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| "The Parable of the Leaves"
Once upon a walk in front of the Palma Hall Annex, the wind blew beneath my feet and, all over the place, fallen leaves devoid of life were reanimated to join me in my journey. They went the same way as I and, indeed, even matched my velocity. I delighted in their company, and there was no doubt in my mind that the leaves and I felt a commonality of purpose, which only fueled our dedication to the cause. Simultaneously, the leaves and I quickened our pace, almost to the point of running. It felt so exhilirating to be going with the wind...to be going with the leaves.
They have already accompanied me for a good distance when I decided to take things up to the next level. I began putting small skips in my steps to get into a jogging speed, expectant that the leaves would follow. Suddenly, the wind died down and the leaves refused to follow me any farther. They were, once again, as lifeless as before.
I must have been mad, thinking that those leaves could go where I go. They were leaves! Dead leaves, even! They have broken off from their life-source and serve no master, feel no pain, no joy, nor do they pursue a purpose higher than what other dead leaves would pursue: nothing! They would go where the wind blows, where the wind takes them, so lang as there blows a wind at all. Without wind, they are as dead as the stone-cold sidewalk they dwell on. They would have to wait for the next fabulous wind to hitch a ride with in order to get moving again. Such are their ways, always stopping, and yet, never really reaching their final stop...for they never had one in the first place.
As for me, the disappointment slowed me back down to a walk...but not a halt. I am human. I am gifted with emotions, intuition, and intellect far more superior than the lifelessness of fallen leaves. Whether I go with the wind or against it, I go where I must go...though none go with me. | | |
| “The End Really IS Near”
Andre’ C. Betita
I put down the book and fell to a state of reflection. I had just finished reading the first three chapters of the seventh and last book in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, entitled The Last Battle. A statement at the back-cover-summary of the book reads: “…A false Aslan roams the land…” The Chronicles have been known to symbolize Biblical and Christian ideas, and its great hero Aslan the Lion has been known to symbolize Jesus Christ. The last installment in the series clearly is a metaphorical reference to the false Christ (or the Antichrist) that is prophesied to walk our world.
My meditation was interrupted by my older sister offering me one of the earphones of her mp3 player. She said she wanted me to hear a song that was so vulgar. I resisted the temptation to judge her right then and there. I’m an open-minded person, so I let her play it. The title, artist, and lyrics of the song are displayed below.
My Tender Bear
By: Kamikazee
Nung una kang makita
Nabigyan ng liwanag
Ang pagtingin ko
Sa mga katulad mo
Kahit sang yakap lang
Kahit sang hipo lang
Pag sapit ng dilim
Sana ikaw ay
Makakantutan naman
El-na-elib sayo
Titigan lang kita
Tumitigas ang aking
Loob na mahaplos ang
Pisngi ng suso-mo-sobra
Na ba nararamdaman
Bastat pag sapit ng dilim
Sana ikaw ang
Makakantutan naman
Comfing-comfy sayo
Tender bear ko
At tuwing nag iisa
At di ka na kasama
Hanap ko ang yong matambok na-
Kelan kaya akoy naiinip na
Sana ay magka.....tutan naman
Comfing-comfy sayo
Tender bear ko
And then my head flooded with memories of all the songs I hear her playing on the computer. The songs (the lyrics of which I am too disgusted to post here after what I already did post) include “Buttons” by Pussycat Dolls and “Beep” by the same artist, but also featuring Will.I.Am of Black Eyed Peas. If you want to read the lyrics of those songs, then I suppose you can search them up on the net.
In spite of how strongly I wanted to lash at her with words criticizing her for lack of Christian values on her choice of songs to actually “like”, I held my tongue. One reason is that I know that it is not the Christian way to condemn anybody for anything…not even, or rather especially not, sinners for exactly that – being sinners. But another reason is (and I think this is the one that made more influence on my decision) that my older sister is a seasoned debater, and I can just imagine her defending herself by using white lies and twisting words into euphemisms and putting me down rather than actually reinforcing her arguments…as she had so often done in both official and personal debates.
And because of that, I just left the room to distract myself from the thoughts that fleetingly crossed my mind but were suppressed by my consciousness. I swore to myself not to think of such crazy ideas. I convinced myself that it’s just today’s trends. I convinced myself that she was just being her usual self. I waved off all thoughts of how millions of people all over the globe are also just being their usual selves when they choose to put such songs on their mp3 players and when they revel in the sinfulness of the lyrics. But, as you can see in the way I just wrote them down in this paragraph, thoughts like that do not just go away.
I can’t help but think that all of the credible references to the antichrist that I have come across with so far portray him as a seasoned liar. Even book seven of The Chronicles of Narnia. And they all portray him defending himself by using white lies and twisting words into euphemisms and putting others down more than actually reinforcing his arguments. I do not go as far as to judging my own sister to be the antichrist, but the way she acts isn’t doing a good job of showing Christ-like values either. She had always stopped me from pointing out her mistakes with a grand display of big and beautiful words, no matter how obvious it is that she is on the wrong. And she is not the only one.
Out there, millions of other people make fools of themselves by following today’s sinful trends and then defending their obviously sinful actions with even more sinful lies. They say that they do not worship pagan gods, but they throw themselves at the feet of lust and greed. They say they’re not putting wealth above God in importance, but they spend more time at work than in prayer. They say that all the vulgar shows are censored from public broadcast, and then go to prove it by showing us shows with half-naked sexy dancers and tell us that they are not “half-naked”, they are “half-clothed”, implying that they are not naked at all. They tell us that the same goes for the songs played on the radio, and so we hear songs like “Beep” that honestly make no IMPLICIT references to anything vulgar, but obviously mean to stimulate with sensuality (if you don’t get what I mean by this, I suggest you check out the lyrics of the said song). They tell us that they only uphold the truth and advocate integrity in journalistic endeavors, when in fact they sensationalize only the scandalous news and the ones that are good for their ratings.
I can’t help but think back to what I’ve read about what the world would be like before the end. In book 6 of the Left Behind series, entitled Assasins, the end of chapter twenty presents a vivid idea of how it would look like when the antichrist walks the Earth. Below are a couple of paragraphs taken from that very section of the book and revolves mainly around Mac and Abdullah, two men who cannot afford to let the world know that they are Christians for fear of persecution by the world’s secular culture. In this particular part of the story, they were in Jerusalem.
Mac felt a deep sadness as he walked to a shuttle van that was to take him and Abdullah back to the King David [Hotel]. He glanced back at the stage from across a wide expanse of asphalt. Backed by deafening music, the dance troupe ended a lascivious routine.
“This is the new world, Abdullah. This is individual freedom, sanctioned by the international government.”
“Celebrated even,” Abdullah said.
…All along the way Mac and Abdullah passed bars, strip clubs, massage parlors, brothels, pagan sanctuaries, and fortune-telling establishments. In a city with a history of religion dating back millennia…these businesses were not hidden. They were not seedy, not relegated to a certain inevitable section of town. Neither were they operating in darkness behind black doors or labyrinthine entrances that saved the “real” treats for those who were there on purpose.
Rather…here were gleaming storefronts, well lit and obvious to every eye, proudly exhibiting every perversion and fleshly evil known to man.
And then I can’t help but find confirmation in today’s trends. I can’t even have lunch at my house without seeing those half-naked dancers I was talking about earlier, when my seven-year-old sister watches the game shows. I can’t even channel-surf without coming across commercials with men and women making harlots of themselves even if the products advertised have nothing to do with sex…products like cars or biscuits. I can’t even watch my favorite shows without having to see advertisements from companies swiping at and badmouthing their business rivals, subtly referring to their opponents as “yung kabila” or “yung iba diyan” to cowardly defend their own hides.
If that is how it’s like just inside our homes, imagine how it is outside. We see beggars on the street taking refuge under huge signs that tell us that it is illegal to give alms. We see government employees sweeping the dust off the roads and into the faces and panindas of sidewalk vendors who cannot do anything about it when they see the revolvers poking out of their oppressors’ sides. Every time I go out and commute, I see jeeps with images of half-naked (or sometimes, even naked) women painted on them. And then what infuriates me the most is that these very infidels actually succeed in conjuring righteousness and defending themselves by hiding behind the fact that they are laws, they work for the government, and (especially in the case of the jeeps) they have “In God We Trust” or “God Bless Our Trip” written all over their cowardly shells!
Today’s trends and governments fear no God. They sanction, and indeed, even celebrate, sin. Plus they have already given birth to generations upon generations of seasoned liars, most of which hold the greatest powers and constitute the biggest institutions in the world today. What’s to stop the antichrist from showing up any moment? What’s to stop the age-old Bible prophecies from coming true?
Well, those prophecies are bound to happen. And since they haven’t happened yet, they must still be ahead of us. And since they’re still ahead of us, no matter how long it will take before they are fulfilled, they must be coming soon…because for God, all times are “soon”.
The end really IS near. | | |
| I’m Warning You
By: Andre’ Betita
First and foremost, congratulations to batch ’06 for making it through the hell of this road in life called high-school! But, you see, we’re moving now to another hell of a road called college. And I know I’m being the great kill-joy again but there’s something that I have to do that’s more important than congratulate you repeatedly (once is enough) and bask in celebrations. I still have to share to you this important message by God. The battle is not yet over, so I think the time for celebrations is not yet at hand.
I’m just concerned that very few of you know what college life is truly like. So far, your elders have only told you all about the good side of college. But, just as Father Bhing mentioned in his homily during the Baccalaureate Mass, college life has many vultures. I share his sentiments, only I have a different construction for that sentence: college life has many demons.
I know that some of you have already experienced those demons even during high-school. I know that some of you have experienced being pushed around or humiliated by indecent teachers or administrators but fail to muster enough inclination to fight back since you know that they will be holding your grades hostage for four years. I know that some of you have experienced discovering scandalous truths about how the system works but are being pressured by higher authorities to shut your mouths about the matter. I know that some of you have experienced seeing what’s wrong with the system but fail to stand up for what is right because you know that you will be going against more powerful identities if you do.
Whatever demons you’ve encountered in high-school, I tell you that they will be worse in college. Earlier this year, the newspapers published about this bully-scandal in La Salle. There’s this bully who beat his schoolmates up, forcibly took their allowances, and slandered his peers. He’s been reported repeatedly, but he always got away with it and nobody knows how. People believe that the closeness of his parents with the administration might have a hand in it. Sometimes, the bully’s victims are even the ones who get violation cases.
For those who would study in UP, the demons there would be the secular and Godless culture. The common connotation today is that UP is where the most intelligent students study. Because that is what your elders would have you believe. But they do not tell you that UP is also where the most arrogant and most violent study.
Arrogance. The meaning of ADMU for conceited UP-ans is: “Ayaw Daw Mag-UP”. DLSU means: “Di Lumusot Sa UPCAT”. UST means: “UP Sana Tayo”. There was even a time that a certain slogan became popular among incoming college freshmen: “There are only two schools in the Philippines – UP and the others.”. That is how arrogant the so-called “most-intelligent” can get.
Violence. Just a little fact: I don’t know if Sir Art has ever told you this one, but did you know that every time UP holds its school fair, somebody dies of corporal damages?
There are a lot of other examples for demons in colleges. It doesn’t take a political analyst, or a detective, or a scientist, to see these dangers. Simple analysis will wake us up to the reality of what educational institutions are really after: fame and money. I mean, just check out La Salle. St. La Salle is honored for his great love for the poor. He gave up his wealth to dedicate his life to the Christian education of the poor and neglected. But ask yourselves: do you think that the poor and neglected today, that St. La Salle would have so loved, would be able to afford going to schools as expensive as De La Salle University?
Catholic Schools!? Ha! They just rode piggy-back on St. La Salle’s name to get what they’re really after: fame and money! You see, institutions aren’t always what they want you to believe they are. And even if they are, you have to assess if what they really are is in line with the moral values that God had been teaching us since time immemorial. They can tell you repeatedly that they foster a culture of excellence, of righteousness, or that they give sound values formation, or that they have sincere purposes, but when it all comes down to it, they are all just words. And we can’t keep on denying that there is something darker brewing behind the scenes.
You see, time will come when you would have to choose between righteousness and worldly approval. Time will come when you will see these demons face-to-face. They will offer you all kinds of enticing bribes like fame or good grades. When that time comes, you will remember the day that you laid eyes upon this article. And you will remember that I warned you about them. But I hope you also remember that I beckon you to make the right choice…what is truly right and not just what is seemingly right. Because what will you do with all your good grades, your fame, your honors, if you would have to sell your soul to the devil to get them? | | |
| O “THE END IS NEAR” O
t Andre’ c. BETITA t
First of all, I would like to say that I speak not of my own accord but as God’s instrument. It is no coincidence that you are reading this right now and Jesus Christ himself has something to say to you: “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear.” (Matthew 13:16). Indeed, blessed are those whose senses are now observing the words of revelation in this article.
Now that I have your attention, let’s move on to what really matters. Can anyone seriously deny that the end is near? Jesus said that “At the coming of the Son of Man, it will be just as it was in the time of Noah.” (Matthew 24:37). In Genesis 6:5, this is how the ‘time of Noah’ is described: “Yahweh saw how great the wickedness of man on the earth was and that evil was always the only thought of his heart.” Combining the two biblical verses, it is only just to conclude that the second coming of Christ, the end of the world as we know it, is almost at hand, since society today is full of wickedness just as in the time of Noah. If you don’t believe this, then let me shine a little light on you.
Society today favors what is materialistic and secular.
How many “academically excellent” students do you know would give up doing his assignments and projects just to free up time to attend mass on a Sunday? How many teachers do you know would advise you to do that, anyway?
Even the most-revered professions in the world today are undoubtedly sinful. Being a lawyer doesn’t mean anything about defending truth anymore. If you’re a lawyer and you can defend a client who is truly guilty of the crime he is accused of, then society thinks you’re an excellent lawyer. Even the practice of medicine had been bombarded with hypocrisies and sinfulness nowadays. The most intelligent doctors work in the most prestigious institutions, and those institutions don’t care about how sick you are. They won’t treat you unless you have money to pay for it.
TV stations proclaim that they only give “serbisyong totoo” or that they are “in the service of the Filipino people” when in fact they don’t get tired of trash-talking and badmouthing the other channels. MTRCB reprimands celebrities who say vulgar or bad words, and yet, variety shows are not censored when they feature sexy dancers who perform lustful dance routines every single day, corrupting the multitudes of young minds that watch these shows under the impression that there is nothing wrong with the shows since they passed the regulatory board’s standards. On Christmas occasions, these dancers even wear Santa costumes. The nerve to Celebrate the birth of our Savior with their harlotry!
Educational institutions call themselves “Catholic schools” and they say that they foster values formation. But when it comes to athletic competitions (like inter-collegiate basketball), they unleash all sorts of conceited and taunting remarks upon their fellow “catholic” opponents.
Video games, supposedly “entertainment media”, are no exceptions to this wicked plague. At what other point in history will you be able to find games that put you in the shoes of a criminal (like Grand Theft Auto, or Vice City) where your primary goal is to climb the ladder of notoriety and become the “underground Kingpin” by stealing cars and killing policemen? When you’re not chasing after your primary goals in these games, you can spend your free time by picking up prostitutes, or simply killing innocent bystanders.
Countries and societies are starting to be more known for their criminal records and sexual accommodations rather than their desirable traits. The city of Las Vegas even goes as far as to being labeled the infamous “Sin City”, where gambling facilities and strip bars thrive like an insect colony. What’s worse, that’s precisely the reason why many people would love to visit that city.
Now, can you still deny society’s wickedness?
And what do all these have to do with you? Well, it’s up to you to decide that one. Will you choose to ignore all this and continue going with society’s flow, living as a sinner, walking in darkness? Or will you change your ways, heed God’s call, and spread the Good News that you have just read in this article? Decide quickly. The clock is ticking. Time is running out. The end is near. | | |
| This entry is especially dedicated to the people of Fiduciaries and The SBIS Student Council. This is the speech that I had a hard time delivering during the Christmas party at JR's. But even if you are not a member of either organization, I hope you will find this entry interesting...or better yet, enlightening.
People ask what happened to me. I'm slipping from the top. I'm losing my place amongst the most-revered students in the school. My grades are getting low. I'm starting to fail exams. When, in fact, I used to be a powerful contender for the top spot in the batch.
This does not mean I'm getting stupid or any less smart than I used to be. On the contrary, I've woken up to higher reality. I know that I'm more enlightened now than ever. This enlightenment came to me last year during the Christmas break, right before I quit COCC. It was then that I confirmed the truth that I've been denying for so long - that I would have to be a hypocrite to excel in academics.
You see, I've given up the hypocritical race for hypocritical titles because that is exactly what they are: HYPOCRITICAL TITLES. Yes, you heard me right. The titles "First Honors", "Best in (Subject here)", and even "Valedictorian" are all HYPOCRITICAL TITLES to me. If you find it too incredulous, then let me tell you how one gets those titles.
One gets those titles by sucking-up to the teacher. You must always make the teacher feel like a real teacher even if you do not learn anything from him/her. You must avoid correcting the teacher's mistakes because if the teacher starts feeling that you think you are smarter than him/her, then it will reflect badly on your grades.
One gets those titles by perfecting exams, which one does by memorizing what's written on his notes word per word...such that even the typographical errors are copied. If you write the correct answer on the exam, canceling the typo that you just read in your notes, you get the wrong answer. Now, if you try to explain it to your teacher, he/she won't listen unless you are one of the suck-ups.
One gets those titles by blindly obeying even blinder superiors. If the "teacher" tells you to shut up in a debate, you have to shut up no matter how righteous your arguments are. If the "teacher" tells you to drop on the floor and give him/her fifty push-ups for no good reason, you have to do it. If the "teacher" tells you to talk to the wall and make it laugh, you have to obey. If the “teacher” tells you to say “the sun is shining” every time he/she asks about the weather, you have to do so even on a rainy day.
One gets those titles by imitating the pharisees of Jesus' time, writing prayers and religious testimonials not for the greater glory of God but for the greater glory of oneself. When assigned to come up with a prayer for an occasion in school, you must write something lengthy and use big words to draw praises from people complimenting you for your "wisdom", your "faithfulness", and your "excellence in the arts of literature". And as you do all this, you forget that you would not have all those things had they not been given to you by God. And so you draw praise to yourself and not to Him who is truly worthy of all the credit.
And I know all these things because I used to do them. But not anymore.
You see, I've given up the hypocritical race for hypocritical titles in search of what really matters - what all of us have forgotten amidst the hustles and bustles of this busy world: our values and our relationship with God.
The Fiduciaries and the Student Council - they give me opportunities to share God's love. They serve as outlets through which I can free some of God's overflowing blessing in concrete ways.
The Fiduciaries allows me to express my ideas through what I do best - writing. This organization allows me to write about what I think without having to worry about what other people would want to hear from me. And, although, not too many students read the school paper, I would be glad if one soul out there actually realizes that I write nothing but what God wants me to write.
The Student Council puts me in a position where I can make a lot of things possible. And I choose to make a lot of GOOD things possible. I choose to launch projects that would promote the genuine well-being of the students, as well as the development of their sense of virtue and self-discipline. I choose to reform the implementation of discipline in the campus, cleanse it of all hypocritical aspects and restore true, God-centered order to the school. I don't care if I look stupid or unprofessional while doing it, I choose to make a difference. I choose to make a difference for the betterment of the school, in the name of God, who had been waiting for so long to make these changes...and so much more.
I'm sacrificing time for my studies to pay more attention to my extra-curricular activities, which, for me, are actually sources of genuine learning...contrary to the popular belief that academics is where true knowledge lies.
Now, for those who believe that I only like being the SC President and a Fiduciaries editor because of the prestige, I have somethingn to tell you.
Being the SC President and a Fiduciaries editor at the same time is exhausting. It is life-draining. It saps you of sleep, rest, playtime, free time, leisure time, lunch time, even study time. And guess what, you're not going to get paid with money, not even medals and certificates, for doing what you do. Prestige, my friends, is not enough to compensate for all the sacrifices you have to make.
The only reward that you get is that sense of fulfilment in knowing that you have done something good...that you have done something for more than just yourself, but for others as well. And, most importantly, you have done something for God. That sense of fulfilment is something that you cannot fake...something that even if you do manage to fake, will not be rewarding at all.
I believe that God put me on this world for a purpose. And I believe that that purpose is not as shallow as collecting medals and certificates.
In time, I will be graduating. And, in time, I will be returning to this school. When I return, I don't want to remember its grounds and corridors as the same grounds and corridors where Andre' Betita walked selfishly, thinking only about himself and his grades, not a care in the world if a riot broke out in the school, he would just bury himself in his studies.
When I return, I would like to see the same wall where the first SC bulletin board was attached. I would like to see students going to their classrooms in an orderly fashion. I would like to see the cleanest classrooms and the most disciplined sections. I would like to see student leaders respected rather than feared. I would like to see the Fiduciaries, still publishing great works by great writers and artists.
And then I would like to see the new SC President, who would prioritize his/her duties as God's messenger before his/her hypocritical studies.
And then I would want to be able to tell myself that God used me, as well as many others, to make it all happen. | | |
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