Many are wondering why Cyrus, the Great had been sent by God as His instrument or even as prefiguration or even as prototypical as of his reigning on earth. Cyrus was not even a Jew nor Christian but could be numbered as among the pagan rulers of the earth. But God works in mysterious ways and is quite amazing in the manner by which He conveys His message of faith to His people. But God is the king without precedence and he does not need any cause for His royalty nor honor as no one among the kings could be as Holy as He is.

The Walpurgis Night or the most important witches’ night occurs on Halloween before All Saints’ Day. Accordingly, during this magical night, warlocks and witches performing their rituals will be granted by the Devil their hearts’ desires. It was also the eve of the feast when all Catholics get ready to honor all their friends in heaven. It was October 31, 1517 when according to Philip Melanchthon, Martin Luther, a priest of the Catholic Church nailed his 95 theses on the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Electorate of Savoy of the Holy Roman Empire. This event as disputed by protestant scholars couldn’t possibly be known to Melanchthon as he only transferred to Wittenberg a year later. This makes us ask the question, is it impossible to know something of the recent past if one isn’t a resident of the place.

The present conflict between Israel and Hamas presents an update of a long existing conflict concerning between the resettled Jews and the people of Palestine. Even if the DNA typology of these peoples would show a common ancestry, it would be a futile attempt to establish peace between co-existing Israeli and Palestinian states side by side. The simple reason is that both their state religions are hostile to one another in a common claim that the lands that they both claim are God-given.

Rebekah may not be rebuked for her connivance into deceiving Jacob's father, Isaac for giving Jacob the blessing reserved for the firstborn son. This is because even when the twins were still in the womb, Rebekah was already told by the Lord:

“Two nations are in your womb
and two people born of you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the elder shall serve the younger
-Genesis 25:23

It was Sarah's idea, being advanced in age, that Abraham would father an heir through their slave, Hagar. Hagar naturally accepted the prospect of being mother to Abraham's heir for she had nothing to lose but gain. And then, the patriarch's firstborn, Ishmael came to be.

Cain was a tiller of the land while Abel pastured his flock. As Adam's sons, they both have access to God. In their respective altars, they could offer God their very best so that God in turn, can acknowledge as His own like Adam before Eden was lost.

Dr. Ricardo de los Santos, in his many talks concerning mysteries and the supernatural one time spoke of the very first vampire. And this he said he based on an old Jewish legend which circulated in the very first century. Some of us were really surprised when he revealed that the very first vampire was not Count Dracula himself but someone more notorious and tragic when presented as he is. He disclosed that this is the enigmatic man from Kerioth; the ultimate traitor himself, Judas Iscariot. How this came to be is one the subplots of Dr. de los Santos’ second novel, he said.

I'd like to make a confession. My elder Arci is right. I'm indeed a hopeless romantic. Not that I don't have hope but there's no hope changing me from being a romantic. And for this I have prepared a sonnet confession.

I know that Rico del Sol is one of you. I can't blame my younger brother because he had always been a hopeless romantic. But I am a man of science, I even wrote a book in science but this does not make me a slave of modernism either. However, your tone and orientation in In Factum is always subjective, heightened by emotional appeal and may therefore be considered ad hominem. I hope that you will disprove me as I do not ascribe to your ideas of a pope leading his flock to apostasy and especially of the church dying right in front of us, the militant church. As proof of your objectivity, therefore, I request that this article of mine will be published in your forum, in its whole length, form and context. And with that I will have done my part as probably you believe that you have done yours.

Benedict XVI died as a resigned Pope emeritus on the last day of the year leaving just one dominant shepherd to feed the flock. In terms of Roman mythology, the two-faced god Janus must be in operation leaving Francis I the only one who must now be responsible for pasturing the flock. But Zeus Jupiter even when Benedict resigned as Pope, must have observed its significance because out of some Olympic premontory he caused a lightning to strike the apex of St. Peter's basilica.

The first century of Christianity witnessed the pendulum clashes of dignified values learning in philosophy and theology. There were the Jews, the traditional keepers of the depository of faith who the Samaritans accused as adding apocrypha to the canon. And among the Jews the Pharisees whose application of theology made them the separated ones and the Sadducees who were the righteous and aristocratic ones. Then, there were the Gentiles who were shunned by the Jews because of their Hellenistic and foreign leanings that defy Jewish traditions. No wonder that even Saint Peter and Paul had a confrontation concerning the apostolate of these peoples.

Although modern man is said to be stripping the bible of its mythology in order to arrive at the truth, mythology seems to thrive on and perhaps, unwittingly, he is even applying it to its most comprehensive intent. Funny that it is singling out the bible in its process of demythologization.