Pasko na't Masaya na naman sa Ating 'Pinas!

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Mga Belen sa Manila
(Christmas Nativity Scenes)



O holy night, the stars are brightly shining...............
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!






























Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope,
the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks
a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

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Maligayang Pasko, mga kapwang Pilipino! Ang kapayapaan ng Diyos at ang kasiyahang pam-Pasko ng Pilipinas ay sumainyo, kahit nasaan man kayo sa buong mundo!

Share your Christmas thoughts, prayers and greetings by clicking on the word "comments" just below. Feeling lonely? Or happy? Let us know. Got a question? Click on Magtanong sa Doktor or Magtanong sa Psychologist. Share your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Stay in touch!

Remember: Hindi Ka Nag-iisa. One. Filipino. Never Alone. (specially for Christmas)
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Pasko na't Masaya na naman sa Ating 'Pinas!

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Mga Ilaw ng Pasko sa Manila
(Christmas Lights)


Ang Pasko ay sumapit
Tayo ay mangagsi-awit
Ng magagandang himig
Dahil sa Diyos ay pag-ibig

Nang si Kristo'y isilang
May tatlong haring nagsidalaw
At ang bawa't isa ay nagsipaghandog
Ng tanging alay

Bagong Taon ay magbagong-buhay
Nang lumigaya ang ating bayan
Tayo'y magsikap upang makamtan
Natin ang kasaganahan

Tayo'y mangagsi-awit
Habang ang mundo'y tahimik
Ang araw ay sumapit
Ng sanggol na dulot ng langit

Tayo ay magmahalan
Ating sundin ang gintong aral
At magbuhat ngayon
Kahit hindi Pasko ay magbigayan!
















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Maligayang Pasko, mga kapwang Pilipino! Ang kapayapaan ng Diyos at ang kasiyahang pam-Pasko ng Pilipinas ay sumainyo, kahit nasaan man kayo sa buong mundo!

Share your Christmas thoughts, prayers and greetings by clicking on the word "comments" just below. Feeling lonely? Or happy? Let us know. Got a question? Click on Magtanong sa Doktor or Magtanong sa Psychologist. Share your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Stay in touch!

Remember: Hindi Ka Nag-iisa. One. Filipino. Never Alone. (specially for Christmas)
Click to return to website: www.ofwparasapamilya.com
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Hope

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THE ONLY HOPE FOR THE PHILIPPINES
by Father James Reuter, S.J.

By her own admission, GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) rightfully assessed that over the last decades; our republic has become one of the weakest, steadily left behind by its more progressive neighbors.' Forty years ago, we were only second to Japan in economic stature, and way ahead of Singapore , Hong Kong , Malaysia , and Thailand . Today, at our present growth rate, it will take us 30 years to get to where Thailand is.

1. A population of 160 Million;

2. Of those, 70 to 90 million (equivalent to our current population) will live below the poverty line;

3. Our national debt is estimated to be at US$200B (compared to US$28B when Marcos fled, and US$53B today);

4... We will be competing, not against Thailand or even Vietnam , but against Bangladesh ;

5. We will be the most corrupt nation in Asia , if not in the world (we're already ranked 11th most corrupt nation by Transparency International) ...

The signs are clear. Our nation is headed towards an irreversible path of economic decline and moral decadence. It is not for lack of effort. We've seen many men and women of integrity in
and out of government, NGOs, church groups & people's organization devote themselves to the task of nation-building, often times against insurmountable odds.

But not even two people's revolutions, bloodless as they may be, have made a dent in reversing this trend. At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward.

We need a force far greater than our collective efforts, as a people, can ever hope to muster. It is time to move the battle to the spiritual realm.. It's time to claim GOD's promise of healing of the land for His people. It's time to gather GOD's people on its knees to pray for theeconomic recovery and moral reformation of our nation.

Is prayer really the answer? Before you dismiss this as just another rambling of a religious fanatic, I'd like you to consider some lessons we can glean from history.

England 's ascendancy to world power was preceded by the Reformation, a spiritual revival fueled by intense prayers.

The early American settlers built the foundation that would make it the most powerful nation today - a strong faith in GOD and a disciplined prayer life. Throughout its history, and especially at its major turning points, waves of revival and prayer movement swept across the land.

In recent times, we see Korea as a nation experiencing revival and in the process producing the largest Christian church in the world today, led by Rev. Paul Yongi Cho. No wonder it has emerged as a strong nation when other economies around it are faltering.

Even from a purely secular viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense. For here there is genuine humbling
& seeking of GOD through prayer, moral reformation necessarily follows. And this, in turn, will lead to general prosperity. YES, we believe prayer can make a difference. It's our only hope.

Today, we launch this email brigade, to inform Filipinos from all over the world to pray, as a people, for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. We do not ask for much. We only ask for 5 minutes of your time in a day, to fwd this email to your close friends and relatives.

This is the kind of unity which can make a big difference. Of course, if you feel strongly, as I do, about the power of prayer, you can be more involved by starting your own prayer group or prayer center.

We have tried people power twice; in both cases, it fell short. Maybe it's time to try prayer power. GOD never fails. Is there hope? YES! We can rely on God's promise, but we have to do our part. If we humble ourselves and pray as a people, GOD will heal our land. By GOD's grace, we may yet see a better future for our children.

'If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their
sins, and will heal their land...'(2 Chronicles 7:14).

If you care for your children and grandchildren, PLEASE pass this on. .. ...

Let's not just abandon the Philippines

Symbols in the Philippine Flag

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NATIONAL FLAG DAY
(First published in The Philippine Star, May 28, 2009.)

Republic Act No. 8491 prescribed the period from May 28 to June 12 of every year as Flag days. During this period, all offices, agencies and instrumentalities of government, business establishments, institutions of learning, and private homes are enjoined to display the Philippine national flag. Republic Act No. 8491 is a reminder to every Filipino that the Philippine national flag is the singular symbol of the country defining the unity of the various towns, provinces, regions and ethno-linguistic and sectoral groups of the nation. It advocates national unity, love of country, and nationhood.

According to historical books, the Philippine national flag was a brainchild of President Emilio Aguinaldo. Our veneration of our national flag is many times more meaningful if we know the distinctive meanings in each element in it.

The colors symbolize certain values: the red field means that Filipino valor is second to none. The white field means that Filipinos are capable of governing themselves. The sky blue field signifies the loftiness of the Filipino struggle for freedom.

The equilateral triangle represents the Katipunan ideals of Liberty, Equality and the Brotherhood of Men.

The three stars represent the three major geographical subdivisions of the Philippine archipelago, namely, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The points in each star represent all the islands that make up these major geographic subdivisions.

The eight rays of the sun represent the eight provinces declared by the colonial government to be in a state of war (an estado de Guerra) during the revolution.

Our national flag is further distinguished from all other national flags. When the red field is up and the blue field is down, it signifies that the country is at war.

Let us respect our national flag. It no only represents our national identity but is the flag that was colored by the blood of our forefathers and enshrined by their sacrifices.

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Do you have any stories of what our flag means to you? Any thoughts on being a Filipino and our Araw ng Kalayaan? Click on the word "comments" just below.

Ask questions. Click on Magtanong sa Doktor or Magtanong sa Psychologist. Share your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Stay in touch!

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The Victory at Alapan

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Victory at Alapan and National Flag Day
By: Alejandro R. Roces
First Published in The Philippine Star, May 28, 2009.

On March 6, 1965, the President of the Philippines proclaimed May 28 as National Flag Day. May 28 was chosen because on that day in 1989, victorious Katipuneros carrying the Filipino flag that had arrived from Hongkong scored our first victory against the Spaniards. Next week, we will celebrate the 44th National Flag Day. We wonder what celebrations, if any, are planned?

Flag Day used to be celebrated on October 30 because that was when the Americans allowed Philippine flags to be publicly displayed way back in 1919. But for historical reasons, President Diosdado Macapagal changed the date of the celebration from October 30 to May 28. The new date went farther back into history for May 28 marked the first Filipino victory against Spain after General Emilio Aguinaldo’s return from exile in Hongkong. The battle lasted only 5 hours and 270 Spanish marines surrendered with all their arms because they had no ammunition. It was in that battle that the Filipino flag was first displayed.

The Filipino flag has two very interesting stories. It was first unfurled on June 12, 1898, when Aguinaldo first proclaimed our independence. It was said that the colors red, white and blue were patterned after the American flag because the Americans had approached Aguinaldo when he was in exile in Hongkong, and offered, not only to take him back to Cavite but also to help in the battle against Spain. At that time, the American flag was called, “the red, white and blue” and the Filipino flag was “the red, white and blue with the sun shining through”. The triangle in our flag stood for the rallying cry of the French Revolution – liberty, equality and brotherhood.

When the Americans took Aguinaldo to Kawit, Aguinaldo lacked the second most important symbol of a nation – a national anthem. So he called Julian Felipe, who was the organist of the church of Cavite and asked him to compose our national anthem. Felipe had a deadline of one week. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared our independence and introduced both our national flag and our national anthem.

The start of our national anthem is reminiscent of the Spanish Marcha Real. Felipe said that was intentional because he wanted our anthem to have historical continuity. The middle portion was obviously influenced by Verdi’s Triumphal March, which was first played when the Suez Canal was inaugurated, which by coincidence, happened the same year Aguinaldo was born. The concluding part of our national anthem was also obviously inspired by the opening chords of the French National Anthem La Marseillaise.

We believe that Flag Day should be commemorated with a display of the Philippine Flag from May 28 to June 12. It was also President Diosdado Macapagal who changed the celebration of our Independednce Day from July 4 to June 12. In short, our Independence Day was when General Aguinaldo proclaimed it and not when the Americans “granted” it decades later.

Government offices and educational institutions should be at the forefront of our Flag Day celebration. Flags have been the rallying symbols of a nation for at least 3,000 years.

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Ask questions. Click on Magtanong sa Doktor or Magtanong sa Psychologist. Share your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Stay in touch!

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Easter

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Freedom From Fear
By: Rev. Ruben M. Tanseco, S.J.
First published in The Philippine Star, April 12, 2009.

Here is a challenging description of the Resurrection that we are missioned to live by, here and now, and not after we die.

"Clearly, on that Easter morning, something happened to Jesus. But something happened to his disciples, too. They went hiding after the crucifixion. But after the news of Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome, and the resurrection appearances (of Jesus), they walked back into the world. They became braver and stronger; they visited strangers; they healed the sick. It's not only what they saw when they saw Jesus, or how the saw it, but what was set free in them.

"What if the life after death (that) Jesus reveals is not a life exclusively for the dead? What if it's a life available to us all, something that we, the living, can participate in, too? What if the resurrection is not about the appearances of Jesus alone but also about what those appearances pointed to, what the Risen Jesus asked?

"The resurrection of Jesus is a resurrection within us, now, in this time and place. A new pattern of events is set free around us, a new way of looking at one another and our world is opened up. It is what we do with this new freedom that matters.

"We have to practice resurrection." (From Connections, April 2009)

You and I are missioned by the Lord to be aware, experience, and practice resurrection in the here and now, from day to day, month to month, year to year, until we move on to an even greater and eternal resurrection. And this involves and absolute freedom from fear. A total attachment to the Risen Lord as the only absolute in life. Everything else is relative. Everything. My life, my relationships, talents and treasures. They come and go, in God's own time. Wealth, power, fame, everything. God is the only absolute. So that when I attach myself totally to God, I am liberated from all my human fears--fears of my own pains, losses, crosses and failures. All this and more is a way of life, a spirituality all its own, and we are invited by the Risen Lord to experience it in our lives, here and now.

This family-loving Filipino was 40 years old, when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Six months later, at his death bed and surrounded by his wife and four, growing children, he expressed between sobs his last goodbye: "I never thought I would go this early. It was for all of you that I lived my life. Very soon I must go. But God is with you, and He will never go. He will take care of you much better that I ever did. So do not be afraid. I know you will miss me terribly, as I will miss you, too. But do not be afraid, for God is always with you..." He closed his eyes, and after a little while, he breathed no more. The family mourned for many, many months but at the same time lived their resurrection with the Lord. They became even closer to one another than ever before.

Side by side with our resurrection in our personal and family lives, is our resurrection in our national life. National elections are coming in 2010, and in my deepest faith, I trust that in God's own providence, we are experiencing a national dying as well as a national resurrection.

Time and again, I have emphasized in this column our national mission from God as POLITICAL SPIRITUALITY. We must not separate our affairs of state from the sovereignty of Almighty God. We must not separate the secular from the sacred. All our efforts for the common good of our people, and motivated by love and justice, is no less than political spirituality. Interfaith. Inter-religious. This must be activated both from below and from above. It is in this context that our choice for the next president of our beloved country is crucial and must be God-inspired.

This is where our leaders from the different religious denominations must collaborate in the moral and spiritual politicization of our people. Many of our voters need a lot of maturing and guidance. Voting out of God-inspired moral principles and not out of personality cultism. This is our mission from the Lord.

Some qualities in the person of our next President must be clearly and consistently present. A marked competence in political leadership and governance, undisputed moral integrity, a deep love for our country and our people, especially the poor and underprivileged, and most of all, a God-centered life. And by God-centered, we do not mean a political leader, who religiously goes to church services on Sundays or the Sabbath, but (who) is actually a trapo politician for the rest of the week.

The way we will choose our next president is no less than a practice of the resurrection. The Risen Lord is with us and will always be with us, for as long as we surrender ourselves to Him as the Only Absolute in life. Amen.

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What do you think of this article? Click on the word "comments" just below. Do you have your own ideas on how to practice resurrection here and now? Submit it here on ePinoy Talk. Ask questions. Click on Magtanong sa Doktor or Magtanong sa Psychologist. Share your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Stay in touch!

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Good Friday and Holy Saturday

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A Meditation
By: Caryll Houselander
From the publication, Magnificat, Holy Week 2009

At Christ's death as at his birth, the circumstances of Christianity were the same as they are today.

In all this, there is some truth. Where Christ is, Judas is. There always has been, and there always will be, a bloody hand to take the thirty pieces of silver. But it is curious that Christ is doubted because he is consistent, and does not change, but remains true in every detail to his passion and its circumstances.

On the night of the first Good Friday, Christianity looked like a failure--it was a post-Christian world, Jerusalem moaned in her sleep, uneasy, threatened by war that might destroy her. The Apostles had fled. Judas hung from a tree. Christ was dead. All that was left in the world to show that he had lived was the empty cross on which he had died.

The poor huddled together, frightened and miserable, in the slums of the city; the lepers cowered in their caves in despair; sinners trembled, flung back into the hands of men. What now of the dreams that the prophet-poet had imposed upon them? "Blessed are the poor?" What now of the pure of heart who should see God? They had seen the man who said that he was God nailed up like vermin, bruised, disfigured, flogged, his face covered in filth and blood and the spitting of the crowd. They had heard his voice, the same voice that had cried out so lyrically on the mountainside that not even a sparrow falls without the Father's knowledge, crying out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Christ rested in the tomb. He had done all that he could do and had given all that he had. He had trusted his Father and slept, darkness in his eyes, silence in his ears, peace in his heart.

Once he had slept in a boat that was tossed by storm. He slept now while a storm of evil tossed the world: the evil that flings itself in hatred against whatever is good, whatever is pure, the evil that seeks to kill God.

Christ slept. He had overcome the world; its storm could not touch the serenity of his consummated love. The hours moved slowly onwards through the terror and despair of that dark night, reaching out longingly to the moment of resurrection, the secret moment of ineffable love: the moment of the first heartbeat of the risen Christ.

In that first beat of the heart of the man who had died, the resurrection of the whole world would be contained.

Editor's note: Caryll Houselander (+1954) was a British mystic, poet and spiritual teacher.
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