A Prayer for the Victims of Typhoon Ondoy and for the Country

God our Father, you have created us and everything around us, including typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) that just wrought havoc to our brothers and sisters in Metro Manila, Philippines.

Photo Credit: http://www.typhoonondoy.org

We come before you today, oh Father, to ask from you the humility of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to submit to your will, just as he did when he went into agony in the Garden, and accept the aftermath of typhoon Ondoy to ourselves and to our countrymen.

A Serene Place of Worship inside SM Mega Mall

In between meetings, I wandered in SM Mega Mall a few days ago and felt an inspiration to walk upstairs.

I ended up in the 5th Floor and, lo and behold, I saw a place of worship for Catholics that I didn't expect: a chapel the size of a cathedral, and an adoration chapel right beside it the size of a common parish Church.

It's called the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord.

The inner view of the Main Chapel

Catholic Sunday Reading: Where Do Conflicts Come From?

The second reading of today's Catholic Sunday mass contains an interesting insight about where conflicts come from.

Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:1-3, portion of the 2nd Reading of today's gospel, all emphases mine)

We asked each participant of our on-going Christian Life Program what gift of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:6-10) they would ask God to give them first among others.

My Brother's Daughter Won 12th International Kids Village Preach Contest

May of this year, our community sent representatives to the Kid's Preach Contest during the 12th International Kids Village in Laguna. Alanis Reyes, daughter of Maxim, my brother in Couples for Christ won 1st Place.

Touching talk and delivery to say the least. Truly spirit-filled.

Who Is A Catholic?

Funny that in a business meeting over lunch today, our topic towards the end stumbled on Catholic questions in a passing manner. We got back to business right after.

But still, that short stumble got me thinking about my faith, and my Church, the Catholic Church.

The lady in front of me happened to be Catholic. I knew that because she made the sign of the cross before eating. When I saw her do that, I thought, "Shame on me. I preached Catholic spirituality in my community, and I actually forgot to make the sign of the cross before eating?"

The lady in front of me innocently asked, "Are 'born again' people Catholic?"