25 November 2012

Hail to the King (A Reflection on the Feast of Christ the King)


This reflection was published in the November issue of Living with Christ (Philippine Edition).

In this time and age, kings belong to the realm of the imaginary, of fairy tales and legendary stories. Rarely do we encounter kings who rule over people in terms of civil governance and political power. Nonetheless, we have a classic image of what a king is: a crown on gold on his head, a royal staff in his hands, fine garments decked with jewels as his dress, and a lofty regal throne as his seat of influence and authority.

But Jesus had a different understanding of what it means to be a king. On his head was a crown of thorns, not of gold. In his hands were nails pierced to his flesh, not a royal staff. In his body was blood poured for our salvation, not fine garments decked with jewels. Behind him was a heavy wooden cross, not a lofty regal throne. In his kingdom, compassion and salvation were prime priorities, not the expansion of territory or material prosperity. He came to serve, not to be served. He was available to all, not to a chosen few.

The life, mission, and message of Jesus, which culminated in his passion, death, and resurrection, portray what a true king does and lives by: defending the dignity of the human person, standing for the truth, and serving with integrity and fidelity. The real king is not adorned in gold, but Christ on the cross.

24 October 2012

AND 1: One Big Five

as seen from print ads in today's newspapers.  
uploaded in bleachersbrew by sir rick olivares. 
photo by sir philip sison.

when everything has been said and done, what matters in the end are the things left unsaid and undone.
no long sentences. no cliches. no mottoes and slogans.
just five championships in five consecutive years. 

SEE YOU NEXT SEASON!
BLUE EAGLE, THE KING!

Josefino named new Cardinal of the Church

Pope Benedict XVI has named Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle and five other prelates from Lebanon, Nigeria, Colombia, India and the United States as new cardinals.

The Pope made the surprise announcement during his weekly general audience Wednesday and said they would be elevated at a consistory November 24. At 55, Tagle is currently the world’s youngest cardinal.

I am very proud to be Cardinal Tagle's student in Holy Orders last semester in the Loyola School of Theology as well as his fellow Josefino, a son of San Jose Seminary. Truly, the Philippine Church rejoices in this announcement, following the canonization of Saint Pedro Calungsod last Sunday.

In this year of faith, we strive to truly witness to the faith entrusted to us by Christ in our words and deeds. May it enflame our hearts to be instruments of love and service to God and His people.

HAIL SAN JOSE!

21 October 2012

San Pedro Calungsod, Ikalawang Pilipinong Santo


Nakatingin lamang sa Diyos...
Tangan ang palmera na sumisimbolo ng tagumpay, hindi niya kundi ni Kristo...
Hawak ang Doctrina Christiana na siyang isinabuhay niya bilang saksi sa Katoliko Kristiyanong pananampalataya...
at handang humakbang kung saan man ipadala...

Ngayong taon ng pananampalataya at pandaigdigang linggo ng misyon, nagagalak tayong mga Pilipino sa pagsasabilang kay Pedro Calungsod sa mga hanay ng mga santo.

Nawa ay magsilbi siyang halimbawa ng kabanalan, pagsasakripisyo, paghihirap para sa pananampalataya, at pagtataya ng buong sarili para sa Diyos.
San Pedro Calungsod, ipanalangin mo kami!



SAN PEDRO CALUNGSOD, HUWARAN NG MGA KABATAAN
Titik ni Timoteo M. Ofrasio, SJ -- Musika ni Arnel Aquino, SJ

Inawit ng Tinig San Jose at Himig Heswita

1. Sa 'yo'y pagpupúgay handóg nami't álay
Sántong kaláhì at aming kabánay ,
Huwárang tángì ng mga kabatáan,
Magíting na anák ng kabísayáan.

2. Pagsisilbíng ganáp ang tánging hangád,
Átas ni Cristo'y tapát na tinupád,
Maáyong Balitâ ay ipínamanság,
Kaháyag ni Cristo ay iyong pinasínag.

KORO:
San Pedro Calúngsod, túnay na huwáran
San Pedro Calúngsod, angay pagasúndon
sa mga kabatáan.

3. Nahímong katábang ng páring butíhin
Na si Diego Luís, sa kanyang gawáin
Sa maláyong dapít piníli n'yang itanghál
Kaligtásan ng táong sa Diyos ay mahál.

4. Hindi ka nasindák sa lupít at dahás
Na dúlot ng bangís ng imbíng kaáway
Sa baybáyin ng Tumhón sa pulóng Mariánas
Gawásnon n'yang gihálad ang sarili n'yang búhay. (Koro)

CODA:
Pedro Calúngsod, isa kang huwáran
Ng mga kabatáan sa panínindígan
Panig-íngnan ikaw sa 'yong katátagán
Sa 'yo nawa'y matúlad ang aming kabatáan! (Koro)

16 October 2012

AND 1: Another Ateneo Blue Eagles' 5peat Bonfire Video



Ateneo Blue Eagles 2008-2012
Shown during "One Big Five" Bonfire Celebration last night
Original video by Sir Philip Sison of fabilioh.com, posted Fabilioh Facebook Page

this video reminds me that i have been supporting the blue eagles for a very long time already.
5 titles,
4 championship clinching games (only missed game 2 of season 71 against la salle due to xavier's a-day that year),
3 bonfires (missed 2nd and 3rd bonfires, but i was there during the first one aka mud party in bellarmine field),
all witnessed by 2 san carlos-ateneo hybrids in me and ian.
in the end, it's about being number 1...
ONE BIG FIGHT!

15 October 2012

14 October 2012

AND 1: Blue Eagles 5peat Bonfire Video



Ateneo Blue Eagles' 5peat Championship Video
Shown during "One Big Five" Bonfire Celebration last night
Original video by Jover Chavez, posted in his Facebook Page

11 October 2012

AND 1: MISSION ACCOMPLI5HED


for poy.
for MVP.
for graduating players: greg, nico, justin, zags, and oping.
for coach norman.
for the blue eagles sixth man, for all the lemons, for those who witnessed and bore the pain of 2006.

 
MISSION ACCOMPLI5HED.
FIVE STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS.
BLUE EAGLE THE KING!

10 October 2012

07 October 2012

THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 83, UST 78 (Finals - Game 1)

come with me to the sky, let us fly (photo source)

three points on the blue eagles' win against the growling tigers to take game 1 of the uaap season 75 men's basketball finals. in this match-up against katipunan and espana for pride and glory that uaap basketball has to offer for a season, ateneo has a game left to win for a historic five-peat, but still nothing is safe for them as the dangerous ust team is out to give their best try to bounce back and level the series.


niconsistent (photo source)

1. 3rd quarter storm... again. looking at the first half of play, it seemed that the blue eagles were falling into a trap that no one from the blue side of the arena wants to see: a 0-1 hole against the growling tigers. they were missing from close range, turnovers were abounding, and the team, except nico salva who was stellar in the entire game with his career high 30 points, were sinking instead of swimming against the giant waves (oh yes, the yellow colored crowd did the infamous "jeje-wave" for most of the game) of the squad from espana. but the third quarter showed flashes of the blue eagles of old, especially that patented third quarter storm that turned the tides of numerous games during the championship era. a 17-0 run that silenced the noisy ust gallery as well as their team for more than 7 minutes made the difference for the blue eagles. clearly, their third quarter play was way different than that of the first half: they were more aggressive in the paint, they distributed the ball efficiently, and defended better against ust. time and again, the adjustment from the halftime break made wonders for ateneo, and with a pivotal second game coming up, they must use it hopefully to sustain a big lead they made in the first half and "finish what they have started" come thursday.

big shot buenafe strikes again (photo source)

2. game ending heroics... again. just when ust threatened to take the game away with a furious comeback from a 10 point deficit, ateneo's finishers did what they do best: end the game right. aljon mariano found his range early in the fourth quarter and that karim abdul dunk on the break brought the ust crowd back on their feet. when a team goes up against ust, the players must always remember that no lead is safe against them as they have the ability to come back strong. but juami tiongson, ryan buenafe, and kiefer ravena had something else in mind. tiongson, who was steady in this game with his ball-handling and three-point shooting, made a magical lay-up courtesy of the open lane that ust interestingly gave him when they were starting to mount a rally for a furious finish. buenafe, whom coach norman black described as a "money player", came once again with a crucial three pointer plus a foul to somehow douse cold water on ust's "firemen" who wanted to keep the game more interesting. and ravena, who played distributor in the first half, made a final jumper to drive the nail in the coffin and take the first game. as much as these end-game heroics were a delight to the eyes of the blue eagles sixth man, they cannot wait for that moment when they can go hero-ball like other players from other teams love to do. they have to play hero all throughout the game with their execution, teamwork, and intensity in all forty minutes of basketball.

wala... WALA NG GAME 3! (photo source)

3. here we go... again. we've gone this far this season, and with a victory left to claim, the blue eagles have to treat their game on thursday "like there's no tomorrow." for the past championship seasons, i've been using that phrase as a reminder that every game should be taken with an "elimination game" mindset, as if we are the ones trailing and at the brink of going home for good. much has been said about 2006 and season 69, but like the last four championship seasons, the blue eagles are back in that scenario where they lead 1-0 and are just 40 game minutes away from a championship. they must not let complacency and overconfidence ruin their game. they should not think of the bonfire yet, or the hefty rewards that would come to what could be the last season where they would enjoy these perks. they ought not to give ust an inch lest they put another playing date this coming weekend. the enemy is dangerous, and the blue eagles know that very well. if they want to keep the title in katipunan, they must give their all and consider thursday as their last game of the season.

napaos kasisigaw ng "sir philip!" (photo source)

The scores:

Ateneo (83) – Salva 30, Ravena 13, Tiongson 12, Buenafe 10, Chua 9, Slaughter 5, Gonzaga 2, Elorde 2, Sumalinog 0, Golla 0.

UST (78) – Teng 25, Mariano 22, Ferrer 13, Abdul 9, Fortuna 4, Lo 3, Pe 2, Bautista 0.

Quarters: 18-24, 31-38, 61-51, 83-78.

photos from sirs yohan janeo, raddy mabasa, erwin cabbab, and philip sison of fabilioh.com

02 October 2012

AND 1: Almost but not quite

exactly six years ago, the ateneo blue eagles lost to the ust growling tigers in game 3 of the finals, which gave the espana-based squad the men's basketball championship in uaap season 69. of course, the pain of 2006 might still linger for long-time fans of the blue eagles, myself included. despite the recent success of the blue eagles in the past four championship runs, i still feel that 2006 is a matter to be avenged as the finals for season 75 begins in 5 days.

here is part of a blog post i made six years ago (no editing, so typos and grammatical errors might still be flying around it), breaking down that fateful game on that very riveting season, which could have been ateneo's first championship since 2002.

ALMOST BUT NOT QUITE

(photo taken from fabilioh.com)

yesterday, though it was rather uneventful that our school failed to secure its fourth seniors men's title (yes, it should just have been only the fourth for ateneo), will definitely go down the drain as one of the "should have been" moments of school history, and even perhaps my own life. yes, it was marked by a lot of crazed up moments that could have delivered clinchers all throughout. the game was tight, with no team leading more than double digits (if i'm not mistaken, UST led by 7 at one point, while ateneo's largest lead was 5), plenty of lead changes, and a lot of drama in a tightly contested game. it was rather fortunate that allan evangelista and jervy cruz fouled out of the game, which could have made things easier for the blue eagles - if they didn't really run out of luck in the end game. the tigers were big and mean, literally, as the eagles were outrebounded and outmatched by their height and "gulang" advantage. all the while, we thought that it was a won game in the dying minutes with jc burying that trey that gave them a five point cushion. well, almost but not quite. the tigers gave that last ditch effort that sent the game into overtime. all the while, i had this premonition that when the game goes to overtime, the eagles are doomed. chris was out due to foul trouble, the big men were ganged up inside, jc was placed in handcuffs, and the rest had to ride from the bench all throughout. in the midst of these odds, macky simply brought the team on his back. hands down, macky made things happen. but it wasn't really enough.

when dylan ababou made that free throw with 12 seconds left, i told myself that there's still hope for the title. but in the dying five seconds of overtime, jc missed the banker that could have brought the title back to katipunan. and yes, with the jumpball occuring and the freaking possession arrow almost at the side of the tigers all game long, the defeat was made visible as jun cortez nailed his first free throw and bungled the second one, which led to a lose ball scramble and jai throwing that desperation shot that didn't hit the mark. it's over - the tigers won their first title after a decade, and the eagles are going home to katipunan with no bacon. it's just disappointing that the blue eagles, amidst sailing by the eliminations with a 10-2 mark, seeding first in the final four and getting ample rest by dispatching the adamson falcons, and taking that first game with doug's undergoal buzzer beater, blew their title chances by literally running out of luck in the end game. that's why i share the same sentiment with jc, who fell to tears when the game was sealed in favor of the tigers. sayang. sayang talaga. though the title will go to espana this year, he and the rest of the eagles have practically nothing to be ashamed of, considering the above-mentioned feats that would definitely be sterling moments in school basketball history. yes, i still give the championship to the blue eagles, not because i belong to the school, but because they were consistent all throughout.

on a personal level, i really rooted for ateneo from the very beginning, for reasons beyond just such being my school at present. i've watched two games this season - first at ninoy aquino stadium where ateneo won against adamson by a solitary point courtesy of a trey by chris, and second was that sensational triumph over feu where jc drove that left-handed lay-up with 1.2 seconds remaining which in turn booted out the defending champions from final four action. and in all these games, i was wearing my "lucky outfit" (blue shirt, jeans, rubber shoes). i tried doing the same thing, but it didn't quite work out this time. i also tried praying in the coliseum during certain breaks of the game, but it seems to me that god is telling me to do it at san jose instead! but for me, the most striking scene on that game was the entire ateneo side singing "song to mary" with much grace and confidence despite losing. it was remarkable that the supporters never really left as a sign of encouragement to the players who were simply unbelievable all game long just to play for school pride. indeed, being there at the biggest stage of them all at perhaps the biggest ateneo game this season was indeed a different experience. and even if the school lost the game, i am proud to say that the entire team, and even the alumni, students, and staunch supporters of the school, have fought the good fight.

QUINITO, IS THAT YOU?

ok, i know i am not quinito henson, but here are three points that were crucial in the turn-out of events in game three:
  1. black magic gone. yes, ateneo was a team known for being lucky, sometimes too much, in very close games. they have won through clutch shots and a lot of decisive plays in the end game - the most notorious of which is that 1.0 second shot of doug kramer that sent game one to the bag of the blue eagles. unfortunately, in game 3, the blue eagles simply ran out of luck. jc intal missed two potential game clinchers - one before the end of regulation and the other one at 5 seconds left in overtime. like jc, the rest of the eagles were on handcuffs, except macky escalona who torched the ring with drives and treys for a 28 point output. and yes, just when the eagles needed that "black magic" running the show, it went to the other side of the court. the tigers were just lucky, if i may say, to survive game 3. they had the breaks all throughout the game. espiritu's trey and canlas' putback as well as ababou and cortez's free throws were not the only tangible proofs of such luck. with 3.7 seconds left in overtime, it was a jumpball between a tiger and doug kramer, and guess what: the possession arrow was at the side of UST! and yes, with cruz and evangelista at bay due to graduation from fouls, pido jarencio must have found unlikely heroes in his second stringers. it really doesn't matter now if he looks like jose manalo or allan k. he's champion coach for motivating the unseeded tigers very well. and we also have to incude for getting all the luck he needed to get the tigers from a 2-5 first round start to a roaring championship finish. let's just say that he got his own fair share of "black magic" used at the right place and time.
  2. too much complacency. here, the eagles would have to learn their lesson. the reason why their games all throughout the season were very close was because of too much complacency on their part - on protecting the lead, on securing the leather, on dictating the tempo, and on selecting better shots. yes, they were known for winning in close games, but when the game breaks open, it becomes harder for them to catch up and even take the game home. true, they have "black magic" on their sleeves, but when they run out of it, they have to go BACK TO BASICS - tempo, hustle, rebounding, shot selection. they had a five point lead in the closing minutes of the game, but they relaxed too early, which paved way for UST to barge into the game and send it to overtime. and in overtime, they had chances on taking the lead, but their shots were not falling and they failed to secure the boards from the tall tigers. a lot of people have been questioning certain calls from our dear referees, but i think that it's beyond our control now. with the game decided and the championship already in espana, what the eagles could do is to learn their lesson - focus on rebounding, selecting and taking better shots, protecting the lead from brief spurts, and dictating the tempo all throughout the ballgame.
  3. japeth aguilar. obviously, this factor has been the big difference all throughout the blue eagle's season. the 6'7'' behemoth was the biggest blow to the basketball team as he left for greener pastures in the US NCAA. that left the middle without the once dominant presence of the monster shot blocker and rebounder. true enough, the absence of japeth was very evident in the entire season, as centers rabeh al-hussaini and ford arao tried filling the gap on his behalf. yes, there were stellar performances of these two centers, but nothing perhaps beats the towering presence of japeth aguilar in the paint. and i have to say that ateneo needs japeth aguilar to stop jervy cruz from being a monster down the middle. yes, japeth may not have the heft unlike jervy, but he has the quickness and leaping ability to outmatch him in his staple food - rebounding. and i think that in order for ateneo to win titles without japeth, it has to train rabeh, drop ford to team B, and lure a new center to the eagle's lair. a guy named kevin crisostomo perhaps? hahaha. kidding aside, if japeth was there in the blue eagles roster, then the championship was surely money in the bank for the cagers from katipunan. and too bad he won't be in the ateneo line-up very soon - even in UAAP-NCAA live 06.
well, next year will be an entirely different story for the blue eagles. jc, macky, and doug have played their final year. without the main men and with japeth aguilar in distant shores, the carry-overs from this runner-up season would pin have to work harder, especially with chris, martin, and zion playing their final year next year. eric and jai are the future of the team, and they have to mature just in time for next season. as i said earlier, rabeh has to be trained well since he has the potential to take over japeth's place, while ford has to be dropped to team B for further training. ken might take over the place of jc in the line-up, so he has to prove why he's former junior's mvp before entering the collegiate league. emman, the spitfirish point guard will hopefully see more playing time next season, since he has proven that he can play with the big boys. how about coach norman? rumors have it that he might be replaced next season as his contract is expiring soon. but it makes me wonder if ateneo needs a pido jarencio to do the job if we have a ten time grandslam coach in norman black. unless we can get chot reyes, who used to be a blue eagle too, to coach the eagles next year. or better yet, take the living legend himself - robert jaworski! para patas lang laban. ginebra! ginebra!

to end this rather long analysis, i think that the ateneo-ust clash was expected to usher in a new rivalry in collge basketball. i think otherwise. it is obvious that nothing can still beat the blue-and-green rivarly, which we would be (again) seeing next year. if there's something between these two institutions, it has to be their religious orders - the dominicans and the jesuits - who have been "at clash" all throughout world and even philippine church history. well, just a reminder to all die hard USTe fans: yes, the dominicans may be ubiquitous, but without the jesuits, there would be no UST hospital and college of pharmacy! so let the two religious orders pull each other's hair. for sure, ignatius of loyola and his first companions are cheering "one big fight" while dominic and thomas aquinas are chanting "go USTe" while dwelling among the communion of saints in heaven.