The hired man continues to do his job

I woke up early dawn today as usual and had to begin walking towards a particular eatery for coffee.

While walking, I noticed a man crossing the street as if coming towards me and looking straight to my eyes but went on walking opposite where I headed.

I had the chance to study and look at him on his back as he walked away, he was wearing a yellow T-shirt and white "purontong" pants!!!

I came to a realization: he was wearing the same as the man's clothes yesterday.

Could it be the same man?

I was still groggy from sleep.

The man yesterday, apparently taller and lean, was wearing a face mask.

The man this dawn, apparently almost chubby, wore the same clothes but without a face mask on so that, with the lamppost lighting from behind him, I could see the roughness of his face.

I followed him with my eyes and he took an immediate right turn to a dark place next to where I spend every night sleeping as a homeless.

I know the place and he is not a familiar face in the area.

I knew what he was up to.

To wait if I would follow him in the dark.

What for?

To tempt me into committing a sexual sin with him.

But "they" cannot fool me into getting trapped in their lairs. 

God has already ordained the outcome!

I left the scene and finally had a cup of coffee in the morning.

Reblogged: 'No clapping during Lent'

'THE HEART WHERE I WILL SPEAK': 'No clapping during Lent': Earlier when this blog was not yet transitioning to what it is now, the Lord already made me feel of the positive Archdiocese response to this calling. Reason, I was reminded of the need to humble myself when this time comes. To keep myself low, I had lived as homeless and have accepted humble duties. I am made aware of the dilemma of obeying the Lord speaking through this blog and one is I might have become spiritually proud. Personally, I wish I have been out of this hometown or I have been elsewhere so I won't be able to see you obeying the Lord, lest I become proud. We cannot be proud, however, if we are physically ill. One may appear robust but in reality possesses the gift of a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him down by the Divine Will. It is not your problem to keep me humble; it is the Lord's concern and mine. Your problem is to obey the Lord's directives shown in this blog. Your obedience is your own humility. You need, as well, to humble yourself. Please do not think of me becoming proud when you obey the Lord because, by so doing, you are doing it for the Lord and this is the desire of my spirit -- for the greater glory of God -- and we benefit from observing this foremost duty of mankind which is to "love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind," the first of the Ten Commandments. God does not need to be glorified because He is already Glory Himself. We glorify Him because it is rightly for us to be doing so, being creatures of a Creator; and we benefit from glorifying God. Being reverent to His Eucharistic Presence here on earth has positive effect to the Archdiocese and the whole nation in general. Thus, the Archdiocese will be a light, an example for the whole nation to see and emulate, therefore the world. The Lord let me see how you struggle to obey. You have had a notice on the projector screen at the Cathedral saying to stop clapping during Masses for the duration of the Lent season. A priest, however, seeing me in the Mass one First Saturday, despite the notice flashed on the screen, did otherwise. The priest encouraged the congregation several times to clap within the Mass he officiated and I attended. I have a feeling to leave the hometown so the Archdiocese can obey the Lord's bidding freely. Let me tell you the stoppage of clapping during Masses in this year's season of Lent has damaging effect on the enemies of this nation and the Philippine Church. The spirit of the "enemies" within the person of the highest VIP of the land is trembling in fear, exposing his guilt in the process if you read between the lines the speeches he delivered regarding the ICC. Here is a warning, though. Since the stoppage of clapping is only intended within Lent, it is understandable clapping is to resume on Easter and onward. Meaning to say, the VIP will be able to recover from the damage he has incurred as a result of the Archdiocese's obedience in turning back to Eucharistic reverence by ceasing to clap during Lent.

'No clapping during Lent'

Earlier when this blog was not yet transitioning to what it is now, the Lord already made me feel of the positive Archdiocese response to this calling. Reason, I was reminded of the need to humble myself when this time comes. To keep myself low, I had lived as homeless and have accepted humble duties. I am made aware of the dilemma of obeying the Lord speaking through this blog and one is I might have become spiritually proud. Personally, I wish I have been out of this hometown or I have been elsewhere so I won't be able to see you obeying the Lord, lest I become proud. We cannot be proud, however, if we are physically ill. One may appear robust but in reality possesses the gift of a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him down by the Divine Will. It is not your problem to keep me humble; it is the Lord's concern and mine. Your problem is to obey the Lord's directives shown in this blog. Your obedience is your own humility. You need, as well, to humble yourself. Please do not think of me becoming proud when you obey the Lord because, by so doing, you are doing it for the Lord and this is the desire of my spirit -- for the greater glory of God -- and we benefit from observing this foremost duty of mankind which is to "love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind," the first of the Ten Commandments. God does not need to be glorified because He is already Glory Himself. We glorify Him because it is rightly for us to be doing so, being creatures of a Creator; and we benefit from glorifying God. Being reverent to His Eucharistic Presence here on earth has positive effect to the Archdiocese and the whole nation in general. Thus, the Archdiocese will be a light, an example for the whole nation to see and emulate, therefore the world. The Lord let me see how you struggle to obey. You have had a notice on the projector screen at the Cathedral saying to stop clapping during Masses for the duration of the Lent season. A priest, however, seeing me in the Mass one First Saturday, despite the notice flashed on the screen, did otherwise. The priest encouraged the congregation several times to clap within the Mass he officiated and I attended. I have a feeling to leave the hometown so the Archdiocese can obey the Lord's bidding freely. Let me tell you the stoppage of clapping during Masses in this year's season of Lent has damaging effect on the enemies of this nation and the Philippine Church. The spirit of the "enemies" within the person of the highest VIP of the land is trembling in fear, exposing his guilt in the process if you read between the lines the speeches he delivered regarding the ICC. Here is a warning, though. Since the stoppage of clapping is only intended within Lent, it is understandable clapping is to resume on Easter and onward. Meaning to say, the VIP will be able to recover from the damage he has incurred as a result of the Archdiocese's obedience in turning back to Eucharistic reverence by ceasing to clap during Lent.

'Just do it!'

December 3, 2013. Day 129 of being homeless. 7:00 pm. Sitting at the "round ball" fronting Ateneo university, I was waiting for a certain bank to close doors (outside the bank was where I took my rest at night) when I heard somebody calling me in the familiar name at home: "Do!" I thought, my fellow sidewalk night settlers were calling me -- but, when I looked back, it was my eldest nephew. I froze.

Life in the sidewalk is not easy, especially when you are sick and the "floor" you are to sleep on is pooled with water because of constant, heavy rains.

"Until when is this, Lord?" I asked the Lord and I meant my life as a homeless, sidewalk night inhabitant and He spoke to me through words I saw on the street, words that seemed to jump out from a billboard and, as I received it, my heart panted in the manner so special: "Just do it!" And I knew the words came from the Lord as response to my query.

Upon receiving the words, I prayed the Prayer of Acceptance and found myself relieved and wanting to keep on with this particular suffering: a homeless life.

I was healed from colds and coughing eventually; but after super typhoon Yolanda (international name, Haiyan), I developed more severe dry coughs and it happened during the final stage of my homeless life where I spent at the sidewalk of a particular bank at Roxas Avenue. "Trust" was the only word that I knew during those times.

And as I got used to living this kind of life under the pressure of an illness, I was located by my nephew who had several nights been looking for me in practically all downtown sidewalks.

Brothers and sisters knew of my plight through a family friend who saw me sleeping in the sidewalk one time. Another family friend told my older brother that I was walking with dirty clothes on, not the usual me that he knew of as always "neatly-clothed."

Upon knowing, my family had sleepless nights so that they went to every downtown sidewalk every night looking for me -- until my nephew finally located me on the night of December 3, 2013, the 129th and final day of my homeless life.

I am home again; and I got healed of severe dry coughs, thanks to my brother who bought me medicine. My sister asked for forgiveness. I have forgiven all of them who can't be all perfect all the time. Just as I am.

Theft in the sidewalk

My pocket "point-and-shoot" camera and a pair of slippers were stolen! In the tiredness of my body for incessant walking Friday last week, I stopped in Claveria to take a rest in the sidewalk before I could go on to a government hospital to sleep in its compound where it is safe; but I found out later at dawn, I slept the whole night in Claveria and was a victim of theft. In my life as homeless in the vicinity of the hospital, I have met a nine-year-old boy who is fond of collecting cartons, plastic bottles and cans and his young mother who likes to put on make-up at night. They sleep at daytime at DMC hospital and are busy at night in Claveria: the boy, a beggar; the mother, a prosti. Not all seen about the hospital building have patients; a few are homeless persons trying to take shelter in and to say they have patients is to save them from the shame of being known of having no homes. But a homeless can detect one who is also homeless. And when they come to know other homeless individuals, they are happy they are not alone. My friendship with the boy began in the steel swing where I frequent myself every morning and ask him to join me in the swinging. This connection transitioned gradually into like a deeper friendship as truth of our existence gradually emerges as well. I had the chance to ask him why he likes me: "Kay gusto man kog amigo." (Because I need a friend.) Why me? "Kay wala man kay balay." (Because you are homeless.) At first, he said they have a patient admitted in the hospital; but later, I had doubts because his conversations were different every time I asked him about the patient. My feeling was supported as true when, one evening on my way to downtown, I caught him in the sidewalk in Claveria with his blanket on ready to sleep. When I revealed I too am homeless, he is connected to me like my own shadow, asking me to go to Claveria every night where he begs and sleeps. Friday last week, on my way back to the hospital walking from downtown via Claveria, somebody was following me and calling my attention: the boy! I was already very tired of incessant walking all day because earlier I went to the feast of San Francisco de Asis in Tagakpan. I promised him I would bring them "lechon." But something went wrong. I returned the rice and lechon I "sacked" for the boy and his mom. I never ate my share in the feast to be able to "sack" my share for the boy and his mom. But a man from the church rebuked me upon exiting: "Welcome mo diri para mamiyesta pero sa sunod ayaw mo pag-sacking og pagkaon para makakaon ang uban." (You are welcome here to feast but do not sack food next time so other visitors can eat as well.)  I returned the food. And I had to go to the nearby Pantatan (Catfish) Festival in Tugbok where everyone could have a share of one grilled catfish and rice. I was happy to have something to give to the boy and the woman for dinner because they eat only once a day. I rested in the sidewalk with the boy that Friday night but was able to sleep the whole night unknowingly while his mom was on her particular trade that evening. It does not matter if my camera and slippers were stolen; what matters is the friendship that I have found in the person of this youth.