Glimmers of Hope

The designation of Rev. Cardinal Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle as Member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, in addition to his earlier appointment as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples by our beloved Pope Francis II has somehow given us a sense of pride as Filipinos. Recently, the designation of Rev. Fr. Gerard Timoner, son of our Ateneo de Naga University (ADeNU) batch mate in high school class ‘54 the late Francisco “Frank” Timoner of Daet,Camarines Norte, a bicolano, as the 88th Master of the Order of Preachers, has added even more luster to the achievements of Filipino preachers. All these coming in the heels of the almost desperate global efforts at normalcy has given us a glimmer of hope that things are not all that bad, and that so much good can come out these dark moments in mankind’s recent crises. Then again the arrival of the vaccines and the start of the implementation of the vaccination program has boyd our spirits that things may be better. It is as if we are going through our own Good Fridays and longing for the coming of Easter Sunday. This brings to mind the relevance of the Lenten season to what we are experiencing now. Through the ebb and flow of our human common experience comes that saving grace and power of God. Right now, the only thing that is keeping our balance and sanity is our abiding faith that God will never forsake us. Once more we have to re-learn the lesson that God allows even bad things to happen for a good reason. That somehow there will always be light at the end of the tunnel. That somehow at the end of the rainbow blue birds fly to paraphrase a song.

TRIVIA:

Greetings to our daughter Tessie who has celebrated his birthday anniversary today with her close friends with a fellowship-luncheon. She now works and resides in USA.

Belated birthday greetings also to our Ateneo de Naga University (AdeNU) high school class ‘54 batch mate Pomping Requinta who celebrated his birthday anniversary recently sans any fanfare due to the pandemic.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

“THE BEGINNING OF HARDSHIP IS LIKE THE FIRST TASTE OF BITTER FOOD - IT SEEMS FOR A MOMENT UNBEARABLE; YET, IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO SATISFY OUR HUNGER, WE TAKE ANOTHER BITE AND FIND IT POSSIBLE TO GO ON.”

GEORGE ELIOT

FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE:

“FOR THE SAKE OF PROFIT MANY SIN, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR WEALTH BLINDS THE EYES.”

SIRACH 27:1