3 November 2013 Mass Readings

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1                                            WIS 11:22-12:2

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

Responsorial Psalm                                  PS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14

R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

Reading 2                                          2 THES 1:11-2:2

Brothers and sisters:
We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. 

We ask you, brothers and sisters,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed
either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

Gospel                                                LK 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. 
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature. 
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.” 
And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” 
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”

 

Ninoy Aquino Day (Assassination video here)

Ninoy Aquino Day is a national non-working holiday in the Philippines observed annually on August 21, commemorating the anniversary of the 1983 assassination of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr.. He was the husband of Corazon Cojunagco Aquino, who was later to become Philippine President; both are treated as two of the heroes of democracy in the country. His assassination led to the downfall of the Dictator Ferdinand Edralin Marcos on February 25, 1986, through the People Power Revolution.

Unlike other dates reserved for national heroes of the Philippines (like Bonifacio Day, Rizal Day, Araw ng Kagitingan, and National Heroes Day), the date is not a “regular holiday” but only a “non-working holiday”. (Wikipedia)

History

Aquino was a well-known opposition figure and critic of the then-President Ferdinand Marcos. Due to his beliefs, he was later imprisoned for about eight years after martial law was declared in the country. Even in his imprisonment, he sought a parliamentary seat for Metro Manila in the Interim Batasang Pambansa, under the banner of the Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN). He eventually led in the opinion polls and was initially leading the electoral count but eventually lost to the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) slate led by First Lady Imelda Marcos. Aquino remained in prison but continued to fight for democracy in the country and against the oppression of the Filipino people. After suffering from a heart attack in March 1980, he and his family moved to the United States for medical treatment, eventually leading to his self-imposed exile for about three years. There, he continued his advocacy by giving speeches to the Filipino-American communities.^[1] Later, he planned to return to the islands to challenge Marcos for the parliamentary elections in 1984. Though some did not feel this was a good idea, he still did so in 1983. Upon returning to the Philippines at the Manila International Airport (now renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor), he was shot and died on August 21, 1983 as he was escorted off an airplane by security personnel. This led to several protests at his funeral that sparked snap presidential elections in 1986, which led to the 1986 EDSA Revolution, catapulting his wife, Cory Aquino, to the presidency.

Actual Video of Aquino’s assassination

   

 

The 115th Philippine Independence Day

In the afternoon of June 12, 1898, General Emilio F. Aguinaldo solemnly proclaimed at the historic balcony of his ancestral house on Calle Real in Kawit, Cavite, the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of the Philippines. He then proudly waved the Philippine flag, sewn in Hong Kong by Doña Marcela M. Agoncillo, amidst thunderous applause and shouts of Mabuhay ang Kalayaan ng Pilipinas! The San Francisco de Malabon band played the tune of the National Anthem of the Philippines called Marcha Filipina at that time. Most of the people who witnessed the momentous event were barefoot military personnel wearing shirts and red trousers, wide-brimmed straw hats, and carrying captured rifles with bolos hanging from their waists. The group of civilian visitors who rode in horse-drawn carriages wore ties and dark coats befitting the solemn occasion.

The declaration of Philippine independence from the colonial rule of Spain concluded the Philippine Revolution. Philippine independence, however, was neither recognized by the United States of America (USA) nor by Spain. The Spanish government later ceded the Philippine archipelago to the United States under the 1898 Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War. Then the USA granted independence to the Republic of the Philippines on July 4, 1946 under the Treaty of Manila.

On September 29, 1898, the Malolos Congress formally ratified the Declaration of Independence, which had been adopted by the assembly of local officials in Bacoor, Cavite, on August 1 of the same year. In that meeting, a resolution was adopted, calling on the President of the Philippines to take steps to secure from foreign powers their recognition of the independence of the Philippines. Thus, the Revolutionary Government, on August 6, 1898, sent diplomatic notes to foreign nations, requesting then to accord formal recognition to the Philippines as a free and independent nation.On July 4, 1901, the USA established a civilian colonial government in Manila. The following year, also on July 4, which was the American Independence Day, U.S. President Theodore B. Roosevelt declared the end of the Philippine-American War. On July 4, 1946, after nearly 50 years of American colonial rule, broken only by more than three years of Japanese occupation, the USA recognized the independence of the Philippines in ceremonies held in front of the Legislative Building. The proclamation fulfilled the American policy of independence provided by the Tydings-McDuffie Law of 1934. July 4 was celebrated as Philippine Independence Day, until President Diosdado P. Macapagal decided in 1962 to commemorate June 12, 1898, instead as Araw ng Kalayaan. President Ferdinand E. Marcos who succeeded Macapagal later proclaimed July 4 as the “Philippine-American Friendship Day.”

The declaration of Philippine Independence Day marked the Filipinos’ exercise of their right to self-determination, liberty, and independence. It was a legitimate assertion by the Filipino nation of its natural and inalienable claim to freedom and independence, which is an inherent right of every people, not dependent upon the will and discretion of another.

We congratulate the government of the Republic of the Philippines headed by H. E. President Benigno S. Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar C. Binay on the occasion of the 115th Anniversary of Philippine Independence Day. Mabuhay ang Araw ng Kalayaan ng Pilipinas!

 

Published: June 9, 2013: Philippine Panorama by Manila Bulletin

 

Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis I at His Inaugural Mass

His Holiness Pope Francis I gives his Homily at His Inaugural Mass at St. Peter’s Square, Rome on March 19, 2013:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of St Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude.

I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other churches and ecclesial communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

In the Gospel we heard that “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife” (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: “Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model” (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a “protector” because he is able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!

Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are “Herods” who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.

Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be “protectors”, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!

Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus’ three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, “hoping against hope, believed” (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!

I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen.

 

Top Pope contenders @ Conclave 2013

Cardinals from around the world gather today, March 12, 2013, in a conclave to elect a new pope following the stunning resignation of Benedict XVI. In the secretive world of the Vatican, there is no way to know who is in the running, and history has yielded plenty of surprises. Yet several names have come up repeatedly as strong contenders. The top contenders are listed below:

CARDINAL ANGELO SCOLA: Scola is seen as Italy‘s best chance at reclaiming the papacy, following back-to-back pontiffs from outside the country that had a lock on the job for centuries. He’s also one of the top names among all of the papal contenders. Scola, 71, has commanded both the pulpits of Milan’s Duomo as archbishop and Venice’s St. Mark’s Cathedral as patriarch, two extremely prestigious church positions that together gave the world five popes during the 20th century. Scola was widely viewed as a papal contender when Benedict was elected eight years ago. His promotion to Milan, Italy’s largest and most influential diocese, has been seen as a tipping point in making him one of the leading papal candidates. He is known as a doctrinal conservative who is also at ease quoting Jack Kerouac and Cormac McCarthy.

CARDINAL LUIS ANTONIO TAGLE: Asia’s most prominent Roman Catholic leader knows how to reach the masses: He sings on stage, preaches on TV, brings churchgoers to laughter and tears with his homilies. And he’s on Facebook. But the 55-year-old Philippines‘ best response against the tide of secularism, clergy sex abuse scandals and rival-faith competition could be his reputation for humility. His compassion for the poor and unassuming ways have impressed followers in his homeland, Asia’s largest Catholic nation, and church leaders in the Vatican. Tagle’s chances are considered remote, as many believe that Latin America or Africa – with their faster-growing Catholic flocks – would be more logical choices if the papal electors look beyond Europe.

CARDINAL ODILO SCHERER: Scherer is known for prolific tweeting, appearances on Brazil‘s most popular late-night talk show and squeezing into the subway for morning commutes. Brazil’s best hope to supply the next pontiff is increasingly being touted as one of the top overall contenders. At the relatively young age of 63, he enthusiastically embraces all new methods for reaching believers, while staying true to a conservative line of Roman Catholic doctrine and hardline positions on social issues such as rejection of same-sex marriage. Scherer joined Twitter in 2011 and in his second tweet said: “If Jesus preached the gospel today, he would also use print media, radio, TV, the Internet and Twitter. Give Him a chance!” Scherer became the Sao Paulo archbishop in 2007 and was named a cardinal later the same year.

CARDINAL MARC QUELLET: Canada‘s Ouellet once said that being pope “would be a nightmare.” He would know, having enjoyed the confidence of two popes as a top-ranked Vatican insider. His high-profile position as head of the Vatican’s office for bishops, his conservative leanings, his years in Latin America and his work in Rome as president of a key commission for Latin America all make him a favorite to become the first pontiff from the Americas. But the qualities that make the 68-year-old popular in Latin America – home to the world’s biggest Catholic population – and among the cardinals who elect the pope have contributed to his poor image in his native Quebec, where ironically he was perceived during his tenure as archbishop as an outsider parachuted in from Rome to reorder his liberal province along conservative lines.

CARDINAL PETER ERDO: Erdo is the son of a deeply religious couple who defied communist repression in Hungary to practice their faith. And if elected pope, the 60-year-old would be the second pontiff to come from eastern Europe – following in the footsteps of the late John Paul II, a Pole who left a great legacy helping to topple communism. A cardinal since 2003, Erdo is an expert on canon law and distinguished university theologian who has also striven to forge close ties to the parish faithful. He is increasingly seen as a compromise candidate if cardinals are unable to rally around some of the more high-profile figures like Scola or Scherer.

 

 

CARDINAL GIANFRANCO RAVASI: Ravasi, the Vatican’s culture minister, is an erudite scholar with a modern touch – just the combination some faithful see as ideal for reviving a church beset by scandal and a shrinking flock. The 70-year-old is also one of the favorites among Catholics who long to see a return to the tradition of Italian popes. The polyglot biblical scholar peppers speeches with references ranging from Aristotle to late British diva Amy Winehouse. Ravasi’s foreign language prowess is reminiscent of that of the late globetrotting John Paul II: He tweets in English, chats in Italian and has impressed his audiences by switching to Hebrew and Arabic in some of his speeches.

CARDINAL PETER TURKSON: Often cast as the social conscience of the church, Ghana‘s Turkson is viewed by many as the top African contender for pope. The 64-year-old head of the Vatican’s peace and justice office was widely credited with helping to avert violence following contested Ghanaian elections. He has aggressively fought African poverty, while disappointing many by hewing to the church’s conservative line on condom use amid Africa’s AIDS epidemic. Turkson’s reputation as a man of peace took a hit recently when he showed a virulently anti-Islamic video, a move now seen as hurting his papal prospects. Observers say those prospects sank further when he broke a taboo against public jockeying for the papacy – saying the day after Benedict’s resignation announcement that he’s up for the job “if it’s the will of God.”

CARDINAL TIMOTHY DOLAN: Dolan, the 63-year-old archbishop of New York, is an upbeat, affable defender of Catholic orthodoxy, and a well-known religious figure in the United States. He holds a job Pope John Paul II once called “archbishop of the capital of the world.” His colleagues broke with protocol in 2010 and made him president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, instead of elevating the sitting vice president as expected. And during the 2012 presidential election, Republicans and Democrats competed over which national political convention the cardinal would bless. He did both. But scholars question whether his charisma and experience are enough for a real shot at succeeding Benedict.

CARDINAL JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO: Bergoglio, 76, has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, Brazil overseeing churches and shoe-leather priests. The archbishop of Buenos Aires reportedly got the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 papal election, and he has long specialized in the kind of pastoral work that some say is an essential skill for the next pope. In a lifetime of teaching and leading priests in Latin America, which has the largest share of the world’s Catholics, Bergoglio has shown a keen political sensibility as well as the kind of self-effacing humility that fellow cardinals value highly. Bergoglio is known for modernizing an Argentine church that had been among the most conservative in Latin America.

CARDINAL LEONARDO SANDRI: Leonardo Sandri, 69, is a Vatican insider who has run the day-to-day operations of the global church’s vast bureaucracy and roamed the world as a papal diplomat. He left his native Argentina for Rome at 27 and never returned to live in his homeland. Initially trained as a canon lawyer, he reached the No. 3 spot in the church’s hierarchy under Pope John Paul II, the zenith of a long career in the Vatican’s diplomatic service ranging from Africa to Mexico to Washington. As substitute secretary of state for seven years, he essentially served as the pope’s chief of staff. The jovial diplomat has been knighted in a dozen countries, and the church he is attached to as cardinal is Rome’s exquisite, baroque San Carlo ai Catinari.

Read more here

 

Petition to STOP Cruelty to dogs in China: Pls. sign in the comments area

Reposted from here

To: The CHINESE GOVERMENT

Through Mr. Obama (US President) and
Mr. Barroso (President of the European Commission),

We are all world citizens and were shocked to see how the Dogs are treated and killed in China, as you can see directly from the snapshots above and in this video below.

We do not need words, because we don’t have any word, to comment on the brutality and ferocity of what we saw, and we don’t have the courage and strength to review the video twice.

The DOG is always considered, by all civilizations, man’s best friend and it never hesitated to sacrifice its life for men.

For this and other many reasons, we want all together to make our voices heard because this senseless cruelty is stopped, the dogs’ dignity, as well as that of every living creature is respected, and it will be sent an official note by the European Commission and US Government to the Chinese Government because this brutal and uncivilized practice will be stopped immediately.

 

Your 2012 guide to surviving the end of the world

The year 2012 is finally upon us, and December 21 looms on the yearend horizon. At the moment, doomsday believers are already counting down the roughly 350 days left in the Mayan Calendar.

Most people find the 2012 prophecies laughable, but that’s only because the earth, tenacious planet that it is, has managed to survive many doomsdays in the past decade.

People may think of it as an unfulfilled prophecy, but it is actually an incredible feat of survival on the earth’s part. Why, just last year, we’ve survived the apocalypse twice when Harold Camping made his two magnificently mistaken rapture predictions.

Of course, the skepticism is understandable, but you’d do well to suspend your disbelief. This year will really be the year it all ends if you go by the Mayan calendar, an ancient relic made by a long-dead civilization may be a credible source to some.

If that’s not enough to convince you that the world will end this year, well, just look around. Temperatures are rising and dropping by extremes. Polar bears are disappearing. Justin Bieber is said to have fathered a child. The signs are everywhere.

You’d best take heed and take a page from the preppers, a group of people who’ve read the signs, seen the truth, and started preparing for the catastrophic event that will alter life as we know it.

We may not know how it’s going to happen yet. It could be a stock market crash, nuclear warfare, alien invasion, coronal mass ejection, zombie apocalypse, or the coming of Bieberspawn. Whatever it is, here are preparations you and your family can do for the apocalypse that’s sure to come eventually.

Tip #1: Create a self-sustaining food farm in your backyard pool

One admirable prepper featured on a National Geographic documentary came up with the ingenious idea of turning his pool into an aquaponic farm. The most brilliant feature by far is the farm’s design, which makes sure that his tilapia colony can feed on the chicken droppings that fall from the coop—because we all love the taste of chicken-crap-fed-fish.

According to the prepper, he created this farm to lessen his dependence on electricity, which is crucial to survival in the case of a coronal mass ejection that will destroy the earth’s electric grid.

In that context, it really makes sense. But for those who don’t have backyard pools or cannot abide the taste of tilapia, another option would be to live with the Amish, or to experience a Filipino-style brownout. Either two are equally effective ways to learn how to live without power.

Tip #2: Stock up on canned goods, cup noodles, and MREs

Canned goods, cup noodles and MREs (meals-ready-to-eat, food eaten by American soldiers on the field) are the holy trinity of no-cook food.

They don’t taste half bad either. Remember not to overstock, though. Just about one cellar’s worth will be enough.

Do not forget to stock up on can openers and hot water keepers too, although when you’re on the move from looters or zombies, you might have to stick to your trusty Skyflakes, which, come to think of it, should also be on your prepper shopping list.

Tip #3: Purchase a luxury underground shelter

In most doomsday scenarios, this is really the only way you’ll survive. Food and water won’t matter when a collision with Planet X/Nibiru causes a torrent of fire to rain down from the heavens.

Lucky for us, there are a number of doomsday shelters already on the market. Those who want a no-nonsense roof over their heads can choose among some safehouses:

• http://www.alpinesurvival.com/earth-changes-survival-shelters.html;
• http://www.hardenedstructures.com/2012-shelter-systems.html; or
• http://survivalcondo.com/

All these promise to provide safe and secure accommodations underneath cement-thick foundations and climate-proof ceilings.

But those who want to rough out the rapture with a touch of style might want to check out Vivos, a luxury underground safehouse placed in secure locations in the American desert.

For a co-ownership fee of only $9,950 per person you will receive a sure supply of food, fuel, materials, and a space in the Vivos community for 6 months.

Sure, it may sound like a steep price to some, but the kind people at Vivos do have a financial aid plan that allows the poorlings to pay the full amount in installments over a number of years. Because of course, even in the post-apocalyptic world, currencies, the economy, credit cards, and checks will continue to work in the same way as they do now.

Then again, for us here in the Third World, this third tip is barely an option. Doomsday shelters here are virtually non-existent, so in the case of a collision with Planet X, or any other earth-shattering catastrophe, well, to be perfectly frank, we’re good as gone, so let’s hope that the apocalypse comes in the form of something we know how to handle like EDSA traffic jams.

Sarcasm aside, for all we know, the preppers could be spot on in their beliefs, in which case, the apocalypse would be the biggest “I-told-you-so” in the post-history of mankind.

But until then, let’s focus on not letting paranoia get the better of us, and starting the New Year with optimism.

AMANDA T. LAGO
GMA News

 

Remembering our dead on All Soul’s Day

All Soul’s Day commemorates the faithful departed.

In Western Christianity, this day is observed principally in the Catholic Church, although some churches of the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches also celebrate it. The Eastern Orthodox churches observe several All Souls’ Days during the year. The Roman Catholic celebration is associated with the doctrine that the souls of the faithful who at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to venial sins and from attachment to mortal sins cannot immediately attain thebeatific vision in heaven, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the Mass. In other words, when they died, they had not yet attained full sanctification and moral perfection, a requirement for entrance into Heaven. This sanctification is carried out posthumously in Purgatory.

The official name of the celebration in the Roman Rite liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church is “The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed“.

Another popular name in English is Feast of All Souls. In some other languages the celebration, not necessarily on the same date, is known as Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos or de los Difuntos in Spanish-speaking countries; halottak napja in Hungary; Yom el Maoutain Lebanon, Israel and Syria).

The Western celebration of All Souls’ Day is on 2 November and follows All Saints’ Day, which commemorates the departed who have attained the beatific vision. If 2 November falls on a Sunday, the Mass is of All Souls, but the Office is that of the Sunday. However, Morning and Evening Prayer (Lauds and Vespers) for the Dead, in which the people participate, may be said. In pre-1969 calendars, which some still follow, and in the Anglican Communion, All Souls Day is instead transferred, whenever 2 November falls on a Sunday, to the next day, 3 November, as in 2008.

The Eastern Orthodox Church dedicates several days throughout the year to the dead, mostly on Saturdays, because of Jesus’ resting in the tomb on Saturday.

 

NAIA 1 voted world’s worst airport

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 was voted the world’s worst airport for 2011 by readers of “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports,” a site that reviews the quality and facilities of the world’s airports.

Its primary audience seems to be budget travelers who see sleeping in airports as one way to save money during their journeys.

Among the array of problems cited by international passengers who managed to survive the airport were theft, bribery, and the absence of toilet seats and running water in the bathrooms.

One reader had this experience:

“A big bucket with a dipper was by the front door (of the restroom) and about four attendants hassled me for a tip. When I asked a security guard where the smoking area was he told me to follow him… and he took me outside where he then insisted on a bribe before he let me back into the terminal.”

NAIA does have a recently opened Terminal 3 with better facilities, but “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” reminded readers that it was deemed “structurally flawed.”

NAIA-1’s ratings worsened from the site’s 2010 assessment that it was the world’s 5th worst airport and the worst only in Asia.

“Earlier this year, some bad press regarding the state of the airport made airport officials promise to clean its Terminal 1 toilets and provide running water and soap. Imagine… they actually had to ‘promise’ to offer this!” the site said.

“The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” also pointed out physical hazards that recently plagued NAIA-1, including the collapse of its Bay 7 ceiling in May.

The basic design of its facilities poses risks. According to passenger Tiffycality, “Their arrival ramp is not user friendly because it slopes downward!! If you happen to be pushing your loads of baggages through this ramp watch out or your baggage might get to the bottom of the ramp before you!!”

The woes of NAIA-1 go beyond poor facilities, the site pointed out.

“The amount of corruption and bribery is just mind-blowing,” says Shizumasa.

“Airport taxes are collected,” the site explained, “but the money does not seem to go towards the betterment of the airport. Document holders have been told their papers are not correct, but a fee of x amount should clear up the matter.”

The site seems to share the same conclusion as this reader: “The worst airport on the planet. It has to be experienced to be believed.”

Blogger: Manila ‘a dump’

NAIA’s poor ranking received media attention at a time when a blog calling Manila “a dump” was going viral in the Philippines.

The brutally negative review of Manila came from Englishman Geoffrey James Quartermain Bastin, who claimed he has worked “on-and-off” in the Philippines since 1991 and tagged Manila as the “disgrace of Southeast Asia.”

The effects of such negative publicity on Philippine tourism remain to be seen, amid Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez’s campaign for Filipinos to sell the Philippine brandthrough social media.

Earlier, Jimenez said the Philippines is not difficult to sell. “This is the most beautiful country in the world. One of the ten most beautiful countries in the world. There is no reason we won’t succeed,” he noted.

With Paterno Esmaquel II/VS/HS

 

Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary

Feast masses, novenas, Marian processions, and the holding of living rosaries in honor of the Blessed Mother will be held in all Our Lady of the Holy Rosary churches, shrines, and Marian schools across the country Friday in celebration of the feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.

At the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Santo Domingo Church) on Quezon Avenue, Quezon City, masses will be held by the hour from 5 a.m. to 12 noon and at 6 p.m. The grand celebration, the La Naval de Manila, will be on Sunday, Oct. 9, to be marked with hourly masses and a grand procession set at 4 p.m. The seventh of the novena masses, that began last Sept. 30 and will end on Oct. 8, will be held Friday.

By Christina Hermoso