Tuesdays with Fr. Benedict ♥

I love going to masses and I look forward to every homily. Thank God there's an everyday mass at the Global Mission Center, and so before feeding my body, I get to feed my soul first. :)

My favorite day is Tuesday because Fr. Benedict presides the mass. :) He would always say that the priest is not the most important character in the mass, and I agree. It's not really about who presides the mass and I would still go even if it weren't him, it's just that I can relate to his homilies better, and somehow I feel more blessed.

Proofs that his homilies have greatly impacted my life are my journal, my social media accounts (FB, Twitter, Alternion), and this blog where I post most of the insights and bits of inspirations that I get from him.

Fr. Benedict is truly a gift to the church, a strong advocate of faith, and a great example of humility. Tuesdays are never the same with him and I praise and thank the Lord for allowing me to meet such an angel. In one of my conversations with him, he commented, "May dugong Ilongga ka pala. That explains the lambing (sweetness, gentleness). Don't lose that. It's a beautiful thing." Fr. Benedict is an Ilonggo himself, and that also explains his very caring nature. I asked to be prayed over by him last week and I requested him to include Papa in his prayers. Yesterday, after the mass, he asked me about Papa, which only goes to show that he truly listens that's why he remembers. :)

Yes, in a way, this particular blog post is an honoring to Fr. Benedict but more than that, this is actually an honoring to my Great God who never fails to make me feel loved, who sends people to remind me who He is and how much He cares for me, who assures me that I am never alone.

Truly, you are amazing, God! ♥

Powerful Messages from Fr. Benedict's Homilies:

When things go wrong or when unexpected events happen, overwhelm yourself with sense of humor. Live. Love. Laugh.
We forgive people not because they deserve to be forgiven but because we deserve to be happy.
Marriage is for adults. It is an eternal sacrament. It is not something you play with.
On vocation: When God calls you, He calls you. Sa buhay, may sadyang para sa atin.
Let our work be excellent because we are witnessing to Someone greater than ourselves.
GOD LOVED US FIRST. We cannot move forward without having this conviction.
Huwag mong pagdudahan ang Diyos dahil kailan man, hindi ka Niya pababayaan. Kung noon nga na hindi mo pa Siya ganun kakilala, hindi ka na Niya pinabayaan, ngayon pa kaya?
We are called, thus we are converted. It's not the other way around.
Don't look back at a breakthrough moment.
We only know our capability to be serene when the storm is before us.
God indeed functions through us. May we not be remembered as us but as Christians who made a difference. It has nothing to do with us but it has everything to do with the Christ we are witnessing to.
As missionaries, we all experience being touched by the Divine, and we are never the same.
Wherever you are, it is mission. The question is not about being part-time or full-time but on whose time are you?
Do not doubt. God does not call the ungifted for mission. In one way or another you have what it takes to fulfill these three things: prayer, presence, proclamation.

With the priest who calls me "malambing" and the only two people who can call me "maldita." :)

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Understanding Lupang Hinirang

Every Filipino knows Lupang Hinirang (though some know it better as " Bayang Magiliw "). How can you not know it when it is the national anthem of the Philippines? But do we really mean the lyrics that we sing? Do we understand it in the first place? Photo Credit: http://diazi.ism-online.org This video has gone viral weeks ago. This afternoon, I shared it to my teammates, and one commented, "Yun pala yun . Ngayon ko lang naintindihan." He immediately downloaded it and converted to MP3. So for those who have not seen it, once again, here is Joey Ayala's version of Lupang Hinirang. And I agree, you would never want to sing it in another way. (But that's just me. :D) This rendition is simply beautiful. Truly Filipino. :) Of course that doesn't mean we need to revise our national anthem but maybe we can consider about correcting the way we sing it (read: proper pronunciation). Read more about the Philippine National Anthem here .

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Thank You, Lord! :)

It has been a long and stressful day (the past three days have been lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng and stressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssful), but You are just so amazing, Lord that I couldn't sleep without telling You how grateful I am. :) Thank You, Lord for the miracle that You did yesterday. Break even and more. :) Thank You, Lord for the laughter and stories shared during the post-mission meeting with Team Thailand. :) Team Thailand - Princesses from SFC Metro Manila :) Thank You, Lord for Lawrence. He is just the (almost) perfect man. He has his flaws, but they are acceptable; he makes mistakes, but they are all forgivable. There are a lot of men but there can never be anyone else. He's really the one. And You know it very well. :) ♥ Nemo. Love. ♥ Thank You, Lord for giving me strength and endurance each day. :) Thank You, Lord for the short but restful sleeps. :) Thank You, Lord for every waking moment and every opportunity that You give

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Interesting Facts Courtesy of Celebrity Bluff :)

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