PAHALAGAHAN ang BUHAY Cardinal Rosales Homily on Pro-Life March 25,2011 Prayer Rally

PAHALAGAHAN ANG BUHAY

(Homily delivered by His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales during the Mass at the Prayer Rally “Filipinos! Unite Under God” at the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, on March 25,2011, Feast of the Annunciation and Day of the Unborn Child, at 7 p.m.)

Nagsalita ang Panginoong Diyos kay Moises at sa mga sumasampalataya sa kanya nang ganito: “Tatawagin ko ang langit at lupa na sumaksi laban sa inyo. ‘Ihahain ko sa inyo ay buhay o kamatayan, ang pagpapala o ang sumpa. Piliin na ninyo ang buhay, nang sa gayo’y kayo at ang inyong salin-lahi ay mabuhay sa pagibig ng Panginoong inyong Diyos, tumatalima at nananatili sa Kanya.” (Deuteronomio 30:19).

                Simulan natin ang pagninilay sa prinsipyo na ang buhay ay ang pinakamahalagang biyaya na kaloob ng Panginoong Diyos sa sinumang tao. Ito ang matinding paniniwala at turo ng Simbahang Katoliko na ang buhay ng tao, kahima’t mahina or nagdurusa ay palaging isang pinakamalaking biyaya ng kabutihan ng Diyos (Familiaris Consortio, n. 30).

Kapag hindi ninyo pinahalagahan ang buhay na iyan sa alinman o saan mang yugto ng buhay ng tao (sanggol, foetus, matanda, malakas o mahina), hinding-hindi igagalang ang buhay ng sinuman --- at diyan kapag wala ng halaga o walang pagpapahalaga, wala ng magtatanggol sa buhay, dadayain ang buhay na yan, aapihin, kikidnapin na, pagsisinungalingan na, pagnanakawan na ang buhay na ‘yan ng tao!

Kanya napaka-ganda ang pagtuturo ng Simbahan --- alagaan, ipagtanggol at itaguyod ang buhay. Huwag hahadlangan ng anuman sandata o anumang artipisyal na paraan ang buhay. Ang paglalapastangan sa buhay na iyan, malakas man o mahina, na ating laging, pinapahalagahan ay labag sa kulturang Pilipino tungkol sa buhay ng tao. (Pastoral Letter, CBCP, 30 January 2011).

Ang kahirapan ng tao o kaya’y ang pagdami ng tao ay likas na merong solusyon at ang kasagutan dito ay aral na rin ng Panginoong Hesukristo. Una, ang yaman ng daigdig or kaya’y ang pinagsikapan ng tao ay sapa’t na at sobra pa upang pagsaluhan ng lahat. “Magmahalan kayo” at magdamayan sa ngalan ng pagibig. Ikalawa, mayroong paraan na inilagay ang Panginoong Diyos sa kalikasan ng katawan ng lalaki at babae, na ito ay marapat alamin o pag-aralan upang matiyak ang mga araw kung kalian maaaring madulot ng panibagong buhay sa pagtatalik ang binhi ng lalaki at babae. Sa bawa’t pagtatalik ang mag-asawa ay maaaring maging katuwang ng Panginoong Diyos sa paglikha ng panibagong buhay. (Humanae Vitae, n. 11).

Banal ang buhay ng magasawa at sapagkat ito ay banal ito ay ginagantihan ng Panginoong Diyos ng tuwa at ligaya ang bawa’t pagsasama ng sinuman magasawa, sapagka’t habang buhay nilang ipag-papatuloy ang masidhing pangangalaga hanggang sa ang mga anak ay akayin sa kabutihang asal, banal ring pamumuhay na mayroong pagdamay at paggalang sa kapwa hanggang sa katandaan.

Mayroon naming natural na paraan sa paghahanda sa mahalagang buhay na iyan. At iyan ang tinatawag na NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING. At ito ay kaloob ng Panginoong Diyos sa kalikasan ng bawat tao, lalaki or babae. Alam ng makapangyarihang Panginoong Diyos na darating ang araw na dapat lalung pag-aralan at may pananagutang balakin ang dakilang paghahanda sa buhay na iyan. Kung kaya’t inilagay ng Panginoong Diyos sa kalikasan ng katawan ng tao—lalaki at babae—ang wasto at tiyak na paraan at panahon ng hinog na binhi (ng buhay) para magsilang ng bagong buhay ng tao, lalang, at sa kawangis at kalarawan ng Diyos. (Henesis 1:27).

Sa pag-aaral ng paraan para tiyakin ang mahalaga at banal na mga sandaling ng nahihinog na binhi ng buhay, malalaman ng sinuman ang mga banal na sandaling iyan—at kailangan naman sa mga tiyak na sandal at araw na iyan ang pagtitimpi, pagpigil sa sarili (pagpigil sa pang-gigigil). Yan ang sakripisyo ng tao. Alalaon baga ay kailangan ang mga sandal ng disiplina. Kapag may disiplina sa kama, tiyak na magkakaroon ng disiplina sa kalsada, maging sa pitaka (karta moneda). Dito mapapahalagahan natin ang “values” na itinuturo ng Simbahan.

Banal po mga kapatid ang Gawain ng mag-asawa, kaya naman ginagantihan ng Butihing Diyos ng ligaya at tuwa ang mag-asawa hindi lamang sa pagtatalik, kung hindi hanggang sa mapalaki sa kabutihang asal, kabaitan at akayin sa kabanalan ang kanilang mga anak. Kasama diyan ng magasawa ang Panginoong Diyos. At ang tapat na magasawa ay hindi pinababayaan ng Panginoon.

Banal ang pag-aasawa; banal ang pagtatalik sapagka’t ito ay kalakip ng pagbibigay ng buhay na galling sa Panginoong Diyos. Hindi ito laru-laruan na ituturo sa mga bata sa paggamit ng goma, lobo o condom, para iwasan daw ang sakit? Bakit mga bata ang tuturuan ng ganitong laro? Hindi po ba ang tamang ituro sa kabataan ay ang magandang halimbawa ng matatanda at ang kahalagahan ng buhay, ang kabanalan ng pagpipigil sa sarili na ang tawag ay disiplina? Ang awag po noong una ay kapag may pagpipigil, mayroong disiplina at paggalang at magkakaroon din ng Karakter ang tao. Ngayon ang gusting ipamulat sa kabataan ay ito: gamitin ang goma, maglaro kayo! Ganyan kabarato ang buhay ng tao ngayon.

Salamat at mayroong Simbahan at salamat at mayroong Pananampalataya na nagpapaalaala pa (kahit mayroong ilang mga mambabatas o matatanda na kakaiba ang isip na hindi na mabuting makapangaral, hindi na kayang magpagturo ng magandang asal at batas na magpapabalik pa sa dahan-dahang nawawala at nanghihinang magandang hiyas na ating kabihasnang Pilipino.

At bakit bata pa ay tinuturuan na ang mga anak ng ilang mga matatanda at mambabatas sa pag-iwas sa responsibilidad at ang pagwawalang bahala sa katuwiran at kalinisan? (Sa pangalan daw ng sanidad at kalusugan). Puro maalawang palusot ang gustong ituro sa kabataan ng ilang mambabatas—kanya ganiyan ang magiging bukas ng Pilipinas—mga mamayan na puro palusot, lahat ng padulas ang alam. May peligrong mawawala ang halag (value) ng kristiyano at tunay na Filipino. Ang dapat ituro sa kabataan ay kalinisan ng budhi, kalinisan ng puso, disiplina at pagpipigil sa sarili at paggalang sa hindi sariling pera.

Anong klaseng panukalang batas itong RH Bill na kung maging batas na, at ang itinuro o ipaliwanag ng Simbahan at mga naglilingkod dito ay ang katwiran ng galing sa Bibliya, Pananampalataya at konsensiya ng Kristiyano tungkol sa Buhay at Kalinisan, sa halip na ang turo ay ang RH law, ay maaaring papag-multahin o ibilanggo ang mga ito? Paparusahan pa ang sumusunod sa konsensiya at Pananampalataya. Hindi ito ang Pilipinas! Hindi na tayo babanggit ng anumang bansa, pero hindi ito ang Pilipinas na minahal at pinag-alayan ng buhay ng mga bayani, sampo ng tatlong Pari --- Padre Mariano Gomez, Padre Jose Burgos, at Padre Jacinto Zamora. Sa El Filibusterismo, ang unang pahina ay inihandog ni Jose Rizal sa tatlong pari na iyan. (At ang gusto pang alalahanin ng ilan ay si DAMASO na ito naman ay hindi Pilipino!)

                Ito ang paninindigan ng Simbahan:

1. Ang pagmamalasakit sa katatayuan ng maraming mahihirap, lalo na ang mga nagdurusang kababaihan na nagsusumikap upang gumanda ang buhay at kailangan pang mangibang bayan upang kamtin ito o kailangan pang pumasok sa isang hindi disenteng paghahanap-buhay. Nababagabag ang Simbahan diyan.

2. Ang Simbahang Katoliko ay para sa buhay at dapat ipagsanggalang ang buhay ng tao mula sa sandal na ito ay ipaglihi o mabuo hanggang sa natural ng katapusan nito.

3. Naniniwala ang Simbahan sa mapanagutang (responsible) pagsasaayos ng bilang at panahon ng pagsisilang sa pamamagitan ng Natural Family Planning. Dito kailangan ang pagbuo ng matatag na kalooban (character building) na nagtataglay ng sakripisyo, disiplina at paggalang sa dangal ng asawa. Kung wala kang sakripisyo, hindi ka makakabuo ng karakter.

4. Ang sinumang tao ay tagapangasiwa lamang ng kanyang katawan. Ang pananagutan sa ating katawan ay dapat umalinsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos na nangungusap sa atin sa pamamagitan ng konsensiya (budhi). Kapag hindi pinakinggan at iginalang ang tinig na ‘yan ng Diyos (sa konsensiya), yayanigin at lilindulin, hindi ang bundok at dagat, kung hindi ang budhing ‘yan ng sinumang tao.

5. Aming paninindigan na sa mga pagpili kaugnay ng RH Bill, ang budhi (konsensiya) ay hindi lamang sapat na kabatiran kung hindi higit sa lahat ay ginagabayan ng mga itinuturo ng kanyang pananampalataya.

6. Naniniwala kami sa kalayaan sa relihiyon at sa karapatan ng pagtutol ayon sa budhi (konsensiya) sa mga bagay na labag sa sariling pananampalataya. Ang nakapataw at parusa sa napapaloob sa minumungkahing RH Bill ay dahilan para sa aming pagtutol dito. (Pastoral Letter, CBCP, 30 January 2011).

May panahon pa upang maiwasan ang trahedya moral na idudulot ng RH Bill.

Baguhin ang mga panukalang ‘yan, o ibagsak ang kayang kabuuan ng siyang pugad ng walang paggalang sa buhay, pagkawala ng responsibilidad at disiplina na siyang tunay na kailangan ngayon ng tao at bayan.

Kung ang mga bata ay natuturuan pa ng Simbahan, ang mambabatas ay amin rin pinapaalalahan. Lahat kayo, ngayon at bukas, ay kasama sa aming dalangin.

Pagpalain kayong lahat at ang Bayan ng Poong Maykapal! Mahal tayo ng Diyos at alaga ng Ina ni Hesus!

+G.B.ROSALES
Prayer Rally
Feast of the Annunciation
25 March 2011

http://rcam.org/Homilies/2011/card_rosales/homily_pahalagahan_ang_buhay.html

REUNITED with my former student

There were some plans in the past but it was hard of us to meet our schedules as my former Korean student is now working for an airline company which makes her schedule very unpredictable.

Finally, we've set the meeting today after eight long years! I was excited as she's really one of the sweetest students I had and I can still remember how she behaves and how affectionate she was and I have to see how  she has been after these years.

We decided to meet somewhere a subway station close to her hotel and I was so surprised she ran towards me while shouting my name as she saw me heading to her direction. She's still the same lovely student and a friend. It touched me, a lot ....seeing her again and it was beyond words how glad I was.  We headed to Black Canyon for a drink and then later to Waterside Resort Restaurant for dinner.

I've learnt her updates and her plans and all I can say is that I'm very happy for her. She's been married for two years and she's so beautiful in her wedding pictures. I was also happy hearing more updates from other students who were in the same class and they are all doing very well right now and have stable jobs in good companies.

This is a rare case for some to be reunited with old friends and truly time doesn't erase the memories we have and they are priceless. Today is a remarkable day and looking forward for the likes in the coming days. One lesson I learnt in the meeting, I have to make plans more seriously and go for those I really want to achieve. And I'm thankful with what I have right now and that's including where I am. To my former student, Rina. Thank you for keeping in touch and taking the chance for us to meet again. Until next time. :)

And by the way, I got a present from her. I love this! :)

DEMOGRAPHIC Winter

It's has been cold here in Bangkok in the past two days. Today it's 66 degree Fahrenheit/ 18.88 degree Celsius.  It's not normal especially Bangkok is known for her very warm weather and it's summer, this should be the time when it's undesirably hot.

There are pros and cons but in general, I  like the weather myself than the usual. I've had my migraine attack last week for too much sweets intake and the weather when out was really terrible despite less exposure to sunlight.

Anyway, not being lazy but I haven't been outside home since yesterday. And up to this moment, hmmm... time check, it's six in the evening. I haven't opened my door yet, it simply means I haven't been out of my room even  a single step.

These times make me think of a lot of subjects to write on.  I have learnt that the rapid increase in human population in the  past two centuries had raised concern that humans might overpopulate  earth  and this planet may not be able to sustain the human race. So then, the worldwide human population control movement went active  in the 1960s and 1970s.  Family planning programs and  reproductive health were  intensified. 

The population control methods were contraception, abstinence, medical abortion, emigration, decreasing immigration, sterilization and euthanasia. The methods were strongly influenced by  the religious and cultural beliefs of community members. Thus the population control varied in places in which methods they preferred.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_rate

"In 1974, at the World Population Conference in Bucharest, women's issues gained considerable attention. Family programmes were seriously discussed and 137 countries drafted a World Population Plan of Action. In the discussion, many countries accepted modern birth control, such as the pill and the condom, but opposed abortion. In 1994, another action plan was drafted in Cairo under the United Nations. They discussed the concern on population and the need to incorporate women into the discourse. They agreed that improvements in women's status, and initiatives in defense of reproductive health and freedom, the environment, and sustainable socio-economic development were needed."

In the 1980s, the POPULATION CONTROL ADVOCATES and  WOMEN'S HEALTH ACTIVISTS  were in tension as the Women Health Activists forwarded WOMEN REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS as part of human rights-based approach. 

As per wikipedia this is Reproductive Rights:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_rights

Reproductive Rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health.^[1] The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows:

Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence.^[2]

This Reproductive Rights is one of the most vigorously contested rights in the world as this includes the right to legal or safe ABORTION, the right to birth control,the right access to quality REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE or Reproductive Health  also known as SEXUAL HEALTH or HYGIENE and many others. This reproductive health implies on responsible, satisfying and safer sex life. 

I assume that the responsible issue is on sexual diseases granting  that condoms prevent the spread of certain sexual diseases though not all. Hmm...I thought I was talking about women's health.  Okay, the right and responsibility through  the use of contraceptives in order to stay away from responsibility. Opps...wait.... . I'm confused.  Aaahhh there, you can enjoy copulation without worrying of getting pregnant.  


Seems the reproductive health finds this "way of thinking" being responsible. But I wonder why is access to safe and legal abortion improves  women's health and  a fundamental right of women. Is abortion good for health? Isn't abortion a murder? Is it a human right to kill? Is it being responsible to kill an unborn child in one's womb so one can live the life she wants and be free from any responsibility? Do the unborn children have no any right to live?

These are some of the questions running in my head right now. What if time  comes when no one wants to get married and have children anymore? The current projections show a steady decline of population growth rate. It's a fact that there are more broken homes and less families nowadays. Humans have gone more on "I" than "We". And if we (at least) believe we all have the capability to expand the human race considering man's intellect, then we should uphold man's dignity and consider the significance of   human capital for the future's  economy. 

We are all here temporarily and if we can't plan well and be prepared for the  next generation, then how would it be? The Demographic Winter strikes Europe and I had read that  Europe is aging and dying. Russia's population is slated to decrease from 143Million in 2005 to 112Million in 2050.  Singapore, too has a tragic decline on birthrate (despite being overpopulated in the world due to 99.1% dependency).

Finally, what's demographic winter? It denotes the worldwide decline of birthrate. The decline of human family.

Will this happen soon? Hope not.

My sixth

Today is my sixth  year anniversary here in Thailand along with  a good friend of mine, Ate Che. I actually forgot the date until I saw her FB status reminding the special date.   I remember six years ago I was so impressed on Bangkok however, I didn't have the guts to try any Thai food as I found it very smelly at first.

It took at least a month for me to adjust and tried pad ka phao ta-le which I did like very much considering I'm a spicy food fanatic. We learnt about the food just in the restaurant near our apartment in Rama 2. My palate has been used to anything spicy  before coming here having Korean food for years in my previous workplace in the Philippines  as an Academic Supervisor to a Korean owned language school.

I remember, we were the very first to live in that newly renovated apartment in Rama 2, Bangkok. We used to go to Central Rama 2 a lot for meals and shopping. We did go jogging also for a couple of times at the park at dawn. I miss those moments we had that time, that was all so fun, we didn't have to worry much and we just enjoyed our stay in Bangkok. It was also amazing though we used to work very far from home, we didn't have any  difficulty in  using  any transportation. Bus number 140 was our best friend.

We took more pictures and went to many places in the city.  We met some other friends who was here ahead of us and spent time, actually more times hanging out at Landmark's Hunstman bar as they have a Filipino band. And of course, the Sunday services at Holy Redeemer Church in Ruamrudee.

It has been six years, I guess it's too long. I looked back and assessed what the years have thought me, and actually a lot. Teaching has made me even better and the experience in teaching Thai learners is different compared to Koreans and Japanese as I used to, much as I was trained for adult teaching before coming here. The six years have given me more ability balancing the approach in dealing with young learners and adults. I've been teaching in a university in here on weekdays and with kids from pre-schoolers to high school (teenagers) at the weekends.  I realized I love kids as I love teaching adult students and that's the very distinct lesson I got in my six years of teaching in Thailand. And if I get another chance to venture another environment, or a new perspective, I think I am ready to move on and will be looking forward for another set of new encounters. When will that be? I hope soon.