From Textmates blog

Blanca Datuin

21 hrs ·

These are from Textmates blog. Take your pick.
____
Jun 30, 2007
text messages 2551 - 2600
2551. Even in the most fulfilled lives, there's still an emptiness that only God can fill. Let Him guide your steps and bless your way, today and everyday. Good night!

2552. Morning is a sign of God's great love for us. Let us be thankful that we are given a new day to share this love with special people in our hearts. Good morning!

2553. There's music from heaven that takes away our tiredness; it is God's melody of love that quiets all our weariness. Hear it and find peace in His presence. Good morning!

2554. God blesses you to bless others. "To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." Collosians 1:29. Have a blessed day!

2555. Thank God for today. Choose to see the good side of every event, thing or person in your life, and you'll never run out of blessings to count. Take care!

2556. God said, "Don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time." God bless.

2557. I would rather live my life as if there is God to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is. - Albert Camus

2558. Two children playing in a park begin to argue. One says, "I hate you! I'm never going to play with you again!" For a few moments, they play separately, and they are back playing together and sharing toys. How do children manage to be so angry one minute and best of friends the next? The answer is simple - it is more important to them to be happy than to be right.

2559. Whoever said that what you don't know can't hurt you is a complete total moron, because for most people I know, not knowing is the worst feeling in the world. - Grey's Anatomy.

2560. All my life, I've accepted everything because I believe in this: "Everything happens for a reason." The hardest part is: "Finding out what the reason is."

2561. Trivia: Most people look at their right when recalling the truth and events that actually happened. People look to their left when creating or spinning out new versions of past events.
2562. Life is an echo, what you sent out, you get back; what you give, you receive. When you bring out the best in others, you bring out the best in yourself.

2563. Your mind is like a garden. Tend it well by filling it with positive, encouraging and faith-building thoughts throughout the day. Good morning!

2564. Life has great options, but you don't always have to pick what seems to be the best. Sometimes, the best and the perfect aren't always what makes you happy. Good day!

2565. Burdens of life are like winds against a tree, it makes the tree stronger by forcing it to make its roots run deep for it not to fall. Welcome the winds that strengthen us!

2566. In life, we always search for answers because we want to prove ourselves that we had the right decisions but the truth is we can't search for what's not there. Things happen because it's meant to happen. That's why we forgive people even if they hurt us, we love people who don't love us and we smile despite every painful crash in our hearts. At the end of the day, the lesson you get are the answers to your decisions. Happy weekend!

2567. Life is like taking photographs. We often pose the way we wanna be seen by others. But sometimes, by taking stolen shots, we capture who we really are.

2568. Thought of the day: Our eyes are placed in front, because it is more important to look ahead than to look back.
2569. Believe while others doubt, work while others wish, save while others waste, persevere while others quit, pray and stay while others walk away. Good day!

2570. You don't force love to come in your life, for love comes freely and chooses no one. One day, you might wake up falling in love for the person you least expected!

2571. Love means trusting yourself with someone who has seen you at your worst and loves you in anyway. It means teasing each other and laughing at jokes nobody but only the two of you understands. It means feeling safe enough to talk about anything and having the patience to work out disagreements. It means counting on someone who sympathizes when you had a bad day, worries about you when you're gone too long and always welcomes you with open arms no matter what.

2572. Love should never be a secret. If you keep something as complicated as love stored up inside, it will make you sick. - Spiderman.

2573. Don't be afraid to be loved more than you can return. Be afraid that you didn't give back the love that you can. Love need not be equal to be fair, it only needs to be true.

2574. Chance or choice? When you meet the right person to love at the right place and at the right time, that's a chance. When you meet someone you're attracted to, that's a chance too. Being caught that there are many people out there who are more attractive, smarter, richer than your mate and yet you decide to love your mate just the same, that's a choice. Attraction comes to us by chance. But true love that lasts is truly a choice. Listen: Fate brings you together, but it is still up to you to make it happen. We may meet someone by chance, but loving and staying with that someone is still a choice.
2575. He should know that the great aim of every human being is to understand the meaning of total love. Love is not to be found in someone else, but in ourselves; we simply awaken it. But in order to do that, we need the other person. The universe only makes sense when we have someone to share our feelings with. - Eleven Minutes by Paolo Coelho.

2577. If opportunity doesn't knock, make a door!

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Louie Reyes, Almario C. de Jesus and 2 others like this.

REMEMBERING THE LATE FR. ALEXANDER on his death anniversary

Reposting:

REMEMBERING FATHER ALEXANDER ON HIS DEATH ANNIVERSARY

What is charisma? A special charm, allure that inspires allegiance or devotion. It is a grace, a gift from God that Father Alexander made good use of in inspiring people. Not by proselytizing or propagandizing, but by being just himself, quietly telling you not to be too hard on yourself. To "live in the present. Forget the past. Just listen to the call of God because He loves you." Always, his message was God loving you. So much so that even a despairing sinner gets to believe it and turns his life around because there is God waiting for everyone to come to Him. He made it sound like a simple requisite that one void of a sense of self-worth can not not heed it. No wonder, whenever parishioners knew he would be the presiding priest, the church would be filled beyond the entrance door. Adult students of mine who had not gone to Church for years started coming back because they could relate to him; he spoke fluent Spanish and Vietnamese aside from his English language, and he was learning Tagalog the last few weeks of his life. He was like a star that skyrocketed from heaven and then vanished just as fast.

To him there were no rejects. The poorest of the poor always first on his list of priority programs. He was so eager to embrace the continuity of our Food Program for the needy, the free health program, the Meal of the Month for the homeless, the ESL Program that has actually been my baby, so many more. At the time of his death, he had some project for the youth. One of the first things he did upon assumption as administrator-pastor of our parish was refurbish the physical facility of the whole compound. Operation Beautification and Cleanliness, he called it. He enjoined the whole neighborhood to participate in the Street Cleaning Operation. Plants and flowers started springing up around. Security fences went up. Suddenly we had a modernized gate built to make ministry members meeting at night feel more safe. The Police was invited to meetings to help build community unity in fighting crime. It seemed like he was always full of ideas he just had to put into action and reality. He helped the needy, counseled the despairing, was always ready to rush to the bedside of the sick and dying whenever called. Perhaps, this was what drained his emotions: he suffered with the suffering.

I had just finished reading my Legion of Mary annual report during our Curia meeting, and had barely sat down when a co-Legionary tapped my shoulder and showed me a text on her cell phone: "Father Alexander passed away this morning." That was Sunday afternoon. We were in disbelief, No, it can't be true! Eloisa, seated next to me, and I bowed our heads, started praying quietly even as we couldn't help weeping, "Lord, please, don't let it be true. Don't take him away from us. Not our beloved pastor." My other co-Legionary went out of the hall where we were having the Curia meeting, frantically trying to reach anyone from the Our Lady of Peace to verify it. Then came an answer from one ministry member: It's true. It was announced in the last afternoon Mass. I wonder if there was a single one in the church with dry eyes the following days. Everyone of us he had touched felt devastated. He was our brother, mentor, counselor, friend most of all.

So many loving memories: When he had met me at the door of the Rectory one Fish Fry day during Lent, he asked if I was coming to join them, and when I answered I couldn't, I just came to get the key to my classroom as I had my ESL class that night, he offered, "I'll have a plate to-go for you," he quickly answered with that look of seriousness you wouldn't think his offer was just out of politeness. Such expression of kindness, so rare even among lay people, I found so touching. I had to say "No, thank you, " but thought how so nice of him. I couldn't, however, possibly bring a whole dish of fish fry to my classroom; it would have meant whetting the appetite of my students with the smell of the fried fish all the while I was teaching.
Another day, as I was going to pick up again my classroom key from the Rectory, I met him in the hallway. He asked how my granddaughter was. (How he remembered happenings in the lives of his flock. He recalled I had flown to Oregon the previous week to visit my granddaughter.) I said, she was fine, but still recovering. He quickly put down the bowl of soup he was snacking on while walking around the Rectory hall. "Come, let's pray for her," he said, and he led in a minute or two of prayer for healing. What priest would do that for your loved ones? 

Quite a few other experiences. His sense of understanding, thoughtfulness and show of caring for everyone, even to those he just heard of as needing prayers and compassion---it just seemed so spontaneous. Never standoffish. When we had the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima, I had hoped he would officiate at Mass (because he had such great way of injecting humor in his homilies) but did not dare ask him because I knew he had a load of administrative work. But he must have heard that I kept asking the Rectory (because I was assigned the coordinator and had to do the program) who would be the presiding priest. He approached me the next time I saw him and announced, as though in answer to my unspoken question to him, "I will preside, Blanca." I felt relieved, because I knew our coordinators from far-off counties who had brought the Virgin image (that came all the way from Portugal) were just waiting for that,. having heard of Father Alexander's kindness, humor, and warm ways. 

When Father Alexander administered Holy Communion to us, as I approached, he would mention my name, as though to show his recognition of me. Did he do that to others? I'm sure he did. So many other similar experiences of his spontaneous ways narrated by others during his funeral service. He was genuine, natural. unaffected, the veritable Father Alexander. And the saddest thing of all was that, unknown to us, he was battling with his own problems, his illnesses.

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Albert B. Casuga He was uniquely Christian, Blanca Blanca Datuin. One of a kind. May he rest in Our Lord's Peace. My deep condolences for a good man and a true Alter Christus. heart emoticon

Like · Reply · 1 · March 8 at 11:01pm

Blanca Datuin Thanks, Albert. He was rare indeed.

Like · Reply · March 8 at 11:09pm

Almario C. de Jesus ******
"Whether I have a long life or a short life; whether I am healthy or ill; whether I am wealthy or improverished---it doesn't matter, as long as I am serving the Lord.", St. Ignatius of Loyola. And from the lips of Bishop Barron- " Instead of se...See More

What is charisma? A special charm, allure that inspires allegiance or devotion. It is a grace, a gift from God that Father Alexander made good use of in inspiring people. Not by proselytizing or propagandizing, but by being just himself, quietly telling you not to be too hard on yourself. To "live in the present. Forget the past. Just listen to the call of God because He loves you." Always, his message was God loving you. So much so that even a despairing sinner gets to believe it and turns his life around because there is God waiting for everyone to come to Him. He made it sound like a simple requisite that one void of  a sense of self-worth can not not heed it. No wonder, whenever parishioners knew he would be the presiding priest, the church would be filled beyond the entrance door. Adult students of mine who had not gone to Church for years started coming back because they could relate to him; he spoke fluent Spanish and Vietnamese aside from his English language, and he was learning Tagalog the last few weeks of his life. He was like a star that skyrocketed from heaven and then vanished just as fast.

To him there were no rejects. The poorest of the poor always first on his list of priority programs. He was so eager to embrace the continuity of our Food Program for the needy, the free health program, the Meal of the Month for the homeless, the ESL Program that has actually been my baby, so many more. At the time of his death, he had some project for the youth. One of the first things he did upon assumption as administrator-pastor of our parish was refurbish the physical facility of the whole compound. Operation Beautification and Cleanliness, he called it. He enjoined the whole neighborhood to participate in the Street Cleaning Operation. Plants and flowers started springing up around. Security fences went up. Suddenly we had a modernized gate built to make ministry members meeting at night feel more safe. The Police was invited to meetings to help build community unity in fighting crime. It seemed like he was always full of ideas he just had to put into action and reality. He helped the needy, counseled the despairing, was always ready to rush to the bedside of the sick and dying whenever called. Perhaps, this was what drained his emotions: he suffered with the suffering.

  I had just finished reading my Legion of Mary annual report during our Curia meeting, and had barely sat down when a co-Legionary tapped my shoulder and showed me a text on her cell phone: "Father Alexander passed away this morning." That was Sunday afternoon. We were in disbelief,  No, it can't be true! Eloisa, seated next to me, and I bowed our heads, started praying quietly even as we couldn't help weeping, "Lord, please, don't let it be true. Don't take him away from us. Not our beloved pastor." My other co-Legionary went out of the hall where we were having the Curia meeting, frantically trying to reach anyone from the Our Lady of Peace to verify it. Then came an answer from one ministry member: It's true. It was announced in the last afternoon Mass. I wonder if there was a single one in the church with dry eyes the following days. Everyone of us he had touched felt devastated.  He was our brother, mentor, counselor, friend most of all. 

So many loving memories: When he had met me at the door of the Rectory one Fish Fry day during Lent, he asked if I was coming to join them, and when I answered I couldn't, I just came to get the key to my classroom as I had my ESL class that night, he offered, "I'll have a plate to-go for you," he quickly answered with that look of seriousness you wouldn't think his offer was just out of politeness. Such expression of kindness, so rare even among lay people, I found so touching.  I had to say "No, thank you, "  but thought it so kind of him. I couldn't possibly bring a whole dish of fish fry; it would have meant whetting the appetite of my students with the smell of the fried fish all the while I was teaching.
Another day, as I was going to pick up again my classroom key from the Rectory, I met him in the hallway. He asked how my granddaughter was. (How he remembered happenings in the lives of his flock. He recalled I flew to Oregon the previous week to visit my granddaughter.) I said, she was fine, but still recovering. He quickly put down the bowl of soup  he was snacking on while walking around the Rectory hall. "Come, let's pray for her," he said, and he led in a minute or two of prayer for healing. Quite a few other experiences of his kindness. His sense of understanding, thoughtfulness and show of love to everyone, even to those he just heard of as needing prayers and compassion---it just seemed so spontaneous. Never standoffish. When we had the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima, I had hoped he would officiate at Mass (because he had such great way of injecting humor in his homilies) but did not dare ask him because I knew he had a load of administrative work. But he must have that I kept asking the Rectory who would be the presiding priest. He approached me the next time I saw him he matter-of-factly said, as though in answer to my unspoken question to him, "I will preside, Blanca." I felt relieved, because I knew our coordinators that brought the Virgin image (that came all the way from Portugal) were just waiting for that. having heard of Father Alexander's kindness. So many other similar experiences of his spontaneous ways narrated by others during his funeral service. And all the time, unknown to us, he was battling with his own problems, his illnesses.

Below is an email from him, circa 2010, that expresses how he could make one feel less bad about having bungled on something. So typical of his comforting words, "Don't be so hard on yourself," to anyone tearing his hair with remorse.

How he could make one feel less bad about oneself after one goofed during Christmas midnight Mass. 

From: Fr. Alexander Lewis <alewis@olpeace.org>
To: Blanca Nolledo <bnolledo@gmail.com>
Cc: rhernandez@olpeace.org; carloravancho@yahoo.com; bettydefensor@yahoo.com; chulada-15@hotmail.com; corandgrace@msn.com
Sent: Sun, December 26, 2010 5:44:29 AM
Subject: Re: Goofing...

Not to worry Blanca,

i goof at something at least once a day!

Merry Christmas!

 _______

On Dec 25, 2010, at 11:14 AM, Blanca Nolledo wrote:

Yesterday, I shopped and I cooked and I booked (for airline)
and hosted unexpected guests,
as I read and memorized.
And then I goofed at church. Mea culpa.
But today and tomorrow, I choose the words:
unmulti-task and stay focused. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Blanca

From my Facebook

Albert B. Casuga commented on your post.

Blanca Datuin

6 hrs ·

Rediscovering one of my favorite poems when I was in college. It still is a favorite. How we try to elude Him, the Tremendous Lover.
________________
An Excerpt from the “The Hound of Heaven”
I fled Him, down the nights and down the days:...
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine way
Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instance,
They beat — and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet–
“All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.”
–Francis Thompson
 
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  Louie Reyes likes this.
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  Albert B. Casuga "Then halts by me that Footfall/ Is my gloom, after all. /Shade of His Hand outstretched caressingly?" --- Hopkins. heart emoticon Yes, Blanca, this was the essential Thomasian's poetic shield. smile emoticon Glad you kept your favorite excerpt. How have you been doing?

  2 hrs · Like

  
  
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  Still busy. Got used again to driving after that car accident 2 yrs. ago. Driving even at night. Can you imagine how much of a burden I would be to my sons if I have to depend on them to drive me around? (They are at work the whole day anyway.) Am always on the go--Legion and church meetings, Masses, volunteer teaching, apostolate work, weekly (and sometimes on emergency calls) administering of Holy Communion to the sick and the infirm at convalescent facilities, doing groceries, cooking, a hundred (it seems) errands, etc. (Poetry relegated to the back burner) The Lord sure knows how to keep me busy. .

  
  

  
  

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Voices from Our Lady of Fatima

Reposting this as throwback:

Voices from Our Lady of Fatima

There are voices that cannot be ignored. When one is called to serve, one may waver. But if the voices are insistent, one has to heed. When one gets the invitation from the Curia coordinator in late January with only one slot left in a series of scheduled visits to scattered areas; one's tiny voice inside says, "grab it!" The email that comes in says, "There are others trying to get this day (February 10), so confirm asap if your parish wants It." The "It" is the statue of the National Pilgrim Virgin Lady of Fatima that has been gifted to America by the Bishop of Fatima in Portugal, blessed by Pope Paul VI  and crowned by  Cardinal Boyle in the National Basilica in Washington, D.C.

Why all this fuss, you might ask. For those who are not aware about Our Lady of Fatima, especially among the younger generation, she is no other than our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary who, in 1917, appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal with three secret messages which now have already been revealed by the last of the three, Sister Lucia, who passed away on February 14, 2005 at the age of 97. The World Apostolate of Fatima is sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church to propagate the Fatima Message to obtain world peace. Though this is the main objective of the named National Pilgrim Virgin traveling around America, the statue also serves to remind us of the world's need to rise against the present chaos by incessantly praying the rosary.

It  has been reported by some forty people that the Statue had shed tears while these people were praying for intercession in front of the image. Other witnesses report of healing and conversions.No wonder then that parishes vie to be honored this amazing Visit. But as in all organizations, coursing an invitation through a humble servant of God who has no authority to say "yes" or "no" entails channels to go through. One hastens to call the Legion president once, twice and then thrice with no answer and no return call either. One calls the vice-president once, twice as well and also no answer except the machine.

Finally, one reaches the Legion vice-president; one asks her to get the approval for the visit from whoever in the parish is left to man it in the meantime that the pastor is on leave. She comes back with the report that the deacon she finds in the parish office who is believed to have the authority to  approve said it can't be done that hurriedly. That sounded delay. The deacon is to tell one later that the Legion representative couldn't answer a lot of questions on the Visit. No matter. One senses, even before getting the feedback from Sister vice-president, that there might not be someone left in the parish to expedite approval. So, one takes a bold step  to email directly the pastor on leave though fearful he might be sick and unable to answer. It is a risk one takes, but one trusts in  the Voice that says, "Work on this, let the Holy Mother use  you for spreading Her love and message to the world." It's a risk-- a fear of being looked upon as assuming a role that should be that of the Legion President. But one cannot hold back the time: the clock is ticking. In one day, the chance to have the National Pilgrim Visit might be gone and in the meantime, our souls languish in hunger for Her love and protection. How can one let go of this precious opportunity practically at our door knocking? And the Voice is insistent: "You're a servant of God; no need to wait for those who are titled."

Then comes the pastor's (Father Alexander Lewis') answer through email, "So long as the group is legitimate and approved by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and have a  document saying so, I have no problem.Please contact Rosie Hernandez or Martha at the rectory by phone and email both so that you can organize the date/location with Martha.... you will have to take care of the publicity getting, to the bulletin person, etc." How he must love Mother Mary to have acted so fast! How trustful he must be that the one he's assigning and the whole parish community can organize everything even if it's practically in the nick of time.


One's planning, organizing and communication skills, long dormant from ancient days, are once more put to use. Moreover, one's love for Mother Mary is put to test. It is a marathon of sorts. One stays up till midnight  to email confirmation of the date to Bro. Victor Yap of the Curia and to the Regional Coordinator from whom one needs to get documents attesting to the legitimacy of the World Apostolate movement  to present to  our pastor and whoever might ask.  One works frenziedly through the following two weeks to compose the news release and announcement for all the Masses, to email all parish leaders to have them mobilize their members: the Hispanic community, the Filipino community, the Vietnamese community, the senior citizens, the charismatic group, the youth group, the Our Lady of Peace school--Mother Mary being the Mother of All Mankind and not just of the Legionaries." One maps out the program. One coordinates and discusses distribution of tasks and responsibilities to one's Legion sisters and brother who all embrace such participation with enthusiasm, with love for our Mother Mary, and with excitement
.
A few snags, but nothing to worry about: where to house the official custodian bringing and guarding the precious Statue and the three ladies assisting him--Sisters Josie, Helen and Letty; last minute details---the songs, the rites, the ushers. And the lector/reader, forgotten in all the commotion, so that one has to do it, unrehearsed, as other Legion members are to assume likewise some other roles in the rites. Bro. Victor of the Curia, sending out the flier to all other parishes. Maribel Fechtner coming to the rescue (thanks to Sister Mary Foronda of St. Bridget Church) in providing the housing for the four WAF personnel. Such miraculous responses to one's plea for Mother Mary to intervene.

A sodality of Marian children coming together: the Regina Pacem Presaedium of Our Lady of Peace, Rosie, dear pastoral associate, singing Ave Maria a capella; Deacon Rey (who stayed with the devotees through the end of the day), Martha, dear secretary; Tim, ever loyal pianist; Ms. Jasso, school principal; Thanh Tran, Anthony Nguyen, Bro.Celso and his chivalrous knights of the Holy Name of Jesus; Olga Castillo of the Spanish Legion de Maria and the many others in our diverse community. All are gems in our church! But most of all, Father Alexander--(A more caring pastor one has not seen in a long time!).  In one's heart of hearts, one says THANK YOU, though you may probably never get to read this!


Finally,  the World Pilgrim Lady of Fatima comes to a people waiting for Mother Mary's blessing, for Her grace, for Her powerful intercession in their petitions, both  for the world and for their own private supplication. Hail the Mother of God!  May She always be with us to light our way and guard us as a nation and as a people looking to Her as our Holy Mother.  May the world heed her pleas for incessant prayers for a world hungry for peace!

-Blanca Datuin aka Alma Viajero

 Mother Mary's Message reminds us of our own responsibility for our salvation and for world peace:

"The action of God, the Lord of history, and the co-responsibility of man in the drama of his creative freedom, are the two pillars upon which human history is built. 

Our Lady, who appeared at Fatima, recalls these forgotten values. She reminds us that man's future is in God, and that we are active and responsible partners in creating that future."

Tarcisio Bertone, SDB
Archbishop Emeritus of Vercelli
Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

TOUCHED BY KINDNESS AND HUMILITY

The Passing of a Beautiful Soul

The last of my female first cousins has just been called by her Creator. Quickly and quietly, so I heard. Without much ado. No lingering illness that would have involved lengthy and vigilant attendance of caregivers. So typical of my Atsing Puring not to burden anyone, not to have anyone fuss over her. All she cared about was to give, give, and give--love, help to anyone in need, even if it meant depriving herself of some personal need. That was the Atsing Puring I had known.

Some years ago, she visited us here in LA after so many years of losing contact wth each other. She stayed in our house for two days. and we chatted deep into the night. At one point she intimated that she just gave her money to relatives and friends in need. "What do I need it for?" She asked. Indeed what for? She was a very simple woman with very simple needs. Never used make-up except baby powder. I doubt if she ever went to the movies, to Disneyland and such, unless perhaps to accompany some nieces or nephews or grandchildren by Bernadette, her only child, who she rescued from a critical illness when still a baby and took unto her own since then with the consent of the biological mother.

When I was small, probably five or seven and thereafter for some years, she would get me to vacation in Capas where she and her mother owned the biggest grocery store in town. She was her mother's right hand person in running the store, the income of which helped in sending her young siblings to school, seeing about the journalism career of one and the medical schooling of another. The journalist rose to become a daily columnist in Manila's Evening News (or was it the Evening Mirror). The doctor went on to become a psychiatrist in the state of Missouri. She sent herself back to school last and only after much prodding from my father, their surrogate father. She had argued she was too old to go back to high school, but upon the insistence of my father who believed one is never too old to finish education, she went back to high school and afterwards to college to become a pharmacist and work in thee pharmacy department of the GSIS in Manila.

Again we lost contact with each other as my husband and I had gone to Iowa City when my husband was invited with a grant to the famed International Writing Program of the University. But the image of Atsing Puring as that woman with a heart always bursting with love, especially for children, had remained in me. In fact, I remember having I written about her when in my Teacher's exam, we were asked to write an essay on The Person I Admire Most. She was a person who never had a mean bone in her body. I can only wish I could emulate her.

Rest in peace, Atsing Puring. Your legacy of kindness, virtuous life and piety will always remain in those you had touched.  We love you: three words we may have shown with our respect and caring for you albeit not expressed in loud words before.

Why Do We Repeat Prayers When We Say the Rosary?

This being the month of the holy rosary, I would like to share this, especially with those of the same questions about the repetitive prayers of the rosary, about statues, about whether we worship Mary or venerate her. (There's a whole lot of difference there.)

"...why is the rosary still a stronghold in the Catholic Church? Why has the rosary stood the test of time for at least eight hundred years since it originated from Spanish theologian St. Dominic, c. 1170-1221?...
Below is from the internet It's so simply put and very much within the grasp of the human mind.
__________

To begin with, the rosary is not a prayer of words, but of  meditation. When a Catholic completes praying an entire rosary of 20 mysteries, he or she has meditated upon the entire gospel; the incarnation, birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. No method of prayer is more beneficial than this. Most Catholics will pray five mysteries per day, and when saying the words, he or she must meditate upon one mystery at a time; for the duration of 10 Hail Marys, before going on to the next "mystery," or meditation. The memorized words are the vehicle by which Catholics are able to keep their minds on the gospel stories.

Secondly, why do Catholics seem to exalt Mary as they recite the Hail Mary over and over again? Actually, when we seem to be exalting Mary, what we're really doing is quoting the gospel verse Luke 1:28 when the Angel Gabriel salutes Mary, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blest are you among women!"   This greeting is repeated to her a second time in Luke 1:41-42 when an expectant Mary visits her pregnant cousin Elizabeth  in Judea. At Mary's approach, the unborn child within Elizabeth leaps, and she exclaims, "Blest are you among women, and blest is the fruit of your womb!" In other words, blessed is the child within you. That child is Jesus.

In the remainder of the Hail Mary prayer, Catholics ask Mary to pray for them now, and at the hour of death. Catholics often ask Mary to approach her Son Jesus for their petitions. Consider the gospel story, "The Wedding Feast at Cana," in John 2:3-11.  Jesus heeds Mary's request and miraculously produces excellent wine for the wedding guests. Here, Jesus performs His first public miracle, revealing His glory through the intercession of His Mother, Mary.  Being ever faithful to God in heaven, Jesus obeys the commandment that says, "Honor thy father and mother."  He does so in an exemplary way.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul writes, "Imitate me, then, just as I imitate Christ."  Therefore, if we are to imitate Jesus, then we too honor the woman Jesus gave to us with his dying breath when He said to John, "Behold thy mother," and to Mary, "Behold thy son,"  John 19: 25-27. The key word is "honor," and not "worship."

Finally, what about the statues? The simple answer is that the statues of any saint, not just Mary, are not objects of worship in themselves, but reminders for people to help them focus their minds as they pray. Think about the last time you looked at a photo of your children and said a loving, sincere prayer for their well-being. Perhaps you looked at a photo of a deceased loved one and uttered sincere words to God for their peace. You may even have requested the person himself to help you in your own difficulties. Is the photo the object of the prayer? Of course not. And neither are the statues and images Catholics may use to help them focus their minds as they pray.

The commandment, "Thou shalt not make graven images," refers to worshiping a material object or concept as if it had power unto itself, rather than the God Who created it.  This not only refers to statues of false "gods", but things that don't even seem to be objects of worship. Examples of  these are astrology, nature, Hollywood celebrities, money, excessive body-building and fitness, excessive "achievement" for its own sake leading to pride and arrogance, animals, the list goes on and on. While most of these things have their proper place and can be inherently good, the excessive pursuit is where the danger enters.

How many people criticize the repetitious prayers of the rosary, and yet regularly watch their favorite television show for empty-headed entertainment? Something to contemplate.

Pray the rosary for world peace while humbly meditating on its mysteries and you will see miracles happen!

LEGION OF MARY_ACIES@De La Salle

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