Father Joeker

By Fr Joseph Panabang SVD

Authentic Dreams have a Message

I think dreams if really authentic carry in them divine message. There was a time last year when the going got tough and the sailing rough, quite too much for me. Inside I was in trouble. Call it mid-life crisis or what, but I was determined to return to the Philippines. Then, early that morning I felt half awake when suddenly my door opened and lo my father who died long ago dashed in and immediately asked for pen and paper. “Why do you need a pen and a paper?” I demanded. He said: “I want to apply as assistant priest here”.

 (Kintampo), he replied. I couldn’t move anymore but thanks to the barking of our dog, I woke up seating profusely and breathing deeply. “Why should and how could my father who never went to the school write an application letter?” Kept me amusing wit ha feeling mixed with tears and courage, I understood. The message is crystal clear: Stay put; why ran away from troubles? The same advise he would always tell me when working in our kaingin under the wilting heat of day, when I would run to our little hut pretending to go and drink water.

Crime Pays
My nephew wrote me, boasting he had graduated in Criminology: I wrote back my nephew and asked how should I now address him in his new hard-earned profession: Criminal Ernie or Sir?”

Cemeterio
Last night, I was coming from the village when at the cemetery, I saw a car stuck on the road. Obviously the passengers being all strangers did not know they were in a cemetery because the cemetery was bushy. All were standing waiting for the repair of the car. I stopped, craned out my window and shouted: “Hey, your are lucky. You are at the cemetery. You can call the dead to help you. Look up there” pointing to the few moon-drenched white crosses that belong to the rich deceased). Shrieking in panic, they wanted to jump into my car but I was already moving away. See what consciousness can do.