Back to church

The past 5 days, I have been hearing mass through the radio veritas' radio and internet broadcast only since most churches cancelled their eucharistic celebration due to the Second National Congress of the Clergy wherein many priests from all over the country gathered in the World Trade Center. Celebrating the eucharist in person is definitely better than hearing it on radio, internet or TV but one thing nice was I got to hear the homilies for the priests since radio veritas presented the eucharistic celebration in the congress. It also featured the recollection given by Fr. Rainero Cantalamessa in the Araneta Coliseum and I got to hear his talk on marriage which I found out is similar to the talk he gave in the World Family Encounter in Mexico City in 2009.

Being back in church to celebrate the eucharist felt really nice especially since Fr. Bernie who presided over the mass looked really revitalized from the said congress. Well, I actually like attending his masses since he always seem joyful when he celebrate the eucharist but he was really glowing today and I hope that like him, all the other priests that attended the congress and even those that weren't able to, feel revitalized in their service for the Lord through their communities.

Schleprock

I met someone tonight that kept on talking about all the bad things that have been happening to her that I immediately remembered Schleprock from the Flintstone's Pebbles and Bambam cartoon show. Everywhere he goes, bad things happen. Nothing seems to turn right for him. And that's exactly how our new friend sees her life.

She has been swindled of millions of pesos... she lost her husband and her friends have turned away from her upon learning that she no longer have money... she is old...her friend betrayed her and stole her clients... she is sick...her creditors are running after her and she has nothing to pay... the people she is helping doesn't appreciate her efforts... she is depressed... she finds no meaning in life...the list goes on.... Nothing good ever seems to come her way lately.

And she has thought of ending her life because she feels she has no life anymore...

And we we were telling her to just pray but even her prayers are all complaints... and I thought that that was the saddest thing. To focus on the difficulties that you can no longer see the other good things that you have in your life... because if you really look then you'll know that there is so much to be thankful for afterall...

I am praying for her of course but I know that the best thing is still for her to let go of her present mindset. It could be very difficult, I know. But the more she entertains the negative thoughts... of how pitiful her situtation is... the more she gets depressed and the more she goes deeper with her "bad luck" and people around her also feels the effects of her bad luck...

I also remembered a quote from Garrison Keillor on luck. He says "Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known."

I certainly hope she sees this... I know it's hard to see it in her situation but truth is... it could be worst... and sometimes problems are opportunities for you to do good and improve especially if you put your trust in the Lord.

The Invisible woman

I got that video from my brother-in-law this morning and thought it was nice.
Later I got a text message from one of our auditors who was resigning saying that he suddenly felt sad leaving and thanked me because he learned a lot from me. I was touched of course and got misty eyed and realized that unlike Nicole from the video, I am lucky that I get appreciated for my efforts… of course there was also an added thought that other people appreciate you more than your family since the things you do for your loved ones are kind of expected… a given.

Tonight my friend asked if I get misty eyed every time somebody praises me and I said “No.” There are times that I do long for appreciation but often times I don’t really like being praised. It makes me conscious of the thing I have done well (as others see it) and somehow it lessens the joy of doing something because I would ask myself if I did it so I get noticed or I did it because I wanted to. Nicole is right, invisibility is actually a cure for self righteousness. But I would not really want to be invisible to the point of not being noticed… that I don’t exist! Ahhh I think that would be terrible! I just don’t want it to be focused on the things I do.

Nicole mentioned that even if others don’t see you, God sees you and it also made me think of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s prayer as often times sang in church…

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as I should;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labor and ask not for reward, save that of knowing
that I do Your most holy will.

Amen.

Nap Hill Quotes

January 8 is papa's death anniversary.
I'd like to remember him with my video of Napoleon Hill quotes
(it is my first attempt to create a video and post in Youtube)



When I was much younger papa wanted me to read books by Napoleon Hill and other positive thinkers. I enjoyed the stories he would tell me from the books he has read especially while we were travelling together but I did not like reading his books at that time (well I was still in high school then) I'd rather read comic books and love stories (particularly Emilie Loring) so I had to hide all those so he won't see me reading them. Eventually, when I was much much older, I read his books and enjoyed many of them including those from Napoleon Hill.

Positive thinking is still very much needed in our times especially with so many negativism around. It is nice to think of some quotes from Nap Hill. I'm sure papa would have loved it too.

PS. I got the artwork from www.wushealingart.com
and the music from my boss's CD of Shi Lan Skalski.

Life is fragile

I got a call from ANnie at 5:00 am. Sis Baby has finally rested.

Sis Baby is from our spiritual community who was diagnosed with cancer just a year ago and had her operation a few months later. I met her in 2005 and she was so very young looking for her age. I could never imagine that she was in her 50's since she pretty much just looked my age. SHe was so full of life and was so active in the community.

After her operation she really grew so thin and aged. Took time for her to recover a bit but two months ago her health declined again. When I went to our chapel for our midnight mass, I saw an old lady in a wheel chair who was also coming to the priest for the blessing after the mass and I was surprised to realize it was her. Still I could not imagine that the sickness has really overcome her. Despite her looks her voice was still full of life and she even teased how beautiful i looked while we were going back home. Her cancer was stage 1 and I was thinking that she probably only got depressed from the sickness and was just not fighting it off and that she just had to focus to fight.

Last Saturday, after having a prayer meeting in my old unit, I called her so I could talk with her, sometimes she doesn;t want to get down from her room that ANnie says it is better to just call. So Annie answered and I asked her if i could talk to Sis Baby then even before she answered I asked if i could just come and visit and she said Yes. SO i walked to their place, it was not near but it wasn;t really far either. ALl the while I was thinking that we were going to have a long talk because she does love to talk. I met her brother on the road and told him I was going to their place. He just smiled at me. ANd when I reached their place, i found ANnie wheeling her out. SHe said she wasn't eating and drinking and I could hear her telling me "Dextrose." Yes she looked dehydrated and I told ANnie it will be good for her to have it. Still I could not believe that her sickness has really overcome her. She just needed to fight!

And now I got the call. ANnie says her mother and father has already fetched her... she was so tired and just wanted to rest and she finally did.

It was dark when i got the call... even at 6:00 it was still dark but now the light has finally shone and it is amazing that part of the gospel today says it all...

"The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling
in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." Mt 4:16

Life is fragile but it is also temporary and what we are really looking forward to is everlasting life. She has finally seen the great light.

Rest in Peace in the brightest light there is.

The Avatar Craze

My brother’s gift for me for Christmas was the whole series (3 books) of the cartoon Avatar: the last airbender. He has seen how I enjoyed watching some episodes in cable with my nieces and nephews on some weekends and suggested giving it to me as a gift. I was excited of course. And so while everybody has been excited about the Avatar movie I was really looking forward to my series. And I got the watch the whole series (61 episodes) during the holidays. It meant I had to stay up late to finish some episodes but I really enjoyed them. This is the first time I have completed a cartoon series and I really truly enjoyed it. Now, my brother suggested another cartoon series but told him not for the time being since I still like to savor the series for the moment… plus it is back to work tomorrow and I know that I would not have time to be watching another series…arghhhh.

But I really do enjoy watching cartoons and now that I look back, I remember that the first time I wrote my Kaleidosthoughts series (it was just to my two online buddies then) my first thoughts were on an anime. It has been quite a while since I started writing and here I am still enjoying cartoons… I know I am getting older but I still can’t shake the big kid in me. I’m crazy and I enjoy it!!!

Happy New Year!

Another year once again.

A lot of things to be thankful for
A lot of things to look forward to...
I wonder how it will go?

Hmmm...
it is going to be another exciting year.
After all that is how life is
Different experiences
Different people
Different events
and of course...
Different thoughts :)
Happy thoughts... sad thoughts... anything goes!!!

Theotokos

The Catholic church celebrates the beginning of the year as the feast day of Mary, Mother of God.

The two biggest network in the Philippines had big New Year's eve celebration and while GMA 7 presented a magnificent fireworks display with performances of their talents, ABS-CBN had a healing Eucharist to begin the year and we had a chance to view both their presentations. Mama of course settled for the healing Eucharist.

During the homily, Fr. Glenn mentioned that Mary being the mother of God is also the bearer of God, Theotokos.

The word brought back memories of my field assignment to Cebu. It was September and on the Sunday the girls decided to tour me around different Marian sites in their region. It became like a pilgrimage for me and I was really touched. In one of our the places in Carcar was the Theotokos. That is where I got a picture of the lady from my celfone. I found her image so soothing and fascinating that i kept her image in my celfone for a long time until something went wrong and i could not remove my providers name on the screen that it was blocking her face that i had to remove it. Couldn;t put it back since I am still stuck with my old celfone -- it is not in its best form but I have grown used to it.

Anyway, what really caught my attention on the homily was that like Mary, we are all bearer of God... for we have Him in each one of us. Sometimes it is hard for us to see Him in others.... hmmm actually even in us but He is there waiting for us to acknowledge and nurture Him.

So another year... and another reminder to me of Theotokos.