BY DYING WE SHALL HAVE LIFE IN ITS FULLNESS

Today we celebrate the joys of Easter. Jesus, who suffered a humiliating death on the cross three days ago, is no longer in His tomb. HE IS RISEN. The joyous news of all. It is the summit of our Christian Faith where Jesus himself became the first concrete example of resurrection designed by GOD for all men. Easter comes in the spring season where flowers began to bloom after many months of gloomy autumn and winter. Christians in many parts of the world specially in the northern hemisphere celebrate it with much festivities for they do not only celebrate the rising of christ but also as the season that preludes summer where the colors of plants and trees come again to life.

But to be able to understand easter and the celebration of LIFE in its fullness, we must first understand death and its meaning. We will not be able to understand LIFE if without understanding DEATH. Death, as we all know, is the total absence of life. When we die, our hearts stops pumping blood throughout our body, degenerating oxygen that allows us to breath and live. When we close our eyes upon death, darkness sets in and our conciousness erased as if we all fell into deep sleep. Death is about non existence and forever date with darkness.

I remember having a semi date with death way back in 1996. I was biking along the highway with a friend when a wayward car hit us from the back throwing me up from my sit and on the side of the road. The driver happened to be a high school student and appeared to be practicing his driving skills. It was a total black out and conciousness snapped out of my head. All I could remember was that I'm very much dizzy and theres a terrible pain in my head. Once in the hospital, my brother Jerry seems to be talking to me but I could not understand a word he said. I ended up recuperating in hospital for five days from a cerebral concussions which, thank GOD, not serious enough to kill me. Just like that, death can come anytime when we least expect it.

Death come to Jesus like anybody else. The humanity of the Son of God is no different from the rest. He felt every bit of slashings in his body. He felt the weight of the cross on His shoulders and the injuries caused by the many fall he had on his way to the calvary. He shouted in excruciating pain when nails entered his hands and feet. He was mocked, slapped and tortured by the very same people that glorified Him when he entered Jerusalem. But the worst and most painful of all, He was deserted by His friends. After all the great things he has done, only few symphatized with Him. According to Isaiah 52; ' He was spurned and avoided by people.' Ito na siguro ang pinaka mahirap sa lahat ng pagdurusa ng panginoon Jesus. Ang iwanan ka ng mga taong nakasama mo nang matagal at ngayo'y iniwanan ka sa ere....sa gitna ng pagdurusa. But to Jesus, this is part of what he needs to take up as an obedient Son of the Father. Para sa kanya Okey lang. Bahagi yan ng kahinaan ng tao na kailangan nyang ituwid. 'He symphatized with our weaknesses...similarly been tested, yet without a sin.' ( Hebrews 4: 15)

But the life of Jesus did not end in death at the calvary. He entrusted His life to God and the Father rewarded him with resurrection. He died a physical death and now He rises to a new life. This new life is not similar to the life we are having here on earth. Its a NEW SPIRITUAL LIFE THAT FLOWS FROM GOD HIMSELF. The new life of Christ belongs to God. A victorious and heavenly life which death can no longer overcome. As baptized christians, we shared in this mystery and the promised of resurrection awaits us because we hold it in our hearts. When Christ died on the cross, we died with him. "We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life." (Romans 6: 3-11)

EASTER brings a message of Hope. That all the sufferings and afflictions we are experiencing right now also has its end. Our faith, fidelity and trust in God shall crown us with redemption and resurrection. HUWAG MAWALAN NG PAG-ASA SA MGA DINARANAS NA PAGHIHIRAP. PANGHAWAKAN NATIN ANG MENSAHE NG MULING PAGKABUHAY NI JESUKRISTO!


- BONG BUENAFLOR (April 8, 2012)

SWERTE PA RIN ANG PINOY

If you'll be coming to Europe from the Philippines there's a big chance that you'll get sick and depressed. Why? because the sun barely shines in this part of the world and gloomy weather always prevail. Many people in western Europe and Scandinavia suffers from SAD which is an acronym for SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER. Anti-Depressant pills are very much in-demand in these countries for they trying to overcome the loneliness of the weather not to mention other problems arising from emotional and personal issues.

Here in U.K. a lot of people are living alone most of them were old, fragile retirees. Family ties has not been so good here compare to the bonding that filipinos have with their families. By the time Brits reach their twenties and employed, they opted to move away from their parents to lead their own lives. These are the ways of their so called 'LIBERATED SOCIETY' and has been the cultural practice of other industrialised nations. Parents and grand parents were sent to care homes against their will because many people no longer have the 'time' to watch and take care of them. How depressing. No wonder a lot of people here are sick and depress because of their own doings. Are these the price of priding yourself as a citizen of an industriallised nation? Ito ba ang pinapangarap na buhay ng mga Pilipinong nagtatrabaho sa mga malalaki at sikat na bansa?

If you were to ask Filipinos living or working in Europe if they'll be staying here for the rest of their life, i'll give a stat of 1 out of 10. A lot of filipino still prefer going home if they reach retirement age. Lagi ngang sinasabi ng brother in-law ko dito na pag tumama sya ng Lottery wala nang dahilan para mag-stay pa sya dito at ang kanyang pamilya. Ganun din ang laging nasa isip ko: Magkaroon lang ako ng konting hanap-buhay sa 'pinas, babalik at babalik pa rin ako sa pagtuturo. It is purely for the sole reason of earning 'above average income' why filipinos are here. Gusto lang talagang makaipon ng malaki-laki kesa sa kinikita sa pilipinas.

Napakahirap mawalay sa pamilya lalong-lalo na sa Magulang, kamag-anak at kaibigan. Naniniwala ako na mas mapalad pa rin ang pinoy kumapara sa mga naglalakihang bansa sa mundo. Kahit naghihirap ang maraming pilipino dahil sa punyetang gobyerno natin, hindi pa rin nawawala ang ngiti sa mukha ng mga kababayan natin. Sa kabila ng mga problema, nakukuha pa rin nilang tumawa dahil napakalakas ng Pag-Asa at Pananalig. Sabi nga sa bibliya: 'ANO NGA ANG MAPAPALA NG TAO MAKAMTAN MAN NYA ANG BUONG DAIGDIG, KUNG ANG KATUMBAS NAMAN NITO AY ANG KANYANG BUHAY'.

I MUST SURVIVE

I've been staying in London for the past four months now and it's only recently that i've been accepted in a job as a support worker in a care home in Wembley. My new role will be to take care of middle-age people with Learning Dissabilities who are staying in a home. I had a training on this kind of Job but still, i must admit, i'm nervous on how i can do this job effectively. I'm like a soldier going hesitantly to a war afraid on how he's gonna end up. I know i can do this job effectively but at the back of my head, i'm worried on how i can communicate effectively. I'm good in written english, but when it comes to conversation specially with the brits, i'm very slow to the point of being dumb because i'm still grasping and thinking of coloquial words to reply back.

The language barrier is something that really worries me here in U.K. But i know i'll get over this in time. After all, i have no rights to say no to a job opportunity. This is the very reason i left my career as a teacher in the Philippines to earn better living for my family. If only the politicians and government officials in the Philippines are more compassionate and honest, 'Wala sanang mag-aabroad na pinoy at tiising mawalay sa kani-kanilang pamilya'. Haay buhay!

I'M POOR.... A JOURNEYER

I'm a poorman....I don't need anything. The world doesn't mean anything to me except its' meaning. I'm bound to travel the vast horizon of my existence written in the palm of my hands. I'm following the path that leads to nowhere...can be a fertile plain...a barren desert...a rainy place....leading to the infinite. I'm journeying, looking where it leads me...to that special place I called HOME.

This blog chronicles my life, thoughts... dreams and aspirations. Come and join me in this adventure called LIFE.