Father James Reuter is now in the hands of God. I met the man several times before, and seeing him is like meeting a man who has dedicated his entire life to God. There is a certain serenity in him. He even smells so good, heavenly.
Unknown to many, James Reuter is not just a priest--he was a fighter for human rights. He fights for people oppressed by the system. There are countless stories about him, all of them attesting to the innate goodness of the man, whom many call "pop"
Talking to him brings back memories of my youth, when I was still a staunch Catholic. As a young Catholic, I was a devoted one. My Fridays were spent praying the rosary, and Saturdays and Sundays see me serving as a sacristan in our local church.
As I age, I realized that some of the things which I believe are, unfortunately, not based on the Bible but on people's ideas about God. However, when I meet men like Father Reuter, my faith that there really is a God, brings those delicious memories again.
It would be a delight serving God in your last days. I plan to serve the People after my retirement which is several years from now. I plan to teach those without money to complete a college education. Sharing the Knowledge that was given to me by God is the least one can do for other people.
Father Reuter dedicated ninety five years of his life serving the people whom God loves. And those were 95 delicious years serving the ones whom God always protect and take care of.
May God welcome Father James Reuter to His bosom. May you rest forever, James, a true Servant of God.
Showing posts with label catholicism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label catholicism. Show all posts
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Friday, February 20, 2009
A Sad Day Indeed
Just got a text from my cousin. She informed me that my grandma, the one who raised me, took care of me and supported me throughout my life, died this morning.
I am in a state of disbelief, yet, something in me, accepted that already. She's already eighty plus years old. Death is an inevitable consequence of existence. The clock of life starts to tick towards death the very nano-second of birth.
Anastacia Soyosa Magallanes is the name of my grandma. She was born in the barangay of Tanauan, in the City of Tacloban, Leyte. She met my grandfather during World War II and they got married. Their first born was a girl named Rosalinda. My mother was the first of ten children. While I was the first of many grandchildren.
As the first grandchild, my life was pretty good. My grandma raised me since I was a child until I reached college. We were pretty close. We share practically everything.
She was a strict Catholic, that's why I always attend Church, go to Black Mary's on Fridays and became active in Church activities. At the age of six, I already finished reading the entire bible. I have at least six bibles in my little library.
I nearly became a priest under the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI). I passed the exams given by the priest with flying colors and started to prepare myself for the week-long seminary when I saw my UPCAT scores. My grandma told me to go to UP.
It was in UP that we slowly became detached, since I became active in student politics and the rigorous grind of academic life. Ever so slowly, those strong ties became weaker until we did not see each other anymore for weeks, months, then years.
When she went to Australia, I vividly remember how I tried very hard to reach the airport just to see her. I came from UP and rode a bus going to NAIA. It was raining. Traffic just started to grind ever so slowly. I looked at the clock and saw that it was just a few minutes before her embarkation. I alighted from the bus and started to run as fast as I can. When I reached the corner of EDSA and South Super, I rode a jeepney going to the airport.
I arrived a few minutes before she entered the immigration area. It was so frustrating that I cried. I will never, ever see my grandma again, I told myself. I need to be strong.
Last December, I got news that she tripped when she tried to go to the toilet. She was rushed to the Makati Medical Center. We spent Christmas together and she was the very first person I saw and greeted Happy New Year. After that, she was operated upon and I was not there. She recovered very well. Yet, I sensed that this is the start of her deterioration since she's not accustomed to being in bed everytime.
When my cousin texted me that nanay (I call my grandma that) wanted to see everyone because she wanted to celebrate her recovery, I asked my cousin why. It was not good texting everyone that. My grandma is still strong, to my estimation, and probably I'll be first to go before her. When I was a teenager, I asked God that I be given the chance to die first before my nanay.
I went to the celebration. I saw my Nanay, still strong, yet she always want to sleep. When she woke up, we talked and I always make sure that I put a smile on her face. She always laugh when she's with me. She touched my hand and said "thank you." Flashback---this was also the same way my grandfather passed away. I ignored that. I told myself that my nanay will live longer pa.
I don't want to see my nanay always in bed. Yet, her body is weak but I sensed that her spirit is strong and refreshed. She's at peace with God. I'll pray for her. Yet, I'll ask God why He never granted my wish not to see my nanay in a coffin.
I'm still here, at home, blogging. Just got word that she died. I'm not crying. No tears. I told myself, death is a gift from God. It is time to go. Time to spend eternity with the Creator. Time to rest in that perfumed garden God prepared to those who believe in Him.
I will miss my nanay. It is a sad day indeed.
I am in a state of disbelief, yet, something in me, accepted that already. She's already eighty plus years old. Death is an inevitable consequence of existence. The clock of life starts to tick towards death the very nano-second of birth.
Anastacia Soyosa Magallanes is the name of my grandma. She was born in the barangay of Tanauan, in the City of Tacloban, Leyte. She met my grandfather during World War II and they got married. Their first born was a girl named Rosalinda. My mother was the first of ten children. While I was the first of many grandchildren.
As the first grandchild, my life was pretty good. My grandma raised me since I was a child until I reached college. We were pretty close. We share practically everything.
She was a strict Catholic, that's why I always attend Church, go to Black Mary's on Fridays and became active in Church activities. At the age of six, I already finished reading the entire bible. I have at least six bibles in my little library.
I nearly became a priest under the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI). I passed the exams given by the priest with flying colors and started to prepare myself for the week-long seminary when I saw my UPCAT scores. My grandma told me to go to UP.
It was in UP that we slowly became detached, since I became active in student politics and the rigorous grind of academic life. Ever so slowly, those strong ties became weaker until we did not see each other anymore for weeks, months, then years.
When she went to Australia, I vividly remember how I tried very hard to reach the airport just to see her. I came from UP and rode a bus going to NAIA. It was raining. Traffic just started to grind ever so slowly. I looked at the clock and saw that it was just a few minutes before her embarkation. I alighted from the bus and started to run as fast as I can. When I reached the corner of EDSA and South Super, I rode a jeepney going to the airport.
I arrived a few minutes before she entered the immigration area. It was so frustrating that I cried. I will never, ever see my grandma again, I told myself. I need to be strong.
Last December, I got news that she tripped when she tried to go to the toilet. She was rushed to the Makati Medical Center. We spent Christmas together and she was the very first person I saw and greeted Happy New Year. After that, she was operated upon and I was not there. She recovered very well. Yet, I sensed that this is the start of her deterioration since she's not accustomed to being in bed everytime.
When my cousin texted me that nanay (I call my grandma that) wanted to see everyone because she wanted to celebrate her recovery, I asked my cousin why. It was not good texting everyone that. My grandma is still strong, to my estimation, and probably I'll be first to go before her. When I was a teenager, I asked God that I be given the chance to die first before my nanay.
I went to the celebration. I saw my Nanay, still strong, yet she always want to sleep. When she woke up, we talked and I always make sure that I put a smile on her face. She always laugh when she's with me. She touched my hand and said "thank you." Flashback---this was also the same way my grandfather passed away. I ignored that. I told myself that my nanay will live longer pa.
I don't want to see my nanay always in bed. Yet, her body is weak but I sensed that her spirit is strong and refreshed. She's at peace with God. I'll pray for her. Yet, I'll ask God why He never granted my wish not to see my nanay in a coffin.
I'm still here, at home, blogging. Just got word that she died. I'm not crying. No tears. I told myself, death is a gift from God. It is time to go. Time to spend eternity with the Creator. Time to rest in that perfumed garden God prepared to those who believe in Him.
I will miss my nanay. It is a sad day indeed.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Are We to Blame for Graft and Corruption?
In Europe, hundreds of Catholic churches have been abandoned and left to ruins. Why? People have grown tired of the homilies which, instead of liberating, Europeans find nauseating. Icons have been smashed to smithereens because Europeans found Catholicism preaching a quite contrary doctrine than what is written in the holy scriptures. There are a few places in Europe where you could find a sizeable Catholic population, which I found to be quite sad since Europe once served as the bastion of Christianity in olden times. In fact, many missionaries who spread Christianity came from that part of the world.
In the United States, hundreds have abandoned their churches. Americans have outgrown their fancy of this religion. People are flocking to other Christian sects, despite campaigns by the church to invigorate the faith of the laity. Priests have been arrested by the state because of sexual harassment or embezzlement of funds.
Of course in Asia, Catholicism is also on the wane. Only two countries remain locked in the tight grip of Catholicism--the Philippines and a former Indonesian territory (I forgot the name). Catholicism remain strong in this country because this religion still exerts quite a strong hold over government and property. Yes, the Catholic Church remains the second biggest haciendero in this country, second of course to the state. They also own several corporations and stocks in major Philippine corporations. That's why they are still so influential here.
Since 2001, the Catholic Church has been looking for ways to increase their relevance in the lives of the Filipino. However, despite their efforts, thousands of Filipinos change religion everyday because whatever the Church does, the people don't seem to care about them anymore.
The Philippines is an important and strategic country for Catholicism because it is the only country in Asia where they can say, for certainty, that they still exert a majority hold in its population. Many Filipinos remain slaves of this religion. However, I do believe that in a few years time, the number of Catholics will slowly dwindle here. Why?
The Catholic church here is beginning to be like the Padre Damasos of Jose Rizal's novels. Look at what the CBCP said today--they are maintaining a critical collaboration stance with the Arroyo administration. What's worst, they even blamed the people for the rampant graft and corruption happening in this country. Imagine, the prelators of the Faith blaming their own flock for the increasing moral destruction of Filipino society? I thought that they are the exemplars of the moral code? I thought that it is their responsibility to preach and lead us to the right direction?
How things have changed since the death of Cardinal Jaime Sin. If the good cardinal is alive today, he definitely would not allow the Church to go to bed with the devil. These bishops should be ashamed of this. They have allowed themselves to be prostituted for a few gold and silver coins of the temptress of power.
In the United States, hundreds have abandoned their churches. Americans have outgrown their fancy of this religion. People are flocking to other Christian sects, despite campaigns by the church to invigorate the faith of the laity. Priests have been arrested by the state because of sexual harassment or embezzlement of funds.
Of course in Asia, Catholicism is also on the wane. Only two countries remain locked in the tight grip of Catholicism--the Philippines and a former Indonesian territory (I forgot the name). Catholicism remain strong in this country because this religion still exerts quite a strong hold over government and property. Yes, the Catholic Church remains the second biggest haciendero in this country, second of course to the state. They also own several corporations and stocks in major Philippine corporations. That's why they are still so influential here.
Since 2001, the Catholic Church has been looking for ways to increase their relevance in the lives of the Filipino. However, despite their efforts, thousands of Filipinos change religion everyday because whatever the Church does, the people don't seem to care about them anymore.
The Philippines is an important and strategic country for Catholicism because it is the only country in Asia where they can say, for certainty, that they still exert a majority hold in its population. Many Filipinos remain slaves of this religion. However, I do believe that in a few years time, the number of Catholics will slowly dwindle here. Why?
The Catholic church here is beginning to be like the Padre Damasos of Jose Rizal's novels. Look at what the CBCP said today--they are maintaining a critical collaboration stance with the Arroyo administration. What's worst, they even blamed the people for the rampant graft and corruption happening in this country. Imagine, the prelators of the Faith blaming their own flock for the increasing moral destruction of Filipino society? I thought that they are the exemplars of the moral code? I thought that it is their responsibility to preach and lead us to the right direction?
How things have changed since the death of Cardinal Jaime Sin. If the good cardinal is alive today, he definitely would not allow the Church to go to bed with the devil. These bishops should be ashamed of this. They have allowed themselves to be prostituted for a few gold and silver coins of the temptress of power.
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