Let's Drink

3rd Sunday of Lent A
Exodus 17:3-7
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
John 4:5-42 or 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

The Samaritan Woman and the Water of Life

Water
Water is absolutely essential to the survival of life on Earth. Every living organism on earth must have water in some form in order to survive. Every living cell is composed primarily of water.

When space probes are dispatched to other planets in search of other life forms, they look for the presence to water to determine if life, as we know it, is possible there. Water means life.

Have you ever noticed in public place how many people around you are carrying a bottle of water? One can live without food for several days, but not without water. We cannot go for more than a couple of hours without satisfying our thirst.

In the first reading today, the Jewish people were desperate for water. When they complained about their water crisis in the wilderness, God instructed Moses to strike the rock and a stream of fresh living water gushed out (Exodus17:6 ). Even though the Israelites did not trust God to care for them in the wilderness, God, nonetheless gave them abundant water and provision through the intercession of his servant Moses.

Gospel message
In the Gospel today, we heard an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan women at the well. Jesus wanted to offer this woman the living water. Jesus is not referring to water that can satisfy our physical thirst rather water that satisfies our spiritual thirst. He is offering “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” This symbolizes the Holy Spirit and his work of recreating us in God’s image and sustaining in us the new life which comes from God.

The long version of the Gospel gives us background of this woman. She was longing for happiness and satisfaction, which she couldn’t find. She has five husbands (plus she has a new lover) and they hadn’t brought her what she was really looking for. She is a figure of a human being longing for spiritual satisfaction but has no idea where to find it, until Jesus found her.

At the end of the long heart to heart conversation Jesus reveals himself to her as the Messiah, which in turn leads her to faith in him.

Human Thirst
Like the woman at the well in today's Gospel, we try every kind of water under the sun to satisfy our thirst. Later in life, we recognize that our “thirst” is far more than physical thirst — it's thirst for happiness, satisfaction, peace of mind. Sometimes we "get it right," but often we look for the wrong kind of water, and we look for it in the wrong places. We often spend all kinds of money and waste a lot of time, looking for something to quench our thirsts – drinks, food, work, looks, accomplishment, other persons, sexual pleasure, and so on.

Jesus - living water
Jesus offers us the spiritual water that really satisfies. He is offering us what He offered the Samaritan woman—water far superior to anything she had ever tasted or ever dreamed of.

Jesus never despised her sinful state or bad reputation; instead offered her “a living water” that will cleanse, refresh and renew her life.

Jesus understood her hidden longing even better than she did, and so he began to lead her to where he, the healer, could astound her by the truth that indeed he is the Messiah.
When she heard this, she dropped her bucket and joyfully ran back to her townspeople to spread the good news that she has found the Messiah!

Lenten Message
Lent is a time for us to let Jesus satisfy our thirst. Like the Samaritan woman, we find real joy and satisfaction in letting the Lord fill us with the grace of the season. Like her, we find that our joy is greatest when we were accepted despite of who we are.

Our relationship with the Lord is the water of our lives: essential for our well being and the source of our joy. Without the Lord we would wither away like dried leaves.

Only Jesus, always Jesus fulfils all our desires!

“Lord Jesus, my soul thirsts for you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may always find joy in your presence and take delight in doing your will. Bring me always the spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

turning...

naks!

Constant Change

Second Sunday of Lent A
February 16-17, 2008
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm: 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
2 Timothy 1:8b-10
Matthew 17:1-9

Change
An ancient Greek philosopher by the name of Heraclitus said our world is ruled by the law of change. Everything around us is changing that “no one can step the same river twice.” Because different waters flow in rivers, the water are always changing.

Nothing is permanent in this world. The only permanent in this world is change. Season change and temperature change. "Cold things warm up, the hot cools off, wet becomes dry, dry becomes wet."

We human life is also governed by the law of change. Our appearance change, our weight and waistline change, our mood or emotion swings from one to another. As year go pass we grow old in age, we gain wisdom, we learn new things, we mature and developed.

Lent
Change is the call of Lenten season. We are invited during this time of the year to change our old ways, change our bad habits to conversion.

We notice various changes in the life of the Church during the time of Lent: our liturgy is simple we don’t sing or recite the Gloria; we don’t sing or say the Alleluia to welcome the Gospel; there are no flowers in the church. In some churches they cover the statues and images during Lenten season.

During the time of Lent, we change a bit our normal lifestyle - we make sacrifices, we give up something pleasurable, we let go off things that stop us following Him, so that inner change may truly happen within us. Inner change is called a conversion heart. To be converted means allowing our hearts being touched by the words Jesus through the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Lent is a time when we bring our mind and heart closer to our Lord so that we can listen attentively to him attentively. Conversion of heart is the goal we want to achieve in Lent.

Transfiguration
In the Gospel reading, Peter, James and John, witnessed a sudden change in Jesus – He was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. They were dumbfounded at this dramatic vision, also with the appearance of the two great men from the Old Testament, Moses and Elijan appeared to them. As this happens they head a voice saying, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.

In an instant the three disciples, Peter, James and John, experience a glorious moment that would change and deepen their understanding about Jesus – the person whom they were following. Up until now they knew Jesus only in his external appearance: He was not a man different from others; they knew where he came from, his habits, the timber of his voice. Now they know another Jesus, the true Jesus, the one who cannot be seen with the eyes of ordinary life, in the normal light of the sun; what they now know of him is the fruit of a sudden revelation, of a change, of a gift.

Because things change for us too, as they changed for the three disciples on Tabor; something needs to happen in our lives similar to what happens when a young man and woman fall in love. In falling in love with someone, the beloved, who before was one of many, or perhaps unknown, suddenly becomes the only one, the sole person in the world who interests us.

The Transfiguration of Jesus calls us to transfigure our hearts which means making him the sole center of our life amidst the world around us that is constantly changing. What are those changes around us? Faith and religious practice are in decline, and they not seem to constitute, the point of reference in life. There is the boredom, the weariness, the struggle for believers in performing their duties. Many young people are not attracted to the faith. There is dullness and lack of joy among the believers in Christ. On the other hand, being faithful Christian makes you unpopular and considered old fashioned.

Challenge
We should not be discouraged about this change. When Jesus allowed his disciples to see him transfigured, his purpose was not to show off his glory and power rather he wanted to encourage and strengthen their faith. So when they see him suffer on the cross they would not lose hope. And when themselves experience persecution because of their faith they would not lose their love and trust in him.

The Transfiguration of our Lord transfigures the hearts of his disciples, loving him faithfully both in times of joy and sorrow.

The challenge for us during this today, especially at this time of Lent: are you ready to transfigure your heart?

Real change of heart happens when we are no longer so much preoccupied with selfish questions such as: How beautiful is my look? How much money do I have? How much power do I posses? How much pleasures are available for me?

Real changed of heart happens when we simply ask: How can I please God? How can I serve him in other people? Will my attitude make God happy?

Let us remember nothing is not permanent in this world, all things we see, taste and touch are all but temporary, including ourselves, we will all leave this world.

There is one thing that is more permanent than change. The unchangeable love of God to us is the only concrete and permanent in this world. We can enjoy the permanence and eternity God’s love, but first we need our hearts transfigured.

Evil Exists

First Sunday of Lent (YearA)

February 8-9, 2008 Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17
Romans 5:12-19
17-19Matthew 4:1-11

Temptation...Temptation is something that allures, excites, and seduces someone. Temptation has many form, it exists anywhere at any time (mostly in the kitchen table, even in the church and during Mass). Some people are tempted to leave just before the Mass finished. Temptation by its nature distracts our attention and focus in doing what is right and good and what is pleasing before the eyes of God.

Human as we are, anyone is prone to temptation we lose our attention in doing the will of God. Even the most holiest priest can be tempted.

There was once a young, pious priest waiting for a taxi at a street corner. Suddenly rain started to pour down and the poor priest was getting soaked to the bones. Luckily a car came a long and stopped to offer him a ride. As the priest got in, he found out that the one behind the driver was a young, very attractive lady.

For spiritual protection, the devout priest prayed to himself: “Lord, deliver me from evil.” As they drove on, a freak accident happened causing the car to slide and swerve out of the road falling into a ditch. The car overturned, knocking off the two unconscious.

A few moments later… The young priest regained consciousness, he saw his hand resting on the smooth, tender hand of the lady, of course by accident. Seeing the compromising situation, the pious priest looked up to heaven and prayed: “Lord, thy will be done!”

We do not know the end of the story. Did the priest give in to temptation or not?

Lent begins
The celebration of Ash Wednesday four days ago marked the beginning of Lent. The imposition of ash on our foreheads reminded us of our own mortality in order to help us focus on Christ’s self-sacrifice and more eagerly to celebrate his Resurrection.

Lenten season is a 40-day journey. It's a 40-day of discipline not lose our focus and attention to our Lord who is the destiny of our earthly journey. The purpose of 40 days is to ready us to celebrate Easter with ‘mind and heart renewed’. We begin the first Sunday of Lent with the reading of today’s Gospel – the Temptation of Jesus. Yes, Jesus himself was tempted. Jesus is like us in every way, he was tempted as we are, but always with this one exception: He did not sin. In contrast to Adam and Eve, from the first reading, Jesus remained faithful to God when he was tempted and never lose his focus to obey God, even though it would lead him to the Cross and the Tomb.

Sin
Sin is not a popular topic in our modern culture, but during this time of Lent we are called to face up to its reality in our lives and to the devastating effect it has had on the world around us. Sin always had an effect not in our personal life but also has social implications – it affects our family, children, community…

The logic is this: Temptation leads to sin, sin leads to death. Thus the best way to avoid sin is to prevent temptation as we always pray when we recited the Lord’s pray we say, “Lead us not to temptation but deliver us from evil.”

In our modern culture the greatest temptation we are facing is the attitude that denies existence of evil. The demon’s greatest trick is to make people believe that he does not exist. Evil tells us that sin is not a big deal, everyone does it anyway: it’s ok to swear; it’s ok to commit adultery; it’s ok to abort a fetus it’s not a baby; it’s ok to live together outside marriage it’s common now; it's ok to have sex before marriage; it's to sometimes disobey our parents; it's ok not to pray; it’s ok not to go to confession; it’s ok not to church on Sunday, God is everywhere anyway and I will go to church when I feel like going;

It’s ok to sin. Not a big deal.

But we know it’s not ok to sin. When we sin deep in our heart there is an little voice (conscience) that tells us "something is not right" and guilt confronts us. No matter how hard we justify ourselves we feel it's not ok.

We all know from our personal experience the bad effect of sin, again to our family, loved ones, children, community, even to our economy.

Jesus conquers Sin
Evil exists, it’s a fact. The devil roams around and within us. Yet the most important thing that the Christian faith has to tell us is not that evil exist, but that Christ has defeated evil. Christ is more powerful than the devil. With Christ we have nothing to fear. Nothing and no one can do us ill, unless we ourselves allow it. Satan, said an ancient Father of the Church, after Christ's coming, is like a dog chained up in the barnyard: He can bark and lunge as much as he wants, but if we don't go near him, he cannot harm us.

In the desert Jesus freed himself from Satan to free us! This is the joyous news with which we begin our Lenten journey toward Easter.

Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving
During these 40days of Lent we acknowledge our sinfulness before God. We trust his loving mercy and forgiveness to renew our lives and set us free from our past mistakes and wrong decision.

This week, Archbishop Denis Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne, wrote in his Pastoral Letter for 2008 some guidelines how we make this season of Lenten a meaningful journey. His letter is available for us to read.

He presents us what the Gospel calls us to do during this time of Lent – to pray, fast and almsgiving or works of love.

The archbishop invites us to be faithful in our prayer life most especially the celebration of Mass. We are invited to observe silence in our churches before and after Mass to provide each other with opportunities to reach out to the Lord in prayer. He encourages us also to walk with Jesus during this time of Lent by attending Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Way of the Cross and the Rosary.

Archbishop Hart briefly mentioned the importance of fasting as discipline which enables us to focus our attention to God and the needs of others, rather than our own needs.

Lastly he encourages us Catholics to continue our strong tradition of helping the poor as an expression of our love. He says, We who live in a land of plenty are given the opportunity to think of others who lack the abundance that we have. Each year we contribute financial help to alleviate the poor through Project Compassion.

The core of almsgiving is love and justice. We donate something to the poor not because we are rich and they are poor. We do not give because of pity but we give, we help, not merely because they poor but because they are our brothers and sisters, and we love them.

Conclusion
We pray as one family that together we make this Lenten season an opportunity to overcome temptation, an opportunity to say sorry for the many times gave in to temptation, an opportunity of renewal and growth and a real pilgrimage that we may reach the destiny of our journey, no other than our Resurrected Lord. Amen.

Happiness

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
February 2-3, 2008
Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13
Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
1 Corinthians1:26-31
Matthew 5:1-12a

What is happiness? What makes you happy? Happiness is a feeling of contentment and satisfaction. A simple definition of happiness can be described as a pleasurable feeling, joy and contentment. An outward sign of being happy is a big beautiful smile.

A student will say, “I am happy to go to school when homework was done.”
A mother will say, “I am happy to see my children eating well and healthy.”
A grandmother will say, “I always feel fulfilled and happy after hearing Mass on Sunday. I am incomplete not going to church.”
A lover will say to his beloved, “I am happy only if she is are happy.”

Happiness… Isn’t it happiness our goal in life? Anne Frank writes on her diary, "We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."

People look for happiness in family life, in ones career, etc. We sometimes believe that a change of circumstances will make us happy: restoration of our health, winning a tattslotto, an improved financial situation, a better job or perhaps a new romance.

It is natural for us to spend a lifetime search for happiness, hoping to fill the emptiness, incompleteness or sadness we have deep within. The problem is sometimes we do not know where to find real happiness.

Searching for happiness story
The story is told about a man who searched for gold all his life. His one preoccupation, devotion and obsession in life was to accumulate more and more gold believing this would make him happy. He was spending so much time of his life, sacrificing his health, his family, his friends, his values, his faith and even his very soul for precious, precious gold. When he died, St. Peter showed him the road to heaven. To his surprise the road to heaven was all paved with gold with the words: “That which you considered valuable and precious on earth is just asphalt here.

Gospel
There are two ways to achieve happiness: one is the way of the World, and the second way is the way of Jesus. The way of the World to achieve happiness is the accumulation of the 4 P’s namely, power, prestige, possessions and popularity. The way of the World promises us that these 4 P’s are keys to be happy. But in reality they are not based on tragic experience of many people we’ve know who had achieved power, prestige, possessions and popularity.

The second way to achieve happiness is the way of Jesus. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a rather different road to happiness. Contrary to the way of the World, Jesus gives us a prescription for real and genuine happiness in a number of short sayings which we call the Beatitudes.

The word beatitude comes from the Latin root word beati (beatitude, happiness) means blessed but a more literal translation of beatitude into contemporary English is “happy.” The Beatitudes imply that people not normally considered blessed (happy) on Earth are in fact blessed by God and will experience the Kingdom of Heaven, where there is eternal and real happiness.

Jesus' way of happiness, contrary to the way of the World, do not require accumulation of material things, however, demands a transformation from within — a conversion of heart and mind – the search for happiness is begins from within.

First Four Beatitudes:
The first set of four beatitudes: Happiness of the poor in spirit, the gentle, the mourners and the righteous.

Humility, being poor in spirit, is the fundamental condition of a relationship with God. Poverty in spirit is the first condition for real happiness. Being poor in spirit is not trusting in ourselves but trusting in God instead. We are poor in spirit when we surrender our plans to God asking for his help. Poverty in spirit makes us free to seek God alone not on material things or prestigious titles that we have.

If we are to be happy we are to be gentle, to be gentle means to self controlled and God controlled. To be gentle does not mean being soft or quiet, rather it also has the ability to be angry with the right people about the right things at the right time to the right degree.

Jesus says that we will be happy when we mourn for our sins and the sins of others.

We will be happy when we are hunger and thirst for what is right. A righteous person is someone who only desires the will of God and one who has a profound respect for others and wants to treat others with equal dignity. So when we see other people abused in one way or another, we hunger and thirst that their dignity will be respected.

The Second Set of Beatitudes
The second set of beatitudes: The happiness of the merciful, pure of heart, peace makers and the persecuted. All the second set of four beatitudes is best interpreted as the ability to give unconditional forgiveness and the generosity to ask pardon for our offences against others.
Jesus gave the example of the forgiving love of a merciful heart from the cross by praying for his executioners. As long as we hold something in our hearts against somebody we are not free, we are not happy.

Purity of heart makes one happy. The pure in heart are morally pure, in body, speech and in mind.

Balance
What way of happiness are we following: the way of the World, or the way of Jesus? Jesus is telling us today, that a happy person is the person for whom God is the most important thing in life – whether one is poor or rich, popular or not, powerful or weak. If our first thought in the morning and the last thought in the evening are of how to desire God, then we are happy.


"Lord, increase my hunger for you and show me the way that leads to everlasting happiness and peace. May I desire you above all else and find perfect joy in doing your will."

Sa Dapit Hapon

T’wing dakong dapit-hapon,
Minamasdam ko lagi
Ang paglubog ng araw,
hudyat ng takipsilim;

Ganyan ang aking buhay,
Kung may dilim ang buwan
Hihiwat sa baybayin pagsapit ng dilim

Kung magawa ko lamang
Ang hangin ay mapigil
At ang dilim ng hatinggabi,
Huwag sanang magmamaliw.
Upang ang palakaya ay laging masagana;
Sa tangan kong liwanag ang kawa’y lalapit.

Nang dakong dapit-hapon,
Piging ng Panginoon,
Sa mga kaibigan ay manghuling hapunan.
Sa bagong salu-salo,
nagdiriwang ang bayan,
Ang tanging Kanyang hain
Ay sarili niyang buhay.

FR. EDUARDO P. HONTIVEROS, SJ
(20 Dec 1923 – 15 Jan 2008)

Sa Aking Pagtanda

Sa aking pagpunta sa simbahan ng San Agustin sa Baliwag, Bulacan, nuong isang taon, nagulat ako nang makita ko ang dalawang libro na ang una ay may pamagat na "Vitamin C" at ang isa naman ay "Multivitamins" na parehong isinulat ni Fr Ariel Robles. Hindi ako sa pamagat nagulat subalit sa pangalan ni Fr Ariel. Naging guro ko kasi si Fr Ariel nuong 1994, diyakono palang si padre nun, unang taon ko iyon sa seminaryo ng Inmaculada Conception sa Guiguinto, Bulacan. Bago ako magtapos sa Philosophy Department taon 1999 si Fr. Ariel ang aming college dean.

Tahimik lang si Fr. Ariel ngunit pag nagsalita ay makabuluhan at talagang makikinig ka. Simple ngunit malalim ang kanyang homilya. Nakakatuwang isipin na may nalathala na pala siyang libro ngayon. Pagkabili ko ay pinabasa ko muna ito sa ina ko. May isang parte daw dun na naiyak siya, itinuro niya sa akin iyon, at ito ay isang liham na mula sa magulang na marahil ay uugod-ugod na. 'Di ko lubos maisip na marami pala ang naantig sa sulat na ito kaya mabilis itong na nalathala ("kumalat") sa internet.

Sana ay magkitang muli kami ni Fr. Ariel upang siya ay pasalamatan at i-congratulate.

Sa Aking Pagtanda
Rev. Fr. Ariel F. Robles

Sa aking pagtanda, unawain mo sana ako at pagpasensyahan.

Kapag dala ng kalabuan ng mata ay nakabasag ako ng pinggan o nakatapon ng sabaw sa hapag kainan, huwag mo sana akong kagagalitan.

Maramdamin ang isang matanda. Nagse-self-pity ako sa tuwing sisigawan mo ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tenga ko at hindi ko maintindihan ang sinasabi mo, huwag mo naman sana akong sabihan ng “binge!” paki-ulit nalang ang sinabi mo o pakisulat nalang.

Pasensya ka na, anak, matanda na talaga ako.

Kapag mahina na tuhod ko, pagtiyagaan mo sana akong tulungang tumayo, katulad ng pag-aalalay ko sa iyo noong nag-aaral ka pa lamang lumakad.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana ako kung ako man ay nagiging makulit at paulit ulit na parang sirang plaka. Basta pakinggan mo nalang ako. Huwag mo sana akong pagtatawanan o pagsasawaang pakinggan. Natatandaan mo anak noong bata ka pa? kapag gusto mo ng lobo,paulit-ulit mo ‘yong sasabihin, maghapon kang mangungulit hangga’t hindi mo nakukuha ang gusto mo. Pinagtyagaan ko ang kakulitan mo.

Pagpasensyahan mo na rin sana ang aking amoy. Amoy matanda, amoy lupa. Huwag mo sana akong piliting maligo. Mahina na ang katawan ko. Madaling magkasakit kapag nalamigan, huwag mo sana akong pandirihan.Natatandaan mo noong bata ka pa? Pinagtyagaan kitang habulin sa ilalim ng kama kapag ayaw mong maligo.Pagpasensyahan mo sana kung madalas, ako’y masungit, dala na marahil ito ng katandaan. Pagtanda mo, maiintindihan mo rin.

Kapag may konti kang panahon, magkwentuhan naman tayo, kahit sandali lang. inip na ako sa bahay, maghapong nag-iisa. Walang kausap. Alam kong busy ka sa trabaho, subalit nais kong malaman mo na sabik na sabik na akong makakwentuhan ka, kahit alam kong hindi ka interesado sa mga kwento ko. Natatandaan mo anak, noong bata ka pa? Pinagtyagaan kong pakinggan at intindihin ang pautal-utal mong kwento tungkol sa iyong teddy bear.

At kapag dumating ang sandali na ako’y magkakasakit at maratay sa banig ng karamdaman, huwag mo sana akong pagsawaan alagaan. Pagpasensyahan mo na sana kung ako man ay maihi o madumi sa higaan, pagtyagaan mo sana akong alagaan sa mga huling sandali ng aking buhay. Tutal hindi na naman ako magtatagal.

Kapag dumating ang sandali ng aking pagpanaw, hawakan mo sana ang aking kamay at bigyan mo ako ng lakas ng loob na harapin ang kamatayan.

At huwag kang mag-alala, kapag kaharap ko na ang Diyos na lumikha, ibubulong ko sa kanya na pagapalain ka sana … dahil naging mapagmahal ka sa iyong ama’t ina…

Listen to his radio interview on SBS Radio

An Aging Parent's Plea To His Child
English translation by Edecat Manila

As I grow old,
I seek your Patience and Understanding.
Despite Hard-of-Hearing - notwithstanding,
"Love me". You're told.

If I spill Soup or break Plate,
My Eyesight could be dimming.
Look upon me with no hate.
Lest, I get a bad feeling.

If I am slow to stand,
My Knees could be weakening.
Quickly give me your Hand,
For I did teach you - Walking.

If I'm slow to understand,
My Hearing could be failing.
Write down or Motion-by-Hand,
So I could get the meaning.

If I sound like a "Broken Record",
My Memory could be lapsing.
Please do not laugh at me - nor be bored.
Bear with me - just by listening.

If I feel so alone,
My Spirit yearns for your presence.
Although busy at work,
Find time to be with me at home.

If I become hard-to-please,
My Consciousness favors the familiar.
Be careful and not amiss,
I'm exacting on particulars.

If I emit an unpleasant smell,
I could have the Odor-of-Old.
A daily Bath could make me unwell.
My weak Body could get a Cold.

If I urinate and move my bowel in bed,
Persevere still in loving me.
My Life is ending and farewells would soon be said.
Memories last eternally.

And if my Moment-of-Death is near,
Hold my hand and embrace me dearly.
Your love for me brings "God's Blessings" here.
You and I are truly family!

source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Edecat_Manila

Tula Para sa Pulilan

Natagpuan ko ang tulang ito sa blogs ni Mr Rene C. San Andres na kapwa ko taga-Pulilan

Bayan kong sinilanga’y dili iba’t ang Pulilan ,
Mga binata’y makikisig ,
dilag nama’y maririkit ,
Sa tahanan nitong ama ,
palamuti’y nangagsabit ,
Tanda ng kasaysayang walang patid iniukit.

Sa pagpasok mo sa Longos,
kalabaw na nakaluhod,
Ang sa iyo ay bubungad,
masdan mong buong lugod,
Sagisag ng isang lahing,
sa D’yos Ama nananalig Paniwala sa Maykapal ,
lahat yao’y binubunyi.

Ang Longos na nuong una’y tahanan nitong PI,
Eskwelahang humubog din,
isip mandi’y pinapanday,
Kahit tabi nitong ilog,
at sa isip na mahusay,
Hindi na rin malilimot,
ang talino sa pagsikhay.

Dumako ka pa roon,
at Sto Cristo’y sasapitin,
Lugar ng mga Ochoa,
dakilang tao’t pinuno rin,
Mga tao’y mababait,
bukas-palad sa pagtulong,
Katangiang sadyang likas,
karangalang yumayabong.

Kung lalakad pakanluran,
sa Cut-cot ay magagawi,
Dito dati ang kiskisa’y ang hilera’y walang patid,
Inaning palay sa kabukiran,
dito lahat gigilingin,
Sa pagdating ng tag-ulan,
ay kaysarap na sinaing.
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Read more...

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