Thanks, Mukha Ad!

Weldann Lester Panganiban: Had a blessed time leading the people to pray before Our Lady. Thanks, Fray Jayson, OP and Mukha Ad Family! :D



#LaNaval2014

'via Blog this'

LA NAVAL 2014: Some PIC-PACs (Part 01)

As La Naval Season is upon us, here are some of the shots of the recent days:

After Our Lady was enthroned, and everything's done, the lights of the Baldachino still illuminate the dark church.
Mary, the bearer of the Light, which is Jesus, continues to share the glorious rays of God to the people
who continuously live in the darkness of sin.

On the first Besamanto for this year, Our Lady was once again taken down from her royal throne to
listen to the needs of her children. Her face is so serene, in all her royalty.

When someone approaches Our Lady, there is always hope that their prayers would certainly be answered.
In the course of time, people continued to cling to Mary's hand, asking her help in every need.
There was none that she refused.

NANAY'S MIRACLE: A Story at the Camarin

My Besamanto last October 03, 2013.
The encounter I had at the Camarin is similar
to this one.

This is an overdue post, because I was supposed to post this in occasion of Mama Mary's Birthday last September 08. But tough times and heavy responsibilities came in which made this pending post get postponed for so many times.

But then, I realized that if ever I write this at the end of the month, it would not be late at all, since it has a big connection to La Naval, whose patronage I have sought and whose care I felt for four years now, and how, in one of the most trying moments of my life yet, she manifested her presence.

As you may have known, I had taken the Licensure Examination for Teachers last year. From the start to the end, Our Lady stayed by my side, especially on those days when I felt so alone, that I can't make it.

Our scheduled date of the Exam was Sept. 29, 2013, Sunday. After weeks of rigorous review, I decided to give my brain a little rest in preparation for the exam. Of course, that included a last-minute visit to Our Lady's shrine in Quezon City.

September 28, 2013. I attended Mass at Sto. Domingo for the Feast of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions. The Image of the Santo Rosario is already kept at the "Camarin" (a room for the venerated images) in faithful preparation for the La Naval festivities. Saddened, I just believed that what's more important is her maternal presence, whether her physical image is there or not.

After a few minutes of meditation, I saw some friar-friends entering inside the Camarin. I had second thoughts on what to do, but my faith (and some of my kakulitan) led me to ask one of the Friars a very special request: to have my Rosary touched to Our Lady's Manto.

He hesitated at first, but then, he took my Rosary, entered the Camarin, and touched it to Our Lady. Meanwhile, the Camarero (caretaker) of the Image opened the door of the Camarin so widely, that I was able to see Our Lady. As this was taking place, I prayed one Ave and entrusted to her, in a quick span of time, my fate as I take the Licensure Exams.

No words can explain this experience: to see Our Lady (even if it's within a brief distance), and to have my rosary touched to her hands. After that brief moment, I started to feel a maternal embrace enveloping my whole person, and I felt the strength to take the challenge.

The next day, with the Rosary clasped in my hand, I took the test. I remember the tears I shed as the test was on-going, and the cry which came from the depths of my nothingness: Mi Madre! Mi Reina! Mi Gran Señora! It's intensity took me emotionally that it even led me to tears, but thank God and Our Lady, I was able to persevere and pass the exam!

A few days after the Oath-taking, at the start
of 2014, I offered to Our Lady my oath
as a Professional Teacher. (01-01-2014)

In thanksgiving to Nanay, on the day of my oath-taking (December 23, 2013), I attended Mass at Santo Domingo, and offered a token of thanksgiving to her. Small as it might seem, it came from my heart, as a very special way of thanking her for her guidance and wisdom as I went through one of the challenging, yet promising moments in my life.

This Sunday will mark a year after the Camarin experience. After challenges which went my way after the LET, my love and devotion for Nanay remains. She had let me pass through these tough challenges, and yet she stays by my side. Despite my weakness, her love perseveres. 

What lies next? I don't know. Perhaps I would be more blessed with another encounter very soon. Until then, I just pray that this year's La Naval festivities would be more memorable for me and for all devotees.

SNATCHING... and what happened afterwards.(Ave Maria! Online Community - Third Anniversary Message)

FROM THE FOUNDER'S DESK
Sept. 12, 2014

It was September 12, 2011 (three years ago, technically), at exactly 9:00 PM, when Ave Maria! officially went online. Back then, I had no idea if this would click. Kumbaga nga, try-try lang ito. Pag umubra, salamat! Kung hindi, eh di salamat rin!

Who were we before? We were simply a group of people coming from different backgrounds and literally "snatched" for the purpose of starting this big idea of spreading Mary's love to all. Among us, there is a former admin from another fanpage (which I snatched), and an active FB trivia boy (which he snatched), there is a lady layout artist (which joined our snatching group because no one snatched her), and another boy who is young yet bold in sharing his views (we snatched him altogether.)

Oh yes. We are snatchers.

But while we started this game snatching ourselves, I look back on three years past and see that it is not OUR snatching game at all. In the first place, Our Lady snatched us from whoever we were before, and turned us into a team, a group, a community. And everyday, for the past three years, we snatched more than we could, by our quality posts and features, by our news and prayers. We are snatched from our former selves and brought to a living, celebrating and praying community where we draw ourselves closer to Jesus, through Mary.

Who are we now? Mico, the former admin from another fanpage is now a Freshman college student (He is now the Moderator). Joshua, the trivia boy became the overseer of all AM programs (He is now the Head Admin).Solejaena, the lady layout artist is now working for DOST (She still stays as our head Layout artist), and Ivan, the young boy yet bold in his views, was called by the Lord in 2012.

We will continue snatching netizens as long as Divine Will allows us, for we continue running this page, "not for the likes, but for the souls." We continually ask Our Lady, she who snatched us all from who we were - sinners - to always bring us closer to her Son, today and in the years to come.

MABUHAY ANG AMOC!

AVE MARIA!

Happy September First!

What's the occasion?

None, really. But since it's the First of September, it's already the start of the "unofficial" Christmas season throughout the islands!

People start saving and buying gifts as early as today. You can't blame the Filipino, because once the BER hits the calendar, it's automatically the start of Christmas in the Philippines. :D

Excited much xD

You have something bad to say?

I have read some past comments on the other tabs of this blog. It contains hate speech, connected to the past events wherein people tried their very best to drag me down. Some of the comments directed towards my profession as a teacher.

Hurting as it is, I have no choice but to delete them and move on with life. This should not interfere with how I work and who I really am as a person, as a teacher, as a servant of God.

Fans would always be there. How would you treat them is another story. :)

The 9PMers

The 9PMers on my birthday.

There's a new trend among the students at ICPS. No, uso na palagi yung mga gwapo at maganda eh, it's more of students gathering together to pray.

Pray? Yes.

We call ourselves the ICPS 9PMers. As the name implies, we stop at 9:00 PM to pray for each other and for our school and community in general. We take upon ourselves two powerful ladies as patronesses, Our Lady, Mary Mediatrix of All Grace and Saint Philomena.

The idea of praying at 9:00 PM started in 2005, during our retreat at Don Bosco Batulao. We have decided, as one batch, to pray every night, at 9:00 in the evening, for each other and for our batch in general. While all of us forgot about this commitment, it re-dawned on me after one of our Chapter meetings at the Dominican Laity just a few months ago.

Maybe, I said, this is Mama Mary's and St. Philomena's sign for me. This came after my battle with death, and I embraced this as a simple sign of gratitude from God and these two Patronesses, though they're new to my system, still their intercession to Our Lord is truly beyond compare.

After this meeting, I called upon my choir members and student-lectors, sharing with them my thoughts of setting up a group dedicated to praying for their needs, as well as the needs of their families and of the Church in general. I don't know what made these modern guys and gals say yes, as I expected with the cold trace in their faces that they would reject my offer.

But then, they said yes. And like a mother giving birth to her child, the 9PMers was born. 

We only started with a group of 15, but as days pass we had grown in number, students who were interested not only in the group, but also in knowing Our Lord more.

We sent this photo to the Universal Living Rosary
Association, who sent us this reply of
appreciation. Thanks, Ma'am Patty! :)

They are placed under the motherly protection of Our Lady, Mary Mediatrix of All Grace, they are given a Scapular and a Rosary, which they will pray every single day as a way of drawing closer to Our Mother. They also get to know this Marian title and how she visited our country in 1948 to bring a message of peace and love from God.

As a gift, they are also placed under the intercession of St. Philomena. Their names are enlisted at the Living Rosary Association, and so they receive the Cord of St. Philomena, which they wear everyday, either as a waist cord or a bracelet. The cord is a sign of purity and martyrdom in which the members promise to protect all their lives.

In a matter of days, miracles came in, like Heaven knocking on the door of our hearts. I will tell it on my later posts. 

As of now, there are more students coming, and I was able to fill-in more than 60 slots on my forms. This is a sure sign of things yet to come.

Please pray for these students. :)

I love shirts!

I so <3 tees!!! :D

That's all. xD

#BenteQuatroBITZ: THE BIRTHDAY ESSAY 2014

When was the last time I wrote a Birthday Essay? Ah, it was in 2011, when I was turning 21. It was a big turn for me, since it was my debut. Back then, I was still a college student, months away from the achievement of my dreams. I was at the threshold of life; I was at the portal of a new chapter in my life as a professional.

The year after that, I was already given the chance to start working; I am already in the professional world. Not a kid anymore, I decided to drop things which could attach me to who I was before. Among them, was my yearly Birthday Essay. This blog, which was noisy during my birthday celebration, turned silent during the most joyful day(s) of my year. Unusual, but I see it necessary. 

That was, until a few days ago when a friend asked me to revive it. Searching for reasons in the middle of grades, papers and headaches, I found one interesting reason: the kid in me. Deep inside, I missed what I was doing, and it sparked in me the flame of celebrating life and its experiences. So, here I am, providing my eighth Birthday Essay, with the hope of scoping all my ups and downs this year, of which I would be forever grateful.

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!