Kargador at Dawn

Kargador at Dawn
Work in the Vineyard

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

The Feast of the Holy Family (B)


Readings: Sirach 3: 2-7, 12-14; Colossians 3: 12-21; Luke 2: 22-40

Selected Passage:  “Simon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted, and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed’.”(Luke 2: 34-35)

 Meditation:  It will NOT be all bed of roses for this child born in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. NO! This child is the NEW face of God that is destined for the fall and rise of many. He is the face of God that is MERCY and COMPASSION and by his words and deeds all hearts, thoughts and actions would be measured. Cuidado! www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

 DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD

 1st step: Write the text or Dhikr (the Arabic word for REMEMBRANCE) in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step:  Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.

Bapa Jun Mercado, OMI


Friday, December 22, 2017

4th Sunday of Advent (B)

Short Reflection for the 4th Sunday of Advent (B)

Readings: 2 Samuel 7: 1-5. 8-12; Romans 16: 25-27; Luke 1: 26-38

Selected Gospel Passage: And the angel said to Mary in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God”. (Luke 1: 35)

Reflection: Jesus comes to us anew through the power of the Holy Spirit and like Mary, our mother, in events we least expect. What is important is our generosity and readiness to respond, like Mary, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word’. Mary is the model of discipleship – her readiness and willingness to do God’s bidding no matter the cost. to See www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD...

Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1.Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2.Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips.

3.Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

Monday, December 18, 2017

4th Sunday of Advent (B)

Short Reflection for the 4th Sunday of Advent (B)

Readings: 2 Samuel 7: 1-5. 8-12; Romans 16: 25-27; Luke 1: 26-38

Selected Gospel Passage: And the angel said to Mary in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God”. (Luke 1: 35)

Reflection: Jesus comes to us anew through the power of the Holy Spirit and like Mary, our mother, in events we least expect. What is important is our generosity and readiness to respond, like Mary, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word’.  Mary is the model of discipleship – her readiness and willingness to do God’s bidding no matter the cost. to See www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD...
Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1.Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ… 
2.Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 
3.Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…


Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Searching for the Bethlehem in the Soul

SEARCHING FOR BETHLEHEM IN THE SOUL



Almost everything about Christmas, from its deep real meaning to the piety and even (ironically) the commercialism we surround it with, invites us to be that third child.

But that’s not easy. To be an adult is precisely to be experienced, complex, wounded. To be an adult is to have lost one’s innocence. None of us, unless we die very young, carries the dignity of our person and of our baptism unstained through life.
We fall, we compromise, we sin, we get hurt, we hurt others, and mostly we grow ever more pathologically complex, with layer after layer of emotional and intellectual complexity separating us from the little child who once waited for Christmas in innocence and joyful anticipation. And that can be painful.

Sometimes, if we’re sensitive, the innocence of children can be like the stab of knife to the soul, making us feel as if we’ve fallen from ourselves. But, in the end, that’s an unhealthy over-idealization. We’re not meant to be children forever and innocence will always be lost.

Sometimes, more positively, we get to experience our old innocence and youthful wonder vicariously in the eyes of our own children, in their joyful anticipation and gleeful celebration of Christmas. Their belief in Santa and the wonder in their eyes as they look at the baby-Jesus in the crib help us find a certain softness inside again; not at the same place where we once felt things when we were children and still believed in Santa (because that would only bring the painful stab of nostalgia) but at a new place, a place beyond where we defined ourselves as grown-up (because that’s the place where wisdom is born).
That’s also the place where Jesus is born. That’s Bethlehem in the soul.

Saturday, December 09, 2017

Marakesh Declaration

Marrakesh Declaration
This position has historic roots dating to the time of Prophet Mohammed and the Medina Charter. Today’s Declaration was issued at a time of heightened social hostility fueled by violent extremism, widespread Islamophobia and the denial of rights, sometimes justified by misrepresentations of Islamic teachings.
The conference was organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Religious Eyndowments and Islamic Affairs and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies based in Abu Dhabi. His Eminence Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah, the President of the Forum for Promoting Peace and Co-Moderator of Religions for Peace (RfP), offered the keynote address that set the framework for deliberation among the Islamic leaders. Fifty senior leaders from the world’s diverse religious traditions other than Islam were invited as observers of the Islamic deliberations.

A summary of the Marrakesh Declaration includes:

— “The objectives of the Charter of Medina provide a suitable framework for national constitutions in countries with Muslim majorities, and are in harmony with the United Nations Charter and related documents, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

— “Affirm[s] that it is impermissible to employ religion for the purpose of detracting from the rights of religious minorities in Muslim countries.”

— “Call[s] upon representatives of the various religions, sects and denominations to confront all forms of religious bigotry, vilification and denigration of what people hold sacred, as well as all words that promote hatred and racism.”

The fifty religious leaders other than Muslims:
 — Expressed their gratitude to the Islamic leaders for their unflinching courage and devotion to their tradition and for welcoming non-Muslims among them as observers;

— Affirmed values shared with the Islamic leaders;

— Asked forgiveness for past and current injuries for which their communities are complicit;

— Shared particular concerns over violence in the name of religion, limitations of citizenship, restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, and xenophobia, especially Islamophobia;

— Committed to follow-up work in solidarity with Muslim brothers and sisters to build a culture of peace; and,

— Respectfully expressed the hope that this convening of Islamic leaders will be continued by future regional conferences.

Every attack, every hate crime, every insult, every humiliation is amplified in the media and sends out a polarizing wave, fueling the rise in hostility. Only religious communities cooperating —standing shoulder-to-shoulder in solidarity — can transform this vicious cycle into a virtuous one, in which the good deeds of each community call out to and reinforce the good deeds of the others.RfP is committed to supporting all religious communities in collaborative efforts to build a virtuous cycle for Peace.

Brian Grim Meets Shaykh bin Bayyah
 Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, met last night after the adoption of the Declaration, with Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah, together with other religious leaders. Grim briefed the Shaykh on the potential role of business in fostering interfaith understanding and peace.

Specifically, Grim told about the Foundation’s first global forum on business, interfaith understanding and peace on April 29, 2015, in São Paulo, Brazil’s financial capital. Among the sponsors was Latin America’s oldest mosque, Mesquita Brasil, where the Global Forum was held. The forum brought some 700 leaders together for a gala celebration where Muslims, Jews and Christians dined side-by-side to commemorate its status as a leader in religious freedoms. The theme was “Brazil a voice to the world.” The event is the first of a series to bolster the role of business in supporting religious freedom.

Sheikh Abdel Hammed Metwally, religious leader of Mesquita Brasil, highlighted the positive example of interfaith understanding and peace in Brazil. “This will be the first of many meetings”, he said, and “given the importance of the subject we want to share it with more people and show the world how Brazil stands out in leading position, by tolerating and peacefully accommodate the most diverse creeds. “

Nasser Fares, the lay president of Mesquita Brasil considered it an honor to welcome such an eclectic group in a celebration, highlighting Brazil as an example to other nations. Ricardo Cerqueira Leite, president of the Association for Religious Freedom and Business (ALRN) also noted that Brazil is ahead of many countries to express support and respect for peaceful religious diversity. “We are essentially a nation with natural vocation to deal with religious differences,” he said, “and to conduct ourselves in ways that highlight these values as an example to the world.”

During the meeting withShaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah, Grim also invited him to help seek out nominees for the Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards which will recognize business leaders – current or past CEOs – who have demonstrated leadership in championing interfaith understanding and peace.

The Awards will be presented on September 6, 2016, at the start of the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where award recipients will have the opportunity to present their commitment to interfaith understanding and peace while contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16. The Awards are co-sponsored by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF), its Brazilian affiliate, the Associação pela Liberdade Religiosa e Negócios (ALRN), and the United Nations Global Compact Business for Peace (B4P) platform.

Shaykh bin Bayyah will receive the Newseum’s first religious freedom award this April.



Monday, December 04, 2017

Two Philosophers in my Youth....

Two Philosophers of my Youth….

There are two great contemporary philosophers that have touched me deeply in my youth. These two philosophers have shaped and formed me…

The first is Albert Camus and   Camus’ major works that have touched me are the following: L’Etranger; the Plague; The Myth of Sisyphus; the Fall and the Rebel.

The 2nd is Jean Paul Sartre. I continue to enjoy and use, often, his Trilogy – The Age of Reason; Iron in the Soul; and Reprieve…  Yes, all of us experience the “iron in the soul”. And often, we simply ask for “reprieve” akin to a man with a death sentence while waiting for the execution… Only when we face this iron in the soul squarely… only when we are able to gather the pieces of our brokenness that we and are able to begin anew that we arrive at  the real “age of Reason”.

Camus and Sartre filled the early narratives of my youth in the early 70’s while I was searching for meaning and relevance beyond the traditional faith-narratives.

Later on as  I age… I began to realize what yet another author - Daniel H. Pink, in his book “A Whole New Mind,” who writes:

We are our stories. We compress years of experience, thought and emotion into a few compact narratives that we convey to others and tell to ourselves. That has always been true. But narrative has become more prevalent, and perhaps more urgent, in a time of abundance, when many of us are freer to seek a deeper understanding of ourselves and our purpose.”

Yes, we are our stories….!

Jun Mercado, OMI
December 5. 2017




Saturday, December 02, 2017

1st Sunday of Advent (B)


Short Reflection for the 1st Sunday of Advent (B)
Readings: Isaiah 63: 16-17. 19. 64: 2-7; 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9; Mark 13: 33-37
Selected Gospel Passage: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. And I say to you: WATCH!” (Mk. 13: 33 & 37)
Reflection: Take heed… Jesus comes in moments and at events we least expect. Vigilance is NOT doing anything or looking out at the sky but DOING our task and role well and conscientiously. Cuidate! www.badaliyya.blogspot.com
ADVENT is the beginning of a new Liturgical Year B. Advent a season of joyful expectation for the coming of the Lord celebrated at Christmas. Three characteristics should mark our Advent celebration:
1) “Make straight our crooked ways”;
2) “Allow ourselves to be taught by God”; and
3) Do Good to other and Do NO harm both to neighbors and environment.
DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD...
1st step: Write the text or Dhikr (the Arabic word for REMEMBRANCE) in your heart.
2nd step: Let the text remain always in on your lips and mind - RECITING the text silently as often as possible...
3rd step: Be attentive to the disclosure of the meaning/s of the text in your life.

Never Grow Weary

NEVER GROW WEARY


This sounds so simple and yet it cuts to the heart of many of our moral struggles. We give up too soon, give in too soon, and don’t carry our solitude to its highest level. We simply don’t carry tension long enough.

All of us experience tension in our lives: in our families, in our friendships, in our places of work, in our churches, in our communities, and within our conversations around other people, politics, and current events.

Being good-hearted people, we carry that tension with patience, respect, graciousness, and forbearance – for a while!  Then, at a certain point we feel ourselves stretched to the limit, grow weary of doing what is right, feel something snap inside of us, and hear some inner-voice say: Enough! I’ve put up with this too long! I won’t tolerate this anymore!
We let go of patience, respect, graciousness, and forbearance, either by venting and giving back in kind, or simply by fleeing the situation with an attitude of good riddance. Either way, we refuse to carry the tension any longer.

At that exact point, when we have to choose between giving up or holding on, carrying tension or letting it go, is a crucial moral site, one that determines character: Big-heartedness, nobility of character, deep maturity, and spiritual sanctity often manifest themselves around these questions: How much tension can we carry? How great is our patience and forbearance? How much can we put up with?

Of course this comes with a caveat: Carrying tension does not mean carrying abuse. Those of noble character and sanctity of soul challenge abuse rather than enable it through well-intentioned acquiescence. Sometimes, in the name of virtue and loyalty, we are encouraged to absorb abuse, but that is antithetical to what Jesus did. He loved, challenged, and absorbed tension in a way that took away the sins of the world. We know now, thanks to long bitter experience, that no matter how noble our intention, when we absorb abuse as opposed to challenging it, we don’t take away the sin, we enable it.

All of this will not be easy. It’s the way of long loneliness, with many temptations to let go and slip away. If you persevere and never grown weary of doing what is right, at your funeral, those who knew you will be blessed and grateful that you continued to believe in them even when for a time they had stopped believing in themselves.