2-2) NORMAS VIGENTES SOBRE EL TRANSPORTE AUTOMOTOR DE PASAJEROS PARA EL TURISMO

and write about celebrities and other accomplished Pinays. Although it was not a rousing success financially, it did bag the Digital Filipino Web award for Best Community in 2009. More importantly, it honed my talent as a writer and gave me a clearer picture of what I wanted to be. That vision allowed me to finally write down my dream for my career.

The clear career path that I drew guided me in choosing the right income- generating activities. I concentrated on writing for Insight magazine, which brought on a new development this year. My new Insight calling card now has the words “Feature Editor” added under my name. I was also motivated to revive my blog, “My B.A.G. of Miracles” — another avenue for my writing.

But the biggest check in my dream no. 3 is the fulfillment of a 12-year-old dream: to be a Didache writer. I became a straw through which God’s blessings flowed. It warms my heart to receive emails thanking me for my reflections. One particular email floored me. The sender said that after saying a prayer I wrote, God empowered him to find the P35,000 he needed to fund a check that day. It was a quirky little prayer borne out of my business frustrations that God used to bless someone.

The Right Tools

I believe that I have been “pulling more teeth” this year because I was given the right tools.

First is the mindset that my stories and prayers flowed from my woundedness. I learned to mold the different trials life throws at me every once in a while to create small victories.

Second, the image of what I want my life to be is now in high definition — no longer fuzzy and conflicted.

Third, I finally learned God’s will for me. It is not about the minute details but a vision to love like Jesus. He has given me the freedom to decide the “how.”

And lastly, when I bloom where I am planted, God will shower me with all the things that are needed to make my dreams come true.

would get crossed out, written over in red ink, pink ink, orange ink as situations changed. Once in a while I’d modify something. That’s not exactly what I want. Or there’s something else more promising. In short, my vision was fuzzy.

Can you imagine the confusion the universe had in trying to deliver this dream? I can picture God indulgently waiting on the side till I could get it right. After all, He knows the dream He has written in my heart.

Finally Getting It Right

It was only in 2010 that I finally wrote down my seven dreams. The mere act of writing them down in that tiny prayer book gave me laser light focus. Suddenly, things became clearer and I was able to move with a purpose. It was easier to eliminate steps that would keep me from my goal. Like, will taking a job as a transcriptionist propel me to my goal of becoming a writer? Not if it will keep me from writing — the difficult accents make my ears bleed and turn my brain to soup. It robs me of creativity and the time to write. Any job I take from now on must enhance my ability to reach my aspirations.

Although I had been frenetically, obsessively working for years to make my wishes come true, the fluidity of that dream prevented it from becoming a concrete reality. When I finally decided on what I wanted, I was able to take the right steps.

In just a few months, my novena has become colorful. There are now pink tick marks on it. My prayers are being answered one by one.

My elder son graduated from college. Several months after graduation, he got a job even if it was out of season for teachers to be hired. He also auditioned for the Feast Alabang Music Ministry. Those are checks for my dream numbers one and two.

My younger son finally finished his thesis after being delayed for two terms. Not only that, his thesis won the bronze for animation in the TBS DigiCon 6 1st _{Philippine Awards for 2010.}

In Jesus’ name, he will be graduating this year. Another check for dream no. 2 coming.

Dream no. 3.a.1 in my novena is to become a writer. Dream no. 3.c is to bless others with my writing and inspire them to improve their lives.

When my religious gifts business floundered in 2008, I co-founded Proudly Filipina.com, an online magazine and social network for Filipinas. I got to meet, interview

KERYGMA • JANUARY 2011

JANUARY 2011 • KERYGMA

soul

by Edgardo C. de Vera

Liturgical

Wish List

for 2011

Catholic

W

year and the start of another without a resolution or a wish list? We will not offer resolutions in this issue but convey matters in our liturgical celebrations which head the list of parishioners’ concerns that need to be addressed.

1. Better Homilies

During the conclusion of the retreat of Asian Bishops, Cardinal Arinze exhorted the clergy to stick to sermons on the liturgical readings, morals and catechesis, instead of using the pulpit to delve on the irrelevant and mundane, politics and fundraising. The latter can be reserved as a parish

announcement. Priests were

reminded to prayerfully prepare for their homilies since they have to elaborate on the Word of God.

2. A Relevant Choir

Sometimes parish choirs miss out on their purpose: to lead the congregation in singing. They are not there to perform. Some have a knack for choosing the most difficult melodies for sung parts of the Mass that only trained cantors or those with inborn singing ability can follow in the Gloria, Our Father, Sanctus, etc. St. Augustine once said that singing a prayer is twice

praying. But what if we cannot be in sync with the choir?

3. Bossy Commentators

The liturgical reforms introduced by Vatican II saw the need for commentators to guide the faithful in the new form of the Mass. Today, a generation hence, overly eager commentators still dictate when to sit, kneel or stand rather than restricting themselves to introductions of the Mass, priest, readings and announcements.

4. Quiet Time

A brief period for quiet personal meditation is mandated following the homily and communion. Few parishes observe this (especially by the choir).

5. Proper Decorum

Three years have passed since parishes all over put up posters on proper attire but many have ignored the message. Maybe parish priests ought to be more emphatic and regularly remind parishioners to worship the Lord in holy attire (1 Chronicle 16:29). In our area, there are two places of worship within a stone’s throw of each other. One is a Catholic school run by a religious congregation with regular Sunday Masses; the other is a vibrant evangelical community. It is fairly easy to guess which congregation people belong to as they walk towards the

same direction. If the person is shabbily dressed or in shorts, that individual is going to Mass. If dressed in “Sunday best,” that person is most likely headed for the evangelical worship.

6. Respect for the Word of God

Latecomers filling up pews right in the middle of the readings is a common bad habit. Can’t they wait till after the proclamation? Better yet, come before Mass? And how many of us have seen parents hand their children missalettes to play with? These get crumpled, torn, strewn on the floor to get trampled on like doormats and discarded candy wrappers. Does anybody care? Whether called missalette, Sambuhay, Euchalette or whatever, the liturgical leaflet is the Word of God and deserves respect.

7. A Meaningful Sign of Peace

Wouldn’t it be nicer if strangers smiled at one another and made real eye contact during the Sign of Peace rather than the robotic nodding, swiveling heads every which way, and blank expressions that actually don’t acknowledge people around?

8. Proper Disposition

This applies to us all. How? That’s for you to answer.

KERYGMA • JANUARY 2011

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