| |
|
|
 |
 |
|
National Day of Prayer: Memorial of the Holy Name of Mary
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has declared today, the Memorial of the Holy Name of Mary, as a National Day of Prayer. The combination of popular devotion to Mary and calling Catholics to pray for peace and justice throughout the land is an unusual, if understandable, combination. Since the Holy Name of Mary recalls the Blessed Virgin’s role in God’s plan for the birth of Jesus, Catholics will recognize the value of prayer, regardless of their political persuasion.
Builders of hope
THIS afternoon, we are assembled to pay tribute to six exceptional persons and one exemplary organization all heralding the greatness and nobility of the people of Asia. We are also reminded of one whose unwavering faith in humanity has inspired our gathering today. That nobly-souled Asian — a Filipino — is the late President Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay, whose 99th birth anniversary we are commemorating. It was he who championed the credo that "the little man is fundamentally entitled to a little bit more food in his stomach, a little more cloth on his back and a little more roof over his head."
Third National Pilgrimage for Conversion, Consecration, and Reparation
IN the recent Pastoral Letter issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on "Strengthening and Prophesying in Hope," the Church leaders encouraged the reading and study of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and the review of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines in line with the church’s mission to promote attention to social concerns, this year having been declared the Year of Social Concerns.
The mission of the Twelve
Luke 6:12-19
That travel advisory
MY travel agent sent me a paragraph-long advisory about Mexico. I have reason to suspect that it originated from the USA and was probably meant for only their citizens. There is, purportedly, a menacing political crisis, the result of recently concluded presidential elections, predicted to reach boiling point during the Mexican Independence Day celebration. This usually begins with a dramatic commemoration of the ¨grito¨ (cry), by the incumbent president, from the balcony of the Palacio Nacional, while cathedral bells toll, on 15 September, at midnight precisely. I took no heed of the travel advisory. At the slightest sign of turmoil, those who know Mexico city will stay away from the zocalo, the main plaza at the historic center where most political manifestations usually take place in plain view of the Palacio Nacional, ruins of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan, the Metropolitan Cathedral and other significant heritage structures. I remember how packed the zocalo was with euphoric multitudes cheering the nationalization of the Mexican banking system in 1982. More recently, a hooded Comandante Marcos marched to the zocalo with a formidable peasant army of Zapatistas demanding social justice. From the Benito Juarez International Airport to my lair in suburban Tlalnepantla, the adversities I encountered were of the common meteorological type. It was raining cats and dogs so even the main thoroughfares were submerged due to the off-season downpour. Traffic was paralyzed at some vital chokepoints. Frayed tempers reached boiling point even as the barometer dropped, chilling the September evening, There were absolutely no signs of political upheaval from airport to home. So, here I am some fifty kilometers away from the zocalo, the Paseo de la Reforma and El Angel (Independence Monument) and other would-be political hot spots.
Filipino migrants in mural exhibits
THE 100th anniversary of Filipino migration to Hawaii which has been the object of celebrations the past months in various settings and in disparate forms of portrayals is currently getting a lot of attention from all ages at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
President Arroyo’s honors and a complaint from Cavite
SHE was not in the Top Ten anymore, but President Arroyo should be gratified to still be included in the Forbes Magazine list of the 100 World’s Most Powerful Women, considering the very public difficulties she has survived this year.
Who will protect us?
LAST week one national association of advertisers pinned the "blame on local and national building officials for the collapse of one advertising billboard in Metro Manila." The association’s top officer said, "Lack of uniformity on structural guidelines is the culprit for any structural failure."
Government’s English
GOVERNMENT officials, particularly in the education sector, deplore our students’ lack of competence in English.
Natural high
ART Valdez was an undersecretary in the Department of Transportation and Communications during FVR’s term. When he quit government service, co-terminous with his president, to get a life (or take it back), he focused his energies on mountain climbing, as team manager of the Mt. Everest 14.
|
|
|
|
|
