Some Thoughts Before I Go

I am here at school for six hours waiting for our turn. We are having the presentation of our project, and it is really awful to wait for six hours. Our group might present in an hour.

You might be asking why are we waiting. We though that each presentation would last for ten minutes, as promised. It turned out that each presentation lasts for 30 minutes to one hour. This is just incredibly awful. I haven't packed my things yet, I haven't bought some necessary things for the trip and as night draws closer, I become more irritated.

Well maybe I must expect heaven on my "retreat" since today's a purgatory.

Nevertheless I am trying to keep my cool and keep my eyes on the computer monitor. I won't be on Facebook and Phatmass for three weeks so now this is the chance to indulge!

I thank God for the "retreat." What seemed to be distant is now very near. I just cannot wait. Hopefully I won't forget my camera (and my clothes!)

...and don't forget the rosary made by the Blue Hermit! I have it for more than a year. I have attached an old medal of Sacred Heart of Jesus near the Tau cross.

So, nos vemos! (I don't know if I'll post something before I sleep or tomorrow morning, but.. nos vemos!!)

On Retreat!

Excited for the Desert!

The more I think of my retreat and "Retreat" I get more excited too. I just need some time alone, some time of thinking, some time of discerning and some time contemplating and resting.

My "retreat" (yes with the quotation marks) is all set and I just cannot wait to travel. But I have to give up a lot of things I like because of this trip. I'm giving up camps with my little brothers and sisters at the Oratory.

Please pray for me!

Break is Here

So [un]officially I am on my [summer] break.

So it's summer. I wake up shivering. The wind is cold. Everybody's sneezing. So it's summer.

I got some few but "long" plans this break, so I won't really rest unlike the past summer breaks. I plan to go to an Ignatian retreat on Holy Week  and before that, a two-week "retreat" at a faraway place. I'm so excited to travel. I'll be leaving on March 31 to start one of my  trips, and I might be gone the whole month of April (I am not sure).

I've been longing for a retreat since last October. I need some time to rest, to reflect and, yes, to be healed of everything that is bothering me. The Good Lord, in His wisdom, didn't allow me to go on one for five months. Maybe when I go to the Ignatian retreat, I will be able to identify the fruits of waiting.

Waiting. Waiting is part of the journey. It is not idleness. Well, waiting will be idleness if we don't surrender to the Good Lord. Waiting is a time of listening. Waiting is a time of practicing virtues. Waiting is surrendering.

I do not know what's going to happen in my retreat and "retreat" but I feel assured that both will be very fruitful. I am praying hard for them.

Former Intercessors in the Philippines

And speaking of prayers, please continue praying for my beloved Intercessor Relief community. They have posted about the Philippine community days ago and I am so glad that things are going well. I am so proud of their obedience and dedication to Christ and to His Church. It is so wonderful to see their obedience

Right now I am listening to some music I really love. Think of the sixties! I think I have to download some songs (legally) so that when I travel I won't be bored.

So I  have nothing to say now. Nos vemos! May God bless you!

God Looks At The Heart [repost]

Do not worry if your Sunday best is not as good as others. They may wear clothes with more color and style. God doesn't mind if you're in line with the latest fashion or if you look elite. God looks at your heart.


Do not worry if your parish church is only a nipa hut. Do not worry if you church has no golden decorations and elaborate chandeliers. God sees the heart. Isn't it we go to Mass because of God, not because of the decorations.

Do not worry if you have little or nothing to give. Remember the poor widow? She only had two small coins yet she still still gave. Offer your nothingness. God is well pleased with poverty.

Do not worry if you feel no one cares for you. Be still and experience God and know Him. Then you will discover that you are loved.

God's love alone is enough.

God is love (1John 4:8). Listen: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might have life through Him. In this way the love of God was revealed to us (1 Jn 4:9). Look at the Cross. Look at our Suffering Savior and feel His love. No one has greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are My friends. (Jn 15:13-14)

Patriarchate of Constantinople denounces Vassula Ryden

Click HERE (Rorate Caeli blog)

I was a former reader/protector of Vassula until I learned of the Notifications, of the value of obedience to the Church, and of Her Wisdom.

Vassula Ryden's book True Life in God contains a lot of doctrinal errors and Catholics are discouraged from reading TLIG. Visit InfoVassula for more information regarding the "Vassula errors."

Book Talk

Before anything else:
Intercessor Relief website gives updates on the former Intercessors who are in the Philippines

Please continue praying foo Japan. I am sure you are very aware of what's going on there.

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This afternoon I got the books my mom and a friend from Phatmass Phorum sent me. My mom sent me a copy of the Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila and my friend Tally gave me the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These books made my day great.

Having a copy of the Little Office makes me feel like a Carthusian. If I remember it right, Carthusians pray the Little Office before the pray the Divine Office. I am not sure if the Carthusian version is different from the one I received though. But, there might be different version but they still have the same purpose. Now I wonder if I should adopt this Carthusian practice. Hmm...

Another prayer book that I would recommend is the Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary. I use it in preparation for the Holy Mass and for Eucharistic Adoration. The meditations are just so wonderful, that you will really enter into deep prayer. It has 30 "visits", perfect a whole month. Each visit has prayers to Jesus and Blessed Mother and meditations. My favorite part is the spiritual communion. I like how Saint Alphonsus included the Blessed Mother in this little book.

I bought The Visits because Fr. Stefano Manelli, FFI recommended it in his book Jesus Our Eucharistic Love. I have finished Fr. Manelli's book a few days ago and have used it to prepare for the Holy Mass. Fr. Manelli includes a lot of experiences of the saints with the Eucharist, of how they revere our Eucharistic King  and how they value this precious Gift. There are lots of spiritual insights too from this book, and this just made me appreciate and love Jesus more in the Blessed Sacrament. Adoremus in aeternum Santissimum Sacramentum.

I have blogged about the Book of Infinite Love by Mother Louise Margaret Claret. This is another great book. The first part is about the priesthood and will surely help lay people to appreciate the dignity of this vocation. I am on the second part and Mother Louise talks about the love of God. Whoa, I just realized I got a perfect book list. All the books that I have talked about here speaks about LOVE. All LOVE. I feel so blessed to have these beautiful spiritual jewels.

I have so much to say yet I cannot find the right words to express my thoughts. Maybe when the semester's over I could blog properly again.

Nos vemos!

Great News About Former Intercessors

A great news: Former Intercessors studying and praying; are excited for future.

"The group's goal is to retain the charism of intercessory prayer but be more grounded in Catholic tradition and obedience to the. church."

I am so glad that things are going well within the Intercessor Relief community. I am so proud of them, and I am very happy that they are really choosing the Church. It is just so wonderful that I am sure there would be more great things to expect. I know that they will be doing more good things, thus pleasing the Divine Shepherd.

I am praying hard that they will become a religious community. I wonder what their new name will be, how will they look like, the structure, etc. I wonder if they will continue living as hermits.

Please continue praying for my beloved brothers and sisters in the Intercessor Relief community, and for all the ex-Intercessors who choose to obey the Good Lord and the Church.

March 13, 2011

 

 

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; 

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. 

That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple. 

 

Psalm 26:4 (DRB)

I'll Fly Away

I am going to tell the oratory kids tomorrow about Saint Josephine Bakhita. I don't know if many Catholics are familiar with her. I know little about her, so I am quite surprised that I chose St. Bakhita for the kids. Maybe the Good Lord will touch the hearts of the oratory kids through her story.

As I was reading the saint's story, I cannot help but notice her childlike spirituality. She was able to forgive (and even thank!) her abductors and torturers. She forgave wholeheartedly those persons who scarred her - this is just so awesome. Here I am, having a hard time to even be kind to my "torturers".

The song, "I'll Fly Away" popped into my head while reading the saint's story and I somehow understood what the song means. Once during a class, I learned that African spirituals speak about slavery. It is just hidden in spiritual thoughts. I wonder if slavery, like what the Saint experienced, still exist. I hope and pray it does not.

There are my little thoughts this afternoon. My mind is a bit disorganized because of school stuffs. God bless you!