POWER OF WORDS- BY FR. FRED VERGARA

POWER OF WORDS – Fred Vergara

Two cancer patients were given the same prognosis: “you have three months to live.” One negatively said, “Woe unto me, I may die soon!” He died after three weeks. The other one positively said, “I will survive and live forever.” He survived and has been in remission.

Words have power and we must be careful with our words. The words we speak, especially coming from our heart, can mean either life or death. Solomon, the wisest king of Israel said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).

When I was a student chaplain, I often visited pre-ops patient and would teach them how to say positive words prior to surgery. I believe that the desire, the will and the words of the patient have a lot to do with the success of the surgery just as much as the skill of the surgeon. If the patient confesses death, then death-consciousness will begin to work in his system. If he confesses life, the body begins to release the natural forces of healing to make his desire or prayer come true.

This is also true among the elderly who have retired from work. When the mind begins to think of itself as old and confesses, “I’m retired now; I am too old to do anything productive,” then the body will respond to these words and rapid aging would take place. The mind begins to lose memory, the body becomes inactive, the bones atrophy. On the other hand, if one says, “my experiences give me more wisdom and I am learning more about life now that I've never known before,” then youthful enthusiasm kicks in, youthful energy is ignited and youthful aging gracefully moves.

Age is more than chronology, it is a state of the mind and is influenced by the things we think and the words we say.  That is why we find many active and strong elderly people in church. Church activities make them young. Singing and making melody to the Lord make them remember. Serving, sharing, being hospitable to others make them active. Teaching and learning new things make them alive. Talking with both young and old make them happy. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. A broken spirit drieth the bones but a merry tongue from the merry heart is the joy of the Lord!

One other thing that positive words can change is poverty. I have lived, studied and traveled far and wide to know that poverty is not of God. I believe poverty is a curse of the devil and those who create and operate systems that perpetuate poverty are of the devil. I would not mention the countries, but I have seen many who suffer in abject poverty, struggling to survive just one more day. As a youth activist in the 1970’s, I had seen and experienced slum dwellers near the garbage “smoky mountain” who ate under the mosquito nets because the flies are swarming around the dining area. Oppressive poverty where people are chained in misery and hopelessness is demonic. God desires to deliver His people from the curses of sin, poverty, disease and death. His Son, Jesus Christ came to give us life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

As individuals, changing our self-image is one of the keys to deliverance from poverty. If we create a self-image of being poor, then we will always be poor and in need of other people’s hand-outs. On the other hand, if we create a self-image of being wealthy, then we attract the forces of prosperity. By confessing strength, the weak becomes strong; by confessing wealth, the poor becomes rich. The road to health, wealth and joy begins from the spirit and the mind. By trusting God and working hard to reach your dream, you will be able to lift yourself up from the quagmire of poverty and move into a place where you can share the bounties of the earth---and give enough for the Lord’s work.

Speaking creative and positive words started with God who from darkness said, “let there be light”--- and there was light. Creatio ex nihilo. God created something from nothing. The Bible says that the world, as we know it, was framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. It is another way of saying that the universe came into existence by creative divine words.

Of course, we are not God to create something from nothing. But no matter who you are and where you are, you have at least “some” thing. There is not one person who has nothing. You have at least one thing or two things to start with. All you need is faith: believe in God, believe in yourself and speak your faith. Jesus said that if you have faith even as small as a mustard seed you can say to the mulberry tree, be uprooted and thrown into the sea, and it will happen (.Luke 17:6).  In modern parlance, if you have faith like a microchip, you can fly me to the moon. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, the confessing of things we dream of” (Hebrews 11).

The principle of faith operates in the words we speak. So instead of whining and complaining, which are depressive to the spirit, soul and body, why not confess positive, creative and inspiring words? Proverbs 25:11 says, “Words aptly spoken are like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” So begin by aptly saying to yourself, “I am strong; I am healthy; I am wealthy; I am beautiful. I am smart; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Then like Mary, end by saying, ‘Lord, let it be done to me, according to Thy Word.”

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR EVENTS

Christmas & New Year Events

St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church

2197 Jackson Avenue, Seaford, NY 11783

Christmas is one of the most joyous seasons in the Christian Calendar. We celebrate the incarnation, the coming of God in human form, in the person of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Let us never forget this real essence of Christmas. Let us come to church to celebrate the birthday of our Lord. He is both the Giver and the Gift.

DEC. 18 – Sunday (10 AM)

Pre-Christmas Tea and Carol Singing will follow after the Mass (Eucharist) at 10:00 A.M. You are all invited.

Dec. 24 –Saturday (8:30 PM)

Christmas Eve – Lessons & Carols, a narrative account of the birth of Jesus in various parts of the Gospel. After every scripture lesson is an appropriate Christmas carol. It is a simple but solemn liturgy which will help refresh you of the Christmas Story straight from the Bible. We invite you to come.

Dec. 25-Sunday (10 AM)

Christmas Day - Holy Eucharist, Nativity Pageant and Santa Claus

What a treat for the whole family! The Pageant will serve as the Sermon, a live reflection on the message of Christmas. Holy Communion is open to all. After the Eucharist, the children can pose with Santa under the Christmas Tree. The Men’s Group (Brotherhood of St. Andrew’s) will give pointers on Photography as you point your Camera to your kids receiving gifts from Santa Claus.

Jan. 1-Sunday (10 AM)

New Year’s Day- Holy Eucharist and Renewal of Covenant.  The New Year is an auspicious time to pause, reflect on the old year and  resolve to have a New and better Year. Listen to a sermon on New Year’s Resolutions and join in a liturgy of renewing the covenant with God.

We wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Rev. Dr. Winfred B. Vergara

Priest-in-Charge

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR EVENTS

Christmas & New Year Events

St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church

2107 Jackson Avenue, Seaford, NY 11783

Christmas is one of the most joyous seasons in the Christian Calendar. We celebrate the incarnation, the coming of God in human form, in the person of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Let us never forget this real essence of Christmas. Let us come to church to celebrate the birthday of our Lord. He is both the Giver and the Gift.

DEC. 18 – Sunday (10 AM)

Pre-Christmas Tea and Carol Singing will follow after the Mass (Eucharist) at 10:00 A.M. You are all invited.

Dec. 24 –Saturday (8:30 PM)

Christmas Eve – Lessons & Carols, a narrative account of the birth of Jesus in various parts of the Gospel. After every scripture lesson is an appropriate Christmas carol. It is a simple but solemn liturgy which will help refresh you of the Christmas Story straight from the Bible. We invite you to come.

Dec. 25-Sunday (10 AM)

Christmas Day - Holy Eucharist, Nativity Pageant and Santa Claus

What a treat for the whole family! The Pageant will serve as the Sermon, a live reflection on the message of Christmas. Holy Communion is open to all. After the Eucharist, the children can pose with Santa under the Christmas Tree. The Men’s Group (Brotherhood of St. Andrew’s) will give pointers on Photography as you point your Camera to your kids receiving gifts from Santa Claus.

Jan. 1-Sunday (10 AM)

New Year’s Day- Holy Eucharist and Renewal of Covenant.  The New Year is an auspicious time to pause, reflect on the old year and  resolve to have a New and better Year. Listen to a sermon on New Year’s Resolutions and join in a liturgy of renewing the covenant with God.

We wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Rev. Dr. Winfred B. Vergara

Priest-in-Charge

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE: A TRIBUTE TO MOTHER - Fred Vergara

(My mother, Clarita, with one of her 21 great grandchildren)

(Eulogy delivered by The Rev. Dr. Winfred B. Vergara, at the Memorial Service for Clarita Vergara, held at  St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Seaford, New York,  12/7/08)

How do you love your mother? Can you count the ways?

My mother, Clarita Bagao Vergara, was born on September 11, 1922 in Pili, Ajuy, Iloilo, Philippines and died last November 13, 2008 on her birthplace. She was named after a saint. “Clarita” (“little Clara”) refers to St. Claire of Assisi, the female counterpart of St Francis, the patron saint of peace-loving people. Many of you have not seen my mother, but if you have known me, you would have known my mother also. It is because all my good traits, I learned from my mother. The not-so-good ones, I submit, I learned it by myself. How much have I learned from my mother? Let me count the traits:

1. Filial Piety

The first trait I learned from my mother is filial piety, the traditional Asian respect given to the elderly. The word mother in Philippines is “Nanay,” and my mother had the custom of calling elderly women as “Nanay” and elderly men as “Tatay.” The fifth of the Ten Commandments is “honor thy father and thy mother” and this is the only commandment with a promise---“that you may live long on the earth.”(Exodus 20:12).  My mother was the eldest and only daughter in the family of six children and she also lived the longest because she received the biblical promise. I remember as a child, she was the one who really cared for my grandmother when the latter was very old, blind and had Alzheimer’s. Not only that my mother lived long; she and my father were also blessed with 7 children, 22 grandchildren and 21 great grand children.

2. Education

The second value I learned from my mother is the importance of education. Education is one of the equalizers in Philippine society and Filipino parents would sacrifice to great length to send their children to school. For our family, that was very hard. We were seven children. My father was a wounded veteran of the Second World War but did not receive any pension. It was because just after the War with Japan in 1940-1944, he was conscripted to proceed to the Korean War but my mother insisted that he did not go. My father resigned from the military and worked as a tailor but his income was not enough to send us all to school. So when I reached High School, I stowed away in a ship bound for Manila, became a street kid and finally worked as a janitor in exchange for school.

What motivated me to risk leaving my village and struggled against all odds to obtain education? This is the story: At age 7, my mother enrolled me to Grade 1 at the barrio elementary school. At that time in 1957, there was a nutrition feeding program for the children of indigent families and I was one of those who belong to the category. So at lunchtime, we would line up with our glass bowl to receive nutritious corn pudding and milk. Unfortunately, when the pudding was placed on my bowl, it was too hot that I dropped it. The bowl fell on the cement floor and broke into pieces. I went home crying because that was our only glass bowl. So my mother made me a bowl made of coconut shell! I went back to school but my classmates made fun of me. In our school, a glass bowl or ceramic bowl was like a badge of social status; a bowl from coconut shell was to be the poorest of the poor.  So from that time, I hated school but my Mom would patiently talk me to it. And when I became stubborn, she would spank and practically push me to school with this---a broom made from coconut sticks! Then she gave me an advice which I will never forget: “My son, you can be more than you can be, if you study and get education. But if you don’t, my broom will haunt you forever!”

Today, I finished High School, obtained a college degree, two masters’ degrees and two doctorate degrees and I have graced the classrooms of some of the best universities in the world---all because of my Mother’s Broom. And she was not a witch!

3. Survival and entrepreneurship

 The third value I learned from my Nanay is plain survival. In our barrio, there were only five wealthy families. They were the owners of the farm lands. The rest were farming tenants, fisher folks or poor families. There were only two seasons: planting season and harvest season. The agricultural months of the year were divided into these: June-July-August were planting months; November-December-January were harvesting months; February-March-April were festival months, where the harvested rice are often consumed. Did I miss three months? Yes, they were August-September-October. They were the lean months. Most of the rice in the granaries was running low and we would experience hunger. What did my mother do?

First, to economize, she would cook rice mixed with cassava or sweet potatoes. Second, we would walk miles to go to town and line up for the government’s emergency rice program. At one time, I was almost crushed in a riot of people rushing to obtain what we called the RCA rice. RCA (Rice & Corn Administration) had a smell but it was good rice. Third, she went into cassava cakes business. At night, she would cook cassava cakes; early in the morning, she would go to the fishermen’s wharf and barter the cakes with fish; before noon, we would go up to the farms and barter the fish with rice. So as a child, I would carry for my Mom a large basket of cassava cakes to the beach; two pails of fish to the farms; and a sack of rice back to our barrio. That must be the reason why I did not grow up taller! I carried heavy loads to the sea shore, up the mountain and down the valley. That was the time when child labor was not a crime but simply a family survival tactic.

4. Unconditional Love

Finally, the fourth value that my mother taught me was love, sacrificial love. I remember a story which my mother told me. It was about a mother and her son. She was a loving mother but he was a stupid son. He fell in love with a woman on the other side of the mountain who told him, “I would accept your offer of love if you can give me the heart of your mother.” Maybe it was just a figure of speech or that the woman was wicked. The boy however thought about it and in a moment of stupidity, took a knife, stabbed his mother and took her heart out. He then ran towards the mountain to offer the heart to his object of affection but he stumbled on the paddies and the heart fell in the mud. He scooped the heart and as he was wiping it, the heart spoke:” Son, are you hurt?”

That story was like a horror movie to me then but when I became a priest, it dawned upon me that it powerfully illustrated God’s love. God also forgave our stupidity in that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Christ’s suffering and death (like that of the mother’s) was substitutionary.  The prophet Isaiah aptly said, “he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisements that made us whole and by his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53).

I remember how my mother suffered every time one of us children got sick. Once I was very ill with “El Tor,” a form of dysentery. I lay dying but did not have the strength to take medicine. I would vomit it every time it was spoon fed to me. Then I heard my Mom praying, “God, let the sickness be upon me, for I can’t bear to see my son die.” I was thankful that her naïve substitutionary prayer was not answered but it motivated me much to take the bitter herbal medicine (boiled leaves and bark of star-apple or kaimito tree!) and cooperated with the healing process. And lived to tell the story.

My mother did not leave us with any worldly inheritance; she and my father brought us up in poverty. But she taught us how to live with honor and dignity. She left us with a legacy of values which can not be bought. She taught us faith and hope and showed us the power of sacrificial, unconditional love. Maybe that is why three of us brothers became ministers. Pepito became an elder of Jehovah’s Witness Church; Alberto became a priest of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and I became an Episcopalian priest.

So today in the presence of you, my dear friends, I honor my mother. I have no doubt that her soul is now with our loving God, in that place where there is no poverty, no pain, no suffering, no mourning, but only life everlasting. She has returned to her eternal home in the heavens, where she ultimately belongs. Together with other loving mothers like yours, she will help prepare a mansion for me and for you, and for all their sons and daughters who live in faith, hope and love. Amen.

Steve Jobs: Theologian and Prophet - Fred Vergara

(This is my tribute to Steve Jobs whom I consider a theologian and prophet of the 21st century. What can we learn from this man who broke barriers and changed the way we think, work and play?)

The globalized world mourns today the passing of Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple. He is considered an exceptional high tech guru, entrepreneur, inventor, innovator, visionary and probably the newest richest man in the cemetery.

Aside from being a father to at least four human beings, Jobs is also the father of iPhone, iTunes, iPad, iPod, iMac. While I have only iNap, iSnore and iOwe to my credits, I quite resonate with his life, particularly his disadvantaged family origin; and although he was reportedly a Zen Buddhist, I consider him my new Christian theologian and prophet. I think his one Commencement Speech to Stanford University students in 2005 must have inspired more people (thanks to his high tech, high speed inventions) than any of my 1726 miserable sermons delivered during my 33 years of priesthood.

And so at the risk of making him my idol, I share three points why his life is worthy of emulation:

1. He learned from adversity

Given for adoption and learning that his adopted parents were not as rich and educated as his biological mother had expected, he made the most of what he had. “At Reed College, I did not have a dorm room so I slept on the floor of friends’ rooms. I returned coke bottle for 5 cents deposits to buy food and would walk seven miles across town on Sundays to get one good meal at a Hare Krishna temple.” He would later drop out of college, to save money for a self-directed learning, including a course on calligraphy, which he would later use in his design of Macintosh computer.

2. He considered love as antidote for failure

A positive thinking pastor, Robert Schuler once said, “success is never-ending and failure is never-final.” Jobs is a prime exemplar of this philosophy. He and Wozniak started Apple on his parents’ garage in Silicon Valley which grew into a 2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. But when it was settling down, they hired a new leadership who disagreed with him and he was fired from the very company he founded. He came back later after proving himself agile in founding NeXT and Pixar, two celebrated successes. He would later say “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love...Don’t settle.”*

3. He believed death has a renewing purpose

I share with Steve Jobs the trait of being secretive about disease, a thing that most frustrate my own family. As a child, I endured a whole night suffering from food poisoning, because I did not want to wake my mother up. Jobs battle with pancreatic cancer, which ultimately claimed his life at age 56, was kept secret for a long time. St. Francis of Assisi called it “Sister Death” but for Jobs, death is life’s ultimate destiny. In his monologue on death, he said, “Death is the destination we all share…it is the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.” *

It would be great to share with Jobs’ audience that his philosophy of life’s journey resembles that of our forefather Abraham who did not settle in villas and palaces but lived in tents because he was looking for a city with a strong foundation, “whose builder and maker is God.”  It is also comforting to share that the Christian faith offers a view that death is not the final statement for we believe that God will raise us up on the last day.

*These quotations are taken  from Steve Jobs Commencement address at Stanford University, California, October 10, 2005

TAKE UP THE CROSS

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW JESUS

(Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Winfred Vergara in connection with the blessing of the Resurrection Hall of St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Seaford, New York on 09.25.2011)

Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” The last time I preached about it, I saw a lady picking up her husband. 

What is the cross? The cross is anyone or anything that crosses your path. It maybe your family, your friends or enemies; it maybe your mission, your challenge, your purpose in life. To most people, a cross is a problem to be solved or a burden to bear. To some, it is a health issue such as a debilitating disease; to others, it is a weight issue, such as obesity or anorexia.  To some, it is an economic issue like loss of a job; to others it is a life and death issue, like losing someone you love or being called for an IRS audit. The cross is also a symbol of commitment and responsibility.

The cross of Jesus is the epitome of all crosses. Jesus was ordained by the Father to take up the cross as a ransom for the sins of the whole world. It was a burden hard to bear and a terrifying responsibility. Jesus agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, take this cup away from me.” And as he prayed, tears and blood came out from his eyes and body and finally he said, “nevertheless, not my will but thy will done.” The rest is history. 

The Good News in the cross is that it is temporary. You do not carry the cross forever. There is a time when problems are solved; burdens are removed and challenges are overcome. After crucifixion comes resurrection. Crying turns into laughter, sorrows turn to joy, and mourning and sighing shall flee away.

Here at St. Michael, I have a cross to bear. It is my vision that this parish will become a beacon in the community of Seaford.  I do not see the cross as the lack of money, though we certainly need a lot of it. Although, I have been appointed by the Bishop as priest-in-charge, we are not yet in full operation because our funds are low. But it is not about money. As a missionary, I believe and always proved, that “where God guides, God provides.” God’s work, done in God’s way, and in God’s time never lack blessings.

The cross is not about leadership, because we have great leaders among us.

The cross is not about our facilities. We may have a small sanctuary but it is beautiful and today, we are about to bless a newly-renovated hall.

What then is our cross? Our cross is not found outside of us; our cross is inside of us.  In fact, we do not only have one cross; we have three crosses; and they are not external that we can see. They are invisible cross. Let me tell you what they are.

1.      First, our cross is our faith. We have a crisis of faith. Of course, this is not just St. Michael & All Angels but other churches as well. The Church is supposed to be the repository of faith but ironically, there is so much lack of faith in many churches. And when there is lack of faith, what happens? There is fear. And what happens when there is fear? Nothing happens.

We know the story of Peter. He saw Jesus walking on water and he got excited. “Master, let me walk on water like you.”  And Jesus said, “Come.” Peter stepped in faith and walked on water but when he saw the waves; he got frightened and began to sink.  And Jesus said, “O man of little faith? Why did you doubt?”

Christianity is not about fear; it is not about doubt. It is about faith. It is not about feeling secure, about taking precautions. It is about taking risks and engaging in adventure. Christianity is adventure in faith and that is a cross we have to take. Our parents Abraham and Sarah taught us about adventure. They obeyed God and lived in faith, and God did not disappoint them. I left home at age 15 to escape rural poverty and since then my adventure in faith has led me even to places beyond my childhood dreams.

The second cross is our hope.  We have a crisis of hope. John Wesley said, “If you lose money, you lose nothing; if you lose your health, you lose something. But if you lose hope, you lose everything.” Hope is the virtue that makes a person stands up after every fall. Hope is the quality a person who does not get discouraged when things do not turn out successfully for he/she knows that success is a failure turned upside down. A hopeful person is one who continually hopes even when hope is gone.

One of my colleagues in the national church said that when she attended a course in church leadership, many of the clergy in the class were talking nothing but about the church dying. “The church is dying, the church is dying, the church is dying.” And she said that she could not bear it any longer that she screamed, “Let it die!”

Yes, if the church has lost hope, let it die. A church with no hope is no church of Jesus Christ.

That is why we are naming our newly-renovated hall, as Resurrection Hall, because that is the nature of the church, the people of God. We are a people of hope; we preach hope; we live with hope, an even if we die, we shall die with hope. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And that is our Christian hope. We are an Easter people; we are a Resurrection people.

Third and finally, our cross is our love. We have a crisis of love. It is not money that makes the world go round; it is not fame that makes the world go round; it is not power that makes the world go round; it is love that makes the world go round. If God removes His love from the world, the world will crumble and fall.  And if God removes His love from us, our lips shall turn into clay.

During our recent visit to Italy, we visited the ruins of Pompeii.  We learned that Pompeii was a great and prosperous city in the first century A.D. But in their prosperity, their love for God and for each other had grown cold.  The volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted and the whole city was covered with six meters of ashes. It was completely destroyed and lost for 1700 years. Today, its ruins tell the story of a generation who lost their love for the One who loves us all.

Love is what makes the world go round and love is also what makes the church what it really is. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know, that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”  They will know we are Christians by our love.

My cross, as your Priest-in-Charge- is how to make this little church---a beacon of faith, hope and love in the City of Seaford. Help me take up this cross, and together, let us follow Jesus. Amen.

(Photo: Fr. Fred with Lois Handwerker and son, Rob. Robert Handwerker, Sr. left a legacy that made possible the renovation of Resurrection Hall.)

My Italian Tour: The Eternal City and More

Last September 1-15, 2011 my wife (Angela) and I joined with a group of 46 other tourists from all over the world in what is known as the “Splendors of Italy Tour.” It brought us to over a dozen renowned cities and fantastic places in grand Italia. It is amazing that the country, being so rich in culture, history and significance continue to inspire pilgrims who visit it. Trafalgar Tour offered us a variety of optional tours, most of which we took.

Angela has lots of wonderful photos in her Face book (angieverg@aol.com) and I am preparing some reflections on my blog site, www.travelinasian.blogspot.com. While I have been to many places in Europe and Asia, I find Italy to be most fascinating and awe-inspiring.

Our first stop was Rome, the “eternal city,” with its famous St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican and some museums. Even roaming around Rome itself, if you can feel the Spirit, and, if you can see past the pickpockets, the anxious fellow tourists getting lost in the sea of humanity and the constant roaring of the scooters in narrow streets of cobbled stones, you can see God. Of course, for a pilgrim, not a tourist, God is written even in the graffiti of tenement walls. The frescos of Michelangelo was certainly beyond compare.

After Rome, we ogled the frescos (from ‘fresh’ paint), walked along the gardens of Tivoli.  The day was hot but when evening came, after a rowdy dinner, just before I dropped three coins in the fountain and made my wished, it rained---and the $3 Euro umbrella suddenly jumped at $5 Euros. The rest of the days were a staccato of fantastic places: Bay of Naples, Castellamare, Bay of Capri, Positano. In  the cruise along Lake Como, we were told to watch out for George Clooney and I swore it was my childhood crush, Sophia Loren (she must be a century old by now), whom I saw tending to her lakeside gardens. Of course, no one, including my wife would believe my imagination.

A visit to Assisi, where my favorite St. Francis and St. Claire, come from was a dream come true. I have always admired “brother Sun and sister Moon” but we did not have much time to explore Umbria where they played among the birds and the bees. Of course you know that the twin-patron saints of Italy were St. Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Siena; I reckoned Claire would be content being the saint of the poor and Francis the saint of the animals, including myself.

The ruins of Pompeii are a poignant symbol that the “city of man will always die but the city of God will never die” as another Italian saint, Augustine (thanks to his mother, Monica and the bishop of Milan, Ambrose for his conversion), would agree in his book, the “Civitas Dei.” Pompeii, a prosperous and cosmopolitan city in the 1^st century was the center of many pagan and bacchanalian feasts. Many of the filthy rich had their Roman holiday villas there, feasting on licentiousness and decadence. The city was completely destroyed and buried by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., ironically a day after Vulcanalia, the festival of the Roman god of fire. Walking among the city ruins (rediscovered in 1749), it was eerie to be told that Mt. Vesuvius is still an active volcano.
Touring by bus can be ennui unless you learn to travel as a family. Our Tour Director, Dominic Harris, was a funny guy. His background as son of an Anglican vicar (he also married the daughter of a Scotland vicar), made him and me kindred spirits. At the bus, I prayed a “9-11 Prayer,” told some jokes and made adaptation of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” into “He Did it Pompei”  and “New York, New York” into “Venice, Venice.” I was wondering if stand up comedy or a murderer of ballads would be my lot if I retire from the ministry.
Yes, Venice was a romantic city and still is. It is interesting to note that all the gondolas are now legally restricted to black color. It became a fashion statement and social status in the past, when the rich would have their gondolas in loud colors and bedecked them with gold and even diamond ornaments to set their gondolas different from those of the plebian’s. Venetian government wants them to be blind to socio-economic boasting, without poking their eyes. The visit to San Marco Church (in honor of St. Mark’s the evangelist) was intriguing. Venice is a city built atop a million logs dropped in the lagoon of the Adriatic Sea and it is amazing that it still stands today. “If I can float up here, I can float anywhere; it’s up to you, Venice, Venice,” I would sing. Marco Polo’s adventures speak of his Venetian lifestyle.
Verona was my idyllic place because it is the scene of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the mother of all romantic tragedies. I can still hear Lawrence Olivier intoning the prologue “Two households both alike in dignity…” It has a huge arena not only for Shakespeare’s plays but hey, maybe Lady Gaga’s concerts as well. In Pisa, the Tower is still leaning and I wonder when it will finally fall.
We made an incursion into Lugano, border of Italy and Switzerland, for a peek of Gucci and other temptations. Of course, most of the touristic ladies bought their leather, later, in Florence. Firenze is the capital city of Tuscany and my interest was more on its art and architecture. As a priest, I used my privilege to enter the Florence Cathedral for free, and access to some of the holy places where the lay were not allowed. Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance and been called the Athens of the Middle Ages.  The cathedral is undergoing reconstruction but I could still see the iconic statue of David and haunting fresco of Adam and Eve being driven out of paradise, another Michelangelo creation. The statues of Dante Alighieri, Machiavelli, Savonarola and Leonardo Da Vinci speak of the greatness of the Florentines.
The supreme highlight of the trip for me, was, ironically, the descent to the Roman catacombs. I will have a separate reflection about it but suffice it to say that the catacombs were an important signpost to Christian martyrdom (Latin martyrium for “witness”) and the power of God to convert the hearts. Ireneus and Achilleus, two praetorian guards in-charge of cutting off the heads of Christians, became converted and had their own heads cut off as well. An underground basilica was commissioned by Pope Gregory in honor of their martyrdom in the site where those they executed were buried. Talk about poetic justice.
I departed Italy not only with fond memories but a personal desire to study more of its past and its relevance to our contemporary world. Arrivederci Roma. Ad majorem Dei Gloriam.
Fred+

TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER ON FATHERS' DAY

“My children, I wish above all else that you may prosper and be of good health, even as your soul prospers.” (3^rd John 2)

My father was a story-teller, that’s probably the gift that I inherited from him. In the days when there were no televisions, in rural Philippines of the ‘60’s, a story-teller is synonymous to being a talk show host. At nighttime, children from the neighborhood would come to our home and my father would regale them with stories about his exploits during the Second World War, how he eluded the pursuing Japanese soldiers and how he camouflaged by hugging a banana tree, covering himself with its dried leaves. At other times, he would tell us about legends and folk tales: the story of the turtle and the monkey, the fable of the sky and the earth, the legend of a mysterious bird, Adarna. I always know when he would end the session. He would tell an open-ended story: “There was a flock of geese swimming in the river. It was a wide river so let us now turn off the lamp and go to sleep and let’s continue tomorrow when they have already crossed the river.”

My father was a man of principles and a fiercely idealistic person, something which my mother, a pragmatist, did not fully share. She thought that we could not survive on his principles. After the Second World War, he was supposed to pursue his military career by going to Korea to participate in the Korean War. He refused to do so and was penalized by having his pension withheld. He resigned from the service. At “peace time”, he was advised to kowtow with some politicians so he could have his pension but he refused. Instead, he turned to become a tailor, working day and night, drinking away his frustrations with coconut wine (tuba), till he developed tuberculosis.

We were six children in the family and although we were poor, we excelled in elementary school. Every graduation day, my mother would come up the stage several times to pin ribbons for her honored children. When I finished Grade Six, I was supposed to be the salutatorian (second honor) but was demoted to third honor because my father refused to give a contribution of a chicken. It was a tradition that the honor students would each give a chicken for the reception dinner for the visiting school superintendent. Although he would have freely given such a chicken as a gift, he was questioning the morality that it be tied to being in the honor roll. It’s tantamount to a bribe, he said. My mother, behind my father’s back, surreptitiously gave a chicken to the school principal but it was too late.

One night, my father and mother had a quarrel. It was about our future. My mother was blaming him for our poverty. Had he not stood on his principles, we would have enjoyed receiving a military pension. He would have had money to send us to high school. We would not have to miss a meal. We would not have to squat on someone’s land. The argument became so heated that my father decided to leave. He packed up a luggage and headed to the bus station. I followed him, crying and begging for him to stay. It was providential that the bus was delayed. Till midnight, we were looking at each other. My tears dried up and the bus did not come. He finally relented. He took my hand, I carried the luggage and we both went back home. His was the first marriage I saved.

Later it was my turn to run away from home, not to spite my family, but to seek my future. When I read the parable of the prodigal son in the bible, I did not resonate with it personally. I was the runaway but my father did not have material inheritance for me to squander. I suffered being homeless and alone in the big city of Manila but I was fortunate to finally land a job, obtain higher education and improve myself. When I returned home, years later, it was not to regain a gold ring or to enjoy a feast of fatted calf. It was to buy that piece of land for our house, to help my siblings go to school and to pay for the treatment of my father’s tuberculosis. In one of his wartime stories, he talked about his favorite meal in the barracks, “pork luncheon meat.” I brought a whole box of canned pork luncheon meat. They lasted a few months, to his heart’s delight. And he lived a few more years.

I was a missionary clergy in Singapore when I learned that my father was gravely-ill. I hurried to return home once again but my plane was delayed. I finally arrived but he was gone to be with the Lord. His last words were one of thanksgiving. My youngest brother said he died with a smile for he knew I was coming and we are much better than we were before. I remain a priest in gratitude to God, our heavenly Father, who makes all things possible. Happy Father’s Day.

THE LIGHT OF CHRIST ENLIGHTENS EVERYONE

(One of the homilies of the Rev. Dr. Fred Vergara, Priest-in-charge of St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, 2197 Jackson Avenue, Seaford, NY 11783. Come and join our Sunday Eucharist at 10:00 A.M. and experience a spirit-filled worship, inspirational message and hospitable fellowship of this beautiful church in the Diocese of Long Island. Visit our website:www.stmichaelseaford.org)

One of the chants we would most likely hear in church next week, particularly on Easter Vigil is “The Light of Christ” for which we respond, “Thanks be to God!”

Part of my childhood is growing up in the care of my maternal grandparents. We were six children in the family and my parents could not care for all of us, so most of the time my grandparents would pick out some of us, to be under their care. Considering that they had other grandchildren from my mother’s siblings, you can imagine how blessed I was to gain the title of a favorite grandson.

My grandfather was so dearly attached to me. He would often carry me on his shoulders and we would go to church with my grandma. Then we would head up to the river to go fishing. Like a heavenly Father in the Bible stories I learned in church, he would guide me along the paths I’ve never known before and would show me the breathtaking sceneries I’ve never seen before. I learned to know a lot about life from the life of my grandfather.

One day, by old age and glaucoma, my grandfather became blind and I realized that our roles had changed. Instead of him leading me by the hand to explore the world, it would be my turn to take him by the hand and to bring him to places he wanted to go. This time, however, he could not see where he was going so I had to describe it to him. I realized how important it is to be able to see.

In the gospel of John (8:12-20), Jesus said, “I am the light for the world. Follow me and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.” Jesus equates light and life. In the beginning of the world, there was only darkness. Then God said, “let there be light---and there was light”---and life begins!

Where there is light, there is life; where there is light, there is hope; where there is light, there is joy; where there is light, there is peace.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, recently issued her pastoral letter for Easter and she wrote, “Easter recollects us and reorients us toward God’s eternal light of truth and peace and love.  The resurrection is the ultimate proclamation that nothing can separate us from that light, not despair or destruction or death.  We see hints of that resurrection all around us once our eyes have learned to look, and we continue to hope for its fullness, for the blessing of a light so encompassing that there can be no darkness or separation.”

After about two years of being blind, my grandfather died. I was already seven years old. On his dying day, all of our family gathered together. By the light of seven candles, surrounded by prayers, each one of his thirty total grandchildren lined up to receive his blessing and forgiveness and to bid goodbye. I sat by his bedside. I saw no tears from his eyes. He groped for my face and finally closed his eyes forever. I felt the pain of separation, knowing that I would not see my grandpa again. My parents, my church, and my faith would later assure me that in Christ, there is no ultimate separation. The light of Christ never fades.

I learned that the darkness in our lives, the struggles, the trials, the challenges that come our way, even suffering, need to be embraced because they increase our yearning for God. Jesus did not escape from the reality of pain and suffering. Instead, he embraced it, yearning for the salvation of the world and the atonement of the Father. San Juan dela Cruz, the Spanish poet and mystic, wrote about the “darkness of the soul.” It is not physical darkness, it is a spiritual darkness. Modern science calls it “depression,” a kind of darkness that envelopes the soul. But in that darkness, we long for the light. Lent and the holy week observance is a longing for that Easter light.

The Presiding Bishop concludes her message. “Lent…is a willingness to experience the darkness of our current separation and tune our yearning for the light of Christ. Carry that yearning into Eastertide, and beyond, that we and the world around us may know the blessing of the light of Christ.” My grandfather had yearned for this light beyond his grave. I too will carry that yearning for that light, the eternal light, the light that never fades.

At Holy Week, we observe the passion, suffering, crucifixion and death or Jesus Christ. I've always wondered by we called the Friday he died as "Good Friday." I know now...because Sunday is coming! The suffering of Christ on Friday was nothing compared to the resurrection glory of Easter Sunday. Today, it's time I experience a Friday gloom, I say to my soul, "why are you cast down? Lift up! It is Good Friday and Easter Sunday is coming!" May the light of Christ be upon you..