Falling In Love

I was running on the cross-trainer this evening, sweating my fats out, listening to my mp3 player full blast and watching the TV screen so that I may refrain from looking at the equipment monitor that displays my progress. I have quite a large collection of foreign songs in my m3 player so that I can choose how my pace should be: fast, normal, slow. The more upbeat the song, the faster I become and the more calories I am able to burn.

I was about to skip this one particular slow song when I heard that it had different yet very familiar tune. I decided otherwise and just listened to it. It has been a while since I last heard this song by Lisa Loeb called Falling in Love. The song has a nice message, and tells of the story of a woman who wanted to be a cowboy but who in the end found her man. I particularly love the lines: "The time between meeting and finally leaving is sometimes called falling in love."

This song is particularly played in the TV series Grey's Anatomy, which is now in it's 6th season. I have been way behind when it comes to watching this series and I seriously have a lot of catching up to do. I don't even know who Teddy and Owen are anymore! But I just love the drama and the quest of the doctors to save lives and the challenges and ordeals that they face, both personally and professionally.

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It's Holy Week!

It has been a while since I updated this blog. A month to be exact... I have been busy with online tasks and some contests aside from my usual routine as a Mom and as a follower of Christ. And tomorrow, it's already Palm Sunday, the beginning of what we call the Holy Week in the Catholic tradition. In some countries, like in the Philippines, and also in Germany, the Holy Week is observed and is even declared officially a national holiday, especially Thursdays (Holy Thursday), Fridays (Good Friday), Saturdays (Black Saturday) and Sundays (Easter Sunday).

This is a big celebration in the Catholic tradition because it commemorates the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It's Palm Sunday tomorrow and our Sto. Nino Group will be celebrating a mass in English in advance today. But why do we celebrate Palm Sunday? This is to remember and reflect on the beginning of the many events that followed in Jesus' life to fulfill the scriptures and the prophecy.

In between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, we are given the time to remember and reflect on the details of the Passion of Jesus. One can say that the last week of Jesus' life was "crammed" with events: it started with his glorious entry into Jerusalem and ended with his death on Good Friday. In between those, Jesus preached and taught, presided over the Passover meal, stood trial and was condemned to death.

If you have been praying the Rosary, you'd be familiar with most of the events but way before the Agony of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, there is the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in which he rode a colt. This is to fulfill the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9. "The people greeted him by placing palm leaves on the path the he passed, as though he were an earthly king; they were sure He would end the Roman occupation and Jerusalem would again be a Jewish city. They shouted, "Hosanna," which means "save us," and comes from Psalm 118: 26."

During the Holy Week, there are Passion Plays, Reading of the Seven Last Words, the Way of the Cross (which most pilgrims perform on Good Friday). This is to remember his passion and death and reflect on our lives. And we fast during the Lenten season. It is not only about not eating meat and drinking alcoholic drinks, it is mostly about depriving oneself of the material pleasures of the earth. If one loves to go shopping, one sacrifices and lets a week pass without going on a shopping spree. Or if one loves to dress up, one opts to dress simply and modestly instead. Or if one is addicted to Facebook or the Internet, one opts to do other worthy tasks like reading the Bible and taking time to reflect. It's all about depriving oneself of the things that gives him material satisfaction and earthly pleasures. These are just very small things (and so much a part of our daily life) in comparison to what Jesus had to sacrifice, HIS LIFE, so why don't we all give it a try?

If you can avail and go on a Holy Week Retreat, join one! If being physically present in a retreat is made impossible by a number of circumstances, there is a an ONLINE JESUIT RETREAT that you can attend. It is conducted by Fr. Johnny Go, SJ and is called "MEETING PLACES". It is a three day retreat, which starts on Maundy Thursday, April 1.

To quote Fr. Go's words in his blog:

I've called it "MEETING PLACES" because I think the mysteries of Holy Week unfold in three Lenten places: the Garden (Holy Thursday), the Hill (Good Friday), and the Tomb (Black Saturday). If we spend some time in those virtual meeting places, we may encounter the Lord in a special way.

Interested in joining? An essential part of this retreat is to prepare yourself because it is more importantly an opportunity to pray about your own life. You can start preparing by clicking here.

Let me leave you with a beautiful Jesuit song: How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place. I hope that this Holy Week, you will find that your heart and soul is God's dwelling place.



I wish everyone a blessed and meaningful Holy Week! May God bless us all...

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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.

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Light and Easy

Today`s Readings:
First Reading: Isaiah 26:7-9, 11, 16-19
Psalm 102
Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Who do you go to when you feel exhausted and at the point of giving up? Let me share with you a song that has touched me and really very fitting to today`s gospel. It is entitled Lift Up Your Hands, originally sung by Basil Valdez.

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