Shower of Blessings

During the last visit of Pope Francis in MNL, we waited outside Manila Yacht Club to catch a glimpse of him. And we were rewarded by this sight of him.

Aside from this experience. I also went to Quirino Grandstand where Pope Francis held a mass. 

The day started a bit overcast, then it rained all of a sudden. The rains grew stronger, but the people in the area - myself included - were unfazed and stood there amidst the strong rain showers. No weather disturbance could keep us from hearing his words and homily.

After the mass, I was drenched. As in, dripping wet. 

Went to Robinsons Place Manila - Bench, in particular - and bought a new change of clothes. Initially, was planning to check in to take a shower and change, but it turns out that a lot of the hotels in the area were fully booked - mainly because of the Pope's visit.

This experience was literally a shower of blessings for me.

Pope of Hope

It was a huge shock when I saw Dean Charlie's message regarding the passing away of Pope Francis.

Although he's been sick for quite sometime, and he's been in and out of the hospital, we constantly and continuously prayed that he'd bounce back to his usual, healthy self. And the fact that he was able to make an appearance during Easter Sunday at the Vatican added to that feeling of hope that he could.

But on Easter Monday, he was called back by the Father. The Pope who broke norms, always had a big and welcoming smile, and stood as a beacon of hope, has gone back to heaven.

I've had the pleasure and honour of seeing him during his 2015 visit in MNL, and that was an experience that I'll cherish in my heart. 

Vaya con Dios, Papa Francesco.

Faith Flashback

Can’t believe that it’s been 9 years since this photo was taken

It was in 2015, during Pope Francis’ visit to Manila.

We all hung-out at Manila Yacht Club to wait for the Pope mobile to pass by. When it did, it was so close to us that we got a clear view of the Pope.

That was such a blessing, and it’s something that strengthens my faith until today.

Faith to 500!

Yesterday was a special day for Filipino Catholics all over the world. 

At 5:00pm - Philippine Time - Pope Francis officiated a mass at the Vatican in Rome to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the coming of Christianity to the Philippines. And the Faithful attended the mass - at the church, on their TV screens, and online - to celebrate this momentous event for our country and our Catholic Community.

The procession was led by a Santo Nino, commemorating the arrival of the first Catholics in Cebu. They gave an image of the Child Jesus as a gift, and it heralded the beginning of the faith in the Philippines. Whenever I go to Cebu, I make it a point to drop by the Basilica of the Sto. Nino to relive that moment.

Needless to say, the live online broadcast was well attended by Filipinos worldwide. As the mass started, there were already more than 20,000 tuning in, and it climbed as the mass went on.

As expected, the homily of Pope Francis was inspiring and heartwarming. He talked about how God is a very generous God,  highlighting the phrases: "God so Loved," and "God gave."

He also talked about loving and giving. Part of his homily said: 

"The more we love, the more we become capable of giving. That is also the key to understanding our life. It is wonderful to meet people who love one another and share their lives in love. We can say about them what we say about God: they so love each other that they give their lives. It is not only what we can make or earn that matters: in the end, it is the love we are able to give."

Such love-filled and lovely words from a Pope who has showered our country with so much love. A love we feel from across the globe as we celebrate 500 years of the Catholic Faith.

Easter blessings

Thanks to my spending the past 4 or 5 Holy Weeks in Tokyo, one of the highlights of my Easter Sunday is the baptism of the new Catholics.

In Tokyo, it was commonplace to see children and adults being baptized, as opposed to the babies which we usually see here in Manila. In Tokyo, the age ranges from about 10 years old to 40-plus. One time, we even saw an 80-plus year old lady being baptized!

Today is Easter, and this ritual just hit closer to home.

One of my nieces in Spain - Alejandra - was baptized today. At the age of 19, she fully embraced
Christianity and chose to be receive the sacrament.

And to make this blessing even more blessed, she was baptized by Pope Francis in Rome.

It was such a big deal that she made it to the news in her home country.

This is truly a blessed day for Ale, and all of us. It's not everyday that a family member gets baptized by the Pope.

Happy Easter!

A new man

Yes, I attended and finished the mass. Despite the jostling crowds, the occasional unruly folk, and standing under the rain for more than 8 hours, I did what I set out to do. As the song goes: "No wind, no rain, no winters cold can stop me baby." (cue Whoopi)



And I emerged from the experience a new man. Literally.

I had to buy an entire new outfit because I was soaked from head to foot.

But I echo the sentiments of millions.

It was SO worth it.

Mass action

It was the year 1995. Pope John Paul II was in the Philippines to celebrate World Youth Day, and I was a delegate.

Throughout the 5 days of the event, I religiously (no pun intended) attended all the events. The last one - the Papal mass - was scheduled January 15, 1995. Since we were delegates, we were there the night before, camped near the Grandstand where the altar was located.

On the evening of the 14th, I fell asleep along with tens of thousands of delegates. When I woke up, there were millions of people around me. They were all standing up and anticipating the arrival of Pope John Paul II.

Suddenly, after seeing the millions of people around me, I had a moment of claustrophobia. The thought of being in the middle of millions overwhelmed me, and I decided to leave the event. Slowly, I inched my way out of the multitude, until I found myself along Taft Avenue.

Needless to say, I wasn't able to attend the Papal Mass. I just watched in inside a restaurant along U.N. Avenue.

Today, Pope Francis I will say mass in Quirino Grandstand. The exact place where the World Youth Day was held 20 years ago.

They're expecting an attendance of 6 million faithful, 1 million more than in 1995. And this year, I'm going to do what I wasn't able to do 20 years ago, hear and finish mass along with millions of Catholics.

This time, there's no turning back.

There are no words

Yesterday, we camped out at the Manila Yacht Club to wait for Pope Francis to pass by en route to Mall of Asia. Our waiting was rewarded because he was just a few meters from us.

His presence is truly overwhelming. There are no words to express the feeling.