a telltale of selfless love: Efren in our midst!

Today, I am taking a break from my usual update because I am featuring, what i think is a very significant one. This is something about how good triumphs over evil. In my Ethics course with my professor, WE have been discussing lots and lots about the human acts and conscience, human soul and its virtuous acts morality and virtues, evil and good. I guess this featured article will somehow give you a concrete example of any of the mentioned discussions I had in my Ethics class.

Perhaps, one great example that I can tell you about human acts toward something good at the end is the content of an email from my blogger-friend Ronnie .

This is all about a human soul, whose act is indeed very remarkable and very praiseworthy. I must say, Efren is one of a kind and one in a million.

My friends, take time to read and watch his story and let me know what you feel about it afterwards.

from the CNN: Pushcart classes help break gang chain

Efren Peñaflorida's Dynamic Teen Company offers Filipino youth an alternative to gangs through education.

photo owned by CNN

QUOTE from CNN: CAVITE CITY, Philippines-- At 16, Rhandolf Fajardo reflects on his former life as a gang member.
"My gang mates were the most influential thing in my life," says Fajardo, who joined a gang when he was in sixth grade. "We were pressured to join."

He's not alone. In the Philippines, teenage membership in urban gangs has surged to an estimated 130,000 in the past 10 years, according to the Preda Foundation, a local human rights charity.

"I thought I'd get stuck in that situation and that my life would never improve," recalls Fajardo. "I would probably be in jail right now, most likely a drug addict -- if I hadn't met Efren."

Efren Peñaflorida, 28, also was bullied by gangs in high school. Today, he offers Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education.

"Gang members are groomed in the slums as early as 9 years old," says Peñaflorida. "They are all victims of poverty."

For the past 12 years, Peñaflorida and his team of teen volunteers have taught basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool: A pushcart classroom. Do you know someone who should be a CNN Hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes

Stocked with books, pens, tables and chairs, his Dynamic Teen Company recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery and municipal trash dump.

Peñaflorida knows firsthand the adversity faced by these children. Born into a poor family, he lived in a shanty near the city dump site. But he says he refused to allow his circumstances to define his future.

"Instead of being discouraged, I promised myself that I would pursue education," he recalls. "I will strive hard; I will do my best."

In high school, Peñaflorida faced a new set of challenges. Gang activity was rampant; they terrorized the student body, vandalized the school and inducted members by forcing them to rape young girls, he says.

"I felt the social discrimination. I was afraid to walk down the street."

Peñaflorida remembers standing up to a gang leader, refusing to join his gang. That confrontation proved fateful. At 16, he and his friends "got the idea to divert teenagers like us to be productive," he says.

He created the Dynamic Teen Company to offer his classmates an outlet to lift up themselves and their community. For Peñaflorida, that meant returning to the slums of his childhood to give kids the education he felt they deserved.

"They need education to be successful in life. It's just giving them what others gave to me," he says.

Today, children ranging from ages 2 to 14 flock to the pushcart every Saturday to learn reading, writing, arithmetic and English from Peñaflorida and his trained teen volunteers. Watch Peñaflorida and his group in action with their push cart classroom »

"Our volunteers serve as an inspiration to other children," he says.

The group also runs a hygiene clinic, where children can get a bath and learn how to brush their teeth.

Since 1997, an estimated 10,000 members have helped teach more than 1,500 children living in the slums. The organization supports its efforts by making and selling crafts and collecting items to recycle. Take a look at the slums where Peñaflorida and his group spend their Saturdays »

Through his group, Peñaflorida has successfully mentored former gang members, addicts and dropouts, seeing potential where others see problems.

"Before, I really didn't care for my life," says Michael Advincula, who started doing drugs when he was 7. "But then Efren patiently dug me from where I was buried. It was Efren who pushed me to get my life together." Watch Advincula describe how he met Peñaflorida in the slums »

Today, Advincula is a senior in high school and one of the group's volunteers.

Peñaflorida hopes to expand the pushcart to other areas, giving more children the chance to learn and stay out of gangs.

"I always tell my volunteers that you are the change that you dream and I am the change that I dream. And collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."
Want to get involved? Check out the Dynamic Teen Company and see how to help. -CNN

Well, I learned further that for the past 12 years now, Efren Peñaflorida and DTC, his team of teen volunteers have been taching basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool is a pushcart-turned-into-a-"classroom" named Kari and Toni perhaps taken from the rootword KARITON which means pushcart. The Kariton Klasrum, Klinik & Kantin (K4) project recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery, city trash dump, slum corners and alleys.

I invite you to write your COMMENT in the "SOUND OFF" section under his full story here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/05/heroes.efren.penaflorida/index.html

Watch Efren's profile video in CNN HEROES: http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/

temptation

Today, the Church celebrates the liturgy of the first Sunday of Lent. The Gospel presents Jesus readying for his public life. He goes into the wilderness where He spends forty days in prayer and penance. There, He is tempted by the devil.

The Gospel says, (Mk 1:12-15): The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and He remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him. After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There He proclaimed the Good News from God. «The time has become», He said «and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News».
We must also get ready for Easter. Satan is our great enemy. There are many persons that do not believe in him, and claim that he is a product of our fantasy, or he is just an abstract conception of evil, diluted in the people and the world. No!

The Holy Scriptures mention him quite often as a spiritual and tangible being. He is a fallen angel. Jesus defines him by saying: «There is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies» (Jn 8:44). St. Peter compares him with a roaring lion: «Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour» (1Pe 5:8). And Paul VI teaches: «The Devil is the number one enemy, the preeminent tempter. So we know that this dark disturbing being exists and that he is still at work with his treacherous cunning».

How? By lying, by deceiving. Where there are lies or deceit, there is a devilish action. «The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist» (Baudelaire). And, how does he lie? He presents us with evil actions as if they were good ones; he induces us to do evil; and, in the third place, he suggests plenty of excuses to justify our sins. After swindling us, he fills us up with anxiety and sadness. Have you not felt any such experience, ever before?

In life, we are faced with temptations. When I speak of temptation, I do not speak only of temptation of the flesh. Temptation can also come in the form of choosing the easy way out.Temptations can also come in the form of telling a lie because you are afraid to be punished or to be humiliated.

Temptations can also come in the form of leaning towards the more convenient or the more expedient ways, instead of the moral and proper thing to do.We can speak of people who abuse their authority for their own convenience. We can speak of people who abuse the goodness and meekness of their fellowmen.

That is the first temptation of Jesus-- the temptation to make life comfortable at the expense of others, the temptation to abuse oneself to make life easier and more convenient.The second is the temptation for power--worldly power, secular power. This is very clear for the Lord who says: “I do not need worldly power because I do not live in this world.”

In our life, arguments run like these: there is no sex in heaven so we might as well enjoy everything here on earth; we cannot bring our money to heaven, so it might as well be spent here in whatever manner we desire; let us enjoy all the praises here on earth, there might not be any in heaven. These are the temptations of popularity, money and sex.The third temptation is to ask people to serve you rather than you serving other people; asking the Lord to serve you because you have been very good; asking the Lord to spare you from sickness because you attend Mass regularly; asking the Lord to make your family and children good and successful because you pray everyday.

We are here not because we want to be rewarded. We are here because we want to repay the Lord. When everything has been said and done, we can only say that we are just but useless servants of God. We do not do good because we want to be rewarded. We do good because God has been good to us.

The third question is: How did the Lord face temptation?Jesus, when tempted, did not argue. He did not use His reasoning. He used the Scriptures against the devil.The way to overcome temptation is not to use psychology, logic, philosophy or even theology. The way to overcome temptation is by attuning yourself always to the Word of God--by prayer.You must pray when you are tempted.

It is very difficult to face temptations. I speak from experience. It is easier to fall into temptations. One geek may say: “the way to get rid of temptations is to do them.” By this he meant that the way to get rid of temptations is to do the sin. Thus he banish temptation by giving in to it.

It is enjoyable to give in to temptation, and it can be very easy. But the Lord never promised us an easy life, only a meaningful life.

Our attitude in front of temptation? Before: to watch, to pray and to avoid the occasions. While: direct or indirect resistance.

Afterwards: if you have won, thank God for that. A defeated temptation is progress in sanctity. And, if you have failed, ask for forgiveness and try to learn from experience in future. Which attitude have you shown so far?