“Is it true that human beings are fundamentally cruel? Is the experience of cruelty the only thing we share as a species? …To be degraded, damaged, slaughtered—is this the essential fate of humankind, one which history has confirmed as inevitable?” —Han Kang, Human Acts. “…if only you will not begrudge lending your ears…those which you are accustomed to… Read More »
“I’ve reached the end of this great history/And all land will fill with talk of me:/I shall not die, these seeds I’ve sown will save/My name and reputation from the grave,/And men of sense and wisdom will proclaim,/When I have gone, my praises and my fame.”—Abu’l-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi, Shahnameh. My name is Manuel Ortega. I am a foreign… Read More »
By Rey Moreno Filipinos believe strongly in miracles. I remember when I was a boy a rumour was circulating of an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the window of a bungalow-style home in the north side of the town proper. One night some of our neighbours decided to check out if it was true. I tagged… Read More »
“Oh yes, suddenly I realized what a good thing death can be, how just and fair, like a disinfectant, or a vacuum cleaner. — Olga Tokarczuk, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. One of the great fears of our existential being is the fear of death. So much so that we don’t want to know… Read More »
“To be abandoned by God was worse than to be punished by Him. Better an unjust God than an indifferent one.”—Elie Wiesel. “Evil is unspectacular, and always human.”—W. H. Auden. A festive night, for sure; the glitters of the occasion are overtly evident. The rich and famous start to arrive in their chauffeured-driven limousines. It is one of… Read More »
“I have lived a fortunate life…Mine has been a life that has spanned eight decades of excitement and discovery and relationships and a lot of luck.” – William Shatner. William Shatner is a Canadian actor who is famously known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. I had seen a few episodes of… Read More »
“Suffering in and of itself is meaningless; we give our suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it.” – Harold S. Kushner. “Consolation is what we do, or try to do, when we share each other’s suffering or seek to bear our own. What we are searching for is how to go on, how to… Read More »
“To everything turn, turn, turn/There is a season turn, turn, turn/And a time to every purpose under Heaven.” — Lyrics from Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds. “In the quest we undertake for the best possible life we are capable of —an individually tailored best life for each—there has inevitably to be something ideal, and much practical.” —… Read More »
“I want to show to those who deprive people the right to love of country, that when we know how to sacrifice ourselves for our duties and convictions, death does not matter if one dies for those one loves —for his country and for others dear to him.” — Jose Rizal. Of all the historical figures involved in… Read More »
“All of my life I have wondered about the possibility of life elsewhere. What would it be like? Of what would it be made?”—Carl Sagan. Science never played a prominent role in my upbringing and educational progress, especially astronomy. When I looked up at the sky, what knowledge I had was informed by my Catholic faith. Religion taught… Read More »