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Matthew 4:18-22 | Duccio | Jesus calling Peter and Andrew

Matthew 4:18-22   Jesus calling Peter and Andrew

Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew,  Painted by Duccio di Buoninsegna (1255-1318), Painted in 1308, tempera on panel © National Gallery of Art, Washington DC As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.   READ MORE     Reflection on the Painted Panel This small panel was part of the Maestà, one of the most important masterpieces in the history of Western painting. The monumental Maestà was a two-sided altarpiece that dominated the main altar in Siena’s cathedral for nearly two centuries. This panel is part of the back section. It shows Jesus calling Peter and Andrew, as per today’s Gospel reading. This painting is one of the last panels Duccio did for the Maestà. Painted circa 1308, the figures are very human in their expression, their gestures tell the story (Jesus asking the question, and the two apostles responding), the draped clothing reveal the body outlines below which was quite adventurous for its time, etc… Yes the sky and sea are not worked out in detail, showing us that Duccio is more interested in conveying the story rather than painting an elaborate landscape. Andrew and Peter were the very first apostles to be called by Jesus. They must have been very special for Jesus to chose them; or were they? Were they just ordinary fishermen, but became extra-ordinary after their calling and giving themselves to Christ? Yes, that is probably right. Whilst they had talents in them to achieve great things, these talents burst to life after they met Christ. Yet, they still had to respond to their call. Jesus may have called them and invited them to join Him, however Andrew and Peter both had to respond. That was their decision and their decision only. The calling is there, but the response is our own responsibility we take in all freedom. Andrew and Peter responded with generosity of heart and thanks to their response, literally billions of people throughout Christianity were shared the Good News. Two humble and generous fishermen, changing the lives of billions of people throughout the ages… Two great man, willing to be small, but in that humility, achieving the greatest of things… still fishers of people to this day! by Patrick van der Vorst

DUTERTE HINAMON SI LENI "ILABAS MO MGA NALALAMAN MO"

Human Trafficking, the Most Evil Enslavement

Fr. Shay Cullen

29 November 2019

Human trafficking for sexual exploitation is the most insidious and evil form of enslavement. That is because it is so personal and inflicts such human degradation and suffering on individuals day after day, year by year. It is one of the most serious kinds of human rights violations.

Earlier this year, twenty six teenagers aged 14 to 17 were rescued from the Golden Victory Hotel and the Villa Luli and Inev Resort in Mabalacat City near Angeles City by the Women and Children Protection Center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) based in Camp Crame headed by General William Macavinta. The children were victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation by the traffickers and hotel operators and foreign and local sex tourists. The children were rescued and twenty of the victims were brought to the Preda Foundation’s home for trafficked girls. They were traumatized and conditioned by relatives and traffickers to work as sexually exploited children.

It is very important that we all understand what is going on in Asia and the world where human traffickers are vicious criminals. They are enslaving women and children in the sex trade and making them work long hours satisfying the lust and devious sexual fantasies of immoral men for little or no money. They control and virtually imprison the victims by threats and intimidation. Many are lured from poor villages and remote towns to the sex industry in cities and sold into sex bars where they are held in debt bondage. They are afraid to leave with unpaid debts for board and lodging and drugs.

That is what is insidious about the crime of human trafficking. It is a life-long bondage and control, the victims are condemned to suffer a life of sexual violence. The sex abusers, foreign or local, can rape and abuse with impunity. The young women and children are afraid to complain or run away. They are drug dependent and have debts to the drug pushers. If only President Duterte would crack down on the pushers and drug peddlers inside the sex bars and brothels that run on mayor’s permits and that enslave our young people, it would be a great act of statesmanship.

In today’s world, slavery is common. In every country, there are enslaved people. Most of 24.5 million victims are women and 33 percent are children. They are almost always very poor, unemployed, not well educated and vulnerable. They are victims of organized crime syndicates and used for forced labor or underpaid work that includes working in factories, on fishing vessels and as farm laborers or held in sexual enslavement.

Other victims of human trafficking in Europe are refugees, asylum seekers and migrants fleeing poverty and violence. The exploitation and abuse of these people happens in migrant reception centers and refugee camps on the doorsteps of Europe. Many of them and their families are ruined by war and having sold their land and property to speculators and paid traffickers to get them to Europe, many more borrowed money and are in debt bondage to traffickers. They will have to pay the traffickers and end up enslaved for dozens of years. Along the trafficking journey, hundreds of minors have been sexually exploited. It is part of their survival and out of shame and fear they almost never report it or admit it happens. As many as 33, 000 migrants have died while trying to enter Europe between 2000 and 2017 and many more since then. It is a present ongoing crime by human traffickers.

According to Emmaus International, after the arms and drug trade, human trafficking is the third most lucrative and widespread form of criminal activity and exploitation. It generates 32 billion euros a year. Every year, around 2.5 million new victims – mainly women and children – are recruited and exploited worldwide.

It is not all doom and gloom. Many are fighting back and confronting the evil trade in humans. More and more traffickers are being brought to justice and some are convicted. Much more needs to be done.

Those twenty minors rescued from the sex industry in Mabalacat and brought to the Preda Foundation home for abused children are recovering and have broken out of their “enslaved mentality.” That is the conditioning whereby they are made to believe that they are good for nothing other than drug dependent sex workers. Now, they feel free and have a new enlightened outlook on themselves and their future. This is due to the  “Anger and Pain Release Therapy” that they choose to have several times a week at the Preda home. The therapist encourages them to challenge and confront those people, the traffickers and abusers who hurt, humiliated and abused them. The teenagers are urged to release their pent up buried feelings of hurt emotions of anger and frustration at them. In the session, the girls began shouting out their anger and pain and even hatred erupted as some screamed as they punched the cushions. In their imagination, they were punching their abuser and tormentor.

After weeks of this, with support, counseling, comfort and encouragement from the all female staff, the teenagers began to recover and change. They grew in self-confidence and self esteem. The positive reinforcement therapy built up their self-image as good persons with rights and power to get justice. They became involved in all the games, sports, group dynamics and learning activities. From sad, angry, withdrawn children, they stood up empowered and confronted the world and their traffickers and abusers. It helps them overcome their feelings of weakness, defeat, and fear.  From depression and withdrawal, they open and emerge empowered victors pursuing justice robustly with determination and vigor.

They are attending court hearings and testifying with courage and determination. It is only when the victims are rescued, protected, healed and testify against the traffickers and abusers will the scourge of human trafficking for sexual exploitation end.

www.preda.org

Read the book by the same author, Ricky and Julie at http://amzn.com/B07DXKX4SV 

Why “journalism” will NEVER be the right channel for delivering reliable FACTS

November 28, 2019 - by benign0 - 3 Comments.

If people think imposing more controls on social media will change the fortunes of Big Traditional Corporate News Media, they’ll likely be in for a shock. The truth about “journalism” is that it is a profession that relies on a rather primitive aspect of the human condition — emotionalism. “Journalists” are in constant search of a story to tell. By their very nature, stories are designed to appeal to an old quirk of human cognition that favours a linear episodal revealing of information which is how a story is structured — it has a beginning and an end and, between these two points, a rising action phase peaking at a climax then a falling action leading to resolution.

Because “journalism” relies on stories to structure the information it delivers, it will never be up to the task of being a conduit for factual information. Factual information presented in non-linear structures like tables, matrices, and multi-variable logical constructs are boring. This is the reason facts never fly as news stories and, therefore, hardly ever make front page headlines in newspapers and why dictionaries, almanacs, and phone directories are not read from cover-to-cover.

In short, we should all disabuse ourselves of the notion that “journalism” will save humanity from the “fake news” and “disinformation” that leaders of that profession insist proliferate on the Net and turn people into sheep and zombies. This does not mean that “fake news” and “disinformation” are not problems. They are and they are serious ones. However, “journalism” is not the “weapon” it is made out to be that can combat “fake news” and “disinformation”.

In the important fight we face against disinformation, “journalism” is a dull weapon. To become savvier at consuming and vetting information, we need to get on top of our bias towards stories. Stories are a cognitive relic we inherited from our ancestors whose historical and cultural traditions are stored in various story structures — epics, legends, and religious scripture, to name a few. “Journalism”, therefore, does not contribute to this much-needed cognitive leap because, for all intents and purposes, it is part of the problem its practioners presume to solve.

Consider this. The headline “Plane Crash kills 250” is a story that sends chills up frequent fliers’ spines and actually prompts many to think twice about their next overseas holiday. But the fact that your chances of being killed in a plane crash over a lifetime of flying is far smaller than the probability of you being run over while crossing a street elicits far less of such an emotional response and, often, does not change one’s perception of flying. On one hand, we don’t think much about taking unecessary risks on our streets everyday — jaywalking, trying to beat a red light, tailgating, counterflowing, etc. — but, on the other, raise a shrill howl at the slightest perception that even the smallest of safety procedures are not observed on a flight. That’s all because stories about plane crashes make headline news and movie plots whereas the dramas of driving and crossing streets don’t sell papers and movie tickets.

“Journalism” fills the gap between working at getting hold of reliable facts and our predisposition to sitting wide-eyed while an “elder” spoonfeeds us our daily-dose of knowledge delivered via stories. It’s a comfy service that puts the ability to poison minds at a massive scale in the hands of a tiny elite community of oligarchs. That obvious fact about the “journalism” profession and the “news” media industry that employs these professionals seems to escape the mind of most people.

Journalists may be made out to be some sort of hero or messiah under the current thinking. The “fight” against “disinformation” provides a good narrative to enforce that flawed notion about “journalists”. People need to step up and put in a bit more brain work into piecing together their own frame of thinking and not rely on the mere stories that they are told. The “journalism” profession and the news media industry make their money from telling people stories. We had, for so long, willingly submitted to the monopoly “journalists” and news media businesses hold on story telling. It is high time we broke that monopoly and, more importantly, get over our dependence on stories and narratives as our primary source of information.

Journalism still has its place — as a form of entertainment. But we are now in an era where reliable information is available and can be obtained independently with a bit of work and a bit more robust thinking.

About benign0

benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.

https://www.getrealphilippines.com/2019/11/why-journalism-will-never-be-the-right-channel-for-delivering-reliable-facts/

Luke 21:29-33 | Asako Kuwajima | The bud of a tree is a sign

Luke 21:29-33   The bud of a tree is a sign

Prunus Yedoensis,  Botanical art by Asako Kuwajima (born 1948), Drawn in 2016, pastel and gouache on paper © Society of Botanical Artists Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Botanical Gouache We looked some botanical art before (click here) where we discussed the ‘nature’ of this art form. Jesus compares the bud on a tree, as a foretelling of the flower to come. Often events can also warn us for what is to come. The image He uses of a tree blossoming is lovely, as trees sometimes don’t blossom, but they get a chance again to blossom the next year, or the next and so on. The tree has it aways within itself, when nurtured and fed properly to bear fruit. So are we also given second chances over and over again by Christ. Furthermore, Jesus is inviting us to be be alert and notice the signs of the times which will help us discern  between what is true and what is false or merely passing. In a way, we are all always looking out for signs. Not necessarily external signs, but more the inner movements in our heart. We are aware of what gives the heart consolation or desolation. These signs are feelings which will help us analyse a given situation and help us discern what the right path forward is. Jesus draws from nature to make his point; our Japanese artist of today, Asako Kuwajima, draws nature literally in a very detailed and beautiful way. The flowers he drew are gone, but the tree will be blossoming over and again if nurtured correctly… by Patrick van der Vorst

Luke 21:20-28 | Nasa Space Photo | Signs in the sun and moon and stars

Luke 21:20-28   Signs in the sun and moon and stars

Moon traveling across the sun,  Image taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory © NASA/SDO/LRO/GSFC Jesus said to his disciples, ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you must realise that she will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For this is the time of vengeance when all that scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come! ‘For great misery will descend on the land and wrath on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every pagan country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the pagans until the age of the pagans is completely over. ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Nasa Space Painting Sometimes we don’t need to look for artworks to find art. This photo taken by one of the Nasa space shuttles is pure art and shows the beauty of God’s creation in full display. The image is not digitally enhanced, and just taken in HD. As today’s reading mentions ‘there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars’, I went to the Nasa website (www.nasa.gov) to find a suitable image for today, and I must say I have been overwhelmed with the stunning photographs. The fact these images exist, is almost as amazing as the beauty they show. Unlike artworks produced by artists wether they are portraits, landscapes, sculptures etc, these photographs are not the product of one human artist creator, but they simply reflect the creation of the Master Creator Himself. When Luke wrote today’s Gospel, he wrote it after the destruction of the Temple took place, and so he knew and witnessed what Jesus had foretold. Him mentioning the sun, moon, stars, was to place these tragic events into a wider context. To try and make sense of the here and now, look at the stars and place these events into a wider, eternal, infinite context. When Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth in April 1961, he carried centuries of hopes and dreams into space with him… he did something that people 2000 years ago, just like Luke, could only have dreamed of… When Gagarin arrived back on planet earth, he was asked so many question of what it felt like to be up there. What seemed to have impacted him the most was the view of Earth within it: ”Circling the Earth in my orbital spaceship, I marvelled at the beauty of our planet,” he continued, "People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty, and not destroy it." by Patrick van der Vorst

Leni may natuklasan at nagsisimula pa lang daw - Dante

Sick and tired of blah-blah by, and on, Robredo

By Rigoberto D. Tiglao         November 27, 2019

I’M sick and tried of all the blah-blah by, and on, Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo these past three years. As vice president, she has accomplished nothing and said nothing really substantial or reasonable. Why the heck do we spend time talking about her?

To be honest, this column is obviously another such blah-blah on Robredo, but what I can do when media has been over-reporting her? C’mon, what’s really the news value justifying banner headlines yesterday reporting Robredo’s inane remarks like, “I have only started” (The Manila Times and Philippine Star) and “Leni to DU30: What are you scared of?” (Philippine Daily Inquirer). (To save this column from being another total blah-blah, I raise later below issues confronting the war against drugs I hope government will consider.)

After three years of bashing Duterte and painting the country, in the words of her cheerleader Maria Ressa, a “war zone” where corpses by the President’s death squads litter the streets, she is still “starting”? Then that mindless question by Robredo asking if Duterte is scared is big news deserving banner treatment?

I dare to lecture my media colleagues: Banner headlines are for, to exaggerate it, earth-shaking events, or statements by people who have some kind of power to walk the talk. If, say, in the context of hypothetical news that some stupid UN human rights group comes out with a report condemning alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, Duterte says, “I have just started,” that is big, fearful news. He has the authority and resources to walk his talk.

But a vice president with no political power, and obviously not enough brains, mouthing a sound bite?

Superiority

After three years, Robredo has done nothing meaningful for any journalist to take seriously what she is saying. The Manila Bulletin, which many journalists in the past ridicule as a kind of staid paper that would have as a banner headline “Holiday season begins,” demonstrated its journalistic superiority, by having as its banner “DoT takes over SEAG billeting.” It had as its second major story though Robredo’s threatening claim, certainly a newsworthy statement: “I will reveal what I have uncovered about war on drugs.”

Robredo has done nothing to help the country in its anti-illegal drugs campaign, and in her three weeks as vice chairman of the Inter-agency Committee on the Anti-Illegal Drugs she doesn’t have any constructive criticism nor proposal for the country to end the proliferation of illegal drugs — except to end the campaign.

An anti-drug war by any government is so difficult and complicated that there is no sure formula, no detailed template to undertake it. If Robredo didn’t have any authority, she should have focused on studying what such a war requires on ground level. After all, she not only has staff with a P700 million per year budget, but the pink organization Akbayan, from which she recruited her spokesman Barry Guiterrez.

I give one example of an aspect of the anti-drug war that needs to be studied.

180,000

What has happened to the roughly 180,000 “drug personalities” whom the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported they arrested since the campaign started up to March 2019.

If they are still in prison awaiting trial or have been convicted, that means that our prison population, which was at 140,000 in 2016, has doubled. While there have been reports that our prisons have been so crowded that there has been horrific inhuman conditions there, I don’t think our prison population now totals 320,000.

Indeed, the Commission on Audit reported that for 2018, the country’s prison population totals 136,314, which means a decrease from the 140,000 level in 2016.

This data points to very serious issues in the anti-drug war.

First, with so many people because of the intense police and PDEA campaigns, has government done anything substantial to enlarge prison facilities? If there hasn’t been any substantial growth in our facilities, the anti-drug war would be transforming a huge number of people kept in extremely congested prisons into hardcore criminals who would be released to society three or four years down the road.

Justice system

Second, with the intensity and success of the anti-drug war, how has our obviously inefficient justice system coped with such a drastic increase in the cases it has to decide? With so many people being arrested for possessing or selling illegal drugs, it is a no-brainer for Congress or the Supreme Court to create special, 24-hour courts dealing only with illegal-drug cases.

The third issue is related to the second and is extremely worrying.

A huge number of the 180,000 drug personalities arrested since 2016, from my anecdotal evidence, have been released to their relatives or their drug lords, with bail bonds as low as P10,000. In the jail in the town where I live, most of the “drug personalities” arrested from 2016 to 2018 have been released on bail, with only the poor souls with no relatives nor drug lords to post remaining there.

Reports from the ground claim that the police are worried and getting tired of this situation. In many cases, those arrested simply return to their illegal trade, making it a Sisyphus kind of toil for the police, arresting the same people in their area again and again.

Worse, the police have become anxious that those they have arrested and were freed on bail would get back at them, and even their relatives. The police response that hasn’t been good for the campaign is first, they pull back on the campaign, claiming to their superiors that they have already arrested and filed charges against a huge number of people in their areas, and their cases are not just up to the courts.

Alarming

The second police response is certainly alarming and is right down Robredo and her ilk’s alley. Tired of seeing those whom they arrested freed on bail and returning to their horrid business, or/and afraid these criminals would retaliate, the police execute them the next time they are arrested. And the police see their deed as necessary, quick justice, which human rights crusaders labeling these as “extrajudicial killings (EJKs).”

The numbers are worrying. Three years after it started, Duterte’s war on drugs has resulted in 180,000 arrested as of March. I suspect many of these have been freed on bail. Have they returned to their illegal trade? Either we will see a surge of EJKs, or a resurgence of the drug trade.

But really, I am just guessing, as we don’t really have hard data on how many “drug personalities” are being released on bail, how many are re-arrested, how many are killed the second or third time they are arrested.

But these are the kinds of research Robredo, the Yellows, and those holier-than-thou human rights groups should have been doing in the past three years instead of blabbering inanities.

But they haven’t. I suspect that in their hearts, they are hoping the extrajudicial killings would increase, as it has been their propaganda tack to topple Duterte.

Email: tiglao.manilatimes@gmail.com

Facebook: Rigoberto Tiglao

Twitter: @bobitiglao

Book orders: www.rigobertotiglao.com/debunked

https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/11/27/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/sick-and-tired-of-blah-blah-by-and-on-robredo/659122/

Luke 21:12-19 | Cesare Fracanzano | Men will seize you and persecute you

Luke 21:12-19   Men will seize you and persecute you

Ignatius of Antioch and the Lions,  Painting attributed to Cesare Fracanzano (1612-1656), Painted circa 1635, Oil on canvas © Galleria Borghese, Rome Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Martyr Painting As I am in my first year of seminary, we are currently studying early Christianity and especially the early martyrs are a fascinating topic. Early Christians identified very strongly with the Passion of Christ and this gave rise to a spirituality of martyrdom. Martyrdom became the ultimate symbol of true discipleship and following of Christ. A loving acceptance of martyrdom was a confirmation of the Christians’ belief that Christ conquered death. The word ‘martyr’ is derived from the Greek word for ‘witness’. It was a kind of honorific title given to Christians who bore witness to their believe in Christ, by laying down their own lives during times of persecution. When Emperor Constantine converted in 312 AD, martyrdom came to an end. We cannot say though that with it the spirit of the martyr died. No, it continues to remain instilled in our Catholic tradition: sacrifice and total abandonment in Christ are needed. To the present day, this element of ‘sacrifice’ is crucial in our faith. The painting we are looking at depicts Ignatius of Antioch (35-108AD). Ignatius was born in Syria, converted to Christianity and eventually became bishop of Antioch. In 107 AD, Emperor Trajan visited Antioch and forced the Christians there to choose between death and apostasy (apostasy is the total rejection of Christianity by a baptised person who, having at one time professed the Christian faith, publicly rejects it). Ignatius would not deny Christ and thus was condemned to be put to death in Rome. Ignatius actually had a strong desire to be martyred, as he considered it to be the highest praise he could give to Christ. In his letters he wrote prior to his death by lions in the Colosseum, Ignatius was the first person to use the adjective “Catholic” or “Universal” regarding the Church. by Patrick van der Vorst

Luke 21:5-11 | Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris | Time will come when not a single stone will be left

Luke 21:5-11   Time will come when not a single stone will be left

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris,  Built between 1163–1345,  Île de la Cité, Paris Image of fire at the Cathedral, April 2019 When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’ ‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Cathedral Fire In April this year, all of us were shocked and saddened seeing the images of Notre Dame de Paris burning. Built on the Île de la Cité which divides the great banks of the Seine, it originally held a site of a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter. From 1163 onwards, the pagan temple was replaced with the Gothic masterpiece of Notre Dame which took over 200 years to complete. The distinct bell towers have tolled down the ages in celebration of royal weddings, papal visits, coronations, the beatification of Joan of Arc, the funeral of General de Gaulle, and probably one of the more recent events, when the liberation of Paris was celebrated in 1944 with the singing of the Magnificat inside the church walls. The building has thus become one of the most widely celebrated and recognised symbols of the city of Paris and the French nation as a whole. A religious building, still symbolic for a nation. Numerous articles have been written in the immediate aftermath of the fire, reflecting on the protection of our cultural heritage, the symbolism of the fire happening during Holy Week, the outpouring of good will towards a church building and the generosity of donations etc… For me, however sad the event was of course, there was great hope in it too. The fire may well signal a turning point, at least for the Church in France. The many beautiful, heartfelt reactions from people who wouldn’t even have identified themselves as being Christian before the fire, somehow made people reconnect with their Christian roots… and that these Christian roots matter. The fire reignited and rekindled a curiosity in their French, Christian roots. It is as if the fire made them recognise that in a highly secular country, not only the Nation was part of their identity, but also their Christian roots. So for us a Church, that gives great hope, and a great basis to build things on. Just like Notre Dame will be restored and rebuilt, in parallel the Church in France can reconnect and build a new Catholic momentum that sits alongside the physical restoration of the building.  The temple Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel reading, was built to honour God and as a place of worship, just like Notre Dame de Paris. Jesus asks us to be aware that these holy places should stay true to their meaning: places to worship God. May we hope for a successful, reverend restoration of Notre Dame, not only in appreciation of what previous generations have so carefully handed down to us, but also to restore the heart of worship of a Nation. by Patrick van der Vorst

Firing of Leni Robredo as “Drug Czar” is the final nail in the Liberal Party coffin

November 25, 2019 - by Ilda - 2 Comments.

Things have been moving too fast in Philippine politics lately that it’s hard to keep up. I have been promising myself I would write about current Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s relentless attacks on the government – a government she is a part of, but before I had a chance to do it, President Rodrigo Duterte offered her a post as co-chair of his anti-drug body Inter-Agency Committe on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). I also wanted to write about that. Then she accepted it. Before I could write about that too, two weeks later, she got fired!

The news of Robredo getting sacked was reported around the globe. It’s one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. It’s the mother of all embarrassing situations for a politician. This is the second time Robredo had been fired from Duterte’s cabinet. It would be unbelievable for someone who has not been following how the events unfolded. For those who haven’t been following it or have been ignoring her statements, they might ask, does Robredo deserve it? My unbiased and non-partisan opinion says she does.

If we do a flashback from two weeks ago, it was easy to see Robredo was walking into a trap of her own making. She told the media that Duterte’s drug war has failed. Mind you, she didn’t even have any data or facts to back her claim. Of course Duterte got pissed off. He offered her a post as “drug czar” – to give her a chance to prove she can do a better job. After all, she’s been acting like she knows better than everyone. Against the advice of her party-mates and supporters, Robredo accepted the offer. She was pumped up about it. She even had the gall to ask if everyone was ready for her.

Unfortunately, she started to unravel from Day One on the job. Robredo started asking irrelevant questions like how many drug addicts are in the country. As if drug addicts would readily admit they are drug addicts. She was also suggesting that there should be zero deaths in the drug war. That was too naïve and unrealistic. Members of illegal drug syndicates are among the most dangerous people on Earth. They won’t hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way. Robrebo was putting policemen’s lives in danger. Her ideas were merely pandering to the so-called “human rights” advocates who seem to care more about the lives of psychopaths and killers than innocent people.

It all went pear-shaped for Robredo after she said she planned to meet with officials from both the United States (US) Embassy and the United Nations (UN) “to discuss issues and possible improvements on the war on drugs”. At first I thought, what the heck is she doing? She was exhibiting that all-too-familiarcolonial mentality. Instead of meeting with member of local agencies tasked to tackle the drug problem, she prioritized asking foreigners for advice. I had a feeling it would piss Duterte off and, as it turns out, it certainly did. He eventually said that Robredo cannot be trusted with sensitive information because she could divulge them to enemies of the state.

Okay, just so no one accuses me of being biased, I also thought it was a bad idea for Duterte to offer Robredo a role in his drug war in the first place because she cannot be trusted and she would be a hindrance to the operation. I knew Duterte was making a mistake because he already advised voters against Robredo and said she would be a nightmare if she becomes President. But I can understand why he had a knee-jerk reaction to her criticism of the drug war.

Now that Duterte fired Robredo, her supporters have listed down all the possible reasons why he did, including one about Duterte supposedly being “scared” of her. Someone even said it’s because she’s a woman. They are delusional. It was obvious that Robredo had nothing on Duterte and has come across as wielding no influence on public perception. The public easily sees through her motherhood statements. Her gender had nothing to do with her getting fired. There are a lot of women in Duterte’s government and they are all doing fine.

Robredo’s supporters should stop lying to themselves. Deep down they knew Leni was going to make a fool of herself which is why they didn’t want her to accept the post. They knew there was a chance she could be exposed as incompetent and un-presidential. Besides, they themselves also asked Duterte to just fire her. Robredo simply did not fit the culture in Duterte’s cabinet. She was not a team player. She was trying too hard to prove that she is better than everyone.

The sooner the Liberal Party and its supporters accept that Robredo is the wrong person to lead them through the next election, the higher the probability of success in the next election.

In the press statements she made after getting fired, Robredo issued veiled threats against the Duterte government and said that she will be publicizing stuff she found out during her stint in the agency. She is setting herself up for another failure. She doesn’t learn. Whatever it is that she is about to expose is not going to hurt a popular President. Duterte has always been vocal and transparent about his policies. This is another attempt at putting the government down just because she got fired.

The more she talks, the more Robredo proves she is vindictive. That is a sign she is not very smart. Her emotional intelligence is low. She can’t control her emotions. She should learn to say less words especially since her words only showcase her true character.

There’s not an ounce of humility in Leni Robredo. She is not capable of introspection. The praises she gets from the inbred cliques of people around her got into her head. Getting fired for the second time should be a humbling experience for her. Unfortunately for her and the Filipino people, she is too arrogant, too full of herself, and too incompetent to get her own agenda going. She will eventually hammer the final nail into the Liberal Party coffin.

About Ilda

In life, things are not always what they seem.

https://www.getrealphilippines.com/2019/11/firing-of-leni-robredo-as-drug-czar-final-nail-on-the-liberal-party-coffin/?fbclid=IwAR3RJZt009XpI2ZAPsAH64IV60nrTDzdUss5sRoZf8APD7tav0wIpl-6JJY

Luke 21:1-4 | The Castell Brothers | Jesus saw a poor widow putting in coins

Luke 21:1-4   Jesus saw a poor widow putting in coins

The Kindly Robin,  Issued by The Castell Brothers, Late 19th century, Victorian Christmas Card, Lithographic process As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their offerings into the treasury; then he happened to notice a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small coins, and he said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Christmas Card We see Jesus here as a master observer. Seeing the poor woman giving alms, showed him how generous she was inside her heart. Luke states that she gave 2 coins. She could have easily kept one coin, but no, she gave two coins. It also shows how humble a person she was; if we are aware spiritually how little we have to offer, then maybe it might make us more generous at heart too… We also see Jesus as being non-judgemental. He doesn’t condemn the temple officials for taking advantage or being greedy, no, He simply wants us to see the poor widow’s generous actions… We are looking at a Christmas card today where a well dressed robin is giving alms to a poor little robin. A very sweet late Victorian Christmas card (and yes, some of you may be writing some Christmas cards already now?) we are looking at here by the Castell Brothers, who specialised in Christmas cards initially, and also later on card games. They received most fame for releasing a card game 1936 after the success of the Disney film ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. As Christ can see what is going on in our hearts and what the motivation is behind the almsgiving, He knows if we gave these in generosity of spirit or out of pride to be seen to be giving or out of selfishness. Yes for those who receive the charitable donations, the result is the same, but for the person doing the giving, it can come from a very different mind-and heart-set. Christ sees this and knows this. So if we are aware that maybe our almsgiving isn’t coming out of the right place, let’s certainly continue to give, but work away and fine-tune our generosity of spirit and mindset… what counts is the heart with which the alms are given… by Patrick van der Vorst