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Repost: written by Divina Joy Ayungo on Monday, 28 February 2011 at 16:52 ·

Photo courtesy of Canon

It was 6:00 in the evening. I was in the taxi heading home. The traffic was heavier than usual because it was Panagbenga. I took out my camera. I was pleased to view all my shots from the street parade to the floats. I liked the floats the most. It was amazing how they did it. It is amazing how they put the flowers together to form one theme. At a glance you cannot recognize that they are flowers but they are. I liked how they arranged the red roses to form a very huge strawberry, and the orchids and the trees, how they put them all together to form a forest-like scene, etcetera, and etcetera. I was going to show them to my mother and brother who were at home at that time. I was excited.

At last, I reached the taxi’s turning point. I went out of the taxi. While walking home I was still thinking of the beautiful shots I had. Then a little boy was shouting “Wala na!” Wala na!” It was like he was shouting at me. But I didn’t know the child so I just went on. Then I put my hands in the camera bag which I just held in my shoulders. The camera is gone. The smile on my lips is gone.

I got home frustrated. My mother and my brother would comfort me. I asked the Lord how could this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? I lay at the sofa. I just wanted to sleep and forget all about it.

As I lay in the sofa, I remember what my Cousin Melanie said when I lost my cell phone when I was still in College. "It is just God's reminder for us to be more careful next time". Perhaps it is. And also that God is teaching me the virtue of detachment from material things. Perhaps I was so fixated at my camera, I have put so much value in it than what is more important-that is enjoying my mother's company and my friends.

So I just charged it to experience, as my mother would always say.

How Taming Your Weaknesses Can Make You a Saint

Do you know your weaknesses? Do you throw your temper easily at the first sight of an unpleasant thing? Are you a number one procrastinator? Are you overly self conscious?  Is it difficult for you to be organized?

It has been hard for me to focus. For instance, I wrote a lot of drafts in the past days, but for some reasons, I was not able to post. I'm scatterbrained and practicing the virtue of order had been my struggle since the day I was born. (Okay, that's an exaggeration.)

My family and my friends know this: I always start things and never seem to finish. It's a miracle that I'm keeping up with my blog. *wink*

Later on, I learned that my personality, being a sanguine-choleric type, has something to do with it. Impulsive, Enthusiastic, Talkative (I'm still having a hard time admitting that even if almost all of my friends tell me that I'm talkative. haha), Forgetful, Frequently wrong, etc.

I learned that one of my friends has the same predicament. She, too, is overly enthusiastic. She lacks focus and is scatterbrained - like me. But her situation is worse because aside from having a sanguine-choleric type of personality, she also has ADHD. Her doctor prescribed that she drink brewed coffee to help her focus. So I drink coffee too to help me stay focused.

Okay, this post has nothing to do with coffee. I just inserted that to justify my addiction for coffee. Sorry. :D

Anyway, before I make my point, I want to ask an important question. Is our case (me and my friend) hopeless? Will we remain scatterbrained or talkative or overly enthusiastic and unrealistic for the rest of our lives? Were we born this way and stay this way forever?

My answer is no. Of course we will still lean to our natural tendencies but we can tame our weaknesses.

For example, Saint Peter was sanguine-choleric. He was impulsive, enthusiastic, protective, talkative, frequently wrong,  - yet a heroic and passionate leader of the flock. He impulsively declared that he will go to prison and die for Jesus but after a few hours, he denied that he knows Him. He impetuously jumped out of the boat to walk on the water but then he begun to sink when he looked down at the water and became afraid.

But he was amazingly transformed. His weaknesses were tamed. And he has contributed significantly to the growth of the Christian faith through his passionate leadership, openness and generosity, and love for people.

Knowing that there are Saints and famous persons (like Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton) who had the same weaknesses as I have gave me hope. Who knows, someday, me and my friend will be Saints too.

A Lesson From the Dead Sea

There are three main bodies of water in Israel – the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea.

Are these bodies of water familiar to you?

Of course. The River of Jordan was where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. It was in the Sea of Galilee that He preached. And the Dead Sea is often referred to in the bible.

The River Jordan is so full of life. There are a lot of fish and living things there. It’s the same with the Sea of Galilee. Peter was able to draw a lot of fish from it. But as the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee is so full of life, the Dead Sea is so dead. It is so salty that people become buoyant in the Dead Sea. Because of the saltiness, no animals can flourish in it. Even amoeba and bacteria can hardly live in it. That’s why Dead Sea soap or Dead Sea salt are popular. They can kill the bacteria that cause your pimples.

Why is that so?

Here’s how the three bodies of water are stationed geographically. The Sea of Galilee provides water to the Jordan River, the Jordan River provides water to the Dead Sea and the Dead Sea provides water to none. Because of that, the Dead Sea is so salty, all the chemicals gather in it, thus, the saltiness.

If the three bodies of water are characters of a story, we can say that the River Jordan and the Sea of Galilee are generous but the Dead Sea is selfish and stingy.

What happens when you are not generous? Bo Sanchez puts it this way. “If you don’t give, you die.”

This could mean a physical death. For example, if you just inhale and never exhale or if you just eat and eat without going to the toilet for the next seven days.

This could also mean Spiritual death. If you do not give, you will miss the joy of giving. This can be as simple as giving your time to someone you love, spending time with the less fortunate, giving little but frequent contributions to your spiritual family or practicing the acts of mercy – clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, sheltering the needy.

Give out of love, not out of obligation. In that way, you will reap the full rewards of giving.

REFERENCES:

http://bosanchez.ph/do-you-tip-or-tithe/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea

http://www.extremescience.com/dead-sea.htm

Broken Resolutions? That's Okay.

There was a little girl named Nina who just came from her first ever retreat. During the retreat, she was filled with the Holy Spirit that she made a firm resolve not to fight with her younger brother Luis ever again. As she rode in the bus while going home, she even took out her little notebook to review all the wonderful things she experienced in the retreat and to review her only resolution. Finally, she arrived at their house. She rang the doorbell and voila! Luis was the one who opened the gate. She smiled at her younger brother. Her younger brother smiled back and remarked “Andito na si holy holy!” (Here comes holy holy!) Nina’s smile was still on her face but one of her eyebrows raised. Then she swung her bag toward her younger brother almost hitting his head. Luckily Luis was a fast runner.

Was there an event in your life similar to Nina and Luis’s story? Have you ever made a firm resolve then after a few days (or even hours) you break it?

You resolve not to eat fried chicken but after a week you found yourself in Mcdonald’s.

You resolve to exercise everyday but after a few days, you’re too lazy to do it.

The list can go on and on. But don’t worry; you are not the only person.

Last January 1, I took out a planner which I bought last New Year of 2011. I opened it and decided to write my 2012 New Year’s Resolution there because there are a lot of empty pages I can write on. On the first page was my 2011 New year’s resolution, which I almost forgot I wrote until I saw it again. On the number 1 list was “to be orderly”. (Now you know why I bought the planner in the first place.) I smiled when I read that because I wasn’t so orderly in 2011. Worse, my new year’s resolutions in 2011 are similar to those I was planning to write for 2012.

As I looked back at the year 2011, I was reminded of the many resolutions which I made and the disappointments I had when I did not seem to have the capacity to fulfill them. Then one friend told me that your failures are not important. What matters is that you start all over again, even if what you do is to start again and again.

Persistence. To start again and again. Your persistence will eventually pay off. In fact, there are many stories of success of great people because of their persistence.

Colonel Sanders, for example, faced 1008 rejections before he was able to sell his secret recipe, which is now known as the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

Sylvester Stallone experienced hunger and poverty, even had to sell his dog before he reached his dream of becoming an actor.

It took years for Albert Einstein to formulate his theories before he came up with the formula E=MC².

The level of our resolutions might not be like that of Colonel Sanders or Albert Einstein or Sylvester Stallone. But if we can start small, we can grow big. If you resolved not to eat fried chicken because of your health, but today you were not able to discipline yourself enough, then start again tomorrow. Renew your resolutions again and again until fried chicken does not appeal to you anymore. Then you can step up to a more ambitious resolution.

Recently, I watched the finale of the Biggest Loser Season 7. While they were replaying the videos of one of the finalists, I recall her saying “I’m determined to change my life.” I’m amazed by her determination. She faced many challenges but was successful in the end in losing weight.

Be like her in her determination. Be persistent. Work Hard. And maybe, someday, your story of persistence will echo all over the world.

World Youth Day Saga-Part 2

(SPAIN)

This is a sequel to the first part of the series World Youth Day Saga(France)

She Woke Me Up Early

            After the Candle Procession in Lourdes, we took a last look around Grotto then we went back to the inn. I slept at about 1:30am after unpacking and re-packing my clothes inside my bag. I told one of my fellow delegates, her name is Joy, who was also one of my roommates to wake me up at 3:00 am because we had to leave at 4:00am. I was still dreaming when I felt someone pat me and call my name softly. I struggled to open my eyes and saw my friend in my blurry vision. I looked at the time and it was still 2:30am.

            “Haa? You woke me up 30 minutes early”, I said in my cute bedtime voice.

            “Oh no. I’m so sorry”, she said laughing.

            It’s funny how 30 minutes of sleep was so significant during that time.

The Bus was Late (Or so we thought)

            It was 4:00 in the morning and we were waiting outside the inn for our bus for Madrid to arrive. 30 minutes passed and we were still waiting. Some of my world youth day friends decided to look for it. And the rest of us decided to take our breakfast. The owner of the inn was kind enough to pack breakfast for us.

            We were asked to get our breakfast inside. But I saw one of my friends get a plastic and put bread in it, so I thought she was volunteering to distribute for us who were outside. So I waited for her to give us. But she didn’t, instead, she told us again to get our breakfast inside.

            “How about those breads you are holding?”

            She let out a deep sigh. She was clearly annoyed. Maybe I asked too many questions, which I cannot anymore remember. But she managed to speak calmly although irritation showed in her face.

            “They are for our friends who went to look for the bus.”

            “Okay.” I replied.

            Temperance. Temperance. The word echoed in my mind. She was trying to practice temperance. I tried too. I didn’t understand why she would get annoyed. I was only asking a question, wasn’t I? Now that I analyze it, perhaps, it was because she was tired. Perhaps, she didn’t also get enough sleep and I was there just sitting and waiting to be served. (Haha) Besides, she was so thoughtful to set aside bread for our friends.

How Many Angry People are There in the World?

            6:00 and the bus hasn’t arrived. Are you kidding? We could have had 2 more hours of sleep, well, at the most. But it turned out that the bus driver parked the bus in another area. There had been a misunderstanding. The driver also waited for us since 4:00 in that morning. It’s funny, but at that time, maybe because everyone was tired and sleepy, it seems like everyone was irritated – even the bus driver.

            He spoke in Spanish I couldn’t understand. (Again, I was stubborn enough not to take our Spanish lessons seriously. Spanish lessons was part of our 1-year preparation for the World Youth Day) But clearly he was angry. I can sense it in his voice. Everyone was listening as our group leaders conversed with him. The original plan was to take a detour to Torreciudad before going to Madrid but because we started late (and the bus driver was angry, hehe) we headed straight to Madrid. What I admire in our group leaders is their patience and kindness. They didn’t want to fight with the bus driver, considering one of them is choleric, a little hot tempered. (Her personality would be confirmed later on.)

Sleepy head, Sunflowers, and Sleepy Head

            It was a long bus ride, that’s for sure. I would sleep, wake up, admire the sunflowers in our way, sleep again, sleep some more. Okay, we did have some stopovers for lunch and snacks. And oh, an interesting note is that we were not allowed to eat inside the bus. It is very different here in the Philippines because when we take a long bus ride, we always eat along the way. I wonder if all buses in Europe are like that. It’s okay though. We just obeyed. We didn’t want to trigger his angry bones.

Sunflowers on the way
Photo by:  Joy Torculas

            We arrived in Madrid at about 3:00 in the afternoon. It might have been a blessing in disguise that we did not pass through Torreciudad because if we did, we might have missed the opening mass presided by none other than the Archbishop of Madrid himself. We were welcomed by a Filipino travel guide Mr. Exequiel(+). He held the microphone in his hands and began to entertain us with his stories. He told us stories of Filipinos in Madrid and some of his experiences in his years of stay in Madrid. He also showed us some historic sites in Madrid that we passed by. He spoke fluent Spanish and conversed with the bus driver. A little later, guess what? The driver was angry again. Haha! Mr. Exequiel(+) asked us “perhaps you have noticed that he was angry?” Then he went on to explain that many Spanish are like that. They become angry easily but after a while, it’s gone. They will talk and laugh with you again like nothing happened. Okay, that explains it.

The First Taste of World Youth Day Madrid

            We were the last to arrive at the school assigned to us. It was in Nazaret Oporto. There, we were welcomed by three friendly volunteers, Anghel, Sylvia, and Carlos. One classroom was assigned to us. The volunteers said that we could sleep outside if we wanted to. I guess I prefer outside. It was really hot inside the classroom. Anyway, we prepared to attend the opening mass in Plaza de Cibeles. We were escorted by the volunteers to the place. When we got there, wow, there really were many people. We squatted on the ground while we heard the mass in Spanish. After the mass, the people dismissed. There was a lot of cheering. The spirit of the youth was on. We tried to compose our own cheering, but well, I don’t know, it seemed that I was the only one cheering. I guess I was the only youth in our delegation. Haha!

After the Opening Mass at Plaza de Cibeles
Photo by: Joy Torculas

More Than Camping

            If there was a word that can be compared to the World Youth Day, it was more like a camping. We slept in our sleeping bags that night, with the moon overhead. It reminded me of my high school years when we went camping. But the World Youth Day was more than that. As I have mentioned in part I, it was a pilgrimage. It was a totally different experience for me. I don’t know, but remembering it now is so euphoric. I will never regret going there.

The delegation with the volunteers
Photo owne by: Joy Torculas

Lucky of All Lucky

            The next day, we met other delegates in the school. There were delegates from Chile and also from the Philippines, but they were from another Parish which is in Novaliches. (Our delegation came from Bel-air Center in Makati. Our leaders were lay persons.)

            Part of our group’s World Youth Day Agenda was to hear mass daily. Even if we did not understand it? Yes. Because the very purpose of the Mass is to meet Jesus in the Eucharist. So even if we did not understand the mass, we still heard it. But we were lucky. Why? Because the person heading the Novaliches delegation was a Priest. We requested if he could administer our mass for that day. He agreed. And for the first time in our trip, we heard a mass in a language that we could understand. It was a blessing, wasn’t it?

Inside Cathedral de Madrid
With the Saint that brought us together

            The breakfast, morning prayers and the mass took almost half of our day. But it’s okay because the sun sets in Europe late so we still have time to do what we had to do.

            First, we visited the Cathedral of Madrid. The tour guide of the Cathedral let us find a bear sculpture in the one of the columns of the crypt, which is below the Cathedral. The one who could find it would have a price, he said. One of us found it. It was true, she had a price – a magazine about the faith. But we had a share of her price because we also were given magazines. Haha. The guide went on to explain that the bear was an important symbol of Madrid. I didn’t quite get why. Can someone explain it to me again?

            By the way, each column of the crypt has a unique design. Isn’t that amazing?

A Special Get Together

            Did I tell you that our group was special? It is because we were invited to a Special Get-together with the Bishop Don Javier. Thousands of other young girls, who receive the same formation as we do, gather together in one of the stadiums in Madrid to hear what the Bishop has to say.

Get together with thousand other girls
Photo by: Joy Torculas

            The most vivid thing he said is that “Do not be afraid to follow God’s call for you”. It was perfect for me because sometimes, I am afraid. At that moment, I was afraid. Perhaps, I had many doubts. What if I fail? I am aware of my weaknesses. But the keywords are do not be afraid. Jesus said that a couple of times too. I recall Bo Sanchez say “your availability is more important than your ability.” Just make yourself available for God and do not be afraid because He will arm you with the necessary resources. Even if you are weak, He will make you strong.

Wasted Time in Transportation(?)

            The rest of our time was spent looking for a place to eat, eating, walking, and getting the train to get back to our “camp” (the school). Our camp was a bit far from the World Youth Day Activity Venues so it was not a surprise that we spent most of our time in transportation. Wasted Time you say? No. Every minute in our trip was not wasted because we prayed while we traveled and the favorite prayer was the Rosary. Sometimes, we did it ourselves, but most of the time, we had a partner/s. For me, a minute spent in prayer is never wasted.

            The next day was again a very meaningful day. We learned that the famous Jason Evert was going to give a talk that day at 3pm so we went to line up outside the Stadium even before 12:00 noon. It became a little difficult for us to enter the Stadium because of the volume of people and the tight Security. There was a rally in Spain that time that’s why there was a need for the extra security. Aside from the talk of Jason Evert, we were also looking forward to the Mass inside the Stadium. We were getting anxious and impatient. We asked ourselves, will we be able to hear mass? Our human nature started to show. We started to divide. One of our group leaders (the more choleric one mentioned earlier) really got impatient. We are not judging her. The circumstances surrounding us that time can really cause a person to be impatient and irritable. We were hungry, we waited in the line for more or less than two hours, the security is hard to deal with, there was the language barrier, and being one of the leaders of the group, she perhaps felt the weight of the responsibility of making a decision. She wanted to get out of there and do something. So she made us decide if we still wanted to stay or go and do something else.

            The group divided. One stayed. I stayed because I’m a huge fan of Jason Evert. My friend Nichole stayed because she was tired and she does not want to walk anymore. Actually, all of us were tired. The others who stayed were perhaps more patient and maybe they thought that the waiting would be a waste if they left. For us who stayed, we prayed to our Guardian Angels and to the Blessed Virgin so that the doors would open for us and maybe, one of the security people would take pity on us.

            The other group went to the plaza to wait for the Pope. The Pope was scheduled to be in Madrid that day. My friend Tina is a huge fan of the Pope, maybe that’s why she went. And the others perhaps were also very excited for the arrival of the Pope. As for me, I am also a huge fan of the Pope. But I opted to stay because I was hoping that I would still be able to see the Pope in the next days, and especially in the final day, the Vigil with the Pope.

Love and Life

            Thanks to Our Guardian Angels and Our Lady, one of the security people took pity on us after we almost begged, and after we forced smile on our faces despite our hungry stomachs. We were able to enter. We were a little late for the mass, but it was still considered a mass (Thank God). After the celebration of the mass, we did not go out anymore because we knew how hard it was to enter. We just sat down in front and waited for the talk to begin. We tamed our hungry stomachs with bread and biscuits and juices that were leftovers from our breakfast.

            The benefit was worth the wait. We had a clear view of Jason Evert and the other speakers. We were able to focus on the talks and were moved by the messages. (We were all emotional ladies in our delegation by the way.) One particular sentence that moved my friend Sha, (and made her cry, I think) was this: “My life is a question that only Love is the answer.” It was said by one of the speakers who is a nun.

I had a clear view on Jason Evert but my camera doesn't. Sorry :)

            Jason Evert talked about relationships, about his own marriage and how men should be proactive. He said, if you love her, give her the 24-K Ring. Marry her. (To all men out there, ahem…) He also said that there is a lot of inaction with the men while in the beginning, men are created to be proactive. I wish I could duplicate the whole talk here. But Jason Evert made marriage attractive to me. When we went out of the stadium, we felt in love. (I know, we are crazy.)


(More on Jason Evert on Life and Love, click here.)

            While the other group was looking at the Pope personally, we went to look for a restaurant because we have not eaten a decent food since morning. We contented ourselves at looking at the Pope in the TV monitor inside the restaurant.

A Celebration

            After dinner, we surprised our friends Chinky and Mae because it was both their birthday. I hope they felt important and loved by us.

Mae and Chinky celebrating their birthday

Different Tales

            We went home that day, again, exhausted but fulfilled. We knew that the day had been fruitful. We met with the other group and we told them how the talk went and how wonderful it was. They told us how they welcomed the Pope and how wonderful it was. We were joyful after all, both of the groups, even if we have taken different paths.

Another Celebration

             I woke up the next day expecting an adventure, but I really didn’t know what to expect. Anything can happen. The World Youth Day was full of Surprises. It is true. That morning, I witnessed a miracle.

            Do you remember the Priest in the Novaliches delegation? He was to celebrate his First Year Anniversary as a Priest. The date was August 19. We were invited to join the celebration with him with a solemn mass. We sang songs, we recited the Creed because it was a special day. But when he was about to read the Gospel for the day, he cried. Hi cried with tears of joy. After reading the Gospel with all his heart, he told us in his homily how he became a priest.

Father Rolan celebrating his first year of ordination as a priest

            As a child, he felt God calling him to be a priest. Even as he was growing up, he had inklings that God wanted him to be a Priest. But he didn’t want to. He said, “Sayang ang guwapo ko.” (My handsomeness would be put to waste.) He even bargained with God, “Lord gagawin ko ang lahat huwag mo lang akong gawing Pari.” (Lord, I will do anything, just don’t call me to be a priest.) Perhaps because God was insistent, he decided to try out for the Seminary. His first try was a failure. He was not accepted to the Seminary and he said it was the happiest day of his life. Yes! Little did he know that God has another plan. I don’t know how or why but he was assigned to the UST hospital and one day, he saw poor a poor elderly woman in a wheelchair. There, he was filled with compassion for the woman and he started to cry. He again heard God calling him to the Priesthood. And that moment, he saw that his vocation is to be with the poor, to help the poor. At the moment, he said “Yes” to God. “Fiat”.

            

              We all cried and were moved by now Fr. Rolan’s story.


To be Continued...