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I’D STILL SAY “YES”

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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
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Imprisoned No More

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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
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Embraced by Heavenly Hope

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“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
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One Praying Mother, One Lucky Daughter

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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
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What is it this time? What will 2015 bring?

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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
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Reason Enough

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Euphoria. Dejection. A canopy of emotions blanketed my being. Which way should I go? Whose words should I heed? I immersed myself into this self-made inferno, noting the circumstances in the past which had brought me into great pain and humiliation. The smile on my face stayed on the surface; it never reached my heart. The anguish in me flowed deep through my soul, mercilessly killing the once beautiful girl within. Memories. Indelible marks of the past. I have enough reasons to go melancholic, but I have chosen not to. If these emotions were torture in the past, there’s only one thing left to do but to turn them into the most precious of pearls. The trauma hidden in the chamber of secrets continues to prowl in me like a famished beast. Blood gushes out of my wounds. Terror grips me momentarily. But despite all these, I still have enough reason to go on living. The present gives way to HOPE. Indeed! It opens doors for major changes and giant leaps of faith. It does as it does to mi
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SCARRED

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A cheerful laughter echoes through the walls, breaking the room’s silence. To everyone, she exudes joy. But the real score? She’s scarred… deep within. Talk about scars. Aren’t these the most daunting evidences of a once messy state? What has gone wrong? What has gone right? Looking around, one would see a diverse group of people and most often than not, with each one showing that big scar deeply etched on one’s being. What has been the reason for surviving? Shame. Every cruelty exhibited, every mortal sin committed, every foul word uttered… all of these could have been the triggers. It is easy for one to give in to human slander, but difficult indeed to mend what has been broken. This gives birth to shame with those awful moments of casting one’s eyes down the earth. Is it beneficial? Certainly not, but the shame that is built up definitely adds up to the scar. What has been the reason for living? Dirt. The dirt on one’s sinful being. The very dirt that pins one down from the slight
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