ORDINARY TIME. After all the festivities of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany etc., the Church invites us to live what we have celebrated in the ordinariness of our lives. The Wise Men “manifested” this to us when we read in the Epiphany gospel: “…and they returned to their own country by a different way.” (Mt2:12) Paying homage to the King didn’t end with gold, frankincense and myrrh. They could not live the same way as before anymore. They change their ways after the encounter. We too are called to “Arise and Shine out!” (Is60:1) We cannot live as if we are still in darkness, pretending that Christ has not been born and has no effect in our lives. We to move (arise) and show (shine) this light that we have received and make a difference in our ways. We cannot just be the same if we have the light. We cannot just give our gifts (share what we have) but be gifts (give who we are) for others. After all saints are ordinary people who gave themselves more after receiving the light. And they become Patrons of different ordinary walks of life: Carpenters (Joseph), Fishermen (Andrew), Farmers (Isidore), Parents (Joachim & Ann) and so on… You don’t have to do great things to shine. In the ordinary, you can make a difference. ///// BEATITUDES. Just as Moses gave the 10 commandments to the chosen people from Mt. Sinai, Jesus (the New Moses) gave the 8 beatitudes to the chosen disciples from a hill. Both are commandments in a way. Both are attitudes in a way. Christians have to act in a certain way different from the rest (Cf. above). We follow commands and must have certain attitudes. We can find happiness even in the difficult and testing situations we find ourselves in if we have the right attitude. The Beatitudes are counter- cultural if not counter-reality. We don’t associate happiness with poverty, hunger, mourning, abuse, persecution and calumny. These tough situations can only find “happiness” in the reason or the cause. I feel happy though hungry after visiting the river villages. I am happy in the “poverty” of missionary life. As I’ve written before, happiness is about who you are not in what you have. ///// A priest was very happy and thankful after robbers took away all his wallet and wristwatch. People asked him, “Why are you still thankful? You must be cursing them!” The priest replied, “I am happy and thankful that I am not the robber.” The pure of heart can see God (6th beatitude) even in the negative intricacies of life. Again, attitude makes the difference. ///// ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED? I started to bid goodbye to the riverain villages for my eventual departure in the Northwest. I sat foot in the Northwest 21Sept2005. I’ll be leaving on 15Feb2008. I arrived on Martial law (Phils, 1972) leaving on Valentine’s day. I started with a mission order and end up loving the missions. One of the villages gave me a gold ring! as a souvenir w/ Guyana map. My word of thanks dwell on the relationship between priest and people: “Your priest has no wings or halo. We are human beings. Just like a father coming from working in the farm… his tired worn-out body is energized when wife and family are there to welcome him and wait on him. Imagine if this same father will go home on an empty house… We draw strength from the community we serve. Imagine your “father” traveling from afar braving the rains and the hot sun in the rivers to give service to an empty church without anyone to welcome him? How shall we feel? But when you make an effort to come just like us… we forget the long tiresome trip, we only remember your effort to be here with us.” ///// Here is the text message I sent to friends: River ministry – Bidding farewell not that easy. Turning the next page means leaving the mission, its rivers, its forests, its people and my “better” self. ///// THE BEST OF WHAT WE CAN. Having the tour of all our thirty villages is taking its toll on me. I feel I have to pace myself or I will fall into fatigue. This 47-year old body is not the same as before. I need rest so that I can be of good use. There are still many needs, many deeds, many weeds but time has come to respond to another call. The only consolation anyone can get is that you did your best in the time given to you to make a difference. Just like all the others that came before me did their best. I also believe I became different in the process… ///// 4Feb2008