Nothing For Marvin

As part of our ante-dinner ceremony, I readied the 36 participants for the Gospel reading on the The Feeding Of The Five Thousand ( Matthew 14:13-21 ). But before I could start,  embarrassed, Marvin raised his hand and told me there's no more food for him anymore. 

That was the first time it happened for years. I took a deep breath, promised him to resolve his issue after we're done with the prayer.

After the reading, I said:
"First, in the Gospel, it was not true that there was no food for everyone. According to the tradition, most of the people who followed Jesus on the desert had 'packed lunches', but no one wanted to share.

"Second, the true miracle happened when somebody shared his packed lunch: 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. True enough, there is hunger in the world not because there's no food. There's hunger in the world because nobody wants to give... because of greed." I paused and looked at each and everyone…

"Third, although, I can, I would not go to the kitchen to ask for food for Marvin. You respond to this Gospel."

After I was done, everyone gathered to Marvin, apologizing, hugging and sharing their foods with him...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Miracles Happen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Nothing For Marvin

As part of our ante-dinner ceremony, I readied the 36 participants for the Gospel reading on the The Feeding Of The Five Thousand ( Matthew 14:13-21 ). But before I could start,  embarrassed, Marvin raised his hand and told me there's no more food for him anymore. 

That was the first time it happened for years. I took a deep breath, promised him to resolve his issue after we're done with the prayer.

After the reading, I said:
"First, in the Gospel, it was not true that there was no food for everyone. According to the tradition, most of the people who followed Jesus on the desert had 'packed lunches', but no one wanted to share.

"Second, the true miracle happened when somebody shared his packed lunch: 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. True enough, there is hunger in the world not because there's no food. There's hunger in the world because nobody wants to give... because of greed." I paused and looked at each and everyone…

"Third, although, I can, I would not go to the kitchen to ask for food for Marvin. You respond to this Gospel."

After I was done, everyone gathered to Marvin, apologizing, hugging and sharing their foods with him...

Impossible People

Impossible people, difficult people are some of the words we used to describe people who are.... well, difficult if not impossible to work with...

Working with difficult people is stressful, annoying and therefore draining and cursing. They make us purse our lips, shake our head and steam. And the worse thing about the whole situation is we're most of the time forced to deal with this kind of people... and they're everywhere.

These people are called with different names: Carlos Castaneda called them ‘Petty Tyrants’ , the early Christians called them ‘persecutors’,  athletes call them ‘obstacles.’

These labels say one significant reality, that these people are ‘necessary evil’ in our quest to be better persons; to paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche, “Those who don’t kill me, make me stronger.”

I have had several ‘petty tyrants’ in my life: a manipulative priest-instructor, a  selfish office secretary, a sarcastic CLM coordinator, and an old paranoid classmate. All of them may have made my life difficult, but each has taught me valuable lessons in life.

That manipulative priest squeezed me to the edge which helped me decide to have a family, which has made me the most happy person. That selfish secretary taught me the virtue of fairness. This lazy and sarcastic coordinator is teaching me ownership and gentleness . And my paranoid classmate has taught me humility and independence …

photo: Embrunman| posted by john b. bejo

Impossible People

Impossible people, difficult people are some of the words we used to describe people who are.... well, difficult if not impossible to work with...

Working with difficult people is stressful, annoying and therefore draining and cursing. They make us purse our lips, shake our head and steam. And the worse thing about the whole situation is we're most of the time forced to deal with this kind of people... and they're everywhere.

These people are called with different names: Carlos Castaneda called them ‘Petty Tyrants’ , the early Christians called them ‘persecutors’,  athletes call them ‘obstacles.’

These labels say one significant reality, that these people are ‘necessary evil’ in our quest to be better persons; to paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche, “Those who don’t kill me, make me stronger.”

I have had several ‘petty tyrants’ in my life: a manipulative priest-instructor, a  selfish office secretary, a sarcastic CLM coordinator, and an old paranoid classmate. All of them may have made my life difficult, but each has taught me valuable lessons in life.

That manipulative priest squeezed me to the edge which helped me decide to have a family, which has made me the most happy person. That selfish secretary taught me the virtue of fairness. This lazy and sarcastic coordinator is teaching me ownership and gentleness . And my paranoid classmate has taught me humility and independence …

The Devil’s Demise

In the land stricken by famine, there was a devout woman with a sick child. Day and night they prayed for food so loud and persistent that even the demons in their proud abode in hell were disturbed. So, one day a devil decided to come down to silence the mother and her daughter.

While in the middle of their prayer, the devil appeared. "Hahahaha!" Laughed the devil. “Don’t be scared, I am not here to kill you, but simply to tell you that your God will never listen to you! He is asleep and won't make miracles just for you!"

The trembling child answered him, "You’ll never know. God will answer our prayer." With that the devil mocked, "Hahaha! Don't you see how many dead people are on the street? Well, anyway you'll finally see how foolish you are."

For days the mother and the daughter continued praying. Irritated, the devil decided to pretend to be a good angel and gave foods to the mother and her daughter. Both were so happy and thanked God. The devil then went back to his original devil form and laughed out so loud rolling on the floor, "You fool! Your God did not show up. It was me who gave you those foods!”

After eating, the mother and her daughter prayed again. "Thank You, Lord, for You used even the devil to perform a miracle." Amen.

“If Satan appears to me and gives me money, I will accept the money and spend it all for the poor. The devil remains . . . my enemy but I will use his resources to feed the poor." ~ Jaime Cardinal Sin. Oct. 25, 2000

 

The Devil’s Demise

In the land stricken by famine, there was a devout woman with a sick child. Day and night they prayed for food so loud and persistent that even the demons in their proud abode in hell were disturbed. So, one day a devil decided to come down to silence the mother and her daughter.

While in the middle of their prayer, the devil appeared. "Hahahaha!" Laughed the devil. “Don’t be scared, I am not here to kill you, but simply to tell you that your God will never listen to you! He is asleep and won't make miracles just for you!"

The trembling child answered him, "You’ll never know. God will answer our prayer." With that the devil mocked, "Hahaha! Don't you see how many dead people are on the street? Well, anyway you'll finally see how foolish you are."

For days the mother and the daughter continued praying. Irritated, the devil decided to pretend to be a good angel and gave foods to the mother and her daughter. Both were so happy and thanked God. The devil then went back to his original devil form and laughed out so loud rolling on the floor, "You fool! Your God did not show up. It was me who gave you those foods!”

After eating, the mother and her daughter prayed again. "Thank You, Lord, for You used even the devil to perform a miracle." Amen.

“If Satan appears to me and gives me money, I will accept the money and spend it all for the poor. The devil remains . . . my enemy but I will use his resources to feed the poor." ~ Jaime Cardinal Sin. Oct. 25, 2000

A Jar of Honey

One that caught our attention was the drawing made by a Chinese girl. It was a jar of honey as a symbol of herself. At first, I thought it was simply sweet of her. But she awed us more when she started explaining why she had that symbol for herself.

“This jar of honey symbolizes me. As you know, honey is sweet. But it is in a closed earthen jar, which is hard,”  she started. ‘Well, people may find it hard to associate with me because we may not understand each other, or they thought I am different, but once that jar is opened they should know that I am as sweet as honey...”

Everyone was smiling that we all clapped our hands. Zhang Fin may have talked about herself alone, but I believe her symbol is a symbol of each one of us. We all are like jars of honey. The jar may look hard, unfriendly, distant, different, undesirable or even evil, but if people will only care to open that jar, they’ll see that inside is a basically good and warm person. 

A Jar of Honey

One that caught our attention was the drawing made by a Chinese girl. It was a jar of honey as a symbol of herself. At first, I thought it was simply sweet of her. But she awed us more when she started explaining why she had that symbol for herself.

“This jar of honey symbolizes me. As you know, honey is sweet. But it is in a closed earthen jar, which is hard,”  she started. ‘Well, people may find it hard to associate with me because we may not understand each other, or they thought I am different, but once that jar is opened they should know that I am as sweet as honey...”

Everyone was smiling that we all clapped our hands. Zhang Fin may have talked about herself alone, but I believe her symbol is a symbol of each one of us. We all are like jars of honey. The jar may look hard, unfriendly, distant, different, undesirable or even evil, but if people will only care to open that jar, they’ll see that inside is a basically good and warm person. 

The Best Recipe

One time my brother Jojo came home with a framed recipe. He was so excited and displayed it right away on the center wall at our lobby

The Best Recipe

One time my brother Jojo came home with a framed recipe. He was so excited and displayed it right away on the center wall at our lobby

Life’s Equation

Surround yourself
with the people you love
Surround yourself
with puppies, cats, fish and doves

Surround yourself
with the things reminiscent of the past
Surround yourself
with words  and rhymes that last.

Surround yourself
with memories of loving whispers and touch
Surround yourself
with contentment without asking so much

Life is a simple equation
We become what we see or speak or touch.
Seek forgiveness, and forgiveness will heal you
Seek love, and the world will embrace you…

 

photo: iStock_anouchkaWeb | posted by john b. bejo

Life’s Equation

Surround yourself
with the people you love
Surround yourself
with puppies, cats, fish and doves

Surround yourself
with the things reminiscent of the past
Surround yourself
with words  and rhymes that last.

Surround yourself
with memories of loving whispers and touch
Surround yourself
with contentment without asking so much

Life is a simple equation
We become what we see or speak or touch.
Seek forgiveness, and forgiveness will heal you
Seek love, and the world will embrace you…

A Letter From Every Mom and Dad (a translation)

“Dear Child,

“In the autumn of my life, please try to understand and be patient with me, if, due to my declining vision, I break a plate or spill some soup on the table. Please, don’t berate me. Old people easily get hurt. Self pity breaks me.

“When I could hardly hear and couldn't understand a word you say, don’t call me ‘deaf!’, please. Simply repeat it or write it down. I’m sorry, my child, I’m so old.

“When I could hardly stand up because my knees are weak, please, help me up, just like what I did when you were just learning to stand up and walk.

“Be patient with me, my child, if I sound like a broken record. Just listen and don’t laugh at me. Do you remember when you were young? When you wanted a balloon, you would ask for it the whole day through ‘til you finally had it. I was so patient with your childish demands then.

“I'm sorry if I smell like an old coffin. I guess, old people smell the same. Don’t force me to take a bath, please. My body is fragile. I easily get sick with a sudden change of temperature. Don’t abhor, or despise me. Do you remember when you were young? I even playfully chased you down under the bed when you didn’t want to take a bath.

“Be patient with me if often I am cranky. That’s probably because of my old age. When you grow old, you'll understand.

“Can I have a piece of your time, please? I just want to have a little conversation with you. It feels so lonely: alone at home the whole day with no one to talk with. I know you’re busy with your work; but I long for your presence, too, to talk and be with;  well,  you can pretend to like my stories. Do you remember when you were a child? I would look at your eyes and patiently listen to your stories about your teddy bear, crushes and little adventures.

"And when the time comes that I could not get up anymore, pinned on the cursed bed of suffering, you may not get reluctant and tired of taking care of me...

"Forgive me if I pee or defecate on my bed due to incontinence. Please, bear with me at the last moment of my life. Anyway, I won’t stay much longer.

“On my deathbed, please hold my hand and make me strong in facing the inevitable death.

“And please, don’t worry, for when I come face to face with our Creator, I will whisper and beg Him to bless you, for you've been a loving child...

“Thank you for taking care of us…

Love,
Your Mom and Dad.”

 

 

Because you asked for it
This is a  loose translation of this viral video in YouTube:
( an English translation of the video below is coming! )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pakiusap ni Nanay At Tatay ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Letter From Every Mom and Dad (a translation)

“Dear Child,

“In the autumn of my life, please try to understand and be patient with me, if, due to my declining vision, I break a plate or spill some soup on the table. Please, don’t berate me. Old people easily get hurt. Self pity breaks me.

“When I could hardly hear and couldn't understand a word you say, don’t call me ‘deaf!’, please. Simply repeat it or write it down. I’m sorry, my child, I’m so old.

“When I could hardly stand up because my knees are weak, please, help me up, just like what I did when you were just learning to stand up and walk.

“Be patient with me, my child, if I sound like a broken record. Just listen and don’t laugh at me. Do you remember when you were young? When you wanted a balloon, you would ask for it the whole day through ‘till you finally had it. I was so patient with your childish demands then.

“I'm sorry if I smell like an old coffin. I guess, old people smell the same. Don’t force me to take a bath, please. My body is fragile. I easily get sick with a sudden change of temperature. Don’t abhor, or despise me. Do you remember when you were young? I even playfully chased you down under the bed when you didn’t want to take a bath.

“Be patient with me if often I am cranky. That’s probably because of my old age. When you grow old, you'll understand.

“Can I have a piece of your time, please? I just want to have a little conversation with you. It feels so lonely: alone at home the whole day with no one to talk with. I know you’re busy with your work; but I long for your presence, too, to talk and be with;  well,  you can pretend to like my stories. Do you remember when you were a child? I would look at your eyes and patiently listen to your stories about your teddy bear, crushes and little adventures.

"And when the time comes that I could not get up anymore, pinned on the cursed bed of suffering, you may not get reluctant and tired of taking care of me...

"Forgive me if I pee or defecate on my bed due to incontinence. Please, bear with me at the last moment of my life. Anyway, I won’t stay much longer.

“On my deathbed, please hold my hand and make me strong in facing the inevitable death.

“And please, don’t worry, for when I come face to face with our Creator, I will whisper and beg Him to bless you, for you've been a loving child...

“Thank you for taking care of us…

Love,
Your Mom and Dad.”

End of the Road

I was literally at the end the road, and the six dogs were almost on my butt! It was an inner drive for survival which made me turn around and swing my bat left and right, left and right. O my God, I almost forgot I had a bat!

Nobody wants to find herself or himself to be at the end of the road often. It’s scary, frustrating, cold and lonely. But sometimes , it is what we need to realize that we need to turn around and fight back. Who knows, we have more weapons than a mere bat to fight the hounds of frustrations and failures of our life.

The human spirit is made to survive, conquer and to excel, but oftentimes, because of the illusion of comfort and security, we forget how powerful we could be. We forget how capable we are. And that’s where we need to be pushed to the end of the road for us to wake up, see and use what we got.

I have watched this video for myriad times already, but every time I do, it always re-awakens something in me. It reminds me a very simple truth: “Hey, John, you are more ‘complete’ than Nick is. Get back up!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End of the Road ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Father,
You’re a wonderful God.
We know we’re wonderful too
And more capable than we thought, but oftentimes we forgot.
Remind us always of our innate power to survive, conquer and excel,
That our God is greater than any trials in this world,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: Immortals| posted by john b. bejo

End of the Road

I was literally at the end the road, and the six dogs were almost on my butt! It was an inner drive for survival which made me turn around and swing my bat left and right, left and right. O my God, I almost forgot I had a bat!

Nobody wants to find herself or himself to be at the end of the road often. It’s scary, frustrating, cold and lonely. But sometimes , it is what we need to realize that we need to turn around and fight back. Who knows, we have more weapons than a mere bat to fight the hounds of frustrations and failures of our life.

The human spirit is made to survive, conquer and to excel, but oftentimes, because of the illusion of comfort and security, we forget how powerful we could be. We forget how capable we are. And that’s where we need to be pushed to the end of the road for us to wake up, see and use what we got.

I have watched this video for myriad times already, but every time I do, it always re-awakens something in me. It reminds me a very simple truth: “Hey, John, you are more ‘complete’ than Nick is. Get back up!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End of the Road ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Father,
You’re a wonderful God.
We know we’re wonderful too
And more capable than we thought, but oftentimes we forgot.
Remind us always of our innate power to survive, conquer and excel,
That our God is greater than any trials in this world,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: Immortals| posted by john b. bejo