Fr. Andrew G. Recepcion S.Th.D

Fr. Andrew G. Recepcion S.Th.D

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May 9, 2009

THE GRAND OPENING of SM City in Naga has been an event that many people were anticipating with mixed feelings.  I was one of those who were waiting for the opening of the mall.  I was invited during the mall's blessing on April 30.  I was looking forward to having quality goods available at my convenience.  In spite of the rain, the first store hours on May 1 saw all kinds of people from all walks of life flocking to the mall to celebrate the advent of a mega shopping and activity center in Naga City.

April 27, 2009

MANY SEE Yuppies as young professionals who are restless in pursuing upward mobility, pursuit of excellence and material comfort. There’s something more behind the Yuppie phenomenon. The term yuppie may not sound serious but the “reality it describes is one of the more significant recent developments in Western culture.” The mentality of a yuppie that creates a sub-culture in our society speaks about a conscious drive of many people today for success and wealth, for having a beautiful body and moving up the ladder of career, for being well-dressed and having prestige, for luxuriating in material comfort and achieving optimally everything that is potentially attainable within our limits. This conscious drive that moves people brings with it “unashamed ambition and the expressed desire, in a manner of speaking, to leave the pack behind.” What is important for a yuppie is to set oneself, through excellence above others.

April 12, 2009

THE HOLY WEEK IS OVER. Everybody is back to normal life and schedule with fond memories of vacation spent with family and friends as well as a certain feeling of nostalgia for moments of prayer and recollection during Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

April 8, 2009

THE PROPONENTS ON THE CONTROVERSIAL RH Bill 5043 are actually saying that majority of the Catholics in the Philippines do support the bill. But they have not shown any exact figures yet. I think the crucial issue is not about statistics but it is about awareness and education. Surveys are perceptions because they simply show responses to a question that has been formulated to further a cause.

April 7, 2009

HAVE BEEN READING the House Bill 5043 (An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development, and for Other Purposes) and its dissection by Makati City Representative Teodoro Locsin Jr. titled The Culling Fields: Dissecting the Cosntantly Changing Reproductive-health Bill.

April 7, 2009

I RECEIVED AN EMAIL from Nabua Forum about the demolition of the Gabaldon in Nabua, Camarines Sur. I can attest to the truth of the matter since I saw during my last week’s visit to Nabua that a temporary fence—to give way to the construction of an LCC Mall—has surrounded the former site of the building. I am a Nabueño and I am concerned about what happened to this historical building. What disturbs me more than the building is the lack of a sense of history of elected municipal officials whose primary concern is business opportunity and personal interest.

April 6, 2009

IT’S HOLY WEEK AND MANY people are looking forward to a few days of vacation with families and friends. It has been observed that many Filipinos associate Holy Week with the suffering and death of Jesus Christ without giving much emphasis to His Resurrection, which completes the Paschal Mystery.

April 3, 2009

LONELINESS IS a painful reality.  It can appear as a faint dis-ease, an inner dissatisfaction, and a restlessness in the heart.  It is part of being human, because there is nothing in existence that can completely fulfill the needs of the human heart. It can become a source of creative energy.  It is the fundamental force that urges mystics to a deeper union with God.  It can be a force for good.  However, loneliness shows other, less positive faces.  It can lead to depression and chaos.  It can become agony, a scream of pain.  It can even become a taste of death.  

April 3, 2009

A HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN NARRATED TO ME HIS EXPERIENCE WITH A DYING man.  He was paged to proceed to room 205 in order to administer the last sacrament and when possible to make himself available for confession.  When he entered the room he saw that the man was still conscious but waiting for his final moment on earth. The chaplain slowly approached the person and whispered to his ears an invitation: “Tumawag ka sa Panginoon, Tumawag ka sa Panginoon (Call on the Lord)!”  To the chaplain’s surprise, the dying man opened his eyes and looked at him as if he wanted to tell him something.  So he bent down and placed his ears near the dying man to listen to what he wanted to say.  The dying man mustered enough strength and asked the chaplain this question: “Anong number, Father (What number, Father)?”

April 3, 2009

IN ONE OF MY CONVERSATIONS with one of the Bikol writers over a cup of coffee and pastries, I shared my opinion on language, particularly on Bikol language.  I must admit that I am not in a position to speak authoritatively about Bikol language and culture.  Nevertheless, I can always give my opinion based on my perception and I am open to accept contrary opinions.

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