VIA CRUCIS SA AVE Year 5: Lolo Uweng

It's been over a year since I last visited Lolo Uweng at Landayan. This year, due to my proximity to the place (thank you, NCR Palaro!), I was able to venerate the Santo Entierro once again. I attended the Ash Wednesday Mass there, and took photos of the stations there. I was also able to meet Christian, a FB friend who is serving there. He helped me with shooting some videos for the intro vid of VCSA. 

Of course, there were some bloopers during the shoot.

But in the end, with Lolo Uweng's help, we were able to come up with a simple yet informative video on Lolo Uweng and the Diocesan Shrine. This served as a kickstart for this year's edition of Via Crucis sa Ave. 

More videos will be done during this Lenten Season, as we continue this custom of journeying with Jesus on the Way of the Cross.

GOLDEN ARROW

The GOLDEN ARROW PRAYER given to Sr. Mary of St. Peter. After receiving this prayer, Sister Mary of St. Peter was given a vision in which she saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus delightfully wounded by this "Golden Arrow" as torrents of graces streamed from It for the conversion of sinners.

Oh well... Trying..

JOURNEYS

The last two months of 2015 was focused on adventures. Just when I thought that having an adventure is expensive, I found out more. People spend on adventures because they wish to see something outside their comfort zones, that there's more than office work, or a classroom setup. True enough, the experiences I had prove that there is more than what I usually do. The company of friends prove that those who are true will stay no matter what.

I will share these stories soon. :)

2016... LIFE'S A SURPRISE!!!

Hindi lang ako ang nag-iisang nagsasabing kakaiba ang taong 2015 sa mga pagsubok at bagyo na dinala nito. Kung tutuusin, sobrang bigat ng naging impact ng mga pagsubok na iyon para sa akin. Yung tipo bang akala ko wala nang nagtitiwala, yung wala nang nagmamahal? Yung feeling mo nasa kawalan ka, at palagi ka na lang magbabanggit ng hugot lines para mabawasan ang kirot na nararamdaman? Higit sa lahat, yung feeling na mag-isa ka, kahit na hindi. Mabigat na taon, sabi ng iba.

Pero hindi rin ako nag-iisang magsabi na may mga kakaibang surpresang dala ang taong ito. Nakita natin ngayong taon si Pope Francis, kinilig tayo sa Aldub, Merong nagkaroon ng bagong trabaho, tulad ko, mga bagong karanasan at taong nakilala, mga biyahe at bundok na naakyat, mga bagong larawang nakunan, at para sa akin at sa mga kasamahan ko, ngayong taon kami tinanggap sa Order of Preachers bilang mga Lay Novice.

Surpresa sa gitna ng mga problema sa buhay. Ganito naman ang biyaya ng Diyos, di ba? Hindi niya tayo pinababayaan sa oras na tayo ay nangangailangan. Yung nabibigla na lang tayo at may ganitong kabibigat na blessing na dumarating. Basta manatili lang tayong nagtitiwala sa kanya. Hindi tayo nag-iisa. Kahit kailan, hindi tayo nag-iisa.

At alam kong mananatili ang mga surpresa sa pagpasok ng panibagong taon. Hangga't may taong naniniwala sa kung ano'ng mga bubulaga sa kanyang buhay, darating ang biyaya. Hangga't may nagsusumikap na tuparin ang pangarap, may surpreesa. xD

Pinangako kong mag-iiba ang 2016, at magiging higit na masaya. Sana ganito rin tayo. Dahil ang buhay ay punung-puno ng surpresa, ito ay magsisimula sa ating pagsusumikap, at sa pagpapala ng Panginooon.

ISANG MASURPRESANG 2016 PO SA ATING LAHAT, AT PAGPALAIN TAYO NG PANGINOONG DIYOS!!!

NEW HOUSE. NEW SPHERE.

NEW HOUSE. NEW SPHERE. This is my 2015. Wounded, yet still in battle. Dead, yet alive. Lost many friends, yet blessed with real ones. All under one new roof. 

In 2015, I went beyond who I was. Leaving the comfort of a private school, to enter the challenging world of the public school system, the cheers of many friends for real people who stood by me in some of the most trying moments in my life. What I thought was right was skinned off me, painful as it seemed. The care of two mothers who never let go of me. I admit I was a lot clumsy and pasaway this year, yet God knows how tough it came for me, and eventually, for most of us.

I promised myself that the coming year will be a lot different. And it will be. I have lots of pains this year, that I will always remember in my memory, yet God will always be the master of my ship. And this year, I will let him surprise me. Through me, he will surprise everyone. 

This year will be a year of surprises. Like the new house where I live now, everything will be new. This, I promise. This, I will do.  #LifesASurprise2016

BORAWAN ISLAND: More Than Expected

There was much excitement as the third week of November ushered in. With the height of the APEC Summit held in Manila, came the indulgence of having four days of vacation. This is to reduce traffic especially along the places where meetings are to be held (or did it really reduce?). Syempre, because it's vacation time, people working in the Metro went to different places to enjoy the once-in-a-while vacation. For us teachers, it was more of another Sem Break, so we really spent it going somewhere and taking four days-off.
After thinking where to go, my friends persuaded me to join them in going on a trip down south. I even thought of not joining them to save money, pero ang ending, I called them a few hours before departure. I joined them for four days of sun and sand along the beaches of Quezon.

And so, we have the island beaches of Borawan, Puting Buhangin and Dampalitan in Padre Burgos, Quezon. This was actually my first time to join them in their adventures. And for an unplanned trip as this, it was more than expected.

MUST VISIT: #ako

#ako is an unusual walk-in recollection featuring the different faces of poverty within us. As we enter the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, we are invited to take a closer look inside ourselves, and enter those spaces of poverty, which we neglect most of the time.

The recollection-cum-exhibit runs until December 20, 2015 at Garden of Saints, San Jose de Navotas Parish, M. Naval St., San Jose, Navotas City. (click the address for the Map)

Shots Ni Benefactius is the Official Photographer of this activity.

Thoughts...

God has created me to do him some definitive service; 

he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. 

I have my mission - I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. 

I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. 

He has not created me for nothing. I shall do good. I shall do his work. 

Therefore, I will trust him, whatever I am. 

I cannot be thrown away. 

If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve him; 

in perplexity, my perplexity may serve him; 

if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve him. 

He does nothing in vain. He knows what he is about. 

He may take away my friends. 

He may throw me among strangers. 

He may make me feel desolate, 

make my spirits sink, 

hide my future from me - 

still he knows what he is about. 

- John Henry Cardinal Newman

PRAYER OF ENTRUSTMENT

(Fruit of Contemplation from my Silent Retreat, Oct 30-Nov. 01, 2015)