Today is my eldest sister's birthday. I remember birthdays of family and friends very well. I don't know it you can call it a gift. People I know are amazed at how I manage to memorize their birthdays.
Birthday celebrations in our family are usually simple and private. We don't have big parties nor do we invite other people. Often, we prepare a special meal to be shared within the family. The birthday celebrant also has to go to mass and offer thanksgiving intentions.
As we get older, family celebrations became more simple. Maybe because there isn't enough time to prepare anymore particularly when the day falls on a working day. However, the venue is transferred to the office where we prepare a meal to share with our officemates.
Since my sister is already married I assume she will have her special meal at dinner time with her family after treating her officemates earlier during the day.
I wish her the best on this special day. May God pour out abundant blessings on her.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Remembering Our Father
On 17th of June, we remembered all the fathers in this world. I hate occasions like this as often they are to a large extent often commercialized.
Long before the day, malls and other business establishments advertise whatever they offer to help us celebrate this day. There are suggested gifts and even activities to make this day special for our fathers.
In the church I serve, fathers were called in front after the communion. One led the prayer for the fathers and after which the priest gave his blessing. It was quite a sight as I didn't expect fathers to comprise half the entire congregation. Incidentally, it was also the first Sunday mass of our new parish priest.
Not all fathers were remembered that day. Some by circumstances, others by choice. However, no matter the reason, we should take the time to honor this person who was instrumental in bringing us to this world or probably took the responsibility of bringing us up to where we are now.
More than anything else, we should at least pray for them that God will be merciful to them despite their own shortcomings. Not all fathers proved to be worthy of this noble calling. Even then, Father's day is much more than giving back to them what they have given their children. It's not the gift, nor the moment you shared on this day. But above all, it is our gratefulness to the Father in heaven for giving us life through this imperfect person.
God bless all biological and non-biological fathers.
Long before the day, malls and other business establishments advertise whatever they offer to help us celebrate this day. There are suggested gifts and even activities to make this day special for our fathers.
In the church I serve, fathers were called in front after the communion. One led the prayer for the fathers and after which the priest gave his blessing. It was quite a sight as I didn't expect fathers to comprise half the entire congregation. Incidentally, it was also the first Sunday mass of our new parish priest.
Not all fathers were remembered that day. Some by circumstances, others by choice. However, no matter the reason, we should take the time to honor this person who was instrumental in bringing us to this world or probably took the responsibility of bringing us up to where we are now.
More than anything else, we should at least pray for them that God will be merciful to them despite their own shortcomings. Not all fathers proved to be worthy of this noble calling. Even then, Father's day is much more than giving back to them what they have given their children. It's not the gift, nor the moment you shared on this day. But above all, it is our gratefulness to the Father in heaven for giving us life through this imperfect person.
God bless all biological and non-biological fathers.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Something is lost
Today is the feast of one of my favorite saints, Saint Anthony of Padua. He is known to be the finder of lost articles. I call on him often when I seek lost things and there he finds it for me.
A few years ago, his relics visited our country. I took the time to go to the Shrine of St. Anthony after office hours. I was able to get to him without much effort by passing through a side door. After the mass, I realized that there was a crowd outside the church waiting in line to venerate the relics. Well, maybe St. Anthony knew I live far away so he led me right away to him.
Invoke him for your needs not only for lost things but for lost souls as well.
"Tony, Tony, turn around. Something's lost and must be found."
A few years ago, his relics visited our country. I took the time to go to the Shrine of St. Anthony after office hours. I was able to get to him without much effort by passing through a side door. After the mass, I realized that there was a crowd outside the church waiting in line to venerate the relics. Well, maybe St. Anthony knew I live far away so he led me right away to him.
Invoke him for your needs not only for lost things but for lost souls as well.
"Tony, Tony, turn around. Something's lost and must be found."
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Goodbye Father...until then
We are halfway through with 2007. How time flies! Incidentally, we also said goodbye to our parish priest of six years who would be moving to another parish.
It was quite an emotional scene after his last Sunday morning mass with us. I, for one does not easily become emotional. Maybe because we were raised to shed tears as sparingly as possible. However, there was also a feeling of sadness when it finally dawned on me that he will no longer be with us.
Life is dynamic. All the more with priests and those who serve God in Holy Orders. It serves to remind us that we are all pilgrims in this world. I can still vividly remember the time we welcome him as our new priest. Now it has come to an end. Just like the two before him.
Yes there is sadness as we close another chapter of our lives. But then we open another chapter to another servant God has put into our lives. It is not easy to be a priest. People sometimes expect too much. Despite this, he has to continue with the task before him.
I may not had enough opportunities to express my gratitude for this man of God. In fact our encounters were limited to the Sunday masses and occasional masses when we sing for weddings and other occasions.
But then more than anything else I realized praying for our priests everyday would mean more to them than any other thing we can offer as token of our gratitude for the sacrifice they make to spread God's kingdom.
God bless Father Allan in his new assignment. May God's grace be more than enough for him to do even more than what he has done for our parish.
Goodbye Father...until then.
To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
It was quite an emotional scene after his last Sunday morning mass with us. I, for one does not easily become emotional. Maybe because we were raised to shed tears as sparingly as possible. However, there was also a feeling of sadness when it finally dawned on me that he will no longer be with us.
Life is dynamic. All the more with priests and those who serve God in Holy Orders. It serves to remind us that we are all pilgrims in this world. I can still vividly remember the time we welcome him as our new priest. Now it has come to an end. Just like the two before him.
Yes there is sadness as we close another chapter of our lives. But then we open another chapter to another servant God has put into our lives. It is not easy to be a priest. People sometimes expect too much. Despite this, he has to continue with the task before him.
I may not had enough opportunities to express my gratitude for this man of God. In fact our encounters were limited to the Sunday masses and occasional masses when we sing for weddings and other occasions.
But then more than anything else I realized praying for our priests everyday would mean more to them than any other thing we can offer as token of our gratitude for the sacrifice they make to spread God's kingdom.
God bless Father Allan in his new assignment. May God's grace be more than enough for him to do even more than what he has done for our parish.
Goodbye Father...until then.
To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
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