These Little Wonders

I was waiting for my turn to pay at the Meralco Business Center when my attention was caught by a woman wearing a black shirt with the statement "I LOVE MY HUSBAND" (bold and white). Yeah, loud and proud. However, I also noticed some gray texts in between those words. At first I thought they were just embellishments but when I got close enough to see them clearly, I found out they're actually words that complete this statement: I LOVE it when MY HUSBAND gives me money. I tried my best not to judge the woman but if I were her, I wouldn't wear something contrary to my personality. Neither would I wear a statement I don't personally agree to. But then again, that's just me.  But thanks to her and her attention-grabber shirt, I was reminded of what true love is. Unconditional . Today, we thank the good Lord for adding another year in Mama's life. Next to Mama Mary, she is the most important woman in my life, and the most beautiful woman I have ever...

I was organizing my computer files when I saw a document that we used for a cluster teaching last year. It was actually just a household topic that JM (my service partner) and I developed for the cluster. And because I was led to read it again, I might as well post it here. God-cidentally, the First Reading  (Sirach 35:1-12) today speaks about God as the God of justice. Not only is He just, He's also consistent. :) I. Introduction We always say that  “God is good!”  but can we also say that He is fair? Is God fair? When bad things happen to good people Workers In The Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) II. Life Is Not Fair We often say  “That’s not fair!” when we are wronged by another person. As we grow older, we realize that life indeed is not fair. But fairness has become the battle cry of our society. When something isn’t fair, it is viewed as inherently wrong or even evil. We have gone from a culture and society which was built on the idea of ...

Mr. and Mrs. Villafania lost their son NJ last 2011. He was a budding architect and had a great life ahead of him. He was ran over by a jeepney whose driver was not only texting while driving but also playing music on his cellphone that's why he didn't notice the man crossing the street.  During the mediation meeting after NJ's funeral, Mrs. Villafania was given the opportunity to tell the driver what she wanted to say. She faced the driver and said, "Alam mo, ang sama ng loob ko sa'yo, ni minsan hindi ka man lang humingi ng tawad." (You know what hurts me the most is that you never apologized.) The driver replied, "Gustong-gusto ko po talaga pero naisip ko po baka sabihin niyo lang sa akin na 'Para saan pa? Patay na ang anak namin?'" (I really wanted to but I'm thinking you might just say, "What for? Our son is already dead?") Then without blinking, the bereaved mother calmly said, "Bakit hindi mo subukan?" (Wh...

One of the things I realized while I was cleaning the apartment  was this: I have big appliances! Since they were intended for the whole family, my refrigerator was big, my rice cooker was big, and even the water kettle was big. They occupy a lot of space in my tiny unit. And seeing them makes me feel all the more lonely and away from Papa, Mama, and Arnold.  And so I decided to pack them away - except for the ref - (I'll just bring them to the province when I go home, they would be more useful there.) , and replace them with these cute little ones: I thought at first that I would feel more terribly sorry for being alone, for not having anyone (yet) to share these things with (thanks to the salesman who pointed that out), but surprisingly, I felt comfortable seeing them. As a matter of fact, I became more hopeful and excited about the future. Cliche, but I agree that great things come from small beginnings. :)  It's as if God was reassuring me that this ...

In today's Gospel ( John 16:23b-28 ), Jesus said, "Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete." The Lord knows the deepest desires of our hearts, doesn't He? So why bother to still ask? If He is already aware of our needs even before we tell Him, why do we still need to ask?  Jesus encourages us to ask because:  (1) it is a sign of humility (2) it is an act of faith (3) it determines the level of relationship that we have with God I. Asking as a sign of humility To ask is to acknowledge that we don't know everything and that we don't have everything. We ask because we know something is lacking in us. We ask for directions because we feel lost and don't know where we're heading. We ask for prayers from other people because we know we are weak and we need as much prayers as we can get. We ask because we're humble enough to admit that we are nothing before our Mighty King.  II. Asking as an act of faith We a...

In today's Gospel ( John 16:23b-28 ), Jesus said, "Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete." The Lord knows the deepest desires of our hearts, doesn't He? So why bother to still ask? If He is already aware of our needs even before we tell Him, why do we still need to ask?  Jesus encourages us to ask because:  (1) it is a sign of humility (2) it is an act of faith (3) it determines the level of relationship that we have with God I. Asking as a sign of humility To ask is to acknowledge that we don't know everything and that we don't have everything. We ask because we know something is lacking in us. We ask for directions because we feel lost and don't know where we're heading. We ask for prayers from other people because we know we are weak and we need as much prayers as we can get. We ask because we're humble enough to admit that we are nothing before our Mighty King.  II. Asking as an act of faith We a...

13 May 2015 1:45 AM Today, I officially finished cleaning the apartment unit. Hooray! :)  I guess that's what loneliness can do to a person: to never stop until she's done.  Wait, what did I just say? Am I really lonely? How is that possible?! Me? The strong, independent, Aiza? I may be alone, but I'll never be lonely. Right? Wrong. :)  Fr. Benedict, in his homily yesterday explained it beautifully (and for the nth time, I felt that his homily was intended just for me :D I just so love him. He truly is a "father" to me.). According to him, it is stupid (yeah, that's the word he used :D) to say that people are alone but not lonely. He said that may be true at times, but not all the time. We would all come to a point of loneliness, whether we admit it or not.  As for me, I must admit that I am terribly sad (lonely) right now. I so miss my parents and my brother. I would cry at times, just like at this time (because most of the time I resi...

As I wait for boarding for my flight back to Manila, I thank the Lord for allowing me to serve in the KFC IKV and at the same time, for the opportunity to go home and visit my parents, even just for two days. :)  This post is especially dedicated to my future husband, so that he would have a glimpse of what I call "home." :)  Dear Future Husband ,  One of the things that you must know about me is that I love to travel! My ultimate goal is to set foot on every province there is in the Philippines, and eventually, at least on all countries in Asia. :) Of all the places that I've been to, I have two favorites: Baguio (I love strawberries! Currently craving for strawberry taho :D) and Iloilo. Tonight, let me tell you about Iloilo. :)  Iloilo is called the City of Love. I call it home , especially now that my parents are already here (still in Iloilo now, I'm at the airport waiting for boarding). Life here is so simple, yet so enjoyable! We live in Br...

The second day of the KFC International Kids Village began with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Fr. Celis was very passionate in explaining the value of the Mass. He said that the mass is not the same as praying the Rosary, neither it is a Bible study. The mass is something else. He also explained about the Jewish Feast of Passover. I remember the first time that I got to experience it during the Jesus Week . It was only then that I was able to fully understand what it truly meant. Fr. Celis is right, we cannot appreciate what we don't understand. And so it is important for parents to teach their children why Sunday is different from any other days, why the Mass is different (and more important) than any other activity. Fr. Mar Ladra's book, Straight from the Heart , has a dedicated chapter on the Holy Mass. Allow me to share this section: Tremendous Value of the Holy Mass (quotes from the book THE HIDDEN TREASURE - HOLY MASS by St. Leonard) At the hour of death...

I am so grateful for my teammates who recommended me to handle live steaming in this year's KFC International Kids Village. :) It's such a win-win situation because aside from being nourished by the conference itself, I also got the opportunity to visit my parents for free! :)  It's just like the Strawberry Mango Smoothie of Dunkin Donuts - my two favorites in one drink. :D I have a confession to make: this is actually my first time to conduct live streaming on my own. Even after several practices with Kuya Elmar, it still is different when you're already there, in my case, I'm already here. This is it. I spent the whole morning setting up and trying to make things work. Thanks to Kuya Elmar and Kuya Cesar who supported me all the way and to everyone who prayed for the success of this event. The first day is about to end but the challenge to find new ways to love more continues.  Tonight, let me just share the important points that I got from the firs...

As I wait for the opening of the CFC Kids for Christ International Kids Villa ge here in Iloilo, let me just share a journal entry last April 28. :)  Scene 1 (Mission Medical Plaza) Secretary: 230PM pa raw po darating si Dr. Alonzo. Willing to wait po? Me: Yes. :) Scene 2 (Jollibee) Cashier: 10 minutes pa po sa Peach Mango Pie. Willing to wait po? Me: Yes. :) Scene 3 (Ideal Vision) Optometrist: After 1 hour pa po makukuha yung glasses, Ma'am. Me: Okay po. Hintayin ko na lang. :) See, life is about waiting . You're either waiting for something (job, promotion, wedding proposal, etc.) or for someone. And there's always a certain agony in waiting. That's why I always offer the First Sorrowful Mystery (Agony in the Garden) for those who are still waiting - for married couples waiting for their own bundle of joy, for the unemployed waiting for that special "call", for exam-takers waiting for the results, for pregnant women waiting t...