UNEXPECTED BLESSING

It's been more than three years now that I have practiced hearing mass almost everyday. Almost would mean, missing only once or never in a month. Lately, I'm trying to tweak my schedule in going to church whether it would be better to hear mass after work or after I wake up or going to work (work is night shift). Today, after having breakfast, I decided to hear mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral so that I won't have to worry anymore before going to work later. I was having second thoughts but nevertheless, forced myself despite a rainy morning.

When I arrived, I thought there was a wedding schedule and took a look at the billboard schedule which I thought I was too early because I arrived before 10am and the next time would still be at 10:30am. But when I entered the church, I saw several priests, rounding up and taking their seats at the altar. Then, I remembered that it's almost the feast of our Lady of Immaculate Conception..fast forward during the homily, it was then that I knew that it was His Eminence Cardinal Vidal's (as Archbishop Palma calls it,) intimate celebration of his anniversary of Episcopal Ordination or in simple terms, ordination as priest? That, I'm not so sure. Anyway, moving forward, Cardinal Vidal was the former Archbishop of Cebu replaced by Cardinal Palma, was the main celebrant of the Eucharistic celebration where he read his homily regarding his priesthood. As what I have understood in his homily, he had held several positions as priest and member of the clergy and he is thankful to the Lord about it. But, he reiterates also that it is not really about the position that he held that would be important and it won't matter to the Lord when he meets Him at the end of his lifetime because what would matter was how he has served and loved the people that was given for him to take care of. He would be judged on how he lived his life not on the positions. 

It was also before the end of the mass that I knew (thanks to Archbishop Palma) that Cardinal Vidal has been constantly following up the canonization of Cebu's very own Blessed Pedro Calungsod wherein if that happens, even if he is retired would still be in-charged in the canonization process which he accepted the challenge and jokingly said that he doubts that his own beatification might be delayed because of his kakulitan on Calungsod's sainthood.

I even felt more blessed after kissing Cardinal Vidal's ring after the mass. Indeed, I am thankful that I pushed myself to attend mass this morning instead which turned out to be a heavenly experience!

PAYING TRIBUTE TO BONIFACIO

Today, we commemorate one of the Philippines' heroes, Andres Bonifacio. If Rizal, used his writing for rebellion, Bonifacio was the aggressive one who would not hesitate to use weapons against the Spanish regime just to defend our country.

In commemoration of his heroic deed, volunteers of the Philippine government's Pilipinas Natin (Our Philippines) together with Gawad Kalinga pays tribute to this hero in a different way. Not by writing nor through using weapons and firearms but through using our human arms to build homes for our brethren, cleaning streets in the slums and cleaning up our coasts. Perhaps we could still consider the tools we used as weapons such as brooms, hammer,etc. as weapons but not for blood but for building our nation.

As for my part, my contribution would be compared to Rizal, who used writing. In my case, I write not for rebellion but to salute the volunteers who have taken part in today's endeavor as well as those unsung heroes who have helped uplift the dignity of the poor in one way or another.

Kudos to all the heroes for the poor and of our lives! 

Cheers! :-)

GLORIOUS CONFERENCE

Saturday is indeed a glorious and joyous to culminate my second to the last day of my long weekend this month with the Kerygma Conference followed by the Feast of the Miraculous Medal today, which was my grade school alma mater but now turned into a full charity institution run by the Daughters of Charity. I am also praying for a miracle that would happen (either of the two of the things I am asking for). Nevertheless, I feel blessed already and I cannot contain it! The Kerygma Conference says it all  with  the talks delivered to us at the Waterfront Lahug Pacific Grand Ballroom which ended with a high note from Bo Sanchez.

As what the speakers prior to Bro. Bo said, namely, Arun Gogna, Obet Cabrillas, Randy Borromeo ( who were also humorous and hilarious) when they started to get to know God through the Light of Jesus prayer meeting, it seemed that He was speaking to them directly through the speaker! Honestly, I am not new to these kinds of stuff because at a young age of 17 about to turn 18 then, I already get to know the Lord and I can actually say, it was deep because that triggered my unstoppable service to Him through CFC Youth for Christ and eventually made me decide to serve full time which lasted for almost 8 years. Despite my resignation then, I still make it to a point to get connected with God through daily participation of the Holy Mass (especially those busy days) as well as attending our household prayer meeting (small group). So, to cut it short, I've always known that God speaks to me directly not just through speakers but even in ordinary people we meet! Yet, lately, I am perhaps not quite attentive and need to be refreshed or maybe I just miss attending big religious events such as Kcon! Odd but true. 

During the conference, God was not only talking to  me but pointing his finger to my head, then to his chest to tell me that "Che, always remember that you are in  my heart..and nothing (waving his finger on my face and gently touching it) can change that, kuha mo?" (A famous tag line from a teleserye that just ended last week which means, d'ya Get it?) Then I could hear him singing Bruno Mars' "Just the way you are". Of course friends, that was just my imagination except for the song that we all sang as we imagined God serenading us with that tune! 

The point is, in every conference, God speaks to us directly and it could be a different message in each event or it could still be the same message that He is pounding to us endlessly until we give in! One thing is for sure, He never gives up on us and he reaches out to us so we can be "transformed into the same (His) image from Glory to Glory" 2 Corinthians 3:18 and He loves you and me JUST THE WAY WE ARE! 

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

Cheers! :-)

RENEWING MY PURPOSE

It was better late than never when I arrived to visit yesterday which was the last day of perhaps the last GK Builders Camp for this year at the GK Mananga Site. It was overwhelming to see that there were around 41 participants at the camp. I reckon it was the biggest number for this year. Majority came from one of the partner schools in Cebu (Cebu Institute of Technology University or CITU. It has been a long time for me that I have last visited this site as well. Although, I got quite lazy to visit the houses that I knew, I just said hi or smile at the homeowners and kids who would pass through the multipurpose hall. Seeing the kids whom I had a very short teaching stint in this village, I would ask them if they were still in school. So far, they said they were. I don't blame them if some don't remember me anymore after all, it was just a short stint as I've said.  Anyway, the program went okay as usual. When the last session ended, there were fillers while waiting for lunch to be served and so I would find myself going to the favorite place in the site where the kids and even the homeowners, youth and their friends would hang out and do nothing or simply just stare at the houses with cornfields or down below the river or even at the skies. I noticed that some kids went down to the riverbank and just playing with the stones or one could just climb up a tree and get some fruit or whatever they want to get on it. Then, I saw that they got a makeshift ladder so that these kids could climb up and down the wall from the village to the river. I got preoccupied asking a kid to stop teasing another girl as if she is about to fall from the wall. Good thing, the other children outnumbered the big kid so he would stop doing it or whatever happens to the other child, he would have to pay for the consequences. While watching them, I couldn't help but think of how simple their lives were and reminiscing the days that I've served full time and what I have contributed and how I can help more now that I have stepped onto the corporate world. Then, it hit me that one of the reasons that I have gone to work outside of the organization was to give more. However, I am aware that because of my schedule, I cannot serve that much anymore or even give more which sometimes I feel defeated my purpose on why I am not working full time any more for Gawad Kalinga. 

Since last year, I believe God is leading me to a new career path in which my passion can become a career too. In the same way, I hope that I could have more financial and time freedom so that I can do what I want especially serving more and more and giving more and more. In the same way, I feel I wanted to spend more time with my mother and perhaps visit my brother and his family more often too and other members in the family as well. 

Although now, that passion has not become a career yet since I am still in another career that I have opted, the commitment to get that goal has been renewed as I write this article and I really need to constantly visit GK villages again to remind me of my purpose and importance of my career efforts.

Cheers! :-)