復活節之後

聖周，因著頻繁的祈禱，似乎自身也變得HOLY不少，對人多了忍耐。但聖周 一結束，回到平常生活中.因著工作的壓力或 是各種人際關係，我們似乎重囘“本能”而生活，而忘記屬靈的生活和耶穌的教導。但是我相信聖周的祈禱和靈修是有幫助的，那就是内心的警醒。你要能意識到自己在做什麽，意識到自己的錯誤而有能力來修正。一個聖周不會讓你便成聖人，但變一個BETTER的人是可以的。重要的是對主的熱忱要能在祈禱和靈修中繼續。

       在聖周的《聖經》閲讀中《若望福音》加納婚宴中主耶穌的話“我的時辰還沒有到”讓我有很多感觸，神父說“有兩种的世人生活，一種按自己的計劃來生活，另一種則接受聖神的引導。對前种來説：什麽時間都是好，因爲他們沒有體驗到天主的召喚，全凴衝動，盲目行動。受聖神引導的人則等待天主指示時機，照天主的時機去做事，定會光榮天主。”我之所以特別在意這句話，是因爲我的確是個急性子的人，如果覺得好就馬上就去做，喜歡做事情馬上到位。從來沒考慮過時機的問題，合不合适的問題。當然最近發覺，自己的熱心的確是只開花，沒有果實，如數日前提到的那位瞎眼人士，前年想幫的一位中國女生，都無疾而終，再也沒有了消息，不是自己不幫，而是對方有自己的計劃。

       我到底在做什麽，我要做的都是天主要的嗎？或是我的方式錯了？或者我太過心急不懂帶領？或是天主的時辰未到，或是我的内修不夠，好事做砸？！其實這段時間我更多的看到自身的矛盾。的確，我們渴望成全，但肉身卻是軟弱的，只得再次緊靠耶穌。

        今天晚上下班后，自己慢慢步行去坐公車回家。我手裏拿了一盒麵包，那是差不多三天的點心我沒有吃留在那裏的。我們公司每天下午都有发點心，但我怕長胖就不吃，寳儸太忙有時也忘了吃就剩了很多在那裏。出了公司的拐角，看見對門停摩托的地方有2個孩子像我的‘學生’這些無傢的孩子就靠幫人停摩托收幾個比索過生活。我穿過馬路向他們走去，近了看到果真是他們。他們看到我很高興忙向我請安（菲的小孩見到長輩會把他們的手放到自己的額前碰一下，以表尊敬）見我拿點心給他們，忙招呼另外一個夥伴來。這樣3個小孩，我的麵包有9個，正好一人3個，他們接過也不嫌棄就吃的高高興興的。我見他們沒有水，就趕快買了3瓶給他們。分別時，孩子連聲說感謝，看來修女的禮貌課上得不錯。

社會就是這樣，我們活在富足中，吃的不愛的麵包卻是一些人的生存之糧。主啊，您要我做什麽呢？我有計劃也有想法來幫忙他們，卻不知道可不可行？寳儸會不會支持？兄弟們會不會繼續支持？而我自己到底有這樣的能力和召喚來做嗎？或者我動作又太快？或者您的時間還沒到。。。。。。

復活節

昨晚，教會已經開始了迎復活節，晚上的彌撒特別長，也特別隆重。我和寳儸還榮幸被叫去在彌撒中去奉獻象徵聖體聖血的餅酒。在這樣的大彌撒中捧著ＭＯＳＴ重要的聖體聖血，簡直有被主耶穌點名的感覺，真有說不出的感動。

　　　寳儸聖周期閒一直說他肩疼，特別在GOODFRIDAY這天，我說你:"不會是那麽嬌氣背了幾百米的十字架就肩疼吧？"他說，"不是，背十字架的肩膀不疼，不背的的倒疼，"別無他法，忍受喏。他說這是耶穌特別愛他的表現．但昨天的彌撒中，他說肩膀的疼痛好多了。倒是我聖周期閒無病無災的，平安到不好意思。
　　今天一大早，睜眼就想起聖女瑪德蓮，她天剛亮就去看耶穌的聖墓，如此，俺也熱心的去參加　第一台彌撒吧，就像和聖女一同去看耶穌。彌撒中神父的分享很讓我感動，他說，“瑪德蓮曾經被認爲無可救藥的罪人，但天主的救恩臨在她，從此以後她的生命再也不一樣了，愛得多得赦也多，她是主耶穌復活后第一個顯現的人。也許我們要感謝我們生命中的每一個錯誤，它讓我們遇到天主而被祂醫治。如果我們一生完美也許就和耶穌擦肩而過了。”

中午，我們全家人在一起慶祝復活節，我做了寳儸最愛吃的水餃。

 

這兩盤沙拉由寳儸榮譽製作，菜來自他的菜園，他把它們放的美美的，

活像他纔是畫畫的人一樣。

不過沙拉的味道不錯，非常的清脆可口。

孩子們做了很多复活蛋，下午三嫂把它們藏在花园裏， 

讓孩子們去找，這是復活節孩子們最愛玩的遊戲

下午，我們去海邊游泳，度過一個完美的復活節。明天又要上班了，

生活的考驗又要開始了。真希望明天還是星期天。。。。。。。

拜苦路

今天是GOODFRIDAY，我們要在街上拜苦路，我們堂區早6點開始，5點40左右，我們開車往堂區趕，但路已經被堵了，主教府那裏的教友早4點就開始拜苦路，他們人數衆多，看來一時半會還不能讓路。指揮交通的警察說，“往那裏走吧，”我們一路祈禱，希望不會在被堵，還好，6點順利到達。

我們開始出發了，前面是神父和12門徒，緊跟後面的
是門徒們的“家屬，

我傢寳儸在前面背十字架。

真正的十字架是在生活中。今天下午3點，在教堂有紀念耶穌苦難的彌撒，晚上6點開始，
全城有燭光遊行
菲律賓今天全境無商業活動，全國從昨天放假，供人們專心去教堂，紀念耶穌的聖死 與復活

蝴蝶和尤達斯

        今天是聖周四，街上的商店大都已經停業了，我們也不例外。
        早上我和寳儸在家東側的芒果園時，遇到一只小蝴蝶。它在樹蔭下飛舞，我們站在那裏欣賞它的美麗，黑色的羽翼，白色的條點 ,在飛動中還煥發出藍光，實在讓人喜愛。也許它感到了我對它的欽慕，就飛了過來停在了我米色的短褲上，我對它的親昵感動得不敢動，寳儸卻在那頭吃醋：“爲什麽只親近你，不要我呢？”話音剛落，小蝴蝶就飛了過去，也停在保儸的短褲上，讓他一團的高興。但過了一會兒，它又優美的在空中繞了一圈停到了我的身上，我仔細地打量著它，這個樹林裏的精靈，黑白的羽翼高雅得如同奧黛莉.赫本。我情不自禁地用手輕輕的摸摸它，它卻飛了起來，仿佛在說：德希，你不要對俺摸來摸去，俺的翅膀是很脆弱的，摸坏了你賠不起哦。”...... 它在我們身邊飛舞，盡情地展現它優美的舞姿和華麗的舞服，以及飛行所煥發出的藍色光斑。我說：主啊，好感謝您給我們這只小蝴蝶，讓我們感到您離我們這樣近。
        今天下午五點，教堂裏有彌撒‘主的晚餐’保儸今年又入選12門徒， 今晚除了享受神父洗腳之禮儀外，還要豐盛的‘主晚餐’等著他們。不過今年做門徒卻讓他分外的不好意思，因爲門徒的人選，除了他和另外一個爸爸級的人物喬外，其餘10個門徒都是高中畢業的TEENAGER，他爲此到處叫苦：“12門徒裏只有彼得和尤達斯年級最大，喬比我年長，他已經說了他是彼得了。那，只有尤達斯是我做了，真是不好意思啊，我今年入選尤達斯。”

當然，這都是開玩笑的話，聖周的意義就是放下日常生活中的一切勞心，專務祈禱，親近天主，檢視自己和天主的關係，這也是一個難得修（休）心的機會。
明天就是苦難主日，天主愛人，愛到付出一切，但不是每個人都願意領受這份愛......

疾病與奇跡

年輕時我最大的缺點是急噪，因為急噪，不知道出了多少的危險，多少的狀況，不知道讓天父替我收拾了多少回爛攤子。（說到這裏，再對天父一萬零一次的說：感謝，謝謝您那樣愛我）急噪會給自己施壓，壓力一大便會憂慮。憂慮一多，身體便開始“造反”而我最常被造反的便是胃病。胃病最初出現是因為情緒的問題，但到了現在就真成為病了。

除了胃病，我還有先天性的缺鐵貧血，呵呵，這兩樣病唯一的好處就是讓你一直瘦，不發胖。但是人到中年，這個毛病讓你時常感覺好疲倦，沒有精力。加上飲食冷熱稍微一點不對，就大吐特吐。我一直試圖看醫生，吃補鐵的藥，但補鐵的藥換了好幾種，就算加上維C一起吃下去，都還會有劇烈的拉肚子。吃胃藥，吃時好，不吃幾天就犯。去年我生日那會，又大病起來，生日那天也在病床上度過，我感覺我的健康真的到了一個極限。

但是，我這一生常在經歷奇跡，這個奇跡就是天主的恩寵。生日的第二天，寶羅在公司上班，他的一位朋友譚帶了一位女醫生來看他，譚說這位醫生是馬尼拉的名醫，他對她相當推崇，這兩天女醫生正好在D城度假，所以譚帶她來和寶羅認識。寶羅見到她就想到我，於是央求她可否犧牲一下休息時間看看德希？醫生欣然同意了，於是第二天寶羅就帶我去譚先生家見這位醫生。

這位醫生看病有個特點：喜歡用天然物質治療病人，不喜歡用抗生素。說實在抗生素類的藥物，有時實在是害大於利，它會殺死你體內的病菌，也會殺死你體內的有益細菌，讓你的抵抗力越來越弱。有時還讓你這裏好了但那裏出毛病，讓人不斷的受折騰。女醫生聽了我的情況後，給了我一種很簡單的口服藥（OM-X），這種藥是日本產的，說它是藥，其實它是一種好的細菌會幫忙你在體內和壞細菌作戰，對身體無任何負作用。

這種簡單的藥我已經吃了2個月了，（現在幾乎停了），從服用的那一天開始，我就基本沒有過了嘔吐和拉肚子。至於缺鐵的問題，這裏有個小插曲。有一陣子我的手特別的發癢，但外觀上看不到任何原因。寶羅說“你為什麼不利用INTER NET 查一下原因。”他的話提醒了我。我真的在網上查了一下，在海量的資料中發現“手心發癢是缺維他命B的症狀。”繼續查下去，發現缺維他命B和缺鐵要食用的食物幾乎一樣，例如木耳和蘑菇，動物肝臟等等，這個資料幫了我的大忙。現在我用服用維他命B 來代替含鐵的藥物，身體沒有任何的不適應。

這樣我那幾乎患了20年的胃病和從小缺鐵貧血的毛病就奇跡般的好了。我只感歎天主是如此神奇，我們找不到醫生，祂就帶合適的醫生來見我們。人生無法跨越的障礙，只要天主小小的在我們一推就跨過來了。

真的好感謝天主！

YAN，寫到這裏，我希望我的故事能帶給你一些啟發，能對你有一點點的用處。

明天要去異地出差，朋友們星期天見。主佑！

螢火蟲之舞(RIVER CRUISING ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON)

本文作者：寶羅

RIVER CRUISING ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON

a Reflection by:paul

Gerard planned this trip to the boondocks of Siaton. It was to bring our Australian visitors Ressy and Fe outing and to satisfy our clamor to be with the pristine outdoors. We left home  around 2:30 PM after a wonderful family celebration of Junior’s birthday at the newly opened Mandarin restaurant.

We first made a stop at the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, where a statue of the Blessed Mother was mounted on a hill with thick vegetation on the forefront, giving one the impression that the feet of Our Lady was floating on the tree tops.

Then with the two pickups one following the other, mounting a canoe on each, perched at the roof, we drove deeper into the interior.  After passing several fields of corn and sugarcane, we finally made a stop in the middle of a very narrow dirt passage.

Or Gerard may have chosen this part because it was at the end of the road. With the help of the three workers, we prepared the motors and all the gears. Gerard, Ressy, Fe and  Arry boarded their canoe while Inny, Theresa and I together with Gerard’s trusted Manfriday boarded ours. It was on a  part where bamboo grooves lined the banks covering most of the sun from us as we faced a lonely Acacia tree on the other bank. Thus begun our two-hour downstream cruise on the Kanaway River.

What was hard to miss was the uniformly spaced bamboo grooves on both banks, and the carabaos taking their afternoon cool dip. We would encounter a carabao or two, now and then, when the depth of the river was enough to engulf these hard working animals up to their necks. But it was almost certain that on the sections where no carabao was bathing itself...

...the water would be so shallow, we would have to stop the electric propeller. Then we would hear the screech of the canoe’s belly brazing against the stones. It was time to come down and push the boats. At one point we had to make adjustments on the propeller-motor assembly. Then the locking pin dropped. O-pao (the guide assigned to our canoe) and I frantically searched for the missing pin in the mud and stones of the river bed. We finally gave up.

But O-pao decided to get a piece of twig to replace the stainless pin. And then wonderfully the motor started to twirl the propeller again. I suddenly thought that if we could just replace all the stainless steels in the world with twigs and woods, would that not be wonderful?

But my thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a foot bridge suddenly appeared from nowhere. It was made of steel cable and floored with steel plate.

I shouted to ask a barrio lass who happened to cross it as we made our own passage underneath. She yelled back saying the footbridge has been there for some time – maybe five years. Yet strangely it seemed not to have reduced the naturalness of the whole
landscape. It blended well as if the bridge has had to be part of the whole panorama.

In a few minutes, we would see the big bridge. From a distance you could see two massive pillars supporting the concrete structure that runs through the province's southern highway. We then went underneath it, Gerard’s canoe first and ours trailing his. It was six o’clock.

 At first, I thought that the remaining trip would  be dull because we missed the sunset. 





It darkened faster than we had anticipated. We stopped and came out knee deep to mount the lamps of the  bow and then continued just as the egrets were coming home and the  stars started to appear. 

Theresa and I found ourselves singing Panis Angelicus 

as we watched the stars begin to dominate the black sky.

(Our thanks to the owner of this picture. We took this from someone's website. 

Our own camera failed to capture the fireflies that night, 

but it was more spectacular than this.) 

We rowed under this canopy of stars for sometime in what seemed eternity. But suddenly Gerard calmly shouted to look on the left. I thought for a moment that the angels

have brought small stars very close to us and then very quickly realized that it was a tree 

filled with one of God’s most wonderful creations showing off their white lights.

(this picture was taken from someone's website. Our own camera failed to capture the fireflies that night, 

but it was more spectacular than this.) 

 I have seen fireflies before but not as spectacular as these.Theresa wanted to let the boat stop as she jeered in awesome wonder expressing her disbelief  that she could see them so close. 

The display had finally come to greet her so unexpectedly.  She had been asking the 

past few weeks  when we could go to Valenciato see the famous tree with the millions of fireflies in it. And now she was right in front of them!

As we moved we saw another tree filled with hundreds of slow moving lights and then another tree and another …  One could not help but notice a firefly or two going astray pretending to come near us and  then flying back and going down perhaps to quench its thirst. We could not stare without expressing our admiration for these male creatures lighting up themselves up to attract the lady fireflies and their preys. The stars stopped blinking each time we sighted a tree full of these lighted bettles, as if to give their living counterparts a chance to burn their fires and to gleam their lights.  They too follow nature’s way of living life and giving to the fullest. We wondered why coming to this place last February, we never saw them. But we see them now not just as lights but nature’s Christmas tree lights.

 

And it suddenly dawned on me that it is Christmas again. Is today not the first day of Advent?  Is today not the beginning of a new liturgical year bringing with it new hopes and expanding the horizon of meaning to our existence?  Is it not so classic of God to choose such a simple and unassuming messenger to announce the coming of a Messiah? In his generosity and wisdom God designed one of nature’s most fascinating creatures perhaps to remind us sophisticated humans that beauty is discovered in simplicity. And simplicity can be learned from a creature so humble that it allows God’s light to pass through them in order to brighten this world.