Sunlight and Water to the Seedbed (A Reflection on Trinity Sunday)

A homily-paper submitted in my God/Trinity class, intended to be delivered in in the monthly family mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary, attended by minor seminarians and their respective families

Today, we are gathered for three important reasons. First of all, today is the first family weekend of the school year, a day where our dear minor seminarians are “re-united” with their respective families for the first time since returning to the seminary for the new school year. Secondly, today also concludes your son’s first recollection for this school year, where they have reflected on the vocation to the priesthood as a call to answer, a grace to accept, and a gift to take care and cultivate. Finally, we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, one of the most important foundations of our Catholic Christian faith. It is quite fitting that the previous two reasons blend together with this great feast that the Church celebrates today.

The gospel reading today comes from the Gospel of Saint John, which was actually part of a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to Jesus at night to express his belief in Jesus. Nicodemus believes that Jesus is a teacher sent by God by virtue of the words and deeds that he witnessed in Jesus’ ministry. We hear in our gospel one of, if not the, most famous lines in the Sacred Scriptures: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believed in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Perhaps this passage explains the message of the entire Bible in a nutshell: God loves us so much that He sent His son into the world to concretely express His love to us. Such is actually the basis of our faith in the Trinity: the love of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is given to us out of love so that we can live fully and share in His eternal life.

In our reflection for today’s mass, let us then reflect on this passage and the message of God’s love in relation to the three events that we celebrate this day: our first visiting Sunday, the culmination of our first recollection this school year, and the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. It is our hope that our reflection on the Trinity as a relationship of love can shed further light to two essential realities: the importance of the family in discerning and committing to God’s will in our lives and the challenge of responding generously to the vocation to the priesthood through our program of seminary formation.

TIMEOUT: so little time

as the rest of the san jose seminary community are on their way to dreamland, i have yet to begin working on the outline and keynote presentations for tomorrow's final presentation for our catholic social teaching class. at this rate, i've got so much to do with such a little time to spare.

and yes, if i have this much time, i'd rather spend it with you. :)

Batik-batik na Kariktan (Isang pagninilay sa pelikulang "Kung Fu Panda 2")

galing dito ang larawang ito

Ipinasa bilang isang "reflection paper" sa kursong Sangguniang Pastoral

Sa loob ng isang semestre ng pag-aaral ng kursong Sangguniang Pastoral, namulat ako sa ilang mahalagang aral hindi lamang sa sanggunian kundi pati na rin sa buhay. Bukod sa mga lolo at lola ng sikolohiya at mga paraan na inambag nila sa larangan ng sanggunian, ang isang leksiyon na maituturing kong lubhang mahalaga sa kursong ito ay ang kahalagahan ng pagkilala sa sarili: ng sumasangguni pati na rin ng sinasanggunian. Sa pagsisimula ng ating kurso, pinanood natin ang pelikulang Kung Fu Panda 1, na tila naghanda ng daan sa pagbubukas ng sarili hindi lamang sa kurso pati na rin sa bawat isa sa proseso ng sanggunian. At tila akma na sa pagwawakas ng ating kurso ay pinanood natin ang pelikulang Kung Fu Panda 2, na nagbigay ng mukha sa pagkilala ng sarili bilang pundasyon ng sanggunian at ang pagkakaroon ng malay sa pangkasalukuyan bilang haligi nito. Halos buong kurso nating binabanggit ang katagang “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift; that is why it is called the ‘present’.” Ang katotohanan ng katagang ito ay pinamalas sa tatlong tauhan sa pelikula: si Po, si Lord Shen, at ang Soothsayer.

TIMEOUT: Welcome to Hell Week

students of this day and age have coined the term "hell week" as the week of submissions of various requirements in preparation for their final examinations. i am not really a fan of the term as well as the week itself. for one, academic requirements should have been done earlier than the week of its submission. and of course, as a former teacher, the so-called hell-week of students entail an earlier stretch of "hell weeks" for teachers themselves: from the preparation and approval of these projects, its explanation, actual implementation, submission, and to its checking, grading, and submission of grades.

now, as i have already returned to the other side of the classroom as a student, i am on my own end of hell week. but that's beyond the point of this entry.

the fires of the so-called hell week can be extinguished by the water of life. in our apostolate area, one of the most striking scenes during sunday mass is the end of the celebration, where people come to the priest and ask for a blessing by sprinkling of holy water. interestingly, some people literally want their own dose of holy water as they would like to experience the drops of holy water sprinkled in one way or another to their own selves. perhaps this is a reflection of people's desires and aspirations today: the water of life quenching the thirst of their souls to bring life in their lives.

with submissions coming up and exams looming from the distance, let us ask for this blessing of water from god, our own spring of life.

here is one of the songs that i love playing in the mass, entitled "pababasbas." composed by fr. manoling francisco sj (my future thesis moderator hahaha) and mr. jandi arboleda, the song lyrics actually speak of the rite of dedication of churches. but on a more general sense, we also ask for dedication and blessing of our own selves: our bodies as temples of the spirit, our minds as gifts of god towards responsible stewardship, and our spirits as means to consecrate our thoughts, words, and actions for god's greater glory.

god bless us all in our respective hell weeks!

On Change (A Reflection on Matthew 21:28-32)

Part of the homily originally delivered in Filipino on the occasion of the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time at the chapel of Barrio Visaya, Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City

We begin our reflection on today's mass readings with this situation and question:

It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates.

Candidate A
Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologers. He's had two Mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B
He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.

Candidate C
He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer, and never cheated on his wife.

Who would you vote for and what made you choose or vote for your candidate?

THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 82, FEU 64 (Finals - Game 1)

nickobe and the cut-throat (photo source) 

three points on the the blue eagles' trampling of the feu tamaraws in game 1 of the uaap finals. though i was not able to watch the game live, i managed to download a copy of game 1 in the internet. 

there can only be one phenom (photo source)

1. 3rd quarter storm. for the past three years, the ateneo de manila blue eagles have used halftime breaks as leverage to pull off adjustments and eventually pull away from the game on a 3rd quarter surge. coach norman black and his coaching staff are able to dissect an opposing team's patterns in the first half and make the necessary adjustments that are quite effective enough to either erase a big lead or sprint away to win the game. with nico salva (my pick for the most improved player this season, and hopefully finals mvp) playing a perfect 8/8 in both the field and the charity stripe and enough support from three other eagles in double figures (17 points from kiefer ravena, 12 points from greg slaughter, and 11 points from emman monfort), the kings of the sky had a blistering 60% field goal shooting in this game, enough to build a lead too big for the tamaraws to upend.

saan ka pupunta?! buhay ka pa! (photo source)

2. shut them down. despite terrence romeo not "doing a romeo" this game (23 points on 10/15 2pt fgs and 1/4 3pt fgs), ateneo was able to shut down reigning mvp rr garcia down the stretch, limiting him to just 6 points in a forgettable 3/15 from the field. though there were stretches in the game when "rookie" russel escoto gave a scare to the blue and white, the blue eagles' suffocating defense limited the production of the tamaraws' key players like aldrech ramos (9 points) and cris tolomia (5 points). this was the key to this game: limit the scoring load to one person, let him be trigger happy, and shut everyone else down. as long as ateneo keeps playing tremendous defense on feu, a fourth championship is always on target.

one game at a time (photo source)

3. one more. with a win away from a four-peat, ateneo cannot just let their guard down. the blue eagles have to remain hungry and dangerous and finish this series on tuesday. it was interesting to see coach norman tinker with his line-up, especially with the minutes given to juami tiongson and "secret weapon" jp erram. expect the tamaraws to make key adjustments in the second game and try to get their groove back, especially the duo of rr garcia and aldrech ramos. originally, i predicted the blue eagles to win the series in close margins, but with this kind of desire in their eyes, it is not impossible to see another blowout this tuesday at the expense of the tamaraws. the team cannot be complacent though as winning game 1 only means that half the work has been done. as long as the team remains focused on its goal and executes the plays in both offense and defense, we might witness the fourth consecutive title raised high by the blue and white.

BLUE EAGLE, THE KING!

 slaughter the tams (photo source)

last shot. if there is one person in the blue and white that i miss this season, it has to be you.

(photo source)

The scores:

Ateneo 82 – Salva 24, Ravena 17, Slaughter 12, Monfort 11, Long 8, Erram 4, Tiongson 4, Chua 2, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0, Austria 0

FEU 64 – Romeo 23, Escoto 12, Ramos 9, Garcia 6, Exciminiano 6, Tolomia 5, Pogoy 2, Cruz 1, Sentcheu 0, Bringas 0

Quarter scoring: 14-19, 33-33, 60-49, 82-64

credits to inboundpass and adrian dy (chinoy hoops fan) for the stats

AND 1: May the Fourth be with You

credit to the original artist, image found on facebook

i will miss watching game one tomorrow.
but i'm one in spirit with the rest of the blue eagles' 6th man.

GO ATENEO! 
ONE BIG FIGHT!

From the movie "Kung Fu Panda 2"

(photo source)

"Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be... 
So, who are you, Panda?" 

- Soothsayer
Kung Fu Panda 2

Dreaming of the Ateneo-FEU Finals

sige nga, name the "angry" birds in this picture! (photo source)

i had a crazy dream during siesta time. it was about the uaap season 74 finals between the ateneo blue eagles and the feu tamaraws.

i found out yesterday that i will not be able to watch game 1 of the finals this coming saturday due to a commitment in our apostolate area. i was originally planning to watch the game first before going to apostolate, but with this development at hand, i might as well try to check how things will go on tv. but that's not the dream.

anyway, i dreamnt of watching the game live... at ringside! but since i didn't have tickets, i tried walking in the araneta, and surprisingly got in as there were no gate attendants in the area. i was surprised to see fellow josefinos watching there too! but what struck me was a little before the game ended, ateneo (already sporting a big lead) called a timeout for a "marian song" led by... our rector! for some reason, i and the rest of the josefinos left the coliseum but returned after the song. of course, ateneo won the championship in the end. only to hear my cellphone alarm. it's all a dream. hahahaha!

for sure, that dream meant something. i'll leave my sangguniang pastoral class for its psychoanalytic interpretation. but the fact remains: i will miss watching game 1 of the uaap finals live - for the first time in the ateneo championship era. but i hope to be back for game 2, which will hopefully be the clincher for the blue eagles' fourth title.

AND 1: Dynamite

featuring the ateneo-adamson big birds with the special participation of coaches norman black and leo austria! 

thanks bro. robbie for telling me about this awhile ago over tuesday basketball!

TIMEOUT: on loneliness and alone-ness

you may be alone, but not lonely. 
or lonely, but not alone.

Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who Knows?

from fr. eric castro's homily in national shrine of our lady of guadalupe, makati city.
story taken from http://seekingalpha.com/article/112485-financial-meltdown-good-luck-bad-luck-who-knows

A farmer used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer’s neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?”

A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?”

Then, when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?"

Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg, they let him off.

Now was that good luck or bad luck? Who knows?

Next in Line

this morning, three josefinos from the LIPAD (lubos na iniaalay ang puso sa amang dakila) class were ordained to the sacred order of deacons. the diaconate, a transitional ministry in preparation for ordination to the priesthood, is a ministry of service: in word (to proclaim the gospel during masses, to preach and to teach in a homily), in liturgy (to assist in various parts of the masses especially in communion), and in charity (to serve the poor and the marginalized). a deacon (from the greek διάκονος) is essentially a servant in the work of ministry in the church.

i am currently in my third year in theology, and i have to admit that this diaconal ordination makes me look forward to my own ordination very soon. though much work has yet to be done, ordinations like this brings much excitement and anticipation to me. it has been a long and winding journey for me, but i know that it has hardly entered its final stages. 12 years inside the seminary are just specks in relation to a lifetime of commitment to the priesthood. i've seen a lot, but i haven't seen them all.

this coming march 2012, i hope to get admitted for candidacy for holy orders. but before that will be pages to read, exams to pass, papers to write, publications to release, apostolates to attend to, basketball games to play, and prayers to pray. the fact remains that after this batch, i and the rest of my classmates are next in line.

so let's see what happens in september 2012. until then, i will pray well for perseverance in this vocation i am called to. i will study well for my future ministry. i will serve well in my duties and apostolates. and i will strive well to be formed as a son of san jose.

AND 1: Metta World Peace

so, ron artest is now officially "metta world peace." who's getting his jersey? i am. hahahaha

(photo source)

THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 69, UST 66 (Final Four)

 

slaughter slams it home (photo source)

three points on the blue eagles' 12th straight victory over the growling tigers and a ticket to their fourth straight uaap basketball finals

angry eagle knocks down the tower (photo source)

1. lucky. the blue eagles have to consider themselves lucky to avert a meltdown in the end-game against the growling tigers. with a 10 point lead with a little more than 3 minutes left in the game, all hell broke loose as the growling tigers started hitting threes that they missed throughout the game. despite greg slaughter's absence in the last few seconds of the game due to cramps and kiefer ravena obviously gasping for breath in the end, the blue eagles were able to weather the storm with free throws from justin chua and nico salva in the closing seconds. what was disturbing was the fact that ateneo's lead ballooned up to 15 only to find the team groping for form in the dying seconds. what was earlier predicted as a walk in the park almost turned into a nightmare. some might say the breaks of the game pulled the blue eagles through, but the team can't rely on them at all times - especially with the championship close at hand.

WALA! (photo source)

2. a little too late. yes, a win is a win, but the shaky moments in the end-game kept everyone hanging at the edge of their seats. consider these "what ifs": what if those two wild outlet passes from jeric fortuna led to conversions for the yellow and white? what if jeric teng made at least one of his open looks in the three-point area? what is ust made more than four out of their eleven missed free throws? what if kevin ferrer exploited his mismatch against ravena a little earlier in the game? worse, what if fortuna made his final shot to send this game into overtime with our key players logging heavy minutes in the game? unfortunately for them and fortunately for us, these scenarios remain and will continue to remain as "what ifs". ateneo must learn to sustain its attack in the concluding stretches of the game - a crucial facet in their game play that they have displayed in their three previous championship runs. the blue eagles were lucky (again) to have the clock on their side as the tigers growled a little too late back to the game.

time to add another one (photo source)

3. it's not over. the blue eagles will be waiting for their opponent in the finals, which will start on september 24. with feu extending their series against adamson to a rubber match this coming sunday, the road to ateneo's 4th consecutive championship just got a bit more exciting. the last slot will be up for grabs between the tamaraws and the falcons - the former almost beating the blue eagles in the second round and the latter putting ateneo's "sweep dreams" to a rude awakening last sunday. each team has its own strengths and stories to tell: the tamaraws are seeking their return to the top of the food chain after years of frustration in the final four, while the falcons are trying to clinch their first title since 1977 with a team that is formidable enough to do so. both teams though have an interesting sub-plot to their story line: this season is their best chance to win the championship; otherwise they will have to wait a little longer to return to the last dance. in any case, the ateneo blue eagles will come prepared and ready for whoever wins on sunday. behind the two remaining games to win will be hard-fought games, intense practices, and tremendous preparations. the quest for 4 is not over 'til it's over.

ONE BIG FIGHT!
BLUE EAGLE, THE KING!

The scores:

Ateneo 69 – Slaughter 17, Ravena 13, Salva 12, Chua 9, Tiongson 5, Gonzaga 5, Monfort 4, Long 4, Golla 0, Austria 0

UST 66 – Abdul 16, Camus 13, Teng 11, Ferrer 10, Fortuna 8, Afuang 5, Tan 3, Sheriff 0, Pe 0, Lo 0, Ungria 0

Quarter scoring: 18-18, 38-30, 52-40, 69-66

credits to inboundpass and adrian dy (chinoy hoops fan) for the stats

AND 1: Not in my (Slaughter)House!

(photo source)

will post my analysis of the ateneo-ust final 4 game tomorrow.

FIRST 5: Keys to the Final Four - Ateneo (1) vs. UST (4)

kiefer to kevin: mas masarap maging atenista (photo source)

2006. season 69. the mere mention of these numbers still hurt until now, despite the eleven straight games the ateneo blue eagles have won against ust, including a buzzer beater by kirk long in the second round of season 70, two final four appearances (in seasons 70 and 72), and two wipeouts during the eliminations this season. the blue and white meet white and yellow in the final four once more, and the stakes are higher this time around: rising above from a loss last game, sealing a championship birth towards a 4th consecutive title, and (still) avenging the title that should have been ours in season 69.

here are five things the blue eagles have to consider in this final four clash with the growling tigers:

Feast of the Triumph of the Cross

Today is the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. It also marks the "original feast day" of Santo Cristo de Las Pinas Parish, my home parish.

Please continue to pray for our parish, now on its 16th year of existence. We pray especially the priests who have served our parish: Fr. Virgilio Pedregosa (our current parish priest), Frs. Rey Anthony Yatco, Gregory Ramos, Amado Arroyo, Lamberto Legaspino (former parish priests) and Frs. Rafael Cruz, Nestor Remata and Paul (former resident priests).

Please also pray for me and the seminarians who have served the parish in one way or another.

Viva Santo Cristo!

Feast of Saint John Chrysostom

photo taken from here

"If there were no tribulation, there would be no rest; if there were no winter, there would be no summer." 

- Saint John Chrysostom

Today (September 13) is the Feast day of Saint John Chrysostom, from whom our family name is based. Known as the "golden mouth" for his intense preaching and defense of the Catholic Christian faith, he is revered as one of the 33 doctors of the Catholic Church.

May the example of John Chrysostom animate us to be stewards of goodness, teachers of truth, and instruments of God's love to one another.

Happy feast day to everyone bearing the name "Crisostomo" all over the world!

TIMEOUT: some people just can't spell it right :|

AND 1: Bobby Ray's shot and NU's "could have been"

this shot perhaps defined the chances of the nu bulldogs making into the final four midway through the elimination round. too bad they did not make it to the postseason but they played a major role down the stretch as spoilers to la salle's shot at the final four as well as ust's bid for the number 3 seed.

bobby ray parks might have won the mvp plum for his 22 point performance yesterday, but nu's exclusion from the final four could give him second thoughts on staying put or entertaining offers abroad. now, the question is, will we still see "BRP" in season 75? it's for him to know and for us to find out.

FIRST 5: 5 players, 5 tweets

let us look into the thoughts of the players from their respective twitter accounts after their loss to adamson yesterday.

in your pale face, lebrondial (photo source)

1. greg slaughter. if not for today's papers, i would be resting in my assumption that no blue eagle scored double figures in yesterday's game. the big man was shackled in every possession, as he had to earn his 10 points the hard way. that slam over rodney brondial was one of the highlights of a rather lethargic game for the blue eagles yesterday. he gave credit to what was due for the falcons, as well as an assurance to the blue eagles sixth man with this tweet:

energizer bunny ran out of batteries (photo source)

2. tonino gonzaga. the energizer bunny off the bench with 7 points, but his pesky defense kept lester alvarez grounded on certain parts of the game. unfortunately, he did not get enough boost from the bench, only getting 2 more points from justin chua for a lowly 9 bench points for this game. his tweet after the game reminds us that the ultimate goal is not the sweep, but to hang another championship banner in the rafters of the blue eagle gym:

 

the phenom's patented tap-ring (photo source)

 

3. kiefer ravena. the phenom brushed aside a rather forgettable uaap debut in last round's game against adamson by leading the charge of the blue eagles' fastbreak trio with emman monfort and kirk long. matched with taller defenders on the offensive end, he had to take a mismatch in defense with alex nuyles exploiting this especially in the second half. he must have heard words of wisdom from his dad at taco bell yesterday. here are his own words this morning: 

the bacon wasn't warm enough (photo source)

 

4. bacon austria. ateneo-adamson games have been family affairs for the austrias for the past five years. sometimes, we wonder what could have happened inside the car on their way back home, or over the dinner table especially after all the narrow ateneo triumphs in the past few years. still groping for form in his final year, bacon congratulates his dad and the adamson crowd and at the same time looks forward to thursday's game in this tweet:

 

mr. consistent went missing-in-action (photo source)

 

5. nico salva. the most consistent player in the blue eagles' roster was at a loss throughout the game. he went 2/8 from the field (including 1/6 in the 2-point area) with 7 turnovers to boot. it was a truly forgettable for someone who has been uaap's fantasy player of the season. it seems to me that his moves were well-scouted and studied by his defenders in that game. but that defeat for him can be understood as the spark to bring the team back on track:

one final note. every time they come off a loss, the ateneo blue eagles bounce back with an emphatic win over their opponents. in season 71, the blue eagles lost to feu tamaraws just to win the next 11 games, including game 2 of the finals against la salle. in season 72, their defeat to the up fighting maroons also led to a string of victories going into the finals. after losing to the ue red warriors in game 2, ateneo thrashed ue in game 3 for their second consecutive championship. in season 73, they lost to the feu tamaraws in the last game of the elimination round but it only made them better as they came back stronger by beating adamson in the final four and feu twice in the finals. with the final four cast complete, i expect the blue eagles to be back - faster, higher, stronger, and hungrier - against ust growling tigers this thursday.

FIRST 5: Things to learn from 13-1

sorry, boy. not today (photo source)

originally, i was about to release a "first 5" column on the keys to the game between ateneo and adamson. however, i was not able to finish it. so i'm using the same column to assess the game awhile ago.

by this time, it should already be everywhere: from facebook, to twitter, the blogosphere, online forums, and tomorrow in the broadsheets. the adamson falcons' "one biggest fight" was a successful one, stopping the sweep-seeking ateneo blue eagles, 62-46 in a game that broke and re-wrote history itself. the victory broke a 29-game winning streak of the eagles over the falcons as well as the 13 straight wins of ateneo this uaap season. in front of a hostile adamson crowd in white, the blue eagles were just outplayed, outhustled, and outshot. there are no excuses for the loss but lessons to be learned and cherished as the elimination round comes to a close and the postseason in sight.

"even the best falls down sometimes." perhaps instead of making a blow-by-blow analysis of how ateneo lost, it would be better to look at how the blue eagles can live with it use this defeat to make them better. here are five things that the team can look into in preparation for the games that truly matter the most.

Happy Birthday, Mama Mary!

photo by bro. anthony coloma sj

i miss singing this song on a saturday morning in the minor seminary, during community rosary around mater dei. another composition from the focolare movement in the philippines, the song reflects on how mary's life was a life of love: for his son whom she followed even at the foot of the cross, for joseph whose silent witnessing made her a witness of his son's life, and for god to whom nothing is impossible.

Song for Mary

When I look upon your face,

I see a gentle smile of ages past

I see a simple smile of mother's stare

A mother's care, a mother's special kind of love

And in the silent years that pass

Living his words which bind your life of love

A sword and spear which have torn your heart

Bore you a son, made for you a life of love

You have held the whole world in your hands,

watch it slowly fade away.

But you believed in love,

believed in the only way there is to be

You believed in love.

You have held the whole world in your hands,

watch it slowly fade away.

But you believed in love,

believed in the only way there is to be
(there is to be, there is to be)

You believed in love.

You believed in love.

You believed in love.

ONE BIG(GEST) FIGHT?

everyone in the blue eagles' sixth man camp is surely looking forward to saturday's game between ateneo and adamson. popularly known as the "battle of the birds", the blue eagles hold the distinction of a 29-game winning streak against the falcons, spanning three presidencies and a gazillion of oil price increases. this saturday, the stakes will be higher as a win for ateneo will not only give add one more to the fabled streak but also sweep the elimination round for an outright finals slot with a thrice-to-beat advantage to boot.

by now, you must have heard of the facebook event that adamson fans have set up for saturday's tussle. dubbed as "one biggest fight", their fans have named a "four-game plan" (whatever that means) for saturday. let's leave that to them, as the blue eagles and the sixth man for sure have plans of their own.

maybe, it would be better to remind them of last season's final four game, with the eagles emerging victorious, 68-55. of course, that was last season and this is a brand new one. who wouldn't forget the scare the falcons almost cost them in the first round? i expect the team to run some of the new plays and key adjustments (already shown in sketches in the past few games) this saturday in preparation for their title defense within this month. i also expect a balanced scoring attack from their big guns, solid defense to clamp down adamson's scorers, and hustle that has defined ateneo basketball in season 74.

see you this saturday!
GO ATENEO! ONE BIG FIGHT!

TIMEOUT: A Postscript on God/Trinity exam

photo courtesy of jay fonacier

"And who are we to do these things, we who cannot even see what lies at our feet, or the number of the sands of the sea, or the drops of rain, or the days of eternity, much less enter into the depths of God, and supply an account of that nature which is so unspeakable and transcending in words?"

- Gregory of Nazianzus

(from Part 3: God in Christian Tradition of God/Trinity notes, page 22)

TIMEOUT: BRB

the preacher in basketball shoes will be back in blogosphere after his god/trinity written examination this coming tuesday (6 september 2011).
prayers promised and requested!

AND 1: Long's Steal, Kiefer's No-Looker, and Salva's Slam

here's the highlight from the ateneo-nu game that people have been talking about. unfortunately, i cannot write my three-point play segment on that game as i only tuned in to the game via radio. rest assured that you'll be reading one this coming saturday as ateneo goes for a 14-0 finish against adamson.
ONE BIG FIGHT!


UAAP S74 - Kiefer Ravena's No-Look Pass for Nico... by coldbluestar

FRIDAY FOODFEST: chicharonsilog from tapsi ni vivian

originally, this friday foodfest should be a feature on my trip down the streets of manila, particularly the various food trips in the quiapo and divisoria area. until something happened.

last weekend, san jose seminary had its family day. as the one assigned for the prizes for the afternoon program, i scheduled a trip to divisoria together with my committee members and two of my classmates. one of my classmates agreed to drive for us, on the condition that we eat at mamonluk's after shopping. i gladly obliged, since i like mamonluk's too. in his words, mapanghi pero masarap.

however, with one of our companions having to rush back to the seminary for counseling as well as the amount of time we spent shopping for prizes, we had to go somewhere else. after bringing people back to san jose, my classmate and i started thinking where to eat as we have been starving throughout the trip. several suggestions came out, like chic-boy (which i will review very soon), mang jimmy's (another food trip worth reviewing), kowloon house, etc. after making the u-turn in front of miriam college, he suddenly thought of going to a place "that we'll surely like." we ended up along gil fernando avenue in marikina, in a place called "tapsi ni vivian."

chicharonsilog = sinful

what caught my attention in this place was not much of the ambiance (very clean, open-air, non-airconditioned hall) nor the price (php 100 for a meal is good enough), but the hefty servings they give for traditional carinderia food like lechon kawali, liempo, tapa, dinuguan, etc. but what struck me the most was the chicharonsilog: deep fried pork intestines (isaw) and fried rice topped with sunny side-up egg. damn, writing this entry is already making me hungry!

THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 73, UP 58

12-0 and still a long way to go (photo source)

three points on the blue eagles' 12th consecutive win this season at the expense of the fighting maroons

iba na ang matangkad! (photo source)

1. go big time. the big men of the blue eagles, greg slaughter (18 points, 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block), justin chua (11 points, 10 rebounds), and nico salva (16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 assists, 1 steal... fantasy worthy numbers!), took charge in this victory against the maroons. the versatility of ateneo's big men doused cold water on up's repeated blitzes, which somehow fizzled out come crunchtime. despite missing frank golla (sprained ankle) this game, the blue eagles won the battle of the boards (58-33). as assured by coach norman black after the ateneo-la salle game, the team is surely taking things one game at a time, and they are expected to focus on winning their final two assignments this season: nu and adamson. with both of them having their own big men to boot, expect the blue eagles' front court to assert their might in the middle. otherwise, the blue eagles' back court is always ready to fire and slash away.

happy birthday, captain kirk! (photo source)

2. some surprises. during the game, it was observed that coach norman was tinkering with his rotation and trying to run some plays that have not been used this season. for instance, the second stringers saw more playing time despite up holding the lead. the starters were mixed in a variety of combinations on the court with the role players (though this has been a trend for the blue eagles in the past three seasons). this game against up could have served as some sort of an experiment for the four-peat seeking blue eagles who are definitely working hard to make a push for the last stretch of the season. but despite their 22 turnovers this game, what stood out was the discipline the team tried to live by - not rushing shots, rotating the ball, and finding the opening with the clock winding down. coach norman sure has a lot of "black magic" left inside his sleeves.

seek guidance from above (photo source)

3. the journey. during the post-game conference, coach norman gave yet another reminder to the ateneo faithful: "we are in a journey. and when you are in a journey, you do not get bored." a lot of people, regardless of what side of the uaap seal they belong to, have been talking about the blue eagles sweeping the elimination round and clinching that automatic finals spot with a thrice-to-beat advantage, making the championships a virtual best-of-five with ateneo already on a 1-0 edge. but the elimination round has yet to end, and with two crucial games left, the blue eagles should not be bored in this long and grueling trip to their fourth consecutive title. everything has a price to pay, and for sure the championship trophy won't be given on a silver platter. i think this should go for the blue eagles' sixth man too: enjoy the ride. it's a journey, not a destination. we're halfway there. and we'll make it, i swear.

The scores:

Ateneo 73 – Slaughter 18, Salva 16, Chua 11, Ravena 7, Tiongson 5, Long 5, Austria 4, Gonzaga 3, Erram 2, Monfort 2, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0, Sumalinog 0

UP 58 – Silungan 16, Juruena 12, Maniego 7, Romero 6, Montecastro 4, Gamboa 4, Mbah 3, Wierzba 2, Gomez 2, Manuel 1, Gingerich 1, Pascual 0

Quarter scoring: 15-14, 32-28, 52-45, 73-58

credits to inboundpass and adrian dy (chinoy hoops fan) for the stats