A visit to the cemetery, which many of us will undertake starting tomorrow for our annual observance of All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2) should humble us.
As France Charles de Gaulle famously said, “The cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men.”
Any sense of self-importance should be erased by De Gaulle’s reminder.
The much- respected Haydee Yorac, said the same when she was battling cancer and resigned to face her creator. She was confident that there will be no dearth of Filipinos who will continue her crusade for truth and justice. She consoled people,””No one is indispensable.”
In her sharing with fellow cancer patients, instead of giving mawkish words of comfort, Haydee gave it as straight, without frills: “We will all die,” she said adding that it’s a matter of time. Some have gone ahead but each of us will have our time.
She said what is important is the kind of life we lived. She said each of us, in our own way should try to make a difference: “Making a difference is enough.”
Our annual ritual of visiting the graves of those who have gone ahead of us should remind us to value God’s gift of life.
I found an article in Joel Saracho’s Facebook about “15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy.” I’m sharing five items here more for a more meaningful life than to achieve happiness:
• Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question:
“Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?” Wayne Dyer
• Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.
“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu
• Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.
• Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open.
“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer
• Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them.
You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.
Ellen, thanks for sharing 5 virtues from Joel Saracho’s Facebook. I could summarize in one word as, “humility.”
It seems to me that the two authors mentioned as Wayne Dyer and Lao Tzu are secular people, but their thoughts and virtues were heavenly teachings or words that are ultimately be traceable from God’s Word. I wonder how many of our political leaders in our beloved country, Philippines, were worthy of these virtues of humility? Without it they have chosen their own destiny to self-destruction and the ferocious double bladed sword of God is pointed directly to their hearts. This should awaken all persons guilty of PDAF or DAF sins, PNoy and the rest of lawmakers and private individuals, Yes, all of you could run away with it, but there is no place to hide, unless right now, you would turn back to God for self-admission, repentance, restoration and conversion, not because of my writings here, because it is not my job, but by the work of the Holy Spirit of God.
Many of our cemetery or memorial parks can be seen by the roadways as we drive by and Fresh Flowers can be seen by the gravesites every morning as we drive by.. Honouring our dearly departed is not just during all souls or all saints day.. It is all days or any day..(I known this fellow who make it a daily “habit ” to visit his son’ grave before going for his morning Coffee and walk inside the mall..where we talk more over refills from Mcdo..
On the related subject, allow me to share the following. Please do not be offended. Rather, keep an open mind and ponder if “death” is really what it is that most people believe:
People believe (particularly the Catholics) that when a person dies, his soul goes to any of these three destinations: heaven, hell or purgatory. Catholic bishop Louis La Ravoire Morrow explains that “The soul is judged by God, and rewarded with heaven, punished with hell, or sent for a time to be cleansed in purgatory” (My Catholic Faith, p. 248).
In fact,the Catholic Church officially teaches that, “Purgatory is a place vice where souls are detained for a time and purified if they die guilty of slight sins or if they have not entirely atoned for grave sins, though these have been forgiven” (A Catechism for Inquirers, p. 28)
The Bible, however, does not mention about purgatory. So, why do we believe that such a place exists? Instead, the Bible teaches that man will go to either heaven (to receive eternal life) or hell (to suffer eternal punishment). All men will be judged accordingly on Judgment Day, and not immediately after they die (Mi 25:31-34,41),
The term purgatory itself and the teachings and practices surrounding it are unscriptural. The Holy Scriptures teaches that when a person dies, he “will never again take part in anything that happens in this world” (Eccl. 9:6, TEV) since the soul dies, too (Ezek. 18:4). While waiting for the day of Judgment, the dead will remain in the grave (Ps. 88:5; Job 14:10,12; II Pt. 3:10, 7). So, offering prayers for the dead is unbiblical and useless.
Death is inevitable. Even Benjamin Franklin quoted that this is one certainty we can’t escape from. But the question is: are we prepared to face death? Where will our soul go in the afterlife. Please go to this link and find out: http://viooz.co/movies/14986-not-a-fan-2010.html This is my eye-opener and now I’m trying to sort out my life. Its never too late you know.
#3 thanks Mannie for your sharing. Anyway, thanks from our previous postings when you corrected my error in misspelling your name, for i knew for the sweetest sound in man’s ear is the sound of his/her name.
You have shared much about Catholic beliefs as open-minded and open hearted person. Whenever seemingly conflicting belief as you mentioned as unscriptural, we should use only properly canonized bible that includes books called deutero-canonical books, for he fact that the Catholic Church canonized the Bible before the end of the 4th Century. Do you know the Bible without the church? Please share your reply in my email, as this is not the place for dialogueing: josesamilin181@yahoo.com
#3 Na kana mo, Mannie. Tama ang lahat ng inilahad mo.
Ang mga apostol, si Moses, Abraham, Noah, at iba pa ay lahat sila ay wala pa sa langit. Nakabaon pa rin sila sa lupa. Kelan sila makakarating sa langit? Kapag dumating na ang Cristo na yon na ang Judgement Day saka pa lang silang bubuhayin muli at saka pa lamang sila makakarating sa langit. Yong mga taong parurusahan ay wala pa rin sa impeyerno. Makakalipas muna ang isang libong taon mula ng umakyat sa langit ang mga maliligtas ay saka pa lamang sila bubuhayin para itapon sa impeyerno.
Ayon sa Biblia, noong nagkaroon ng digmaan sa langit ay natalo si Satanas. Itinapon si Satanas dito rin sa mundong tinitirhan natin. Nakakulong siya sa ilalim ng lupa kasama ang mga kampon niya. Pinaparusahan sila ngayon pero hindi pa ito ang impeyerno. Pakakawalan lamang sila sa impeyerno sa ikalawang pagkabuhay ng makalipas ang isang libong taon mula sa pag akyat sa langit ng mga maliligtas.
SOUNDS OF DEMONS IN PAIN AT THE GATES OF HELL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMjFE8vI3k4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyXtHeHNldE
Mayroon isa pang link sa ibaba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuer_zvPR0o&feature=share
Waiting for moderation pa yong isang post ko dahil dalwang links ang nilagay ko. Pero itong isa lang ang link ay lumabas agad. Sana makalabas agad yong post ko na may dalawang links.
Sorry, Xman for the delay in approving your post. Medyo ngbakasyon din.
Got this Felix Rodriguez in Seattle, U.S.A:
Loved your October 30th piece, “Thoughts When You Go To The Cemetery”. Have always enjoyed your column in Malaya.
Napoles mom’s tomb draws cemetery crowd
http://www.philstar.com/news-feature/2013/11/02/1252103/napoles-moms-tomb-draws-cemetery-crowd
This must be part of where the alleged PhP10B loot was spent.
Tsk. tsk. Tsk.
Thanks Xman. Does the Devil really exist?
The holy Scriptures teach the existence of the devil who is also called Satan. However, we must understand that God did not create him to be characterized by wickedness. What God created was a guardian cherub included among His holy angels:
“You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.” (Ezek. 28:14-15, New International Version)
The anointed cherub whom God ordained was created blameless and perfect. He was not made to become the devil – he was not meant to go against God’s will. But , as the verse states, wickedness was found in the anointed cherub. What was the evil that God saw in the cherub He had made?
“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart,’I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’.” (Is 14:12-14, Ibid.)
Seeing his perfection, the anointed cherub aspired to be like God and wanted to put himself in the throne of the almighty. Because of arrogance and pride that God saw in Him, he was flung down to earth and became the devil or Satan.
The devil, as God’s adversary, opposes God’s will for mankind. To do this, he resorts to lies being the father of them (cf. I Pt. 5:8-9; Job 2:7, Acts 10:38).
The devil has deceived the whole world (except the true Christians) of which he is the temporary ruler until Judgment Day when he and all those deceived by him will be thrown into the lake of fire to be tormented forever and ever (cf. Rev. 12:9; II Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10). True Christians must vehemently oppose him by not giving in to his wiles so that they will be saved come Judgment Day (cf. Eph. 6:11).
God is not to blame for the difficulties and hardships that man experiences in this life. We must remember that when God created man, He saw to it that man would not be wanting in anything. He put the first man in the garden of Eden, a paradise where peace and abundance reigned, where death was unknown, and sin did not yet exist. To safeguard this ideal set – up, God gave His commandments for man to obey. However, the first couple gave in to the temptation of the serpent or the devil and disobeyed God’s command. As the result, He cursed them and the ground (cf. Gen. 2:8, 15-17; 3:1-19,22-23). After the Fall, life then became difficult for man. This deplorable fate that has be fallen him was brought about by his own disobedience.
Ellen, nothing to be sorry about and hopefully you had a nice vacation. I’m just glad to be able to post in your blog.
Mannie,….wow, you know your stuff based on what is written in the Bible. What you have written above is what I know and believed in. We must be on the same side….heehehehehe…
Mayroon akong idadagdag pero hindi galing sa Biblia. May kakilala ako na Remote Viewer, ipinakita sa kanya kung ano ang nangyari noong labanan sa langit. Ayon sa nakita nya, noong natalo sa labanan si morning star at ang mga kumampi sa kanya, noong pinalalayas na sila ay nag iyakan ang lahat ng mga anghel. Marami pa syang mga sinabi pero ayaw ko ng magkuwento dahil lalabas na parang sira ulo ako at yong RV.
Pero sa totoo lang, very powerful itong RV na to. Nasubukan ko na sya ng maraming beses at ng mga taong nakakakilala sa kanya.
Hindi sa ilalim ng lupa ikinulong si Satanas. Saan mo natutunan yan? Si Satanas ay nakakulong sa Veterans Memorial Medical Center at naka-hospital arrest. Sa laki ng mga sungay niya kinailangang magsuot siya ng neck brace.
Pambihira, anong version ba ng bibliya binabasa ng mga to?
tuwid-na-daan bible version