Online Dating for Catholics

You're in your 30's or perhaps going past the marrying age and you are still looking for "The One", well there is hope for you (and me too).

The other day I was chatting with my "invisible" online friend (I know you are reading my blog from time to time and you know who you are) and during our chatting he mentioned that he still hopes for that right person to come into his life. He is in his late 30s now I guess. Out of the blue, I blurted out the idea of joining Catholic online dating websites. Boom. I got his attention. As I have promised I am featuring it here in my blog. There are many online Catholic dating websites out there but there is this one endorsed by Fr. Benedict Groeschel. It's called AveMariaSingles.Com founded by Anthony Buono.

In this short video, Dr. Patricia Wrona speaks about Catholic dating sites and how these sites can help you find a partner who shares your faith and beliefs.

The Healing Touch

A week or so ago I posted this topic in a popular online forum. I want to know what other people think about it especially PLUs. In that forum, I asked them if they would entertain the possibility of going to a healing priest like Fr. Suarez to be "healed". The flurry of reactions that I got ranged from the objective and probing, the skeptical and questioning, and a few hostile and nasty ones. I selected a few of them. Read on.


Comment #1: It's stuff like this that really pisses me off. This is sheer stupidity, nincompoops! I think it's enough that the church condemns homosexuality and preaching that it is a sin. But to go an extra mile of moralizing people by insinuating that it is kind of a disease which can be cured or some sort of a possessed being being exorcised. It's just these damn moralists which **** up the world. live and let live.

Comment #2: Given the chance that I'd be "touched" (sorry for the lack of appropriate word) by Fr. Suarez, what I'd ask is for him to strengthen my resolve to do good things to others and strengthen my spirituality. I don't have any conflict with my sexuality, in fact, such acceptance allowed me to be in places where I'm needed. If I'd listen closely to my heart here's what it says.

It doesn't matter whether your gay or straight. So long as you're doing good things like what the creator intends you to do, you are assured of a spot in heaven.

Comment #3: Healing denotes sickness, malady, disease ...um.. dude.. last time I checked.. I don't think I'm sick.

Comment #4: I honestly think that its a great insult when people think that homosexuality is a sickness that needs to be cured.

Comment #5: I heavily doubt one can "cure" sexual attraction, scientifically speaking. It's a force of nature. It just goes its way. Many times, unnoticed.

Comment #6: This Fr Joey Faller, as well as this Fr Suarez, should be looked into by the scientific community. If they claim they can "cure" people of their current sexualities, they should offer concrete proof of the effectiveness of their methods and have them validated as 'safe to use'.

Comment #7: Coming frrom a purely non-orthodox Christian/Jewish/Islamic POV, why would we want to diminish/eliminate same-sex attraction in the first place? It's perfectly natural. It plays an important role in our species as much as opposite-sex attraction.And mind you, scientifically speaking, that same-sex attraction is not 'funneled' into a select group of humans but into almost everyone. It is not exactly experienced/perceived/received the same way across cultures, but it is there all the same.

So the question still remains. Will you give it a try? If given the chance, yeah why not?! If nothing happens, then it's okay. I've got nothing to lose. At least I won't go through life asking this question: What if...? It's now or never.

Manhood Without Narcissism

I want to share a wonderful article about manhood. I believe this is something every man should embrace and especially for men with SSA. Please take time to read Manhood Without Narcissism and reflect. Here are some of my favorite passages in the article:

"We grow as men when we see our manhood as something we desire for the sake of others. When we desire manhood so that we can protect and defend, help and serve, provide safety and security for others, we will grow into men. And it is the practice of helping, protecting, and serving that develops our manhood."

Food Trip

I was malling around the other day when I saw a familiar and appetizing sight - delicious, mouth-watering balls! Hey, it's not what you're thinking dude. I was a little hungry at that time and I could not resist to sink my teeth in this yummy dish. I'm talking about Takoyaki. If you're craving for something Japanese besides sushi and maki, try Takoyaki.

Takoyaki is a popular Japanese dumpling made of diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, konnyaku, and green onion topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and fish shavings. It is cooked using a special takoyaki frying pan with small cup-like molds to give it a perfect round shape.

For P22/3 balls at Kuya Chito's Takoyaki stand, it's definitely a treat. When you take a bite of this yummy Japanese snack, the inside is hot as hell. It can sizzle your tongue if you're not careful. But when I'm hungry who cares? I like it "hot" anyway. Get over your usual shomai and fishballs, this one is definitely worth a bite. Oishi!

To have an idea how Takoyaki is prepared, watch this .

Oops I Did It Again!

Yes, I must admit it. I have done it again for the nth time raised to the power of ten. I looked at porn for a brief moment and got carried away again in Neverland. Guess what happened later? I jacked off. Now I'm back to square one again. Good thing I did not go "all the way" as in watching gay porn video. So, I thought this week would be a great one like last week, but apparently the pressure (both inside and outside) proved too much for me so I gave in. I'm sorry.

You see it's not easy to be chaste to oneself. It really needs a lot of self-discipline. I'm writing this to show that "to know" what is right is one thing and "to desire" to do the right thing is another. It seems my problem lies on the "desiring to do the right thing" part, but that's okay. I will just get up and start all over again. I just don't want others to believe that I'm that strong. I do not walk around holding a lily in my hand with an invisible halo on my head.

Speaking of self-discipline, I was supposed to jog this morning. I set the alarm at 5 in the morning the night before. When it rang, my mind was still wandering in Fantasy Land, so I just turned off the alarm and dozed off for awhile until the sun came out. Too late. Maybe later this afternoon I can do a few sets of crunches. Whatever.

Thanks to the pop princess for the title of my post.

The Deeper Issue

I have been following the case of a gay man who underwent a rectal surgery in Cebu and who is the subject of much controversy with regard to a video that was taken during his surgery and uploaded on YouTube. In that controversial video, the medical personnel who operated on the patient seemed to be having a field day in the operating room after they removed a perfume canister from the gay man's rectum. How it ended up there is precisely the reason they were laughing and poking fun on each other. To add insult to the injury, somebody uploaded that video on YouTube for all the world to see. This undoubtedly brought so much shame to the patient and he wants justice. Who is to blame?


Medical Malpractice

I truly believe that the medical personnel violated this person's right as a patient. What they did to the patient was truly very unethical and shameful. I think they should be reminded of their Hippocratic oath. They committed a serious breach of patient-doctor confidentiality which is part of the code of ethics of all medical practitioners.


The Church's Side

On the other hand, Msgr. Achilles Dakay, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Cebu believed that the doctors and nurses who had made fun of the patient and uploaded the video of the surgery on YouTube should not be blamed solely for the scandal.

On a radio interview, Msgr. Dakay said, "We are asking everyone not to forget or to bypass the main issue: The wrong act of a guy with another man. People are not talking about what happened before the operation—the homosexual act that was done very badly." The priest further said that homosexual acts were prevalent in the city.

“They are blaming the doctors for what they [did], but I think they should blame the guy for what [he and his partner] did.”

Dakay also said there should be a delineation between homosexuality as an orientation and homosexuality as an act.

“We should sympathize with them because they were born that way and made that way, but if they did what is prohibited, then that is another thing,” he stressed.


The Other Side

In his column, Danton Remoto, a Ladlad gay rights activist pointed out that the main issue was not the homosexual act but the unprofessionalism of the doctors and nurses involved.

"The Catholic Church has the right to affirm its stand on homosexuality, but we will not necessarily listen to it or follow it,” he said over a phone interview. He further labeled those doctors as the ones who are sick, pointing out that the patient suffered sexual and social discrimination.


Comment

I have to side with the monsignor's point of view here. The poor guy would not have found himself in this serious predicament had he not picked up a male prostitute. The homosexual person must really learn to differentiate his orientation, which is a condition and not sinful in itself, from his homosexual act, which is a manifestation of grave depravity. I symphatize with the poor guy's fate in as much as he is also a victim here. I believe that the guy has to take personal responsibility for what happened to him, especially if he has willingly put himself into this. The deeper issue goes beyond sexual or social discrimination, Mr. Danton Remoto. The "deeper" issue really is should we tolerate the rampant acts of sexual immorality plaguing our society? Does being "gay" really give a person the "license" to engage in sexual acts contrary to moral law? Just some thoughts to ponder.


If you're wondering why I have no picture above, well, it's censored. My blog is rated PG. =)

Vote for Tubbataha Reef

Hey guys, please vote for Tubbataha Reef as one of our bets to the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Please click here to vote.


Geography

Tubbataha is a reef ecosystem made up of two atolls located in the middle of the Sulu Sea. It is a sanctuary for marine life. The reefs lie on the Cagayan Ridge, a line of extinct underwater volcanoes which starts from the north at the Sultana Shoal and ends in the south at the San Miguel Islands. It is located 92 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and 80 nautical miles southwest of Cagayancillo, the municipality that exercises political jurisdiction over it. It was proclaimed as a National Marine Park on August 11, 1988 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1993, in recognition of its outstanding universal value in terms of marine life species diversity and richness.

The name Tubbataha comes from the dialect of the Samal, seafaring people of the Sulu region, and means 'long reef exposed at low tide'. Tubbataha consists of two atolls made up of roughly 10,000 hectares of corals and many other forms of marine life. There is very little land in Tubbataha. Each atoll has just one islet, the highest of which is only two metres above sea level. The atolls have shallow lagoons and are surrounded by 200 to 500 metres of reef flat which ends in a steep drop off into deep water. The reef crests, which mark the atolls' edges, are exposed above the water's surface at low tide.

Tubbataha is well known among the fisher folk of the southern Philippines. It was called 'Gusong' by the islanders of Cagayancillo, literally meaning 'coral reef.' Until the late 1970s, Cagayanons were the primary users of Tubbataha's resources. During the summer months, they would make month-long fishing trips in fleets of locally built wooden sailboats called pangko or balangay.

For most of its existence, Tubbataha's remoteness has been its greatest protector against over exploitation. It is open to the shifting winds that affect the Philippines - the habagat, amihan and daplak which bring rough seas, fierce storms and brief periods of calm. The safest months for travel to Tubbataha are during the summer months, from March to May.

The first recorded visit to Tubbataha was made by naturalist Dean Worcester in 1911. He described the north islet - called Bird Island because of its role as a nesting ground for thousands of seabirds - as 'a low, flat, sandy island…some 400 metres long and 75 metres wide.' Seventy years later, when ornithologist Robert Kennedy visited the island, he noted that it had shrunk in size by almost 70 per cent. Today Bird Island is a mere 23 per cent of the area recorded in 1911, just one indicator of how dynamic the forces of nature are at Tubbataha.

Tubbataha reef is currently at the seventh spot so please keep the votes coming in. =)


(Source: Tubbatahareef.Org)

Porn According to Manoling Morato

Below is an excerpt of an interview made by ANC host Ms. Luchi Cruz-Valdes with former MTRCB chair Manoling Morato. I found their conversation very interesting.

''Breasts that look like dried prunes not porn'. Two breasts equal pornography--with exceptions. says Manoling Morato.

Ms. Luchi-Cruz Valdes asked if he agreed with the rules that specified that one breast could be shown, not two. "It depends," said Morato. It is all right if the breast is shown sideways and nudged slightly into sight, but not if the full breast is shown.

Valdes attempted to ask him again. "Some people will say, two breasts: pornographic. One breast: acceptable. What is it for you?"

Morato responded that he believed there was an exception to the one-breast rule.

"You know I did allow that film with two-breast exposure. I forgot the name of that, it was, I think, Fatal Attraction. But the breasts of that actress, what's her name--"

"Glenn Close, I think," supplied Valdes.

"--were like prunes," Morato said. "They looked dried, like a prune, and it wasn't tempting at all. I allowed it all."

Valdes followed up. "So it's okay to show breasts as long as they're as big as prunes?"

"No, they were dried as prunes. They were regular breasts, but they were not attractive."

No comment here. I don't know what to say.

Kudos to Congressman Bienvenido Abante of the 6th District of Manila for always taking up the cudgel against pornography.

On the issue of why Playboy magazine should not be allowed to be published in the Philippines, the respectable congressman commented: "Dapat ba pati kalibugan ng tao pinagkakakitaan?"

Very well said. You're the man!

Chasing Chastity

The past week has been a great week for me in terms of sobriety. For the whole week, I never indulged in masturbation or watched porn on the internet. I pray it remains this way. The feeling of having total control over my addictions even for just a whole week was "glorious". Now, there is something I can look forward over the coming weeks hopefully. My battle with pornography and masturbation does not end in controlling my urges, neither do I consider this to be the ultimate measure of my own progress towards chastity. There is something more to chastity than being in total control of your passions and for a person with SSA the struggle becomes compounded with an innate attraction towards persons of the same sex. It gets a little complicated here as one tries to integrate a chaste lifestyle and at the same time deals with SSA issues.

The Vocation to Chastity

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines chastity as a successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. The virtue of chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate the passions and appetites of the senses with reason. It is a moral virtue, a gift from God, a grace, and a fruit of spiritual effort.

On a more personal level, I have been struggling with chastity issues ever since I was in grade school. Until now it is still one of my biggest struggle. I have addictions to porn and masturbation, although I have made significant progress with how I deal with other people. I haven't had real sex with anybody as far as I can remember for years now, and yet there is still so much work to be done on my part toward reaching chastity. I am yet to learn some lessons in self-mastery and I still need to internalize why I want to be chaste in the first place. I don't want it to be like a useless sacrifice or practice of self-denial that serves no higher purpose. In doing so, I desire to grow in the process and be transformed.


Chastity and Sexual Reorientation

I am going to reveal a very personal view on this issue as I see it. For many people I know who struggle with SSA, majority of them (including me) have some chastity issues and they admit it themselves openly. Many of them also desire to tread the path of sexual reorientation through reparative therapy. I will touch on the subject of reparative therapy in my subsequent posts here. I have nothing against it. It is good and a goal worth seeking. But there is a problem. Those who have gotten themselves into this noble path of sexual orientation are not addressing first the more basic issue, which is consequently a matter of greater importance than sexual reorientation itself, and that basic issue is - CHASTITY. A few things here.

1. Chastity is the greater good.

Sexual reorientation is a complicated process and so does chastity. Both take time and never happen overnight. If one is confronted between a choice of two goods, he must choose the greater good. This is in contrast with choosing between two evils, where one must choose the lesser evil. In this case, chastity is the greater good because it is a moral virtue. Because it is very difficult to undertake two gargantuan tasks at the same time without compromising one or the other, one must choose the task that is of greater and higher importance. Don't you sometimes wonder why Christ included purity of heart as one of the condition to achieve supreme blessedness? Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God. We've heard this passage many times haven't we? Note that Christ attached the reward of the Beatific Vision (seeing God) with being pure at heart. If that is so, then that alone justifies the great value of this virtue among other things.

2. You must be chaste first with yourself before you can be chaste with other people.

A chaste person who enters into a relationship has a great safeguard against falling into temptations of impurity. An unchaste person often brings his unchastity into the relationship thus destroying it in the process. I counseled a guy friend of mine who is having an issue with a fellow guy with SSA that it would be more satisfying for him to know the "soul" of that person than it would be to have sex with him. I believe that if both parties are chaste, the relationship will be more fruitful and meaningful because there is mutual respect, and each does not seek what he can get out of the relationship but what he can give into it. This is the perfect relationship for me - a chaste, emotionally mature relationship. I thank my former counselor for this insight.

3. Learn to call a spade a spade.

Frankly, some people use the term "reparative therapy" as a license to justify their sexual behavior. Stop right there. Homosexual acts are acts of grave depravity and are always intrinsically disordered. A homosexual act, like fornication and adultery, is a grave sin, a mortal sin, just in case one does not know. No amount of reasoning can alter this truth and so it is at this point why cultivating the virtue of chastity all the more becomes apparent. Here is where we cross the line, thus making us not any different from those who practice the gay lifestyle outside of a support group.

4. A chaste homosexual is far better off than an unchaste heterosexual.

Between the two I would choose the former - really, for the condition of homosexuality by itself represents only a cross, a heavy one at that, while being unchaste represents a "grave defect" of character. Chastity must become the solid foundation into which a person's desire towards sexual reorientation should be built, and whether one becomes reoriented in the end or not, the virtue of chastity will make a person grow in his personhood - mature and emotionally stable.

Chastity does not mean abstention from sexual wrong; it means something flaming, like Joan of Arc - G.K. Chesterton

Where Do Broken Hearts Go?

I'm no big fan of Whitney, but the title above is one of Whitney Houston's songs if you could still remember. I didn't know it was her song until a few nights ago after my sister gave me her old MP4 player (thanks a lot!). I just love playing the song over and over again especially the chorus part. I'm not brokenhearted as you might think (no lovelife here for the longest time now), but since it's a weekend here I want to end the week on a light heart-warming song. Here is the chorus part of the song, hope you will like it.

Where do broken hearts go?

Can they find their way home

Back to the open arms

Of a love that's waiting there?

And, if somebody loves you

Won't they always love you?

I look in your eyes

And I know that you still care for me

Who Is Afraid of the Homo?

A few days ago, I received an email in my yahoogroups regarding a gay agenda ad being propagated on the internet. The gay agenda was about raising consciousness on the topic of homophobia with a catchy slogan above saying that "sexual orientation is not a choice". I was alarmed and disgusted by the fact that this group is espousing their belief that being gay is predetermined at birth. I beg to disagree.

I have just finished reading the booklet entitled Same Sex Attraction: Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Practice by Fr. John F. Harvey, O.S.F.S. I would like to quote some relevant texts there pertaining to the above topic particularly on the factors contributing to the formation of the person with SSA (same sex attraction).

Factor#1: An inability of the child to identify with the gender of the same sex parent. It says here that a little boy needs to communicate and identify with his father and a little girl likewise with her mother. Personally, I believe this is one contributing factor to my having an SSA. I failed to establish a solid connection with my father because of so many compounding issues. For one, my father is very athletic in his youth and I am not. It could have been a great bonding moment between me and my father had I been like him in that aspect.

Factor#2: An overweaning relationship with the opposite-sex parent. Being somewhat distant from my father, I gravitated towards my mom especially during my schooldays because she was a gradeschool teacher.

Factor#3: An inability to identify with peers of the same sex during childhood and adolescence. I suggest you read my article "No Girlfriend Since Birth" why I failed to establish connection with my peers.

Factor#4: Emotional abuse (including neglect) or sexual trauma. There might have been some level of emotional abuse that I suffered as I was growing up but I am thankful I was shielded from experiencing any sort of sexual trauma or abuse from anybody. If so, that would have made things worse for me I believe.

Gay Since Birth?

Based on the above explanations, it can be deduced that the SSA condition is not something that begins at birth. Many factors can contribute to its development. The question of genetic factor has always been used by many unscrupulous gay activists in their desire to advance their homosexual agenda. But to date, the studies have been inconclusive and have not been replicated scientifically. Better luck next time.

I believe that much of the homophobia going around are largely brought about by the kind of lifestyle these people are living out rather than their sexual orientation per se. Fear arises because society at large does not understand the gay person. What we can do on this matter is to educate the public about the reality of homosexuality and that is what pro-chastity groups and ex-gay ministries have been doing for quite some time now. There is really nothing to fear as long as you do not give other people a reason to be scared of.

Give A Life

Charitable causes for children are the closest to my heart. I feel very sad everytime I see a street child begging for money in the streets or rummaging a pile of garbage in search of food. This has become a common sight these days. When I was a kid, there were not that many streetchildren roaming around. I feel blessed for not having to experience this painful reality of life, and so I want to be of help to them in my own little way. But there are also a group of children that we tend to neglect because we do not see them around. It is precisely because they are sick and they are poor. Most of the diseases that afflict these kids are treatable if only they have access to proper healthcare and medicines. We can do something. Give A Life is one foundation we can support to help the children especially the sick one.

What is Give A Life Foundation?

Give A Life Foundation is a children's charity for the underprivileged sick and dying in the Philippines. The primary goal is to replace and upgrade the equipment used in the pediatric wards. The foundation has also created a new cost-effective and efficient systems for access to medicines, like antibiotics, cancer drugs, medical supplies, disinfectant, and soap for the very poorest cases.

How can I help the poor children?

You can visit their website here for more information. You can also give your gift or donation by calling (+632) 899-1000. Their office is located at 1191 Vito Cruz Ext., Makati City 1200 Philippines. The Give A Life Foundation ensures that 100% of your donation will go to sick children in the pediatric wards in the Philippines.

The sick and dying children need your urgent help. Please help spread the word about the foundation.


When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments: Tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become. - Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

Maskman the Movie

I apologize for not being able to upload the Best of Five Maskman series. I had some difficulty uploading the videos. Nevertheless, I am posting here Maskman the Movie. It's great to watch too. What I find most amusing here is that they can all dance, especially Takeru (Red Mask). He seems to have a talent for dancing(wink!). I hope you enjoy these two-part videos.









Sayonara!

Healing Presence

I just want to share this Prayer for Healing of Addictions by Ms. Maribi M. Garcia. This little prayer booklet is available at your nearest St. Paul's bookstore for only ten bucks. For all those who are struggling with addictions I hope you can find time to say this prayer.

Lord Jesus, I come before You, calling on You in a very special way. I come before You trusting in Your power and great love for me. I come with expectant faith and hope that you will not forsake me in my prayer for healing as I am in bondage, enslaved by an addiction to (name the addiction) and I am in dire need of Your help. Please enter now into my heart and soul and touch all the areas in my life that need Your healing love, especially the root causes of my addiction. Heal all unresolved traumatic experiences from my past, fill with your Divine love all deprivations and needs that were not met during my significant developmental stages. Release me from all inherited destructive patterns in my family tree and bloodlines, and from my present environment that could be influencing or encouraging this addictive behavior. Cut off all links to all the sources and causes of my addiction. Lead me by the hand to all the right people who can help me in this healing process and deliver me from this addiction. Let Your Holy Spirit enter into my body, mind and spirit and be filled with Your love, peace, and joy. Let Your Spirit dwell within to strengthen and empower me to overcome this addiction completely, totally and permanently. In the name of the Most Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, with the intercession of Mary and all the angels and saints, I claim your victory in delivering me from this addiction and surrender to you my whole life. Amen.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Phil 4:13

Confessions

Last Sunday, I prepared myself for our community's Sacrament Sunday - a monthly gathering where we come to experience anew healing and renewal through the sacraments. It's an occasion too for seeing my fellow brothers who I do not get use to see that often. Father Confessor arrived around 2 pm. When it was my turn to confess I took a deep breath. It is always like this - I feel very anxious whenever I step inside the confessional room face to face with Father Confessor. I guess it's only normal to feel some jitters but Fr. Confessor made me feel at ease. Confession is a moment of grace. I just need to be open and trusting.

Father forgive me for I have sinned. My last confession was last Holy Week and since then I committed the following sins. For the past few weeks I was struggling with unchaste thoughts most of the time. This often led me to have recourse to online gay pornography - pictures and videos of men - from the alluring and seductive poses to the most perverted sensual depravity. After viewing porn I would often masturbate, sometimes daily though there were times that I was sober. In the past week or so I also went cruising inside the malls looking for "some action." I spent many hours wandering around and often staying in men's restroom waiting for somebody who would be willing to do it. There was even this guy whom I had a close encounter with wherein I touched his private part. I felt sorry and ashamed of myself afterwards.

I also want to confess that I already left my Marian community in my parish temporarily. I informed them that I needed some time to straighten things out. I did that because I feel I'm becoming a big hypocrite. I really needed time to face my issues. I feel ashamed because I could not even live up to the expectations of my Marian community. I don't even have the discipline to pray the Rosary everyday which I should and I always act differently whenever I am with them. It's not the real me so I hope Our Lady understands and I know She does. Lastly, I'm sorry for being so impatient with the people around me and with my work. I guess that's all I could say for now.

If you happened to eavesdrop inside you would hear these same words from me. After this, Father Confessor gave me some advice regarding my addictions. He stressed to me the importance of having a stable prayer life, support group, the Sacraments, spiritual readings, and looking for "good" people to develop a healthy relationship with. What he meant was I needed to deal with my "intimacy" issue. He said that could be one of the reasons why I went around cruising inside the mall looking for other guys. Bullseye. I just nodded and acknowledged this fact. I really needed to work out and develop my relationships with others. After this, he gave me penance which is to spend some quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament for 15 minutes. He made me recite the Acts of Contrition afterwards and then he pronounced these most comforting words: "I absolve you from your sins." to which I replied Amen.

I left the Confessional feeling relieved and with a renewed sense of hope. God has forgiven me of my sins and I can now freely receive Him in the Eucharist a little later.

As a struggling person I always find myself in need of the sacraments, and I consider myself fortunate for having the opportunity to receive the sacraments at least once a month. I am also thankful that I have a fixed confessor who also is in a sense my spiritual director whom I can go to on a regular basis. Whenever I attend mass outside of my small community, I can't help but be astonished on so many faithful receiving the Eucharist when only very few of them have recourse to the sacrament of reconciliation. Whenever I feel that I've done something terribly wrong, I do not receive the Eucharist at Mass. I just sit there and pray. I have a great fear of committing sacrilege and offending the Lord all the more by receiving Him unworthily and so I content myself with communing with Him spiritually until the next Sacrament Sunday arrives and I get myself to avail of the Sacrament of Penance.

I am sharing this thing because I notice that some people who can avail themselves easily of the Sacrament of Penance do not take advantage of it fully. I dare say that they lose many graces by doing so. Receiving the Sacrament of Penance at least once a month is how the late Pope John Paul the Great defined "frequent reception". In my spiritual life, very few things can compare with the experience of surrendering my miseries and being forgiven afterwards. God knows I am weak but as long as I trust in His mercy I will keep coming back to the embrace of my loving Father.

"For this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate." - Luke 15:24

Best of Five Maskman Series

[The Maskman Fighters (from left to right: Adrian/Blue Mask, Lenard/Black Mask, Commander Sugata/Chokan, Michael Joe/Red Mask, Eloisa/Yellow Mask, and Mary Rose/Pink Mask)]

Hello again to all sentai fans! Please watch out for the Best of Five Maskman Series in my blog. This 5-part Maskman Series will feature each main character at their best - from Michael Joe (Red Mask) down to Mary Rose (Pink Mask) plus Igamu, my favorite villainess.

You will not find these videos on YouTube (hehe!) so you better watch out.

Arigato gozaimasu!

Belated Thanks!

I just want to thank all the people who greeted me before, on, and after my birthday especially Ms. LL of QC, Ms. LR of QC, Mr. R of Manila, Mr. AG, Mr. IC, Mr. RO, Mr. JH, Mr NTs, Mr. RdR, Mr. SB, Mr. CO, and my bestfriend RJM who only remembered it was my birthday after I reminded him through text (grrrr!). He apologized though coz he's been depressed lately (huh!). I hope I did not miss out anybody. Your thoughtfulness is very much appreciated. I guess I have to take note of other people's birthdays too from now on. It's a very small thing but to some it means a lot. Again, thanks to all of you guys. Rest assured you will not be featured in a blind item in my blog (ala Da Who? portion of a popular Saturday afternoon showbiz-oriented talk show! hahaha!). For those who haven't greeted me yet, you have until the end of this month to do so or else...(just kidding).

Special thanks to "Piologs" (Piolo's clone) , my online chitchat friend. We were chatting two nights ago about my new blog. He was the first one to suggest to me to put up a blind item section in my blog to spice up everything. I laughed at his suggestion. I think I replied to him that he'll be the first one to be featured here and he said, "good luck"! Ha! Blame the infamous Brian Gorrell who started it all. Anyway, he also had another suggestion. I confided to Piologs my plan to feature true-to-life stories of PLUs (people like us) and he liked the idea. He wanted it MMK (Maalaala Mo Kaya) style but this time it would be "Dear Ate Charing".

Nice one Piologs. I'll think about your crazy suggestions. =)

Law of Universal Gravitation

Let's talk about Physics this time, my favorite subject back in highschool (yikes, nerdie!) The theory of universal gravitation was first formulated in Sir Isaac Newton's work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (thanks Wikipedia for this info). Simply put, the theory states that every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance separating them. Stated algebraically:

F = G ma*mb/r2

where:

F is the magnitude of the gravitational force between the two masses

G is the gravitational constant with a value of 6.67 x 10-II Nm2/kg2

ma is the mass of the first point mass

mb is the mass of the second point mass

r is the distance between the two point masses

A certain professor was lecturing on this topic before an engineering class when a student raised his hand and commented: "I don't think Newton's law is that universal, because it cannot be applied with God as the other object." Strengthening his argument, he continued: "Nobody has seen God and therefore His mass cannot be determined, or at least be approximated. This being so, the numerator of Newton's equation will yield zero and the force of attraction to the teaching of my religion that God loves us all very much; hence He must be attracted to us with a great force, musn't He?

The professor wanted to make his query a class assignment but he was certain that it would definitely frustrate the students so he was obliged to present his views.

The wise prof said, "Indeed, God loves us all, and while we have but only one God, He exists as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus, God the Son, was sent to earth as human being and lived as a mortal person without sin among us; therefore, His mass can somehow be approximated. Now, if God's existence as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are identical, then by the transitive property of an equation, the mass of God in Newton's formula can very well be substituted with that of Jesus', making the equation plausible this time. Pondering on the Universal Law of Gravitation, it can vividly be seen that the farther we are from Jesus, the weaker our attraction to Him becomes. As we continue to live against His plans, the lesser we are attracted to God. Surely, God does not approve of this. The option for us to be attracted to Jesus with greater or lesser force is for us to decide, but have I cleared your doubt about the law?" Without hesitation the student replied, "Yes sir, truly, God's love is universal."

So, there is a scientific basis why I should avoid the occasions and places of sins - because the nearer I put myself to it, the greater is its pull on me unless God's grace prevents me from falling into it. I must not of course presume that God's grace will be at hand always especially when I willfully put myself in danger.

It makes sense to me.

(Source: Ancilla Domini, a publication by the Contemplatives of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary)

Not Ready Yet

I finally got a reply from Anonymous Guy, the one I featured in my earlier article entitled A Ray of Hope.

Hey,

Thanks for this, really. I still have some reservations (as I told you), about meeting up. Ironic, though, because if this were a meeting of a "different" sort, I'd jump on the opportunity in an instant. This just tells me there's a lot more for me to work on.

Please bear with me, though. I did save your number, just so I can text you when I find the inspiration to.

Be well, bro, and God bless.

Perhaps, it is not yet his time. Maybe Anonymous Guy just had some realizations when he read the article I posted in an online forum site and it was not deep enough for him to make a 180 degree turn.

Did I not just post St. Augustine's prayer the other day? "Make me chaste O Lord, but not yet."

How true...how true.

Life Begins at 30

I'm now 30 years old and I'm freaking out really. My mom was the first one to greet me this morning. "Happy Birthday anak!" I just smiled back. Then she added, "Malapit ka na mawala sa kalendaryo!" (Read: It's high time to start your own family now. You are not getting any younger) My sister, who was beside her, quipped, "Naku, 31 ka na kuya!" (Grrrr!)

What a way to start my day. Well, I just shrugged it off and the first thing I did today was to visit a nearby church to attend mass. Birthdays are days of thanksgiving too you know. I think this will be the first and the last time that I will be blogging about my birthday because from now on I refuse to grow old. Yes, you read it right. From now on, I will be forever 30 years old. Period. Hah! You see this is why I don't look forward to birthdays anymore - it makes me insane.

I still remember when I was a kid that birthdays are "privileged" days - meaning just for one day nobody can force me to wash the dishes or run errands outside the house to buy a bottle of toyo just because it is my birthday. It is a custom that we observe in the house. It's that one day in the year when you are exempted from all household chores and of course on top of that I have a brand new shirt, toy, and my favorite snacks. But now, since I'm earning already, I have to buy my own cake. (I just bought a Choco Marjolaine cake from Red Ribbon.) No more gifts and of course no more toys. In fairness though my mom cooked a sumptuous spaghetti for everyone in the house. I think I need to buy some ice cream too later. (sigh)

On my birthday today I just want to be thankful for a lot of things. First, I'm thankful that I'm healthy and my family is intact. I have the basic necessities of life - food, clothing, shelter, and cellphone loads (these things are becoming a little bit of a luxury these days. Not everyone has all these things especially now that times are hard). I am thankful that I have a job that lets me earn money to buy the things I want. (I earn just enough). I'm grateful of the people around me who support me in my struggles and friends I can talk and share my problems with. I thank the Lord for being there always. (though I can't feel His presence most of the time but I know He is there) The list can go on and on. See, there is something to look forward to afterall.

I believe there is much to look forward to. It's a great consolation for me to know that our dear Lord began His ministry when he was 30. He waited this long for Him to do His mission and so all the years that passed by served the purpose of molding Him and preparing Him for His great mission. I would like to think of the same way with me. I believe I also have a mission in life and it is only beginning to unfold now.

I cannot wait to reach 40 to live the life I want...because for me life begins at 30.

Carpe diem!


(P.S.: By the way I forgot to mention my birthday wish - I want a digicam (wink!)