What a dazed and confused day this is!

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Last night I felt my heart being wrenched(and I'm not talking about a heart-wrenching feeling of sadness or sympathy...it's more of the feeling that a heart is actually being wrenched...).  My brother and I just came from a very happy get together, and we were on our way home from that gathering when I felt like dying in the literal sense.  I couldn't tell my brother because it was one of his happiest moods ever, and I didn't want to take that joy away from him.

Upon reaching home, I suffered silently.  My mom is still mourning and feeling sorry for her little sister, especially because we couldn't run to her side now because of many reasons.  I couldn't tell her and my dad, so I already surrendered to God everything.  I thought I really was going to die, but then I woke up before 6AM, and for one reason or another, I turned on my Viber(I turn it off at times because sometimes I receive stressful news from the said app) and learned that the father of one of my godsons died.  He is the son of the one whom I fondly call "frenemy"...she's the only one who could call me fat even during my lean days without my being offended...yes, she's the only one.  

He is also the younger brother of one of my sisters-in-Christ, and the older brother of one of my brothers-in-Christ.  Gosh...I just wanna hug his wife tight right now, but that would have to wait until later this evening.

God woke me up, and my lungs are a bit stronger today.  I have no reason not to be there tonight.  I have to be there.  I pray that I could be with the family until the funeral.  Please God, let me be available for them.  I haven't been physically available for a lot of people lately.

My godson is just thirteen years old, and his sister is about five to six years younger.  I am much older than they are, and though inevitable, I still can't imagine losing my dad at this point.  I can't imagine how they are feeling right now.  My tears are for them, and I pray that they would feel God's loving embrace.

⛪💔⛪

This morning a former teacher of mine in one of the institutions I have studied in posted about something that turned out to be "Fake News" about Archbishop Soc V. saying that those who didn't vote OchoDirecho would go to hell.  There were people who immediately believed it, and they started saying things against the kind man of God that were kind of below the belt like "The very reason OchoDirecho did not win is because of that very reason. He is a dictator.  They all are!" Others are worse, believe you me.

Gosh.

That is so unfair.

I know because of our sad history with the Spanish Friars, most of "us" think that all priests are like those Spanish Friars, which is also unfair, because history books magnified their evils, but what about those who were really true to their vocations?  What about them?  All we think about are the Damasos and the Salvis.  All we think about are the men of the cloth during the time of Robin Hood, and those mentioned in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. "We" have a tainted opinion of them.  "We" think they are all sex maniacs.

"We" rebelled against their advises because "we" couldn't even stand to listen to what they are saying, no matter how beautiful they are.  All "we" see are the evils.

I cannot really blame people who are like that.

In this day and age "we" see very active men of the of the cloth still very visible in their parishes even if it's known worldwide that they have children...they even have common law wives... 

Others were transferred, but others still serve as men of the cloth here.  Some even have radio programs and TV shows.

Since it is not a Dogma, but only a discipline, why not grant the optional celibacy thing? When I brought this up years ago, one of my "big brothers" said, "It's like having a first lady or a Queen." (Did he actually mean, ENTITLED?)

My goodness. Ang kikitid ng mga ulo niyo!  Ano ang gusto niyo? Magtago na lang sila ng mga nararamdaman nila? Magkasala na lang sila?  Ang dami kong mga kaibigan na mahal na mahal ang Diyos pero dahil sa disiplinang ito ay palaging umiiyak sa gabi.  Alam kong pinili nila ito.  Alam kong mananatili silang tuwid at mananatili silang may mga busilak na mga puso. Marami rin namang mahal din ang Diyos, kaya lang ayun, nasasalubong na lang namin sila sa mga lugar na akala nila walang nakakakilala sa kanila. Katulad nga nung isang Paring ang galing magbigay ng mga nakakatawa't malaman na mga sermon.  Nasalubong namin ni Bestie sa Makati.  Hindi ko siya hinuhusgaan.  Wala namang silang ginagawang masama.  Magkasama lang sila.  Binati ko yung Pari. Lumapit sa amin. Wala namang sinabing huwag naming ikalat ang nakita namin, pero wala rin naman kaming sinabi sa mga kinauukulan.  "Sin of omission"? 

Napatakbo yung babae.  Matagal nailang sa akin yung Paring yun, pero salamat naman at alam niyang di ko siya hinuhusgaan. Sana di niyo rin kami husgaan ni Bestie.  Alam namin ang "struggle" ng dalawang taong nagmamahalan na yun.  Pareho nilang mahal ang Diyos, at alam nilang pareho kung ano ang lugar nila sa mga puso nila.  Paano yung mga ganoon?  Yung mga walang ginagawang masama?  Paano sila?  Paano...

Even Saint Paul said it is better to get married than to burn in I Corinthians 7:9.  Celibacy is not for everyone.  Some priests just became priests because their parents chose to offer them to the Lord.   Some went "inside" for the wrong reasons. I know some parents who force their kids to go into seminaries to hide their homosexuality or because of broken heartedness. This is the truth.  Their kids are good people, but to be forced to do something they don't want to do is not a "solution", especially if they were born "that way" or they are torn apart.

Marriage is also not for everyone, and it is never a "solution" to the evils of this world too.  I know that.  That's why it's OPTIONAL.  That's why he should also just have ONE wife, until death do they part, and blameless, if ever. (1 Timothy 3:2-12 talking about a Bishop)  

There's this thing called "dispensation" in this present age...but since they are priests forever in the line of Melchizedek, why not allow optional celibacy, but have some strict guidelines and go have some soul searching first before embarking on that plane, since they are already in the priesthood, to be sure that it is the kind of path they really want to tread?  I know good Pastors(yes, I know that others from different sheepfolds also have wayward sheep and pastors) and their wives who live blamelessly...well, at least they try to.  They too are human after all. Hindi naman sa gaya-gaya tayo.  Ganoon naman talaga nung umpisa, eh.

Some people who were given dispensation are still living very holy lives...they miss celebrating mass...they miss being a member of the clergy.  

Study your Salvation History.  The Church was a thousand years old before it definitively took a stand in favour of celibacy in the twelfth century at the Second Lateran Council held in 1139, when a rule was approved forbidding priests to marry. In 1563, the Council of Trent reaffirmed the tradition of celibacy. (Source)

😢😭😿

When I watched Spotlight about those things that happened in Boston, I felt like cringing, and some indescribable feeling that is worse than disgust, but somehow... poor little boys and girls...  

In reality there are others who aren't pedophiles and aren't those who repeatedly do what they do to non-consenting adults.  What about those who fell in love along the way? What about them?  They are human beings.  Yes, they made a choice, but since it never became a Dogma and remained only a discipline...I already asked this in the vernacular, I know...

There are many underground meetings in the United States alone.  They petitioned about this to the Pope, but...

Don't get me wrong.  It's a VERY RESPECTABLE DISCIPLINE.  God is a God of order and this discipline "happened" when the need arose.  Priests were having concubines besides their wives.  It was extreme chaos.  Now, it is again very chaotic, but for other reasons, and probably even in reverse. 

Most would still choose to be celibate to focus on God, I believe that, once it is allowed.  The discipline still applies. They would enter the priesthood, and have that discipline of chastity.  

OPTIONAL CELIBACY

💔⛪💔 

Now about those pedophiles...
Someone close to me was just transferred years ago from his country of origin when he was found guilty of rape.  I love him, because he is related to me, but the poor boy was traumatised, and so was his family, that I can't help be torn...if that happened to your little boy, what would you do???

There are people who truly make that 180 degree turn(pag 360 po babalik ka lang sa dating gawi---but yes, it also means full circle, because of that man is basically good thing age-old debate) for the better.  It's hard, really, really hard, but through God's grace, we can forgive. It might take time, but...

Yes, there was only one Judas, and the eleven died as Saints and Martyrs(Apostles), and it could be applied to our priests too...Not everyone is guilty.  There are PLENTY of good priests out there, believe you me.  

Why am I talking about these things?????  Well, for one, that "fake news" triggered something.

Ang hilig naman kasi "nating" lahatin ang mga tao't bagay-bagay.  Hay naku!

God, please help us here "locally", "nationally", "globally", and universally.  Please Lord. Pretty please.

I'm signing off at the moment.  

Thanks for your time.

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