Catholics will be praying to two new Saints today following the beatification of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII by Pope Francis and retired pontiff Benedict XVI.

Of the two Saints, our generation practically witnessed the emergence of Pope John Paul II in the world stage and saw how this Polish Pope changed world history and many of us Catholics with his message and acts of love, faith, unity; and a life of simplicity and humility.

During his quarter-century papacy from 1978-2005, John Paul helped topple communism through his support of Poland’s Solidarity movement. He is also credited for invigorated a new generation of Catholics by launching the wildly popular World Youth Days and for travelling the world to reach out to the youth and to all people of all faith and culture.

Pope John Paul is also remembered for his defense of core teachings of the Church and for bringing the Vatican closer to the people. Even while he was alive, people already saw him as having the makings of a Saint.

As a former reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, I never got the chance to cover Pope John Paul II during his visits to the Philippines, but I did get the chance to pray over his tomb at the Vatican grottoes during a family European tour in 1996.

Travelling with my wife Ann and daughter Arizza, Rome was the first stop to a trip that took us to London, France, Belgium, Prague, Germany Switzerland and many other places in Europe.

Back then, the tomb of the John Paul II was the biggest attraction for tourists who have grown to love the People’s Pope.

Entering the grottoes under St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, I was flabbergasted by the utter pomp and pageantry of many of the tombs of Popes through the ages, what with their almost life-like sculptures bearing the images of the Popes and the expensive marble materials taken from the best places in Europe throughout the Vatican’s long history.

I remembered getting goose bumps praying before the cavernous and dark Tomb of Saint Peter the Apostle.

Amid the flashy display by the many tombs at the Vatican’s grottoes, the one of Pope John Paul II stood out not for its grant and ornate image, but for its utter simplicity and the fact that it was buried under the ground. Most of the sarcophagi of the other Popes were built above ground, with their images sculpted on top of them.

His tomb is simple with a marble stone on top with his name engraved and a picture of Mary and the child Jesus flanked by two angels on the wall behind it. Inside, the great Pope lies in a simple and unpainted wooded coffin made of cypress wood, as he had requested.

As part of the burial underground and as a gesture to his native country, John Paul II requested that dirt from his hometown of Wadowice, Poland, be mixed into the earth in which he was buried. 

As head of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the world’s most powerful men, Pope John Paul II could have had any artist available at his disposable to make an impressive tomb to last for centuries, but he did not.

For his utter simplicity as man of God, I truly believe Pope John Paul II to be one true Saint. He lived a simple life both in life and in death.

Saint John Paul II, please pray for all of us.

We are re-posting a story from The Manila Standard Today which practically says that with his outburst against lowly employees at the P16-million per share exclusive Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, Interior Sec. Mar Roxas has practically killed his presidential ambitions in 2016.


What do you think? 



‘Incident marred Roxas’ 2016 plan’

Maricel CruzApr. 20, 2014 at 12:01am

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas on Saturday said he was deeply sorry for the April 6 incident at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong, an “outburst” that some lawmakers called the game changer in 2016 or even “death knell” of whatever political ambitions  he has.

Roxas told the Manila Standard the incident was a case of ‘misunderstanding’, even as he also denied having bad-mouthed anybody.

“I have already explained the events of that day, and there’s nothing more to add. As I’ve said before: There was a misunderstanding about being charged a green fee for a golf pro companion – who was there simply to observe our game,” Roxas said.

“My understanding is that only those who actually played in the game have to pay a fee. Be that as it may, I have apologized to all concerned and have authorized the inclusion of the green fee in my statement of account.”

Roxas allegedly  berated a staff in the golf course for requiring him to pay the green fee of a guest at P5,100 per head. He said he has been a long-time registered member of the exclusive golf club.

Reacting to the Wack Wack episode, several lawmakers on Saturday saw the backlash on Roxas political plans.

1-BAP party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III, member of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives, said what Roxas did - whatever the circumstances was - would be a big minus point for his political ambition in 2016.

“He just sounded the death knell of whatever political ambitions he has,” Bello told the  Manila Standard.

House Deputy Majority Leader Sherwin Tugna of Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) gave his two cents worth advice: “Good manners and circumspection should always be practiced, regardless of the status and whatever the situation is.”

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz said that any public official should keep their cool at all times, otherwise unfortunate things will likely happen and could even change the complexion of the game in the 2016 presidential elections.

“I just feel sorry for Sec. Mar,” de la Cruz, member of the House Independent Minority Bloc.

But House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr., Reps. Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela, Elpidio Barzaga, Jr. of Cavite City and Jerry Trenas of Iloilo, in separate interviews with the Manila Standard, vouched for the ‘good conduct’ of Roxas as a person and as a public official.

“I can understand how Secretary Roxas could have been upset by the situation but I believe that he would not have cursed anyone.  I’ve known him since he was Majority Leader in Congress in 1998 and have never known him to bad mouth anyone,” Albano said.  “To his credit, Roxas apologized even as he denied the accusation against him.  

Belmonte said “I believe (Roxas) did not cuss, but he should keep his cool all the time.”

Barzaga also defended Roxas.  “I know personally Sec.  Mar for a long period of time and I must say categorically that cussing is not his trait.  In any event, based on newspaper reports  Mar has indeed admitted that there was a misunderstanding in the payment of green fees and that he has already made the corresponding apologies.   Under these circumstances, I think we should put a closure to this incident,” Barzaga said.

Trenas said Roxas already apologized for the incident.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/mobile/2014/04/20/-incident-marred-roxas-2016-plan-/

(Pls also also read our opinion on this issue here )

                In my world and the work I do, it is easy to get lost in the illusion of power and worldly affairs.

                Modesty aside, the thought that I am in position to give advices and help Presidents of the country, High Court Justices, Cabinet secretaries, Senators, congressman, mayors and private company executives on matters regarding old/new media and communication matters can easily get to one’s head.

                The thought that these great movers and shakers go to you for help and trust you’re every word, strategy, and action to get them out of their public relations (PR) communication crises and problems can make one feel powerful too, if not invincible.

                It is at these times when I go back to the faith I was born into to remind me that all these worldly glory, fame and fortune – well, just a little of it – are going to fade away. That in the end, what will remain are your good deeds done in the name of your God; the love, unity and support of your family; and the goodness you do and respect you get from your fellow man. These are the only things that matter.

                But faith comes first because in the end, there is just you answering to your God at the end of your physical existence. In the end, it is just you being judged by God whether you have served him well, your family and your fellow man – more so total strangers who cannot pay you back.

                It is this faith that keeps me human and my feet grounded on clay to where my physical body will soon disintegrate into. My faith also gives me the moral compass in times of great crises – and there have been too many and overwhelmingly challenging once in my lifetime.

                It is for this reason that when time and logistics permit, I go on Holy Pilgrimage to deepen and rediscover my faith. One of the holy places that had profound impact on my faith was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the Church of the Resurrection.

                Located in the Old City of Jerusalem and claimed both by Israel and Palestine, this place is venerated as Golgotha (the Hill of Calvary) where our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and the site where he has risen from the dead.

                This site is the very center of today’s observance of Black Saturday today and Easter Sunday tomorrow! This site is the holiest Christian site in the world!

                This place too is the most fought over spot in the whole world through the ages and until now, ownership and the running of it is shared by Catholic church officials along with those coming from the Greek Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic Orthodox and several Christian churches. Once, Muslim leaders held keys to it to prevent Christian groups from fighting over it.

                In 2012, God blessed me with good health to afford me and my wife Ann and my mom Aida Natividad-Nocum to go to this place and touch the stone – the Rock of Calvary – where the Holy Cross was said to have been raised for crucifixion.

                Me and my mom also got the chance to pray over, kiss and wipe our prepared garments unto the Stone of Anointing, the spot where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea. The place also contains the Angel’s Stone, which is believed to be the fragment that sealed Jesus’ tomb and rolled by the Angels at the Resurrection.

                This holy place is also the site of Station 11 (Nailing on the Cross) of the Via Dolorosa, known also as the way of the Cross. It is also the site of the Station 13, where Jesus’ body was removed from the cross and given to Mary. Most of all it contains the 14th Station of the Cross where He was laid to rest and from where Jesus resurrected.

                This Holy Saturday and the eve of the Easter Sunday celebration tomorrow, I reflect on the agonizing death of Jesus and his triumph over death as a sign of his great Love for us and to show that all of us will one day join Him in death, provided we live – or try very hard to – live according to His teachings.

                Jesus’ becoming man and his death as mere mortal also shows God’s great humility and that we too should try to keep our feet planted on the ground no matter what power and worldly goods we temporarily enjoy in our lives today.

                All our wealth, power, fame and life will end soon. But the best is yet to come – in death and our reunification with God.

                  Advance Happy Easter to All! Life is Great! Eternal Life is Better!

                                

Doing the Stations of the Cross at the “Via Dolorosa,” Jerusalem in October 2012

                The first thing I noticed at the “Via Dolorosa” (Latin for Way of Grief) in Jerusalem was the rugged and rough cobbled stones lining up the streets.

The image of our Lord Jesus Christ carrying a heavy cross whose foot grinded the uneven and deep surface in between the cobbled stones caused me to shudder. How painful it must have been carrying a heavy cross as it pounded and jarred the cobbled streets of Jerusalem that is now split between Israel and Palestine territories.

I stabbed my foot into the stones as we prepared to make our way from Station 1 where Jesus was condemned to the cross by Pontius Pilate. This event is said to have occurred at the site of Madrasa al-Omariya, located 300 meter west of the Lion’s Gate in in Old Jerusalem. We were to go all the way to Station 14 at the Golgotha Hill, the site of crucifixion, which is located at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Going in the company of fellow pilgrims led by bishop and a priest, I felt a part of Christ’s suffering as I imagined that cross weighing heavily on a shoulder and back whose flesh were torn open by lashes inflicted by Roman soldiers the night before. How our Lord’s blood could have dripped and flowed along the edges of the cross and into that same cobbled stone we were walking upon one fine day in October 2012.

I imagined how that agonizing pain could have been made unbearable by the insults and taunting of people who challenged him to save himself to prove he was the Son of God. And to think these were the same people who not long ago welcomed him as Messiah and were healed by Him.

And then there was the nailing to the cross. Our Palestinian tour guide told us that in the Roman times, nailing to the cross was not only the worse but also the most humiliating kind of punishment a criminal can ever have. We were told that the tunic or piece of cloth we now see covering the private parts of our Dear Lord in crucifixion engravings, curving, drawing and pictures were put there for aesthetic purposes so as not to offend our morals and sensitivities.

In short, what we see now – including the recent movies about the Crucifixion – is the “censored” version of the true event. However, in truth, people who were crucified during the Roman Empire were stripped fully naked. This is so that they will not only be fully punished physically but to be stripped of all honor and respect as a person and human being.

Historians say the Romans perfected the art of torture and execution, and their “masterpiece” was death by crucifixion. This form of torture was so extreme that it usually wasn’t even allowed for Roman citizens. 

Thus, as we take our time off to relax and perhaps enjoy the vacation with our family and friends, let us reflect on the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ and the physical, emotional and even dehumanizing suffering He underwent  for all of us.

Becoming man from God is already a burden in itself, what with our human frailties and limitations. Truly we have a Loving and Caring God who opted to die an agonizing and shameful death that we may all be saved.

Have a blessed Good Friday everyone.

            It seems Interior Secretary Mar Roxas has found himself in a “major, major” crisis communication problem following his alleged outburst against ordinary employees at the super exclusive and millionaire-only Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

                Worse is, Mr. Roxas did not get into a fight with fellow millionaire or a super-powerful political scion as he did with Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez recently. In that controversy, at least people were divided on whether to support a friend and political ally of the son of former President Cory Aquino or a member of the Marcos Clan. Then at least, the fight was between fellow millionaires or billionaires belonging to the country’s biggest and most powerful political clan.

                Except for those directly affected by the fury of Super-Typhoon Yolanda, the masa did not really unleash their full fury at Sec. Mar because the general populace dismissed it as political fight among the Yellow and KBL political forces. It was a Clash of Titans.

                This time, however, Sec. Mar stands accused of showing his true Haciendero and Burgis colors by berating lowly employees at the super-exclusive golf club with words like: "Tang Ina! Walang presi-presidente sa akin!” and “Tang ina! Walang bawal, bawal sa akin.”

                I will leave it to you dear readers to make your own conclusions after reading the full account at the Philippine Star newspaper (story below). For now, I cannot really say who is telling the truth, Sec. Mar or the Wack Wack employees. One thing I know, my friend and golf buddy Arnold Clavio is known to have many friends at his favorite golf course.

                For now, I will suspend judgement on Sec. Mar until I get to read his letter or read the investigation report by the Wack Wack management. But one thing is clear; this issue may well be one of the biggest public disasters to hit Sec. Mar in his impressive political career.

                This time, Sec. Mar stands to lose the support of the masa who – in spite knowing that Mar belongs to the Roxas Clan (one of the country’s wealthiest and politically powerful families) – have suspended disbelief by buying the political gimmicks of Mar’s spin doctors who portrayed him as “Mr. Palengke” and “Mr. Padyak” in the past elections.

                Now, in the eyes of the masa, their idol Mar is no different from his perceived anti-masa wife Korina Sanchez who was accused of being mean to her house-helpers. Strangely, the masa will now see Mar as being no different from his arch-enemy Makati Mayor Junjun Binay who was accused of berating and throwing his weight around hapless security guards in a subdivision for the rich.
  
               With this issue, the masa will see Mar for what he is -- the scion of a powerful and rich political family who plays around at the P16-million per share and for rich only golf club and who allegedly shouts at the ordinary people outside of his class. After this incident, it will be hard for Sec. Mar's PR spin doctors to again portray him as pedicab-driving Mr. Padyak or the onion-carrying Mr. Palengke.

                At least Mar is lucky the newspapers, television and radio will not continue to play up this issue as they will be temporarily out for the Holy Week. Unfortunately, there is the social media platform that will continue to go overdrive with it anti-Mar messages. Woe to Sec. Mar if he does not have such kind of online operators working round the clock, even on Holy Week.

                 We always tell our online public relations clients -- both on government and the private sector -- that there are no holidays for those in the social media platform. The social media machine never sleeps. The communnity of Netizens never go on day offs or holidays.


                This is Sec. Mar's Calvary.

                Good luck sir, I hope you can redeem yourself from this public relations and social media Calvary.

Here’s the story from the Philippine Star:

Wack Wack probes Mar ‘outburst’

 (The Philippine Star) | Updated April 17, 2014 - 1:00am



MANILA, Philippines - Did the secretary of the interior and local government go out of bounds?

The Wack Wack Golf and Country Club is investigating a complaint that Manuel Roxas II berated and cussed employees of the club for demanding that he pay the green fee for a golf pro he had invited to give golf lessons to his guest.

Roxas is a registered member of the exclusive club, where the green fee is P5,100 per head.

A report submitted to the Wack Wack administration showed the incident took place on April 6, a Sunday, at around noon at the club’s registration office.

Before the incident, Roxas informed the staff that his guest would be getting golf lessons from golf pro Rey Pagunsan.

The incident was first reported by GMA 7 broadcaster Arnold Clavio in his Abante column. The names of the staff involved were not mentioned.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

On being told that he needed to pay the green fee of P5,100 for Pagunsan, Roxas reportedly lost his cool and shouted at the staff member.

“T___ina! Kailan pa nagkaroon ng ganyang rules (Since when did the club have these rules)?” Roxas reportedly told off another staff.

When one of the club’s staff insisted that Roxas pay the fee, the DILG chief reportedly shot back: “T____ ina! Walang presi-presidente sa akin!” It was not clear why he made reference to a president or whether he was referring to club president Philip Ella Juico.

The club personnel then told Roxas that they would just call the general manager to help clear things up. But again Roxas allegedly shouted, “T____ ina! Walang bawal-bawal sa akin!”(Nothing is prohibited with me.)

A witness recalled that the commotion attracted the attention of Roxas’ wife, broadcaster Korina Sanchez, who asked if there was a problem. Roxas answered, “Walang bawal, bawal sa akin!” Roxas eventually left the registration office.

When he was about to tee off, another course employee reportedly asked for the receipt of the green fee but Roxas snarled at him.

Club membership chairman Frederico “Butch” Campos Jr. declined to comment when reached by The STAR and referred the issue to Juico, who said they would investigate the incident after the Holy Week break.

“We will look into it. We will study Sec. Mar Roxas’ letter and invite those involved in the incident. But since it’s Holy Week, we can only act on this next week and hopefully come up with a decision,” said Juico, who received the report upon his arrival Tuesday after covering the Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley rematch for Solar Sports.

Roxas earlier sent a letter to club members giving his side.

Pagunsan, for his part, denied that Roxas had badmouthed any of the club’s personnel. “Basta sinabi lang niya na babayaran na lang niya yung green fee ko pagkatapos ng laro namin (He just told them that he would pay my green fee after our game),”

“Pero noong pa tee-off na kami sa backnine ay sinabihan na naman kami na dapat daw bayaran yung green fee ko (But when we were teeing off in the backnine, we were told again to pay the green fee),” he said.

“Kung anu-ano na ngang balita ang lumabas pero kahit saan, kahit kanino pwede akong magsalita sa kung ano talaga ang nangyari (A lot of stories were making the rounds but I can tell what really happened, to everyone and anywhere),” said Pagunsan.

Members behaving badly

The rich are different from you and me, F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said. So does that mean the rich – and the powerful – follow a different set of rules?

Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in Mandaluyong City, undoubtedly an enclave of the rich where a proprietary share goes for around P16 million, is currently embroiled in a controversy involving a rich and powerful government official and the rules of the club regarding guests playing on its fabled courses.

Non-members are charged P5,000 green fee plus P100 for the caddie retirement fund for the club’s East Course on weekends. The fee is levied on any non-member who goes out on the course, whether or not he/she actually plays. This applies to teaching pros and the occasional – though discouraged – bodyguard, as was the case recently of a diplomat who apparently got special permission to bring his bodyguard with him due to security threats.

The exemption to this payment rule is for nurses or caregivers of elderly members or those with serious medical conditions who still want their dose of swings and putts.

Wack Wack has had its share of controversy and scandal over its 84-year history. Most famous of these is perhaps the “back off!” and “may P200 ka dyan” incidents of 2008 that supposedly took place at the club involving major players – some of them high government officials – in the scuttled national broadband network deal between the government and Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

That particular scandal hit the headlines and merited a full-blown Senate inquiry.

Members behaving badly are, unfortunately, not all that uncommon. A lawyer-member was suspended for a year for assaulting a waiter. Another was kicked out of the club for repeated incidents of temper outbursts and violence – including dousing a hapless server with a glass of water – and delinquency in settling his account.

A nominee – one endorsed to use the share of another – was not renewed when his endorsement expired for attempted assault on a fellow member in an altercation in the club’s parking lot. The former apparently resented the latter’s sounding his car horn at him.

Another case currently pending before the club’s membership committee which hears disciplinary cases involves a new member who assaulted a caddie, because his brother – who is the member’s regular caddie – allegedly stole money from the member.

The next meeting of the seven-member committee, scheduled for early next month. – Dante Navarro, Charmie Joy Pagulong, Cecille Suerte Felipe

(http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/04/17/1313598/wack-wack-probes-mar-outburst)

It was the last day of the four-day 2014 ICTSI Junior World Championship and my daughter Ashia was vying for a hotly-contested 3 slots to represent the Philippines in the Callaway Junior Golf World Championship in San Diego, California. All the 12 players were good and Ashia and the leading players were almost in a tie.

This was the only advice I can give her: "Anak, all of you seem to be very good golfers. All of you seem to have the same level of skills. The fate of the winner will rest in God's will. Try praying."

And it came to past that in the last two holes, Ashia managed to forge ahead with her closes competitors in the age 13-14 years old category by birdying the 17th hole from a bunker shot and ending the last hole with par to emerge one-over in the last day of the tournament in billionaire Ricky Razon's private golf course, the Country Club in Canlubang, Laguna.

The course is so challenging that adult professional players to include Angelo Que were known to falter and loose big points in the mean green of the Country Club. The golf course happens to be the training ground for ICTSI players playing against Ashia. Their home court advantage and their well-financed training from golf pros that charge up to P5,000 an hour or about P100,000 a month indeed gave them distinct advantage over Ashia.

Still, my daughter prevailed in the game even if she had to take on last year’s Junior Golf World champion and another champion from the Junior Masters in San Diego.

Indeed, you can say that she won in the wings of prayers.

It also helped that all of us – even little Arno – dropped everything to accompany Ashia even if up to the last day, our hearts were broken in pieces as we saw her struggling to cope up with the excellent skills of her fellow junior golfers.

Although they are of the same age, many of Ashia’s competitors have become better players while we had to force Ashia to stop playing because while she developed her golfing skills early, her maturity, patience, determination and discipline required in the game did not develop early on (please read http://www.krislibrary.com/1/post/2012/04/parenting-and-the-struggles-and-hardships-to-raise-winning-kids.html ).

Ashia is just two years back in the game and last year, she even failed to earn a slot in the 2013 Junior Golf World Championship. And then there is also the challenge of spending limited resources for her golf trainings. In fact, it was only four months ago that we got a good golf pro (trainor) Chris Guerero to train Ashia -- but only on limited period – courtesy of sponsor Mighty Sports.

Thus, with better and continued training, we see Ashia performing better at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo in San Diego, California. Ashia will join fellow junior golfers to make up the Philippine team to play against the best of the best junior golfers from all over the world in July.

As we prepare Ashia for this big game – and a chance to make the Philippines proud – we thank God for all the blessings given to our children and our family.

Indeed, it was only in Febuary that another big and hard-to-believe blessing came our way with our eldest Arizza beating more 100 best public speakers to earn the chance to represent the Philippines in the English-Speaking Union-International Public Speaking Competition (ESU-IPSC) in London. As a Philippine representative, Arizza will pit herself against good public speakers from 50 countries in May (please read:  http://www.deanandkingsprfirm.com/3/post/2014/02/kris-library-head-is-rp-representative-to-world-public-speaking-contest-in-london-press-release.html ).

Win or lose in their respective international contests, we are already proud of our children for doing their own patriotic acts to try to gain honor and pride for our country at such young age. As it is, they are already winners in their own right as they also proudly bring with them their Mindanao roots – most specifically their dad and mom’s home place Zamboanga City and Sulu.

With so much crises hitting our home place, we all – not only our family – deserve some good and hard-to-believe news regarding two Christian and Muslim sisters trying to show that life is great and that God is good!

Via con Dios …