Life Issues

Pelosi's feud with archbishop escalates.

Bishops respond to House Speaker Pelosi's misrepresentation of Church teaching against abortion.

"As the Catechism and early Church documents make clear, abortion is always an evil. That is an unchanging teaching. The question on when the soul enters the body was a philosophical question that grew out of a lack of scientific data at the time of St. Augustine. We have the data today which shows the embryo is human. There no longer is any discussion of whether the unborn is human and so the philosophical discussion of St. Augustine’s time is not relevant today." - Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl

Psalm 23 - Japanese version

None of us automatically has time to pray. Each of us must make time for prayer - carving a time out of our day and setting it aside as a sacred appointment that cannot be changed, and must not be delayed. Consider this Japanese version of Psalm 23 as you set aside your prayer time for today:

The Lord is my pace setter...I shall not rush.

He makes me stop for quiet intervals.

He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity.

He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and His guidance is peace.

Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret,

for His presence is here.

His timelessness, His all-importance will keep me in balance.

He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity

By anointing my mind with the oils of tranquility.

My cup of joyous energy overflows.

Truly harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours,

For I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in His house forever.

Source: God's Little Devotional Book on Prayer

Setting Boundaries

Great article with practical tips and advice about Setting Boundaries to avoid addiction relapse.

Work Issues

Near Hire

I know it's crazy. After going through the process of application, initial exams, and orientation, and some realizations later, I made up my mind not to push through with my training in Makati. I don't know about you but the thought of working in Makati has lost its allure to me. I don't mind missing the sights of towering skyscrapers, workers in business suits and corporate attires, and people rushing here and there. The mere thought of traveling to Makati - riding one jeep/bus plus LRT/MRT and another jeep is already a turn-off. The most that I can accommodate is just two rides. Period. Somehow I prefer to work somewhere closer to home still. The trainor called me up this afternoon to inquire why I didn't bother to inform them. I just apologized and told her that I went to this agency to submit an overseas job application, blah...blah... In short I changed my mind and no regrets for me. Haaay... I can't believe it that I can still afford to turn down job offers considering the number of jobless people around. At the back of my mind, the thought of landing the "perfect job" still lurks and makes me quite selective. I just hope I won't reach a point where I have applied to all my prospective employers out there and ended up getting nowhere, (cringe!) kinda like being too "pihikan" and ending up still single in your 40s or 50s (double cringe!).

Not Qualified??

This morning I went to the agency to apply for a job somewhere in the Middle East (definitely not Saudi Arabia - I just hate that country!). Yesterday, (oh, I met Bro. M and Bro. J incidentally inside a fastfood restaurant - they were looking for an apartment somewhere. Good luck.) I went there but it was closed because of the holidays (darn holiday! - these so-called minor holidays should be totally abolished. It's totally counterproductive and with people having no money to spend don't expect that these minor holidays can boost our domestic tourism! More likely than not these people would just troop to the malls and watch a movie coz that's the cheapest form of decent entertainment that is still affordable today.) As I approached the lady receptionist, she inquired about the position I was applying for and I replied politely. She asked me my current work experience and as soon as I mentioned that I'm working home-based, her facial reaction gradually turned sour. She asked me when was my last job "outside" of our house and I told her that I last worked outside in 2006 somewhere in QC. She let me wait for a little while and apparently asked somebody about my case. Later on, the moment of truth. I am not "qualified" for the job because they require that I be employed by a company and sitting inside a cubicle somewhere or at least 7 months unemployed from a prior employer. And so all the while that Im working my butt at home - this is not counted as a work experience? Halleeer! The only difference between me and a dude working inside a cubicle is that I don't wear company ID (obvious ba?). Simply because I work at home does not mean that I'm less productive (less competent) than an office worker or that I do easy jobs that a high school student can do. Not only did the agency outrightly dismissed me based on that thing, they never even bothered to ask or look at my resume to see my qualifications. Neither did they bother to ask if I had a medical background and proper training in the job I was applying for. They did not check my credentials and my entire work history - they just probably focused on the fact that I'm presently just doing some home-based work and thought that maybe I'm not good enough to work in a hospital environment. (Excuse me, pakibaba nga ng kilay ko!)

Delayed Salary -- Again.

Because I was pissed off this morning, I was not in the mood to do my work and the fact that my salary is delayed again made me all the more "mad" and crazy today. Thankfully, this issue was resolved later in the day and I was reassured that I would get my payment in a day or two. Whew! Thank heavens.

Pastoral Treatment of Persons with SSA

A question frequently put to priests and other spiritual counselors is: Can SSA or the homosexual inclination itself be changed? This is a difficult problem that is best addressed by a professional therapist, since it is not the function of the spiritual counselor to evaluate the counselee's chances of change in sexual orientation. As already mentioned, teenagers may be uncertain concerning their sexual inclinations, and this condition often demands more guidance than the spiritual director can give. In the event, however, that the spiritual counselor refers a young person to a therapist, the counselor should do so in such a way that the person continues to receive spiritual help. Older persons with SSA may desire primarily to lead a life of chastity without therapy; younger persons may desire therapy as well as interior chastity. Generally, one is always encouraged to seek therapy, because there may be trauma in one's past that needs healing. However, one is not obliged to seek therapy to recover one's natural heterosexual inclinations, because there is no certitude that reparative therapy will lead to such a recovery. Moreover, people cannot always afford the cost of such therapy. Nevertheless, one should be encouraged to move toward heterosexual inclinations by chaste friendships with heterosexual persons. Paradoxically, by concentrating on the person who happens to deal with SSA and helping him or her to cope with life, the counselor will tend to focus less on the homosexual tendency, and the person will more readily respond to the counselor.

In the first stages of guidance it will be necessary to discuss various aspects of homosexuality so that the person may understand the phenomena. Very often the person may try to believe that he or she is not a "homosexual" by recounting past experiences which, on the surface, give evidence of heterosexual attraction. These, however, may really be attempts to repress homosexual leanings. It is good for the spiritual director to be aware of this phenomenon lest he or she be deceived by the counselee's illusions. There is good reason for this process of self-deception. The counselee tends to resist the admission of being "homosexual." He hates the thought of it, and thus to some extent hates himself. In facing the fact of SSA, people thus need complete personal acceptance fromt the counselor -- that is, affirmation of their worth as persons, regardless of past homosexual acts and regardless of their readiness to try changing their way of life. In this, the counselor should not approve of any homosexual conduct. Rather, the point is to let the counselee know that the counselor cares despite the conduct which cannot be condoned. Once the counselor realizes he has the trust of the person with SSA, a plan of life should be proposed.

A Plan of Life

The reason people with SSA need a deliberate "plan of life" is that, without following a definite and ascetical plan, chastity is practically impossible. There are various elements in a plan of life that must be considered as anyone tries to extricate himself from a life of promiscuity or from some kind of steady relationship with another person of the same sex.

The first element is the need to rethink one's philosophy of life in order to redirect one's self to the pursuit of spiritual values. The second element is to begin to practice the virtues of one's state in life systematically, as described (for example) by St. Francis de Sales in The Introduction to the Devout Life, Part III, or as encouraged by self-help programs. This plan of life must be specific enough to include some spiritual exercises every day, but flexible enough to allow for daily contingencies. It will include daily meditation, the actual performance of charitable works, regular spiritual direction, and insightful reading as preparation for prayer.

The actual performance of apostolic and charitable works is an element of proven worth. In view of the frustration of homosexual liaisons, some means of serving God must be found which will prove to the person with same-sex attractions that he or she is making a contribution to life. Everyone needs that sense of achievement. Heterosexual couples usually find it in their families; religious and priests find it in their special calling and work; single persons of either sex often find it in determined dedication to altruistic and charitable endeavors, like the service of the sick, people with physical or intellectual disabilities, etc. The person with SSA can find similar ways of serving God and humanity.

It is by regular spiritual direction, moreover, that the person with SSA can formulate and begin to live this plan of life. Very often, people with SSA have already experienced the loneliness and incompleteness of either of the two patters of homosexual activity, namely promiscuity or a steady same-sex relationship. Dissatisfied with these experiences, they are ready to listen to the sympathetic proposal of a new approach, difficult though that new way may seem on the surface. The spiritual director's task is to show the man or woman with SSA that it is possible to live a chaste and happy life without being isolated from society. This demands a thorough accounting of the meaning of chastity and of the diverse forms of human love and friendship.

(Source: Same Sex Attraction: Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Practice by Fr. John F. Harvey, OSFS)

Nominated!

Somebody just nominated me for the Filipino Blog of the Week (123) Thank you so much! Vote for me! vote for me! Visit The Composed Gentleman's blog for more details.

Picture! Picture!

Something to smile about...

Freedom and Compulsion

While homosexual acts (along with other actions contrary to chastity, such as masturbation) are always wrong in themselves, the fact remains that a person's moral responsibility or guilt may be somewhat reduced by a lack of human freedom. Thus, we shoud take note of the difficulties created by ingrained habit and of the particular problem of psychological compulsion. Compulsion may be described as a narrowing of consciousness concerned either with a fascination for some object or with obedience to an impulse regarded as intolerable unless accepted (Rudolph Allers, "Irresistable Impulses: A Question of Moral Psychology," in Vol. 100, 1939, 208-219). In a broader sense, we may refer to compulsive behavior as that following the belief - born of past failures - that a particular urge is irresistible. Not many homosexual acts may be called compulsive when we consider the squalid circumstances (like a public lavatory) and the high risk in which they take place. But we must not assume that the compulsive person literally has no control over himself in the area of weakness. What happens, rather, is that the compulsive or strongly habituated person loses control (surrenders to an urge) under certain specific circumstances; and an analysis of the situation may help him (or her) recognize ways to exercise freedom in avoiding the circumstances which precipitate the compulsive or seemingly-compulsive action. In this effort the person needs prudent and often professional help - just as an alcoholic needs AA or another group or person that can help him avoid the people and situations that lead to a fall. In other words, if we suffer from a compulsion to some sinful activity, we are morally obliged to take what steps we can to prevent its activation and hence to overcome it.

In sexual compulsions the real problem is not the strength of the sexual instinct (which usually is not stronger than in normal individuals) but rather the inability of the individual to adjust to tensions within himself. To uncover these tensions, one needs the help of therapists. While under treatment, however, one must practice a rigorous honesty and avoid those things that may trigger the series of compulsive thoughts and events. With SSA, this often means actively avoiding homosexual haunts, movies, bars, baths, and pornography. It will also mean ending those relationships that one knows will lead to sin.

Significantly, examining the pattern of compulsive behavior reveals a very important feature: the impulses become irresistable before they have fully developed. As Rudolph Allers put it, "People have a presentiment of the impulse arising: they know that within a short time they will become entangled in a situation from which there is no escape, must as they desire one. They know that they are still capable, this very moment of turning away, and that by doing so they will avoid the danger - but they do not. There is a peculiar fascination, a lurid attraction in this kind of danger, and there is evidently some anticipation of the satisfaction that the partes inferiores animae [one's lower nature] will derive from indulging in the "irresistable attraction" (ibid., 216-217).

Thus, the "compulsive" (strongly habituated) homosexual will bear responsibility for his actions if he fails to resist temptations at the very beginning. To indulge oneself in any impure thoughts or actions is to play with fire: As one wit remarked, the trouble with irresistible impulses is that they are unresisted. It is no suprise that, thinking we are still in control, we find that we "unwillingly" get burned. In any case, despite any past or new sins, our responsibility is to resist temptation immediately each time it arises, gradually reducing the power of these impulses. To do this, one needs to find fresh motivation by following a plan of life such as I shall describe.

(Source: Same Sex Attraction: Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Practice by Fr. John F. Harvey, OSFS)

God's Coffee

(Forwarded e-mail)

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee. The jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life. And the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.

God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!

The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Gay Bloggers React

Gosh, I've been busy here during the week. Just got more work to do here but hopefully I can still blog on a regular basis. Early this week I sent this e-mail to a very popular gay blogger in order to solicit their ideas about ex-gay groups like Courage. The week before that I was able to listen to a group of gay guys on a podcast posted on his blog. It was about homosexuality and religion and their personal experiences (or conflicts/dilemma) about reconciling the two. My other motive of course is to inform them that the Catholic Church in particular is reaching out to people with SSA through Courage. Here is the full content of my e-mail addressed to Famous Gay Blogger:

Dear ____

I want to give my reaction to your podcast entitled Homosexuality and Religion. I am a person struggling with same-sex attraction (SSA) but I don’t consider myself gay in the sense that I’m not into the gay lifestyle now. I may have been before but that was a totally different story. And oh yes I still struggle with chastity issues right now and that’s how real it can get.
I just want to reiterate that the Catholic Church does not condemn me or you for being “gay”. In fact, the Catholic Church has an apostolate catering to people with SSA and it is called Courage. You can visit www.couragerc.net for more details. And yes I am a member of that organization.

Our group is a support group and we help each other live a chaste life. We don’t claim that sooner or later we will all become heterosexuals, etc. Nothing of that sort. Instead, we are responding to God’s call to live a life of chastity and that means for many of us turning away from the gay lifestyle and confronting our deepest issues as courageously as we can be.
Honestly that is the most difficult part for us - renouncing our sinful ways and letting the Lord take control. It’s hard and it’s real. It’s not easy but it is possible.

I must admit too that some priests and religious are not well aware of our condition and we’re doing something to educate them and all people concerned regarding the nature of homosexuality. During the podcast I realized that many had this perception that the Church is persecuting gay people and the result is either they break away from the Catholic Church or just become nominal Catholics. This is a sad reality.

I hope you can give space for this brief e-mail of mine in your popular blog. Although I can see that you’re very much into the gay lifestyle now, I on my part would like to know your personal views about dealing with ex-gay ministries like ours. Maybe you may want to take a look on the “other side” and let’s see what happens next. I hope to get your side and your readers as well regarding this issue. Thank you.

God loves us all,
GS

Days later I visited Famous Gay Blogger's popular site and he posted it there and with a bonus - not only did I read comments posted by his readers but also the podcasters themselves. I suppose these guys are quite popular too and I am posting their comments here in their entirety in the name of responsible blogging.

Gay Blogger #1 - "I'd rather hop-skip-and jump!"

So this is an organization of gays who want to remain in the Church and therefore will toe the Church’s chastity and celibacy line. (Good god, nosebleed and pimples galore!) Seriously, it’s one way to go about it. It’s an option, a route that a gay individual can choose to take. So good luck to those who take it; may their lives be meaningful to them. As for me, if that’s the road less traveled then I’d rather hop-skip-and-jump along the yellow brick road in my shiny, shimmering splendid shoes

Gay Blogger #2: "At hinimay ni Bakla"

I am having difficulty reconciling his statements. So I will ask some questions based on his email:
1) For GS, is same-sex attraction different from homosexuality?
2) What exactly is a gay “lifestyle” (if there really is such a thing)?
3)His email address and name states “Going Straight” but he does not consider himself gay. So what is he exactly and how does this reconcile with “we don’t claim that sooner or later we will all become heterosexuals”?
4) So if the Catholic Church is not condemning anyone for being gay (from 2358 of the official Catechism of the Catholic Church, this is stated about homosexuals: “They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”), why are they condemning “homosexual acts” as in the case of that bishop who said that homosexuality should be blamed for the Cebu Canister Scandal victim’s issue? Same goes with the lesbians (Leah Vader and her partner) in the United States who were sent a letter by their parish priest telling them that they are not allowed communion anymore?
5) Is it just me or does his statement, “Although I can see that you’re very much into the gay lifestyle now “sound too judgmental?

Also, he mentioned that during the podcast many broke away from the Church as a result of persecution of being gay. May I reiterate that the reason why I, and many others out there, broke away from this church (and religion in general) not because of this perceived persecution but because of issues with principles and morality being forced and hammered onto us.

Gay blogger #3: - "Whatevurr!"

I will just echo what we have been saying all along. Whatever makes you happy. If going celibate brings you the inner peace that you are looking for then by all means go ahead and go for it (just don’t get all preachy to me and give me the same token of respect and respect my option not to go a similar path).

Gay blogger #4: "What is the essence of being gay? - Miss U"

Dear Going Straight,

I can feel your sincerity in struggling against, renouncing what you call “our sinful ways” and letting God take control. I am impressed with your strength of will and I can only wish you the best in the process. And as long as your choices and struggles help make you a better, greater person — someone who cares more, loves more, gives more, contributes more, and at the end of the day, still smiles more — I will give you my utmost and well-deserved respect

To be continued...

Wonderful Sacrament Sunday

Last Sacrament Sunday was a wonderful day for me - I went to Confession after two months of living a "sinful" life. I felt great afterwards after receiving God's love and mercy once again. Fr. D was back from his US trip. He asked me during Confession why it took me two months to confess my sins, most of which were serious ones and I jested in reply "because you were not here" and he smiled somewhat surprised and replied, "don't make me an excuse" and we both laughed a bit. It was kinda like an ice breaker in an otherwise serious conversation we were having.

During the mass the room was quite full and we had two unexpected guests. I will get to that a little later. Fr. D's homily on the Gospel account of Peter walking on the water and sinking later was excellent. Fr. D reminded us to keep our focus on the Lord no matter how great the storm so that we will never falter and sink in the deadly waters of sin, despair, and hopelessness, and if ever we do we need to pray the same words that Peter said when he was sinking: "Lord, save me!" Wonderful homily as always.

At the end of the mass, Bro. R called upon Bro. V in front for a short speech. We were all clueless at the beginning. All eyes were fixed on this guy in front of us. Later on as he was speaking we were amazed and inspired. You see, our dear brother is going to tie the knot very soon and he brought the two guests - his parents - to this mass to introduce our group to them. It was so brave of you Bro. V and I really admire you for that. How I wish I could also bring my parents to attend a Courage mass, but for now that still remains a farfetched dream. Bro. V also announced that he would be leaving soon to work in Singapore as a cook. Lucky guy! After his speech, I was beaming with happiness and pride for what this guy has accomplished so far in his journey of healing, and I am sharing this to everyone to remind us that dreams do still come true. Kudos to Bro. V and I wish you happiness and success in this new chapter of your life. After the mass, Bro V. and his parents went to his fiancee for the traditional "pamanhikan".

The fellowship was a joyful moment too as there were lots of food, and the older members were given a chance to introduce themselves to the newer ones. So much laughter and fun as always. It did not stop there though as most of us went straight to the biggest mall on the other side of Redemptorist Church - SM Mall of Asia of course - and we ate a little more for a little get together and chitchats.

(Sidebits: Bro. J was a revelation to me. While in the car on the way to MOA, he was like a livewire inside. We were very noisy and very giggly inside the car. We were having a little great time. People outside seeing us may think we were having some party - all because of Bro J! He was so "makulit" as in! We were virtually laughing nonstop along the way and I felt I lost all my belly fats in 10 minutes flat doing just that.)

Homosexual Acts (part 2)

Arguments from Reason

Besides the arguments from Holy Scripture against homosexual activity, there are additional arguments from natural human reason. Homosexual activity becomes a failure to properly integrate genital activity into the good of the persons performing the act. Homosexual activity lacks the same level of self-gift manifested in heterosexual activity. This lack leads to homosexual activity being primarily a selfish and self-gratifying act. An attempt is made, however, to get outside of one's self and to "unite" with the other. But the difficulty in this endeavor is that the two individuals do not have a common and substantive good to serve, as do two married persons. These latter have a common transcendent purpose, fostered by the very act of intercourse, namely, a love and life-giving union. Homosexual unions are not open to life; "they do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2357)

Moreover, homosexual relationships lack real unity. The lack of bodily coadaptation (of male to female organs) reflects the natural absence of a truly unifying good for the action. In brief, homosexual acts have a built-in frustration. The persons involved sense that their actions are not going anywhere. There is usually a sense that one is seeking in another what one lacks in oneself. When two persons with the same wound enter into a relationship, it is usually not long lasting, precisely because each is seeking in the other what each lacks, but the other can never truly provide it. The lack usually lies in the woundedness of one's gender identity stemming from one's family of origin (see the psychological points made in the last chapter). A longing for same-sex relationships represents a desire to fulfill legitimate unmet same-sex emotional needs, but the eroticizing of those desires can lead to sexual acts that can never be truly complementary. Therefore, two people with SSA cannot enter into a deep and fulfilling "monogamous" relationship with each other precisely because of the inability to truly give oneself to another. This self-gift can only occur in relationships where the persons are truly complementary in their sexuality, which includes the bodily complementarity of male and female. This explains why gay men tend toward excessive promiscuity, always seeking "Mr Right" who can fully satisfy them. This also explains why lesbians tend toward apparent long-lasting monogamous relations but in fact are characterized by severe emotional dependency rather than a genuine self-gift of one to another.

There is, moreover, a profound sterility in homosexual relationships, because such relationships are not open to life; except perhaps by sperm donation or the use of surrogate mothers. What the persons with SSA needs is to integrate one's bodily desires into a purpose beyond self-gratification. This means a conscious and free sublimation of sexual desire into some form of service for the community so the person can experience self-gift. In this way one can avoid the psychological division found in so many persons with SSA who find themselves doing what they do not wish to do.

There are additional arguments of a more traditional kind; for example, insofar as homosexual acts do exclude all possibility of the procreation of life, they do not fulfill an essential purpose of human sexuality. This point is clearly made by the "Declaration On Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics" (8): "For according to the objective moral order, homosexual relations are acts which lack an essential and indispensable finality." Heterosexual intercourse is therefore directly related to family. For this reason the Church has taught consistently that the marital act be open to the procreation and rearing of children. In no way does the homosexual act compare with the unitive and procreative acts of marriage.

(Source: Same Sex Attraction: Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Practice by Fr. John F. Harvey, OSFS)

Mustard-Sized Faith

Today's readings are centered on faith. In the Gospel, Christ reprimanded the apostles for lack of faith. And then he went on to say that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, they could move a mountain. This is of course symbolic language but if you ponder on that line there is so much power in it. Have you seen a mustard seed? I haven't actually seen a real one except for the picture above. Now I'm convinced how tiny that seed is. Look at the size of that seed and from that seed will grow a huge shrub when planted and properly cared for. I'm asking myself the question: "How is it possible that little faith can move mountains?" It seems so unthinkable and yet the Lord only asks us to come up with a mustard-sized faith. There must be something in it that goes beyond size. It must be faith itself that makes all things possible.

But I'm a man of little faith. I still struggle with overcoming "mountains" in my life - most notably my SSA struggle and chastity issues. Can faith help me overcome these problems? I want to think it can but certainly not by my own strength or power. God can certainly work miracles in my life but he is looking and waiting for my faith response. Oh, good Lord increase my faith coz I have so many mountains to move and I want to move on with my life. Why is it so hard to muster a faith as tiny as a mustard seed? If the apostles who were with you every day lacked in their faith, what would become of me then?

Meditation from The Anawim Way:

Today's readings teach us about faith, faith as power and faith as patience. God can work through us to overcome the obstacles to his life within us. The "mountain" represents impossible problems. We can't overcome them by ourselves, but with faith we can. Faith gives us power, patience, and perseverance.

The just man lives by faith. If we are living by faith - even when we see or are experiencing problems - we can persevere, knowing that God is in charge and he will work in his own time. Faith endures even in the face of severe problems, even in the face of death itself. So faith gives us power on one hand, but when there is no evidence of power, faith gives us patience.

I need to have great trust in the Lord if I am going to follow him in the way he wants to lead me. I must keep him ever in mind, focusing on his presence, his power, his person. When my focus is on myself, doubts and fears enter, my faith shrinks, and I cannot act. The Lord desires to transform me and lead me from useless trust in myself to total trust in him. When I place even a "mustard seed" of faith in his hands, his power will act in me to move any mountain-sized problem I face. Then I can be a haven and a light for others. In him nothing is impossible!

Jesus told them. "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." ~ Matthew 17:20 (New Living Translation)

08-08-08

Lucky Date: Wedding Frenzy on 08/08/08 .

What's gonna happen on 08/08/08 at exactly the eighth hour eighth minute and eighth second in the evening? What else but the most anticipated Beijing Olympics 2008. I don't care much about the Olympics really but I'm just quite fascinated with the 08-08-08. I know it's a lucky day for the Chinese and it seems Filipinos too are jumping in hoping to get some kind of luck. Hmmm...is it a good day to get married? to propose? to open a business? to apply for a job? How about betting in the lottery? But the pot money should be P88 million - no less.

(Did you notice the time I posted this blog? That's 8:08 in the morning and that means I'm gonna be lucky the rest of the year! haha! Good luck to the Pinoy athletes. Let the games begin!)

You're Hired!

Two days ago I headed towards Citibank Tower in Makati to take a job exam. Prior to this I attended a job fair held in Trinoma. I was fortunate enough to be selected to take the exam and it's not surprising at all because the job I was applying for is what I have been doing for the past four years or so. I took the exam for about half an hour and headed home to do my homebased job and to my surprise the company called me that afternoon and told me to come back on August 11 for the job offer. Wow, it came just like that. The company I'm applying for is technically not a call center because I will not be calling anyone on the other side of the planet nor will I receive calls. It's pure transcription work and yet the people inside the company were spokening dollars with a British twang. Even the guard cum receptionist speaks the Queen's language! I wonder if the janitress does too. Oh well.

So why does I not sound very excited at all? I don't know really. There is some kind of reluctance on my part to work outside the comforts of home again. I've been home-bound chair-bound for more than a year now. The thought of waking up very early in the morning, donning your office clothes, making your way through the early morning rush, getting inside a jampacked LRT, walking towards the building, punching your card in the bundy clock, seeing the same faces day in and day out, (cute guys are an exception to this hehe) etc. make me quite anxious again. I hate the pollution, the shifting schedule, the cubicle. But I need the money, the benefits, and uhm... perks if there are any. I've been through this before and now I'm into it again. It seems I have to hold my overseas plans for the moment and settle for local employment.

If you think working at home is paradise, well not at all. Yes, I save on transportation, food, clothing (I work at home with boxers and sando). That's a great thing especially during these hard times. But as I have mentioned in my previous post, there is the nuissance of sudden power failure, internet connection glitches, malfunctioning computer, viruses, etc. Here at home I'm no boss. Mom or dad can call me to buy toyo or suka outside anytime. There is no such thing as busy here.

What will become of my homebased work? I guess I can still do it part time. I want a full-time work and a part-time gig to catch up with the rising costs of basic necessities. Eventually, I hope I can find a way to earn passive income online from I don't know where but I'm seriously looking into it. Financial gurus call it "multiple income streams". It's still a dream for me but I know it's very much possible. You may want to read Bo Sanchez' article about that.

Homosexual Acts Always Condemned

Thus, from Genesis to Ephesians 5, the marital union of one man and one woman is confirmed as the one sexual relationship intended and blessed by God. Nowhere is there any approval of homosexual unions.

Although a number of biblical texts (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:27; Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10) have always and everywhere been understood by the Church as condemning homosexual practices, some modern studies have tried to dismiss or reinterpret these passages in favor of a new gay morality. Two passages Robert Gagnon explains at length are Romans 1:26-27 and Genesis 19:4-11. We can review these very briefly.

With regards to the first, Romans 1:26-27, the text reads: "That is why God abandoned them to degrading practices: why their women have turned from natural intercourse to unnatural practices, and why their menfolk have given up natural intercourse to be consumed with passion for each other, men doing shameless things with men and getting an appropriate reward for their perversion." As Gagnon shows, St. Paul is condemning homosexual acts by men and women who have deliberately rejected the God of revelation. Contrary to certain radical gay interpretations, the Bible is not merely condemning homosexual acts by heterosexuals or homosexual acts done by those who have already repudiated God. Rather, the "degrading practices" (homosexual acts) themselves are being criticized and identified as violations of the moral order.

A second passage to be considered is from the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:4-11). Recently, it has been claimed that the sin of Sodom was not homosexual activity (hence "sodomy") but inhospitality toward Lot and his angelic visitors. Derrick Bailey, an Anglican scriptural scholar held to this view. To anyone reading the passage, however, this interpretation of inhospitality does not make sense. It is to make nonsense of the rest of the story. As. Dr. Ruth Tiffany Barnhouse observes, "If the men of Sodom had no sexual intentions toward Lot's visitors, why would Lot have replied, "I beg you, my brothers, do no such wicked thing. Listen, I have two daughters who are virgins. I am ready to send them out to you, to treat as it pleases you. But as to the men do nothing to them, for they have come under the shadow of my roof." Genesis 19:7-9 (Homosexuality: A Symbolic Confusion, 180). Rejecting the "inhospitality alone" interpretation, Robert Gagnon shows that homosexual conduct by the residents was widespread in the culture and that "three elements (attempted penetration of males, attempted rape, inhospitality)...combine to make this a particularly egregious example of human depravity that justifies God's act of total destruction." We also have "the horror of the double offense of such behavior towards angels", as Lot's guests are revealed to be (The Jerusalem Bible).

An English Jesuit priest, John Mahoney, notes that the effort to weaken the force of the Sodom narrative is unsuccessful. "There can be little reasonable doubt that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah expresses a judgment, however dramatic, of divine displeasure upon the homosexual behavior of its inhabitants, and in so doing only serves to echo the explicit condemnation of such behavior in the Holiness Code of Leviticus" (The Month, May 1977, p.167).

(Source: Same Sex Attraction: Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Practice by Fr. John F. Harvey, O.S.F.S.)

Funny Toddler Vid

This might happen to your kid when you teach him sex education very early on in life. Hilarious video!

Hikari Sentai Maskman Playlist

My favorite sentai heroes are back, but this time with the Hikari Sentai Maskman soundtracks on my playlist. 14 cuts. 12 Japanese and 2 Tagalog soundtracks Maskman fans will surely enjoy. I'm such an 80s fanatic and you cannot blame me for that. I'm beginning to think I'm trapped in that time of crazy new wave era, weird hairdos, queer personalities (Michael Jackson, Madonna, Rick Astley, Roderick Paulate?), etc., etc., and of course sentai heroes. Kids of this age will never come to know the excitement and joy of gathering around the TV set (do you still remember your old TV back then? No remote control and no cable!) together on a Saturday afternoon for one straight hour watching this kind of kiddie TV flicks. I just miss this stuff. Okay, enough of foolish sentimentality. Hope you like the new playlist.

Happy rainy weekend folks!

Going 100

You are reading my 100th post! No fireworks exploding just a blog facelift. It's brighter and eye-friendly this time with a white background. It's less somber and I love the new look. I also got this wonderful picture of a tree standing beneath a majestic rainbow (awesome isn't it?) and a calendar widget as well. Well, I have nothing much to say. I'm speechless. I'm going to change my playlist as well when I have time to. Thanks to all who drop by and read my blog.

Quotable quote:
"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin."

Cheers!