From a Cursillista... Children of one God

Media

Part of The Cabletow

Title: From a Cursillista... Children of one God
Creator: Tolentino, Pedro S.
Language: English
Year: 1967
Rights
Fulltext: From a Cursillista... Mayor Pedro S. Tolentino Children of One God (Speech delivered by Hon. Pedro S. Tolentino, Mayor of Batangas, Batangas at the Installation of Officers of Batangas Lodge No. 35.) Worshipful Master, Dignitaries of the East, distinguished Masons and guests, ladies and gentlemen: The officers and members of the Batangas Lodge No. 35, Free and Accepted Masons, under the jurisdiction of the most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of tne Philippines, have done me a great honor in inviting me to speak lo you on the occasion ol this public installation of its officers lor the Masonic Year 1967. If I may be permitted to speak as Mayor of Batangas, 1 shall, therefore, begin my short remarks by extending the greetings of welcome ol the people of Batangas to the distingguished guests and visitors, and also our waim congi alulalions to the newly elected officers. Personally, notwithstanding my identification with the Roni a n Catholic Church, my membership in tile Knights of Columbus, and as a Cursillista. I am now extending my ........................... in a spirit of brotherhood to all tb<- Masons of Batangas. and elsewhere in the world. 1 believe that we arc all children of one God. whatever our color, our race, our religion, our creed. One great oriental philosopher (Kaliil Gilbran) said, “You are my brother, and I love you. I love you worshipping in your church, kneeling in your temple, and praying in your mosque. You and I and all are children of one God, and the varied paths of religion are but fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being, extended to all, offering completeness of spirit to all, anxious to receive all.” Two thousand years ago, the Prince of Peace preached the unity of the world and the brotherhood of man. As a result of the second world war, the United Nations was organized for international collaboration, lor peace and world understanding. And yet today, there is no peace. The tranquility of the human family, more than ever before. is being threatened by a more disastrous calamity. There is the difficult war now raging in Viet Nam in South East /\sia, besides other disturbances of peace in Africa, and elsewhere in the world. The souls of men shudder at the thought that the potentials for the greatest possible catastrophe continue unabated in other parts of the world — the mad race for nuclear weapons, the excessive ambitions for territorial expansion, the superiority — complexes of peoples and races, murders and injustices to the weak and the innocent, just to mention a few of them. Ladies and gentlemen: Peace is the yearning of mankind — Peace in the hearts and souls of men. Peace in Turn to next page APRIL, 1967 our native land, peace in the lands of other peoples of the world. There seems to be no immediate solution in sight to the problems of peace, and the weak are losing faith, notwithstanding the appeal of His Holiness, Pope Paul VI, before the world representatives in the United Nations Assembly, and also his famous encyclical, all for the cause of world peace. But let us call back to mind, let us renew and strengthen in our hearts and souls the validity of the gospel of love and broiherhood as preached two thousand years ago by the Prince of Peace. It is still the best hope of mankind — and it is an increasing hope — the substitution of reason, justice, love and brotherhood for force, in the settlement of international differences. Therefore, let all men join their voices in one solemn prayer to God beseeching Him to teach mankind to live together in peace and larger freedom, free from social wrongs and oppressions, regardless of color, race, or religion. Rizal, a great Mason, said, "God has never abandoned a man, a group of men, a whole nation, nay the world, who in the supreme moments of their lives have trusted in Him, and made Him the Judge of their causes.” If I may borrow the words of a writer, "Then the wicked shall repent and the wild shall be tamed, and then peace on earth shall reign at last, forever and forevermore." At this juncture, I feel it would not be out of place to inform you briefly in passing, that two years Turn to page 3* POCKETSIZEPOCKETSIZEPOCKETSIZEPOCKETSIZEPOCKETSIZE POCKET GOING PLACES? NOW ALLIED TRAVEL CORPORATION EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL . . . PERSONALIZED SERVICE ... AT YOUR DOORSTEPS - PLARIDEL MASONIC TEMPLE ARCADE. INITIALLY OFFERS YOU: HONGKONG INTERLUDE: ALL EXPENSES PAID** FIVE NIGHTS** FOUR DAYS** MEALS** HOTELS** TOURS** RT JET FARE .............. P630.00 FAR EAST CARAVAN ’67: "GRAND VISITATION" — VISIT THE Departure: MAY £1 EXOTIC AND FABULOUS EAST** HONGKONG** TAIPEH** OKINAWA FOR REGIONAL CONVENTION AND INSTALLATION** OSAKA** INLAND SEA** HIROSHIMA (ATOMIC BOMB SITE)** SEOUL FOR CONSTITUTION** TOKYO and GRAND TOUR TO KAMAKURA... PEARL ISLAND... NAGOYA... KYOTO. ALL EXPENSES PAID** MEALS** TOURS** HOTELS** PORTERAGE** JET PLANE FARE ............................... P2,850.00 CONTACT: BRO. ERNESTO Z. GONZALES ALLIED TRAVEL SAN MARCELINO BRANCH Tel: 5-64-37; 50-44-11 — P. O. BOX 3782 MANILA, PHILIPPINES POCKETSIZEPOCKETSIZEPOCKETSIZEPOCKETSIZEPOCKETSIZEPOCKET The Cabletow CHILDREN OF. . . From P«B« • ago, by authority of the President of the Philippines and of the Municipal Council of Batangas, I was given an opportunity to attend an International seminar on local governments in The Hague, Netherlands, the principal objective of which is the improvement of local governments in the developing countries of the world, so that they can become active and dynamic participants in the solution of community problems. The participants to this seminar came from 15 nations ol the world mostly representatives of developing countries. The conference presented an interesting kaleidoscope of peoples, of cultural backgrounds, of structures and functions of governments, as the delegates exchanged views on the problems of local governments. It is important to note that the problems of local governments are international in character transcending the barriers of language and national boundaries. They can be found anywhere in the world, common to many peoples, to many countries. Their solutions may be found not only from our own thinking and practices. They may also be learned from the experiences and lessons of other peoples, who have made a success of the local government system. Viewed from the wider context of international relations, consultations and meetings of this nature are also of potential values in influencing international understanding. In this particular conference in which I was a humble participant, a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation prevailed, notwithstanding diversities of nationalities, of cultures, of ideas and opinions. It seems that it is possible as yet to achieve world unity, even amidst diversities in the "Parliament of Man, the Federation of the World." With your permission, I would now advert to dynamic and militant Masonry in the Philippines as conceived by your Grand Master, Dr. Raymond E. Wilmarth. In his observations at the convention of the 10th Masonic District in Cavite City on December 30, 1966, published in the Cabletow, Jan., 1967, he said, “That here in Cavite, the birthplace of many Philippine heroes was the real moving spirit of Masonry. I sensed a very Militant Masonry and I thought it would be most important that we should make our Masonry in the Philippines a Dynamic Masonry. I was impressed by the address of our Brother Calixto Zaklivar of the Supreme Court regarding criminality in the Philippines. Brother Zaklivar is correct in placing an important question before us: “What are we as Masons doing about criminality here in the Philippines?” He continued, “A few years ago I wrote an editorial in our Cabletow suggesting that our Symbolic Lodge form Anti-Crime committees to work together with local law enforcing agencies. Further, I offered to tie these committees together through our Grand Lodge as a nation-wide network for reporting crimes to a National Headquarters. But most important is to educate the people in our communities to the need for courage, not only to report crimes, but to give testimony when called, to convict criminals. This is our most important duty to our fellowmen in combating crime, our willingness to stand up in a court of law and testify truthfully. If we do not have the courage to do our share, we must not expect others to do it for us. In the last analysis, we get the kind 34 The Cabletow of protection from others that we arc willing to give them. If we want the Philippines to be a better place in which to live, let us start doing our share as Masons today!” This is only one example of a community problem to which the teachings of militant and dynamic Masonry may be applied. In the past, to many people, the leachings of Masonry are something away from the domain of reality, enveloped as they are in strange rituals and symbols. And the Masons arc looked upon as another people coining from another world. Nowadays, attitudes are changing. Dynamic Masonry is welcome as practical, livable in the lives of the people, a potential force in involving the citizens in the solution of community problems. Under the idea of involvement, once the people arc involved in their problems, the peoples' attitudes, their participation becomes more purposeful, more active, more productive of good results. But Society as it is has many defects and idiosyncracics, because the activities of men are either good or evil. We need leadership based on moral righteousness. Men of light and leading are few in a community, but it is incumbent upon them to contribute their share of leadership, otherwise, society will fall and decay. The Masons steeped in the philosophies and virtues of Dynamic Masonry are potential leaders. Leadership to lead must be by the power of examples, musi construct and build, not with stones and steel, but with men’s minds and hearts, so to speak, forged in the anvil of Jove and brotherhood. A FREEMASONS IN. . . From page 5 brought our two democratic countries and freedom-loving peoples closer to each other. And it is only through democracy that the objectives and teachings of Freemasonry can be realized. The Association and Its Great Work It is now twenty years since our second Republic was born. In remembrance of that historic event and on behalf of the Masons of the Philippines, I am happy to present to the Association for its Endowment Fund, a check for $20.00. May the Association continue its great work in keeping alive the message derived from the life and labors of George Washington, Man and Mason. A The Masonic Press Club of the Philippines is in the process of organization. Membership is by invitation only once and is limited to Master Masons who write for their Lodge newsletters, magazines, yearbooks, The Cabletow and other Masonic publications as well as for local and national publications of general interest. No invitations will be extended to non-writing writers. Junior members may be selected from DeMolays on application. The first bull session of the original group was held on March 31, 1967 and the first no-holdsbarred, off-the-record meeting will be held on April 27, 1967. Any Brother invited to join will be required to write a Masonic paper before he is given a membership card. One tradition they will establish is that their members are those “whom the lust of office does not kill, whom the spoils of office cannot buy". WB Oscar L. Fung has been designated Secretary-Treasurer. APRIL, 1967 35