Decembers are never the same, so are we
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. -- December 16, 202
The four seasons--spring, summer, autumn, winter--go with the spinning of the Earth's axis. The same is true when you have only one or two seasons.
But life is not stationary. The Earth progresses forward to orbit around the sun. Our Solar System also moves on its axis and orbits around our Milky Way galaxy.
Thus, winters are never the same. Decembers are never the same. Christmas is never the same. Every moment is always a new experience, a new opportunity, and a new life.
But we do not remain the same since our surroundings also condition us. The movements of our planets, stars, and constellations affect our lives.
Other people’s lives also affect us. But people, our friends, and our enemies also change. They are never the same as the calendar turns its full 12-month cycle. Birthdays are never the same. Even the expression of love becomes different.
And this is how we change and are transformed. This is how we become new and fresh every moment of our life. Life stinks and smells rancid when we opt to close ourselves to the outside world.
Stunning and exciting! Merry Christmas to all, whatever this season means to you.
Winter Solstice: My Day
December 22, 2022
During the winter solstice, estimated to happen every December 22, the sun prefers to shine on the Tropic of Capricorn illuminating the South Pole 24 hours a day, indicating no sunrise and no sunset.
Incidentally, this is my day. I am transferring to the South Pole because I need all the sunshine I can have in order to channel the life-giving rays of the sun to my friend who is now in the hospital.
“Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
“Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
“What words of wisdom can I give them
How can I help to ease their way?
Now they must learn from one another
Day by day”
I don't celebrate New Year the Chinese way.
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. – December 31, 2021
Not because I don't believe in it but the Chinese New Year still begins on February 12. By then, the rat will give way to the ox, hopefully.
In the meantime, the rat is still the King of the Hole, just as Trump remains President of the USA until January 20. We are in a stage of transition. The rat is not too willing to abandon its throne by invoking the principle of democracy and have been very busy preparing and filing empirical evidences for the judiciary.
He wants the due process of the law to grind fairly. No holds barred. What he wants to grind are various charges of voter fraud and corruption that involved millions of voters. Whether true or not, to deny hearing to this election law litigation would be undemocratic. He should be heard in the courts of law.
Thanks, it's not ours to judge. For we are all partisan already .... but maybe the judiciary too. What a world we are living in, so dastardly divided.
Meanwhile, the oxen are already very busy preparing their inaugural speeches, forming their own Cabinet secretaries for the 15 Departments, and performing projects as President or leaders elect, even as they are feverishly lambasting the rat to retreat and to "cut and cut clean" by immediately abandoning its throne and flee out of the presidential hole.
Very funny, they're all racing to take control of that dark, dumpy, and stinking hole. Whatever they do, they become stinky once inside and they carry with them that overwhelming stench whenever they get out and face the people during their State of the Union Address.
Even among themselves politicians, they stink especially during sessions, the reason why they bring alcohol, wear masks, put on their face shields, and observe social distancing. Some find their collective stench so revolting that they prefer to sleep soundly during sessions.
Let's not make that great mistake of entering into their stinking den. As the Lord said: “Foxes have dens. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
It's better to remain in our private holes for another strain of infectious viruses (biological, psychosocial, political, racial, ideological, religious, nuclear), more deadly than last year's, are awaiting for us this new year.
Having a new turmoil doesn't scare me anymore. Having a new strain of deadly viruses doesn't scare me anymore. It has happened so many times before. The world-to-come this new year is not so welcoming, maybe because of what we have done to her in the past.
It's supposed to be fertile and abundant but now it's getting dry and barren. It used to be peaceful and caring but now it's violent, furious, and ruthless.
It used to be calm and tranquil but now it's rumbling, spewing lava fire here and there, interspersed with equally grave disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, landslides.
We used to be strong and healthy but now we're getting weaker and sicklier by the day. People are getting paranoid, psychotic, and insane.
But we are still alive. Let's brave ourselves. We know the protocols whatever this new year may bring us. But, with the prophets, I cannot but also express my lamentation:
"Oh, Lord, who will deliver us from captivity and from this stinking world? Will a change of guards do us any better?
"Why are you tolerating all these messes and endless bickerings that do nothing but harm to us? Wilt thou not send us another Mary Magdalene to wash our stinking world and douse us with your perfumes?"
"In behalf of the aggrieved humanity, oh Lord, let me sing their deep laments to you: Let the words in our mouth and the meditations in our heart be acceptable in thy sight here tonight."
To those who are celebrating their New Year based on the Julian or Gregorian calendar, Happy New Year! May all your dreams come true this new year, in spite of the upcoming uproar.
For non-Catholics, we invite you to join our Christian kindred in celebrating New Year with a series of colorful Big Bangs at around 12 midnight today, to drive the dark forces away, including the demons that possess our leaders and their party members.
Winter Solstice: My Day
December 22, 2022
During the winter solstice, estimated to happen every December 22, the sun prefers to shine on the Tropic of Capricorn illuminating the South Pole 24 hours a day, indicating no sunrise and no sunset.
Incidentally, this is my day. I am transferring to the South Pole because I need all the sunshine I can have in order to channel the life-giving rays of the sun to my friend who is now in the hospital.
“Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
“Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
“What words of wisdom can I give them
How can I help to ease their way?
Now they must learn from one another
Day by day”
Celebrating Three Kings. But There Was a Fourth King.
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. – January 7, 2023
It's well known. In the Gregorian calendar, we celebrate three kings, most commonly known as Balthazar from Arabia, Melchior from Persia, and Gaspar from India.
But unknown to many, there was a fourth wise man, written by Henry van Dyke, as an addition and expansion of the account of the Biblical Magi. He was a priest from Persia named Artaban who spends his life looking for the child Jesus.
This young Magus brought with him three precious jewels intended for the baby Messiah. But by some twist of misfortune or luck, he missed the caravan of the three wise men.
So he set out on his journey alone, spending enormous amount of money for his provision--buying two donkeys, giving all his water to a heart-attack victim, spending his time taking care of the lepers, the blind, the sick, saving a child's life from Herod's savage soldiers, buying a young lady's freedom.
The journey that could have taken only a few days, extended to months, years, and even his entire lifetime. In the process, Artaban spent much of his remaining wealth and all of his energy helping the poor and unfortunate he met along the way, that towards the end of his life he finally found Jesus at His trial.
But, he had no more gifts to give when Jesus finally appeared to him. Yet, Jesus' response to him was deeply touching and moving.
You may have to watch the entire story in the Youtube to feel how things that we casually read in the holy scriptures can have their jolting and life-changing impact on us as we wade through the little events in our day-to-day life.
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Reflections ...
The story of the 4th wise man reminds me of the noble idea that each one of us has our own path to tread. Guided by reason, the events that unfold in our journey, practicality, and always conscious of what we are thinking, feeling, and doing, we take this path, or if there's no path, we construct our own path.
We may be alone, we may always be slow or even late. But we are not competing with others. We may feel sad and angry when things are not the way we expect them to be. But the Lord of the Cosmos, the Guardian of the Galaxy, has its own way and time.
As the Lord spoke to the prophet Isaiah (60:22): "When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen."
From the cosmic perspective, there's never too late. Try listening to this video.
Happy New Year!
December 31, 2022
Closing the year 2022 with no funfair. The year was filled with blissful and stressful moments, a roller-coaster ride, in fact, for all of us. But the joys and trials we have encountered have all the more strengthened our family bond.
It was a year full of lessons learned and awakenings to so many things, especially when it came to understanding what it means to live in this world of suffering, unpredictability, and uncertainty.
With no New Year's resolutions for 2023, no promises will be broken. We will just let the portents of good and bad come and fill the New Year's calendar. A new story will unfold itself.
We will courageously trailblaze and tap new frontiers, including new opportunities, again to the full. But we will continue to choose the kind of life story we will lead. There's more meaning and fulfillment in applying the dictum: "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."
But there's no harm in making a wish upon a star: May the elusive peace on Earth and love for all living creatures prevail in the year to come.
Happy New Year! Let the fireworks begin.
Holy Innocents Day and We Still Continue to Kill the Innocents
December 27, 2022
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ~ Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16.
Today, we look back in time to recall to mind the 144,000 children slaughtered by King Herod in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus. We are recalling to mind those dastardly acts of the plotters who were scheming for the downfall of a little child who was feared to eventually become the King of the Jews.
Today, this is still happening. Society and our leaders do nothing about abortion, inefficient and unjust child health-care systems, pre-arranged marriages, child abuse, violations of sexual and reproductive rights, respecting people's life choices, child kidnapping, homeless children, street-children, human trafficking, and selling of new-born infants. By our silence, we are also guilty of this.
On our part, however, we are commemorating Holy Innocents Day to renew and declare our vows to be more vigorous in defending and protecting the millions of innocent children who are still victimized by Herod's iron hands.
How can we do this?
We can start by including the welfare of our children as part of our daily consciousness, treating them as Jesus himself admonished us. Let's start with our families by listening to our children who come to us with their longings and dreams in life, treating them as equals in dignity and with respect.
Our children are the embodiment of who we are. They are what they are because of us. They mirror our mindset and lifestyle. They are the personification of our dreams, visions, and aspirations. It is to them that we channel our legacy to the future.
Whether they will ultimately end up being good and life-transforming leaders in society depends on what we are transmitting and doing to them right now.
The Star of Bethlehem
December 20, 2022
Over the millennia, the stars have always played a significant role in our life. Our body is composed of materials that were once incubated in the wombs of the stars.
Today, we're still physically nourished and kept alive because of the stars. Our sun continues to protect us from harmful cosmic rays and solar radiations that could have disastrous effects on our health and the lives of every living creature.
This is moreso spiritually. The stars have always been our guide in times of troubles and sorrows. Until now the stars continue to guide and lead people to the place where, in just about six days, we will celebrate the birth of the King of the Universe.
And it is these same stars that enable us to withstand the rigors and vicissitudes we faced in the past, as they are doing today, and will do so tomorrow. We are able to maneuver our way ahead and move on because of our stars. And it is these same stars that are now leading each and every one of us to the eternal heavenly abode where the Father of Jesus, our Father and Lord God Almighty, resides.
When we feel down and out, tired and weary, bored and lonely, let's try scanning the stars above us at night and enjoy their company. One of those stars could just be your Star of Bethlehem.
A New Year of Family Bonding
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. – December 31, 2021
Closing the year 2021 with no funfair. The year was filled with blissful experiences family-wise, with some lingering and stressful health risks. A roller-coaster ride for all of us. But these trials have all the more strengthened our family bond also.
It was a year full of lessons learned and awakenings to so many things, especially when it came to interpersonal relationship with people, here and abroad, who came into our life.
With no New Year's resolutions for 2022 on my part, no promises are broken. Just let the portent of good and bad come and fill the new year's calendar, but always trailblazing new frontiers, as we all were, having survived the past two years of global pandemic. There's more meaning and fulfillment in applying the dictum: "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."
For the lighter side of our family life....
Our family of dwarves and fairies are now hiding inside their box and hut, without any heater. But they know they're always welcome inside our home, which is what they're doing. Our pet Mocha keeps them company at midnight, barks and meows like a cat every now and then and plays hide and seek with them in an eerily, quite, and chilly night. Grrrrrrhhhhhh. Keeps me awake. But I'm also enjoying their company.
Closing the year 2021 with no funfair. The year was filled with blissful experiences family-wise, with some lingering and stressful health risks. A roller-coaster ride for all of us. But these trials have all the more strengthened our family bond also.
It was a year full of lessons learned and awakenings to so many things, especially when it came to interpersonal relationship with people, here and abroad, who came into our life.
With no New Year's resolutions for 2022 on my part, no promises are broken. Just let the portent of good and bad come and fill the new year's calendar, but always trailblazing new frontiers, as we all were, having survived the past two years of global pandemic. There's more meaning and fulfillment in applying the dictum: "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."
For the lighter side of our family life....
Our family of dwarves and fairies are now hiding inside their box and hut, without any heater. But they know they're always welcome inside our home, which is what they're doing. Our pet Mocha keeps them company at midnight, barks and meows like a cat every now and then and plays hide and seek with them in an eerily, quite, and chilly night. Grrrrrrhhhhhh. Keeps me awake. But I'm also enjoying their company.
Immortality and Christmas Go Together.
December 30, 2021
But we have to die first to have a taste of the afterlife.
A few years ago, pre-pandemic times, I was rushed to the ER due to some health condition. On my second day, I witnessed this patient, who must have been in his early twenties, being admitted early dawn to the bed close to me, literally at arm’s length, separated only by a movable curtain.
He was quite a jolly and entertaining guy who made the once sleepy ER staff alive and animated. Yet, in just less than 15 minutes after he was brought in, the patient cried out with a loud moan and released the last three of his breath. An emergency call over the public-address system instantly summoned all doctors- and nurses-in-duty to report to the ER immediately.
Suddenly, it was eerily, deathly quiet. Stunned by the sudden turn of events, I was so shocked to realize how precarious life is. I could be next. I imagined that sharp Damocles sword hanging over me ready to drop anytime with all its fury. That was one of the so many close encounters I had with a dying and dead person that started even before I reached the age of 10.
A few years after that ER incident, or in the early months of the year 2020, I had my own direct experience of death or near-death- experience, as they say.
Recalling all these incidents, I was forced to pause and reflect in solitude and silence. Even at my tender age, thoughts came rushing to my mind: Is this what life is all about? Just to drop down dead suddenly anytime of the day or night, anywhere I am, and whoever I am with? Is this it? Or, are we just passing by here temporarily or pilgrims, imprisoned in our frail bodies? But what for?
As I grew and matured, I came to realize that we are indeed born here, yet we are not meant to be here. If this is so, I asked about the meaning of life. What course will I take in college to give meaning to my existence?
Then, I remembered the words in the New Testament bible: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans, 12:2).
We are not created just to live and die. We are uniquely designed to be with our Lord God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I know that the shadow of death is ever at my back, ready to snatch me anytime, anywhere. My death experiences were intensely painful and agonizing.
I just hope that when that time comes again, I can be more welcoming, calm, happy, and fully conscious in accompanying the Grim Reaper through the tunnel of darkness to the realm where everlasting Light begins and never to come back again in this planet full of suffering.
It's really hard to hear and ignore so many depressing stories in the month of December alone, especially if they concern our loved ones. As the year 2021 recedes, memories may still haunt us ahead.
But they are an essential part of our growth and transformation. For even our saddest and gloomiest experience is recompensed by the blessings and graces we will receive this new year, as we have been receiving in the past. It's in fact almost improbable to count our blessings that flooded our life.
We have survived last year and we will survive this new year because we have always been and will continue to be helping and supporting each other, both in times of need and abundance.
Still a Bloody Christmas
December 25, 2021
It's a fact. We're still living in a dog-eat-dog world. Because of fierce competition, people are willing to harm others in order to survive and succeed.
We live in a ruthlessly competitive world, without moral restraint, without ethics. Conquer or be conquered; colonize or be colonized; kill or be killed. An endless tug-of-war between good and evil, sin and salvation, moral and immoral remains to this day. But should this be so?
Christmas, during King Herod's time, was bloody, vicious, and violent. I'm afraid it's more so today during the past two years of global pandemic, when the coronavirus is still spewing out with its seemingly endless variants.
Yet, in the midst of all this, we still find an increasing number of people who are able to spread love, peace, and joy to others. We even see a growing number of population who are drawn and converted to Christianity regardless of education, specialization, gender, age, religious belief, or political affiliation. And this is happening not only during Christmas season.
Let's join this band of enlightened individuals and let's make ourselves known collectively in both mainstream and social media.
Romancing the Star of Bethlehem
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. – January 7, 2021
The Star of Bethlehem appears in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew. It is considered an astronomical object that guided the wise men or Magi from the East to travel to Jerusalem.
It is a mythical phenomenon that still defies scientific explanation but given life by Christians through the centuries.
We were forewarned that we will see the “Star of Bethlehem” on Dec. 21, 2020, the day when bright planets Jupiter and Saturn aligned themselves perfectly.
Astronomers said the union between these two planets could explain the Star of Bethlehem. I surmise this is just another itinerate planet that happened to pass by our Solar System because of the frequency of its sightings through the ages.
Astronomers and astrologers surmise that the Star of Bethlehem can only be seen once in 10 lifetimes with our naked eyes and that we might be seeing a dead star already. But its glowing light is still with us. So, unwilling to miss it, I mustered all my remaining energies to take a glimpse, this time without my telescope.
But that night, from my vantage point of view, the atmosphere was too cloudy in the particular direction it would appear. It was very dark that even my long range telescope could not have penetrated it.
So, I simply imagined I saw it. Yes, I let my imagination took hold of me freely. Or, maybe I was just dreaming that night but fully awake. I imagined myself rising, travelling towards the direction of the twinkling little Star that, I knew, guided the Three Kings to Bethlehem.
It could be that the child Jesus summoned this particular Star. There are about 100 billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy alone and outside, there are trillions of other galaxies. The Star of Bethlehem could be an itinerant celestial object without a permanent address who wandered aimlessly in the skies.
Homeless, vagabond, and nowhere to lay down its head, the little Jesus found an instant connection with the Star. He must have summoned the Star to guide the three kings and all the nearby settlers to come to Bethlehem.
In response to the call, the itinerant star came nearer and brightened the skies with its dazzling display of light that, as a result, attracted a lot of star gazers nearby. They already knew about the prophecy of the coming Messiah.
The news travelled fast. For, after all, it was already publicized by King Herod that the child who was rumoured to become the King of the Jews was about to be born. But the people had to travel at night to escape the wrath of King Herod.
Anyway, I became so engrossed in my imagination that I saw this same star extending one of its five fingers to me, as if beckoning me to be with him. Instantly, I was with the Star of Bethlehem, sitting excitedly in one of its fingers.
But from that vantage point of view, I immediately saw the little child Jesus down lying in a manger, extending his hand to me, also beckoning me to be with him.
The infant Jesus must have magnetized a lot of people. I found myself instantaneously with the group of shepherds gathered together in reverence to the newly born babe being offered gifts by the three kings.
Yes, I was imagining things or perhaps dreaming. But that time, it was hard to separate fiction from facts. It seemed that what was once a wild imagination or a dream has become real.
In the excitement to see and almost cuddled the infant, I found myself again back to the Star, eagerly beckoning and directing others below from far-away lands to go and pay homage to the child. There were many who came. Yet, in spite of the Star's shining light, not all came for varied reasons.
In spite of their knowledge, some didn't believe at all about the Messianic child being born to a poor family in an almost unknown town. Others were not expecting that the coming of the Lord was during their time.
Mothers were angry not being able to visit the infant, for their children were in danger too. Fearing the brutal soldiers of King Herod, they fled and went into hiding. It was also at that instant that I saw Joseph and Mary packing their belongings, fleeing for the safety of the child.
My romance with the Star of Bethlehem ended abruptly and found myself listening to the tune of Silent Night beside me and a news of the current events around the world very similar to what was happening during the Nativity.
Yes, I realize I was only letting go of my imagination and dream that night. Perhaps, you might say that I was really dreaming and imagining things. But I tell you I was not alone imagining and dreaming to be romancing the Star of Bethlehem that night.
The entire Christian community across the universe were gathered together with their families also that night commemorating the festive occasion in varying forms of rituals and liturgical services.
If Albert Einstein would have been alive today, I'm certain he will continue acknowledging the important role of imagination in our life:
"Imagination is the language of the soul. Pay attention to your imagination and you will discover all your need to be fulfilled." ~ Albert Einstein
Joseph was in fact also having a vision in a dream from God that what the angel told him about Mary and the child Jesus was true.
Even if we were only imagining and dreaming when celebrating the nativity of our Lord, who would not want to remain in that state of blissful moment for eternity?
This New Year, how I wish people will continue to look at the heavens above to dance with the stars, hoping for some guidance and illumination in these trying times.
Our Guiding Star
October 8, 2021
To withstand the rigors and vicissitudes we face daily, we each have a guiding Star. Call this Star, the Light, God, or guardian angel, but it is the source of our energy and force that enables us to maneuver our way ahead and move on.
Over the millennia, the Stars have always been everybody's constant companions in life. It's because of the Stars that we have reached where and who we are today.
When you feel down, bored, and lonely, try looking at the stars at night and enjoy their company. One of those stars could be your Star of Bethlehem.