baltysthoughts as the name of a Blog!!!

How presumptuous can one get!

Okay, okay. Yes, the "title" is a mistake.
Why not consider it as just a "receptacle" for your thoughts to fill it
up and make it a worthwhile blog to visit and contribute to?

Forget how it started. Sustain it.
As just a starting-point.

Daily, thousands of thoughts run through our minds.

To me, at least, they come unbidden at "ungodly" hours.
Very early in the morning, late at night.
One way to "handle" them is quiet down.
Then-- why not send them to this blog -- and share them.
Who knows who else may "resonate" to them and learn from them,
or be healed by them?

The Jesus I Never Knew

Philip Yancey's book "The Jesus I Never Knew" was voted "Best Book of the Year" in ____ (I don't know, the blurb never said when). Never mind the date, it is a "Best Book."

I came upon it again in "The Shepherd's Staff" bookstore in Glorietta 4, just at the entrance of Food Choices. I had read it years ago in Australia, and remembered it had made an impact on me then.

So I bought it, and read it again.
With quiet concentration.
It hadn't lost its "sock."

How did Jesus "look"?

Not at all like Richard Gere-- or whomever else you might "fancy."

The written Gospels do not say. And later traditions are not much
help, either. Only Isaiah saya --- in prophecy --- He looked "like a worm
and no man." "Despised... and there was no beauty in Him."

In other words, "ugly."
But... crowds crowded in on Him.

Why?

Because He "made magic"?--- turned stones into bread?
But He eschewed the way of Power, Authority, Control.
He could have, He moght have, but He didn't.
Tempted in the desert by Satan, He once and for all rejected
the "easy way" and opted instead for the Way of the Cross.

Yancey says He was often moved with compassion and showed
mercy. He was "vulnerable." Much unlike the stereotype of the
"macho man."

And so, despite however He looked, crowds crowded in on Him.
As to one "who spoke with authority."

This I gathered from Philip Yancey's "The Jesus I Never Knew."
It took me 15 minutes to write this down. At 5:30 in the morning.
You might sometime find yourself "inclined" to do a similar.
Send it to this ill-named blog at baltysthoughts.blogspot.com
Make it our blog. Redeem it.

CHRISTE, ELEISON

So the Tempter and the Father of Lies
Is among us again today.

Because we have let him in.

In our homes, in our moviehouses,
In our imagination, in our thoughts,
Allowing him to work on our curiosity,
On our desire to be “in the know.”

The Serpent is again in our garden—
To whisper, to seduce,
To mask his intentions with nagging questions,
Weakening our Faith:

Why? Why won’t He let you eat
Of the Tree of Knowledge . . .
What is there to hide?

And so we eat.
And so we succumb.

We have listened to his lies
Not being able to discern the Truth.
We are swayed by Conjectures.
We allow his blasphemies.

The loves of our life are assailed
And we keep silent.
We are afraid.
Or it is too much trouble.

Dear God, for all our sins of omission,
For standing by the side while Lies take Centerstage,
For not resisting . . .
For not speaking out . . .
For thereby contributing to the spread of deadly Falsehood . . .
Christ, have mercy on us.

Christe, eleison.

On the Da Vinci Code

The Tempter sure is a smart and SUBTLE one.
The Tempter is tempting us once again.
And again, with a Lie.

Should we REACT?
Or simply DISMISS?

IGNORE him like a pesky fly?
(The Church has withstood much larger threats before, and survived!)
Or take up ACTION in righteous anger?
(He cleansed the Temple, remember?)


Christ refused to react to the Tempter’s trap.
(Though in dismissing the “quicker way to conquest”,
He chose and committed to the longer Way of the Cross.)

Let’s do the same.

The less attention paid to the book (and movie), the better.
Let’s let it die under its own weight.
(Those who have seen the movie say it is “boring”)

This temptation of the Devil, too, will pass.

Fr. Reuter's Book Review on "Illuminations"

For peace of soul
AT 3:00 A.M. By James B. Reuter, S.J.
The Philippine Star 05/13/2006

Armando Baltazar was a Jesuit for ten years. That was long ago. Since then he has lived a rich, full life. Now, when he is no longer a spring chicken, he has written a book, called: "Illuminations."

It is a beautiful book. He says: "This book is what remains of the Jesuit in me – what God has implanted in me during and after those ten years." It is a revelation of his soul. Or, better, a revelation of what he wants his soul to be. It is all the wisdom that God has whispered to him through the long years.

The pictures, all photographs, are magnificent. They were done by Franco Patriarca. I would guess that the pictures are a revelation of his soul. They are all very simple, about things we see every day, but reveal the beauty of God in people. And the beauty of God in all of God’s creation.

O. Henry, the Daddy of all story tellers, called his first book of short stories "The Four Million". This was because New York City at that time had four million people living in it, streaming through the streets, sleeping in tenement houses, working, playing, falling in love, suffering, dying. He believed that every one of these four million, if you could portray his soul, what he really thought and felt inside – would be a best seller.

Armando pours out his soul in this book. Franco pours out his soul in the photographs. As a priest who has to deliver the Word of God regularly, I know that when I tell people what God wants us to be, I am also talking to myself. I wish that I could be half as close to God as I am encouraging them to be.

So I suppose it was much that way with Armando and Franco. They are presenting, in "Illuminations," not only what they are in heart and mind and soul, but also what they hope and dream they will be.

Still, the effect on the reader is a deep sense of peace. A realization that this is God’s world, and all of it is beautiful, including the children whom he has created, all the people with whom we live and work each day. I can not reproduce the images, but just some of the thoughts, chosen almost at random.

Armando says: "This book is not a commercial enterprise. The net proceeds from the sale will all go to one beneficiary – Ang Arko ng Pilipinas – which runs two homes for God’s special children, the mentally handicapped.

Jean Vanier, who founded "L’Arche Internationale" years ago, in France, believes that the mentally handicapped teach us even more than we teach them.

"In our world, with its divisions and

hardness, often full of hate and strife,

people with mental handicaps teach

men and women the way to trust,

to simplicity, to love and to unity.

We have so much to learn from

those who though stripped of power

and knowledge, are so rich in their

hearts and in their simplicity."

FOREWORD

Souls Crossing

We worked together on a College Yearbook a long time ago
when he was a student and I was a teacher.

I wrote the verses, he laid out the pages.

And then our lives went their separate ways.

Forty-seven years later, just a wrinkle of time away, our souls’ paths
crossed, or converged, again.

A sprinkle of thought- seeds from me, a gift of photographs
from him, brought together by his daughter Patricia.
Flashes of thought from my mind, slivers of light and shadow
from his artist’s eyes.

His name was Frankie Patriarca. He managed to reach out from a
now-another life, and bring our life’s works together.

In this book of Words and Images.

In a tribute to the Lord of Life and Light.




- Armando “Balty” Baltazar
9 September 2005

Prayer

As I sit here and listen
to your subtle inspirations,
As I sift and gather
what you have whispered into my ear,
Help me to share your good gifts.

That those who read these writings
may find the friend in it
that is YOU.

That through it they may find
the Life that You came
to give them an abundance of.

That they may find through it
the masterpieces of themselves
that You created in the first place.

Let this work touch their minds and hearts
that they may find You
and the Father, and the Holy Spirit in it.

That they may learn to love not only you,
Not only themselves, but also others---
those others that are all reflections of your Glory.

That thereby they may give Joy and Delight to the Father…
and that He may find Jesus

“…playing in ten thousand places
through the features of men’s faces.”

Good & Ready

Always He is with me.

When I am lost, he takes me upon his shoulders–

like grain He winnows me from the chaff,

like the vine He prunes me,

like the grain fallen into the ground,

He waits for my hundredfold.

And then, at the end of the day, He gives me my wages,

Full measure, pressed down, and running over.

When I am good and ready,

He will come to me as my Friend."

New Year's Message

"First of all, thanks, thanks, thanks! To all that has been.

Everything that has happened has happened for my good.

Everything. The seeming "good" and the seeming "bad".

I know it all has been for a purpose because sent by God,

and God loves me.

And yes! To all that will be because all that will happen

will happen with the permission of God Who loves me.

If I can put my absolute trust in God, all shall be well.

All shall be well."

On Learning

"The greatest thing

You’ll ever learn

Is just to love

And be loved in return."

On Feelings

"Whoever said: ‘feelings are only feelings

and so easy to forget’

has never sailed the seas of Passion"

On Happiness

"Happiness is not something you get.

It is something you give."

All it sometimes takes -

To say "Yes, I love you" -

Is to reach over,

To touch,

To say yes with the eyes.

To spend time with.

To listen.

To understand.

If we only knew how many hearts break

for want of an answer,

We would answer".

On Listening

"Friendship is a brew of wonderful things.

But it is first of all listening to one another.

Listening is accepting without judging.

Listening is understanding where each other

is "coming from".

Sometimes from far, far away in one’s childhood.

Listening is holding back, sometimes for a long while,

On what one wants to say in reply.

Listening is entering into the mind and heart of another."

On Man & Woman

"God made man first

the prototype?

God made woman second

the improved version?

God made man longing for a companion.

God made woman to fulfill his longing.

Man works.

Woman makes it all worthwhile"

On Love

"In true love, the good of the beloved is paramount.

If a choice is to be made between what is for the

good of the Lover

and what is for the good of the Beloved,

the true lover will prefer the good of the beloved".

On Children

"Children’s souls are like clean containers

to be filled with the wine of His abundance

And their eyes are as wide windows

That let in the sunshine of His grace.

And their faces are open faces, waiting

For the kiss of the Holy Spirit."

Illuminations... a book about Beauty, Art, Life, Love, God & Jesus

“ILLUMINATIONS: Life and its Passages” is a special book-collection of spiritual reflections written by Mr. Armando S. Baltazar over the span of many years, gathered under various headings like “God and His People,” “Love,” “Of Angels and Memories,” and “Art, Beauty and Things of the Spirit.” It is the kind of book that gently leads you into peaceful meditation, or to a sense of the timeless and universal.

“ILLUMINATIONS” combines the “Words” of Mr. Baltazar and the “Images” of Mr. Franco M. Patriarca for a unique blend of wise insight and memorable imagery. Handsomely printed and bound, it makes an ideal gift to friends and relatives for Easter and other festive occasions. Retail price is P250.00.

Net proceeds from the book will go to Ang Arko ng Pilipinas, an NGO needing support for its homes for mentally-challenged children

It is available at the Jesuit Communications Office at the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Campus (Tel. 426-5971 loc 113) at P250 each. Also in Makati at the EPCIBank Head Office (Tel. 840-7000 loc 2630).

For further inquiries and book orders, please call the MCO Foundation Secretariat at 878-4359 or 840-7000 loc 2630, or e-mail illuminations_balty@yahoo.com for your feedback and suggestions.