Cardinal Tagle

the philippines' very own Manila Archbishop Antonio Luis Tagle is now officially a member of the College of Cardinals. Pope Benedict has installed six new cardinals today and one of them is Archbishop Tagle or should i say, Cardinal Tagle. 

how great is your mighty work oh Lord! 

KCon 2012

attended the first day of the Kerygma Conference 2012 today at the MOA ARENA and SMX Convention Center.



it was just awesome! i told my sis-in-law trish that i'd be dropping by a friend's place immediately after because i was just too excited about what i learned and heard from today's worship and Business stream that i attended and i wanted to share it with my friend. hopefully this will be the start of a wonderful story to move us forward to be champions. please bless us Lord!

Mommy's Birthday

it was mommy's birthday yesterday. texted her early since i slept very late (or rather already early morning) and got her reply just abour mid-day.

we are so blessed to have mommy in our lives. may the Lord continue to give us the gift of you for years to come. we love you, 'my!

Grateful But Once Again

happy to hear mass again tonight. was surprised to see the church so full-packed. turns out that today is the 4th anniversary of the Dedication of the Our Lady Of Fatima Parish Church. so i really felt so happy when i realized that Rev. Gaudencio Rosales came to officiate the mass even though he is already retired. he related that he is already staying in Lipa and tending to the farm. since it was he who officiated the dedication four years ago, the parish thought it best to invite him again and he was so glad to be back.

had a very enlightening evening. again, got reminded about God's constant prodding in our lives. Rev. Rosales reminded us to be mindful that Jesus may be talking to us or trying to get our attention in the varied events happening in our lives right now, be it big or small. so we have to be continually grateful for even the littlest things and to pay attention to our health, it may be His way of getting close to us. let us hold on tightly to the Lord.

I Can Wait

Isaiah 40 : 31

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; 

they shall mount up with wings as eagles; 

they shall run and not be weary; 

and they shall walk, and not faint."

 

There is joy in waiting. 

well, i'm actually talking about the kind of waiting that's different from the one which we classify as one of the wastes that need to be reduced or eliminated through Lean management. waiting that makes you feel unproductive and wasted is not a really good feeling. i'm talking about the waiting where you get the feeling of excitement for something that just keeps mounting up. although there can be a bit of anxiety as well. but that sense of anticipation for the unknown that keeps you on your toes is something that i think is part of life. it's that time when there is actually something to look forward to. 

i saw the pic above posted by a friend on FB, and i couldn't agree more. some of my friends often ask me how i can be so patient to wait and there are those who say i should stop 'coz it's stupid to wait for something that one is not sure of. well, it's not just stubborn-ness. but this is me. if i want something so bad, i can wait.

Exploring New Worlds

happy to post here this vid i got from YouTube again. it's from the animation Aladdin. this was shown in the early 90's and i really, really liked this song. i think i watched this movie thrice in one week. and on three different cinemas. like... really! it's true.



discovered vastly different horizons since then and explored worlds so different from the one i knew. learned to appreciate various perspectives, multi-cultural environments, and God's immense love through  a number of diverse yet unique individuals.

Back to my Childhood Days

did you have a favorite book when you were a child? i remember when i was young, my parents bought a readers' digest collection entitled World's Best Fairy Tales. i really loved that book. see here below.

  

it's super thick. it had all these amazing stories  (very grimm brothers and hans christian andersenish) that i really loved, like The Little Mermaid, The Bremen Town Musician, Doctor Know-it-All, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Rapunzel, The Adventures of Sinbad, among others. most of the stories were several pages (about 10-20 pages) except for the Sinbad adventures which was really, really long. and there were illustrations so that kids like me could somehow picture the characters in the stories (hahaha, i love the picture for The Emperor's New Clothes). well, we had no disney films back then, or dreamworks, so you see, our appreciation of the fairy tales and magical stories depends on how well we let our imagination run wild.

so i was able to read the original versions of famous children's stories pretty early and therefore i was quite confused and disappointed when the walt disney and other films' versions didn't quite add up.... i mean, see: the little mermaid ending was different, i didn't read about aliens in chicken little's town, rapunzel's hair was not really tangled, the snow queen original version was simpler, jack went up the beanstalk to get the goose that lays the golden eggs in a castle manned by an ogre (like shrek! but i haven't read about shrek yet). and it was only later (much, much later in old age) that i was able to accept that that's the way things are. stories change in the re-telling. and commercial value soars if you give people happy endings. i only hope kids learn the moral lessons that they're supposed to get with the original stories.

Build His House

Gospel Acclamation:

"I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, that my name may be there forever."

1 Cor 3 : 9-11, 16-17

   Brothers and sisters, you are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

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... the most important temple of God that we will visit is our own lives. nobody is perfect and nobody is sinless, but let us endeavor to make our lives worthy for the Lord to dwell in and unite with us in spirit. and the Lord that we serve is the One that will bring us wholesomeness and healing. 

God's Love

today when i went to hear mass at our parish church, i had the privilege of attending the concelebrated mass for Fr. Jek's 6th anniversary in the priesthood and it was attended by a number of Dominican priests and parishioners here at the Our lady of Fatima Parish in Mandaluyong. the sermon given by Father Jerry was wonderful and Fr. Jek's mom gave a heartwarming testimony during mass.

i suddenly remembered the mass i attended in dubai (A Blessed Day) where the headmistress for St. Mary's school, Sister Anne Murray, made her renewal of vows. it was such a wonderful experience for me, being a part of the dedication ceremony to the holy life of people who i do not even know personally. fact is, i have just started attending masses in this parish middle of this year and i'm still familiarizing myself with the priests serving here.

the message i received was that we have to acknowledge that priests are also human like us. and though they have been tasked to take care of the flock, there are times when they themselves have burdens of their own but they just hide it with a smile and a pat on our shoulder whenever we go to them to ask for prayers and guidance. they actually get their strength not only from God but most of all from us, the ordinary folks, because they see the face of God in us.

it warms my heart to hear Fr. Jek say, "Masarap maglingkod sa Panginoon! Masarap maglingkod sa Panginoon kasi unang-una, da best Siya magmahal!"  Amen! i say to that Fr. Jek. what a joy for us to feel God's warm embrace everyday of our life. and He gives us that through the people around us and sometimes in the most unexpected of circumstance. however a lot of us do not realize that God is already speaking to us  and answering our prayers. let us be more mindful of God in the world around us.

i received this in my email years ago and found it posted and re-posted on the net because of its very nice message so i'm re-posting it once again:

The man whispered, "God, speak to me"
And a meadowlark sang.
But the man did not hear.

So the man yelled "God, speak to me"
And the thunder & lightning rolled across the sky.
But the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you."
And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle."
And a life was born.
But the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here"
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

The man cried "God, I need your help"
and an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement.
But the man deleted it and continued crying.....

The good news is that you are loved.

HBD Kuya

happy, happy birthday to my kuya!

The Lost Sheep

Luke 15: 1-10

today's Gospel speaks about the Good Shepherd who leaves his ninety-nine sheep and goes looking for one sheep that is lost. it is a story about God's promise of redemption and joy at retrieving one lost soul back to Him. how fortunate we are that we can look forward to God's mercy to take us back again into His fold even after we have fallen into sin.

"The Ninety and Nine" by Elizabeth C. Clephane (1868):

1. There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains wild and bare.
Away from the tender Shepherd's care.
Away from the tender Shepherd's care.

2. "Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?"
But the Shepherd made answer: "This of Mine
Has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep."

3. But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry,
Sick and helpless and ready to die;
Sick and helpless and ready to die.

4. "Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way
That mark out the mountain's track?"
"They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back."
"Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?"
"They are pierced tonight by many a thorn;
They are pierced tonight by many a thorn."

5. And all through the mountains, thunder riven
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of Heaven,
"Rejoice! I have found My sheep!"
And the angels echoed around the throne,
"Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own! 

Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!"

In My Heart

have been going over my music collection for days now. and heard this once again. really, loved this song. still do until now. thank goodness for YouTube.  :-)

The Beatitudes

Gospel Acclamation:

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

====================

in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught a set of ideals that touch on virtues of love and humility and echoing mercy, spirituality and compassion. this came to be called beatitudes, as rooted from the Latin word beatus meaning blessed, fortunate or happy.

i pray that the Lord God bless you in whatever state of life you are right now, whether in a condition of wholeness or brokenness, of sadness or joy, of success or failure, or whether troubled or at peace. please continue to pray. God is listening.


Matthew 5 : 3-12

  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 
  Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.  
   Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.  
   Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.  
   Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  
   Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.   
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  
   Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs 
   is the Kingdom of heaven.   
   Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you   
   and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.  
   Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."  

let me share this vid i found on YouTube. we sang this in school often during my elementary years. i have been blessed indeed. i pray that you too may be blessed!

Undas 2012

today i join all christians and catholics around the world in celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints, whether known or unknown. here in the philippines, we call it Undas or Todos Los Santos.

saints are men and women who, by God's grace, have attained victory over the powers of sin in their lives. the call to a life of holiness or sainthood is a call for everyone. purity of mind and heart is one of the goals of a saintly life.  (Companion 2012 Q4)

Revelation 7 : 4-12, 14

    " I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the Israelites. After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb". All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshipped God, and exclaimed, "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

...... He (the Lord) said, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."