mine, Fr. Henry Bocala. Yes, it’s little, as in less than 150 pages
long, pocketbook size, but very substantive and well-packed with
extensively researched materials and strongly reliable sources, spiced
up by timely observations and witty commentaries by the author.
I would say it’s the relevant wisdom we need to have these days, and
made available to us in bite-sized dosages. For the man on the go, it
can mean a very handy guide for cruising in our confusing times,
enabling us to be more discerning and to read the signs of the times
and effectively refute the clever logic of the world and of the flesh.
It’s said that we are now in a borderless society. That can mean a lot
of things, both good and bad. It can be good in the sense that we are
enriching ourselves with a great and increasing variety of elements.
What’s more, this variety is made easily accessible with our new
technologies and a surge of technical interest and know-how among the
people, especially the youth. We have to thank God for these wonderful
developments in the world.
But our problem now is that many people consider everything that takes
place as good, except when they are told by some authority, like the
Church, what true good and bad really is. That one, they are certain,
is what would constitute evil.
The power to discern good and evil now depends on one’s subjective
perception of things. People are now averse to the idea of an
objective and universal source of good and evil, and of an authority
who is empowered not politically but spiritually and morally to teach
and spread the relevant doctrine.
That’s one of the main reasons the book has that title. Our society is
broken, though not everyone would admit it. And it’s broken, not only
in terms of social relations, or in politics or economics, but more
radically, in our spirit.
In fact, any talk of things spiritual would largely fall on deaf ears
today. Many people cannot make out what that means. The sense of the
spiritual is all but lost. And if it’s not lost, it’s twisted, as in
many people succumbing to superstitions and other questionable forms
of spiritualism including magic.
Most of the time, people are just held captive by a carnal and worldly
sense of things, insensitive to the spiritual and supernatural
realities. Talk to them about faith, prayer, need for sacrifice, and
they would most likely go blank. Talk to them about money, politics,
fame, gossip, and they light up like sparklers.
With this frame of mind, they can only have a fragmented view of
things, and nothing global, not to mention, cosmic. They rely more on
feelings, on appearances, on social fads. Thinking metaphysical and
theological is definitely out of place. They prefer to follow more
their instincts than their reason, and much less, their faith.
The subtitle of the book indicates where the all the problems today
can come from. “What happens when we forget who we are,” captures the
very eye of the storm we are having. It’s when we forget we are
children of God… People are losing the sense of divine filiation. In
fact, sad to say, that expression sounds Greek to many of us.
The book has chapters on sex, the media, the hot-button issues of
life, marriage and family, the world of work, the continuing
socio-cultural wars waged in different parts of the world today, and
the role of the youth.
It’s worth noting that the book approaches these questions in a
wholistic way, putting faith and theology to whatever socio-economic
and political analyses are made in them.
The author of course is highly qualified and competent to handle these
matters. A writer and artist, he was first of all during his
pre-priesthood days a political science graduate of UP Diliman, and
had a stint in the staff of a senator for some years. I know him to be
of an analytical mind, thoughtful and measured in his comments.
And as priest, he has a doctorate in canon law and has an extensive
pastoral work with all sorts of people not only here in the
Philippines but also in many places like Australia, Spain, Italy,
South Africa and Israel.
This is his third book, the first being his doctoral thesis on canon
law entitled, Diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel,
and the second, a spiritual book entitled, Arise and walk. I highly
recommend the book.
long, pocketbook size, but very substantive and well-packed with
extensively researched materials and strongly reliable sources, spiced
up by timely observations and witty commentaries by the author.
I would say it’s the relevant wisdom we need to have these days, and
made available to us in bite-sized dosages. For the man on the go, it
can mean a very handy guide for cruising in our confusing times,
enabling us to be more discerning and to read the signs of the times
and effectively refute the clever logic of the world and of the flesh.
It’s said that we are now in a borderless society. That can mean a lot
of things, both good and bad. It can be good in the sense that we are
enriching ourselves with a great and increasing variety of elements.
What’s more, this variety is made easily accessible with our new
technologies and a surge of technical interest and know-how among the
people, especially the youth. We have to thank God for these wonderful
developments in the world.
But our problem now is that many people consider everything that takes
place as good, except when they are told by some authority, like the
Church, what true good and bad really is. That one, they are certain,
is what would constitute evil.
The power to discern good and evil now depends on one’s subjective
perception of things. People are now averse to the idea of an
objective and universal source of good and evil, and of an authority
who is empowered not politically but spiritually and morally to teach
and spread the relevant doctrine.
That’s one of the main reasons the book has that title. Our society is
broken, though not everyone would admit it. And it’s broken, not only
in terms of social relations, or in politics or economics, but more
radically, in our spirit.
In fact, any talk of things spiritual would largely fall on deaf ears
today. Many people cannot make out what that means. The sense of the
spiritual is all but lost. And if it’s not lost, it’s twisted, as in
many people succumbing to superstitions and other questionable forms
of spiritualism including magic.
Most of the time, people are just held captive by a carnal and worldly
sense of things, insensitive to the spiritual and supernatural
realities. Talk to them about faith, prayer, need for sacrifice, and
they would most likely go blank. Talk to them about money, politics,
fame, gossip, and they light up like sparklers.
With this frame of mind, they can only have a fragmented view of
things, and nothing global, not to mention, cosmic. They rely more on
feelings, on appearances, on social fads. Thinking metaphysical and
theological is definitely out of place. They prefer to follow more
their instincts than their reason, and much less, their faith.
The subtitle of the book indicates where the all the problems today
can come from. “What happens when we forget who we are,” captures the
very eye of the storm we are having. It’s when we forget we are
children of God… People are losing the sense of divine filiation. In
fact, sad to say, that expression sounds Greek to many of us.
The book has chapters on sex, the media, the hot-button issues of
life, marriage and family, the world of work, the continuing
socio-cultural wars waged in different parts of the world today, and
the role of the youth.
It’s worth noting that the book approaches these questions in a
wholistic way, putting faith and theology to whatever socio-economic
and political analyses are made in them.
The author of course is highly qualified and competent to handle these
matters. A writer and artist, he was first of all during his
pre-priesthood days a political science graduate of UP Diliman, and
had a stint in the staff of a senator for some years. I know him to be
of an analytical mind, thoughtful and measured in his comments.
And as priest, he has a doctorate in canon law and has an extensive
pastoral work with all sorts of people not only here in the
Philippines but also in many places like Australia, Spain, Italy,
South Africa and Israel.
This is his third book, the first being his doctoral thesis on canon
law entitled, Diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel,
and the second, a spiritual book entitled, Arise and walk. I highly
recommend the book.
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