Spot the Differences: A Tale of Two Cities

 My unheralded arrival brought on the onset of good rain in northern California, welcomed not only by its humanity but also its flora parched dry by many months of drought.  Shimmering fall leaves teamed up with the rain, racing to the ground for tenancy.  The brownish hillsides are beginning to color themselves the hue of green.  The nippy temperatures have suddenly become bearable, save for the occasional gusts of breezes that push the thermostat down. 

By some stroke of design, the rain has stayed away during my jogging sessions at the park, visited only by occasional colder breezes.

TV news people have been quite unanimous in their positive assessment of the rains, interrupted only by occasional accidents caused by hydroplaning in the many freeways around the state.

So over all, all’s well in the world and California.

Then yesterday, social media configured for local news in the homeland burst forth with news of heavy rain in the hometown, Cagayan de Oro City.  Initial reports shouted good news too, since the place too had been dry for quite a well, though not yet in drought mode.

But it did not take long for the tables to turn.  Ominous news of flooding in the usual areas.  Brownouts in the city.  Leaky rooftops in both homes and public places like malls.  Antsy citizens stranded in different parts of the city.  Commuters either unable to find their way home, or needing instructions on which routes to take to avoid floods, etc.   All making a citizenry quite harangued and harried. 

So over all, all is not well with the world.

For us old Cagayanons our outlook about our hometown has by default been long-term. Since we were born, raised, educated, and worked in it, we are inclined to consider the long-term repercussions of things happening in the place.

But no such predispositions can be expected not only with current city officials, but maybe even those who do business here.Their main concerns are with the here and now. Government yearns for more taxes, businesses for more profits. This myopic vision has brought us to where we are now.

The concept of being a true Cagayanon as defined in the past is now largely in the minds of a few old Cagayanons. Thus the overriding identity of the place has been lost, saved for the artifacts that remain, like old streets, buildings, celebrations, etc

Prayer: Not a sign of Lunacy

  

We humans are truly difficult to understand. At times.

In one vein, everybody tells us to pray always, regardless of the result or whether or not our pleas are answered.  We should never relent with prayers.

But in another vein, we are told that doing the same things over and over again expecting different results is a sign of lunacy.

Is there any logical explanation to this apparent contradiction? There certainly is.  And both sayings are justifiably true. You see, the act of prayer is more than just the motions associated with it. It includes all the resolutions to action that accompany it as a natural consequence.

Going back to the Ignatian definition of prayer:  Pray like everything depended on God, but act on it like everything depended on you.

Therefore, inextricably intertwined with it are the host of actions we resolve to do so our prayers can come to fruition. And thus, if our prayers are not initially fulfilled or answered, we pray again and this time with another host of resolutions to guarantee our pleas are answered.

Therefore, our prayers are not simply repetitions, but each time, unique and different in its own ways.

Many of us do forget how we ought to pray efficaciously, and thus, court the mockery of others who dismiss our praying as simply either a fool's errand, or the protestations of a crazy person.

This because we limit our interpretation of praying to the words we express in our supplications as we lay prostate either in solitude or in church. We mouth the same formulaic verses, and repeat them countless times like in the rosary and the litanies, and after that we wait for any response. No doubt others feel justified in their criticism.

So remember prayer does not end with pious words said in solemn moments. As we learn in the Morning Prayer taught us in school. When we pray we also offer not only prayers, but all "works, joys, and suffering" we go through each day.

Thus each time, our prayer becomes one unique, fresh, and distinct plea to our Creator for his assistance and grace..