WE are reminded of this very important concern of ours in that First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians where he said: “The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.” (6,13-17)
Let’s remember that man is always a unity of body and soul. He is not just pure body nor pure spiritual soul. And as our Catechism teaches us, the body, properly animated by the spiritual soul, shares in the dignity of the “image of God.” (cfr. CCC 364)
This is how the Catechism explains it: “The human body shares in the dignity of “the image of God”: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit. Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity.”
The Catechism further teaches that, “Through his very bodily condition he (man) sums up in himself the elements of the material world…He is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.” (CCC 362 ff.)
We need to understand that our body is organically linked to our spiritual and the supernatural character of our life. While distinct, it cannot be separated from our integral human nature and condition, from our beginning and end, and from the plan and purpose God our Father and Creator has for us.
Given that dignity of our human body, we have to make sure that our piety and our devotion to God and everything related to him has to involve both the body and soul. It has to involve our whole person. It just cannot be purely spiritual or purely material. It just cannot be only a matter of knowing the doctrine, quite cerebral in approach, without some external manifestations, or of practicing all sorts of devotional exercises, without knowing the doctrine of faith.
If piety has to be authentic and consistent in all circumstances, then it has to be lived both in our spiritual soul whose main faculties are our intellect and will, and in our material body whose link to our soul, the principle of life, are the emotions and passions, the memory and the imagination, our temperament and psychological state, etc.
When piety is limited to one or the other essential element of our being, to either our spiritual soul or the material body, then it cannot be consistent. It cannot hold out against that anomaly for long. It sooner or later will fall into the tricks of hypocrisy and self-deception.
We need to see to it that our body is properly animated by the spirit of Christ, which is a spirit of love, a spirit of self-giving, willing to make sacrifices even up to death for love of God and of everybody else. This spirit of Christ should be felt in the body. And let’s convince ourselves that it is in this way that our body acquires its best condition.
It’s in this way that our body too will always look for Christ and for others out of pure love. We have to be wary of letting our body be animated by other spirits—like the spirit of the flesh, the spirit of world, or even the evil spirit.
The need for guidance on where to find the source of assistance is vital for those in need. One cannot waste time roaming around especially when the needed help is crucial for ones survival. A delay in finding critical help may be a matter of life and death. People need to be given direction and be able to know the source of assistance. This is so in biblical times when the sheep knows the voice of the shepherd and the shepherd knows his sheep.
Going through the tales in the sacred scripture will show us how the sheep recognizes his shepherd from whose graces the sheep depends. The relationship is too close that the shepherd is willing to offer his life for his sheep. In one episode, the shepherd left his flock just to find one lost sheep. The setting demonstrates God’s love for every sheep, ensuring that not one will go astray, and if lost, shall be searched and brought back to his flock.
In our present times, people obtain assistance from politicians acting as leaders of their constituents. There is help for the people in need once the person finds the source of assistance. One must learn to find the right direction in order to obtain the needed help.
The great difference in the recognitions of the source of assistance is the fact that the politician appears as the source when in fact it is the people’s taxes that serve as the real owner of the assistance. Here is where the people is deceived by the real source of the sound. comments to alellema@yahoo.com
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and GCash, the country’s number one finance super app, have signed a memorandum of agreement to further strengthen their collaboration to go after perpetrators of online fraud, scams, and other cybercrimes.
Under the partnership, GCash will assist NBI in preventing, detecting, investigating, and prosecuting cybercrimes that involve the use of the GCash mobile app or the transfer or receipt of proceeds from any crime or unlawful activity.
This will be done by providing relevant information and data under prevailing laws, rules, and regulations. The agreement also further solidifies the priority of GCash to secure the funds and data of its users.
The signing ceremony was graced by key officials from the government agency namely NBI director Atty. Medardo G. De Lemos, NBI officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Office of the Deputy Director for Operations Jose Justo Yap, G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI) chief executive officer Oscar Enrico Reyes Jr., and GCash Group Head of New Businesses and Corporate Affairs, Winsley Royce Bangit, together with other key leaders from the bureau and GCash.
“As more and more Filipinos embrace the digital space for their daily transactions and investments, it’s critical for law enforcement agencies to have an active partner like GCash with whom we exchange technical knowledge and expertise on the latest cybersecurity measures. This partnership is a big milestone in our shared fight against scammers, fraudsters, and other cybercriminals,” said De Lemos.
GCash is also working actively with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and other law enforcement agencies to further employ up-to-date security technologies, and strengthen security measures, through continuous threat and intelligence sharing, and better ensure safer transactions for its customers.
This also includes adhering to the strictest anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and anti-fraud standards. In line with this, GCash also reminds users to protect themselves when using digital wallets and become more attentive in the face of fraud.
“We’ve seen a concerning rise in online scams, investment fraud, and various cybercrimes in recent years. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we work together with authorities to protect Filipinos against perpetrators,” said Reyes.
As the country’s biggest digital ecosystem and a pioneer in inclusive digital finance, GCash continues to bolster its vision of “Finance for all” to allow Filipinos to have easy access to safe, secure, and convenient digital financial products and services – empowering communities across the nation.
Filipinos can download the GCash app for free on Google Play and the App Store. For more information, visit www.gcash.com.ph (PR)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is conducting an assessment of at least 20,306 poor families in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) classified as “not found” in the Listahanan 3 database.
The Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) is an administrative tool for targeting poor families for social protection programs.
DSWD regional information officer Jonalyndie Chua said after a holiday break, enumerators continue the second round of special assessment for members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) that started late last year.
“The assessment aims to ensure that all 4Ps beneficiaries must be included in the Listahanan database, that government funds allocated for the poor will be used accordingly, and that all rightful beneficiaries will receive due assistance from various social protection programs and services,” Chua said in a phone interview Thursday.
As of December 31, 2023, some 5,867 of the target 4Ps families in six provinces of Eastern Visayas have been interviewed by DSWD personnel, according to Chua.
In Listahanan 3 released in 2023, DSWD-8 has identified 365,086 poor households out of the 848,662 total households assessed in Eastern Visayas.
The database will serve as the data users’ latest guide in identifying potential beneficiaries of their social protection programs and services. (SARWELL MENIANO/PNA)
The Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office VIII (PSA RSSO 8) enthusiastically welcomed the new year of 2024 with a vigorous effort in registering the people of Eastern Visayas to PhillSys. After the resounding success of registering about 3.8 Million as of December 2023, PSA will continue registering the uncovered populace and with additional target registrants of 300,000 this year.
“We are calling upon our people especially those 5 years old and above to register and we are trying our best to bring our PhilSys services right at your doorsteps.” PSA RSSO 8 Regional Director Wilma A. Perante shared. PSA will further intensify its strategies reaching out at the grassroot level where people can register and have their ePhilIDs.
Near or far, be it on smooth or rugged ways, the PSA will continue to reinforce its service and commitment in providing an inclusive identification system for Filipinos.
Since its launch in 2021, PhilSys has been steadily progressing despite the challenges brought about by various challenges like the pandemic and natural calamities in the region. The significant accomplishment is the result of the collaborative perseverance of the PSA with its PhilSys field personnel, the local government units, stakeholders and partner agencies who continuously support the programs of PhilSys.
For inquiries and further information, you may visit the PSA’s official website at www.psa.gov.ph or contact our office with telephone number (053) 839-1884 and email address rsso08@psa.gov.ph. (PR)
ORMOC CITY– A fisherman was found dead floating on the seawater in Barangay Mahalit, Merida, Leyte on Wednesday (Jan.10) at about 12:10 pm.
The local police identified the victim as Leonilo Noya, 63, and a resident of Purok 3 of the said barangay.
Case investigator Police Staff Sergeant Emanuel Parac said that based on their interview with the wife of the victim, Lilia, 62, the victim told her that he would go fishing and promised to return immediately.
However, her husband failed to return home on that day, prompting her to ask help from their neighbors to help her find her husband.
A neighbor, Jocel Donaldo, 31, later discovered the dead body of Noya, floating on the water.
The police and the Bantay Dagat together with the Merida Rescue Group immediately retrieved the body of the victim and brought the cadaver to the Merida Health Center where a doctor declared him as dead on arrival. (ROBERT DEJON)
Giving our body the proper spirit
WE are reminded of this very important concern of ours in that First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians where he said: “The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.” (6,13-17)
Let’s remember that man is always a unity of body and soul. He is not just pure body nor pure spiritual soul. And as our Catechism teaches us, the body, properly animated by the spiritual soul, shares in the dignity of the “image of God.” (cfr. CCC 364)
This is how the Catechism explains it: “The human body shares in the dignity of “the image of God”: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit. Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity.”
The Catechism further teaches that, “Through his very bodily condition he (man) sums up in himself the elements of the material world…He is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.” (CCC 362 ff.)
We need to understand that our body is organically linked to our spiritual and the supernatural character of our life. While distinct, it cannot be separated from our integral human nature and condition, from our beginning and end, and from the plan and purpose God our Father and Creator has for us.
Given that dignity of our human body, we have to make sure that our piety and our devotion to God and everything related to him has to involve both the body and soul. It has to involve our whole person. It just cannot be purely spiritual or purely material. It just cannot be only a matter of knowing the doctrine, quite cerebral in approach, without some external manifestations, or of practicing all sorts of devotional exercises, without knowing the doctrine of faith.
If piety has to be authentic and consistent in all circumstances, then it has to be lived both in our spiritual soul whose main faculties are our intellect and will, and in our material body whose link to our soul, the principle of life, are the emotions and passions, the memory and the imagination, our temperament and psychological state, etc.
When piety is limited to one or the other essential element of our being, to either our spiritual soul or the material body, then it cannot be consistent. It cannot hold out against that anomaly for long. It sooner or later will fall into the tricks of hypocrisy and self-deception.
We need to see to it that our body is properly animated by the spirit of Christ, which is a spirit of love, a spirit of self-giving, willing to make sacrifices even up to death for love of God and of everybody else. This spirit of Christ should be felt in the body. And let’s convince ourselves that it is in this way that our body acquires its best condition.
It’s in this way that our body too will always look for Christ and for others out of pure love. We have to be wary of letting our body be animated by other spirits—like the spirit of the flesh, the spirit of world, or even the evil spirit.