“Kilig” for new Saints

The canonization of Saints John Paul II and John XXIII is now  over but  still, it  gives me the shivers and goose pimples (“kilig”, in our lingo)  up to now and this will linger on indefinitely.  One very real feeling that  will  not go away is the  realization that here is one saint like St. John Paul  whom we have seen in flesh and blood, with our own eyes and in our lifetime. We have been venerating and praying to our favorite saints and we are only told of their saintly lives since  all of them lived  before us — in another lifetime.  But not with the two Popes who lived in our own lifetime. How blessed are we to have them.

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“PAPAL”  EGGS — I remember one interesting sidelight during the  Davao City visit of Pope  John Paul II in 1981. He landed at the Bangoy airport where His Holiness celebrated  Mass to thousands who came. His plane  took off from there right after the celebration.  I remembered First Lady Imelda Marcos in her resplendent terno.

Our newsmen group’s hangout at that time was KUSINA DABAW owned by Mr. Young, a jolly good fellow and friend of the Davao media.  Anticipating thousands of Dabawenyos flocking to the airport, Mr. Young (the Chinese entrepreneur in him) boiled thousands of eggs and displayed them for sale along the roadside at the airport area. But the papal visit was so brief that when the thousands of devotees came  and then  went home, the thousands of boiled eggs by the wayside were still there. Not too many were sold. Mr. Young did not know what to do with them and brought a big basket for “pulutan” to our group. Our late editor Chuck Nunez said those eggs were special and blessed. But  we  had difficulty finishing them off even with the flowing beer and the bottles  of whiskey Mr. Young  provided  to flush them down. After a deep philosophical discourse and extensive  debate (spirited due to the drinks)  on what to do with those thousands of  “papal” eggs, we came up with a solution. In no time,  the  orphanages, jails and the poor areas  suddenly got flooded with hard boiled “papal” eggs —  for free!

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NOT WAR  — President Obama caught  many Filipinos — and the whole world for that matter —  off-guard when he made clear that as commander in chief of the strongest armed forces, his principal role is to  maintain peace and not go to war; that the  success of a national policy  is best measured by how one preserves the peace and not by squeezing  the trigger.      Filipino newsmen, during his visit were  trying to “corner” him  to commit that in the event China starts hostilities on territorial issues with the Philippines,  that the US will be there on our side  to fight the Chinese. Media  even tried to frame the US reactions to Russia’s belligerence in Ukraine as something weak and not enough, short of urging him to unsheath the sword of war personally  against President Putin of Russia. President Obama stood his ground and stressed  striking a “balance” is  the call of the times.  The US policy of peaceful engagement and imposing economic sanctions on Russia  is getting unprecedented support from the  allies all over the world and it is working, he said. The telling effect however will be felt  on the long term.

But the war-mongers evidently  wanted more. President Obama had a quick retort:” We have seen wars of the past.  But at what cost to humanity?”  Indeed,  such moderating words  from the world’s most  powerful and well-armed  leader, to me, is  re-assuring.  But make no mistake! In this volatile world of ours,  all options are open when actual situations take place. Miscalculations can also happen.  In the meantime, it may do well for us Filipinos, starting with our own  President Aquino,  to soften our belligerent rhetorics as we deal with China. Let’s take the cue from the Americans.

Remember :  Talking soft  with a big stick is much better than talking big with a soft stick in hand!