The November 2013 Issue of World Mission Asia

From: Lara Mia Veronica M. Garcia 

Date: Sat, Oct 26, 2013 at 10:58 AM
Subject: November Issue 2013
To: Father Dave Domingues<wm.editor@gmail.com>

Every second of everyday, someone dies. The Angel of Death doesn't stop claiming lives during holidays and the like. There were a lot of children who lost their beloved mothers on Christmas Day and a lot of mothers who lost their children on Mother's Day.

Some die due to natural causes, some die due to some debilitating disease, some die because someone caused their death, whether premeditated or not. Sigh. Death truly comes like a thief in the night.  Even if you were already given a "life sentence" you would not know the exact date and time. Nobody knows except the FATHER. (First two paragraphs of my Blog Entry: DEATH COMES LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT) 

Dear Father Dave,

Greetings of Peace, love and joy in the Lord!

The November Issue 2013 is extra special because it helps us counter our fear of death.  Like in your editorial, death is the BEGINNING, NOT (the) END. 

All of us have lost a dear one and no one is exempt. 

At ten, I  even thought I was dying because of excruciating pains in the head and terrible asthma, but more than thirty years later, I am still alive, and only God knows why.

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I love the insights of EVERY Article, but these are the ones that touched my inner being:

1.  You transported me to South Sudan(Tali Post) while I read the OASIS of peace and faith.  You truly have a missionary heart and you and your brethren immersed yourselves to their way of living.  They have overcome a lot of hardship, probably like purgatory on earth, but their smiles make it seem like they are in paradise. It is great that these people who were treated sort of like trash, were elevated to being humans again.  Thanks to the missionaries, they are not left to be illiterate, Tali is a wonderful community and I am blessed to sort of having traveled with you.  Thanks for your sharing your experiences about this lively community with us.

2. We are all connected with each other.  We are all accountable.  Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang. No man is an island.  Yes, that's what I think Father John Converset is trying to say as he shared with us How nations become ACCOUNTABLE to EACH OTHER.  The United Nations, as some of Catholics know, has been perceived as very humanitarian, but the love for life is scarce.  I agree with Father Converset that participating in the Universal Periodic Review helps in promoting Gospel values.  There is still hope for the UN to be true to her purpose.

3. Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores, PhD's DEATH: A Celebration and continuity of life opened my eyes to the beliefs of the people from the Cordillera Autonomous Region.  We can learn through their practices/tradition and culture, though pagan they may be.  Life is valuable and death leads to a new life.  Our partings with our loved ones may be sad, but we should celebrate because they are off to journey to a better place.  The Kalingas do mourn, but after grieving, they live with the hope that one day, they would be reunited.  That is what Christianity teaches too. It is perfectly alright to grieve, but not forever.  We should move on and celebrate our very own lives.  We too are important and one day, we would also journey to a better place.  It is great that the missionaries were able to touch their hearts and some of them embrace our God.  I think it's called interculturalism...mixing faith with the traditions of the land...those traditions that do not contradict our faith. Correct me, if I'm wrong.

"Death is a celebration and a continuity of life; it strengthens their social relations with their ancestors, perpetuates tradition, and unites the community together."

4.   EDITH STEIN, who eventually became known as TERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS, in her search for truth was first a Jew, then became an atheist, then converted to Christianity and then died for her faith.  Although all of us are called to be saints, I cannot say that my life is very saintly right now, but I can relate with her.  I was born Catholic, but I left the fold, then while serving in the other sheepfold, I studied different faiths(to prepare us for evangelization of the unbelievers, us Catholics included). In my search for truth, I found my way home.  I am still alive, hopefully living my purpose with a missionary heart. 

5. Father Silvano Fausti's By Words on or By Deeds reminds me about the Debbie Boone's Song HEART OF THE MATTER. A true pastor should not lord over his flock, but become like a model...just like Tabitha.  Wow, in a male dominated world, Tabitha became the better example than Aeneas.  We must walk the talk. Live our lives as true Christians and remove all the stumbling blocks that either trip us or stunt our growth.  

Old friend
When did it happen?
When did your become dazzled by the world
Instead of lit up by His light?

Choices
Too many voices
Was there one too many battles
So you gave up on the fight?
Was your love for Him a decision of the mind to be changed in time?
Was it really not a committed walk but rather a display of religious talk?
I need to know
Because I love you so

If you really knew Him the way that I knew Him
You would never walk away
If you truly understood what His love was all about
You would never shut Him out
All this talk of Jesus working in our lives is nothing more than childish chatter
If we don't allow Him past the mind to penetrate with depth into the heart of the matter
Into the heart of the matter

Old friend
How did it happen?
How did you take all the life He had to give and then let your praises die?
Confusion
Rising delusion
Did you give your heart to busyness and never question why?
When you discovered that from you He wanted more did you close the door?
Did you decide to do it on your own and then withdraw to walk alone?
I need to know
Because I love you so

If you really knew Him the way that I knew Him
You would never walk away
If you truly understood what His love was all about
You would never shut Him out
All this talk of Jesus working in our lives is nothing more than childish chatter
If we don't allow Him past the mind to penetrate with depth into the heart of the matter
Into the heart of the matter

How do spiritual eyes go blind?
When does deception infiltrate the mind?
I know it's hard to comprehend
But the choice is still yours, old friend
Don't let it happen

If you really knew Him the way that I knew Him
You would never walk away
If you truly understood what His love was all about
You would never shut Him out
All this talk of Jesus working in our lives is nothing more than childish chatter
If we don't allow Him past the mind to penetrate with depth into the heart of the matter
Into the heart of the matter

6. "The Church will NOT collapse, I am sure, iam sure.  Sanctity is stronger than Scandals." -From our dear Pope Francis.  I believe that it is self-explanatory

and last, but not the least

7.  Father Shay Cullen's SKIN WHITENERS ARE "RACIST"  I am beautiful.  I am what you call kayumangging kaligatan(morena/light brown skinned) and for the longest time while growing up, me and family were the only ones who believed that.  At least that was what the people around us made me feel.  The funny thing was, during my formative years in the United States of America, even with all the racists there, no one made me feel inferior.  It was when I moved to this country when classmates would call me, NEGRA in a very derogatory manner.  It's a good thing that the catechism classes were great in that school or else I would not know how to survive it.  I think that's the reason that even if I left the fold for a short while, I eventually came back to ours.  Maybe I'm a exaggerating quite a bit because there were good classmates and teachers too, but I must say the word NEGRA became a big hole in my heart.  No one even believed that I have Spanish and Belgian genes, but it does not matter.  EVERYONE is beautiful.  God did not create anyone to be ugly because we are all his masterpieces.  We don't have any right to call anyone ugly even if they are indeed quasi modo.   Even the dear hunchback that bears that name is beautiful inside.  Father Cullen wants the consumers to shun these products, but maybe, just maybe, if they marketed this in another way it would be better.  People should not hate the color of their skin.  If White people want to be white again after spending some time in the beach, they can use that product. (I should've added this part: for uneven skin tones or discoloration etc.)

Anyways, since they are making us of the darker skin SEEM to be inferior, then I must agree with Father Cullen, let's shun these products. Most of the people here are from the Malay race and most of us are kayumangging kaligatan.  We should have our heads held high. We are children of God and God loves us this way.  

Father Dave, thanks to you and the people who help spread the good news through this magazine.  Although in the past years I was the one who subscribed for my family naunahan po ako ni Daddy.

God bless and keep up the good work!

En Agape,

Lara