Ave Maria:-)
Just a week has passed since Lucban get-a-way.. and already a lot has transpired.About Lucban... there is this special thing about "sacred" mountains or places where God's Presence is more easily felt.
In the bible we know how Moses...Ezekiel ...great prophets had their glorious encounter with the Lord in holy mountains like Mt. Sinai... and Jesus himself... showed His divine side at a mountain..with 3 apostles to witness it..the Miracle called The Transfiguration... the sight of Jesus looking every inch God and Saviour and talking to Moses and Elijah must have overwhelmed and strengthened the 3 apostles so much.They could not be the same men. Their knowledge of who Jesus truly was increased..and this increase in knowledge led to an increase of faith and love as well. Lucban has to be mentioned again becoz today's reflection is based on what was gained from it and what could be so easily lost -- yep, in the blink of an eye!
What made Lucban special? For one...all people you meet there at the Kamay ni Hesus shrine go there precisely to experience God's love... to encounter Him..to pray to Him..to thank and praise Him... to communion with Him and His people. There is a vast difference worshipping the Lord in a setting where the people who sit beside you are absolutely bored , jaded...snoring or impatient through-out the holy mass... cannot wait till they can leave and go to the nearest mall..or eat at the fave resto. Children whining only because parents have not explained to them the meaning of holy mass..of prayer... of loving and knowing Jesus.
It is not true that children cannot understand these things.. if we only tried and do it with enough faith and love..we will be surprised how young ones are the easiest to convince of how to worship the Lord..sure it doesn't happen overnite..yet if we elder ones persist and really show them how we ourselves are sincere about hearing mass and worshipping God..then children pick up and eventually worship becomes a prat of their system--- no longer something alien, outdated or boring -- but a joy to do... a gift from heaven!
Fr. Faller's birthday concert was held Sat. Evening.. upon arriving there...we immediately sensed the 'good vibes'... there were a lot of guest performers... priests..artists like Dulce and Aizza.. choirs , dancers from different communities... the audience was a happy, relaxed one.The guests not there to out-perform each other... Fr. Faller himself was relaxed, happy.. sharing God's blessings to his well-wishers... Our trip to Lucban took longer than usual..traffic so baaad.. yet this and all our tiredness
from city life were eased by the short stay we had there. 
After the show..some members spent the nite at the home of a community member -- that gave the sisters extra-precious bonding time. The rest of the elders and brothers were billeted at Noah's ark. Strangely, tho' I suffered lack of sleep the whole week before Lucban, and suffered migraines..yet that evening I felt so refreshed and energized..almost could not sleep...and was not tired at all. The air... the setting.. the people..even the staff who attended to us..whether this be production crew..audience or hotel staff..security gurads..were so kind.. kindness permeated the air..it healing in itself.
The following day..our young sisters arrived early... they wanted to climb the mountain.. see the sights... we had breakfast at Noah's Ark... strange how ordinary sunny-side eggs and espada dried fish and Lucban longganisa seemed divine cuisine. I joined the brothers for breakfast...Jackson, Kuya Bong and hubby Dilbert our drivers ... Rocky ,Pips, Josh ..a giggling happy bunch. And then the holy mass... We caught the 9 am mass..the small church is right at the foot of the mountain..From the church windows you can see the 14 Stations of the Cross lovingly built..and many pilgrim travelers.. going up the mountain.
The church is jampacked...there are monobloc chairs outside to accommodate the overflow... I observe the people... these are mostly Quezon folk, from Lucban, Tayabas...and many people from Manila.It warms your heart to notice how they are so prepared to worship the Lord.there is no fidgetting in the seats...The people make the church resound with their responses..their singing along with the choir... it is enervating and makes you want to cry from sheer happiness..because this is how it should be..and if we want heaven to open up and God's mercy to cascade unto us..we must give the Lord the praises and honor due Him. the priest gives a simple yet stirring homily.. you notice how everyone except for babies and young children recieve holy communion and are reverent about it. At the end of the mass... we are able to go up the mountain .. not without a lot of grunts and heaving hahaha... perspiration trickles , we catch our breath..yet as the climb goes higher..we also recieve that inner joy .. I know Jesus healed many if not all of us who went there to climb and pray. And this healing was given in the part where we needed it most... first in our tired spirits... our heart..our anxious minds.. our weary bodies.
Jesus knows when our apparatus will conk out
..and He hears our prayers.He knows too when the crosses we bear have exhausted us so much that if He does not replenish our strength ,we will die perhaps not physically but in spirit..and that means Minus ONE more SOLDIER FOR CHRIST AND THAT does not make the Lord happy. the Lord promised He would be with us always..till the end of time and He is faithful! The keyword today is something we rarely use. VORTEX DEFINED as NOUN: 1. A spiral motion of fluid within a limited area, especially a whirling mass of water or air that sucks everything near it toward its center. After God had replenished and healed us , affirmed, confirmed, restored us in His love at Lucban... what do you know but that a VORTEX would await each and everyone in Manila. We all have our Lucbans.. you need not go to a holy shrine to recieve in filling of God's love..it can happen at a seminar.. or in deep personal prayer..anywhere... but once we recieve this healing, this fresh anointing..we must be alert of the Vortex waiting out there. For lack of a better word..let's use vortex to symbolize , the same old situation we have at home, in relationships, at work.in school..at church..same problems... same difficulties, handicaps... same strengths and weaknesses and be CAREFUL NOT TO GET SUCKED BACK INTO IT. Instead let the whirlwind of the mighty Holy Spirit draw us...let us get caught in the orbit of Christ's Magnificent love!
Yes the same hardships might be there..they might have even multiplied hehe.
.. but we...you and I..God has changed us, is transforming us in His love..we are in better shape..He has aligned our coping mechanisms...from Can't Do...to Can do
..will do it with You Jesus, for You, Lord Jesus! Hallelujah... on this glorious Feast of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ..let us rejoice that we can always partake of the Lord...be fed and strengthened by His Body and BLood. John 6:51-58 Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. We praise and thank You Lord for knowing and giving what is best for your people. Praise You now and forever amen. Take a break... enjoy these videos:My Tribute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQDzoryP4gI Lubel and Bing back-to-backhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRWMFMWdTu8 nalasing na HiponNalasing sa Hipon Bless us this week oh God... Pour out Your blessings Most Gracious Father, in Jesus Name we pray!.......................... te mye
Ave Maria:)
Who's to say what is possible and what isn't?
whether we're young or old we all have our set ideas of what we can do ..assessing our percieved storehouse of talents, and resources
... and everytime we will need to do something..whether it's something as teensy-weensy as giving ourself a manicure... or finishing that college degree.. or forgiving someone who has truly grieved you for the nnthhhhh time ( KAKATAYIN ko na siya God, I'm asking your permission
)... ... we will have our list or arguments and reasons about when something can and can't be done.
And sometimes when we zoom in on the feasibility of becoming messengers for the Lord... hehe, we automatic take 10 steps backward and say... eh 
..eh
... I really am not cut out for this..I believe in it with all my heart ..but maybe it's not yet my time.I think someone else should do it.
Or we are already on active service..we could say... "uhhh..day-off ko Po?"
Guess what ..our heavenly Father has an odd sense of humor. The more He senses our "resistance" smells our fears /insecurities /or outright vehement "will not..cannot do this" ---the more naman He insists.BUT YOU MUST . IKAW TAYA TODAY.
Hu-waat Lord? 
we say... with all our might.
Hindi uubra Lord, I'm shy... this is a job only priests and nuns can do... no sufficient training...am lacking in obedience , and whatever virtues are needed in this dept. ..I'm flat-footed, poor memory , poor math... poor everything,actually poor ako are you listening Lord.??.. teka
..He's notttt!!... Oh no, pursigido si GOD.
Ultimatum to GOD.
Us: Ahhhh Lord.... this is not a good time, kulang ang team..many are sick, we haven't rehearsed... the weather is bad, by the way You dictate the weather, remember?
-- dapat You didn't arrange for a hot spell-- rainy spell unpredictable weather so that voices would not be croaking, stomachs not upset ... we are heartsick, soulsick.. some other day po..cgue na Lord please???
Now is not a good time. You are God .. for sure you can take care of it.
Send someone else po pass muna.Tenk You.
Mother Dori recieved an invitation from Fr. Joey Faller for Ate Kendi to guest at his birthday concert in Lukban , Quezon. Fr. Faller a healing priest has built a wonderful healing center at faraway Lukban.God-willing he will also be guest speaker at the Mt. Carmel prayer rally June 25.
So it is like a mutual visitation.
Kendi invites music and dance ministry to join and assist her... and in theory, we happily say... cgue sama kami
But as the day nears... many things happen.. many fall ill..the flu and colds virus on a winning streak..classes start for the students..people have work to attend to... others have engagements like birthdays or prior commitments... most of all a lot are on moody blue mode. 
Friday evening the nite before we leave, we ask after the prayer meeting:"Sinong confirmed sa dancers?... and huhuhu 
only 2 are available..sisters Aba and Botchie..
the band members also not available Jek has classes till 8pm in the evening Sat... etc... how about the singers... Gwen , Mel, Kris Ann text in: out-of-town, Mom's birthday and in school or somethin'.......
Lyn : Sis , tuloy ba... ( her eyes with dark circles from puyat )
Maye: Lord cguro po di na matutuloy..becoz hello... super konti kami.
Text message to Kendi: Kends... if wala makasama .. you could guest naman there solo at samahan ka na lang namin ni Lyn... manood kami...okay ba?
Fri. evening : Driver 1 backs out. May sasakyan ...walang experienced driver for the long drive.
Maye:Lord..cguro sign na po ito na talagang di na matutuloy, ano po?
SAT. call time noon....
People trickle in...Aba and Botchie...Rocky is early. Josh confirms Cherie and Bea and Pips... hmmmm we have 3 extra singers who haven't rehearsed for quite some time...and the other 3:Josh Lyn , moi plema-infested throats hehe....
Candy is not her usual hyperself --nursing flu kept under the lid... the driver will drive for us after all.. Glory Be
Pero...What will we sing or dance... wala naman minus one, Mm and Aba are able to download old videos of past shows... change to audio file...burn cd .... hahaha, desperate na talaga.
the trip to Lukban takes longer than usual...almost 5 hours... finally we arrive just in time for the
concert... quick change and enroute to Kamay ni Hesus , listen to the audio cd... to choose which songs could be used... sabayan na lang natin.
Sandamakmak na rosaryo at dasal.
It is not so much about the outreach but is more of about how much we learn in the process of how God loves us.. how we realize... that God will provide what is necessary and how He wants it done at that particular moment.
The outreach turns out to be joyful.
The audience warm.. God granted time for bonding, reconciling.. not enough time for sleeping or physical rest , but your spirit gets a break
As always the Lord uses the bait of:
"Come you have to do this service for me..."
Yet in the end..we are amazed at how the Lord heaps blessings upon blessings.
the trip and outreach to Lukban turned out to be
refreshment for the spirit. A time to heal... a time to breathe in the fresh air and take in the soothing scenery of Kamay ni Hesus.Far away from hustle-bustle of Manila, your spirit is re-aligned -- like the wheel of a car, aligned back to the right place. Even if it is a long drive to get there, and even after remembering all oppressions suffered .. yet once you arrive at the place, you will be affected by the pervading peace , God's love and natural beauty.
Fr. Faller is known for his healing gifts, yet has maintained an easy laid-back persona... the place is nestled in mountains, the 14 Stations of the Cross carved in a mountain ..we got a chance to climb the mountain and pray the Stations after Sunday mass the following day and how wonderful it was.... So many people going there to hear mass ...the sick come to be prayed over. The atmosphere is charged with the people's faith in God... and an awareness of His Presence .
I need to close this..just must share how I had a really grueling week before going to Lukban... physically, mentally emotionally awful-awful ---- yet upon reaching Lukban, esp.after the show..the energy in the place replenished me and the whole group. The following day...communing with the pilgrims was another healing occasion... thank God for places like this... thank God for the help He gives us the times we need it the most. Have a good week everyone....God is always with us!Happy Feast of the Holy Trinity! te mye
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Ave Maria:)
It's the height of NBA fever... Dallas and Miami teams must move to Miami homecourt -and if Dallas wings it... the ring is theirs! You can bet that Miami will put up the fight of their life - both teams for that matter.I am so excited. This is the way championship games ought to be played.. no dirty tricks.. with players displaying their skills even under utmost pressure - several players are'ill'..like Dirk of Dallas.. nursing a flu ..what a terrible time to get sick Dirk.. but he shows bravura, sheer fight till the last drop of blood - even succeeding in leading his team to a win inspite of the cough and fever- woweee... on the other side...Sir Wade is as gallant as ever... Dallas is the team I'm rooting for-- but hey, I know a great player when I see one... and i truly respect Wade. I'm watching the players from both teams show their prowess, courage, wisdom too -- for the championships it's not just talent and skills that count but wisdom and experience that gives the Edge in the finals...
and can't help marveling at the God who allows all these wonderful athletic moments to happen. If you play as well as any of these guys..would you not thank the One who gave you the strength, education, training and golden opportunities so that you could be a player of this stature.?
AH BUT YESSSS..sadly there will be players... who would not give a hoot of whence the talents and blessings in life come from -- worse, they figure They Done it Themselves..not owing the Creator any gratitude.Weird and outright ungrateful.
Sometimes we will see players , famous and well-awarded ones at that closing their eyes in prayer..either imploring God for the help and good luck they need ..or thanking the Lord profusely for the good breaks -- it's caught on international tv and I am so blest. How powerful can that image be?
Men and women all over the world practically idolize these great athletes..so to see them praying and acknowledging their God in public is sometimes more powerful than a seminar or sermon.
But the timing of the NBA championship couldn't have happened at a more precise time. Pentecost Sunday is the great feast for the month of June.
it celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit, The Spirit's descent upon the Blessed Mother Mary and the apostles after Jesus had ascended to heaven.
where's the connection?
Basketball teams of the the calibre of the NBA are formed not for mere flash and media mileage but they are groomed to win. The owner of a team moves heaven and earth to recruit the best players.. even going as far as to import.. like Dirk who is German.. the Gasol brothers from Spain, one of them plays for the Lakers-- the team with perhaps the most wins.... and after you get the players signing them up with the best deals so that they stay with the team..the next problem is how to make them work as a team with a common goal----> to win that championship. This is where the Coach comes in-- his assignment can't be emphasized enough.It's the coach who determines the amount and style of training..and the coach who teaches the different "plays"... that only the team knows..the coach who studies each player, his strengths and weaknesses (in fact, the coach must also study the other teams' strengths and weaknesses) --a good coach must be able to bring out the best in each player and instill unity, trust... even friendship among the players -- these elements help bring home the trophies.
In a game.. i think 3 time-outs are allowed each quarter... during a time-out the coach gives instructions of what to do, how to disable the enemy --- he has a vantage point since he can see the team progress from afar..he is stationery and can gauge well what is exactly happening.so at the crucial moments when a time-out is called and the last minutes are ticking, the coach's instructins are sooooooo VITAL.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE TIME-OUTS FOR BOTH TEAMS HAVE BEEN USED UP MUCH TOO EARLY ..there's still a long way to go like 2-3 minutes.... what do the teams do????up to this point they have been so reliant on their coach from training to actual play-offs ..and then at the time they need to hear his voice the most ..he's not there!
There is a parallel to this NBA championship scenario and how the APostles felt after Jesus had "left" them. This was the time Jesus already ascended to heaven but not without giving them Last Instructions: Book of Acts 1..........
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he (Jesus) presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus is like the Coach whose presence the apsotles had grown so accustomed to..He trained them.. lived with them, was Big Brother, Teacher, Counselor and Provider the 3 years he had called them to be his disciples.For as long as Coach Jesus was around, they felt and assumed they could do anything...especially as they witnessed the Lord perform so many miracles going as far as raising the dead Lazarus to life!
As they listened to his powerful preaching, they had no negativity whatsoever to talk and propagate about this New Kingdom ... they didn't fear the Pharisees or Mother Nature's antics like a frightening storm at sea... FOR AS LONG AS THE BOSS WAS THERE.
but with Jesus ascended to heaven which they witnessed with their very own eyes..how in the whole wide world could they ever hope to finish the game Jesus started.?
How would they preach? Their charisma was not even enough to attract fish..real fish to their fisherman's nets
... and now the Lord expected them to to become Fishers of men?? Was Jesus hallucinating?
But Jesus had given them specific commands to carry on with his mission and to their credit, they trusted his promise that He would send the Helper (the Holy Spirit). It helped much that Mama Mary joined them in prayer those days they prayed and waited in the Upper Room..yes Mama Mary was temporary coach until the coming of the Holy Spirit.
In the NBA, if the Coach did his job well.. he will have a well-knit team which will not cave in to pressure during the last minutes of the game.With or with-out time-out, the team will know what to do, the hours of hard training will come to the fore, they will remember, they will not be rattled, they will put up an impregnable defense and they will deliver the necessary shots to win the game convincingly. They will win!
Jesus didnot gather the Apostles so that they would be a losing bunch.He made sure He would send them the Holy Spirit... and whe the Spirit came , the apostles were given the gifts they needed to continue Christ's work.
We are still playing the game...you and I.. let us play it well, let us play to win --to win souls for Jesus.. let us not rely on our own strength but pray to the Holy SPirit.. invite the Spirit, beg forgiveness for our sins and ask for a new mind and a new heart.It is the only way we can hope to be true disciples of our Lord. The Holy Spirit whom we recieved at our sacramental baptism is now our Resident Coach, always with us,molding us and providing for our every need.
Awesome and true.
so don't worry what the score is right now.. the Spirit of Jesus is given to all who believe and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.It's not an ordinary Feast this Pentecost , it's the Feast that rocked the world --purified then set hearts on fire with love for God!
a Joyous Pentecost Sunday to all!
come Holy Spirit, let your fire fall!
..Galatians 5...20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. ..
........................................God bless us all.......................te mye
