Blessings through trying times

This week we have been blessed with a series of religious/spiritual, cultural/historical and celebratory activities to see us through a trying time of national political dissension, as well as unusual weather conditions.

Last Sunday, we observed the Solemnity of Christ the King; on Monday, the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Lapu-Lapu annual fiesta in honor of (Mary) Our Lady of the Rule. Tuesday was the feast of St. Cecilia, patroness of musicians, while Carcar City celebrated their annual fiesta in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria yesterday and today. The Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal will be celebrated on Sunday at her church on Gorordo Avenue. Here in Banawa barangay and parish, we have the novena to the Alliance of Two Hearts (of Jesus and Mary), whose feast day we celebrate on Tuesday, the 29th, with a Mass at 10 a.m. celebrated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

Thank God for these blessings that sustained us after former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now Pampanga congresswoman, was arrested Friday last week. She is in detention for charges of electoral sabotage during her two-term tenure, charges that continue to be hotly debated between the Justice Department and the Supreme Court. And to add to the dissension, recent past unresolved criminal and political cases are surfacing for serious consideration. This Concerned Bystander will leave these evolving developments for now to government, public and media concern.

Meanwhile, the recent visit of the relic of St. Jean Baptist de la Salle at Cebu City Hall on the Cebu leg of its visit to La Sallian schools in the country brings to mind a forum I attended on “The Devotion of Holy Relics with its Historical, Anthropological and Dimensions” presented last Nov. 12 at the Cathedral Museum by Hamiling Kabilin, Inc. in its monthly Hambin Forum with guest speaker Fr. Dennis Duene Gutierrez Ruiz, OAD.

Quoting the New Baltimore Catechism, he said a relic is “something belonging to, or connected with our Lord or the saints, such as a portion of their bodies or a garment they wore.” A first-class relic is part of the body of the saint; a second-class relic is part of the saints’ clothing or other personal effects, and a third-class relic is an object touched to first-class relics. The honor we give to these relics do not stop with the relic but is directed to the person whose relic is venerated.

Historically, veneration of a relic is also practiced among Buddhists, Muslims and other religious groups. Fr. Ruiz clarified positive and negative dimensions of relics, as well as their spiritual and theological dimensions. Of some 600 relics (some of which he displayed during his lecture) in their OAD Chapel in Talamban were testimonials of the Passion, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the apostles and first disciples of our Lord, the popes, the fathers and doctors of the Church, the founders, virgins and martyrs and confessors. It was a highly informative and inspiring forum.

In a related activity, the Cathedral Museum will honor old bells, which have been part of our parish life for centuries on its fifth anniversary tomorrow, Nov. 26th, with Ang Bagting sa Kampana. The public is invited to join the celebration.

Historically, for Cebu, the heroism of Pantaleon Villegas, known as Leon Kilat, was highlighted in Carcar City’s Kabkaban Festival during their town fiesta this week. Leon Kilat died in Carcar after he was stabbed to death by his own aide-de-camp on April 8, 1898. A monument to him stands along the side of the road leading to the parish church of Carcar. Wednesday, the 30th, is Bonifacio Day, a national holiday marking the 148th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, the supreme leader of the Katipunan movement that sought Philippine Independence from Spanish colonial rule.

Earlier on Thursday last week, it was s red-carpet night with Fashion ‘n Rhythm at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, presented by the Cebu Chapter of the Consular Corps of the Philippines and our Cebu Zonta 1 in cooperation with Smart Communications Inc. and Marco Polo Plaza Hotel. The event was participated in by members of the Consular Corps and Zonta 1. Fellow Cebu Daily News columnist Jaime Picornel has written extensively about the affair and pictorial coverages of it have come out on TV this week.

The show featured Women Legends’ Classic Fashion of royalty from Russia, Spain, England, France, Italy, Egypt, India and Argentina. Contemporary Fashion presented the Hat Ensemble of Zontian Janice Minor. “The Night at the Oscars” featured Oscar winners from “Desperate Housewives,” “Charlie’s Angels” and “Defining Their Time.” “Two Most Celebrated Couples” had Dame Mariquita Yeung and Consul John Domingo as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt; and celebrated Cebu Couple Consul Michel and Amparito Lhluillier.

Oscar Hall of Fame awardees from Hollywood’s Movies and Musical History “Gone with the Wind,” “The Godfather,” “James Bond,” “Superman” and “Wonder Woman,” as also “Rock ‘n Roll Jail House Rock,” and “Grease.” While we Zontians were particularly tickled pink by the Von Trapp Family from “The Sound of Music” 70 years after participated in by Zontians in their characters’ remembered “youthful” garb!

Segment Choreography featured guest performers: the Knapsack Dancers, Ed Chiongbian, and Vince Colina. From “We Care”: Ben Yapjoc, Ramon Sebastian, Sonny Espina and Willy Go. Other guest performers were Yntel Beltran, host Carol Go as Anne Hathaway, host William Sienes as tom Jones, Zontian Mila Espina, Oscar event anchor as Sharon Osborne, and program emcee Sam Costanilla. Our most distinguished guest for this memorable night was Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

After that Grand Night’s most successful presentation, Zontian Mila Espina, overall director and choreographer, was roundly honored with plaudits from Governor Gwen, the cast, guest performers and a full house of cheering, applauding audience of invited guests. Thanks to our platinum, gold, silver and bronze sponsors for generously contributing to the success of this affair!

Until next week, then, when I report on the Nov. 16 opening of Celso Duazo Pepito’s 33rd One-Man-Show of his latest paintings at the SM Art Center, may God continue to bless us, one and all!