productive labor gives them a much better fighting chance to liberate themselves from the clutches of poverty.

Distribute the PPP projects by region.

Triage the entire Country by region, province, then city - determine civil defense readiness and necessary requirements per LGU. Establish a national standard of readiness and a centralized, unified incident command process.

---<--@

Just a Thought:

Is it so hard to take care of a nation? Heck, it practically takes care of itself.

A nation is like a seed; a labor endowed by God with the power to fulfill its own destiny.

It already has in itself everything it needs to grow and to succeed.

Now, the work of government is to just help it along its own way and - most importantly - avoid suffocating the life of the people.

---<--@

Let us continue to pray for the Kingdom of Norway and her people, for peace in our nation, the Middle East and in Asia.

Let us also pray for CGMA who is presently in hospital - despite everything that is happening - let us remember to her credit as well as ours that she did our nation a measure of good as well.

---<--@

Lastly, let me and my Miyang share this with you - Utak Wang-wang

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! God bless us all.

Service is a call (not an ambition)

One Nation

Breaking the Siege

20110313

A Call to Christian Vocation

These days, there is a dearth of hearing the Word of God.

The wilderness is still out there in our cities - barren and desolate places they are.

In the built up places of our world, where ordinary people flock for a decent living, we find a desert.

At the very hearts of our nations, there is but a darkness for the altars of the honest labors of everyday human life are broken.

Everywhere, the virgin hope of our common humanity is sacrificed to idols.

Civilization itself has lost its living light.

What say we who understand these things with an understanding of faith?

What say we in the face of the continual desecration of the life of our common humanity?

What say we in the face of the madness of the darkness that deceives the universal patrimony of our nations?

You whose heart is shaken unto a remembrance of these things, whose soul is suddenly awoken at the depths of this winter of our mourning together, what say you?

You who fear God and believe in His faithfulness, what say you?

You Who claim the heritage of our Father Abraham of old, what say you?

You Who hope in God and seek His Holy Name, what say you?

You who live to serve the One God, the LORD of hosts, what say you?

You who love the LORD, thy God, what say you, you who love Jerusalem of old?

What say you, you sons of Holy Mother Church, what say you, O daughters of Christ?

What say we against all this evil, we who love our Lord, Jesus Christ, our Holy Redeemer?

Shall we everyday fear the nails?

An authentic call to Christian vocation and a faithful common citizenship to each other are not mutually exclusive realities - the latter proceeds from the former.

Love of neighbor proceeds from love of God - they are not two competing commandments but one commandment alone; the greatest commandment of all.

Church and State or Religion and State stand apart but both still stand as pillars of the one temple of the Sacred Life of our nations which is all the life entrusted to our nations, above all human life.

Truly, we can never hope to separate the reality of God and the reality of Man and live to prosper in the sheltering peace of our nations.

For no nation exists for war - we will either lose sight of our remembrance of the peace or persevere in its prospering embrace.

The craft of all nations is peace. Lest we forget. Lest we forget.

The War in heaven is in our hearts: This Lenten season, let us break the rule of war in our hearts - let this division die with our sins.

Let us leave off our gifts until we have been reconciled to all our hopes - together this time.

Let us live to embrace the hope of all humanity - sanctify it all to the one LORD Whose glory it serves.

Let us Christians respond to our vocations. Let us do this without shame or fear of loss. For one Who gains the God of all as his or her portion gains all true things unto life everlasting.

There are many different gifts but only one arena of service - the nation. Unto the hearts of the common people, for the sake of their common needs, is where virtue bears its fruits for all.

So discern thy gifts assiduously and with much prayer. And then let us say in response to all these questions, yes Lord, for I am my brother's keeper.

Let us rebuild the Church around the Holy Father: Two lungs has the Church, East and West; two arms has the holy bishops of the Church; the holy priesthood and the permanent diaconate.

Serve: Rekindle in your hearts a love of service.

Serve all souls without distinction.

Love God and bring forth this Love to all the barren places of our world and let's make of it, my friends, each city, each town, each place, as our Eden rebuilt - together this time.

---<--@

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! God bless us all.