Tag: January 30, 2002

It was still dark when Nina was gently nudged awake by her younger sister, Gella.

“Ate, wake up. It’s time to go.”

“Hmmm?” Nina asked sleepily, rubbing her tired eyes. She rolled carefully to her side, facing her sister. “6 a.m. already?”

“No, it’s 3 a.m. Mama said, we should leave a little earlier, so we can avoid the Manila traffic.”

A little earlier?

“Come on, I’ll help you up,” Gella said, taking Nina’s hands and carefully easing her to sit.

Make up your mind to start on small streams rather than to plunge into the sea;
for one should progress from easier matters to those that are more difficult…
Be slow to speak and slow to take the speaker’s stand.
Embrace purity of mind; do not neglect prayer; cherish your cell most of the time, if you wish to be admitted to the vintage room of knowledge.

A TYPICAL scene in Quiapo would mean churchgoers praying fervently, herb peddlers selling strange tonics that claim to cure certain ailments, young and old vendors urging passers-by to buy sampaguita and religious paraphernalia, and beggars waiting to hear the clinking sound of loose change in their tin cans.

Of course, this usual picture would not be complete without the stalls of pirated CDs, items, and tasty fishballs that cramp the sidewalks.

FOR THE past decades, the Roman Catholic Church has been shaken by scandals involving its priests in heterosexual and homosexual affairs and sexual abuses against children, teenagers, and even nuns.

In its struggle to respond firmly to the concerns, the Vatican has silently issued a new set of rules in dealing with priests and other members of the clergy accused of or involved in illicit affairs or any form of sexual abuse. The new rules make it clear that priests should stand trial in secret ecclesiastical courts that will be overseen by Rome.

POPE John Paul II begins the year 2002 with the same crowded agenda he has had for the most part of his 23-year pontificate, which include international trips, major documents, and canonizations.

To start the year, the 81-year-old Pope looks forward to a meeting of religious leaders for peace on Jan. 24 in Assisi.

The most-awaited event of 2002 in the Holy Father’s list of activities is the 17th World Youth Day, scheduled for July in Toronto, Canada. More than 500,000 youth participants from all over the world are expected to attend.

“In my trouble I called to the Lord; I called to my God for help. In His temple He heard my voice; He listened to my cry for help.” — 2 Samuel 22:7

“I NEED you Lord.”

This was the only line I uttered as I restlessly knelt in front of the altar one Friday evening.

Perhaps it was the intensity of my feelings. When we want something badly enough, do we not convince ourselves that it is meant for us?
-Catch a Falling Star
by Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo

***

We Filipinos never learn and if we do, we always choose to learn the hard way.

It only took 14 years for the EDSA revolution to make a sequel and we can’t help but shake our head in disappointment.

Before Erap became president, people already had known that he was a womanizer, a gambler, a tipler, and corruptor. But inspite of these, he still won by a large margin. If we had been more discerning in our decisions, we could have avoided putting someone like Erap in office.

KUNG minsan, nakalulunod ang magmuni sa malawak na papel ng guni-guni. At tila wala talagang patawad ang Musa kung pinipili man nitong magbakasyon mula bokasyong ginagalawan ng manunulat. Hindi na tuloy alam ng manunulat kung saan huhugot ng kahit kulot na salita upang punan ang kalawakan, hanggang sa ang papel ay maging kagampang tula o kuwentong nagmumula sa kaibuturan ng paglikha. Ano bang uri ng pagdarasal sa Musa ang dapat na gawin? May nobena bang mabisa upang mapabalik ang nagtatagong irog sa paglikha?

***

My mom likes to watch Korean soap operas. Every morning when I wake up, which is usually just before lunch, I would see her sitting in front of the television watching the drama unfold in the Arirang cable channel while reading the subtitles.

Sometimes, I would sit down beside her and watch the latest episode when my near-sighted eyes aren’t too tired to read the (presumably inaccurate) English translations. But, most of the time, I would just absently watch the scenes as I eat a hurried brunch.