Dolly de los Reyes

One. Two. Three empty chairs. Where have they gone? Twenty. Thirty. Thirty-five empty chairs. Where have all my students gone? Five months ago, a day after the graduation ceremony, I was standing at the middle of what my students and I used to call home for ten months. My heart felt empty. It felt as if something precious was taken away from it, which left a void recognizable enough to create in me a sense of longing for these children. Oh, those children! They were to me an icing on top of a cake. I can still clearly remember those moments of triumph and failure, of victory and defeat. We made it through the rain, when tears would stream down their eyes because of poor grades. On the other hand, we remained strong until we reached our goals, when the class wins in a competition or when a classmate makes it to the honor roll. Speaking about students, two of them stand out in my mind and heart. It was just last February when my advisory class gave birth to a promising student, an MVP

Imagine living your dream life. You have everything you have ever dreamed of. Life, for you, is a giant ball of blessings. Until that fateful moment, when everything gets wiped out in an instant. Confusion, hurt, and anger envelop your entire being. Worst, you feel that God has no place to stay in your heart. I found myself pondering on the word “detach” three months ago when I was sitting inside Filinvest Tent during the 2015 Lenten Recollection organized by Feast Alabang. I was nursing a pained heart then, unaware yet of the Divine message that was about to shed its light through my suffering. It was the first time when I seriously took notice of its meaning. You see, I had been through a lot. Back then, I thought my life was the best life one could ever live. I thought I was highly favored by God. However, trials came one after another. Career opportunities were blocked, people were removed, and the values I had long cherished were in danger. In short, I made my life a mess. You

“Not agaaaaaaain!” She dragged herself to her room, buried her head on the soft, pink pillow, and started crying. “Oh please, Papa Lord, not again.” I remember hearing the story of this girl whose life has been smooth-sailing. The world for her was a giant tableau of warm and loving people. She also had her share of colorful dreams, found herself as a princess adored by valiant princes, and saw herself climbing the pedestal to success. But when the inevitable happened, she was devastated. For the first time, she had a taste of the world’s bitterness, of people’s evil ways, and of pain… the ugly side of pain. She had to count long nights, observing herself as she was crawling back to the safe nest of her family. And after a year, she declared herself renewed, sharing to the world how that storm made her love GOD all the more, making Him again number 1 in her life. Fast forward. Every area of her life had gradually undergone massive changes, each of these leading her to more succes

I was not a please-pray-for-me person. In short, I used to believe that my prayers alone were enough. Why bother when I could pray directly to God? Over the years, my exposure and service to Singles for Christ and The Feast has led me into the realization that I do need prayer partners. It has amazed me how a group of praying people can actually move mountains. Miracles have unfolded right before my eyes. And hope, no matter how seemingly distant, has actually been just at the corner. “Never underestimate the power of praying for one another.” And yes, this passage holds true to its every word: WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER IN PRAYER. Intercession. You can pray for Mother Mary’s intercession; you can pray for one another. The very idea of praying for one another has been dismissed by many believers, all for the wrong assumption that God is just there 24/7. I used to be one of those, until God led me into a series of events, unpleasant circumstances which challenged my faith. Humility c

Anxious – that was how I felt as 2015 approached. I was just staring blankly at the brightly lit sky, my being enjoying the grandeur of the fireworks despite the growing uncertainties within. I felt too detached from the merry-making and felt even so unsure of myself. 5…4…3…2…1 Abruptly, my feelings changed. There was jubilation inside me. There was excitement which I never knew I would feel in an instant. I arose from my musing, went down to join my ecstatic family… revived and encouraged. Something good is going to happen to YOU This very day This very year I have been looking forward to singing this song, annually sung at The Feast as a declaration of blessings for the new year. And indeed, singing this song has brought a feeling of peace and hope. Pray boldly. This is what I call miracle prayer . We define miracle as something from the impossible, which amazingly comes into existence as we hold on to our Faith. So I looked into my dream journal. I reviewed my dreams in my No