Go, Maria Lourdes V.
BSIT – 3
Sto. Niño Catholic Parish Church
Fr. Jerry Martin
Sunday Ref. # 2

Gospel Mt 15:21-28
At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”He said in reply,“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”He said in reply,“It is not right to take the food of the childrenand throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scrapsthat fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply,“O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

I had my Sunday Mass on 17th of June 2008 in Sto. Niño Catholic Parish Church at 4 pm, and the priest is Fr. Jerry Martin. The gospel was Mt 15:21-28, and it’s all about faith.

The gospel tells about a persistent woman who asked Jesus to help her daughter who was possessed by a demon. The woman always asked Jesus to help her even though Jesus did not reply to her and so the disciples asked Him to send her away for she keeps calling after them and Jesus replied that He was sent only for a mission to do something. But the woman instead of giving up she was more encouraged and have more faith to ask Jesus to help her. Because of the great faith of the woman, Jesus had done the woman wish to her daughter.

The gospel reflects on our daily lives that even though we’ve always encountered many problems and our prayers were not answered we still have the faith to God. We must keep on believing to Him if we really want our wish to be granted but if it is not granted we must still keep on believing to Him for He knows best.

For as to my own wish, I have many wishes. I know all of us have wishes. For me I keep on praying those wishes, others are not yet granted but I keep on believing that God will grant my wishes someday but if not I know God have another plan for me. He knows best. Honestly, when I pray for something especially those wishes I really cried. I have this one wish I asked God until now why He couldn’t grant it. I keep on doing the best I can to have it but I can’t really have it for my own. This wish started when I entered the school in my elementary years. I decipher to myself why I couldn’t have the intelligence that will make my parents proud of me.

(Honestly, while I am writing this reflection I stopped my tears). I got jealous to my siblings and also to my friends because all of them have the rewards that made my parents and their parents and the people around them proud while I’m not. I made my parents and the people proud of me in other things but not the thing I wanted to be. I don’t know why, maybe I’m not contented. Yes, it is. Until now, I keep on praying that wish. I have the question here that is left behind: “Can I ever receive the one wish I wish for?” In my prayers I always include my grades especially when I know that I’m low on that subject, example is my abstract algebra. When I knew my midterm grade there I was really disappointed, I know it’s my fault because I’m the one who had done it. For me I did my best there but that was all I could. So I keep on worrying on the things that I will encounter in my finals. This was always happened to me in my academics worrying on my grades. I’m worrying because I couldn’t make my parents happy instead they’re going to be disappointed and sad. They have supported me in all they can but I couldn’t make them happy because of my so-called grades. I still pray that God will guide me even though I always encountered this problem that I already ask Him to help me in some ways but yet doesn’t granted. I know I’m the one who can do to solve the problems but I’d just wish to Him to grant me the thing I always wish, to help me to gain it. To give me strength to work for it when I feel I cannot do it is what I want for. I have another question left behind again: “Can I be successful someday if it is not today?” I really wish for it. I’d just want to say that I love God even though He didn’t grant my wishes. I’m still hoping for it.

I just keep on having faith to God even though I already feel down in some things. Believing on Him is the most important. I decipher to myself that having those problems makes me closer to God that I keep on having faith on Him even though He don’t grant my other wishes that until now I’m waiting for that at the same time doing my part in making my wish come true.

March 13, 2009
(organizing my files here)

The treasures of the Philippines are world-renowned: The beauty and productivity of the country's landscapes, its unique plants and animals, and the vitality of its people are among its defining traits. But still the Philippines has prevailing situation in terms of environmental concerns. And these treasures are threatened.

The Philippines suffers from some prevailing situation such as major human-caused environmental degradation, including loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, loss of coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse of coastral resources, and overfishing. The situations are all interconnected to each other. The Rapid forest loss has eliminated habitat for unique and threatened plant and animal species; it has also left large tracts of land in the Philippines vulnerable to soil erosion. The loss of nutrient rich soil reduces crop yields and contributes to the expanded use of chemical fertilizers - a practice that can, in turn, pollute water sources. Rivers and streams also carry eroded soil to the coasts, where it interferes with fish nursery areas. "Soil runoff into fish breeding and nursery areas is one of several factors leading to the overall decline in productivity of fisheries in the Philippines". And clearing mangroves for fuelwood, charcoal production, and coastline development further degrades areas important to fishing industry and leaves the coastline more vulnerable to storm surges, tidal currents, and typhoons. In that situation, the destruction of the country's natural resources has led more Filipinos into poverty.

One of the factors that contribute to the emergence of these issues and concerns is the ever-growing population as one of the primary culprits of the rapid disappearance of the country's natural resources. With one of the highest population growth rates in Southeast Asia (currently at two percent per year), the Philippines is projected to grow from its current population. Second factor is improper used of natural resources that cause many environmental resources to be destroyed like using dynamite in fishing, and many illegal works in natural resources. Third factor is not caring for our environment; we don't care what will happen as long as we get many things from it. We benefit from getting things in the environment. As a Filipino, Philippines is a developing and industrializing country but then we stopped to becoming of it, because the country is experiencing all the concomitant environmental problems and opportunities. All the major ecosystems are under various stages of stresses that threaten the welfare and livelihood of the population.

There are responses that address the identified issues and concerns. "Population, health, and the environment in the Philippines are intricately interconnected and complex. Collaborative efforts that address the complexity of these interconnections can improve Filipinos' health, economy, and future. The challenge lies in ensuring that all Filipinos will be able to count on health and well-being for their families, their communities, and the natural resources upon which they depend." Based on the other article, "There is sufficiency for man's need, but not for man's greed," Mahatma Mohandas Gandi reminded.

The impacts of such responses and interventions can contribute to the Filipinos some information about it. It provides information about the environmental issues in the Philippines. The information can be the outcome of the Filipino traits. So, we should expect for the comments from other people about our doings in our environment. It will also lead us to be positive and negative from other people’s view. Some of them based it on the country’s state if it is progressive or not. But many of us don’t care what will be the outcome from other people’s view.

The recommendations to improve and protect the environment are as follows: Taking care of the environment by stopping the illegal works, planting more trees/plants, reducing of using things that will affect the air and land. Implementing activities that will contribute for the welfare of the environment, there are many activities for the environment like cleaning of waste in the mountains or in the other lands. Putting the waste in the right 3R’s the reuse, reduce, and recycle.

As a Paulinian, I will implement first to myself the right doings in the environment and then I will apply it in the society and environment where I am. The simple things of taking care of the environment are the right thing to do it for ourselves. The simple things are the things that you can do it for yourself in the environment. And for the community it will apply there the activities for nature. The activities are the group of people or the community that will help to take care of the environment by planting trees in the mountain, cleaning the waste materials and putting it into the right 3R’s. If not from the others that will start the environment activity, if ever I will do the initiative to start the environmental activity. It’s important that we should take care of our environment for our better future. We should preserve the beauty of our nature that will start from us. Each of us is the key for better environment. We should remember that all of us were given the chance to live on earth to experience the beauty of life. And for exchange we should care the things that God gave us, and one of that is the environment. If we took something we must change it. And for that example are the plants. We use it in many things and get benefit from that thing. For us, to use that again we should plant another. As much as possible we must plant many trees.