12 Days - Simbang Gambi, Parols, and Ang Pasko ay Sumapit

Simbang Gambi is a Novena right before Christmas! I attended my first one this year. "Simbang Gabi" translates to "Night Mass" in English, and is a Filipino Catholic tradition of attending nine consecutive dawn masses in the days leading up to Christmas, essentially a Christmas Novena; it is also sometimes called "Misa de Gallo" (Mass of the Rooster) due to the early morning timing.

Ang Pasko ay Sumapit - We have a beautiful tradition in our local community (which has quite a large filipino majority) to sing this happy joyful song with clapping at the end of the Mass at Christmas!

Our family loves it and we I have tried to learn and adopt some of the beautiful cultures all around me.

Here are the lyrics: Ang Pasko ay Sumapit 

Ang Pasko ay sumapit Tayo ay mangagsiawit
Ng magagandang himig Dahil sa Diyos ay pag-ibig

Nang si Kristo'y isilang May tatlong haring nagsidalaw
At ang bawat isa Ay nagsipaghandog ng tanging alay

Bagong taon ay magbagong-buhay Nang lumigaya ang ating bayan
Tayo'y magsikap upang makamtan natin ang kasaganahan

Tayo'y mangagsiawit Habang ang mundo'y tahimik
Ang araw ay sumapit Sa sanggol na dulot ng langit

Tayo ay magmahalan Ating sundin ang gintong aral
At magbuhat ngayon kahit hindi pasko ay magbigayan

Bagong taon ay magbagong-buhay Nang lumigaya ang ating bayan
Tayo'y magsikap upang makamtan natin ang kasaganahan

Tayo'y mangagsiawit Habang ang mundo'y tahimik
Ang araw ay sumapit Sa sanggol na dulot ng langit

Tayo ay magmahalan Ating sundin ang gintong aral
At magbuhat ngayon kahit hindi pasko ay magbigayan

--Translation by Google --

Christmas has come We will sing Of beautiful tunes Because God is love When Christ was born
Three kings visited And each other He offered the only offering New year is a new life
When our people were happy
Let's work hard so that we can achieve abundance
Let's sing While the world is silent

The day came To the baby born of heaven We will love each other Let's follow the golden lesson
And lift up today even if it's not Christmas to give!

New year is a new life When our people were happy
Let's work hard so that we can achieve abundance

Let's sing While the world is silent The day came To the baby born of heaven
Let's follow the golden lesson
And lift up today even if it's not Christmas to give

https://youtu.be/kSDTTRWYvfk?si=sLtz2WtOYi4GlX1D

https://youtu.be/xPP2_4y8HAo?si=44askKTdrL9_QwR1

I even try to make the beautiful parols (lanterns) I think they are beautiful and represent the star and the tail that the wisemen followed to Bethlehem.

12 Days Sacred Geometry and Faith

I also feel that sacred geometry is fascinating – how our natural world creates beautiful mathematical perfection! The snowflake is one demonstration of that! Here’s some info that I like about sacred geometry https://destinationdeluxe.com/sacred-geometry-explained-healing-benefits/

Ice crystals: (Some people feel that these experiments are false, and certainly, they may be, but I do like the idea that what we say and the vibe we send to the universe (or at least our part of it) matters in deeper ways than we know!

I also heard about https://youtu.be/1qQUFvufXp4?si=hZOu0UbbOwx9AG1N

According to Masaru Emoto, your consciousness affects the molecular structure of water. “As energy vibrates through water, it also affects your body. If the energy in your body is negative, it creates unpleasant crystals, but if it’s positive, beautiful crystals form. By understanding the role of different vibrations in your life, you can learn to control the waves around you. Your goal is to be happy, successful, and at peace. To achieve positive results, you have to identify the activities and people that bring positivity into your life. People that encourage, motivate and love you bring positive vibrations. However, people that condemn you and continuously cause you pain are sources of negative vibrations in your life. It’s also essential for you to think about your thoughts. Self-love, appreciation, good feeding habits and being well-groomed are all feelings or habits that bring positive vibrations in your life…”

Snow crystals are also very vunerable. It reminds me of the verse James 4:14, which states, "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away".

I have combined my love of sacred geometry in our natural world and the order of life with my Christian faith in a tattoo my friend, Kris Kezar, (a Grossmont College RN graduate) created with me.

The Chi-Rho is a symbol that represents Christ and his followers and is often accompanied by the Alpha and Omega, which are also symbols used by Christians. The symbol is a monogram of the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ, chi (X) and rho (P).  Historically the Chi-Rho was used in early Christianity as a sign of recognition during times of persecution. The Chi-Rho was used by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in 312 AD on his military standard, the Labarum. Constantine placed the Chi-Rho on his soldiers' shields and banners after seeing it in a dream. The Chi-Rho is still used in churches around the world today. 

Take care and enjoy this beautiful season!

Gaudate Sunday - JOY

 I attended Mass - the Third Sunday of Advent Gaudatte Sunday.
I was so moved by the homily, I felt I just needed a copy...although, I didn't have my phone, I noticed our pastor put his copy of the words in the ambo. I waited for everyone to leave, then slipped up onto the sanctuary and 'borrowed' it. I figured, I would just ask for permission, but when I got outside I noticed that he was busy blessing a woman and there was a line of people. I figured I could be back with it before he would even be done....well I don't know if that was the case, *but I did take it home, photograph it and here it is. I put the original back into the ambo with about 15 minutes to go for the next Mass. I have highlighted below things that really spoke to me. After all one of my favorite Bible versus is Philippians 4:8, which says "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.". To me, these are joyful things - happy thoughts. There was a recording of the Mass, and yeah there I am....at 58:12 getting the papers. I ask forgiveness for this.

https://venue.streamspot.com//video/35f73f2693  --- Homily is at 10:00 into the celebration.

Reading I Zep 3:14-18a
    Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
        Sing joyfully, O Israel!
    Be glad and exult with all your heart,
        O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.

Reading II Phil 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again:  rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Lk 3:10-18
The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

HOMILY* December 15th 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C

The first two readings remind me of Bob Marley's famous song, "Three Little Birds". If you're not familiar, the line, "Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing gonna loe
alright", is basically the entire song. "Shout for joy, Be glad and exult, fear not" says the first reading, and, "Rejoice. Have no anxiety at all" says the second reading. Maybe your spouse, your parents, or your friends tell you that, "Don't worry about it. It'll all work out. We'll be fine. It's not that bad." If you're like me, sometimes hearing people tell me that when I'm stressed out and anxious simply adds anger and frustration to my anxiety and worry. Yet, here we are, on Gaudete Sunday, and the Church is basically singing this Bob Marley song to us through the Scriptures. Rather than simply dismiss the call to be joyful, thankful, and at peace, maybe we can first take an honest look at what causes our anxiety, anger, or restlessness. Perhaps we've been spending a lot of time comparing ourselves to others as we get closer to Christmas: "Why can't my family look happy like that family? Why do their children like to go to church but mine don't? If only I could afford nice gifts for my family like them, then I would be at peace." Comparison is the thief of joy. Comparison takes our eyes off of what God has blessed us with, and makes us obsessed with things we think will make us happier. First of all, we don't know what other people are going through. As a priest who counsels many different people and hears many confessions, no family is completely free of wounds, tragedy, or sin. My family definitely is not, and sometimes Christmas would expose our wounds even more. Secondly, if you find yourself constantly comparing yourself and your family to others, bring that to the Father in prayer. It's okay to be honest with Him, He isn't going to scoff at the things you want. However, be prepared for Him to answer your prayers in a way that will make you holy, not necessarily in a way that will make you instantly happy. Holiness is what brings true joy, because holiness is intimacy and friendship with God. If we're particularly anxious and worried this time of year, might I suggest we begin by naming our fears. What are you afraid of? Being judged as not good enough or inadequate? Feeling lonely or abandoned? People finding out who you really are? Are you afraid of feeling excluded or forgotten? Are you staring to fear death? Are you afraid of losing a connection with someone close to you, either physically or emotionally? Remember what the Word of God says:
"There is no fear in Love, but perfect love drives out fear" 1 John 4:18. We might think sometimes we need God's strength and power to make fear go away. But, if the fear is something deeper in our hearts, and it resonates more like an insecurity, perhaps we need more of the Father's love than anything. Perhaps we need to hear the Father tell us, "I am not hear to judge you and I love who you really are because I made you. Don't forget that every soul you love, including yours, belongs first and foremost to me." Let the Father's love quiet your fears, and calm your anxiety. Let your countless "What if's" become "Even if's". Even if this or that happens, I have the Father 's love and He promised to never abandon us. Perhaps beneath some of that anger and resentment that we've been feeling is really just sadness. We've been reacting angrily not because of particular behaviors or situations, but because we are sad that there wasn't love where there was supposed to be love. Maybe we feel cheated by God or by someone who was supposed to love us unconditionally. It's not too late to bring your hurting heart to Jesus. Or, if you feel like you're becoming angry because you're the only one who cares, cast your cares on Him because He cares for you, 1 Peter 5 :7. Come to Jesus, and hear Him tell you that you were never meant to carry all of those burdens and expectations on yourself. Bring those times when love was lacking in your Jife to Jesus, and let Him be the one to love you - He's the one every heart is looking for in the end, anyway. If none of this feels applicable to you, then hopefully the Gospel at least will, because John the Baptist gives us some golden advice - get out of your own head and take care of someone else. Sometimes, we can be so self-absorbed about our own worries, our own image, or the false expectations that we place on ourselves, that we forget people around us are desperately in need of love, even in our own household. When the crowds, the tax collectors, and the soldiers asked John what they should do, John essentially said to stop treating people like they are a means for happiness and success. Treat people like they are made in the image of God, because they are. Don't be afraid of sacrificing some of your time and attention for someone else. Sometimes God even allows certain people to be in our lives to help us grow in holiness, even though we might think God put those people in our lives to torture·us. Think about Jesus, God literally put people in His life so they could torture and kill Him. Most of the time we 're not being tortured like Jesus, and we're really just torturing ourselves with our own self-preoccupation and anxiety about our futures. Place your future in God's hands, and try to find joy in becoming a gift to the people He put in your life. Maybe then, we'll start to feel like every little thing will be alright.

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Bob Marley - Three Little Birds (Everything's Gonna Be Alright)

Bob Marley - Three Little Birds (Everything's Gonna Be Alright)

12 Days - Prayer

 

Christmas has always been a time of prayer - The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word 'adventus', which means "coming". As I begin the season of Advent, I think about parts of my life that have been touched by anything related to Christmas-tide. 

I thought about prayers. I remember hearing my grandparents pray night-time prayers. I heard them read a daily reflection (through the wall as I was falling asleep in the next room). I remember this was during a time that I visited, but I also remember hearing thier prayers in previous visits...as I would drift off to sleep. 

I thought about the many times I would hear my husband Greg whisper a prayer for our children when they were young. I don't know if he knows I heard him...again these were whispered prayers I would hear at the end of the day in the darkness of our bedroom. Hearing his prayers were so calming, yet so powerful and I prayed with him in silence. 

Over the last couple of years there have been a few times when I have sent a deperate prayer in the direction of the creator - I had been exhausted 'trying to figure it out' on my own and finally turned to God and asked . . . "what do I do?"  What is amazing but not amazing is that in each case, my prayer was answered, clearly and directly. I prayed with my heart and in my heart I would feel direction and calm, peace and love. I knew this was my God, the Spirit and father directing love to light the way for me.   

When I visited Medjugorie many years ago, I was gifted a prayer book called "Pray with the Heart". It was my companion for years, but now, well, I haven't looked at it recently. Greg wrote a poem for me for that trip - he sent me wishes for love and life on that pilgrimage journey.

Prayer is the conversation starter - prayer prepares the way for the relationship.

Advent is here! Make straight in the desert, a highway for our God!