These Little Wonders

I was so moved by the mass earlier this morning that I can't help but write about it. :) Gospel: The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) Renewed Vision. "Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; but He vanished out of their sight." (verse 31) After His resurrection, Jesus can no longer be "seen" with the eyes of the body. It is only with new vision, with eyes of faith, that we recognize Him present and active in us and around us.   Renewed Passion. "Were not our hearts filled with ardent yearning when He was talking to us on the road and explaining the Scriptures?" (verse 32) Encountering the Lord gives us hope and encouragement and makes our heart burn with passion to carry on and march forward. Renewed Mission. "They immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and their companions gathered together." (verse 33) Instead of going to Emmaus, the two disciples we...

Today, the 2nd day of the 2nd month, Pao and I are celebrating our 2nd month as a married couple, and I am writing my 2nd post for the year. 😍 I initially wanted to share my January highlights and/or something about our wedding, but since we're still sorting the official photos (and waiting for the others), I'll save that post for later 😁. For now, let me share a more timely content. Actually, this post has been on my Draft folder since 2016. But I guess it wasn't meant to be posted until now. 😊 Soooo, here it goes! Happy February! 💕 Secrets To A Happy, Lasting Marriage ♥ During a mass with the cadets, PMA Chaplain Fr. Leonides Cruel, shared 8 secrets to a happy and lasting marriage based on the letters of the word itself:  M utual Understanding . We acknowledge the reality that the husband and the wife are two completely different, unique individuals. They have different beliefs and opinions but what would keep them together is mutual agreement and unde...

Today is the first of November, and today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints.  During the mass, Msgr. Bong Lo shared two reasons why we honor and remember the saints: 1. To honor the saints is to honor God Himself who caused them to be saints. These men and women of faith were no extraordinary beings. They're just like us, graced by the Lord to live holy lives.  2. To remember them is to remember that we are also called to be just like them, that we, too, are meant to be holy. And to be holy means to be BLESSED: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3) Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. (Verse 4) Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5) Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7) Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8) Blessed are t...

O Almighty, Eternal God, look upon the Face of Your Son and for love of Him, who is the Eternal High Priest, have pity on Your priests.  Remember, O most compassionate God, that they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which is in them by the imposition of the bishop’s hands.  Keep them close to You, lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation. O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests; for Your unfaithful and tepid priests; for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for Your tempted priests; for the lonely and desolate priests; for Your young priests; for Your dying priests; for the souls of Your priests in purgatory. But above all, I commend to you the priests  dearest to me, the priest who baptized me, the priests who have absolved me from my sins, the prie...

You have given it all to me. To You, Lord, I return it. Everything is Yours; do with it what You will. Give me only Your love and grace. That is enough for me.   -St. Ignatius of Loyola Today is St. Ignatius of Loyola's Feast Day. And today, I remember all the things that the Lord has given me. :)  July is the new January! At least that's what I felt about the beginning of the 3rd quarter. God made all things NEW for me.  I welcomed the month with a new group ( Paolo's badminton family ) in a somewhat new place (because we took a route I haven't taken before) with new experiences (especially the Lumiang-Sumaguing Cave Connection).  I made a big career change and found myself working in a totally different environment. But I'm loving every part of it, minus the daily commute.  I met new friends and new mentors. I'm so grateful for my boss who took a chance on me and who has been so appreciative even of my little accomplishments.  ...

I booked a Grab to the Quezon City Central Post Office where I would claim my long overdue order from a shop abroad. After verifying my drop-off location, the driver asked, "CFC ka po, Ma'am?" I answered, "SFC po Kuya pero sa CFC po ako nag-wo-work." "Ahh. CFC din po ako dati." He replied. And the story begins. Tito Ed graduated from the Christian Life Program (the entry point to CFC) sometime in 2002 (actually, he wasn't sure if it was 2002 or 2003). At that time, he was actively serving in their parish in Fairview. He and his wife are no longer active members of the community but according to him, he has one fond memory about CFC that he will bring with him for as long as he lives. During their CLP graduation, they were given a Bible, a songbook, and a sticker (yep, I also got those items when I graduated from the CLP). He still have them up to now. But the sticker is special. When Tito Ed got it, he made a promise not to use i...

The Lord has been consistent with His message. This time, His messenger was Pope Francis. ♥ And this part right here is so personal:  Listen to the cry arising from your inner selves! Even when you feel, like the prophet Jeremiah, the inexperience of youth, God encourages you to go where He sends you: "Do not be afraid, [...], because I am with you to deliver you." (Jeremiah 1:8) Below is the copy of the letter. Read and be inspired. :)  

Last Sunday was special, as every day is when spent with the people you love. ♥ From the celebration of the Holy Eucharist to watching two epic basketball games, God's message was consistent. And I heard it loud and clear. Four letters. One word. PRAY. Let's begin with the Gospel (Luke 11:1-13): Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."  He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread  and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test." And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,  for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,'  and he says...

The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:57-66.80.  When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.  When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John."  But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.  He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.  Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.  All who heard these things took them to heart, sayi...

Though I was (and still am) not feeling well, I thank God for the gift of today. It has been a great day filled with love, grace, and inspiration. ♥ The first thing I did when I arrived at the GMC was to line up for confession. And it was indeed a beautiful moment with my God and with my dear Fr. Benedict who did not just patiently listen to what I had to say, but lovingly reminded me of the truths I might have missed along the rough roads of life. Just like Paolo, he really knows the right words to say and when to say them. I feel loved and understood and cared for every time I talk to people like them. ♥ And of course, there's the beautiful homily of Fr. Benedict during the noon mass. Muntik na naman akong maiyak . Ask. Seek. Knock. :)  Then I had one of the best lunches ever. I left the canteen not just with a full tummy but a full heart as well. I shared the same table with some of the most inspiring men in CFC: Tito Eric Ylagan, Tito Louie Maglaya and Fr. Ben...

Since Thursday last week, Fr. Benedict has been reminding us of the importance of the season of Lent. During his homily, he urged us once again not to let this season pass without doing anything to make it as meaningful as possible.  We hear it every year: lent is a time for prayer, fasting and abstinence, and almsgiving . But what have we done about it?  It's easy to be tempted to treat these 40 days are just "ordinary" because we encounter them year after year. But Lent is not just a Catholic tradition. It is an opportunity to grow in holiness, be a better person, and grow closer to God.  Fr. Benedict suggested the following to make this Lent truly a season of love:  1. Pray more. Set an alarm for your quality time with the Lord. And commit to really spend that time with Him. If you already have a disciplined prayer time, then pray longer. Spend more time with the One who truly loves you, and who loves you more than any other person can ever love ...

God is God. And because He knows everything, He communicates with us in the most appropriate way at the most appropriate time.  Today, He spoke through Fr. Dexter Carr. During his homily he mentioned two important things that I need to be reminded of.  1. God deserves our best, and when we give our best to God there is always a sense of sacrifice.  It is not just giving for the sake of giving. It is giving until it hurts. And sure it will hurt, because you're giving something important in your life, you're giving your all.  2. Christ is our light and hope, therefore, we do not give up.  Ang taong may Diyos, kahit na anong mabigat na pagsubok, mapagtatagumpayan. We hold on to the letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews (Second Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18). Because Jesus Himself was tested through what He suffered, He is able to help those who are being tested. Kapit lang. Hindi ka nag-iisa! (note to self) We celebrate today the Feast of the Prese...

Today's readings remind us of two important truths:  1. The salvation of souls is the primary reason of our existence in this world.  2. The only necessary thing  is living with God here and now, communicating with Him in prayer, basking in His presence.  The First Reading, taken from the book of Jonah, tells about the disobedience of the prophet and the faithfulness of God. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. He did what he could to escape the call of the Lord but because God wanted to save His people, He did not stop until Jonah finally proclaimed the Good News. Because again, salvation   of souls  is the primary reason of our existence. We are meant to help each other go back to the Father where we all truly belong.  In the Gospel, Martha was a good host. She made sure that Jesus and his disciples were taken good care of. It's not a bad thing. However, Jesus commended Mary for her contemplative disposition. She desired to be with ...

"True Christian love is generous and tangible , " says Fr. Ruper Solis, SVD.  He further explained what it means in his homily.  Generous. Loving is giving. We cannot love without giving. But giving is not necessarily loving. Because one can give without actually loving.  Speaking of sincere giving, I have learned time and again that it is truly in giving that we receive. The one who gives more, receives more.  Just this afternoon, I decided to pay half of my office mate's merienda. Wala na kasi siyang barya.  After he had eaten, he went out and came back with this, saying, "Mas masarap yan (baked ziti) pag may kasamang ganito." Dahil "special" daw ako. :D I noticed the message on the wrapper: "May pasobra dahil special ka!"   Loving is giving generously, sincerely, cheerfully! :) Also a week ago, I gave macaroni salad (which I personally made) to Kuya Elmer and Kuya Edward (guards on duty). Two days after...

"For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory..."  -Matthew 16:27- Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels, Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.  Image source: By Hand, With Heart Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel Prince of the Heavenly Hosts Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle! Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do you, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, cast into hell Satan and the other evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.  Saint Michael the Archangel, pray for us.  ***** Prayer to St. Gabriel the Archangel Special Messenger of God O loving messenger of the Incarnation,  descend upon all those for whom I wish peace and happiness.  Spread your wings over the cradles of the new-born babes, you who announced the coming of the Infant Jesu...

Day after day, I must face a world of strangers Where I don't belong, I'm not that strong It's nice to know that there's Someone I can turn to Who will always care, You're always there When there's no getting over that rainbow When my smallest of dreams won't come true I can take all the madness the world has to give But I won't last a day without You So many times when the city seems to be Without a friendly face, a lonely place It's nice to know that You'll be there if I need you And You'll always smile, it's all worthwhile When there's no getting over that rainbow When my smallest of dreams won't come true I can take all the madness the world has to give But I won't last a day without You Touch me and I end up singing Troubles seem to up and disappear You touch me with the love You're bringing I can't really lose when You're near When You're near, my Love ...

On this day, O beautiful Mother On this day, we give thee our love Near thee, Madonna, fondly we hover, Trusting thy gentle care to prove Image Source: airmaria.com Today we celebrate the birth of the woman I strive to imitate - Mary, full of grace. :) As a gift to her (and to myself, as part of my "40 Days To A Happier, Healthier, Holier Me" project), I decided to begin these two devotions:  As Fr. Erlin wrote, "Imitating Mary is not a denial of oneself. It is a desire to be who we truly are: the image and likeness of God." I attended the mass at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice and during the homily, Fr. Henry Ferreras described Mary in the five letters of her very name: MARIA.  M other - No one can replace the role of a mother in our lives. Mary is not just the Mother of our Savior, but our mother, too. At Calvary, Jesus entrusted the beloved disciple John (who represents each of us) to her care. By this act, we have the privileg...

Tired...  of ... doing the same thing over and over again? ... being the "go to" person? ... cleaning up someone else's mess? ... caring for people who don't even care? ... loving most especially the least lovable? ... doing favors for people who only remember you when they need you? ... setting things right (or at least trying to)? ... fighting for justice? ... pursuing righteousness? ... life itself? You may not have a broken heart, but if you answered "yes" to most of the questions above, then you definitely have a weary, and probably, wounded heart.  So where do we go now? Jonas  already gave a warning not to go to Sagada (where broken hearts go :D) dahil "sa dami raw ng gustong makalimot, bingi na ang Kiltepan" . Haha. Kawawang Kiltepan. Kasalanan iyan ng That Thing Called Tadhana .  Buti na lang tayo (assuming na weary/wounded din ang puso mo), pagod lang, hindi broken . :) And in moments like this, whe...