On the outset I would like to emphasize that I am a Catholic from the very beginning and had never been affiliated with any religion outside of it (not even in my wildest dreams, in the knowledge that religion-hopping is very much the same with lover-hopping, as a result of confusion), thereby making me a very strong oppositionist of abortion. While this is true, however, I do not adhere to the approach of our Church’s authorities to curb or stop the approval, much less implementation, of the proposed RH Bill.
The truth to the matter is, I had been hearing news about the way our authorities attacked the issue at hand, but did not believe any of it until I heard of one incorporating the matter in his homily. I paid due respect to everything the preacher said because as has been said "everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion".
Yes, indeed, "everyone is entitled to his/her opinion" that I am making this old adage my jumpstart to writing my own. From the time I woke up to matters related to metaphysics and the metaphysical world in relation to our Creator I carried with me my motto that "life is meant for friendships and service". My awakening led me to live my life accordingly.
It is also in the same manner that I wish for our Church to approach our fight to oppose the RH Bill. The world is faced with enumerable fighting already that we cannot afford to add up on its toll anymore. The so-called "love revolution" must be our weapon of destruction to destroy the evilness of this bill. I see no hope in fighting an evil if our strategy is "an evil for an evil". Only LOVE DESTROYS EVIL.
My point is, I would like to give the proponents of the bill the benefit of the doubt: that they might have written this bill in haste because they are pressured by the ever-rising population count that is greatly resulting in a more skewed or financial imbalance in the country (aside from greed and corruption, of course). Doing anything in haste, as we know, is a product of impatience and ignorance. Be that as it may, they are but doing their job being there in the political arena. They cannot do otherwise. They had to do what they think is expected of them. This matter of fact is on the one hand.
On the other hand (following the separation of the state/government and the Church), the Church also feels and thinks that it is doing what is morally expected of them as well, as they are what we call our "moral guardians". With what the Church is doing however, i clearly see no difference in its approach from that of the government’s: both of them employed the EASY WAY OUT. Meaning, both of them did everything in haste and ignorance. I apologize very sincerely for being blunt.
Unfamiliar with the SOP’s (standard operating procedures) of the highest office of the land (Malacanang Palace), I could only surmise that only the cream of the crop were assigned to formulate the RH Bill. If this has been so, then, the Church must do the same. Find the most fitting counterpart to strategize, but always according also to what is expected of them.
The Church history tells us that it had never been easy to follow Christ’s ways. In this evil-laden land it is and never will be easy. We have got to take our cue from that understanding. We have to have patience, for is patience not a virtue? And we must study/research hard, for is not ignorance our greatest enemy? It is an absolute certainty to put up a fight and not feel good about it if we are fighting bitterly, for "only a virtuous man is a happy man. (MY WAY OF LIFE: The Confraternity of Blood)"
The problem lies in our neurosis which led to paranoia (M. Scott Peck: THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED). Because we allowed this to take over us, we are now fighting out of our FEAR, specifically, unfortunately the "fear of the unknown". We have forgotten Jesus Christ’s words for us "not to worry".
To choose to decide to move out of fear is to lose the battle because that is what we are sending the universe, SIMPLY because whatever we think, say, and do is always a form of prayer: "what we send out is sent us back (Rhonda Dyrne: THE SECRET)." Our choice is an indication of mistrust or a lack of Faith.
In a world of great moral degeneration, there is an equally great need for assessment where the gross moral degeneration came from and what caused them. To me, only if we have saturated the probable answers to these questions can we help our people effectively and more accurately. That if Wisdom comes only from God, and we are a people of God – entrusted by His Only Son Jesus Christ, then we have to lead our people to understanding these very important matters.
It is only by appealing to our people’s reason and emotion that we can convince them to be a part of us and for what we believe in. But said advocacy must be done with utmost sincerity, credibility, and care. Integrity is an all-important aspect of a leader or a preacher. Let us begin asking ourselves if we are indeed in a right position of delivering the message before we even begin speaking. Or we will never get our message across, ever!
"Life is meant for friendships and service." Just like we are in our own family, father or mother tells us "do not do this, do not do that!" We ask why? They say: "because it’s wrong!" We ask further, what makes it wrong? We are told again: "it just is!" Or "shut up!" That is if we are lucky to get an answer, no matter how painful the answer maybe. Another scenario of a supposed home is the absence of the parent or both because of financial reasons. And another is the physical presence but emotional absence of the parent or the both of them (because some are. Let’s always face and accept the reality).
These are but some of the enumerable frightening unhealthy scenarios of a "house but not a home". Ignorance is the main culprit to each of these painful eventualities in a supposed home of every family. Because of ignorance, friendship in the home is usually absent. As a result, isn’t it but normal for service to be absent, when friendship is not present? Both the parents and the children are hungry for answers.
Sad, but SIMPLY because they do not and can not find the answers (for lack of knowledge) in their own respective homes, they resort to endless EASY WAYS such as violence, threats, anger, or any form of rebellion (sex included) as an expression of frustration. Hopelessness is "killing" practically everyone!
Now tell me, is it any wonder why kids nowadays (or maybe even before) are running away, both literally and figuratively, from home? It is in the home where most kids begin to be wounded. Their being accustomed to "running away" made them "little boys and girls" forever, pretending to be men and women as they went through their supposed adult lives (Eric Berne: GAMES PEOPLE PLAY). They carried their wounds even in their growing up years. This is the psycho-dynamic of every man and woman (third sex included. Or if there be a fourth, fifth, and so on. Nobody is spared).
We are here to HEAL, to give HOPE. But how are we to effect healing if we are ourselves wounded yet, SIMPLY because we chose and continue to choose to be also ignorant?
Loveless "sex is one of the manifestations of emotional pain/s. (Gregory L. Jantz: HEALING THE SCARS OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE)." The problem of population explosion (if they prefer to call it that) does not just happen without valid reason, and it did not happen overnight. The reason had been there right from the start – during the first fall of our humankind, and had been passed on since then. We all went through time ("…in our succession of life and death." Plato) without paying serious attention to it because we were cowed at looking deeply at our very self and getting out of our comfort zones. We settled in the comfort of mediocrity. Where and what gave us solace became our refuge. We forgot our God’s promise of eternity and of joy – which can be found also on earth. We doubted that, just like Him, we can be Holy. We gave in to the desires of our flesh because it’s SIMPLER and EASY to do so. We always succumb to the SIMPLE and EASY WAY OUT.
Loveless sex is nothing but LUST. It comes from a desire of the flesh, because there is something to forget. It is done to comfort the self. It is, therefore, a forsaking of the soul. Love involves peace, care, concern, truth, and respect. It always thinks of justice.
Only LOVE HEALS. When we have increased our knowledge through God’s Wisdom, we understand better and able to expand our capacity to love no matter. Eventually we settle in peace and tranquility (through the blessed gift of temperance) that God will take care of everything, even those that we consider the most difficult ones.
There couldn’t be any prayer better than asking "God to give us the serenity to accept the things that we can change, and accept those that we cannot change, and the Wisdom to know the difference." But this asking must also be coupled with a full awareness that the change must begin within our self (also called SELF-MASTERY), because it is almost nearly impossible to change anything and anybody outside of us. The change that we are seeking must begin inside of every one of us first and foremost. "The longest journey is the journey to the self."
Until then we will never be in any position to oppose. Love, and let it flow. Begin by loving, through knowing and accepting, your own self first. Rest assured that when you have done so, whatever you say and declare shall be accepted. And even if they are not accepted by others, "you will never feel rejected because you know that nobody can reject you.(Brian Weiss, M.D.: ONLY LOVE IS REAL)", for you have been "prepared for people to hate you for awhile. (Alan Loy McGinnis: THE FRIENDSHIP FACTOR)" The feeling of anger and frustration is far from a person who has self-mastery for he/she is guided by Jesus Christ’s compassionate words which says: "God, forgive them for they know not what they do."
The seven (7) energy centers (Gary Zukav: SEAT OF THE SOUL) speaks of the genitals as the first center, and the top of our head as the seventh. My personal reflection about this tells me that indiscriminate, unfaithful or loveless sex is a clear indication that the devil employs sex in his relentless attempt to be number one. And he (the devil) is achieving his goal through the SIMPLE-minded, wounded-people. The ill-effect of ignorance is indeed devastating!
The sixth energy center is situated in between the eyes or the center of the forehead which, to me, is associated with the mind. "An idle mind is the bastion of Satan." And number 6 is associated as the devil’s number (this explains why more and more people are turning to psychologists or psychiatrists for help). Compare that to the seventh center which is God’s number, and therefore, the perfect number. Thinking is not the only answer. We must pray! God is the answer that we must "lift everything up to God. "
Energy is what makes a matter moves. In human beings, our soul is what makes us alive. It is the energy of the physical body. If our soul departs from our body, we will be dead. Constantly giving in to the desires of our body is taking the soul for granted. This makes us living dead.
The fight is between the body and the soul. I maybe wrong, but to me this suggests that this definitely goes the same way with the controversy that we are facing today regarding the RH Bill. The government authorities are taking into account what they SIMPLISTICALLY think is for the good of the body (physical); while the Church authorities must face the concerns of those that are good for the soul (abstract).
As can be easily observed, the intervention for the physical is SIMPLE compared to the intervention that must be carried out for the good of the soul. The work at hand for the Church is COMPLICATED (as there are yet so many things to be aware of concerning the nature of man/woman that must be included in the advocacy) that it must be planned and implemented patiently, painstakingly, and thoroughly with utmost care, love, respect, and understanding, for human beings are complex beings – beings of physical and soul, both of evil and good. If I may remind you with all due respect, we are told and are expected always to GO BEYOND MEDIOCRITY, beyond being SIMPLE.
The road for those working for the good of the soul is both narrow and long. We have to remember that our people had/have been walking along the path of narrow-mindedness so long, that we have to carry the burden. If we are here to help one another as moral guardians, then we have to sacrifice. SACRIFICE, as we know, is the ULTIMATE WAY to help our people find themselves and gain their eternal freedom. Jesus showed us that. It is not by sheer coincidence ("there are no coincidences or accidents in life." St. Rita) that we remember His Sacrifices as we celebrate the Lenten Season. "…the greatest must be a Servant."
"Spiritual maturity is a balance between reason and emotion." Thinking alone, as can be seen clearly now, will never accomplish the job; but neither LOVING SIMPLISTICALLY also. Applied loving has to be done on a case-to-case basis because "no two persons are exactly alike". Each one is a unique individual. And each transaction is never the same every time. That is why there is a great importance for each of us to know the difference between "sweet and tough loving". This is but another proof how human beings have become complicated over very long period of time. This means to say then that, we must double our time and effort to gain enough knowledge, thereby widen our horizons, if we are truly sincere to help our brethren.
LOVE CORRECTS, but the strategy will be either or both appealing and distasteful. In handling humans we must put extra care, love, respect and understanding in order to penetrate the heart and mind of every living soul. Moral guardians, therefore, must learn and unlearn so much if they wish to carry on with their duty, lest they get weary. The complexity of man makes our task even more burdensome. But we cannot afford to surrender. We are made to attack the evils of our society, in the most sensible way.
Love, pray, and continue to open the minds of our brethren by opening your minds to the greater or endless possibilities because "knowledge can only flow to the open minds. And learning is more important than judgment. (Brian L. Weiss, M.D.: ONLY LOVE IS REAL)". Our greatest consolation is in knowing that: our burden is light, compared to Jesus Christ’s Cross, which is even made lighter by God’s grace in our complete surrender to do His Will.
Only Jesus Christ has been sent to save the world. We are made for purposes of loving and helping one another. "We are here to build bridges rather than walls. (John Powell: I LOVE YOU JUST BECAUSE)" We are to "love our enemy". Yes, it maybe that whatever we do will always fall short because we are mere followers of Jesus. We are but His "second-rate, trying-hard copycats". But we must give and do our best. At least we did our job in a most peaceful and loving manner, as we are all brothers and sisters in one big family of God.
My ardent prayers everyone!
[Written this 8th day of May, in the year of our Risen-Lord, 2011.]
