Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Baptism as gateway to faith and renewal of friendships

Baptism is one of the milestones in the life of a catholic infant. Baptism prepares a child to the Christian world as a gateway to the other sacraments. It brings about the birth of water and the spirit, a prerequisite to enter the kingdom. Supporting the child with the church are the parents and godparents.
Deandre De Vera’s baptism was also a social permission for the parent’s mountaineering club to get together in a reunion with their friends to renew friendship and ties. In a luncheon reception at the vicinity of Plaza Rajah Sulayman, relatives of both Jun de Vera and Jalyn Javier met the couple’s friends sharing a common bond for the mountains, travels and adventures.

Celebrating with the family’s historical Christian events along with illustrious loyal club members and past officers Bart Bartolo, Ronald Parlan on vacation from Qatar, Jon Linao, VP Roy, Major Raymond,Patrick Alcomendas on short weekend vacation from Singapore were Jong and Yay of UP Org, JB Aňonuevo, Regie Pablo of Revolve, Chito Razon among others.
As part of the club’s solidarity tradition, the luncheon was extended to drinking socials in a beer joint explored by Regie, Ronald, Roy on foot along Adriatico st. Rounds over rounds of Red Horse and Pale Pilsen kept on being replenished at the three tables commandeered by the group for the impromptu occasion courtesy of the most generous members and host parent.
Like a climb socials, talks revolved around Regie’s twenty years’ affiliation with the club and MFPI, memorable climbs with the Adobo Boys’, Jun’s enterprising outdoor store venture, the Quirino federation climb, MESAU’s medical mission with medical supplies mixed with Ginebra San Miguel and chaser Eight O’ Clock courtesy of generous friends and sponsors, Roy and Regie’s exploratory Batad adventures and most interestingly, coming from a divisive national presidential election, the talk on internet trolls with Jon L. at the center.
Discussions were lively and animated considering the two special guests' absence in the climbing scene for years and decades that the scheduled morning baptism has extended into late in the evening.
MESAU as a social institution has withstood the test of time even with the advent of millennial and overnight mountaineers primarily because of its membership, a solid bunch of warm bodies sharing a deep passion for camaraderie and the mountains.
Those precious hours with the members were sufficient trigger for us to remember the high points of our climbing careers supplementing the positive and exciting experiences with our own respective clubs. Thanks for adopting us and allowing us to contribute to your solidarity.
As Regie wrote in Deandre’s scrap book, “remember me when you drink your first beer Deandre.” Putting words in Jon Linao’s message, “remember Deandre when you vote, do not allow the yellowtards to reclaim their power.”
All these of course in the spirit of respect and fun which any mountaineer in the late 90’s to early 2000’s lives by imbibed by an informal code of ethics.

Hanggang sa susunod na binyagan.

Monday, May 09, 2016

Progress takes time. God works in mysterious ways

Progress takes time. It does not happen overnight. Though there are shortcomings, there is an acknowledgement of the drive to work harder. This thought set the foundation on our unnamed choice yet apparently shared candidate for the presidential election. I relate it to the preparation of the self for the coming of Christ through Advent and the nine masses before Christmas.


This was one of topics discussed which made the 2 hour waiting to vote for the 2016th National and local elections in District 3 Quezon City a breeze. The serendipity of conversing with is no less than one of the homilists of a personally meaningful Simbang Gabi, Fr. Nono Alfonso S.J. was validating. Fr. Nono in his 2014 homily expounded on the derailing of St. Joseph’s plans when his life was interrupted with the announcement that he will raise a family. http://tochs.blogspot.com/2014/12/simbang-gabi-at-gesu-2014-with-links-to.html. (Fr. Nono and Sr. Bubbles Bandojo of the Cenacle Sisters host a religious Catholic radio show Usapang Kapatid over DZMM Teleradyo.  https://www.facebook.com/nonosj )

What if the outcome is different from my choice?” I asked. “Is my fear of the consequences valid?” Like what Dr. Clarita Carlos, my political science professor said in a serendipity in a weekend market before the election, “Your fear is unfounded as it has not happened yet. Nothing empirical yet to support your imagined scenario. And we have a bureaucracy with more than sufficient safeguards in place.

From a Christian perspective, Fr. Nono inserted, “Trust.” Quoting a line of life interrupted, he closed his 2014 homily with “Yet with God’s graces, whenever life is interrupted, open ourselves to the possibilities of greater plans for us. Life on earth is indeed an unfinished symphony.

Progress takes time. Last 2010, it took me 7 hours to complete my vote, now it was shortened to 2 hours, still long but improving.

I left my polling precinct, feeling better that this democratic exercise is freely in place, richer because of the deep insights and impassioned engagement of a large base of electorate and assured as God indeed works in mysterious ways.

___________________

15 May 2016. I asked Dr. Clarita Carlos and Fr. Nono Alfonso questions to lead me to coping mechanisms. I read an article by J. Paredes today who i spoke with a several months before the election on the possibility of a still unfounded fear. It has happened. This is how he is coping. http://jimparedes.com/archives/2681