What’s the meaning or derivation of the local word “Undas,” referred to in English as All Souls’ Day? In Mexico, “Dia de los Muertos” means “Day of the Dead,” which in Tagalog is “Araw ng mga Patay o Namayapa.” In Spain, “honra” means “honor” or “respect”—hence, “to respect or honor the dead.” In the Philippine...
Category: Lifestyle
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Single parent, 52, wonders if she should date again
EDITOR’S NOTE: CoverStory is launching “Two for the Road,” an advice column on life, love, and loss. Cathy is in private practice as a grief, loss, and transitions coach. She is an author of four books, two of them on grief. Mark has been a registered nurse for 47 years and is an educator specializing...
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Choose to live in the present moment
Finding happiness in life is living in the present moment, neither grieving over the past nor being anxious about the future. This is because life unfolds in the present. Living in the present moment—or “mindfulness,” as others call it—is a state of active, open, intentional, and (most important) nonjudgmental attention or awareness of the present. ...
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End of the world? Worry more about our own ‘end’
Actually, it’s a no-brainer. Being cautious about our own “end” (cessation or demise) rather than fretting about the world’s apocalypse is but the more pragmatic option. In all likelihood, our own end will come first than that of the end of the world or the universe. Let’s first qualify the word “end” and why we’re...
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From pandemic to epic: amazing graces
SYDNEY—Up till boarding time at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, I continued to receive calls and text messages from friends wanting to know if I was proceeding with my trip. My departure for my nth visit to my daughter Giselle in Sydney would have been uneventful if not for the concern roused by news about...
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Ghosters—to sue or not to sue
Memories of my first ghosting experience surfaced when Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., filed House Bill No. 611 in July. His proposed measure would declare ghosting an emotional offense because of the trauma that develops from “feelings of rejection and neglect by ghosters” according to a CNN Philippines report. “The emotional abuse caused by...
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The nomological argument for God’s existence
Since the 1960s, despite the heyday of logical positivism, there has been a resurgence of the traditional metaphysical argument to prove the existence of God. We’ve heard of the “big three” arguments: ontological, cosmological, and teleological. The ontological or “a priori” argument tries to establish the necessity of God’s existence by explaining the concept of...
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Prayer is not asking or ‘controlling’ but ‘being’ with God
Back in my seminary days, I remember a phrase that captivated my imagination: “wasting time with God.” It was some kind of parody or radical criticism of the modern productivity-crazed world’s disavowal of the godly, spiritual or prayerful life as a waste of time. Hence, back then, we indubitably “enjoyed” wasting time with God in...
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Tagle as papal contender? Here are the pros and cons
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila, may be the strongest papal contender if Pope Francis resigns, like Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI did. But certain factors may affect his chances of getting elected in the next conclave. One factor is Tagle’s perceived closeness to Pope Francis, who appointed him in 2019 to head...
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Coming home to Manila in the pandemic: inward journeys
SYDNEY—“This is your captain speaking. We shall soon commence our descent into Melbourne …” I felt a lump in my throat. Every year when I visit my daughter here, I make a side trip to Victoria’s capital to see a dear friend from college. The pandemic paused the practice, and now, after three years, I...