The Prayer

The Prayer…

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

The prayer should be said with heartfelt sincerity,

not only to ask for favor but also, thank Him with alacrity.

 

The prayer is a spiritual instrument for communication,

with Him in mind, it should be made with sincere intention.

 

The prayer need not be said loud as for others to hear,

as it is enough that  we bow our head and say it in whisper.

 

The prayer may be short oozing with love and humility,

the better for it to be heard and appreciated  by the Almighty.

 

 

The Prayer

The Prayer…

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

The prayer should be said with heartfelt sincerity,

not only to ask for favor but also, thank Him with alacrity.

 

The prayer is a spiritual instrument for communication,

with Him in mind, it should be made with sincere intention.

 

The prayer need not be said loud as for others to hear,

as it is enough that  we bow our head and say it in whisper.

 

The prayer may be short oozing with love and humility,

the better for it to be heard and appreciated  by the Almighty.

 

 

My Sincere Prayer of Gratitude…as a simple blogger

My Sincere Prayer of Gratitude

…as a simple blogger

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Thank you Lord,

…for leading me to people whose good deeds need to be exposed that they may inspire others;

…for giving me the courage to call the attention of fellowmen for their misdeeds;

…for the prayers of those who appreciate what I do, and which provide me with strength;

…for the encouragement of friends who give me inspiration;

…for the vintage laptop that has been helping me a lot;

…for the cellphone with camera that a cousin gave for quick photo shots of my subjects;

…for the strong wi-fi signal in the home of a cousin where I do my blogs;

…for the hi-tech communication system without which, my effort would be futile;

…for the tranquil nights and dawns during which I wake up to jot down prospective blogs;

…for words that come into my mind, and which I could develop into blogs;

…for the fingers that have recovered from carpal tunnel syndrome, so that I could work fast;

…for the effort of a nephew who provided me fast mobility with his motorcycle;

…for a stomach that could withstand pangs of hunger;

…for the lungs that have resisted the onset of respiratory ailments;

…for the nose that have been straining the polluted air;

…for my overall health to keep me going;

…for the strong comments of viewers who affirm my views;

…for the extras that I could spare for others;

…for making me wake up with sprite at dawn to prepare myself for the day;

…for the compassionate viewers who make donations for blogged needy people.

 

I pray that You continue to keep me and the rest with similar advocacy as mine, in the shadow of your protection at all times.

 

Amen!

In Praying (haiku)

In Praying…

(haiku)

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Just look up to Him when in…

sorrow, joy, anguish, even pain;

We should do this with humility…

So that we can pray with sincerity.

 

 

 

Dasal Para sa Mga Dapat Pasalamatan at Dapat Magbago

Dasal Para sa Mga Dapat Pasalamatan

At Dapat Magbago

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Lord…

Salamat sa mga biyayang ibinigay Mo at kasabay niyan ay isinasama namin ang mga sumusunod, pati na rin ang dasal para sa mga dapat magbago….

 

• ang mga sardinas na nagpakatanga upang maisiksik sa lata at may makain ang mga kinakapos ng budget o tamad magluto

 

• ang mga isdang itinahaya sa ilalim ng matinding init ng araw upang maging daing na paboritong pangsahog sa mga gulay

 

• ang mga isdang tunsoy (variety ng tamban) na pinausukan upang maging masarap na “tinapang tunsoy” ng Cavite

 

• ang mga hayop na kinatay upang ang kanilang bangkay ay malaplapan ng mga karneng gagawing bacon, tocino, steak at marami pang ibang mga pagkaing pina-“gwapa” ng mga kemikal upang malapang ng mga carnivorous na human beings

 

• ang mga isda sa karagatan na nilambat upang mailutong paksiw, inihaw at pinirito

 

• ang mga tanim na tinalbusan upang maging green salad ng mga vegetarian

 

• ang mga mister na nagpapakabayani sa pagluto para sa mga tamad na asawa at anak na walang ginawa kundi magkipagtsismisan sa kapitbahay at mag-chat, respectively

 

• ang mga misis na nagbubulag-bulagan sa pakikiapid ng kanilang mister for the sake of their children, kaya ayaw humiwalay

 

• ang mga balasubas na ayaw magbayad sa traysikel at jeep na sinakyan…sana sila ay madapa, eheste…magbago na

 

• ang mga estudyanteng nagka-copy/paste ng mga nire-research kuno sa internet upang gawing thesis…na sana ay magbago ng ugali, upang hindi masanay sa pandadaya na delikadong maging ugali at magamit nila kung empleyado na sila ng gobyerno

 

• ang mga walang kaluluwang mga nagtitinda sa palengke na naghuhugas ng mga gulay sa pamamagitan ng sabon panlaba at nagbababad sa formalin ng mga isa, at tawas sa mga gulay tulad ng talong, langka, kamatis, sitaw, pipino, at marami pang iba….na sana ay magbago na

 

• ang mga nagpaparetoke ng mukha hanggang magmukhang inambalsamo kaya masakit sa paningin….na sana ay itabi na lang ang pera at ilimos sa mga pulubi

 

• ang mga alagad ng simbahang ayaw pumasok sa mga squatter’s area dahil takot tamaan ng “Indian pana”…upang sana ay maging matapang tulad ni Superman at Tarzan

 

• ang mga pa-ingles-ingles na mga Pinoy kahit ang kaharap ay alam na nilang ang pandinig sa salitang nabanggit ay Latin o Greek….sana ay bumaluktot ang dila ng ilang oras lang upang magkaroon ng katinuan at magsalita uli sa Tagalog o sariling dialect

 

• Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera pa…dahil All Knowing po naman Kayo ay alam Nyo na kung sino ang mga tinutukoy kong hindi na mailista dahil nakakapagod na ang pagsambit…

 

AMEN!

Taimtim na Dasal (para sa Ied Il Fitr)

Dasal para sa Eid Il Fitr…

 

Taimtim na Dasal

…bukod-tanging natira nating pag-asa

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Sa pabago-bagong panahong dulot ay pinsala

sa halip na biyaya…

Sa harap ng kagutumang ating nararanasan –

walang katapusan…

At, sa harap ng mga kinatatakutang krimen –

‘wag munang tapusin ang dasal ng “amen”.

 

Magdasal pa tayo ng marubdob at taimtim

‘wag maging sakim…

Sa panahong ang patayan ay kalat sa mundo

piliting ‘wag masiphayo…

basta’t  namumutawi ang dasal sa ating bibig –

sa pag-asa, tayo’y nakahilig!

Si Tiya Iskang Madasalin

Si Tiya Iskang Madasalin

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Sa aming bayan, nakalakhan ko na si Tiya Iska na madasalin.  Ang apelyido niya ay Peñalosa. Maliit siyang babae, may lampas balikat na buhok at maliit ang boses. Bago pumutok ang araw ay makikita siyang naglalakad ng halos isang kilometro papunta sa simbahan, may belo ang ulo. Dahil debuto siya ng Mahal na Birhen, ang kanyang puting damit ay nasisinturunan ng sutlang kulay asul na mapusyaw.

 

Sa misa ay nangingibabaw ang kanyang boses sa pagkanta. At kung oras na ng komunyon, siya ang unang tatayo at halos takbuhin ang harap ng altar upang unang mabigyan ng ostiya. Kung may prusisyon naman, siya ay palaging nasa unahan ng karo ng imahe ng Mahal na Birhen. Namumuno din siya sa mga nobena at pagdasal ng rosaryo. Tuwing Flores de Mayo naman, tumutulong siya sa pagturo sa mga bata ng dasal at kantang pangsimbahan. Nanghihingi din ng tinapay sa mga panaderya upang maipamigay sa mga bata.

 

Ang hindi ko maintindihan ay kung bakit siya nililibak noon, sa kabila ng kanyang mga ginagawa. Wala naman siyang ginagawang pagpapa-istaring. Ang nakikita ko sa kanya ay ang kaseryusuhan niya sa pagsamba sa Diyos, lalo na sa pagtupad sa kanyang debosyon sa Mahal na Birhen.  Isang beses ko lang siyang nakausap, at noon ay nang inalalayan ko siya papunta sa kumbento dahil nahilo. Pauwi na ako nang hapong yon galing sa klase at nakita ko siyang nakasandal sa puno ng kaimito dahil nahilo. Hindi pala nakakain ng tanghalian.

 

Nasa high school ako noong masubaybayan ko ang ilang yugto ng buhay ni Tiya Iska. At naalala ko siya sa panahon ngayon na kailangan ang pagbabalik-loob ng tao sa Diyos. May mga pagpipilian ang mga tao: magbalik-Islam, magpaakay tungo sa iba’t ibang sekta ng Kristiyanismo o magbagong-loob bilang Katoliko.

 

Kung wawariin, hindi dapat ibatay sa kinaanibang grupo o simbahan ang kabanalan o pagkamaka-Diyos ng isang tao. Maging bukal lang sa kalooban ang pagsamba at pagdasal tulad ng ginawa ni Tiya Iska, palagay ko ay maaari na. Dapat walang pagkukunwari ang pananampalataya, tulad din ng ginawa niya.

 

Alam kong marami pang Tiya Iska ang makikita sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo. Sila ang salamin natin sa buhay pagdating sa mga bagay na ispiritwal. Iwasan natin ang magng bulag sa katotohanan, bagkus ay dapat maging mapagpakumbaba sa pagtanggap ng ating mga kakulangan upang mapunan natin kung ano man ang mga ito.

The Prayer

The Prayer

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

First of all, it must be known that there are many forms of prayers or ways by which a prayer can be expressed, such as, silently, loudly, and by sign language. But generally, the prayer can be classified into just three, such as, memorized, read, and extemporaneously expressed straight from the heart.

 

The Roman Catholic Church has hundreds of prepared or printed prayers with specific intentions, such as, those for the dead, for Christening, for the wedding, for the sick, for job hunting, for wooing a woman, for damning an enemy, etc. One will just have to go to Quiapo to see piles of printed prayer books sold like candies outside the cathedral. These prayers become more effective according to the vendors if candles are being burned while specific prayers are mumbled, till the candle completely melts. Some “faithful” even hire a “praying professional”- a person who prays for a fee. Each candle is distinguished for a particular intention by their color.

 

The voodooistic practices are being done right under the very nose of the Catholic priests, and while the amplified Mass is going on inside the massive historic structure where the Black Nazarene is enshrined.  If these are wrong, why can’t the Church authorities put a stop to them? Why can’t announcements be made during the Mass so that even those outside the church will hear them? Why can’t this simple act of correcting a wrong right within their community is not being done, while Catholic bishops are against and very vocal about the killing of drug personalities who are criminals?

 

Many Roman Catholic prayers are outright funny, especially, those which have not been “updated”, having been written during the heyday of fanaticism, particularly during the later part of the Spanish colonization. The prayers are full of outright ignorance as regards to what prayers are supposed to be about. For this, one just has to check the “marathon prayer” or “chant” used during the “pabasa” of the Lenten season. These supposedly solemn prayers are “updated” using hip-hop tunes, to purportedly encourage the youth to participate. Also, for other interesting discoveries, one may check the prayer being chanted by sleepy “faithful” Roman Catholics during the “pasiyam” of the dead brethren in which the “tower of David” is mentioned. Every night it is done for the duration of the nine-day wake. I would like to make it clear that I have nothing against these prayers of the Roman Catholic Church…I am just sharing what I know about them.

 

For me, the best prayers are those that are extemporaneously said by New Christians as they are obviously coming from their heart….not read from “prayer books”….that is my personal opinion and nobody should question that.

 

 

My Prayer

 

My Prayer

By Diane Amor Ortiz

 

Many times in my life

I’ve come through storm and rain

As time goes on, after torrents of tears

I am finally over my heartaches and pain;

I always kept faith in God

I know somehow He will show the way

So in Him I keep on trusting

In Him, I keep on believing

And for others, too, I always pray….

Prayer for ALL Mothers…

Happy Mothers’ Day!!!

 

 

Prayer for ALL Mothers…

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Most Benevolent Creator of the vast universe

and controller of our destiny, to you we pray…

 

For all the mothers, that You have brought forth

On the face of the earth –

They, that walk the ground, crawl and slither, swim in the ocean,

And, glide in the air as they fly…

Grant that they be safe and healthy at all times

So, they can give warmth and milk to their offspring…

Grant that they be well-concealed and distanced from their predators…

Grant that they be spared from hunger and thirst

So, their offspring can suckle from them the juice of life.

 

For those whose offspring came out of brittle eggs,

Grant that their wings be strong

To protect their brood from the whipping wind,

From incessant patter of rain and scorching heat;

Grant that their mates fly home safe

With worms and morsels in their beak

For the helpless and fragile chicks in their nest;

 

For our mothers who pained to bring us forth

Into the world in all our innocence of nakedness,

They, whose sacrifice did not end in grunt and moan…

Grant that they may live longer,

So, we may make them savor the joy of living

As we let out the love –

Long-harbored in our heart for them!

 

Amen!