Which of Pope Benedict XVI's messages during his 5-day Apostolic Visit impressed you? Unless you are a sympathizer of Colorado's 6th District Congressman and ex-presidential candidate Tom Tancredo, who blasted the Holy Father for his plea of compassion for illegal immigrants, I imagine you would have found that Benedict's messages (which he wrote himself, giving papal speechwriters reprieve) made sense and that Tancredo's opposition to American multiculturalism and his relentless fight to halt all immigration, whether legal or otherwise, do not.
It is a shame that Tancredo is a grandson of Italian immigrants. You would have expected him to be kinder and gentler to immigrants -- honest, hardworking folks, who, like his grandparents, come to America to seek a better life for themselves and for their children. It is a shame too that he was born and raised a Catholic (he is now an Evangelical Presbyterian) and had forgotten that passage in the Old Testament when Abraham welcomed strangers to his abode and asked his wife Sarah to feed them (they turned out to be angels).
I don't know what made Tancredo hate foreigners with a vengeance. Among other things, he founded the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus in 1999 to advance his agenda, relegating the chairmanship in 2007 to San Diego's Brian Bilbray. If you recall, Tancredo is the bright guy who last year advocated bombing Mecca and Medina in response to an Islamic terrorist attack, prompting a media outrage.
Perhaps, spending an evening to watch the movie "Under the Same Moon" (La Misma Luna) might give Tancredo, Bilbray, Hunter and the Washington hardliners on immigration a glimpse of the hidden people they are so worried about. Nine-year-old Carlitos in Tijuana and his mother Rosario in Los Angeles will open our eyes to the plight of the poor and the stranger hidden in our midst.
It was proper that Pope Benedict delivered his plea for "the poor, the homeless, the stranger, the sick and all who suffer" at St. Patrick's Cathedral, in the heart of multicultural New York City, the nation's first capital, America's premier melting pot and immigration gateway. 36% of New York's current 8.2 million residents are foreign-born (10% are Asian).
"Gathered as we are in this historic cathedral", Pope Benedict observed, "how can we not think of the countless men and women who have gone before us, who labored for the growth of the Church in the United States, and left us a lasting legacy of faith and good works?".
"Dear brothers and sisters, in the finest traditions of the Church in this country, may you also be the first friend of the poor, the homeless, the stranger, the sick and all who suffer. Act as beacons of hope, casting the light of Christ upon the world...."
Pope Benedict, the erudite theologian, revealed himself to be a poet at heart. Pointing to the stained glass windows of the gothic cathedral, he remarked: "From the outside, those windows are dark, heavy, even dreary. But once one enters the church, they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all their splendor. Many writers -- here in America we can think of Nathaniel Hawthorne -- have used the image of stained glass to illustrate the mystery of the Church herself. It is only from the inside, from the experience of faith and ecclesial life, that we see the Church as she truly is: flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the Spirit. It follows that we, who live the life of grace within the Church's communion, are called to draw all people into this mystery of light."
"This is no easy task", the Holy Father admitted, "in a world which can tend to look at the Church, like those stained glass windows, "from the outside": a world which deeply senses a need for spirituality, yet finds it difficult to "enter into" the mystery of the Church. Even for those of us within, the light of faith can be dimmed by routine, and the splendor of the Church obscured by the sins and weaknesses of her members. It can be dimmed too, by the obstacles encountered in a society which sometimes seems to have forgotten God and to resent even the most elementary demands of Christian morality....In a word, it is not always easy to see the light of the Spirit all about us, the splendor of the Risen Lord illuminating our lives and instilling renewed hope in his victory over the world."
"As heralds of hope...where God's grace has placed us", let us do our part to make Christ's message of love and compassion overcome the worldly rhetoric of hatred, "self-centeredness, greed, violence and cynicism (which) often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people's hearts".
Friday, April 25, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Pope Benedict XVI Visits America
(April 15-20, 2008)
April 15, 2008. Pope Benedict XVI arrived today at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. President George Bush and First Lady Laura, accompanied by their daughter, Jenna, warmly welcomed the Holy Father, as he stepped off an Alitalia jetliner. Among the cheering crowd of well-wishers were hundreds of schoolchildren and Catholic parishioners as well as Apostolic Nuncio Pietro Sambi and church dignitaries. It was the first time that the President met a foreign dignitary at the airport.
This is Pope Benedict’s first official visit to the United States, his eight trip outside Italy. Speaking in Rome, before he embarked on this five-day Apostolic Visit, Pope Benedict expressed the wish that his pastoral visit would be “a special missionary experience (and) a time of spiritual renewal for America…”.
65 million Catholics in America await the pontiff’s visit. Though not known to be as charismatic as his predecessor Pope John Paul (the Great), Pope Benedict is widely recognized as an intellectual giant. Among knowledgeable theologians, Benedict XVI, the university professor and author of over twenty books, enjoys the well-earned reputation as a genius in theological matters.
The Pope will visit Washington and New York, bringing the message to Americans that “Christ (is) Our Hope”. “The intention behind my visit…is to reach out spiritually to all Catholics in the United States. At the same time, I earnestly hope that my presence among you will be seen as a fraternal gesture towards every ecclesial community, and a sign of friendship for members of other religious traditions and all men and women of good will. The risen Lord entrusted the Apostles and the Church with his Gospel of love and peace, and his intention in doing so was that the message should be passed on to all peoples”.
Pope Benedict will be celebrating his 81st birthday, April 16th, in Washington, DC, where he will hold an interfaith meeting with Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and representatives of other religions.
In New York, the Pope will visit Ground Zero and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium. He will address the General Assembly of the United Nations, on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
”Following in the footsteps of my venerable predecessors, Paul VI and John Paul II, I shall come to United States of America as Pope for the first time, to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition. Yes, Christ is the face of God present among us. Through him, our lives reach fullness, and together, both as individuals and peoples, we can become a family united by fraternal love, according to the eternal plan of God the Father.
I know how deeply rooted this Gospel message is in your country. I am coming to share it with you, in a series of celebrations and gatherings. I shall also bring the message of Christian hope to the great Assembly of the United Nations, to the representatives of all the peoples of the world. Indeed, the world has greater need of hope than ever: hope for peace, for justice, and for freedom, but this hope can never be fulfilled without obedience to the law of God, which Christ brought to fulfillment in the commandment to love one another.
Do to others as you would have them do to you, and avoid doing what you would not want them to do. This “golden rule” is given in the Bible, but it is valid for all people, including non-believers. It is the law written on the human heart; on this we can all agree, so that when we come to address other matters we can do so in a positive and constructive manner for the entire human community.
Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends in the United States, I am very much looking forward to being with you. I want you to know that, even if my itinerary is short, with just a few engagements, my heart is close to all of you, especially to the sick, the weak, and the lonely. I thank you once again for your prayerful support of my mission. I reach out to every one of you with affection, and I invoke upon you the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Que la Virgen María les acompañe y proteja. Que Dios les bendiga.
May God bless you all.”
Highlights of Pope Benedict XVII’s Pastoral Visit are as follows:
Washington, D.C. (April 15-17)
Tuesday, April 15 – Arrival at Andrews AFB, Maryland.
Reception at the White House.
Wednesday, April 16, 5:30 PM – Mass at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Evening Prayer with 350 U.S. Bishops
Thursday, April 17 – 10:00 AM – Mass of the Holy Spirit, Nationals Park.
April 17 – Catholic University of America – meeting with heads of more than 200 Catholic colleges and universities and school superintendents of 195 Catholic dioceses, to discuss Catholic Education.
April 17 – Pope John Paul II Cultural Center – meeting with leaders of other religions.
New York (April 18-20)
Friday, April 18 – Address to the United Nations General Assembly
April 18, 6:00 PM – Ecumenical Prayer Service, Parish of St. Joseph, New York, N.Y.
Saturday, April 19, 9:15 AM, Mass for the Universal Church. St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York,
April 19, 4:30 PM – St. Joseph Seminary, Yonkers, New York – Meeting with Young Catholics and People with Disabilities
April 19, 5:00 PM – Rally and prayer service with Youth and Seminarians
Sunday, April 20, 9:30 AM – Prayer Service at Ground Zero
April 20, 2:30 PM – Mass at Yankee Stadium (Fifth Sunday of Easter), commemorating the Bicentennial Anniversaries of the Archdioceses of Baltimore, Boston, Louisville, New York, and Philadelphia
April 20 – Departure, JFK International.
For more information on the papal visit, link to http:www.uspapalvisit.org
or www.ewtn.com
(April 15-20, 2008)
April 15, 2008. Pope Benedict XVI arrived today at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. President George Bush and First Lady Laura, accompanied by their daughter, Jenna, warmly welcomed the Holy Father, as he stepped off an Alitalia jetliner. Among the cheering crowd of well-wishers were hundreds of schoolchildren and Catholic parishioners as well as Apostolic Nuncio Pietro Sambi and church dignitaries. It was the first time that the President met a foreign dignitary at the airport.
This is Pope Benedict’s first official visit to the United States, his eight trip outside Italy. Speaking in Rome, before he embarked on this five-day Apostolic Visit, Pope Benedict expressed the wish that his pastoral visit would be “a special missionary experience (and) a time of spiritual renewal for America…”.
65 million Catholics in America await the pontiff’s visit. Though not known to be as charismatic as his predecessor Pope John Paul (the Great), Pope Benedict is widely recognized as an intellectual giant. Among knowledgeable theologians, Benedict XVI, the university professor and author of over twenty books, enjoys the well-earned reputation as a genius in theological matters.
The Pope will visit Washington and New York, bringing the message to Americans that “Christ (is) Our Hope”. “The intention behind my visit…is to reach out spiritually to all Catholics in the United States. At the same time, I earnestly hope that my presence among you will be seen as a fraternal gesture towards every ecclesial community, and a sign of friendship for members of other religious traditions and all men and women of good will. The risen Lord entrusted the Apostles and the Church with his Gospel of love and peace, and his intention in doing so was that the message should be passed on to all peoples”.
Pope Benedict will be celebrating his 81st birthday, April 16th, in Washington, DC, where he will hold an interfaith meeting with Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and representatives of other religions.
In New York, the Pope will visit Ground Zero and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium. He will address the General Assembly of the United Nations, on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
”Following in the footsteps of my venerable predecessors, Paul VI and John Paul II, I shall come to United States of America as Pope for the first time, to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition. Yes, Christ is the face of God present among us. Through him, our lives reach fullness, and together, both as individuals and peoples, we can become a family united by fraternal love, according to the eternal plan of God the Father.
I know how deeply rooted this Gospel message is in your country. I am coming to share it with you, in a series of celebrations and gatherings. I shall also bring the message of Christian hope to the great Assembly of the United Nations, to the representatives of all the peoples of the world. Indeed, the world has greater need of hope than ever: hope for peace, for justice, and for freedom, but this hope can never be fulfilled without obedience to the law of God, which Christ brought to fulfillment in the commandment to love one another.
Do to others as you would have them do to you, and avoid doing what you would not want them to do. This “golden rule” is given in the Bible, but it is valid for all people, including non-believers. It is the law written on the human heart; on this we can all agree, so that when we come to address other matters we can do so in a positive and constructive manner for the entire human community.
Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends in the United States, I am very much looking forward to being with you. I want you to know that, even if my itinerary is short, with just a few engagements, my heart is close to all of you, especially to the sick, the weak, and the lonely. I thank you once again for your prayerful support of my mission. I reach out to every one of you with affection, and I invoke upon you the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Que la Virgen María les acompañe y proteja. Que Dios les bendiga.
May God bless you all.”
Highlights of Pope Benedict XVII’s Pastoral Visit are as follows:
Washington, D.C. (April 15-17)
Tuesday, April 15 – Arrival at Andrews AFB, Maryland.
Reception at the White House.
Wednesday, April 16, 5:30 PM – Mass at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Evening Prayer with 350 U.S. Bishops
Thursday, April 17 – 10:00 AM – Mass of the Holy Spirit, Nationals Park.
April 17 – Catholic University of America – meeting with heads of more than 200 Catholic colleges and universities and school superintendents of 195 Catholic dioceses, to discuss Catholic Education.
April 17 – Pope John Paul II Cultural Center – meeting with leaders of other religions.
New York (April 18-20)
Friday, April 18 – Address to the United Nations General Assembly
April 18, 6:00 PM – Ecumenical Prayer Service, Parish of St. Joseph, New York, N.Y.
Saturday, April 19, 9:15 AM, Mass for the Universal Church. St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York,
April 19, 4:30 PM – St. Joseph Seminary, Yonkers, New York – Meeting with Young Catholics and People with Disabilities
April 19, 5:00 PM – Rally and prayer service with Youth and Seminarians
Sunday, April 20, 9:30 AM – Prayer Service at Ground Zero
April 20, 2:30 PM – Mass at Yankee Stadium (Fifth Sunday of Easter), commemorating the Bicentennial Anniversaries of the Archdioceses of Baltimore, Boston, Louisville, New York, and Philadelphia
April 20 – Departure, JFK International.
For more information on the papal visit, link to http:www.uspapalvisit.org
or www.ewtn.com
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Sage
Poetry (or balak in the native tongue), as we all know, is a very ancient form of human expression. Epic, tragic, comic, dramatic or whimsical --- poems were often recited in public and popular verses passed verbally on from generation to generation. Any aspiring writer would try his or her hand at poetry if only to be subjected to the rigors of iambic or metrical discipline.
This century, however, has seen poetry gliding gently off its lofty pedestal. Compilations of poetic verses are still published and faithful readers remain, but the art form, which Edgar Allan Poe equated with the "rhythmical creation of beauty" is,alas, slowly fading.
To Percy Shelley poetry is nothing less than "the very image of life expressed in its eternal truth". "Prose consists of words in their best order", Samuel Taylor Coleridge noted, but "poetry consists of the best words in the best order".
In celebration of a fading art, hoping for its colorful resurgence, I put in my two cents worth.
The Sage
I read about a sage
who long ago declared:
"When I was young and knew it all
my lifelong passion writ in stone
was nothing less than this --
to see the world transformed!"
Such lofty, wondrous whims
Had we not dared pursue?
As I got old, the sage recalled:
"My sight befogged, my aim brought low
'twas not my goal to change the world,
persuading friends, directing kins.
But, caring for a flow'r or two
That surely would have made my day!"
Ah, isn't that so true?
As farther I advanced in years
Rare pearls of wisdom kindly shone
along my way, the sage proclaimed:
"My heart with boundless joy would sing
if my beloved spouse and grand kids too
perchance I could convert anew!"
But now I'm old and grey
the weary tired old sage laments:
"The Lord may take me back someday...
Oh, how my soul in light might soar
If at the very least I changed
No, not the world, not friend nor foe
but poor, decrepit me!"
(Copyright 2008 by Dr. Ed Gamboa. All rights reserved)
This century, however, has seen poetry gliding gently off its lofty pedestal. Compilations of poetic verses are still published and faithful readers remain, but the art form, which Edgar Allan Poe equated with the "rhythmical creation of beauty" is,alas, slowly fading.
To Percy Shelley poetry is nothing less than "the very image of life expressed in its eternal truth". "Prose consists of words in their best order", Samuel Taylor Coleridge noted, but "poetry consists of the best words in the best order".
In celebration of a fading art, hoping for its colorful resurgence, I put in my two cents worth.
The Sage
I read about a sage
who long ago declared:
"When I was young and knew it all
my lifelong passion writ in stone
was nothing less than this --
to see the world transformed!"
Such lofty, wondrous whims
Had we not dared pursue?
As I got old, the sage recalled:
"My sight befogged, my aim brought low
'twas not my goal to change the world,
persuading friends, directing kins.
But, caring for a flow'r or two
That surely would have made my day!"
Ah, isn't that so true?
As farther I advanced in years
Rare pearls of wisdom kindly shone
along my way, the sage proclaimed:
"My heart with boundless joy would sing
if my beloved spouse and grand kids too
perchance I could convert anew!"
But now I'm old and grey
the weary tired old sage laments:
"The Lord may take me back someday...
Oh, how my soul in light might soar
If at the very least I changed
No, not the world, not friend nor foe
but poor, decrepit me!"
(Copyright 2008 by Dr. Ed Gamboa. All rights reserved)
Friday, April 4, 2008
Guru of Medical Missions
Last week, on Good Friday, we commemorated one of the most tragic moments in history -- the passion and death of Jesus Christ. Last week, on that very same Friday, we also lost one of our own -- Dr. Ed Manaig.
Death always leaves a void in the heart. In Ed's case, it is a lingering void. We have lost an esteemed colleague, a dear friend, an extraordinary man.
Ed spent his life in the service of others -- seeing thousands of patients in his clinic and in the hospital, day in and day out, on weekdays and weekends. He spent his life caring for his family and caring for his friends. And caring for just about everyone. It is symbolic that in the end, Ed's heart failed. Because that was the part of him that worked the hardest.
Ed had many remarkable qualities. He was always cheerful, always smiling (even when overworked and overstressed), always ready to hold on to the karaoke and sing his heart out. And always ready to convince others to sing along with him. One of his striking successes, outside of medicine (for which he received numerous awards, such as Physician Hero in 2004 and Outstanding Filipino-American in 1999), was convincing Dr. Albert Valenzuela to sing "Edelweiss" late into the night everyone was asleep, on the balcony of the Paradise Hills resort. That was, without comparison, the most memorable night of our medical mission in the Visayas.
His greatest quality was his kindness and generosity. Back in 1988, when I left UCSD to start a practice and was in the process of buying a home and putting a down payment together, Ed quickly took his checkbook out and asked how much I needed. Just like that. And we hardly knew each other at the time.
I witnessed that generosity unmistakably shine in the medical missions to the Philippines and other countries that he and Estela painstakingly organized. Sometimes, people got a bit exasperated at Ed because he insisted on conducting clinics everyday and there was hardly time to rest in between. He knew that our schedule was tight. But he also reasoned, and rightly so, that there were many patients to see. Eight hundred to over a thousand patients would flock the free clinics daily, so Ed did not want to miss a beat.
During last year's medical mission, I saw him huffing and puffing, after a long day, at the clinic. Despite Estela's frequent reminders, he had forgotten to take his medications and he looked like he was in congestive heart failure. But that never deterred him. Early the next morning, he was ready for another free clinic. He told me it would be nice if he could just spend the rest of his life doing medical missions...just giving his time and effort for free.
"Guru of medical missions", Dr. Manny Sevilla aptly called him. Truly, Ed dedicated his life to his patients and to giving all to the poor. The many medical missions he organized and conducted in the Philippines and around the world will be a lasting legacy.
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta says: "At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in'...
In other words, we will be measured by how much we loved and helped others.
I think Ed does not have to worry about that. Ed and Estela's children - Melissa, Mellany, Paul Edward, and Michelle -- may find solace in the thought that their father, after all his seeking and traveling, will surely find himself in the loving arms of his Heavenly Father. As Charles Dickens wrote in 1859, "it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known".
Death always leaves a void in the heart. In Ed's case, it is a lingering void. We have lost an esteemed colleague, a dear friend, an extraordinary man.
Ed spent his life in the service of others -- seeing thousands of patients in his clinic and in the hospital, day in and day out, on weekdays and weekends. He spent his life caring for his family and caring for his friends. And caring for just about everyone. It is symbolic that in the end, Ed's heart failed. Because that was the part of him that worked the hardest.
Ed had many remarkable qualities. He was always cheerful, always smiling (even when overworked and overstressed), always ready to hold on to the karaoke and sing his heart out. And always ready to convince others to sing along with him. One of his striking successes, outside of medicine (for which he received numerous awards, such as Physician Hero in 2004 and Outstanding Filipino-American in 1999), was convincing Dr. Albert Valenzuela to sing "Edelweiss" late into the night everyone was asleep, on the balcony of the Paradise Hills resort. That was, without comparison, the most memorable night of our medical mission in the Visayas.
His greatest quality was his kindness and generosity. Back in 1988, when I left UCSD to start a practice and was in the process of buying a home and putting a down payment together, Ed quickly took his checkbook out and asked how much I needed. Just like that. And we hardly knew each other at the time.
I witnessed that generosity unmistakably shine in the medical missions to the Philippines and other countries that he and Estela painstakingly organized. Sometimes, people got a bit exasperated at Ed because he insisted on conducting clinics everyday and there was hardly time to rest in between. He knew that our schedule was tight. But he also reasoned, and rightly so, that there were many patients to see. Eight hundred to over a thousand patients would flock the free clinics daily, so Ed did not want to miss a beat.
During last year's medical mission, I saw him huffing and puffing, after a long day, at the clinic. Despite Estela's frequent reminders, he had forgotten to take his medications and he looked like he was in congestive heart failure. But that never deterred him. Early the next morning, he was ready for another free clinic. He told me it would be nice if he could just spend the rest of his life doing medical missions...just giving his time and effort for free.
"Guru of medical missions", Dr. Manny Sevilla aptly called him. Truly, Ed dedicated his life to his patients and to giving all to the poor. The many medical missions he organized and conducted in the Philippines and around the world will be a lasting legacy.
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta says: "At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in'...
In other words, we will be measured by how much we loved and helped others.
I think Ed does not have to worry about that. Ed and Estela's children - Melissa, Mellany, Paul Edward, and Michelle -- may find solace in the thought that their father, after all his seeking and traveling, will surely find himself in the loving arms of his Heavenly Father. As Charles Dickens wrote in 1859, "it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known".
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