A Visit to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage ( A Special Spiritual and Physical Nourishment for the Volunteer Teachers of APB Foundation )

January 30, 2010 was a special day for the volunteer teachers of Alalay sa Pamilya at Bayan Foundation whose thrust is to give Values Education through Catechism in public schools in the Philippines.

It started with a quick breakfast of hot pandesal and coffee in Mrs. Brown’s posh house in Greenmeadows where we all gathered before boarding the airconditioned bus courtesy of Victory Liner. Upon boarding the bus, the very thoughtful Mrs. Brown shared shawls with some of the volunteers to keep them warm during the trip.
Off to Antipolo. Sis Tere led the Sorrowful followed by the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary during the trip. Some volunteers catched up on sleep after praying the Rosary.

On reaching Antipolo City, just before getting off the bus, Sis Marievic announced that we shall break up in groups of five, and look after one another in visiting the church and the Blessed Sacrament. A Holy Mass is being celebrated in the church during that time. It was actually the latter part of Communion time when our group got in. We were fortunate enough to join the congregation in saying the Novena to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage right after Communion. I find it amusingly amazing that the silent prayer I just said, the prayers that I requested the Blessed Lady to intercede for me, are in the Novena! I took it as a wink from the Lord, an answered prayer for me I hope! Praise God! After saying the Novena, we went to visit the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Chapel where we spent a few minutes of quiet time before the Lord. Some of the volunteers went shopping for pasalubong such as crunchy cashew nuts/kasuy, suman, brown kalamay, etc. before getting back on the bus. The fun side of the little shopping in Antipolo was you get to have a free taste of the delicacies before actually buying the food items. Talk about good marketing…

From Antipolo City to Tanay, Rizal. After visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City, we headed to Tanay, Rizal for the next set of activities. When we reached the Brown Family’s farm in Tanay, Rizal, and while waiting for lunch, the volunteers busied themselves posing for the camera, taking photos of the beautiful place, taking in the beautiful scenery that was before us.
Lunch time! Inside the house a buffet of lunch was waiting for us! We had a balanced hearty meal of pinakbet, fried tilapia, chicken adobo, veggie salad and steamed rice mixed with some sweet corn. We also helped ourselves with sweetened saging na saba (boiled banana) and kamoteng kahoy (sweet potato) for dessert. While enjoying the healthy food courtesy of Annabel’s Restaurant, our eyes feasted on the picturesque view of Laguna lake before us as the cool breeze brushes our skin. It was a delight gazing at and enjoying the beauty of nature, God’s wonderful creation! It was an excellent place to do deep breathing for there are trees and flowering plants all around, not to mention the clear blue sky and the cool breeze. Hmmm… Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale… If only we can take home fresh, cool air…

After lunch, we gathered under the big Balete tree, and had a short individual introduction of the volunteers. Mrs Brown mentioned that the Opus Dei-Women’s Section is celebrating its 80th anniversary on February 14, 2010. Sis Tere then proceeded to give a short talk on the history of Opus Dei and its Father (founder), St Josemaria Escriva whose three (3) loves are Our Lady, the Church, and souls. There was a short video presentation of St Josemaria’s interaction with the youth in some of the places he visited. We prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary on our way to the farm’s camp site where the bus is waiting. We boarded the bus back to Greenmeadows.

My group (my sister Budeck, friends Pinky and Matet, Auntie Dhel, my Mom, and myself) went home to my place to freshen up and have a quick bite, then proceeded to attend the anticipated Mass in Rockwell Chapel in Makati. We prayed for Mrs Brown, her family and staff, for so generously providing everything to make that special pilgrimage possible. We had coffee then went back home, and called it a day! We went home tired, but happy!

Indeed, when we offer back to God the talents and skills, time and treasure that He blessed us with, He gives back again so much more. Our God can never be outdone in generosity. Glory to our Loving and Generous God!

MAY THE BEST MEN AND WOMEN WIN!

Election time is fast approaching. Have you made up your mind who among the many candidates you will vote for? What would be your criteria for choosing your candidates?

It is so sad that there are self-seeking interests and ambition within the government and even in the church. People are seeking to play king, obsessed for position and recognition by others. Such self-serving interests and ambition often lead affluent candidates to place advertisements and hold press conferences to gain influence in an attempt to promote their own agenda. Sadly, these advertisements and press conferences often result in spreading rumors and tearing others down in an attempt at self-promotion.

These people think they have the gift of saving people. They see it as their calling to save all the poor, and enrich their lives. But most often such people have hidden agenda behind their actions. It’s not really love at all, but a way to promote themselves.

Although the call to serve is universal, some of us may have the wrong idea of service. We do not need to hold public office to be able to serve people. We do not need to have a title or position to serve our neighbors in need. We only are required to fulfill the duties placed before us by God in whatever state of life we are in with great love for God and our neighbor. We can give life to that love by doing our ordinary duties extraordinarily well for God’s glory. We can volunteer for ministries in the church or any non-government organization. We have to keep our eyes open to the needs of the world around us.

One has to mind his own life and affairs first, and it would involve getting one’s spiritual life in order, getting the planks out of one’s own eye that one might have the ability to help others in their failures and difficulties. How do we know who among these candidates who openly declare that they love the Filipino people so much are sincere? What we need to see is faithfulness—lives that back up their job or business with works and a walk consistent with their talk.

We cannot trust somebody who does not truly love God. How can somebody say that he loves God whom he does not see when he cannot sincerely love his neighbors whom he sees? How can somebody who cannot remain faithful with his/her spouse be faithful with the whole Filipino nation?

Who are those who, as children of the light, walk after the example of the Lord Jesus Christ? Who are those who abide in Christ by faith and walk in the pursuit of growth in love and holiness? Who are those with a real heart of service for the poor without any vested interest? Who are those who do not exploit and use the poor for their own self-seeking ambition? People who really love God are those people who obey and try to please Him in whatever they say and do, with or without any press people watching.

John Paul II said, “The deepest joy there is in life is the joy that comes from God, and is found in Jesus Christ.” We can find joy in serving God and ministering to His people. John 10:10 says, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” An abundant life is a life of love and holiness. A life of love and holiness is a life shared with others in service, not necessarily having the highest office in the land.

Exercising our right to vote is no joke. It comes with a big responsibility. The future of our nation especially the younger generation is in our hands. Let us pray hard. God uses emotions and conscience to speak to us. Come election time, listen to your heart, then go out and vote.