My Lady

I met Madeleine when we were both twelve. It was on my first SEP, a summer camp, which was held on Compostela, Cebu. Of course, it was her prettiness that made me notice her; pony-tailed hair, proud stand, and a pair of eyeglasses that made her look smart. When I first saw her, at their church, I had no idea I will have the chance to talk to her. I also had no idea she was going to be a very important part of my life.

It was on the journalism club that I saw her again, and she met me. I can’t remember how we started talking. Maybe it was RD or Rodah who started it, and me and her joining in. But then, I felt, for the first time, I certain type of delight. So, we started talking. And got acquainted. And she became my first crush.

Oh, but she don’t really noticed me as i noticed her. Yeah, she laughed at my jokes and wit. Unconsciously, I think, I was trying to impress her. But I don’t think I really made an impression. However, she enjoys my company as much as I enjoy hers.

Throughout the camp, we got chances to hang out and talk. I felt glad all those times. We start to get to know a bit about each other. I found her smart and charming, her beauty inside equals her beauty outside. She was interesting. I nicknamed her “4-eyes” – she didn’t mind. It was not really for teasing her, rather out of showing she was special to me because it was meant as a title, really.

It was because of her that my 4 I’s standard was born. I only get attracted to a girl if the 4 I’s standard is met: I was interested, impressed, inspired, and intimidated. Only three more girls followed after she had set my 4 I’s standard. For a long time, it was she who was my standard for the perfect girl.

There was this “mailing” system in the camp where each dorm has a “mail box.” I sent her about one or two notes, but I didn’t get anything back. I didn’t mind. On the dance night, I want to ask for a dance. But I don’t have the confidence, and besides a lot of boys was lining up for a dance. One of them was her crush – a fellow Bicolano. Who am I to pitch in?

My dormmates know I had a crush on her. So did my Bicolano companions. And so did 4-eyes, as my cousin PJ told her. She said she laughed when she heard about it. She said she didn’t believe it.

And so camp ended, and we Bicolano campers had to leave. We, Bicolanos, and Cebuanos get to be close friends. They even escorted us to the ship. And as we departed, a certain kind of burden came over me. I believe Madel, back then, don’t think I was something special. Yes, we get to be friends. But since she lives in Cebu, and I live in Albay, what kind of friendship would that be? A gap like that will not allow a very good friendship. I saw she was special. I wanted to know her more. I wanted her to exist in my life. I wanted her to see me, too, that I am different. I don’t want it to end in just one summer.

I made an effort. I texted her with my mother’s celfone (I don’t have one yet back then). She replied. And that’s where it started. We get to know more of each other, and had an expansion of all those fun conversations we had at our camp. It was the start of us getting close.

When my Bicolano friends decided to sent letters back to our Cebuano friends. I made a long letter to her. My intention was a letter for her only, but for the sake of not being too obvious, I also made letters for my other Cebuano friends. Our Cebuano friends wrote back to us. Madel’s letter to me was thick. Rather, it was not one letter, but several letters. And awesome drawings. She is the best penciler I had met. At the envelope, she wrote: “To a very special friend.” For me, that was it. The start. I knew our friendship would be indeed special.

Throughout our teenage years, we tried to keep in touch. We exchanged letters, drawings, t-shirts, and e-mails. Everytime she sent me something, I was excited and happy. And so did she, when she got something from me. At first, it was only occasional communication since I still don’t have a celfone back then. Then Friendster came and I got my own celfone. So we got to keep in touch more frequently. We get to be closer and knew each other more. Those were the times I called her “ang pinakamagayon na babaying namidbidan ko.”

It came that I fell for somebody and she became my girlfriend. Madeleine fell for somebody and got a boyfriend. But Madel occupied a special place in my heart even though I already have the LOML (the “Luv Of My Lyf” – my nickname for my high school sweetheart then). We were there for each other, talking about each other’s relationship, encouraging, and comforting each other when the break-ups happened. She got to fall again, and got another boyfriend, and I was happy for her. But it was a different case for me since LOML was special – in the first place, she reminded me a lot of Madel (Madel was my standard from the start, but LOML has surpassed them). And I learned that though I did love, I was not capable to enforce it.

Yes, Madel was my standard. My first teenage love. But I chose a different path because a relationship with her will never work. I was satisfied and happy as bestfriends, and I never regretted it. She was the first, though LOML has been the greatest (and still is). Though I am not really the type of person who likes romantic stuff, the two of them had been exceptions. Though the stories were not really happy endings, what I had with them were not entirely disappointments. Especially, with Madel. Our bond became stronger and special which a romantic relationship couldn’t have done at all.

I got to see her again in person four-years after we met in SEP Compostela. She visited my city for vacation, courtesy of her uncle and aunt. At first, we were shy of each other and she seemed to ignore me. Honestly, I was disappointed when she responded that way. But by and by, we were able to get through the shyness barrier and had good bonding with each other. The days of her stay were short, but I felt very happy during those times.

I am always worried when she starts getting hurt. Because of the physical distance, I can never really effectively perform the responsibilities of a bestfriend. I can’t defend her. I can’t hug her to comfort her. She can’t talk to me face-to-face. But I do my best when this happens.

I think the worst hurts she received was with her on-off relationship with her second boyfriend, and the final break-up. I did the best I can for her, giving advice, comforting her, and, the best, praying for her. But it frustrates me when I can’t do anything more to help her. My treating her as a specimen for my mental analysis exercises annoys her. But I was not really doing it all for my own mental stimulation, I was trying my best to read the situation to be able to give her sound advices. Maybe it was kind of cold when I treat her like I was a shrink or detective, and for that I was sorry. Again, it is frustrating when I can’t be there for her in person. But I know she’ll overcome.

Madeleine Mae Boone is a diamond. A part of God’s grace in my life. A dynamo of potentials (which she still don’t tap). She had inspired me. Granted me a certain kind of delight. Made an impact to my life. Helped me to become a better person. Helped me to excel in my talents and strengths. Made me strong. Proved me wrong in some of my cynicisms. Made me laugh. Cheered me up when I needed cheering. Amused me. An equal for me in intelligent discussions and debates. A great conversationalist. Loved me. Made me feel I am special. My critic. My prayer partner. A friend in need. My bestfriend. My Lady, as I am her Lord.

We are now different persons from the 12-year olds that met. And as our friendship started on the dawn of our teenage years, and had continued and strengthened up to the dawn of our adulthood, I believe it will endure for eternity. Berneleine best friends forever. A legendary friendship.

I always thank God for giving me you, Madz. Happy 20th Birthday.

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Speech: Society's Addiction to Entertainment

(The first assignment in our Public Speaking class is to make a two-minute long speech that would entertain. I had procrastinated for one week, and just made this speech quickly an hour prior to class. But it all came out fair. Here goes...)

Good evening.

I am supposed to deliver a speech that would entertain. And entertainment has become an essential part of a good speech. Yes, a speech should appeal to the intellect. Yes, a speech should appeal to the emotion – which is more important. But an entertaining speech is more assured of being successful. Why? It is because our society loves it, and had already integrated it as an essential element in Bloom’s Taxonomy of Needs.

Entertainment had taken over the world. Ever wonder why movie stars are paid more than teachers? When society rewards people like Kris Aquino more than our Public Speaking teacher, Ma’am Barce, it means that society value entertainment more than education. I observe that many females of my generation, including our former classmate Miss Abadesa, are more updated in showbiz news than current events. Filipinos would rather watch crappy I.Q. depleting shows in Telebabad and Primetime Bida than informative documentaries on science and history. The likes of Katrina Halili get more sympathy than unknown and real rape victims that was not able to get justice. Celebrities, tainted with immorality, are more looked up to than charity workers and others that work with no rewards and are satisfied in being anonymous. The main and most successful medium in promoting products or messages is through entertainment. (Reminds me of the Mark of the Beast, where in the End of Days, no one can buy nor sell without it.)

I think entertainment had come to this because it has exploited Man’s nature of seeking pleasure and happiness. And since entertainment is readily available and easily gives pleasure, Man tend to turn to it more often. But the pleasure entertainment gives is temporary. And since it is temporary, Man craves for more and more, not being fully satisfied. And by the law of demand, entertainment became valuable. Now, it had already become a drug of society. Abused, taken into excess, and now society is addicted to it.

I am desperately trying to entertain you all here. But I hope you get the message – of this reality. I am not saying entertainment is evil. But it has the potential to become evil easily, if we allow it to take control of our lives. I am warning you of the seemingly harmless craving for entertainment.

As ending, I would like to say that nothing from this world could fully satisfy us, and only God can fill that void for complete happiness and pleasure in our lives.

Good night and thank you.

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An Early Birthday Gift For Me: At Last, the Lakers are Champions Again!

Thanks, God.
The Los Angeles Lakers are back on top.
NBA Champions 2009!

At last…
After all those disappointments of the past…
Their championship run cut by the San Antonio Spurs in 2003.
The 2004 Finals upset defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons.
Missing the playoffs in 2005.
Wasting their 3-1 lead on the Phoenix Suns in 2006.
Another first round loss to the Suns in 2007.
And that painful Finals loss to the Boston Celtics last year, 2008.
It was a tough tough journey, but it was worth it.
2009 is the Lakers’ year.
This championship is just sweet.  So sweet.

After years of waiting and cheering for my favorite team,
The Los Angeles Lakers are NBA champions once again.
For the 15th time.
Kobe got his 4th ring that he desired so much.
Coach Phil Jackson surpassed Red Auerbach with his 10th championship as coach.
It had been a long, hard, but, nonetheless, satisfying journey.
The 2009 playoffs was never easy for the Lakers…
The Jazz was not your regular team to have in an eight seed; the Lakers took them out in 5.
The Rockets gave the Lakers a hard time, even without Yao, and pushed them to a Game 7.
And then the Nuggets were playing well, and the Conference Finals was hard, but Kobe was just brilliant in that series and the Lakers won in 6.

Back again to the Finals, after that heartbreaking loss against the Celtics last year.
I was rooting for the Celtics to win at the East, so that the Lakers can avenge their loss.
When the Celtics were beaten, I was rooting for the Cavaliers so there would a Kobe-LeBron showdown in the Finals.
Plus, a one-man-dominated team is destined to fail and I had no doubt that the Lakers will beat the Cavs.
But the Magic was the one who won out in the East.
It got me worried because Magic was a real team… a monster in the paint with Dwight Howard, surrounded with three-pointers, and some perimeter defenders to throw at Kobe.
Plus, they swept the meetings with the Lakers in the regular season.

But I had still believed that the Lakers would win the championship this year.
It would be hard, but with no doubt in my mind, they would win.
And, I was right, the Lakers delivered…
The “soft” Pau Gasol effectively defended Superman Howard.
Trevor Ariza was deadly and showed the Magic that trading him was a mistake.
Derek Fisher found his shot in Game 4 and those two three-pointers will always be remembered.
Andrew Bynum was willing to sacrifice those minutes to give out fouls to stop Howard.
Lamar Odom, an All-Star level player (though he still yet to be one) who was willing to be a sixth man this season, came out from the bench and gave the necessary boost.
The rest of the Lakers bench held their own when they were on the floor.
And Kobe Bryant – the best basketball player in the NBA – set the tone for this Finals when he scored 40 to a 25-point rout of the Magic in Game 1, and though he was playing below his standards in the Laker wins of Game 2 (7 turnovers) and Game 4 (missed 20 shots) proved that his worst is still better than most players’ best as he got the Finals MVP award.

Again, the Lakers are back on top…
Indeed, one of my best quotes would apply in this emotional event…
“Life is a war. It does not matter if you lose some battles as long as you win the war. The defeats you get will only make the overall victory sweeter.”
And it is sweeter…
Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA Champions… again.
I want a repeat next year…

BY THE WAY...

Sure, LeBron James was the regular-season MVP.
But Kobe Bryant got the Finals MVP, proving he is the best.

Many would say that a regular-season MVP is a bigger thing than a Finals MVP.
I don’t think so.
A Finals MVP comes with a ring.

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Watching the Wanders

On Independence Day, the Wanders had a show in Legazpi. Wanders is the famous world-class show that boasts as the “Best Musical Acrobat Show in Asia.” The Wanders show was presented by the City of Government of Legazpi for Legazpi’s 50th anniversary as a city.

The venue for the show was the Albay Astrodome, which was the venue for the city’s major conventions, meetings, sports events, concerts, and the like. I am not the kind of person who watches the concerts done in the Astrodome. But I did so with this Wanders show. The reason is I know Wanders is a world-class show, and, maybe, it may be the last time I’ll have the chance of watching something of that caliber. But the main reason was the tickets were free.

So, there, I found myself with the mass of people going inside to watch the free, world-class show. The entrance into the Astrodome was filled with people. There was no organized line, so it was close to chaos. There was too much heat because of the thick atmosphere of all that people, so I was easily sweating. And it was hard to breathe, so I had to breathe through both my nose and mouth.

Not only where there too much heat, but such unorganized impatient crowd cramped together like sardines has the potential to erupt to a stampede. I was not a fool. So, I did well in doing precautionary things-to-do prior a potential stampede. I kept my cool, ignored the claustrophobic tendency, and stuck near the walls. I pitied those kids in the crowd since they were shorter and smaller – and at that level, I think it was even much harder to breathe and hotter and they can easily be crushed if there’s going to be a stampede.

But, at last, I do not know what they did, but the flow of people coming in hasten. Shortly, I was inside the air-conditioned Astrodome (another pre-stampede tip I did was sit on places near the exit).

The show was supposed to start on 6:00 pm (and another show on 8:00 pm) and I was inside about ten minutes to six. But the program actually started at 7:45 pm. Imagine the time wasted at waiting. People continued to pour in and the coolness from the air-conditioner faded.

Then, a music video of the city mayor on the job was played at the projector. It was repeated over and over for four times. At the first run, it was okay. At the second run, it was starting to be annoying. At the third, it had the potential for mental torture to make anybody insane. At the fourth, it was starting to get fun again as the place started to rain with curses from the crowd.

So, at 7:45 pm, the emcee announced the start. Our city mayor gave a speech. Though the people were restless, Legazpenos love their mayor and gave him a warm applause. There was a problem with the sound system; it was so weak to hear the mayor’s voice. But, at last, it was fixed just in time to hear the mayor’s “Mabuhay” last word. It was so funny that the sound system was fixed in time only to hear the end that I can’t help laughing.

Then, the PAGCOR Chairman, the guest, made his speech. He talked about a anti-drug campaign, complete with superhero dancers. Then, he talked of the PAGCOR major international commercial area project. Then, another music video where there was a part that goes “ikaw ang pag-asa… (you are the hope)” and the picture of the chairman freezes in the screen, then it goes again, “ikaw ang pag-asa…” and PGMA’s picture freezes. That was annoying.

One of my seatmates barked to his wife, “I thought you dragged me here so you can watch a circus act.” Someone below him commented, “Yeah. But first, there is this circus of these (bleep) politicians.”

After these stupid “front-acts”, the real show rolled. And indeed, it was a world-class caliber show. Dancers, singers, acrobats, contortionists, and acrobats filled the show, doing entertaining numbers, acts, and stunts. There was about five or six parts, and they rocked the house. A lot of breath-taking, adrenaline-pumping scenes, and occasional bursts of awe, clapping, and startled screams from the crowd. It was as entertaining as Broadway.

The show – minus the blasted political crap – was only about or less than an hour. I think the city can only afford up to that extent.

The show was the best I had watched this year. The performers of Wanders can inspire. There is something inspiring when performers work hard and have fun when they do their craft – it reflects in the stage.

Yeah. Yeah. I had written more about the events prior the show than the show itself. But Wanders is that great enough for me not to give out any more details about it so that you can watch for yourselves what Wanders is all about… if you get the chance.

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I Wish The Cavaliers Won

I was rooting for the Cavaliers. I wanted them to fight the Lakers in the finals. Kobe vs. LeBron is certainly going to be very entertaining.

But my main reason was… there was no way the Cavaliers can beat the Lakers. The Lakers had already beaten them in the regular season, 2-0. Moreover, the Cavs is a one-man team. Sure, LeBron James is MVP enough to carry his team to the best record in the NBA. But there was no way he can carry his team in the Finals over, though inconsistent, a powerhouse and deep, Kobe-led, Lakers.

LeBron is a great player, and he is going to be the best someday. But Jerry West’s proclamation that LeBron is now the best is premature. Kobe Bryant is still the best. LeBron, for now, is a brilliant stat-getter but, nonetheless, second to Kobe as the best player. Stats does not define the best and versatility, it‘s about greatness in the court. The let-LeBron-do-it-all-and-get-his-stats system was destined to fail… it was only a pity that it was not the Lakers who capitalized from it, but the Magic.

Now, Magic is a team. And their system spells trouble for my favorite team. Just as the Cavs one-man-team system is flawed, the Lakers system of tending to be inconsistent may be capitalized upon by the Magic. The Magic have Dwight Howard, the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year, and is explosive in the inside. This could be tough for the softie frontcourt players of the Lakers. I hope the Lakers’ center, Andrew Bynum, would regain his toughness inside and would do well against Howard. It would also be hard to contain the Magic’s three-pointers, and the Lakers would have to settle with matching with their own three-pointers – and I hope they would be successful. But the favor of winning is still on the Lakers though. They have Kobe, and the Magic will never stop him. (But of course, the other Lakers should step-up also. A championship can never be won by a one-man team.)

I only hope that their tough playoff run would put the Lakers at their best. I still believe the Lakers would win the championship. But it’s going to be tougher.

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I.Q. is Overrated

We are easily impressed by I.Q.

Personally, I am a skeptic of I.Q. as a final measurement of a person’s intelligence. Here are some points why I doubt: 

a.) Most I.Q. tests are multiple choices. Thus, even if we don’t know the answer we can pick from the choices by random. Maybe, the odds are low that you’ll get the answer, but it’s still a chance! (Another thing that doesn’t impress me are odds… so what if it is 1% chance against 99%? The 1% is still a chance nonetheless. It could still come up, no matter how low the chance.) So, you may “luck” yourself to a high score. 

b.) Can I.Q. tests measure these aspects of intelligence: linguistics, musical, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and spatial? Based on the questions in I.Q. tests, it seems that the only thing that they might obtain is intelligence in logical-mathematical aspect. 

c.) Sometimes I.Q. tests have questions that require information/trivia knowledge. Example, there is a set of groups of letters and you should rearrange them first to form them to words, then find the odd-man out. Let us assume you get London, Paris, Tokyo, and Sydney after rearranging them. Of course, it’s easy. Sydney is out. The others are capitals. But assuming this is a hard question and would require special knowledge. Assume there are two who took the test, and the first have just read about it recently (again, we are assuming that the determining Sydney as a non-capital requires special knowledge and not general knowledge). The second have not. Thus, the first knows that Sydney is not a capital. Is it a point against the second’s intelligence because he does not have this information or trivia in his knowledge? If you look at it this way, this could be unfair to the second since it is not his fault that he had not have the chance or had the circumstance to encounter it. 

d.) Can intelligence be really measured?  I am (a bit of a) skeptic that something complicated and abstract as intelligence can be measured at all. 

e.) I don’t think I am a genius, but I always get a high score in these tests. (Now, why is that?) That is why I’m a skeptic, I doubt I am that smart.

Here is a result of one of those tests I took on the net:

127. Hmmm. Can it really be that high?  However, I think, it’s the best test I took (that almost convinced me that this I.Q. thing may really work). Here are the points why I think this is almost the closest thing to a perfect test to measure my I.Q.: 

a.) no information/trivia knowledge required (though, I would not mind if there were. I am king of irrelevant facts, but, if there were, that would be an “unfair” advantage on my part). 

b.) it’s under a time pressure of 20 minutes (I finished it in 18 minutes). 

c.) no multiple choices in the number problems. Choices were only on abstract problems.  Thus, picking answers randomly are minimal. 

d.) In all the tests that I had taken, it is the lowest score I had so far, thus, more believable (believe me, I’m saying it without arrogance at all).

The highest score I had was in high school (many items, and also under a time pressure. It was good in its own right) and I got a 144. Yah, I think I answered well, but I also made a lot of random choices in that test. So, maybe I got many of those random picks right because of luck. 144 was unbelievable for me. 

I am not showing off. I am just saying that I don’t trust the results. Yeah, maybe I can say that God gave me an intelligence above average. But I don't think I am that smart (I could stomach 127, but 140s are unbelievable) as I.Q. tests make it. Not a super genius.  If I am, I could have understood quantum theory and all that other difficult  concepts of Physics. 

I conclude that I.Q, tests are imperfect. And I.Q. is overrated. It can’t really measure one’s intelligence. Maybe only a small part, but not something definite. There are other things to consider. Talents, skills, E.Q., leadership, how you deal with people, experiences, and other factors. Intelligence is too complex to be measured by a mere I.Q. score.

Besides, I believe that the true measure is not at all about how intelligent you are. It’s how you use your intelligence. How you handle situations with what’s in your head, and to what end you’ll use it. As Doc Ock said in the movie Spider-Man 2: “Intelligence is not a privilege, it's a gift, to be used for the good of mankind.”

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Fear God

The following is my sharing in our church’s Wednesday night meeting, May 6.

* * *

Good evening.

In our Living Life text for today, Psalm 76:1-12 (entitled “Victory is the Lord’s”), let me use verses 7 and 10 as my key verses. Verse 7: “You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before when you are angry?” Verse 10: “Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.”

Just as we should appreciate that God is a God of Love, we should also be able to appreciate that God is a God of Wrath and worthy to be feared.

If we truly know and see the character of God, our response would be spontaneous: to love, to enjoy, to worship, and the fear Him.

We our sinners. We deserve to suffer God’s wrath. Hell is our destination because that is what is just, and God is a God of Justice.

Let us imagine that we are not Christians. Internalize. Imagine it as if is a truth. Now if this hypothetical imagination is reality, we are doomed. Ultimate despair. Why? Because we are objects of God’s wrath. God, with all his power and glory, would bring eternal damnation upon us, just like what He does to His enemies. Scary indeed.

But instead of His power and glory manifesting this way (by letting His wrath upon us by letting as burn in Hell forever), He instead showed His power and glory by choosing us and saving us. Instead of glorifying Himself by giving us damnation, as we deserve, He glorified Himself by giving us grace – grace that we do not deserve at all.

Because Jesus died on the cross, He shielded us from the Wrath of God. He absorbed the punishment for us. And now, we are no longer “the objects of God’s wrath” but the apples of His eyes!

Thus, as we see God’s glory, our response is not only of love and gratitude, but also of fear. Fear, because we know His power. What He can do. What destruction He can bring to His enemies.

We should indeed fear God. But not because we fear of His wrath coming upon us and of us being sent to Hell. No, because of His grace, we are assured of salvation.

Then, what does it mean to fear God as a Christian? Even the devil and his minions fear God – His enemies fear Him. But this is the kind of fear mentioned by Master Yoda in Star Wars Episode I, “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the Dark Side.” The devil’s fear is a fear with hate. We, Christians fear God with love, joy, and awe.

The beauty and majesty of God goes hand-in-hand of Him being worth fearing.

Let me illustrate. When I was a young boy, we went for a trip to Mt. Isarog. There, I first saw my first waterfalls (three of them). Of course, I admire the waterfall’s beauty. But the largeness of it, the loud roar of the falls, and its manifestation of its “power” also inspired fear in me. My heart beat fast. But that fear was hand-in-hand with awe - seeing the beauty and majesty of Nature. And this fear of the waterfall also gave me a smile.

Just as Nature’s beauty – the Niagara Falls, Grand Canyon, Mayon Volcano, Lightning Storms, etc. – inspire this fear with awe and admiration, a fear that also brings joy, in some way is the same with how God inspires fear to us Christians.

With the same power and glory God manifests to punish His enemies, this same power and glory is instead manifested by delivering us from our troubles and granting us undeserved favors and blessings. Thus, we don’t need to fear anybody or anything in this world because only God is worth fearing, and God is on our side. There is nothing bigger than God. And it is sure that He will show His glory – not by punishing us - He will show His glory by delivering us from our enemies and problems.

In response, we should continue to glorify Him, by praising Him, enjoying Him, and fearing Him. Indeed, victory is the Lord’s (just as the title of today’s reflection says), and we have the victory. Because having our Lord in our lives is our victory.

Amen.

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