Grace After Grace!

It should have been a usual day at school, when someone informed me that my recent entry on our visit to Sr. Teresita Castillo is made the HEADLINE STORY of http://spiritdaily.com, an American resource portal on articles related to the Catholic Faith.

I thank Mr. Michael Brown of Spirit Daily, for this wonderful opportunity of having SB@B featured on the renowned Web Portal in America. Also, to my friends in the Initiative to promote Mama Mary Mediatrix, for their support as I write this unforgettable encounter. Thanks also to the readers and devotees from the Philippines, America and beyond, who took time to read my little sharing on an experience capped by God's grace and Mama Mary's guidance.

I have been blogging for eight years now. This blog and its posts had encountered different ups and downs. I have also considered taking the page down because of low maintenance. But then, little things such as these make my mission of sharing my world in writing a little more stronger. As long as there are people who visit the site and read its contents, I am certain that this blog will be always here to stay.

At the end of this post, I wish to declare as before, that at the end of the day, I am just but the Lord's writing machine. Everything that I write is a reflection of the Lord's grace upon me and upon us. I don't boast every good acclaim, for I know that all these happens as God wills. To Him, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary and Mediatrix of All Grace, do I return all thanks and honor.

BLESSED BE GOD ALWAYS! MARAMING SALAMAT PO!

Beholding the lady who beheld Our Lady

TERESITA CASTILLO. Former Carmelite postulant. Daughter of the former Governor of Batangas. A lady filled with vigor and joy. 

Some might know her as such. But for everyone, she is no-less than the nun who saw the Blessed Virgin for many times in 1948, during her apparitions in Lipa Carmel in the Philippines. At that time, Mary introduced herself as MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE. This series of apparitions was accompanied by numerous wonders and miracles, above them all the famous shower of rose petals. Despite the decision of the Church authorities in 1951 to the non-authenticity of the apparitions (the declaration can be found somewhere else in the internet), the Filipino still showed his love and admiration for Our Lady which lasts until the present, with hopes that the Church would reconsider its verdict.

Almost all the first-hand witnesses passed away since then. All, but Sr. Teresing. Despite the criticism of people who had little knowledge to the apparitions, who fabricate hoaxes throughout the past decades, Sr. Teresing remained silent and calm. She did not go public, except on few occasions when she was invited to talk on the mystic encounters with the Virgin Mary. She became a low-profile person, living in the suburbs of Manila with adopted daughter Grace and some relatives. Everyone wanted to see her, ask her prayers for many concerns, but her health condition and advanced age made it impossible. For everyone, it was really suntok sa buwan.

But God, in his great goodness, granted me and my friend Migs a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime chance to see and hear Sr. Teresita, in a circumstance not prepared by our strength, but according to His gracious plan. The story surrounding this encounter, for me, is more than a 'meet-and-greet' situation; it's God's will prevailing in every minute, so precious, so unforgettable.

Grad Pics Madness. xD

My words on the latest turnover of events after February 2014

Let me just make things clear, these are facts.

On February of this year, some people tried to underscore me by putting up a blogsite, and there, shouting issues against me and my morals. Despite the noise it created, and the pain it brought to my person because of these people who are more than willing to trample me down, I went in total silence and mortification.

As the months passed, these same people made dummy FB accounts showing the same content, with fake accounts liking the same content. These went to my attention, thanks to the concerned people and friends who stood by my side.

Likewise, I recount an incident during the Feast of Our Lady of the Abandoned at Santa Ana, Manila last May 12, 2014, when a man recklessly tried to video me for reasons unknown. This is a shout of foul over my privacy during the celebration, as they were looking around during the incident.

With a few or no words at all, I watched as they continually try to lambaste my name and dignity on the sight of other people. I put all these things into prayer, and longed for the day these people would be sorry for their deeds.

That day indeed came on July 13, 2014, when Mr. Ryan Mariano talked to my friend asking for my forgiveness on everything they did. He pointed out that this is because of Mr. Marc Anthony Pascua, who forced him to ridicule me online as a way of helping him get back on me. Mr. Mariano wanted to seek my forgiveness and help me teach Mr. Pascua a lesson. Since I blocked these people on Facebook, Mr. Mariano persuaded my friend to relay this message to me and seek my response.

After a period of constant prayer and reflection, I only have this to say. 

I FORGIVE YOU. I will not provide any more passages from Scripture to explain this. I think it is enough for me to say these three words, despite the pain you and your acts brought on my person, to show what a real Christian must be, forgiving others and continually showing concern for them.

With these things said, I would now like to ask everyone, especially those people involved in the incidents of the past, to please respect my privacy with regards to the same. I wish to let go of all the pain as it continues to dwell inside me. I long to move on with my life, and continue my ministry as a servant of God and His Church. Wounded as I am, in the midst of challenges and sickness I'm facing, I know the Lord will provide us with the grace to move forward and live grace after grace.

I pray for enlightenment, not only for everyone, but most especially, for myself. Even if the marks of the past would be carried over forever, we can still start anew with God's grace hovering over all of us.

May God bless us!

15 July 2014

Independence Day with Our Lady

June 12, 2014. 

As some of you may know, I and my mom visited Lipa Carmel today. After some errands, we went up the viewing area, where we could see the Apparition Site of Our Lady. We prayed the Rosary together, afterwards I went forward to have a moment of contemplation with Mama Mediatrix.

I thought of offering a song for Mary, and the song which entered my mind was the "Ave Maria ng Lipa," composed by Migs. This might not be the first time the song reached Carmel, but I believe this is the very first time that this song is played publicly near the Site of the Apparitions.

I was singing along with the vocals of the song, when all of a sudden, at the first "Ave," a gentle wind blew over the area. The scent of roses was evident. Above all, the bells rang, as if heaven was singing along with me and the vocals (though I checked on the clock and it's the 11:00 AM bell; I wasn't aware of the time, so to speak).

At that, we committed ourselves to continue spreading the love and the messages of Mama Mediatrix, especially in the Malabon-Navotas area. It's a wonderful and empowering moment for both of us. And we want to share this with everyone who loves Mary and wants to help us spread devotion to her.

‪#‎AveMARIA!

Me and my mom at the Site of the Apparitions at Lipa.

A day inside my world... :p

iTUNE: Grand Eucharistic Adoration 2014

It seems that this year would be filled with pilgrimages. Travels left and right occupy my once-vague weekends nowadays, and so I return to my blog to have them all recorded.

January 11, 2013

It was an exciting day, not because I can take a rest from the heavy week that was, but because I can go around again. Today, I went to Dom Bosco Technoligical Institute in Makati for the Second Grand Eucharistic Adoration. This program, under the Don Bosco Days with the Lord Movement, aims to bring Christ to the youth in a very authentic manner: that of adoring His Body in the Blessed sacrament.

It was preceded by a Youth Festival, featuring different youth groups. Like a cellphone app, the Festival was divided into different 'apps' which any pilgrim could 'download,' that is, experience and learn with.

Youth listen to the songs by the Bukas Palad Music Ministry

Youth serving youth: A volunteer shares the life of the saints
whose relics were exposed prior to the Adoration.

Leaving my own mark at the YouthPinoy! booth

At nighttime, the youth gathered around the Sacred Host, singing hymns and reciting prayers. It was like a special moment for everyone who wished to come HOME.

The Lord enthroned for adoration of his faithful.

One of the main highlights of the adoration is the activity,
'touching of the cloak.' Like the woman with hemorrhage who
touched the Lord's clothes and was healed, the people were given the rare chance
to touch the Lord's cloth and entrust to him the desires of their hearts.

In our society in dire need of comfort and solace, activities like this remind us of the One which we really need to provide us peace: Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament!

Kudos to the Salesian Community for such a remarkable experience!