Once a week 112209

Top news for the day
Source: Manila Bulletin Online

Comelec rejects big crowd
The Comelec has appealed to candidates to limit supporters who will accompany them when they file their certificates of candidacy (CoCs).

184 million Pinoys by 2040
At the current growth rate, RP’ population may reach 184.4 million by 2040 to place it on 10th place as the most populated country.

Shroud of Turin real
A Vatican researcher claims a nearly invisible text on the Shroud of Turin proves the authenticity of the artifact revered as Jesus' burial cloth.

PRC bares list of 26 new aeronautical engineers
The Professional Regulation Commission announced that 26 out of 95 examinees passed the Aeronautical Engineer Licensure Examination given by the Board of Aeronautical Engineering this month.

Mommy Dionisia defends Manny over Krista yarn
Dionisia Pacquiao defended her son Manny and daughter-in-law Jinkee from the controversy surrounding the couple’s married life.

Cory is 1st National Thank You Day awardee
The late former Philippine President Cory Aquino was awarded the 1st National Thank You Day award over the weekend at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia.

No hope for consumers yearning for cheaper fuel
The last two months of 2009 is turning out to be a reversal of fortune for consumers compared to last year as far as domestic fuel prices go.

Ebdane bares programs if he wins in 2010
Amending the Constitution through a Constitutional Convention and bringing food to the tables of Filipino families would be the first in the things-to-do list of former DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. when he wins the presidential race.

Muslim group supports Noynoy-Mar tandem
The Muslim Alliance for Noynoy Aquino (MANA) held its 1st general assembly in Metro Manila last Friday night with a declaration to yield at least two million votes outside the ARMM for the Liberal Party standard bearer and his running-mate Senator Mar Roxas.

CBCP to release voters' guide
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will release this month guidelines that will help voters choose the right candidates in the May 2010 elections.


Holy words
Source: Kerygma Family

Solemnity of Christ the King

Listen well

“… Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” – John 18:37

I’m not the greatest listener on the planet. In fact, I blush with embarrassment whenever a friend would thank me for listening patiently as she pours out her heart and soul. Don’t get me wrong — I do listen for the most part. Sometimes, I “tune out” especially when my mind is preoccupied with my own personal concerns or when I’ve heard the same problem replayed for the nth time or when there’s a lot of tasks vying for my attention. But I believe that with constant practice and God’s grace, I’ll become a better listener. That means listening actively with the goal of understanding, learning from, helping and supporting the one I am listening to.

I’m thankful that by God’s grace I’m still able to understand others in spite of my “halflistening” ears. Most of all, I’m thankful that He gives me the grace to listen to His voice speaking to me. It’s hard to explain but once you have a personal relationship with the Lord, you know it’s His voice when you hear it. It leads you to the truth.

I realized, though, that when I listen well to the Lord, I am the one being understood, taught, helped and supported by Him — not the other way around. He’s truly amazing, right?Dina Pecaña

REFLECTION:
“Nature has given us one tongue but two ears. That way we may hear twice as much as we speak.” (Epictetus)

Give me the grace, Father, to listen to Your voice more than my own. For Your words will always lead me to the truth.

COMPANION

1st READING
Moses was the first of the great Prophets as he was able to look upon the Lord albeit only as he hid in the cleft of a rock as the Lord passed by. When Jesus comes in glory, we will all see Him as He truly is, in all His glory! It will be a day to remember but not nearly as memorable as the realization that the fulfillment of all the promises of God to His people is at hand. Let us pray for the coming of Jesus as this will mean the consummation of the Kingdom of God.

Daniel 7:13-14
As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.

2ND READING
We will stand with Jesus not just as His subject but truly with Him to reign over all Creation. This is humanity’s true destiny that is indicated in Adam being given the task of naming all the animals; that was short-circuited by the advent of sin in that we refused to place our lives, as glorious as they were, in submission to the Creator. Humility is the key to a holy life; without it we will ignore God and go our own way, and with it we will know the necessity of God and He will be our way.

Revelation 1:5-8
Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever. Amen. Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.”

GOSPEL

Jesus knows His own identity; He knows that He is not just any old king but the King of Kings. Yet, He does not strike down the arrogance of Pilate. He knows also that He will be vindicated by His Father. Sometimes humility demands that we submit our lives to a time of suffering in order that righteousness would be made known. Let us pray that through the witness of our lives, righteousness will be manifest to the world, not for our glory but for the glory of God!

John 18:33b-37

Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

My reflections
Think : Let us pray that through the witness of our lives, righteousness will be manifest to the world, not for our glory but for the glory of God!