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IN
THIS ISSUE:
Cover
Page
by Bro.
Pete Lapid
The
Father Speaks
By Fr.
Siegfried Binzler, SJ
Our
Faith
By Fr. KJ Veeger, MSC
Place
of Refuge
By
Philip Yuson
Surabaya
Corner
By
Ramon Martillano
Sharing
By Thor
Barleta
Here's
the Latest
By
Tintin Magbitang
Sharing
By Joji
Escuban
God
Answers Prayers
By
Beth Manibog
Saint
for the Month
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- Last
Sunday, August 24, 2001, my family and I went to a funeral in Atma
Jaya, Pluit. A classmate of my daughter, his name is Kevin, (
 the
same name as my son,) and only seven years old, died in a most
shocking manner. The boy was in a restaurant eating with his mother
and sister when suddenly he started choking from the food he
swallowed. The mother tried to bring the boy to the closest hospital
but the boy was declared dead upon arrival. Seconds, before he died,
knowing that he could no longer hold his breath, he embraced his
mother and sister. In the funeral, the father and mother could not
help but to burst out in tears as people tried to comfort them. At
times, the mother was hysterical. Asking
"Why did God take away my son?" What have I done
wrong? What sins have I committed to deserve this? She even mentioned
that she could have traded her wealth for the life of her son. I
myself was very touched and was almost in tears like the other people
in the funeral.
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- I do not know much about Kevin. I have
probably seen him once or twice in school. But being also a father of
four children with almost of the same age, I could feel the great
sorrow the parents were feeling.
If we were in the shoes of the boy’s parents, perhaps we
could have reacted the same way. We could have asked why God would
take an innocent child at such a tender age.
Sometimes these moments of despair could lead us to question
God’s motive. This situation could make us think perhaps in a way
God is unjust, unreasonable and unfair.
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- Such
tragedy could happen to anybody. But now let me tell you about an
experience that could have happened to anybody.
One evening, few weeks ago, I was in my room at home working
when one of my daughters, Krista, called from her room and said “
Dad. Come here”. She sounded normal and there was no cause for
alarm. Normally, I would
be slow to react to these types of calls from my children because in
most cases it was just to settle some petty quarrel among them. But
that evening, I was prompted to attend to her call immediately. I
hurriedly went to her room to see what was wrong. Then, I saw my
daughter had climbed the windowpane and was actually asking help for
me to bring her down. Her brother and sisters did not mind her knowing
she could go down by herself. As I helped her down, I found out that
the window lock was actually broken. Had my daughter leaned on the
windowpane at anytime she could have fallen straight from the second
floor of our house to the ground floor.
When I realized this, I was so frightened thinking of what
could have happened to her. My wife, Mariza, and I were angry at my
other children for not helping or preventing Krista from climbing the
windowpane. But again my children thought that it was just a normal
situation and did not foresee the life-threatening danger. After that
incident, we prayed altogether thanking God for sending forth His
angels to protect our daughter Krista.
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- Sometimes
in events like these, when a life is saved, we come to appreciate the
goodness of our God. He cares for us and loves us. He is not
unreasonable or unfair. He knows the best for all of us. We may not
fully understand God’s will. He takes away lives when and as He
deems fit. He preserves others, sort of postpones death – all these
by His most perfect and loving will. But
even when
we cannot
understand why we
can be sure it is for the best of us -- TRUST HIM!
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- Below
is a letter from my second daughter, Kara, who is the classmate of
Kevin:
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ideas,
- Write us: Jl. Bacang
No. 20 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan,
Indonesia
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