WHAT IS A PILGRIMAGE?

In an interview with Most Rev. Socrates Villegas, Archbishop Elect of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, as published in the Philippine Star of Oct. 25, 2009, this question was posed to him. “What is the significance of a pilgrimage to modern-day Filipinos?”

The answer he gave has further deepened my understanding of this religious activity. And so I quote: “A pilgrimage is actually a departure from the self to God. Sometimes it is a departure from comfort to a moment of sacrifice, like the pilgrimage of the Way of the Cross. The important thing to keep in mind is that God is walking with us and God will be our destiny. For me, however, the most important pilgrimage that we need to make is not to the holy sights, but the pilgrimage to Jesus in our midst. In other words, we don’t need money to make a pilgrimage. What is important is for you to have love. So from your house, you can make a pilgrimage to a government hospital to visit a sick person, or someone who has been forgotten by his loved ones. Or to an orphanage, or to a home for the aged. That is also a pilgrimage.”

Reflecting on the answer of Archbishop Socrates there are four important points that further enlightened me and broadened my concept of a pilgrimage.

1. It is a departure of self to God.
2. God is walking with us and He is our destiny.
3. The most important pilgrimage is to Jesus in our midst.
4. Love is what we must have to make a pilgrimage.

The first point stresses an attitude of unselfishness, of dying to oneself. This I believe is what our Lord Jesus Christ meant when He said: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (Jn.12:24) In my understanding one has to give up any vestige of selfishness and make a complete surrender of oneself to the Will of God. To partly fulfill the call of dying to oneself, I have made it a habit to pray every time I visit the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament so that with His grace I can heartily say: “Here I am Lord, I come to do Your Will.” and then go out of my way to be of help to whoever God sends my way.

The second point makes me aware that God, indeed, is with us. He is travelling with us and is our final destination. It means that we are never alone, because God in His infinite goodness is ever ready to help us. This reminds me of the story of a man in the “Footprints on the Sand”. Given the privilege of looking back at his past life and seeing two pairs of footprints he was told that the other pair of footprints belongs to the Lord. Then he noticed that when he was in great trouble there was only one pair of footprints. So he questioned: Why, Lord, have You abandoned me when I needed You most? The Lord answered: “When you were in great trouble it was then that I carried you in my arms.” Verily, God never abandons anyone.

The third point makes me realize that Jesus Christ is very much alive in this world, for He said: “I am with you always until the end of this world.”(Mt.28:20) By the power of the Holy Spirit He lives in us and therefore He should be the Center of our life. Like St. Paul we can strive to say: “It is no longer I that live but Christ Who lives and reigns in me.”(Gal. 2:20)

The fourth point which is love gives the very reason for our existence. We were created out of love and our life can only be meaningful if we love. The essence of love is unselfishness which is actually the opposite of sin, the essence of which is selfishness. This brings us back to the first point which requires a departure of self to God.

In a nutshell, a pilgrimage is a journey towards our permanent address- HEAVEN, where we shall live with God forever.

By: Salvador "Buddy" Cagurangan

Date: Nov. 1, 2009

WE ARE PILGRIMS ON EARTH

To live meaningfully on earth one has to have strong convictions on “WHO” he is and “WHY” he is. These convictions are usually the result of one’s personal experiences, readings and interactions with people.

One of the statements that keep lingering in my mind is from the Dutch Catechism which says: “We live together in this world; we ourselves a part of this world; but endowed with some spirituality.”

While we Christians have been taught by Christ thru the Church Officialdom that we are children of God and our destiny is to be with God forever, one has still to grapple with these two fundamental questions and elicit an answer that he has mentally digested and made a part of himself.

As for me, the image of a PILGRIMAGE has been a constant inspiration. Seeing people travelling together towards a common destination and helping each other to be able to reach their destiny is, indeed, very heartening. Because of this I have viewed life on earth as a PILGRIMAGE – each and everyone of us travelling.

Where are we going? This is a question that people answer in different ways, depending on their points of view. As for me, time and again I have reflected on the tenets of our Christian Faith and at this point in my life, I have arrived at some convictions which I am ready to die for, if necessary, by the grace of God.

Briefly these are my convictions.

1. The world we live in must have been created by a Supreme Being we call God, Who is all knowing and all powerful.
2. We all came into existence thru the power of this Supreme Being, and we can remain in existence only thru His continued sustaining power.
3. At present there is only one planet, we call the Earth, where all of us live.
4. In God’s infinite Goodness He has destined us to live with Him forever.
5. To live with God means to really love Him.
6. Since love can only be given freely, God has given us the Gift of Freedom to be able to love Him in return.
7. Our life on earth is then a time for us to decide on whether to love or not to love God in return.
8. Those who have made up their minds to love God in return are on a Pilgrimage towards their predetermined destiny – To live with God forever.
9. We who have made this choice are on a Pilgrimage to Heaven.
10. As Pilgrims, it is a corporate responsibility for us to help each other reach our destiny.

Meditating on the aforesaid convictions, I have been challenged to live in such a way as to help, with the grace of God, everyone who comes in contact with me to reach his destiny. Deep in my heart I believe that anyone who in one way or another has given a helping hand to someone so as to enable him to reach his destiny may be assured of his eternal salvation.

By: Salvador "Buddy" Cagurangan

Date: October 25, 2009

WHERE IS GOD?

“WHERE IS GOD?” This was the cry of a little girl while typhoon “Ondoy” was pouring torrential rains that flooded their residence up to the roof top. It was, indeed, a cry for help.

Mr. Isagani A. Cruz in his column at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, dated October 11, 2009, says: “ A look at our present situation seems to suggest that the little girl’s searching question has denied us His protection. We seem to be helpless in the moral and material problems caused by Ondoy and Pepeng. Thousands of lives have been claimed by inundations and landslides, depriving parents of their children, families of their homes and possessions, sons and daughters of their hope for a better life.”

From my readings, however, I have learned that God’s methods are people. God uses people to come to the rescue of those whose lives are being exposed to dangers. While not all may be rescued, the number of those whose lives are spared thru the help of other people would still be the great majority.

And so, Mr. Isagani Cruz further states: “God has united us in coping with our common problems. God has given us the gift of unity in resisting the holocaust that is threatening all our people. All our people include the Christians – the Catholics and Protestants alike – and those of other faiths, the Muslims, the Jews, the Buddhists, and the followers of Hare Krishna. Hallelujah for the men and women of the Philippines who are obeying the Will of God in helping their fellow Filipinos in distress like the Good Samaritan in the Bible. This is probably your answer, little girl.”

Time and again, I have personally experienced this loving presence of God in my life. Hence, when I reached the age of 76 I wrote “A Thanksgiving Memoir to God”. As a Foreword to that Memoir I said: “This is a humble attempt to put into writing the deep feelings of gratitude that are welling in my heart for all the blessings that God has graciously bestowed on me during my earthly sojourn through the instrumentality of persons who came along my path and helped me find a meaning to my life. I hope that those who will read this memoir, especially those whose names shall be mentioned, if they are still alive, will praise God for having been used by Him as channels of His bountiful blessings on me. May this memoir, therefore, serve as my personal testimony to the loving presence of God in my life which I believe He extends to every human being in this world, regardless of race, religion or nationality, for His love is universal, unconditional and has no favorites”. (Deut. 10:17; Gal.2:6)

God, therefore, is here with us in this world. People are His representatives or instruments in answering our prayers. When people, enlightened and empowered by His grace make themselves available to serve the needs of their fellowmen, it is God, indeed, Who is in action thru them.

By: Salvador "Buddy" Cagurangan

Date: Oct. 18, 2009

IS THERE A PURGATORY?

IS THERE A PURGATORY?

This was the question that my professor in theology asked me to dwell on when I was a seminarian at St. Francis de Sales Seminary at Lipa City in 1953.

I would like to share the results of my study on this matter.

The first one to come out openly against the doctrine of Purgatory was Martin Luther, an Augustinian Friar, when on the eve of All Saints Day, 1517, he posted a list of 95 propositions on the church door in Wittenburg, Germany. His denial of purgatory was a logical consequence of his doctrine that we are saved by faith alone.

In the General Council of Trent in 1563 there was a Decree on Purgatory which reads as follows: “The Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Spirit and in accordance with sacred Scripture and the ancient Tradition of the Fathers, has taught in the holy Councils that there is a purgatory, and that the souls detained there are helped by the acts of intercession (suffragia) of the faithful, and especially by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar. Therefore this holy Council commands the bishops to strive diligently that the sound doctrine of purgatory, handed down by the Holy Fathers and the sacred Councils, be believed by the faithful and that it be adhered to, taught and preached everywhere.”

In the Old Testament (2 Mc. 12:46) it says: “This was the reason why Judas offered this sacrifice for the dead, so that the dead might be pardoned for their sin.”

In the New Testament (1 Cor. 3:15) it says: “…but if your work becomes ashes, you will pay for it. You will be saved, but it will be as if passing through fire.”

“Salvation through Faith Alone” is actually the basic ground for denying the existence of Purgatory.

In the Letter of James, however, we read the following: “Brothers, what good is it to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you. If a brother or sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you says, ‘May things go well for you; be warm and satisfied’, without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So it is for faith without deeds: it is totally dead. … So you see, a person obtains holiness by his deeds and not by faith alone….So, just as the body is dead without its spirit, so faith, without deeds, is also dead.” (James 2:14-26)

The Catechism for Filipino Catholics says: “Purgatory means ‘the state of final purification’ so that those who died in the state of grace but are weighed down by the remnants of selfishness and sin, may be purified and thus enter into everlasting glory with the Lord.” (2104)

Here in the Philippines on November 1-2 of every year, we witness huge crowds of people visiting the graves of their beloved dead and praying for the eternal repose of their souls. This to me is a phenomenon which manifests the deep faith of the great majority of our people that somehow in God’s infinite goodness and mercy they can still do something to hasten or mitigate any temporal punishment that a soul has to undergo in order to be fully cleansed and be worthy to be admitted into the Kingdom of God where there is everlasting peace, love and happiness.

by: Salvador "Buddy" Cagurangan

Date: Oct. 11, 2009

THE ROSARY

October is a month specially dedicated to our Blessed Mother Mary. It is a Christian tradition to pray the Holy Rosary not only individually but also in groups of families coming together. In practically every parish in our country, the Philippines, this is the devotion that is being practiced.

There are two questions which I would like to dwell on in this matter. First, “Why pray the Rosary?”. And secondly, “How should we pray the Rosary?”

To the first question, these are some of the reasons:

1. It is a very powerful prayer for intercession.

a. In the naval battle of Lepanto, which occurred on October 7, 1571, the victory of the Christians over the Moslems was attributed to the praying of the Rosary.
b. Sometime in October of 1616 at the shores of Manila Bay, 15 Dutch vessels invaded us. Though outnumbered with only 3 Spanish ships we overpowered them thru the intercession of Blessed Mother Mary as the faithful and soldiers prayed the Rosary.

2. It is a prayer advocated by our Blessed Mother Mary.

In her miraculous appearances at Lourdes of France and at Fatima of Portugal, our Blessed Mother Mary enjoined the praying of the Rosary to bring about peace in the world.

3. It is a prayer endorsed by several Popes.

a. Pope Leo XIII on Sept. 1, 1883, in his Encyclical “Supremi Apostolatus Officio” proposed the Rosary as an effective spiritual weapon against the evils afflicting society.

b. Blessed Pope John XXIII in his Apostolic Epistle on Sept. 29, 1961, endorsed the Rosary for the success of the Second Vatican Council.

c. Pope Paul VI, in his Apostolic Exhortation “Marialis Cultus”dated Feb. 2, 1974, emphasized the Rosary’s evangelical character and its Christocentric inspiration.

d. Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter “Rosarium Virginis Mariae” issued on Oct. 16, 2002, said that the Rosary is a “prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness”.

3. It is an effective means of obtaining one’s salvation.

Blessed Bartolo Longo, considered a True Apostle of the Rosary, heard an inspiration in the depths of his heart which says: “Whoever spreads the Rosary is saved!”

To the second question, Pope John Paul II says that the Rosary is “an exquisitely contemplative prayer”. He further says: “Without this contemplative dimension, it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: ‘In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their many words’ (Mt. 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord’s life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed.”

The Rosary, therefore, if prayed meditatively, will enable us to grow in our knowledge of Christ and thus bring us closer to Him thru the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary.

By: Salvador "Buddy" Cagurangan
Date: Oct. 4, 2009

THEOLOGY-FAITH-RELIGION

Theology, Faith, Religion – these are words which are often times mentioned in discussions on religious matters.

What is the difference of each one from the other?

Based on my readings I have gathered the following:

Theology is what we know about God.
Faith is what we accept or believe of what we know.
Religion is how we live or practice what we believe.

When it comes to Theology, practically every man has some knowledge of God and His relationship to the world from what he reads, hears or experiences. One, however, does not necessarily accept whatever he reads or hears. When he accepts what he knows, then it becomes a conviction, though not may be a certainty. This is what we call Faith.

One’s faith is manifested in the way one lives. If one merely believes but does not put into practice what he believes, his faith is dead. Thus, St. James, the Apostle, says” “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). When one does not live what he believes in, he becomes a person with a split personality. Faith to be meaningful must therefore, be put into action in one’s everyday life.

We pride ourselves as a Catholic country, since the great majority of us (80%) subscribe to the Christian Faith. This Christian Faith tells us that we should love one another as Christ loves us. It tells us to break the cycle of evil by overcoming evil with good. It tells us to be honest, responsible and to share our time, talents and treasure for the good of our community. But, why is there so much graft and corruption in our country? Why are we considered as among the most corrupt country in the world?

I believe that the answer is simply because most of us, so-called Christians, do not live what we believe. For this reason many of us may be branded as KBLs – because we go to Church only when we are wedded (Kasal), when we are baptized or have our children baptized (Biniag), and when we die (Libing) to be blessed. We are sacramentalized but not evangelized.

The great challenge for us is to have a decent life in our country.

While the means to meet this challenge may somehow be answered politically and economically, I submit that the real answer lies in the sphere of morality – when every citizen would live according to the dictates of his conscience and abide by what our Christian Faith dictates.

Then and only then can we form communities where there is true love. And where there is true love, there will be peace and harmony in our relationships with each other; and there will be generous sharing of what we are and what we have to make our country truly great.

By: Salvador "Buddy" Cagurangan
Sep. 27, 2009

A POSTHUMOUS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

“THE BEST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS ARE POSTHUMOUS”. Thus says Rev. Fr. Rufino C. Sescon Jr. in one of his articles in a book entitled: “Glimpses of Grace”.

“It is good”, he says, “when we organize our own birthday parties. But it is much better when people come to remember the day you were born even long after you are gone. It means they are so grateful that you came to their lives. It just shows that you were truly a blessing to them”.

It was on the occasion of the Birthday Celebration of our Blessed Mother Mary, September 8, that Rev. Sescon Jr. said those statements.

We have, indeed, been celebrating the Birthday of our Blessed Mother Mary since time immemorial. The blessings we have received and are still receiving thru her are countless. It was thru her that the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, was conceived and born. It was thru her that Jesus Christ performed His first public miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana. It was in her care and protection that Jesus Christ entrusted each and everyone of us, for we form the Church which He founded. It is thru her intercession that the Church has been receiving extraordinary blessings up to this time. These blessings continue to be poured on us in various ways, especially thru her miraculous apparitions in places like Lourdes in France, Guadalupe in Mexico, Fatima in Portugal, etc. These and many more are reasons why we celebrate the Birthday of our Blessed Mother Mary.

Can we be also a blessing to people?

We are told that Christ has a “Mystical Body” which we call the Church. We, who compose the Church, are members of this Mystical Body of Christ. Just as one is concerned with every part of his body, so is Christ concerned with every one who is a member of His Mystical Body. This, I believe, is the fundamental reason why one should live a life that others can consider as a blessing for them. The source of any blessing is actually God Himself, but God can use anyone as His instrument to pour out His blessings. One has only to make himself available to be used by God by surrendering oneself like our Blessed Mother Mary and say: “Behold the servant of the Lord, be it done unto me according to The Word”. (Lk.1:38)

Since our life is a Gift from God, this Gift should be used not only for our own good but also for the good of others. For this reason God also gave us the Gift of Love, because it is only thru the power of love that we can truly do something good for others. Love can be manifested in many ways. One of the best ways, however, is thru service. Serving the needs of others is actually what Our Lord Jesus Christ meant when He said: “For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your house. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you went to see me. …Truly, I say to you: whenever you did this to one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt. 25: 35-40

Service to others is, indeed, the great challenge of Christianity. It is a challenge that requires a strong conviction in the personal relationship of Christ with every person in this world. In other words, one has to see the ‘Face of Christ’ in each and every person served. For those who are lovable, one may just be too willing and be glad to serve their needs; but for others who may be unlovable, one would need a special grace from God to be able to fulfill this command of Christ.

By: Salvador Cagurangan
Sep. 20, 2009

THE ART OF LISTENING

The most difficult of arts is “THE ART OF LISTENING”. This is a viewpoint expressed by a renowned Jesuit, Rev. Fr. Horacio de la Costa, S.J., in one of his homilies that has been published by the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus and the Ateneo de Manila University.

Dwelling on this statement, I pondered on the possible reasons to support its truthfulness. What came to my mind are some attitudes that one has to have in order to really listen to others.

One has to be OPEN-MINDED. To really listen to others one has to admit that no one has a monopoly of the truth. And so, one should consider seriously what others say.

One has to be HUMBLE. The viewpoints of others could be as good or even better than one’s own viewpoint. Thus one should be willing to make adjustments or even discard his own viewpoint in favor of what others say.

One has to be PATIENT. One must be willing to give enough time to others to express their ideas. This requires being quiet and really listening to the one talking until he finishes.

One has to be OBJECTIVE. One has to consider not “WHO” is right, but “WHAT” is right. A viewpoint should be evaluated on its merits and not on the personality of the one who expresses it.

One has to be RADICAL. To seek the truth one must be willing to make extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions or institutions. This means having the courage to depart from the traditional ways of thinking and doing things, if such is not in accordance with what is deemed to be right.

The Art of Listening would require attitudes as mentioned: To be open minded, humble, patient, objective and radical. To develop these attitudes is, indeed, a big order. Hence, I believe there is truth to the statement of Rev. Fr. Horacio de la Costa that “THE ART OF LISTENING IS THE MOST DIFFICULT OF ARTS”.

By: Salvador Cagurangan
Sep. 13, 2009

THE SIGNATURES OF GOD

A signature is a way of confirming something as true or correct. Hence, it has been used by men in formal or non-formal transactions to attest to the veracity of whatever may have been stated.

As human beings we have been groping in a world which up to now challenges man’s capacity to fully understand. It is a world full of mysteries. Man himself is still a great mystery to his own understanding. His origin is still the subject of research, and his destiny is still a matter of faith. There is, however, a universal acknowledgement by all men, regardless of nationality, race or creed, that there must be SOMEONE who has caused the existence of everything in this world. This Someone we commonly call “GOD”.

The reality of God is a given fact, we may say. But how to describe God’s being is beyond human comprehension. We can only attempt to see a glimpse of His personality. Our Christian faith tells us that He is a TRINITY – ONE GOD IN THREE DIVINE PERSONS, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To God the Father is attributed the Work of Creation, to God the Son the Work of Salvation, and to God the Holy Spirit the Work of Sanctification.

Following the tenets of our Christian Faith, we may attempt to see a glimpse of God’s personality by looking at His Signatures on these various Works which are attributed to Him, namely: Creation, Salvation and Sanctification.

The Work of Creation is evident in the existence of everything in this world. For no being in this world can exist without a power from Someone to create and sustain it in its existence. Without this creative power there would be nothing in this world. Nothing and nobody can boast of existing by his or its own power. This complete dependence on a Creative Power of everything that is existing in this world is a Signature of God as Creator.

The Work of Salvation can be seen in the Process of Canonization thru which the Christian Church assures us that certain persons are now enjoying the Beatific Vision of God in Heaven and thus can be venerated as SAINTS. In other words, they exemplify the Fruits of the Redeeming Power of Christ, Who came into this world, “so that all those who believe in Him shall not perish but have life everlasting”. (John 3:16). Aside from these Canonized Saints, there are innumerable people whose lives are likewise pleasing to God and thus could also be considered as saints. These saints are the Signatures of the Work of Salvation.

The Work of Sanctification is being manifested by many on-going Programs of Renewal in the Christian Church. To mention a few are: The Parish Renewal Experience (PREX), The Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS), The Marriage Encounter (ME). In these renewal programs we continue to experience and witness the Power of the Holy Spirit in touching the lives of thousands of people who by cooperating with the grace of God were and are being transformed so as to grow in holiness and become more and more pleasing to God. These, indeed, are Signatures of the Work of Sanctification.

God is still a Great Mystery for all of us. Thru these Signatures of God, however, we are continually assured of God’s existence, His infinite Power and unconditional Love. Faith in the Reality of God, however, must be manifested in a Life that is pleasing to God.


By: Salvador "Buddy" Cagurangan
Sep. 6, 2009

A FORMULA FOR HAPPINESS

Reflecting on one of the articles of Rev. Fr. Rufino C. Sescon, Jr. in his book “Glimpses of Grace” I consider his admonition as a kind of Formula for Happiness.

His admonition is: “Charge your heart with the love of Jesus; Celebrate what is right in the world; Catch a glimpse of God’s presence in your life”.

Since the admonition uses three verbs that all begin with the letter “C” I would consider it as the “3 Cs for a Happy Life”.

The first: “Charge your heart with the love of Jesus” means emptying oneself of all kinds of selfishness and filling one’s heart with a genuine unconditional love of Jesus. It means a total surrender of oneself to our Lord Jesus Christ, so He could truly live and reign in one’s life with a sincere desire to serve Him by always doing His Holy Will.

The second: “Celebrate what is right in the world” means looking at what is good and wonderful in what is happening right now in one’s life and thanking God for them. Oftentimes we just take things for granted, not realizing that every moment of our life is actually a gift of God. Indeed, the world is full of God’s creation which should fill our hearts and minds with awe and wonder. Every bit of God’s creation is a reason for celebration to manifest our deep gratitude to God for His infinite power and goodness.

The third: “Catch a glimpse of God’s presence in your life” means striving to be aware that God is truly alive and is in control of everything in this world, for there is nothing in this world that can exist even for one moment without God’s creative power. Since God is a pure Spirit, His presence is something that cannot be perceived by our senses. A spirit, I believe, can be perceived only by another spirit. Hence, it is when our human spirit could be truly attuned to God that somehow we could have a glimpse of God’s presence in our life. To be attuned to God is, of course, a Gift of God that He dispenses as He pleases. No one can earn it. One can only pray to be given the privilege of receiving this Great Gift of God’s Presence. We are told that in the next life this is one of the gifts we shall receive- “to see God face to face”. But in our life here on earth, it seems we can have only a “glimpse” of such presence.


Applying this admonition in our life could bring true peace and happiness. When one’s heart is filled with the Love of Jesus; when he is moved with deep gratitude for the manifestations of God’s goodness in this world; when he is given the privilege of having at least a “glimpse” of God’s presence; I believe these will bring peace and joy. and thus will serve as a “Formula for Happiness”.

By: Salvador B. Cagurangan
Aug. 30, 2009