HAVE YOU EVER PEEPED THROUGH A KEY HOLE?

[Photo: St. Peter’s Basilica through a key hole of the gate of the Knights of Malta]

[Photo: Tourists lining up to take a peek at the key hole.]

I took these photos on July 2, 2008 on one of my regular Saturday excursions in Rome. The website reidsitaly.com describes the photograph this way: “Peek through this keyhole on a piazza designed by Piranesi in 1765, and you see a garden path that ends with bushes perfectly framing the dome of St. Peter's in the distance. The gateway, incidentally, leads to the gardens of the Knights of Malta (I Cavalieri di Malta), who are actually called the Knights of St. John Hospitaler, one of the last surviving orders of knights left over from the Crusades. The knights left the island of Malta long ago, and their headquarters are now here in Rome. In fact, the Italian state recognizes their sovereignty, which means there are actually three nations within Rome (Italy, the Vatican, and the Knights of Malta).” [Outside Rome there is a fourth state, San Marino. I do not know if the Knights of Malta can be called a nation or a state.]

I went to the Aventine Hill on this particular Saturday to see three places: the Basilica of Sant’Anselmo, the church of San Alessio, and that of Santa Sabina. [The Aventine Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The Book of Revelation speaks of the dragon with seven heads. The dragon is the Roman empire symbolized by the city of Rome and the seven heads are the Seven Hill of Rome.] I only discovered the famous key hole of the Knights of Malta by accident. I saw a small tourist bus park in the piazza. Out came the occupants. They looked Chinese. They made a bee line for a gate and one by one looked into a key hole. My curiosity was piqued. What were they looking at? When they left, I went to the gate and looked into the key hole. And what did I see? The cupola of St. Peter’s beautifully framed by trees.

When you speak of the Basilica of St. Peter, your thoughts immediately turn to the Pope. And this time, with sadness. Benedict XVI has publicly announced his intention to renounce the papacy on February 28 at 8 pm, local time. He did it out of love for the church. He confessed that he no longer has the strength to carry out the responsibility of the papacy. His words: “"I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”

The world reacted with shock. The last time a Pope resigned the papacy was 600 years ago. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle expressed his surprise and sadness this way: “Pope Benedict XVI’s renunciation of the ministry as Bishop of Rome on February 11, 2013 came as a surprise. The announcement also brought sadness to us. We felt like children clinging to a father who bids them farewell. But sadness gives way to admiration for the Holy Father’s humility, honesty, courage and sincerity. His paramount desire is to promote the greater good of the Church.”

Next month in March, the Cardinals will converge in Rome and elect a successor to Benedict XVI. Cardinal Tagle’s name has been bandied about as a possible successor. He is thus a “papabile”. But let us not forget the saying: “He who enters the conclave a pope, comes out a cardinal.”

To inform us about developments regarding Benedict XVI’s eventual giving up of the papacy and regarding the conclave and its aftermath, I have requested Fr. Joel Camaya to be our “reporter” from Rome. He has gladly accepted to do this service for us here in the Philippines. Thanks, Fr. Joel.

ST. JOHN BOSCO AND ST. LOUIS GUANELLA

[Photo: San Giuseppe al Trionfale – the church by St. Louis Guanella in honor of St. Joseph]

From an article I wrote for the Salesian Bulletin…

Don Guanella was very much attached to Don Bosco. In fact, he became a Salesian in temporary vows for three years (1875-1878). But he had to leave Don Bosco in obedience to a higher calling. God had set him aside to work for the poor, the aged, the orphans and the handicapped. To this end he founded two religious congregations: the Servants of Charity and Daughters of Our Lady of Divine Providence.

But his attachment to Don Bosco remained. A year or so after Don Bosco's death, he wrote to Don Rua: "I want to record my immense attachment to Don Bosco. Certainly, leaving him was like leaving home. There (in the Congregation) I had the example of so many virtues, and the spiritual direction of Don Bosco who did so much good to all. Don Bosco's heart was like a magnet which drew all to himself; his words, few and well-pondered, were as lightning flashes to the mind.”

While reading the life of St. Louis Guanella, I discovered several interesting similarities between him and Don Bosco. I would like to point out a few of them.

In 1858 Don Bosco went to Rome to seek an audience with Pius IX regarding his plan of establishing a religious congregation. In his second audience on Sunday evening, March 21, he was asked by the Pope if he ever had any supernatural revelation about his undertakings. With some embarrassment, Don Bosco told the Pope everything he had seen in his dreams, beginning with his dream at the age of nine. Don Guanella, too, had an extraordinary dream at the age of nine. It was the day of his First Holy Communion. In that dream a Lady (that was how he called the Blessed Virgin) showed him everything he would do for the poor. Many years later in 1907 in a conversation with his nephew, Fr. Constantino Guanella, he said that the dream was like watching a movie.

Don Bosco and Don Guanella were both diocesan priests. Don Bosco belonged to the archdiocese of Turin while Don Guanella belonged to the diocese of Como. Both of them suffered because of misunderstanding with their respective bishops.

In a time of anti-clericalism, both of them took up the defense of the Church and the Pope. And for that they suffered persecution and harassment from government authorities. Both of them were put under police surveillance for a time, especially when they were preaching. And speaking of the Pope, if Don Bosco found a staunch supporter and friend in Pius IX, Don Guanella found the same thing in Pius X. The close friendship between Don Bosco and Pius IX was attested by the fact that the Pope could joke with Don Bosco. The same was true with Don Guanella and Pius X.

Don Bosco and Don Guanella lived at a time of great social change that brought about the marginalization of the poor. They responded by becoming apostles of charity along with other contemporary Saints like St. Joseph Cafasso, St. Joseph Cottolengo, St. Leonard Murialdo and Blessed Louis Orione. Don Bosco gave himself to the education of growing boys and young men, especially those who are poorer and in danger. Don Guanella saw his mission in the field of education but also in the care of the sick, the aged, the orphans and the handicapped. In this he was inspired by the example of St. Joseph Cottolengo whose influence made Don Guanella call his houses, “Houses of Providence”.

Both of them were founders of two religious congregations. Don Bosco founded the Salesian Society of St. Francis de Sales and then the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. Don Guanella founded the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence and later, the Servants of Charity. In the case of Don Bosco he transformed an existing association (the Association of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate) into a religious congregation. The association had been founded by a diocesan priest (Fr. Dominic Pestarino) who later joined Don Bosco and became a Salesian himself. In Don Guanella’s case the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence already began as a religious community. It had been founded by a pious priest, Fr. Coppini. When he died, the bishop asked Don Guanella to take over from him.

Both of them built a church in Rome. Considering the wish of Leo XIII a command, Don Bosco built the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. He also established an Association of the Sacred Heart based in that basilica. Don Guanella, on the other hand, was inspired to build a church and start an association in honor of St. Joseph, the patron of the dying. And when Pius X expressed the desire to have a church built in a very poor area near the Vatican, Don Guanella saw that as a confirmation of his desire to build the Basilica of St. Joseph at Trionfale, Rome.

Both of them published a magazine: Don Bosco’s Salesian Bulletin and Don Guanella’s Divine Providence. In the August 1908 issue of “Divine Providence” we find a prayer with these words: “May the great soul of John Bosco, who from on high protects the Congregation of his sons the Salesians, now too numerous to count, be pleased to turn his gaze on the Institutes of Divine Providence and extend the kindness of his protection on all those who belong to these works and especially on his devoted admirer and student, Fr. Louis Guanella.”

There is still one last common denominator. Both of them have been canonized by the Pope. Declared Saints, they are presented to us as models of the high standard of Christian life and as intercessors. To these two men who became friends on earth and remain friends in heaven, we pray: St. John Bosco and St. Louis Guanella, pray for us.

VALENTINE'S DAY

[Photo: Bones of St. Valentine at Santa Maria in Cosmedin]

Santa Maria in Cosmedin is best known for Bocca della Verita’, the "Mouth of Truth" in its porch. Less known is the fact that it also contains what is believed to be the bones of St. Valentine (skull crowned with flowers and other bone fragments).

According to Catholic.org St. Valentine is the patron of love, young people, and happy marriages.

There are many St. Valentines. According to the same Catholic.org, “Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his promises to make him renounce his faith ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards, to be beheaded, which was executed on February 14, about the year 270.”

The many St. Valentines has given rise to suspicion that he might be a fiction. But Catholic.org thinks that he “really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.”

History Channel explains how St. Valentine’s feast was associated with romance.

“While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial--which probably occurred around A.D. 270--others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.”

“To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.”

Since Valentine's day is associated with love, it is a good idea to ask: What is love?

Years ago Boy George attempted to define love. He probably failed for he ended in frustration by just declaring “love is love”.

For those who studied the Christian Becoming Series when they were in 4^th year high school, they might still remember this definition: “Love is the power in us that moves us to go out of ourselves to give of ourselves for the one we love.” The definition does not move one’s heart. But it does give you a measuring stick to determine whether you are loving or not and most of all, in the words of the Bee Gees, how deep is your love.

In 1 Cor 13 we find what has been called “Ode to Love”. It contains St. Paul’s thoughts about love. But since the Bible is inspired, it is also a declaration of how God thinks about love. And with God’s Word in our mind and heart, let us prepare to celebrate Valentine’s day.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. 2And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, 5it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, 6it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. 9For we know partially and we prophesy partially, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.g 13 So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 

(from the New American Bible)

OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS

[Photo – Minor Basilica of Santa Pudenziana. It is the church given by the diocese of Rome for Filipinos. It houses the Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy.]

The total number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who worked abroad at anytime during the period April to September 2011 was estimated at 2.2 million.

According to Rappler, the January to September 2012 remittances of OFWs reached $17.3-B.

It is estimated that there are now more than 200,000 Filipinos currently in Italy, including undocumented workers.

In Rome there are at least 30 parish-based Filipino communities. During my two-year stay in Rome I ministered to the Filipino community based in the minor Basilica of Sacro Cuore (Sacred Heart).

On October 21, 2012 Rome's Filipino expat community came out in droves for the canonization of Pedro Calungsod. Plans are afoot to petition the Pope to declare him as patron Saint of Overseas Filipino Workers.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer came out with an article entitled, “Many OFW dream houses in ‘Little Italy’ still empty”. We read: “Mediterranean-inspired, pastel-colored houses dot the coast and hills of this rural town (Mabini) in Batangas province, dwarfing their traditional counterparts made of unpainted concrete blocks under roofs of corrugated zinc. The larger houses, many of them empty, belong to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who plan to return here one day.”

I’ve heard many stories about OFWs in Rome. I’ve met many of them myself. Here are some of my stories.

Whenever I take a bus in Rome, I make it a point to look around or just listen for conversations. More often than not there will be Filipinos on these buses. One time I met a father and daughter. School was out. It was summer vacation. The father brought the daughter to Rome, not only for vacation but for her to see that life as an OFW was not exactly a bed of roses. He wanted her to see for herself the work he had to do to be able to send money back to the Philippines.

At another time three Filipino women boarded the bus. One of them was giving an advice to the other two who obviously were not married and had no family of their own. She told them to make sure their relatives would know they have money. I was thinking: “For heaven’s sake, why advertise to your relatives that you have money. They’ll just become leeches asking money from you at every opportunity.” But she continued: “Do you know why? Because when you retire and return to the Philippines , ‘magkakandarapa sila na mag-unahan na alagaan kayo’.” Then I understood.

At another time, the bus was full and it was SRO. Now you have to know that when you get on the bus, you’re supposed to punch (that is, validate) your ticket. There are machines inside the bus for that purpose. Some do not validate their ticket and get away with it. But at times ticket checkers get on unexpectedly and if you are found to have no ticket or that your ticket has not been validated, then you get a fine of 50 Euros. Now at this particular instance, ticket checkers boarded the bus. Behold some people hurriedly brought out their tickets and since the bus was full, had to ask people in front of them to pass their tickets in relay fashion and have them punched. A couple of them were Filipinos.

A final story. One afternoon I boarded the bus and looked for an empty seat. I looked around and saw a Pinay-looking woman with a free seat beside her. I took the seat and smiled at her. I don’t remember who initiated the conversation but it wasn’t long before she was telling me her story. Her first stint as an OFW was to the Middle East. She said that she was anxious because she didn’t know how the future will turn out for her. But she entrusted herself to God. Her second stint was Singapore and finally, Rome. She said she had just recently returned from the Philippines. And I asked her if it was to take a vacation. “No”, she replied. “It was for the wedding of my second son.” And then as if she needed someone to whom she can unburden herself, revealed that this son who was still in collage had made a girl pregnant. This was also what happened to her eldest son. She felt betrayed. She didn’t say it but I felt that what she wanted to say was: “How can you do this to me! I became an OFW for your sakes and this is what I get.”

Not all OFWs have only sad stories to tell. But it is true that the social cost of Filipinos going abroad to work has been immense. And it would be unfair to put the blame entirely on their shoulders. Sometimes the decision to work abroad is a matter of choosing the less of two evils. Ultimately it is the responsibility of government to make the economy work so that Filipinos will not have to choose between staying and condemning their children to a miserable life and going abroad and run the risk of a broken marriage, or of wayward children. 

THE SHRINE OF KAMAY NI HESUS

It has been an “informal” tradition of mine to go and visit churches during the year: during Holy Week (a sort of Visita Iglesia), during the Christmas season (to see the Belen) and sometime before or after my birthday (a sort of pilgrimage of thanksgiving for the gift of life and to ask for God’s blessing for another year of life).

A couple of years ago one of our Postnovices was invited by the youth of a barrio chapel to accompany them to Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban. I inquired why this place was so famous. I was told that it was connected to the ministry of a healing priest. I told myself that maybe I should go and see the place sometime in the future. The opportunity presented itself in 2012 some days after my birthday.

Although I live in Canlubang, Laguna, the trip to the Shrine took a good three hours. It was not in Lucban itself but outside of the town. I was first impressed by the size of the complex. It was huge. That was a good thing because with the number of people pouring in, space was a priority. (They ought to do something with the parking space, though.) The first thing I wanted to see was the church itself. It was already full of people. And all I could do was to take a peep. I will have to go back later.

To the left of the church was a hill. On top was a huge statue of Jesus Christ. It reminded me of the gigantic statue of Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro. To reach the top you have to follow a trail that zigzagged across the slope of the hill. Life-size Stations of the Cross were distributed along the trail. I made my way to the beginning of the trail, took a deep breath and began the ascent. I stopped now and then to take photos and to wipe away perspiration that was running down my face and body. On top I found men and women, adults and children taking some respite from the climb.

The way down was easier. On the left side of the hill were steps leading straight down to the foot of the hill.

Once down I went to the church again to see if there was enough space for me to go inside. The Mass was over and Fr. Joey Faller, the healing priest, had begun the healing session for the morning. I was impressed by what I heard and by what I saw. I heard Fr. Joey reminding the people in a kindly way that they were there to pray. He gave importance to prayer. Now that was something. And then I saw him praying over the sick without fanfare and inviting them to pray as well. There were no theatrics. The healing session was all simplicity. By doing that he did not call attention to himself. That impressed me, too.

I do not know if any healing took place. But I did see him helping an old man to his feet. He had been sitting on a wheel chair.

At Kamay ni Hesus, it is not Fr. Joey Faller who heals. It is God. Fr. Faller himself acknowledges that he is merely God’s instrument. And it is God who chooses who to make well.

I am sure that not everyone who came to Kamay ni Hesus for healing came away healed. Millions have gone to Lourdes and Fatima in the hope of being healed. Only a few do get healed. Why? God knows what he is doing. He has his reasons. And that should be enough.

This is what faith is. We entrust ourselves in God’s hands because we know we are in good hands. And no matter what happens, we know that everything will turn out all right for us in the end.

RUFFLED RAFFLES

Last Christmas my sister treated me for lunch at the Spectrum Restaurant of the Raffles Makati.

Its website describes it as “at the heart of a prestigious development – a striking 30-floor masterpiece, home to three sophisticated addresses in one tower: Raffles Makati, with 32 suites; Raffles Residences, with 237 one to four bedroom residences for private ownership; and Fairmont Makati, a hotel with 280 deluxe rooms.” While its grand opening is set for February 2013, the hotels and residences have been in operation since November 2012.

Raffles is new in the Philippines but it has been around for quite a while. The official site of Raffles states: “For 125 years Raffles has gone out of our way to give you the warmest welcome, the richest experiences and the fondest of memories. And today the legend continues all around the world. From the classic colonial splendor of Raffles Singapore (where it all began) to Dubai, Seychelles, Cambodia, Paris, Beijing, Hainan, Makati and Makkah, the Raffles name is synonymous with luxury, glamour and extraordinary adventure.”

I arrived ahead of my sister. Entering the lobby I was greeted warmly by a man (I do not know the designation of people in the hospitality industry) who at once entrusted me to a young lady. She volunteered to give me a tour of the ground floor. The ground floor, though, was not as expansive as other hotels (Sofitel comes to mind). She proudly brought me to the Long Bar. It’s called Long Bar, she tells me, because it is the longest bar in the Metro Manila area. So far so good.

But when I was finally brought to the restaurant, the unpleasant experience began.

I gave the name of my sister and the number of the table she reserved. The young lady at the reception couldn’t find her name. I brought out my cellphone and had my sister talk to her. After the conversation the young lady continued her search. She finally found the reservation in another sheet of paper. I was guided inside by another young lady. To my disappointment, a couple was already seated on the table my sister had reserved. The young lady was apologetic. She told me that they had taken breakfast there and hadn’t left yet. I sat in an adjacent table and waited for them to leave. When they had vacated the table, a busboy came and prepared the table. I took possession of the table as soon as the busboy left. When my sister arrived, she was dismayed to see that the table was not the table she reserved.

I told her that we might have to turn a blind eye since the establishment only opened a month ago. Being with the service industry for some time, she told me that no business can ever offer its client any excuse for poor service. And she was right. Raffles should not have opened its restaurant if its employees are not ready to give superior service to its guests. After all Spectrum is not a carinderia. I would expect value for our money. Frankly speaking its buffet is more expensive than that of Spiral of Sofitel and yet it doesn’t come close to what Spiral offers. Spiral offers the widest choice of dishes spread out in 21 dining ateliers!

I am not saying that the food served was inferior. They tasted good. But the service turned out to be the fly in ointment. What should have been a wholly pleasant dining experience was marred by inferior service. The reservation was not found quickly enough. And this in spite of the fact that the reservation was paid. Moreover, the table was given to us was not the table she reserved.

Unfortunately, the poor service reflected badly on Raffles. Those who serve the guests are the frontliners of the business. They are the face of the business. Something was amiss either in their training or in the process governing the operation of the restaurant, starting with reservations and ending with the departure of guests. Either way it did not speak well of Raffles.

We find this way of judging also in everyday life. Do we not make an inference about the parents on the basis of their children?

It is true that children might turn out badly in spite of the best efforts of their parents. Yet without the positive influence of parental upbringing, it is almost certain that children will turn out badly. That is why the Church acknowledges that parents are “the first educators of their children.” The adjective “first” is not merely first in time but first in responsibility.

Such a responsibility no parent will ever consider a burden. Instead, they will see it as a great privilege so much so that at the end of their lives, parents will consider successfully raising their children as the first of their lifetime achievements.

[The photograph is a piece of honeycomb on a chocolate cup served at Spectrum at Raffles.]

TAAL VOLCANO

Scientists say that in pre-historic times Taal Lake and the volcano island did not exist. Instead there was a giant volcano. The time came when it erupted so violently that the volcano disappeared and in its place a lake and an island was formed. According to Wikipedia, its last eruption was in 1977 and there have been 33 recorded eruptions since 1572.

It has been designated a Decade Volcano. Decade Volcanoes are the 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas (Wikipedia).

Taal Volcano and Lake are wholly within the Batangas Province. And to make sure everyone knows that, Governor Vilma Santos wanted to put on the island a giant sign “BATANGAS” similar to the “HOLLYWOOD” sign. That earned a lot of criticism and had to be shelved.

Taal Volcano and Lake are unique. Taal Lake is found in Luzon which is an island. In the lake is the volcanic island. In that island is a small lake and in that lake is another “island”. According to the website of Crater Lake Resort, within the island are four craters. The main crater is in the center of the island while the dormant volcano crater can be seen at the edge of the island. The third and fourth craters are called “Twin Craters” which were formed during the eruption of 1965.  According to the Lakwatsera de Primera blog, Taal Volcano is the smallest active volcano in the world. It used to be one of the largest volcanoes in the world towering at 18,000 feet.

The Taal Lake is also known for the tawilis. Sardinella tawilis (sometimes obscurely referred to as the Freshwater Sardinella) is a freshwater sardine found exclusively in the Philippines (specifically, Taal Lake). It is unique in that it is the only member of the family Clupeidae that is known to exist entirely in freshwater. (Wikipedia). According to a news report in the Manila Bulletin, its population has dropped in recent years due to overexploitation and the fish kills in the lake.

Many years ago when we were young priests (it was in the 1980s), we attended a one-week course in Tagaytay. During a one-day break, three of us decided to explore Taal Volcano. We hiked from the Tagaytay ridge down to the bottom. I don’t remember anymore the name of the place, but it was there where we managed to get a boat to bring us to the island. When we reached the island, we immediately hiked towards the rim of one of the craters. I was expecting to see molten lava churning violently at the bottom of the crater. What I saw instead was sand and steam escaping from a vent. Everything was quiet. The only thing I was aware of was the smell of sulfur.

Many years later (2006?) I tagged along with another confrere who was going to visit the island. We took a boat at a town farther away. The asking price was not tourist price. We paid P300 per person, I think. The hike was not difficult. It was mostly level ground. There were no steep inclines. All along I thought that we were going to a crater. It turned out that our destination was the lake within the island.

The last two times I visited the island was on the occasion of a community outing. We took the regular tourist trail. The trek was less than an hour. (The return trip would be a lot faster, however.) But on the way up, unless you hired a horse, you should be prepared to sweat it out...buckets and buckets of perspiration.

Once you reach the top, however, the view was so spectacular that you wouldn’t mind the complaints of your tired legs anymore. And with the proliferation of digital cameras, you’d spend the time taking pictures, including the obligatory jump shots.

Wikipedia says that viewed from Tagaytay Ridge, Taal Volcano and Lake presents one of the most picturesque and attractive views in the Philippines. I agree. And since the last eruption was around 35 years ago, we may be lulled into thinking that everything will always remain peaceful and quiet. But Taal is an active volcano. And because of its proximity to populated areas, it has the potential of causing a huge toll on life and property. This is why an erupting volcano seems to me a good image of anger.

When anger takes over, we lose the use of reason. And with the loss of reason, we turn violent. And like an erupting volcano, we engage in destructive behavior – especially hurtful words and/or actions directed towards people we may really care about. Although we may feel sorry after we have calmed down, the damage has been done. Feelings have been hurt. Bodies have been inflicted with pain.

It is not that anger is always bad, for there is such a thing as righteous anger (for example, Jesus cleansing the temple). It is when we allow anger to take hold of us that is the problem. For by then we lose control and become like a raging bull, unreasoning and unreasonable.

Let’s get hold of ourselves so that we don’t hurt the people we love. For if we fail, we end up having to say: “I’m sorry.” What is wrong with that? Nothing. But still it is worth keeping in mind that “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”