I have a few family and friends who celebrate birthdays and anniversaries on June 24, the Feast of St. John the Baptist. I learned from the day's homily that St. John is one of only three people who were born without original sin. The two others being Jesus and The Blessed Virgin Mary. The priest also mentioned something we all know - that he died as a reward from Herod for a compelling dance by Herodias's daughter. And that he died for his strong beliefs. In this case, ab

Biologically, it is quite easy. In all other aspects, it takes deliberate effort, time, and lots of sacrificial love. So how does one become a dad? If you ... - know that your work, hobbies, and friends can wait while a child's growth won't wait for anyone, - believe that the time you give to a child is priceless, - mentor your child or another like he or she were your own, - inspire a child to be the best that he or she can be, - share your stories of love, life, and lessons

Many decades ago, weed did not mean the same thing as it does now. :D In the seventies, Mom used to weed the grass Saturday afternoons, and I would stay beside her to help. She taught me how to distinguish the weeds from the grass. They looked similar at the start. When Mom passed away, I would often recall our weeding sessions during Gospels about separating the weeds from the wheat. It dawned on me that there are also weeds inside us, in our hearts. Our weeds are those that

I do not remember when I felt the beauty of the Glory Be prayer first touch my heart. I know I've been praying it since time immemorial. At that heartfelt moment, it dawned on me that the Glory Be prayer is a celebration of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit at the same time! We are in effect giving glory to the Blessed Trinity, which is the feast we are celebrating today. You probably have watched one of my videos in Youtube. I had to stop making those beca

Someone texted me with an urgent message on Friday. The church lady asked me to give a testimony of the Holy Spirit today on Pentecost Sunday. As quickly as I ended my reply, a story came to mind, and I finished writing my testimony straightaway. Then she texted again after a few minutes and said that she made a mistake. The testimony is for Corpus Christi in two weeks. Well, l really didn't have anything written down for Pentecost in my blog. Maybe this is another one of

Whenever Mom heard someone complaining about taxes, her reply was, "Grandfather always said that it's a blessing to pay taxes because it means that you have income!" I suppose it's the same when we are told to share our time, talent, and treasure. It means that we have been blessed with time (This is one resource that cannot be replenished nor renewed.), talent (To whom more is given, more is expected.) and treasure (We have work!) Also, when we share our triple T, someone i

Mother's Day just ended. I took advantage of the day and slept at midnight. I wanted to relish everything that happened yesterday. (I'm writing this the Monday after.) How was your Mother's Day? Did your children make you breakfast? Not mine. In our household, I am my husband's mother on MD at breakfast. I always remember him buying me my breakfast fave - McDo Egg McMuffin on Mother's Day. When was the last time you had one? It's pretty good considering they had a BOGO sale

When I was young, Mom often shared her stories. More often than not, if I already knew her story, I told her that I had already heard it. Years later, she'd ask me before she told me a story, "Have I told you this one?" Now that she's gone, how I wish I would have just listened to her story and felt her enthusiasm, her joy of sharing it with me. Looking back, it is one of my regrets. Thank goodness, we have the promise of eternal life through Jesus! I can see her once again a

When I was a young child, I weighed more than the average. I recall seeing 100 pounds on the weighing scale in third grade, could have been earlier. Then I decided to lose weight in fifth grade. I started eating healthier and became more active. And after I lost the weight, I couldn't use my 'old' clothes to fit the 'new' me. In much the same way, when we have offered our hearts and lives to Jesus, we consciously become selective in activities we engage in - like watching who

I remember someone wrote that we live in a Good Friday World where there is a lot of injustice, discrimination, and suffering, among other ills of society and the individual. This is so much more pronounced during the pandemic when death and the pain and grief it brings along are all too common. The description could not be any better. But why Good Friday? Why not Terrifying Friday, Depressing Friday, or Deathly Friday? These words seem more appropriate than the descripti

It was difficult for me to understand that the people who welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem were the same people who shouted, "Crucify him!" I thought, "How could those people turn their backs to Jesus like a light switch?" A clinical psychologist said that many people could not believe the atrocities the Nazis did to the Jews. "How could the Nazis do such things?" they ask. Peterson cautions people that there is evil that lurks in the heart. And if we are not aware or accepting