is it really for the dead or for the living?

When I was still a young boy November 1 is full of mysteries. May be this is one of the reasons why I was so afraid to be alone during this day especially at night I’m afraid of the unknown.

They said that November 1 is the day of the dead. Old people would usually say to us that God allow the dead to go around in the earth during this day. They said that this was the reason why we are visiting them for if not they will be the one visiting our homes. (waaaaaa!) But now that I am not anymore a kid I realized that there is still a greater reason why we are celebrating this day of the dead.

Is this really for the dead or for us the living? What do I mean with this? Seeing how we celebrate this day seems that we are doing for us the living one. Try to see in the seminary family come together reunion during this day is being done. The cemeteries become the place for the living to see each other again. During this moment we enjoy the presence of our love one and spend time taking to them.

This is the mystery that November 1 unfolds every year. The dead remind us that all of us will die and will say good bye in this earthly life of ours that is why we have to spend it wisely. Spend it with people that you love…share your life with others start taking loving them now that we are alive. November 1 remind us the shortness of life. I remember what I read in one of my favorite book “Tuesday with Morrie” there Morrie said “everybody knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it.” That is why lets do everything we can before its to late.

November 1 is for the living and the dead. For us who are living it remind us about life. The dead bring us together as one and they help us to remember the most important thing in life they stop us for a while and bring us together to pray and acknowledge God in our life.

anyway just to let everybody to remember that November 1 is "all saints day" a day we give honor to all the saints in heaven who lived a holy life. We are praying to them that we may be like them till death. November 2 is "all souls day" a day when we remember all our relatives, friends who already dead. we pray for them (so that if ever they still need our prayers). November 2 help us to remember that someday we will join them. but why do we visit the dead during November 1? as for me i think we remember them during the all saints day simply bec. we believe and hope that our dead relative are already in the presence of God... they are already saints (with a small letter "s").

and i found Him...

After that warm vacation in Tamaraw Resort in Peurto, Mindoro now it is something more than a rest but an encounter with the one who give the real rest as what St. Augustine said “our hearts is restless until it rest in thee.”

October 15 to 20 I made my directed retreat in Don Bosco Batolao, Batangas. It was a great experience of silencing of oneself to encounter the God that is always with us but most of the time neglected because of our “busy” life. I just want to share to you my reflections during these days in a form of poem and I hope you also feel and realized the feeling of searching then finding what you are looking for.

Just seeking for understanding

By john emmanuel

Why am I here?

In this place of the unknown

Why am I living such life?

A life that is unclear

What is it there for me?

Is this what I should be?

Questions that need to be answered

A search for meaning

A faith seeking for understanding

Things that are to be fathom

Question of the heart

Question of the mind

Is this what I should be?

A journey of essence

A deepening of existence

Questions to be answered

Questions to be cleared

A faith seeking for understanding

A life seeking for its meaning

Existence looking for its essence

Question of the heart

Question of the mind

A question of a man

With faith just seeking for understanding

and i was there...

Yes after this long suffering of fulfilling all my duties as a student of theology God rewarded me with all the rest that I need. Last October 8 to 11 I was in Tamaraw Resort in Puerto Galera Mindoro together with my whole community just to rest and have fun and relax. In deed the whole place was the perfect place to gain new energy after consuming it fulfilling once ordinary duties.

There we swim, eat and rest sometimes we go for “kayaking” and man it was fun experiencing playing with the waves pretending that you are overpowering the power of nature with all your strength and will acting as if you are powerful. Then another wonderful thing is that we decided to hike the nearby water falls to swim in fresh water and God it is good to be there.

With all the wonderful things that I experience in that for days of vacation I never forget to thank God for all of it. I know it was not my right to be there it was a privilege given to me by whom I don’t know (God, the church) but indeed everything was a grace to be thankful about. It was a manifestation of Gods love, care and concern to his beloved. I can say that I was there with my Emmanuel in the form of my community.

Search
by:john manalo

what is truth ?
what is true in this word that full of ambiguity.
time change even the meaning of yesterday.
I been searching, searching for the reality.
I been looking for something that will last for eternity.
What is meant for ever?
What is destined to believe?
What should I trust?
to whom I should put my being?
What is true in this world of ambiguity?
Change will always be.
Constant change is our nature.
Time change even the meaning of yesterdays.