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| Editorial: Preventing a post-Holy Week surge Posted: 30 Mar 2021 04:39 AM PDT AHEAD of the long weekend, April 1 to 4, several local government units (LGUs) in Davao Region have implemented stricter measures in a bid to curb another surge. Pre-pandemic, many Filipinos tend to take the time off during the Holy Week to take that needed rest. Some would spend it at home and attend masses while some non-Catholics would go on vacation someplace else. In anticipation of people going on vacation amid the pandemic, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio issued Executive Order 19 series of 2021 on March 29 ordering the closure of beaches, beach resorts, and other inland water resorts in the city from April 1 to 4, 2021. "There is a need to prevent mass gathering in beaches and inland water resorts during the long holiday weekend for Holy Week," the mayor said. On March 27, Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang issued Executive Order (EO) No. 7 series of 2021 imposing Covid-19 interim guidelines in the province in anticipation of the surge of tourists and travelers during the Holy Week. Davao Oriental will strictly impose a "no QR code, no entry policy" across all border points of the province. The Provincial Government also said it will close all pilgrimage sites such as those found in Pintatagan Welcome Park, Dakong Krus in Governor Generoso, among others, for the duration of Holy Week from March 29 to April 4. As Covid-19 cases surge in the country's capital, it is just about right for Davao City and Davao Oriental to impose stringent measures during a time when people are expected to go out more. Hopefully, their policies will help prevent another surge in their respective areas. Despite not being able to go out for a vacation this year during a long weekend, let us use this time to reflect on what has happened to us the past year. Count our blessings and be thankful for the little good things that we experienced. For the believers, let us use this time to pray for our nation, our leaders, and our people. "I enjoin you to please convey these important concerns to our people and to move them to pray fervently and unceasingly for the Lord to intervene, so that we will be spared from this rise of infection, and that there will be an end to this pandemic," Romulo G. Valles, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines President, said in a statement on March 28. This Holy Week, let us limit our movements to essential activities only, avoid mass gathering, and spend time with our family. Let us take a break from social media or work and take a much needed rest.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 30 Mar 2021 04:38 AM PDT "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." -- Psalm 23:2 TAKE note. He makes, He leads, He restores. All verbs in the active voice and from a grammatical point of view, it is the subject that does the action and the object receives it. He makes, He leads and He restores. Sheep by nature are helpless. Their only defense is by fleeing the danger. They have no sharp horns, camouflage, or even speed. They are basically defenseless and it is the shepherd's job to make them go where he wants them to go. It is his job to lead him to safety. Thus in order to lead the sheep, the shepherd must take an active role. He must lead, he must drive the flock, he must direct. Green pastures are a place of rest and nourishment. If left alone, sheep will probably wander to oblivion not ever reaching the green pastures. They need a guide to bring them to that place. They need the shepherd to make them lie in those fields. What is your green pasture? What is your place of rest and even nourishment? Will you allow yourself to be brought there? He leads me beside still waters is a favorite line of mine. I was watching a documentary about Carmelite nuns and how they live their lives in the silence of a monastery. One nun said something that caught my attention. She said, "in here you will discover quickly that it is God that leads you to prayer." Prayer has never been about us. On our own, our prayers quickly become a demand sheet or a letter of complaint. I like the image of "beside still waters." There is a method of prayer that asks you to go to a place in yourself that is still and peaceful. It can be a brook or shore. Even a meadow. You sit there and wait for God. Here is the thing, at least for me. You cannot go there. You need to be led. You need to give up your helplessness and your chaos and your ego to get there and you cannot reach the place until you are open to it. My favorite "still waters" image is one that I came across many years ago. Imagine dawn or dusk and all is quiet. You are sitting on a stone wall looking down a great city. You do not hear anything from the city. There are silence and peace and quiet. You sit there waiting for the Lord. While waiting you just are aware of your surroundings. Then Jesus sits beside you, does not say anything and like you, He gazes at the city. After a while, you begin to talk and He listens. Prayer. That Psalm continues with He restores my soul and leads me to righteous paths. I never really got the idea of that until now while writing this. If our prayer is sincere and true we will find out that prayer does restore our souls in more ways than one. And its direct result is it will lead us to the right pathways. For His sake. Quite a handful really. And we can all get receive these gifts if we allow ourselves to be led in His ways. We are sheep and He is the Shepherd.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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