SO, YOU WANT A PROMOTION

In the corporate world, promotion to the next position or higher level is a self-motivating factor why employees work seriously hard and try to outpace the competition.

If the employee secures the promotion, not only will it honor the concerned employee, he/she will also get a considerable increase in his/her monthly pay, which is, oftentimes, the end-all and be-all of employment.

In a large beehive of a workplace where there is so much business  to do, an employee cannot merely take the routine 8 to 5 tour of duty and expect an automatic promotion in the succeeding months. He has to scour the whole terrain and discover ho he/she can contribute something more, way beyond the expectations of his/her supervisor and middle management for the benefit of the entire organization.

Whatever skills the employee has must be complemented by a sense of creativity, great initiative and audacity.

In marketing parlance, they say “find a need and fill it.”

The employee who exerts extra effort to find that need and seeks to fill it, will eventually rise up and be recognized for his/her creativity, initiative and audacity.

When you work beyond the normal expectations of your boss, when you seek the betterment of the company and contribute to revenue generation – however small- you achieve a higher level of competence and efficiency that is lacking in the other members of the workforce.

Then, without a doubt, you are on your way to developing yourself as a future manager of the organization.

Now, we are talking promotion, right? if you don’t have the guts, you won’t go anywhere. Remember, 

No pain, No gain.

No guts, No glory.

HYPOCRISY AT ITS FINEST (THE CHURCH AND ITS PRIEST)

HYPOCRISY AT ITS FINEST 

(THE CHURCH AND ITS PRIEST)

Since when did the clergy become activists?

I saw a headline about an archbishop with a name known to many, encouraging "CATHOLICS" to take part in a mass protest against a court decision allowing the burial of a former Philippine President in a Heroes Cemetery.

I can’t really believe the words while I am reading it, I was doubt for a long time now and I think this seals the deal for my “Faith” in “Church” or the lack of it. 

Don’t get me wrong, I am not an Atheist, I believe in a higher form that created all the beautiful things in this world. What I don’t believe is the divinity of the church and the so called religious, for me God is HERE and NOW, Past, Present and Future, and God is Omnipresent and Omnipotent because is in me and with me. 

Meanwhile, the church, its scriptures/dogma, its various institutions and corrupt bureaucracy are all but the creation of man’s imagination. It is never divine and it and they are all still susceptible to mistakes, evil and hypocrisy.

I mean, how a high member of a religious institution in a country boasting to be the one and only Christian country in South East Asia and embracing humility and forgiveness primary doctrines of its faith do such things, say such words and act is such a manner unworthy of Catholic Priest.

He was quoted as saying, “Maraming nawala, namatay, nasugatan at napinsala dahil sa martial law. Ang karangalan ng kanilang pagpapakasakit ay dapat na alalahanin. Kung sa inyong paninindigan, ang makisali sa mga rally ay kinakailangan at sa tingin ninyo ay bahagi ng ating tungkuling Kristiyano, kayo ay malugod kong hinihimok na dumalo dala ang aking basbas.“

Which can be translated into, “Many were lost, died and wounded during Martial Law. We must remember the sacrifices they made. If you think that joining the rally is necessary and believe that it is part of your Christian duties, then I encourage you to join the protests with my blessing.”

Why can he and they as a whole practice what they have been preaching in churches? What they’ve been saying in their long sermons, why can’t they forgive? The man has been dead for a long time now, but he was deprived of the peaceful rest that he somehow deserved. Yes! He can be considered the Hitler of the Philippines, a lot of activists have gone missing during his administration, death toll is at its highest and violation of human rights is rampant. But it’s a very long time now, and it seems we failed because we never moved on, a wound that failed to heal because it was continuously and constantly scratched.

We are investing so much time, money and man power resources to fight a horror of the past while we are being eaten by the worms of our future which only promise a worst future. 

I am not a supporter of Marcos, nor do I intend to make excuses for his and his cronies atrocities during his time in this article, All I want is for our country to finally let go of the pain of past and focus ourselves to the more pressing issues of the present so as to ensure a better and brighter future.

But how can we do this? When the establishment that is expected to be neutral, that is supposed to serve as an arbiter, a balancer is the one who is not just condoning but spearheading the anarchy.

Because of this, all other DOUBLE STANDARDS of the church and its clergy men that I have experienced, saw and heard for my own self comes back to memory.

When I was young, I remembered attending Sunday masses in our parish chapel, the mass is as usually is. The Pastor or what they call Layman is very good; he is welcoming everyone and accommodating all parishioners. But this is only during Sunday, because for the rest of the week you can barely recognized this same Layman for he is always drunk and causing scandal in the middle of the street. And the local folks who just laugh at him, some would argue and other will try to convince him to stop, and he will for the rest of the night but he will come back to this same state early the following morning. I mean so much for being Christian right and surely for being a “religious” practitioner.

Another instance is when I am attending a mass in a church undergoing “renovation”. After the offering in kinds and the usual alms which is kind of ironic since the church is far richer that its devotees can admit to acknowledge. An altar boy would announce in the microphone while religious hymns are being played that they will be passing around the alms baskets one more time, they are asking for the help of its “poor” devotees to help financially in the renovation of their church and turn it into a very big and splendidly decorated basilica, and they are proud of it.

Actually, I can go on forever, and unlike other people who tends to highlight and emphasize the worst of their experiences, for me this are the least of them all. I know of things and experienced them personally and they are far worse compared to what I already narrated above.

But my point here is, the Church and its members shall refrain from stooping further down a very low level, they shall work towards harmony and development of the people instead of initiating activities that will further widen the gap and divide because of their meddling with politics.

And finally, they should really start walking what they are talking.

By writing this, I will be judged, I will be tagged and labeled. I will be looked down but I don't care. I believe in God and this is not how God works, at least not how my God works.

If Loving You is a Crime, then I am Guilty!

  If Loving You is a Crime, then I am Guilty!

BY: EDGARDO W. VILLANUEVA JR. “CJ”

He loves me? Or He loves me not?

His existence is not visible, yet He is the most romantic man that I have ever had. His charm seems to be the sweetest delight in the whole world. His scent is more fragrant than the most expensive and elegant products that has touched my skin. His hugs and kisses are signs of his incomparable love. He wears his smile in a way no one can imitate.  But, He was not the one I wanted. I never even laid my eyes on Him before, because I only wanted self-centered experiences- selfish desires, hatred, worldly pleasures, bitterness, quarrels, obsessions, self-absorbed success- these were the things that I desired the most!

Most of all, I never thought of Him because I was satisfied of being loved and pleased by the people around me. I enjoyed so much with my friends: the conversations, sharing laughter and even the quarrels. Focusing on my own abilities and strengths made me flaunt what I am. I thought no one can change me. 

I never acknowledged Him, even when He courts me as often as the earth revolves around the sun. 

I thought that he has surrendered His love as the days went by. Suddenly, His words were like stains that fade away. I was disenchanted by His charm- yet, I missed his presence.  I disguised it with a lying facade; it was like I was wearing a mask. 

But then, he embraced me. He showed me the truth when I felt unimportant. Now, He looks for me whenever I’m not around. He asks me for my commitment, but only on the 7^th day of every week. Now our relationship is so much more exciting.

Finding true love is indeed difficult. When temptation gives invitation- yes, the intensity and excitement is oozing! But when this man expressed His faithfulness, which has always been true, there are no more lies and wrong doings to be had. I loved him, from the moment he made me upscale. He showed me my worth. I am not useless because His love for me is absolute. I want him as he wants me. He makes me feel wanted as he wraps me with his longing arms and embraces me. Our relationship makes the best love story that was ever told.

He is my best supporter, my provider and my Personal Savior- He is JESUS CHRIST, my number one lover. And if loving him is truly a crime, then I am guilty.

TRUE LOVER WAITS

 

 TRUE LOVER WAITS

 A true lover does not demand from the person he loves. He simply waits. In this sense, waiting is an expression of loving because the lover allows the other to exercise her freedom to respond. To wait is not a passive response. It is an active attention accorded to the person who is coming.

It is grounded in the belief that love is not just a matter of hope but also a matter of time. Loving as waiting is thus an embrace of time that flows naturally, not forcing it to happen but allowing it to tick and tack until the beloved comes.

Patience is a virtue that’s a waiting test. It accumulates inner strength to be able to receive the person who is coming. It is thus a call for an inner journey made through reflection and contemplation. Reflection because waiting forces the one who waits to ask and contemplate because loving is beholding.

On the one hand, if a lover inquires, he enters into self-knowledge. He comes to know more of himself and brings into consciousness some probable reasons why the beloved is delayed in her coming.

It is about entering into the stillness of a reasonable mind over an unpredictable appearance of an expected love.

In this mode, a lover becomes more in touch with himself which is a prerequisite to the act of self-giving to that person he loves. For this reason it was said, “You can only fully give yourself to another when you are fully yourself.”  Otherwise, the lover falls into the pit of loving partially to the disavowal of love itself.  This is precisely what that song means, “too much love will kill you,” or love isn’t enough.

It kills and it isn’t enough precisely because it was not actually given in full, consciously and willingly to the recipient of that love. If the coming of the beloved is prepared well, the lover is ready to accept the utter response of the beloved when she is there. Should the love be accepted or rejected. This is another question. But did he prepare for her coming? This is the question of waiting? What are you waiting for?

Loving is giving all without reserved. If something is withheld, then such love is not total. If something is not total, then it is partially true. If something is not wholly true, then it is not fully fruitful. If something is not fully fruitful, then it is not yet unconditional. If it is not yet unconditional, then it lacks the condition of being free. And to be free means to give all without reserved. It necessitates the uninhibited act of waiting. For then the lover becomes free as the beloved he is waiting for.

He has the gift of time to gather himself into wholeness so that he can love totally. In fact to become object having seen the wide horizon. He also becomes grounded in the cultivation of patience so that he can love fruitfully. He can journey within an act of self-possession so that he can love truly. And whether his love is received or rejected, to him, his love is himself, his act is his love, and his waiting is not in vain. He has found what he is searching for because he has become an embodiment of that love. The looking outside is after all, a looking within. The person of the beloved is after all the person that is himself not in a narcissistic sort of way, but in a fusion sort of way that the reason why you choose to love that person or this person is not that you are needy for love but that you want to share in the fullness of your life what is in you, love.

A Spiritual Reflection on Christmas Celebration and Beyond

          

        

        One of life’s best moments is when it is celebrated. It can be a celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, foundations and feasts. It can also be a celebration of friendship and belongingness, of success or of something that has been achieved. It can be with a sumptuous meal during pay day or it can be very simple as having a cold bear after a day’s work. It can just be a whisper of personal encouragement or a participation in community event. In whatever way, the celebratory aspect of life uplifts the spirit. It can make us exclaim, “It’s good to be alive!” It also raises our consciousness on the value of a purpose driven life without which life is just like chasing after the wind.

 

Christmas is one of those best moments because it is the time when the essential things in life are more valued, treasured and celebrated. We are, as some people say, “in-to-life” and not after the wind. We not only sing and dance, exchange gifts and went for a party or so but we open our hearts and hands so that we can share not only things but the gift of self to others. This makes the experience always new. It transforms the meaning of material things into gifts and charity. It transforms us to be life-givers and love-givers. It opens us to the horizon that there is something more to life than our own. Time and time again, this season reminds us that our value is not only in what we own but in what we give in return. This was the meaning of the words, the more we give, the more we receive.

 But it’s good to ask again and again, “What have we receive that compels us to give?” Perhaps a little meditation can help. Listen to these words as you read them, “I am near you.” Now close your eyes and say those words again from the heart. How does it feel? Is it you speaking or an inner voice speaking in you? I had hoped you had had that inner joy that no one can take away from you.

The experience of the manger was the Lord’s most tender way of saying, “this is how I am close to you.”  Mary and Joseph experienced this. Since that moment and until today the experience is being relived, in a very special way during Christmas. No wonder some scholars associate this event with the Eucharist because it is where Christ perpetuated his presence in each one of us. The God who was once transcendent and incomprehensible, powerful and almighty has given himself as a gift. He has been seen and touched. Not only that, he has given himself as well as food to sustain us. Such act on the part of God did not diminish His immense attributes but brought them near to His creature. What was once a hindrance to eternity became a means to achieve it; this is the reason why a philosopher named Maurice Merleau-Ponty once said, “The incarnation changes everything.” It changed everything for the simple reason that Christ assumed everything that is in us. Humanity contained divinity. And this is why, humanity is meant to be celebrated. It is not something to be explained but more to be exclaimed with joy and gratitude.

But this realization cannot remain there. A contemplation of some grains of truth usher us for action. The event then must now become our event, to be like the manger. To be emptied so that Christ can find a space to occupy. This applies to a work environment where much is expected of us in terms of competency, effectiveness, efficiency as well productivity. This is where independence is valued in so far as those conditions are present. That left on our own we knew what we are doing. Some also call this common sense. But there is also the other side and this is what they call interdependence. This is our capacity to see our work in relation to others – our superiors, management and co-employees. This is our willingness to set aside the self in order to serve the rest, to be “under” so that we can learn, to be hallowed so that we can contain the mission that we are here to accomplish. The event where we owe the celebration of Christmas can always be our light.  Christ did not choose a palace (though he can probably do that) but a manger because that sufficed. It literally contained all his being, dignity and worth as God. Christ so the teachings would say is in the Church, in the Eucharist, in the word, in the ministers and in one’s neighbor. But certainly Christ must also dwell within so that what we see in others can also be seen in us and this meeting of hearts can bring about the gift of his presence.  This is our dignity which when carried along in our day to day encounters can change the way we look at things.

There is a natural orientation to attach Christmas with service and charity. This is positive and emulating. But perhaps the gift of presence sufficed (especially for those who think they have none). It is free but its impact can be life changing not only to the other but to our very self.  An author named Joyce Rupp succinctly described how this power of presence worked referring to the experience of Mary and Elizabeth, the dance within their wombs can change a hurting heart, transform a languished life. That was Jesus and John referred to. Like them, we can also be life-giving to others by our mere presence. In Friendship as Sacrament Caltagirone has this to say: “Words, ideas and actions can be exhausted, but a presence cannot be. In the presence of another there is a wealth of energy flowing from God.”  To experience this, Rupp suggested the following “being with” activities:

Be with someone who needs you.

Be with a person who gives you hope.

Be with those who live in terror and fear.

Be with an older person.

Be with someone who has helped you to grow. 

Be with one who is in pain.

Be with a war-torn country.

Be with yourself.

Be with someone who has written to you.

Be with a child.

Be with a refugee who is fleeing from harm.

Be with an enemy or someone you dislike.

Be with a farmer losing his or her land.

Be with someone who has terminal illness.

Be with the homeless.

Be with those who suffer from substance abuse.

Be with hungry children.

Be with a co-worker.

Be with those whose hope is faint.

Be with world leaders.

Be with someone in your family.

Be with men and women in prison.

Be with someone working for justice.

Be with those who are abused and neglected.

Be with your loved ones.

We might be tempted to think that this “being with” activities can never change anything.  But if these are done graciously and gently, the gift that we received is broken and shared. It can help us realize what these lines from a song tell us, “Christmas is not a point in time but a state of mind and heart. And everyday must be like Christmas time when you’re a Santa Claus with gifts and open arms... When he lives within your heart, you glimmer like Christmas light.”