Pit Senyor!

The caro bearing the Sto. Nino at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Last Saturday was the 16th Sinulog celebration of the Filipino community here in Stuttgart, Germany. It was my very first time to join in the festivities as I have never experienced the Sinulog while I was still in the Philippines. Ironic, isn't it?

The Sto. Nino during the procession from the Cathedral in Rottenburg to the Festhalle...

Sto. Nino's at the procession...

It was a very fun celebration. We were blessed by God with a very good weather and the celebration went smoothly from the celebration of the Holy Eucharist down to the procession and then the continuation of festivities at the Festhalle.

Doing the Sinulog inside the Festhalle.


Pit Senyor Ate Vicky! May He answer your prayers...

While it was unlike the grand celebration that you see in Cebu, the Filipino devotion to the Holy Infant Jesus was very much alive when we danced to the music in worship and thanksgiving. I must admit that while dancing and while witnessing the others dance, I got teary-eyed, touched by the Holy Spirit and the realization that indeed, it will always be faith and the spirit of friendship and love that will bind and unite a community.

A Parent's Prayer for Children

Here's a prayer for children which I adapted from Catholic Online, for use by the Sto. Nino group. This is a prayer of parents for their children. As parents, it is essential that we teach our children how to pray so that they may grow to have a deep faith in God.

You can also adapt this according to your preference and use your own words. Allow the Holy Spirit to move you and you have a very beautiful and powerful prayer that is coming from the heart.

Prayer for The Children

O Senor Sto. Nino, we commend our children unto thee,
those who are present here before you namely (state name of children)
and those who are in the comfort of their homes.
Grant Senor Sto. Nino, that they may grow
to serve you, love you and know you.
Protect them always from harm, evil and sickness
and watch over them as they grow.
Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world,
to resist all solicitations to evil,
whether from within or without;
and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy.
Pour Thy grace into their hearts,
and confirm and multiply in them
the gifts of Your Holy Spirit,
that they may daily grow in grace
and in the knowledge of You;
and so, faithfully serve You here,
and may they come to rejoice in Your presence hereafter.

O Senor Sto. Nino, who has given unto us these children,
and committed them to our charge to bring them up for Thee,
and to prepare them for eternal life:
help us with Thy heavenly grace, that we, as parents,
may be able to fulfill this most sacred duty and stewardship.
Teach us what to give and what to withhold;
when to reprove and when to forbear;
make us to be gentle, yet firm;
considerate and watchful;
and deliver us equally from the weakness of indulgence,
and the excess of severity;
and grant that, both by word and example,
we may be careful to lead them in the ways of wisdom
and true piety, so that at last we may, with them,
be admitted to the unspeakable joys of our true home in heaven,
in the company of the blessed Angels and Saints.

Amen.

God Always Provides

I have experienced, time and again, that God always provides. Even if you don't utter it in your mouth. Even if you just ignore the problem and don't worry yourself too much about it. Even if things seem too impossible. Even if you just whisper it in your heart. At the right moment, at the most unexpected time, the Lord has surprised me, hubby and me, us, with His Saving Grace.

Surely, there is no one as great as Him who always provides and who always knows what we desire. YES, He grants our heart's desires and aids us in our needs in His own way, in His own Time.



Glory and praise be to OUR GOD WHO ALWAYS PROVIDES.

Huwag Kang Mangamba

I was so afraid and worried about Samantha the past six days. She had been sick and I was worried that it might be the dreaded swine-flu. But my heart tells me to have faith and trust in the Lord. In my heart, I know that He won't allow anything to happen to her. And so everyday I pray...

While we were at the hospital, I was given the opportunity to spend the entire three days with my daughter and reading the bible. While at the hospital, I was able to rest my stressed and weary body too. I guess you can call it blessing in disguise. I call it God's plan at work. And I am happy because I was able to learn something from my scripture readings. I read the entire book of Esther and 1st and 2nd Samuel and learned a little bit more about our God Almighty. He is a jealous God and a great God BUT He is faithful to His people. And I know that I should not worry because for as long as I put my trust in Him, all shall be well.

And here's a Jesuit song that has reminded me, time and again, to not be afraid:

The Holy Infant Jesus (Sto. Nino)

Every Friday, we venerate his name. Why the devotion? Because I too was once a child and now have my own child. I celebrate life, innocence, obedience, dependence, being carefree, youth, faith, hope and love. I believe in the miracles that His image has performed. I believe in the countless lives He has transformed. I believe in the child Jesus who knew at such a young age his fate. Yes, He lived an ordinary and simple life but he performed extraordinary works of kindness and mercy.

May Sto. Nino ever help us.

WFW: Psalm 9:18

Have A Safe Trip!

Members of our new community here in Germany, the Sto. Nino group will be having their pilgrimage from September 21st to 26th. I pray that God will bless our Nanays, Ate's and Kuya's a safe trip.

The group will be visiting Dresden, Poland and Prague to visit the many religious places like the Black Madonna and the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague. At first we were thinking of joining but since hubby can't take a vacation leave anymore due to workload, we opted not to go. It would be difficult to travel with a toddler by myself. I know that God will understand. We will just send with the group our prayers and petitions and candle offerings so that it would feel like we are still with them.

The first pilgrimage that we joined in was the one in Heroldsbach in Nurnberg. It was in a small town where the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to little children. We arrived just in time for the 10:00AM eucharistic celebration. Then we visited the church and the apparitions of the BVM were recounted to us through the beautiful stained glass windows of the church. It was a beautiful and uplifting experience. And I hope that the Vatican will soon recognize the apparition site as a Holy Place.

The main altar of the church.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I hope that in the coming pilgrimages, it wouldn't be that long and far so that we will be able to join. And so that we may also grow stronger in our faith through the spiritual experience and enlightenment that one who embarks on a pilgrimage usually gets.

Simeon's Canticle

Who is Simeon, you might ask? He is the biblical character mentioned in Luke 2 who met the Virgin Mary, Joseph and Jesus as they entered the temple to fulfill the requirement of Moses' Law on the event of the fourtieth day from Jesus' birth. He is a just and devout man of Jerusalem. He took Jesus in his arms when he saw him and said the prayer Nunc dimitis or Canticle of Simeon. This prayer is usually sung during the Advent season, as we await the birth of Jesus.

Simeon's Canticle
Music by: Manoling Francisco, SJ
Arrangement: Paulo K Tirol
Soloist: Celia Uy
Keyboards: Paulo K Tirol

Lord, let Your servant go in peace
For Your Word has been fulfilled.

A Child shall be born to the Virgin,
And His Name shall be called, "Emmanuel."

My own eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared for all men.

A Light shall reveal to the nations
And the glory of Your people, Israel.

Thanksgiving and Inspirations

I would like start the week with thanksgiving for all the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon me and my family.

I thank God for the good health that we enjoy.
I thank God for giving us a home to keep us safe and warm.
I thank God for blessing us with food on our table,
and clothes on our backs.
I thank God for keeping our family together always, despite challenges.
I thank God for protecting us always from harm and evil.
I thank God for the love that He never ceases to give.
I thank God for the many things, wonderful or difficult,
that He sent our way.
I thank God for always hearing our prayers.
I thank God for our lives, for this day, for yesterdays
and for tomorrows.
Thank you Lord for EVERYTHING!

And thanks also to Ate Chris for thinking me Inspirational!
God bless you and your family more!

God Of Silence

This song, beautiful and simple, reminds me of lots of things. My childhood, my awakening as a Christian, my reflections and retreats, my volunteer years and so much more. God may be silent but He works in mysterious ways. In the recesses of our hearts, He is there, waiting... silently waiting for us to call on Him. And although I cannot see my God, I believe, I trust, I love.



Here are the lyrics of the song:

The God of silence beckons me
To journey to my heart
Where He awaits
O Lord, I hear You calling tenderly
To You I come to gaze
At the beauty of Your face I cannot see

To rest in Your embrace I cannot feel
To dwell in Your love hurting but sweet
To be with You; to glimpse eternity

God of night, fount of all my delight.
Show Your light . . . that my heart, like Yours, burn bright.

Be still the torment of the night
Will not encumber you, if you believe
My child this darkness isn't emptiness
For here I mold your heart
Unto My image painfully you long to see

The self you yearn to be, but fear to know
The world from which you flee in Me find home
All these I give you, if you remain in Me

COUNTERPOINT:
I am ever here
My child, you need not fear
The dark will set you free
And bring your heart to Me

CODA:
The God of silence beckons me
To journey to my heart
Where He awaits me.