IT’S understandable that since we are now at the end of another liturgical year, the gospel readings focus on this truth of our faith—that both time and the world will end. Thus, in one gospel episode, Christ was asked about the signs that such end would be approaching. (cfr. Lk 21,5-11)

Thus, Christ responded: “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” Looks like we are seeing these things nowadays. There are some people who are posing as the very son of God, etc. Let’s be warned.

Then Christ continued: “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified’ for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” There we have a clear indication of what to expect and the appropriate attitude we should have toward it.
Finally, he said: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

We should be prepared for this eventuality by making sure that we are guided always by our faith and the almighty and merciful providence of God, instead of allowing ourselves to be played upon by our fears and worries. We should be eternity-ready. That is to say, prepared to see God during our judgment and eager to be with God, fully identified with him for all eternity.

In this regard, we should rather be aggressive in our pursuit of our ultimate goal, the proper attitude to have in this life. Of course, we should first of all have a clear vision of our goal in life, knowing how to translate that goal into stages, and then let’s stir up all our faculties to achieve that goal.

We can take St. Paul’s words as some kind of inspiring slogan: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Cor 9,24) Yes, our life is like a race. The Letter to the Hebrews said as much: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” (12,1)

The good thing about this attitude is that it engages our faculties properly and helps us avoid getting lost, being held hostage by the allures of this world, wasting time, etc. We would always be on the move, and would know how to put order in our daily activities, knowing the right priorities, etc.

And what is the ultimate goal that we should pursue? None other than that we become another Christ, if not Christ himself, ‘alter Christus, ipse Christus.’ This is simply because we have been created by God to be his image and likeness.

That image and likeness of God is Christ who as the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the pattern of our humanity, and as the Son of God who became man, is the redeemer of our damaged humanity.

Our creation is God’s project before it is our own. It is a work in progress that requires our cooperation precisely because as image and likeness of God, we have been endowed with intelligence and will that would enable us to correspond to God’s creative and redemptive action on us.

Many Filipinos here and abroad had been following the investigation being conducted by the house of representatives and the senate on various issues, purportedly in aid of legislation. People might not have been updated as to the number of laws that had been enacted as a result of such investigations. It may be mere gut feel that laws are indeed the product of those investigations in aid of legislation. The cost of such investigations is high considering the manpower, time and funds that are spent. As the proceedings continue, people are getting significant information on matters and issues that were well kept during the term of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his minions who supported his bloody war on drugs.

The personal appearance of the former president before the investigating committees of both houses of congress afforded the best opportunity for him to reveal well-kept secrets and disclose untold stories about his bloody war on drugs. Given enough opportunity and time to bare his story, the investigating committees were able to gradually eke out vital information, most of which had been denied by his minions who took the stance of doing everything, with some even expressing willing to offer false testimony or even life just to protect their master.

It is indeed appalling how his minions would have the temerity to deny the truth that are supported by facts just be show blind obedience to their master. In the course of the testimonies and interpellations of the invited resource persons, they would declare opposing testimonies against each other. Despite the declaration of the former president of for instance the existing of the reported Davao Death Squad, his minions still insist that there is no such thing. The opposing narrations of the minions and their master would appear a funny show for some but others consider is as trash talks.

A few citizens find the proceedings boring but have to endure the long hours of such expensive theatrics in the hope of getting relevant untold inform that had been kept from the public. True enough, the free narration of the former president would bare several information especially on the secrets of his bloody drug war. What had been the favorite excuse of the former president using hyperbole in his speeches appear as oxymoronic statements that people find as nothing but self-destructing statements. One instance that caught him admitting the existence of the Davao Death Squad that was labelled as the Davao template was reportedly used on a national scale when he became president.

In the early days of the hearings when those identified as officials considered charged before the International Criminal Court and are under investigation and prosecution for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the former president and his minions had the temerity to insist that such international body is without jurisdiction to do so. It took a sudden rift between the magical president and the vice president for the administration to take an awkward summersault, from supporting the former president in his baseless stance against the international criminal court to cooperation. That altered the fate of the vice president as she resigned from her being an education secretary to one outside the cabinet. These are offshoots of being humbug.
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