True Colors

Ave Maria :-)

2013 soon officially HISTORY... believe me  as one grows older you're tempted to ask THE TIMEKEEPER...hey , don't go so fast with passage of time..what's the hurry...? But you and I know dear friend that we can't bully the TimeKeeper..He has a rhythm all His own...He has a gameplan (take that in a most positive way), He singles out and assigns His players.. He knows everything and will make sure that in the End everything was played and timed out to perfection... 

Meanwhile we would probably at first wrestle with this rhythm:either we complain..."Too fast...." or sniff and whine..."sooooooooooo sloww,ano ba?" hahaha there is no pleasing this pesky human race. Tayo na nga ang pinagkalooban ng buhay with matching abundant blessings tayo pa ang nag re reklamo...Angels in heaven if they had their way would say:"The nerve!" hahaha.

Well that is man. that is you and me...

As we bid good-bye to 2013..go on come out with as many colorful descriptions as you can..bring out the book of adjectives ..was it exciting ?triumphant? nerve-wracking...heartbreaking..hilarious... destructive...healing..perhaps and you'd wish :errr--- romantic?...uy..a good many will venture:"Ay naku ha para sakin(for me twas) traumatic, depleting, depressing, misery par excellence... ayoko na... pls fast forward to a better year. Good-bye!"

Phew... ganon kalupit..thaaat baad, brother?

The beauty of our Christian faith is that no matter what adjectives you put in there... 3 words will always knit it together , make sense out of possible nonsense, even produce gold out of the rubbish we might have produced ...and sana you're dying to know the 3 words... sana naman.................

BLOW THOSE TRUMPETS for the 3 Magnificent Words

GOD LOVES US.

put another way... JESUS SAVES US.

and then pahabol translation...hehe...

HOLY SPIRIT PRESENT.

 

It means my dear friend... no matter what shade or hue our life turned out to be the past year..Someone Almighty so very closely watched over us...making sure,even if we'd have to suffer some bad falls ..and have our own peculiar and very unique version of Typhoon Yolanda--that we'd still come out Truly Alive, whether on earth or in heaven, amenOur Heavenly Father, the TimeKeeper perfects us in his divine love.

So we cannot and must not wish that the adjectives we come up with to describe 2013 will be limited to these:rosy, marvelous, glorious---- that The Year Was Utterly PINK. 

 If life was just PINK all the way..we'd end up being Dumbos or real-life Barbie Dolls. We need those colors.

Have we not noticed how each passing year teaches us so many new things... how if we trusted God more and rebeled less that unlikely as it sounds we actually grow in faith wisdom hope and love..? how God can make saints out of us... it'll take time and mostly the Blood Sweat and Tears of our Saviour but yes it can happen.

Hooray for us !

And we hate this mantra but yes  Practice makes perfect.

That is..practising and applying God's love and forgiveness in our life.

Hey don't look nor ask me... nangangapa pa rin ako in that area... but one learns..one learns indeed.

My 2013 had the following : answered prayers tho' not necessarily the way I expected it to be, broken relationships ( yes even these we must suffer the better to test what exactly is the foundation of our love and friendships )... unexpected healing - yes, physical but the more exciting was spiritual healing happening within the family ... pruning with a Capital P ---well let's just say God gets more specific and intense, hahaha --- the ouches are inevitable but in the end you realize the Lord did you a favor... God removes a lot of useless stuff in our life so we can move better and obey his flow without these heavy sinful anchors. A constant re-emptying -- you can't imagine how much filth we allow inside of us --how it kills us and makes us ugly inside -out--- that is why we must constantly thank the Lord when He pulls us out of the quagmires -- trust the Lord to save us when we don't even know we need major, major saving..hehe... Really we can't enter 2014 without taking time to reflect on the year we leave behind, oui?  

at a  2013 family reunion dueting with 1st cousin Rafael Besas these are golden moments when we can experience lotsa healing

In the end the colors don't matter... it is how we have been affected... the slow but sure beautiful transformation that happens to us that counts and is more important. 

If we come out wiser, kinder... richer in love and compassion..then it will be well worth it.

We are still a work in progress but one sweet day the TimeKeeper will say to us:Your time is up child...you are moving to a place where you won't be needing New Years and you won't fret over past years either.

before we know it..we are welcomed by a host of angels and saints and the Savior Himself who says to us :

" WELL DONE.... WELL DONE...child, come live with Me forever."

May our 2014 be filed with golden possibilities for spiritual growth, deliverance from all evil that oppress us and block the flow of God's grace, healing and reconciliation first with God thru Christ and may it overflow to a reconciliation with our brothers and sisters - may we experience the divine love of God who provides for us generously everything good and essential ....

we keep you all in our family prayers as we pray you remember us in yours... Happy New Year..as a good priest taught us  just recently , perhaps the best greeting is A Holy New Year to all. God bless you....te mye

No Black-Out

Hi friends...would have loved to share with you on the Solemnity of our Blessed Mother's Immaculate Conception..  but guess this is the "appointed time". It's a blessing to know there's free time to sit down and share - a treat for me - and sana for you too:-)

So how is your Advent? It'll be the 3rd Sunday this week-end, Gaudete Sunday - and on the Advent Wreathe the pink candle will be lighted.

Our Advent at home is a bit adventurous -- haha - I don't know what got into Dilbert's mind - but he agreed to light  the 1st candle -1st Sunday of Advent , he also agreed to lead the prayer -- well , he read it ( I printed the prayer in advance) - that we actually got to do the lighting  was a major miracle in itself - our very tiny family present: there was  husband, son Joshua , Lola Lina ever faithful  yaya thru the decades ...and Ging our 'adopted'  also home for a week-end visit.

Josh had no choice but to follow because father was "into it" .... you'll  probably think lighting of candles on a wreathe decked with plants and ornaments would be similar to rituals being practised by people of all faiths and all beliefs. 

But for us Christians...and especially at a time like Advent ...lighting a candle together as a family sends a signal to the world and the highest heavens that we remember the coming of the True Light of the world who is Jesus Christ --- first come on Christmas Day...2000 years ago .... and whom we expect to return on his Second Coming - this time to judge the world. 

We have a tiny baby Jesus laid on a simple wooden crib -- found some purple (violet being the color of Advent a symbol for repentance and welcoming royalty -for Jesus is True King of both heaven and earth) cartolina as a back drop for the paper mache --- old newspapers really crushed and formed with the help of good ole gawgaw - a local paste that is just perfect for making hills and mountains and cliffs when you can't buy the expensive replicas There is a huge lighted star on the wall , on top of the Baby Jesus resting on his wooden throne. 

We have a Christmas tree that is screaming that it's due for retirement hahaha -- but it'll do... and then as a treat --- being into THE LIGHT MODE... I did spend a little extra to put light sa garage -- I don't normally put lights outside the house --- but this 2013 has been a breakthrough year not just on a personal or family note.. but even for our charismatic community... our parish at Mt. Carmel ..and hey even for our country. 

While the world threatens to encompass us with events/ situations that seem to spell DARKNESS  from any angle you look at --- yet GOD has mercifully and faithfully shed us His Bright Guiding Light thru His Son Jesus --- giving us the specific blessing, graces we need ( AT THE PRECISE TIME WE NEED IT- not too early nor too late--sakto lang gyud) to combat all of satan's oppressions...evil attacks ..and all challenges.

By now we should be able to smell and sense the different ways the enemy tries to steal our peace:

1) Look ...you are afflicted and sick... you are too weak ...and you have become useless

2) There is a lack of money... or for others.... there is egads -- absolutely no money -- it's a crisis!

3) Everyone you love or tried to love has deserted or failed you -- you have nothing to live for, you have 

    no one to share your life with... you're a loser or didn't you know that?

4) You can try all you want but you will never change .. you are weak and vulnerable ... and you cannot honestly believe you're cut out to do grand things... or did you say holy things ? Boy you must be sick or sumthin' ..take a pill 

5) Calamities(think yolanda).... Terrorism...crimes on the rise... oopps even the Light rates ...Meralco will be charging higher rates starting January.... oh no.... we'll cut back on energy consumption --- that means madilim na talaga.

Well if we believe and fall for every trick the devil throws at us (1-5 above are just samplers of the possible ways we'll be tried and tempted) )... we won't need  a Black-out around us ... because the Black -out will start inside of us. And that'll be the end of us.

The Light who is Jesus first grew in the womb of Mother Mary.... and our Saviour again waits for the slightest openning in our heart so that He can make His entry this time in our poor heart, and so that His Light fills us.

Put a candle , a lighted lamp in the midst of darkness and right away it Changes everything. Hope is born. And when the light happens to be the Son of God who entered our time and our space... what do you think would that do to the whole of creation? We will not ever fathom how God the Father loved us this much...nor fathom how Jesus even bothered to agree to such a plan of salvation for us. 

At the Solemnity of Mary's Immaculate Conception I cried tears of joy -- so overcome with gratitude and truly in awe of this woman who simply believed. Just stare, be quiet before an image of our Lady and she will calm you ..she helps her children understand more.

Let us pray to our Blessed Mother for she is is our mother too -- that thru her intercession God removes the cobwebs in our heads and extricates the filth in our hearts -- so that like Mary  we can recieve the Light fully and completely -- Christ our Lord.

No more Black -out  for sure........... let's keep praying for each other that God grants us the love to do  our fair share in spreading the Good News who is Jesus Christ. Amen.

Oh here's a vid of a group called Psalm of David http://youtu.be/P6mWs_8knN8

--- caught them singing at a Chinese resto -- was just touched by their music ..here's something about their group :The Psalm of David Harmonic Orchestra, Inc. is a non-stock, non-government organization that reaches out to thousands of young people to promote the “Music Against Drugs”campaign.

For more than a decade now, we have successfully helped talented teenagers especially the out-of-school youths in adding new meaning, confidence, and hope in their lives through music.  Of course, with the help of our selfless and dedicated volunteers,  we have established music centers all over the country giving free voice lessons and music workshops on violin, piano, drums, trumpet, and guitar. Through this program, we believe that these young lives will be influenced with great music and values instead of  having a life wasted and tagged by worldly perils like drug and alcohol addiction, gambling, prostitution, theft and other crimes so prevalent among our youth today.

The Gift

Ave Maria:-)

When tragedy strikes, there are no words for it.. we can prepare all we want , as much as our human resources and capabilities will allow - but the reason it is called tragedy is because there are times, that not all our human powers in the world can soften its impact. By this time, many have shared about Typhoon Yolanda, we are once again famous worldwide but in a painful way..we have been ravaged by a calamity of a magnitude never experienced. From Day1 after Yolanda came to inflict death and destruction..a cloak of heaviness permeated the air, twas as if any place I'd breathe in, the heaviness was ever present. News filtered by the hour until our nation and the world was horrified at the extent of destruction. Like many Filipinos, and men/women of other nationalities we connected to this horror  ... finding ourselves crying, angry, frustrated that it had to happen and was still happening.Finally today, amidst fears that an anonymous text message could be true..we did learn officially that a nephew had lost his wife and eldest son but that by a miracle, two younger sons survived , are alive and now recovering in Cebu.

Mayor Romualdez of Tacloban City was speaking in an interview the other night - He said that what they needed were words of encouragement..words to inspire them to rise from the ashes. He quoted what elders of Leyte said: "It was like this after World War II.. but we survived as a people, we recovered and built again." 

If indeed gov't officials are not expertly functioning in Post Yolanda period..."Hey give them a break... we donot have super cyclones every week. We donot have several provinces with towns wiped out you'd think they never existed ." 

It is a rather strange grief ..as you could still function and go about your duties..your work... doing the errands... but anytime of the day, whether it is catching the latest news.. commuting on the train... perhaps resting in between work ... the tears fall, your heart is physically painful as you know what thousands of kababayans are going thru. By the time I finally spoke to Paolo this morning, I think both of us were numbed

thank God I didnot cry over the phone..nor did he. Perhaps the blessing that the two younger boys were alive and safely brought to Cebu was the greater emotion of the moment. There is time to grieve.

I don't think that we "outsiders" are truly the ones who will give aid and strength to the victims of Yolanda.

It could be the other way round.It is them who will be giving to us a gift that is divine.

In an almost supernatural way, the grace of God covers our brothers and sisters. God dearly loves Filipinos, the stubborn, spoiled Christians that we are but He loves us and in countless ways has given us the grace to overcome adversities, poverty, corruption etc.. but our inherent faith proves stronger than our sinfulness...our weaknesses.  

What is the gift that Yolanda victims give us ?

 HOPE.... because, the smiles and the grace , the playful humor Pinoys exude even in the midst of suffering                     make us believe that we can overcome severest of trials.

LOVE.... yes because they give us an opportunity to love and to express this love concretely. We never realize our capacity to love even strangers until something like this affects us...  this makes us realize we were cut out to love one another, not to kill one another, not to hate.

There is almost something innocent /pure about their smiles . No they are not dumbos.

Did you think Pinoys are clueless about their plight? No way.

They just truly believe and trust in a loving God... in a God who at times might exercise a disciplining hand but who nevertheless chooses to forgive and forget our offenses.

From countless videos of even past calamities.... 

Elders would calmly say :

" Kalooy ha Ginoo... makaka bangon kita." (by God's tender mercies, we can recover.)

" Asya it pag-buot ha Ginoo." (this is God's Will )

It is not spoken in anger or despair.. it is spoken in faith,hope and love.

Smile tho your heart is aching... smile even tho it's breaking .... how achingly beautiful your faces are dear Filipino brothers and sisters... how suffering only makes your true beauty more noticeable.

thank you for the courage you teach us...thank you that you help make our country and even the world one... I'm afraid at your expense.

Bangon mga kapatid...Arise, shine out for the light of Christ comes. 

  

            

Wolfgang and Friends

Ave Maria:-)

It's a long week-end for us here in the Philippines and all because of 2 beloved feastdays All Saints Day, Nov.1 and All Souls Day, Nov.2.

but waaaiiit  friends before we pack those bags, fill those coolers with litres of coke , adobo  and sandwiches, chichiryas  stacked and ready to be consumed and head for the cemetery for that instant reunion with relatives --- I really wonder if they celebrate it this way at the other Catholic countries? But over here whether it's a memorial park  situated in more affluent areas --- and where the rich have specially built expensive mausoleums, practically a big studio  unit in itself with its own toilet and facilities - the better to host those family reunions --- or whether it's those crowded cemeteries .... where can hardly find a place to sit... to walk or to park --haha yes that's how crowded it is --- it's really strange because you're remembering departed ones..yet the air is sooo festive ...ah yes Onli in Da Philippines

You'd be lucky if you happened to be at a memorial park where holy mass would be offered.. and then too it is heartwarming to see many families or individuals actually praying....  often the holy rosary, lighting candles , flowers -- it makes for a continuous connection between the 'dead'  (those who have hopefully crossed over to heaven) and the living (those who still need to fulfill their mission on earth).  

Indeed wait a bit before going to Himlayang Pilipino or Eternal Gardens or Paco Cemetery...

  how bout brushing up first  on our understanding of these 2 consecutive feasts...Can you imagine all the trouble we go thru , Yet miss the most Essential Part of all -- meaning --- baket? Anu ba talaga miron?

Yan naman kase eh ...naka ugalian na lang natin yung join na nang join hahaha. Think before you jump, dear.

Here goes.... 

All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honor of all the saints, known and unknown.

In Western Christian theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries.(that's us , yey!) 

In the Roman Catholic Church, the next day, All Souls' Day, specifically commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven. 

Now bear with the next trivia ... it really is good for us Catholics and even non-Catholics to know this :

Catholics celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day in the fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual communion between those in the state of grace who have died and are either being purified in purgatory or are in heaven (the 'church penitent' and the 'church triumphant', respectively), and the 'church militant' who are the living. Other Christian traditions define, remember and respond to the saints in different ways.

Everyday there's something new we can learn... something that makes us love our Christian faith more.

In my inbox... found out that today's saint was a St. Wolfgang .... Wolfgang whoooo ...and what kind of name is that for a saint? But lo and behold Wolfgang it is. He was a bishop and a very good preacher, sparing his people from terrible sufferings by evangelizing the enemy pagans who were about to invade them.

the one who composed the prayer  prayed : ..."that we be delivered from a glorification of the occult into a better understanding and appreciation for honoring the saints."

The prayer seeking St. Wolfgang's intercession went on to remind us how modern man is just much too fascinated with anything dark and sinister... name any branch of media : the movies and tv series that often turn out to be monster hits  with Part 1, 2 and 3's are those that deal with horror/occult/ bloody gory sick thrillers --- 

For the longest time , children all over the world were bananas with Harry Potter --yes Harry with his wizard powers was the coolest boy to emulate.... the Vampire series  also cunningly used the premise of Unwavering Romantic Love so that you later wished you'd have a  Vampire for your lover -- becoz hey...the love they offer never dies  d-u-h---- and you can fly , rip off intestines off those who make life miserable for you... you stay physically gorgeous forever --- never mind if when hunger pangs strike you --you ache for human blood. yum-yum, slurp

What was this series .....      oh Twilight.....?

On cable tv..there are too many Vampire series True Blood... Buffy , some 'cool' witch series -- have to get the titles of current shows .... some presented in a cutesy, fashionista way --- that way you get the teens, pre-teen wannabes hooked ---- who wouldn't want to be beautiful, powerful and invincible --- watta masterful ploy --- 

"Teach us to evangelize those who are fascinated with fear, evil and death..."  the prayer went on ...

Ultra FASCINATION indeed. 

It's the same Perfect Lie Satan used to lure Eve and then Adam. 

Satan :Eve baby... You really don't have to obey God all the way.... He's doing this to have Absolute Control over                                             you.... but in fact you can be Like God.

Eve    :  (in inital disbelief)  I can???? Seriously???(oops , pride monster  steps in)  I can be like God?! Where's that apple?!!!!    Adam.... git here.

    

Oh Eve... if foolishness had a name it would be spelled E-V-E .... you were content to have a little portion of seeming power ... Entirely Missing the point...  God's power has for its source His Perfect Love and Holiness.... it's not might for might's sake... it's not glory for personal consumption. 

the prayer ends with  ..."Fill us Jesus with your love, grace and holiness ..."

                                 ( to replace the fascination with fear, evil, death)                 

  

In retrospect had a very young relative who was so taken with a terrible gory movie --- something like cruel rape

                        ... a lot of torture scenes and this young relative so glued , watched it many times...many times.

The young relative also was very quiet, withdrawn...had a lot of personal and family issues going on --- very poor self-esteem too.... was so afraid of how this fixation with that movie would tie up all her internal explosive elements.

I mean..with everything this young person was going thru...-that's the last  mental/emotional  input you'd want that person to recieve. thank God this young soul survived that phase but God knows the amount of inner healing still needed.

Watching Adventure Thrillers, Crime movies with a whodunit plot ...some well made sci-fi movies... or even historical epics like Braveheart ---- you can live with whatever blood is spilled on the screen -- it's not gore for gore's sake --- there's a good purpose... but many movies are so sick . You could not possibly sleep or eat after watching them, if you could last 15 minutes.   

When husband Dilbert and I together with our ever loyal Lola Lina trekked to Himlayang  Pilipino.... even if the visit was just a short one...perhaps less than 2 hours.... just enough to clean , light candles, pray the rosary - then our silent prayers and  private conversation  with our parents, with God  ( my dad, mom and my husband's mom all buried same area) -- it was an opportune time to simply slow down -- turn off our ever chugging internal engines -- just savor the time at the memorial park -- we went earlier than Nov. 1 so  tho' there were already visitors at the park..it was still serene ... easy on the eyes..and still clean...thank God.

We don't have a big family... my cousins  , aunts uncles most of them sa Visayas, the ones in Manila so far off --- so really it's just us sometimes with son Joshua --- my half sister half brother , Dils brother go on their day-off .... 

I just thank God that I still have this annual visit with Dilbert , lola... becoz one day they could be cleaning my lapida... or vice versa... my goodness ..may our hearts be prepared for that time of temporary situtation...you are our strength dearest Jesus.

We're looking at the lapidas of our beloved  parents... and they are looking back at us from heaven..and they can see us in a better way . It is a good feeling knowing one day we will all be reunited...that many..the whole majestic host of angels and saints in heaven are praying for us...cheering us on .."Kaya nyo yan..kaya mo yan.... pagbutihin mo at napaka saya dito...sobra"

Are you tired? It's alright... we will just offer everything to our Saviour ....and cling to this passage : form the Letter of Paul to the Romans

28 We are well aware that God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good.

AMEN TO THAT ST.PAUL...   have a happy All Saints and All Souls Day celeb folks... God bless you..te mye

     

  

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