THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

The question of evil has been a timeless question asked all throughout the ages. Still today the question passes over into the twentieth century with the same negative overtone. The question has existed in many forms but the main idea of the question has never changed. That is if there was a loving and sovereign God how could he permit evil in the world? During calamities, many people question the goodness of God. Sometimes these questions will lead us to sub-standardize the power and the goodness of God. There are those situations that we follow His will and do His commandments yet in the end we still challenge by some problems and anxieties of life which we call evils. Gone were the days, when we are trying to be good to our brothers and sisters in our community, but then again we hardly feel the blessings of God because it is being blocked by the difficulties we face. Sometimes we cannot understand why bad things happened to good people and in reverse, why good things happen to bad people? Although we cannot grasp clearly or entirely the will of God, but through our good works, we already assumes that we will receive a reward in the end. Yes, we are bombarded with different problems in our life but still we could hardly understand why these things are necessarily happened. Every now and then, we encounter unexpected bad happenings.    

These problems are being studied by the Theologians of the church. They try to explain this negative reality in such a way that through their explanations, people may understand and accept the reality and be ready for the upcoming day by day struggles. The famous theologian and philosopher, St. Augustine, tackles about the problem of evil and the existence of evil in the world. 

In Augustine’s Confession the discussion of good and evil begins with God, he argues that God is absolutely good and that there can be no corruption in Him. Augustine employs words such as “supreme good” and “best good.” He is the highest conceivable being of goodness and Augustine adds that what God wills for himself is good which “he himself is that same good.” Furthermore Jesus exhorts that all men be perfect as his Heavenly father is perfect in Matthew 7:35. Thus there exists this perfectly good God, in whom no evil could exist because it is contradictory to his character. Consequently a good God could not create anything that is not good.    

       Therefore if evil is not good as Augustine contends then it was not created. That is because all things that God created is good. Moreover all created substances created by God have a state of being so if evil does not have a state of being then it follows that it is nothing. However evil does exist as some form in the world because there are clear objective moral values that are actually evil. This is the dilemma because evil does exist all though God did not create it. This is where Augustine transitions over to man’s limited in nature and free will.

            This world is a limited and finite place – what we call suffering and evil is simply the natural result of that limited nature. In other words, to expect that a limited, finite creature can live for ever and never suffer is simply to misunderstand what it is to be a limited creature. The world does not belong to us, we cannot determine what shall happen, but are always limited by factors outside ourselves over which we have no control. Other question contends that why God did not create the world perfectly? If God creates the world perfectly, then it is contradictory to his nature as the only one supreme and ultimate good. If God will allow these, there can be two ultimate good and this would lead to understand that the creator’s initiative is equal to his creation. We have to remember that the creator is also higher than his creation. Therefore, it is very contradictory to the nature of God.

For us to understand evil in the forms of suffering in our lives, it is important to take more seriously on Augustine’s argument that evil is only a limitation of good, rather than a force itself. Augustine conclusion on moral evil is that evil and suffering are either sin or the punishment for sin (the world is the way it is because of our fall from grace, and that of the angels). In other words, Augustine is saying, in effect, that suffering and evil are punishment from God, in that they are the result of human and non-human disobedience. Furthermore, Augustine argues that evil is a result of humans abusing the gift of free will. Only God will judge how we have responded to that suffering, and will reward or punish us after this life on the basis of how we respond to it. There is no escape from the control of God for he is not only justified in allowing present suffering, but will also choose to punish some people in an afterlife for the way in which they have responded to this limited life. Since evil is the absence of good, the best way to avoid it is to participate God’s loving work.

Augustine’s view on the persecution that happened in the Church under tyrant emperors happened to be the great evil in those times. There is a disease that Augustine believes is the worst disease in the world. This disease claims more lives then any other disease. It is a disease that everyone who ever lived, lives and will live is going to suffer under. This disease is called sin, which is evil. Evil that exists in the form of thousands of persecuted Christians and horrific crimes that were taking place in the Roman Empire. Evil that has spread to all men everywhere it man is utterly hopeless. However Augustine advocates that there is a cure. The Gospel calls him the great physician. Man’s free will is responsible for the evil that exist in the world, but it is also man’s free will to restore the goodness that God created in all men from the beginning of all time if they chose to accept Christ as their savior.

Virtual Community is Real Community

Man is a social being in nature. One way of making ourselves to be involved in socialization is that we communicate to each other. Through communication, we can build a relationship. Man as we are, we are really confronted with our wants and to what is easier. To some extent, we somehow need social media to stay connected with our love once abroad. To cater our needs, we use social media. However, we cannot deny the fact that personal and physical experiences is what we want at first. In this sense, social media became a secondary means to get in touch with people. Nonetheless, the relationship build by the aid of social media cannot be regarded as something imaginary. Instead, what happened inside in the virtual world is real. It only reflects what is happening in the physical community. 

 Virtual community is a real community. They exist and of capable of developing. Virtual activities are real inasmuch as it continues to exist. Let me clear about this. Virtual communities are social groups that emerge from networks when enough people carry on public discussions long enough to create webs of personal relationships. Like any other human community, they develop their own norms and customs.

Trying to equate virtual community into a physical community is impossible. These are two different entities yet closely related to each other. If we talk the other, it has an advantages and disadvantages compared to another community and vice versa. They have different laws and norms concerning human relationship. Thus, these two cannot be reconciled.

HOPE for a better PHILIPPINES

Gone were the days that the Bishop of Rome visited Philippines. It is during the World Youth Day in 1995 the last time when the country was visited by a Pope. We are indeed lucky enough that Pope Francis will be here in the country. Yes, the Filipinos are still into trauma cause by the calamities that hit our country, yet we are also filled with joy as we started another year of our journey with the Lord inasmuch as there is a blessing coming from God - Pope Francis.

The message in the Pope’s coming is hidden in his life as a (in his words) servant of the servants of God – mercy and compassion. These two words are quietly simple. Indeed, we always hear these in our regular conversations. But if these simple words will be put into action, then we can find its deepest meaning. Furthermore, these words are the summary of the Popes message to the Philippines in his coming. His visitation would be a true manifestation that "the church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven, and encourage to live the good life of the Gospel." (Evangelii Gaudium 114)

Almost everyone would say that Francis is a peoples Pope. He goes out in his comfort zone in order to reach out the least, lost, last in the society (poor people). The two virtues (mercy and compassion) speak about the life and leadership of Pope Francis. The life of Pope Francis reminds us the love of God to us. This is concretely showed when he gave his only Son for our sake. Jesus humbles himself; crucified on the cross because of his great mercy and compassion to his people. Truly enough, the Pope’s visit is a reminder of us Filipinos that even if we are in the midst of struggles; we should learn to be merciful and compassionate to our brothers and sisters. No one is exempted of this for all of us have hearts. There is no heart which cannot felt mercy and compassion. All of us are invited to be compassionate to others. Furthermore, it is hard for us to make this possible without the grace of God. Let us continue to ask the Lord for a kindhearted heart in order to imitate the works of our beloved Pope.

What would be the meaning of the Pope’s visitation if after all, nothing would be changed? What would be the Philippines after Pope Francis visitation? These questions struck to my mind since human as we are, we are surrounded by chances to do bad things. I hope and pray to God that the Pope’s visitation can change and move the hearts of the people in order to build a better Philippines.

PRECIOUS TIME WITH THE LORD

Niadtong Sabado Nobyembre 15, 2014, naghimo kami sa amuang programa sa pagbisita sa mga kabalayan. Sa among pagbisita, nakahimamat kami sa us aka masakiton nga nanay. Sa iyang pagkasayod nga mga seminarista diay kami, malipayon siyang nagpasulod ug nakigkukabildo kanamo. Diha-diha, gisaysay ni nanay ang mga wala damhang panghitabo sa iyang kinabuhi nga diin maoy naghatag kaniya sa tumang kalisod sa panglawas. Matod pa niya, ang maong accidente maoy nakababag sa iyang pag-alagad diha sa Ginoo ilabi na diha sa pagsimba matag Domingo.

Sa pagkatinuod, malipayon ako diha sa akong paghinabi ni nanay. Nasayod man gud ako nga bisan ang among simply nga pagbisita kaniya, nakahatag kadto kaniya ug dugang inspirasyon ug paglaum sa pagpadayon ug pag-alagad sa Dios ug nakahupay sa iyang kasakit.

            

Kadtong maong kasinati-an, naghatag kanako ug dugang paglaum ug inspiration diha sa akong pagpangalagad isip inumol diha sa gugma sa Dios aron mamahimong pari sa umaabot. Nadasig usab ako diha sa pagpadayon sa among pagbisita sa mga kabalayan.

Ang maong kasinatian nagtudlo kanako nga bisan dei ang mga gagmayng butang nga imung igahin sa uban makahatag na kini ug dakong kaayohan kanila. Ang pag-gahin ug panahon sa usag-usag ug ang paghatag niini sa kinasingkasing nga paagi mao gayod ang pinakaimportante diha sa pagpangalagad. 

  

Sa ahong pamalandong, sanglit nakita man nahu nga nagbunga man ug maayo ang among gibuhat, amua kining palambuon pag-ayo pinaagi sa pagpaningkamot nga makahatag kami ug panahon ngadto sa mga katawhan. Tungod niini, kanunay usab nako giampo sa Ginoo nga pinaagi sa among pastoral nga buhat makatandong kami ug mga kasingkasing inubanan sa iyang grasya ug kaluoy.

The Wise Men: Representation of the Whole Humanity

After the celebration of the nativity of Jesus, the celebration of the Three Kings follows. In this celebration, we honor the three wise men known as the three kings for they read and believed God's word, sought Jesus, recognize the worth of Christ, humble themselves to worship Jesus, and obeyed God rather than man. 

These Kings, as thought by many, were the wise men who studied the stars came from the East. However, Matthew did not specifically wrote that they are three but only wise men. It is assumed that there were three wise men because of the three gifts that were given: gold, incense, and myrrh. Some scholars assumed that there could have been many more of them who visited the new born child Jesus. Tradition says that there were three and that their names were Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, but since the Bible does not say, we have no way of knowing whether the tradition is accurate. Whether the tradition is accurate nor not, it is not anymore significant. What is significant is the act of offering gifts.

It is already planned by God that those wise men coming from the East will visit the child as a representation of the whole humanity. We know that the magi were wise men from "the East," most likely Persia, or modern-day Iran. This means the wise men traveled 800 to 900 miles to see the Christ child. In other words, they traveled a long journey just to see the child. The message brought by their visitation to the child is that Jesus deserves an adoration of the entire humanity. This significant event that happened more that 2000 years ago also encourage us that we have to strive hard, offer something, and adore Him just as the wise men did.  

Inculturation: Central Role of the Church

The question of inculturation has received much attention in the Catholic Church in recent years and until today, to the extent that it has even been given special consideration by some of the Popes, especially the late Pope John Paul II. Giving so much importance, “Pope John Paul II considers the question of inculturation for the mission of the Church at the present time, that in 1982 he established at the Vatican a Pontifical Council for Culture.”[1] As the Roman Catholic Church became visible with the presence and representation of so many different cultures and tradition, Vatican II explores the implications of its documents for mission and inculturation. “The council itself was an exercise in inculturation as the Church tried to open its windows to the modern world, with its joys and sorrows, hopes and anxieties. Many of the official documents of the council should be studied with respect to their implications for inculturation.”[2]

To understand better, let us define “inculturation” first. “Inculturation is the incarnation of Christian life and of the Christian message in a particular cultural context, in such a way that this experience not only finds expression through elements proper to the culture in question, but becomes a principle that animates, directs and unifies the culture, transforming and remaking it so as to bring about a ‘new creation’.”[3] This definition is ultimately based upon to the incarnation of Christ that is “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.”[4] Furthermore, “genuine inculturation should be based upon the mystery of the incarnation, seen not only as a mystery and as an event in the person of Jesus of Nazareth; but as a process to be carried on history till the end of time. Thus our understanding of the mystery of the incarnation should serve as the solid foundation for understanding inculturation.”[5] In this manner, “the notion of inculturation underlines the central role of the local Church and community in the mission of the Church in the modern world.”[6]

As an essential way in proclaiming the Gospel, inculturative process undertake many challenges particularly to the evangelizers. These challenges would take into consideration that “Inculturation, which you rightly promote, will truly be a reflection of the incarnation of the world, when a culture, transformed and regenerated by the gospel, brings forth from its own living tradition original expressions of Christian life, celebration, and thought.”[7] As a general rule, “we are asserting that inculturation should occur naturally and spontaneously, wherever the gospel is lived and shared. It should not be something added on, something optional, something for the classroom or laboratory, but rather the ever-present attitude in all Christian life and mission. In the final analysis, therefore, inculturation refers to the correct way of living and sharing one’s Christian faith in a particular context or culture.”[8] According to Archbishop D. S. Lourdusamy, every aspect of the life and activity of the Church should be inculturated or indigenous - indigenous life style, indigenous arts, liturgy, and spirituality, indigenous forms of religious life, indigenous organizations and institutions.

Bearing these greatest demands in the process of inculturation, there comes several problems in promoting it. “The principles of Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World clearly presented the emergence of the problems in inculturation – when Christians (or Catholics) seek to bring the Faith to people of a culture other than their own, they face the problem of determining how the Faith is to express itself in this different way of life.”[9] To cater these problems, some scholars presented ways to make inculturation process effective. Let us recognize this thought, “every culture has its three levels: artifacts, espoused beliefs, and values, underlying assumptions. On one hand, artifacts would include visible organizational structures and processes. On the other hand, espoused beliefs and values include strategies, goals, philosophies, and espoused justification. Lastly, underlying assumptions comprise unconscious and taken-for-granted beliefs, perceptions, thoughts, feelings and everything which is considered to be the ultimate source of values and actions. In this regard, one must get at the deeper levels of a culture to assess the functionality of the assumptions made at that level and to deal with the anxiety that is unleashed when those levels are challenge.”[10]  This means that one must study the culture in group prior to access inculturation.

The definitions and ideas given above are intended to throw some light of understanding in the development of inculturative process up to this time.

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[1] McGarry, Inculturation: Its Meaning and Urgency, (1986:7)

[2] Lucien Richard, Vatican II: The Unfinished Agenda, (New York: Paulist, 1987)

[3] Pedro Arrupe, Letter to the Whole Society on Inculturation: In Studies in the International Apostolate of Jesuits, 7 (June 1978): 9.

[4] John 1:14

[5] Okure (1990:57)

[6] Peter Schineller, S.J., A handbook on Inculturation, (Paulist Press New York, Mahwah, 1990)

[7] Pope John Paul II, The African Bishops’ Challenge,no.6

[8] Aloysius Pieris, In Mission in Dialogue, ed. Mary Motte and Joseph R. Lang (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1982)

[9] Joseph P. Fitzpatrick, S.J. One Church Many Cultures: The Challenge of Diversity, (Sheed and Ward, 1987)

[10] Edgar H. Schein, Organizational culture and leadership, p. 27

Pope Francis Audience with Autistic Children

Pope Francis tenderly embraced children with autism spectrum disorders, some of whom avoided meeting his gaze, during an audience aimed at offering solidarity to people living with the condition.

The pope urged governments and institutions to respond to the needs of people with autism to help break "the isolation and, in many cases also the stigma" associated with the disorders, which are characterized by varying levels of social impairment and communication difficulties. (AP)