Another Year

Two days more to go we will be entering year 2010.
What is ahead of us in this year 2010? Many of us has mixed emotion. Would it be a
promising year? Would it be a lucky year? No one could give a clear answer.

But what this year all about may come and start in our way of looking at it.
People of faith must believed that this coming year is a year of full of hope. Assurance does not come from us but, it comes from the One who hold tomorrow.The One who hold the time, the One who hold our hand.

It is nice to think that before leaving 2009, we open ourselves with a positive
thoughts that we will be blessed by our God . And declare to receive His blessings in the coming year.

Be blessed and become a blessing to others.
Year 2009 will close but our mission will continue as we journey year 2010.

The Challenge to Love in Action

The past weeks for me was a stressful due to the demand of my ministry in the school and to the accident happen to the old woman who stay with me in my house. She is not related to me by blood, but since she is close to our family no immediate family cared for her I feel morally bound to reach out this old woman. The woman was hit into hard object good that not so serious with some bruised in her left and right shoulders. And every time I nurse her I always think that this is Love in Action.

Just this morning I reflected that this woman is third old folks that I cared. First was my mother, then my father, and now this one. But I believe God has a purpose of giving me this mission. For the past months, I keep on pondering of helping people through my wealth. That is why almost everyday I pray Bo Sanchez Millionaires Prayer. Now I reflected that God is calling me not just of dreaming to have more and just give but concretize love into action directly to the person in need.

Graders from Holy Cross of Davao College attended the Holy Childhood Convention in Davao City

Curse or a Blessing!

The typhon Ondoy that hit many parts of Metro Manila, Phillipines brought many reflections, realizations and learning to us Filipinos. Ondoy devastated many things much more ended lives of many.
Was a CURSE? A BLESSING? One may say it does both. Yes it destroyed many things and lives, but also made Filipinos more generous. That even poor Filipinos were touched and opted to give and share their time, money and goods to the victims. For those whom could not give money and material things, they still give in forms of good wishes and prayers to victims.

Spirit of generosity was not only evoke by Filipinos but also other people in other countries.
Businessmen, artists, showbiz personalities and people of good will share to us.

We living at the southern part of the country is moved and at this moment we keep on mobilizing and educating children and young people to share and give what they can give.

Leadership is Gift

"Blessed is the Leader Who Knows How to Lead others without being dictatorial or Bossy".

Leadership is a gift. Not everyone is born to be a leader. To leader someone is not asking one to follow but to walk besides the other. Walking side by side leadership encourages subordinates to work what the leader is doing or working.
There are types of leadership that seemingly not dictatorial or bossy , but that leader is imposing himself believing that he is the leader and what he wants will surface out. It's not directly dictating but in real sense he or she is in manner of manipulation. this is mis-use and abuse of power.
One dictates because he believes that he has much power but the reality one use power because he /she cannot lead. True leadership empowers. Good leader animates people and move them into action. He has the power within, and that power is a gift.

In A New Campus

Just last June 1, 2009 I am place in a new School Campus assignment. A beautiful and lively campus wherein my clientele are preschoolers and graders. I just myself to these place . I find all people here are nice and wonderful. They are children who are open to all possibilities to grow as children. I am here to serve them as their campus minister. Being with them I feel refresh and revitalize with their young and youthful energy.

Aside from the children, I am also ministering some adults. they are the administrators , teachers and parents . With these new environment , my mission is expanding with another group of people to be with and to pray.

Sharing The Mission of Jesus of Giving Time with the Poor

An elderly poor woman living alone in a village. With the generosity of another widow who extended help as to accompany the old woman. But it so happen that the widow's daughter got sick and she has to nurse her in her own place, so she has to leave the old woman. Perhaps because of Holy Spirit's movement that I have a deep urgency to visit the woman, and I arrived the place I found out that the woman during Holy Wednesday was alone. I am touched to accompany her from Wednesday up o Black Saturday. My usual activities during Holy Week is to attend church services, but I forgo it, for the sake of the old women whom I see the presence of the lonely Jesus in her. That very experience was sharing of the mission of Jesus to be with the poor, abandon, outcast. I celebrated Holy week with the passion, agony of the old women and feel the loving presence of Jesus in our midst.

Love is the core of the missiion.

Twenty years ago I was contemplating of giving a service to the poor and elderly. And it was gradually realized. It started with my mother who was ill for 3 years and finally passed away. Then, twelve years after, I accompany my aged father who died at almost 90 years old. And now I am making another apostolate to an elderly, who happens to be my step-mother.



Yesterday, I visited my step-mother. It is a regular visit that I am doing almost every weekend Because my step-mother was alone at that day, I have to stay with her overnight. As went to bed I pause a moment of reflection looking of where I am now and the reason of all my activities, from home to work, to church involvement and visiting and looking to what is happening to my step-mother. I came to reflect that this courage, strength is not only of myself but comes from God. Though I was tired on that very night, but I vividly feel and understand the unconditional love of God to me. I see this undertakings as my mission and the core of this mission is Love It is love that motivates me give and serve to this poor elderly woman .

Call of the Time

When I was a child my world was limited and same too with my responsibility.
Being a youngest the family life was not so demanding. Life was about play. Even when I was

a teen age girl life was so relax, as if I was walking at the middle of the road. But, when I started in college missionary calling to do something meaningful for me and others started to crap up

into my mind and heart. Family demand was visible for me. Much more when I started working missionary activity within and out side the church was so clear to me, in the school, in

the community, and in the family.

In the 1983, my mother got sick, she was bedridden for 3 months and gradually recovered.

She suffered by a lingering illness for 3 years. I stop working and nurse my mother in full time.

It was a privilege moment for me because not all children could take care their own parents.

In 1985 my mother died. I was left with my father who was i his aging years too. Five years after my father got married again to a widow, and in 2002 my father died at almost 90 years

of age. Today I have another missionary activity in the family which us to take care of my aged

step-mother. Life is call. A call to care. A call to love. It is continuous calling which also continues experiencing the blessing of God.

Symbol of Beauty

A Symbol of Beauty

On my way to my work I passed by Water District Office to pay my monthly water bills.
As went out from the said office and waiting for a Jeep going to my work as gazed the long winding road the beauty of the rainbow fascinated me so much. It is clearly seen by my naked eyes. As I stare in it, my heart rejoices. rainbow gives positive spirit in me this morning. The rainbow that I keep on gazing brings me recall God's covenant with Noah. The rainbow that I 've seen brings me to assurance of God's promises, His faithfulness and love to His people. It's beauty with different colors symbolizes the colorful and beauty of life. That life is beautiful and colorful. The different colors signifies the different emotions of a person.

THE BEAUTY OF GOD'S CREATION IN CAMIGUIN ISLAND , PHILIPPINES

This is White Island of Camiguin, Mindanao Philippines.








I was fortunate to see this Island last February 22, 2009 which the sand is clearly white . In this Island you can witness the rising of the sun and its falling ( sunset ). It is ideal to visit this Island dawn up to 7:00 0'clock in the morning.
The island as you can see it, form letter C. And its only during low tide that this island is so visible. So you can't stay in this island as you want. There many beautiful spots in these Island,

like Catibasan Falls, Ardent Hot Springs, Cold Spring, and Churches that were destroyed the eruption of Mt. Hibukhibuk. Aside from the places people here are nice people, simple and hospitable. The place is quite for early evening people are already resting. The place is peaceful, it has very low rate in crime. There are few natives, but most are strangers to the place who settled here from Vizayas and Mindanao. Foreigners are coming also to the place as tourist. Mostly of the tourists who are coming to Camiguin that I met are Europeans. Transportation used is boat and place. You can to Camiguin via Cagayan de Oro by boat , you can take airplane place from Manila to Cebu, then Cebu to Camiguin.

Invite yourself and see the beauty of the creator by looking Camiguin Island, the " Island of Fire"

San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church

The above photo is the side front view of San Nocolas Church in Mambahao, Camiguin Providence
of the Philippines. The bellspray of this church was belt in 1870's, but other parts of the church is renovated few years ago. The island of Camiguin is the midst waters of Vizays and Mindanao, but it
part of Mindanao and the parish church is part of the Diocese of Cagayan de Oro.

Joy in the Rain

Every day Ihave to commute three times in going to my work.
One even before sunrise heavy rains come. No choice I have to go to my work.
AsI take my second ride , the car that I take sudenly stop. Something wrong with one of the wheels. How bad! I have to rash to find another ride amidst of the falling rain. Good that I have
good rain coat given to me by my high classmate. Along the road amidst of the rain waiting for
another ride. The situation could be disgusting, erratating but what calm me is that as I turn
look to the shoulder of the road. The poor driver without any caot under the heavy rain tunning his jeep and manipulate the wheel inorder to change it. If we passengers look pitty
there is one guy who struggle than me amidst of the cold heavy rain.

Sometimes we can think we are the most neglected person in the world. We though nothing
good would come to us. But let us remember , that if we suffer, other sometimes suffer more than us.

FINDING ONESELF THRU REFLECTIONS

January 8-9, 2009 the scheduled retreat of the the first batch retreatants of the graduating students of the Holy Cross of the Davao College. Part of the retreat activity is writing of reflections. Some of the participants are sharing their WRITTEN REFLECTIONS for others to read and journey with them in spirit.

I FOUND MYSELF

A retreat is a good venue to reflect one self's perception about ones worth. The word retreat

is not knew to me, hence I have already encountered hearing it but haven't actually

experience it. At first, I found it as an escape from my daily tasks in school and at home,

but when the activity unfolds us to reflect and dig from our experiences,

I found the retreat as an avenue for me to find myself.

Lately, I've been in a state of anomy; a psychological state where a person is confuse about one self's worth and feel that everything he does is just a habit and find life's activity

as a way of just doing it. In simpler terms, I felt that I have lost my direction in lifeI lost my drive to become motivated about everything I do. I've been rejecting God in my life and was thinking and was thinking that He does

not exist and He is just an alibi for some to escape reality. My life was nothing but a trash, dumped slowly each day. I would admit that I don't have a happy family.

Though I'm the only child by my parents, I find our living

as a banana peel; slippery and decays easily. My parents stays in the same house with me

but I feel they are apart. My friends in the school are my only roots that helped me to stand and laugh about life. Generally, I have the worst life and those things drawn

me to feel the anomy.

I am thankful for the retreat for it directs me to God.

The sessions are so helpful for me to know and accept that all those miseries

I expereinced are just trials that test my faith with the Lord.

The confession that I have made is the most direct way to release my loads

that I been carrying for so long now. I ask forgiveness from God and I

feel He has forgiven me. The priest who listen my confession told me that I have to
pray and believe . Because prayers are missing in my routine.

I may fool others by my happy facade but with God, I know I am just fooling myself.

I thank all of my friends, for supplying the energy that I need to face the

the imperfect world. Though I have an unhappy family still I know I could be the only

light that could direct my parents to be good . jhong

SELF FORGIVENESS

For the first time in years I have allowed myself to be vulnerable. It is not because I don't want others to see me as a weak person or crying baby, but because I don't want

to see myself as a loser.

I have always been the kind who sucks it all in pretending, I'm OK and doing find but actually not. Thar's who I am. I am strong, I'm invincible, no one can nail me down to the ground,

and none can hurt me , when am actually burdened and bruised

because of all the things I perceived I am.
And for this day, I allowed myself to be vulnerable not in front of the crowd
but in front of own self.

I've been harsh and hard to myself and I have blamed myself for all my misfortunes.

And today, I cried deep and hard because I want to forgive myself.

I want to make peace with myself and be renewed, energized and become better.

And tomorrow on, I will love myself a little more than yesterday and learn to forgive and forget. by: wngskie

A REFLECTION.....
It was once said, " unexamined life is worthless"...The two days retreat that was held last January 8-9, 2009 at Nazareth Retreat House was blessing and opportunity given by God to me. Thru this retreat I have learned the importance of forgiveness to our life as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ.

An activity about " Recognizing my Wounded World ", was the most uplifting and enlightening to me because through this activity I was to recognize and share the message of my heart. The activity opens my eyes to the reality that I am not alone carrying the baggage's if different circumstances. I feel the sympathey and sincerity of my co-retreatants especially when they offered prayers to my mother who is struggling as a cancer patient. I feel the goodness and the embrace of God whenever I look at and see my co-retreatants because I know they are all God's blessing to me

I am thankful for this wonderful experience which allows me to share and celebrate life with God's providence and Will. by:beth

"REST WITH GOD"

Life is full of colors; colors that represents into different emotions and experiences that leads our self to grow as who we are, and change for the better. Retreat is a moment for me to let myself rest and think about of what is happening in my life.It is a call of God to surrender all my hatred and angers to others. It is a ways where in I could forgive others and a tool for letting myself be close to God. anonymous

WORTH LIVING

"UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING"... This is the most striking lines that opens my mind amidst of doubts, uncertainty and confusions about life. The retreat was a helpto me to examine my life. it was avenue for for me see my life, my weaknesses, my strength and to recognize my wounded heart. I was able also to communicate with Godwholeheartedly. And see the purpose of my existence.The opportunity of seeing the lives of others that leads me lesson and reason tobe thankful especially to GOD. I blessed because I learn how to forgive. mem

LET GO......Learning to let go of the past and move on to a better horizon, that's one of the many things I have learned from a retreat Mistakes cannot be straighten by another mistakes. I learned to admit my mistakes and submit every thing to God. I learn to forgive myself of my mistakes thus helping me to forgive others. I realize how beautiful life is, especially the difficulties and that we were experienced for God will always be there with me no matter what happens, He will not leave me.nhong