GOD'S PROTECTION

The Bible is full of passages declaring God's promises such as, "His mercy endures forever; His love endures forever," or "Trust in me and in your distress, I will answer you." We also find the promise, "Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you," and the lines, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is my refuge, of whom should I be afraid?" I often quote Isaiah 35:3-4 which says,"Strengthen the hands that are feeble. Make firm the knees that are weak. Say to those whose hearts are frightened, " Fear not, take courage. Here is your God! He comes with vindication and recompense. He comes to save you!"

One of the precious gifts of the elderly, like me, is the luxury of time. We have the time to spend according to our whims and caprices. We can wake up in the morning at the hour that pleases us or just spend the whole afternoon on our hobby, be it gardening, reading, listening to old-time favorites or enjoying the laughter of memories of yester-years as we thumb through our family photo albums. Like one who is aware of the constant need to know Jesus through His Word, I try to devote some time, often daily, to meditate on His teachings and His promises. And one that has become so deeply ingrained in my being is God's ever-loving presence which was dramatically highlighted in a happening that occurred last October 12th, the Feast of our Lady of the Pillar.

I woke up before 10 o'clock in the morning. I took my usual almost two glasses of water to drink and began my prayers at the start of the day. Water makes me feel satisfied such that sometimes my morning prayers go far beyond the usual 20 or 30 minutes. As I often did, I alternated kneeling and sitting down while bending low touching my toes at prayer.

I heard a great crushing sound. I assumed it was the neighbors' gardener who used to be so noisy with some tools, etc. in the outdoor shed which was near my window. I continued to pray. After a long while, as I started to stretch my arms up in prayer, I heard shouts of...Dong..Dong...Dong...right at the top of the staircase which was just across the "doorless bonus room" which I occupy. In some models of the same house, the bonus room was a complete apartment by itself. So, the bonus room I use is on the second floor with a wide opening directly leading to the staircase. Again, when I heard the shouts, I thought it was Brian, Cielo's husband, who sometimes works at night and is therefore home during the day. My mind did not question why he would be shouting at all! I continued to pray until almost noon when I took my cell phone and my medicine bottle and trekked down the stairs. I held on to the banisters and kept my eyes on my feet so that I failed to see the open entrance door. I went to the family room and opened the patio door. As I turned around, I saw the broken pieces of glass window and immediately called Brian since he works nearer home than Cielo. While doing so, I looked at the garage and the extra BMW car was still there and the computer in the computer room, too.

My heart was acclaiming thanksgiving and praise in unison to God Whose mighty Presence caused the thieves to leave in haste. I surmised that when they went into the master's bedroom, I was bent low in prayer. My prayer mat (yes, I have a lambskin area rug) was partially hidden from view by a sofa. I also guess, that one of them must have seen me slowly lift up my arms in prayer so that he shouted something like "Dong..Dong...Dong," a language I could not understand. My Lord must have "instilled" fear in the hearts of those men upon seeing my outstretched arms in prayer! God made His Presence felt!

Upon investigation, the master bedroom had been ransacked. The king-size mattress had been moved possibly in search for hidden money, a custom among Asians. The cabinet drawers were wide open and jewelry boxes missing. They had stayed for some time in the room and just close by, I was continually praying! I offered my litany of thanksgiving and praise to our Lord, our Blessed Mother and my heavenly friends- the saints, angels and archangels, I pondered over the whole scenario and remembered one of my favorite psalms, Psalm 91, " God will send His angels to hold you up lest you hurt your feet against the stone," and in another psalm, " The angels will encamp around you to protect you!" 

This is my testimony of God's Presence in our lives! Among my daily Litany of Praise to God is "Jehovah Shanah- God is Ever Present. praise you, Jesus!"

What happened that night of October 12, 2012 was a fitting finale to an important episode in my life.

I attended the 9 PM Mass at the EWTN Catholic TV Channel. After dinner, I was before my laptop around 11 in the evening checking the emails and adding a few paragraphs to my autobiography. Suddenly, a coin dropped on the table near my right hand and started to spin round for a fraction of a minute. What was mind-boggling to me was the fact that the tingling sound of the coin as it dropped on the wooden table in the stillness of the night did not alarm me at all and that my eyes were glued to the coin as it was spinning for a considerable number of seconds. When it stopped, I looked at the golden coin, a little bit bigger than a quarter. It had an imprint of an Angel! I was happy! With the coin resting on my palm, I looked up and said, "Oh, my guardian angel, you helped me. You protected me. Thank you, thank you! You want me to know that you are always with me!"

My mother used to remind us, especially when we were children , to pray to our Guardian Angels. I have echoed this advise to my children and grandchildren time and time again. In fact, the Morning Prayers I printed for them when they were small included the Prayer to My Guardian Angel. Now, I constantly remind them of this prayer to be said often during the day and also at night. 

There is a reason for it and I know why!

September 15, 2012 - SEDONA, PHOENIX

The much-publicized Family Celebration of EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) scheduled for September 8th and 9th in Phoenix, Arizona aroused my interest to attend. Since my sister, Beth and Lily, my "balae" (Noel's mother-in-law) have been loyal Catholic channel viewers, too, they gave positive answers to my invitation for the trip. Lily's daughter, Evelyn, joined us for support which came in various shades.

To my pleasant surprise, Lily's nephew, Gilbert with his wife, Jovita and son, Andrew, have been residing in Phoenix for some years. They showered us with the proverbial Filipino hospitality which included a visit to Sedona some two hours away. I am most grateful to them for giving me a chance to see one of the mighty works of God! Seeing the pristine beauty of Mother Nature in this "Red Rock Country," as it is also called, made me understand why it is visited by around three million tourists annually.

Information from the Sedona Chamber of Commerce states that Sedona lies at the mouth of beautiful Oak Creek Canyon, a breathtaking chasm. Rising high above the canyon is the Mongollon Rim, a 2,000 ft encampment formed from ancient deposits of limestone, mud- stone and sandstone millions of years ago. Fanciful red rock monoliths which rise to thousand feet high because of their shapes have names such as Cathedral Rock, The Lovers, Devil's Bridge, Courthouse Butte, The Nuns or Grand Piano. Looking at the gorgeous scenery, I felt, Nature was at her best! The bizarre pinnacles and crested buttes as well as deep small canyons of clear red rocks dazzled my eyes and besieged my mind with wonder and awe. Like the psalmist, my heart cried out, "How magnificent are your works, Oh Lord. All creation bless you!" I learned that the tumbling waters of Oak Creek provide the moisture with green plants here and there and during spring and summer a carpet of flowers abound with a riot of colors. Naturally, Sedona is a favorite place of artists and nature lovers and more recently, by New Age advocates.

The Sedona Metaphysical Association is a resource for the spiritual and metaphysical side of Sedona. The area was inhabited by Indians many centuries ago and their affinity to Mother Nature was distinctly inherent in their religious rites. To this day, Sedona has earned world acclaim as a spiritual mecca because of the presence of power spots called "vortex." 

Pete Sanders, Jr. a scientist, in his book,"Scientific Vortex Information," wrote, "A vortex is a site wherein the energy of its surroundings is concentrated. A person  in this vortex site will have the inner ability to find, feel, measure and tap that energy." Because Sedona as a whole is regarded as a spiritual power spot, what is happening in a vortex is an energy flow of deeper dimensions. Each person may experience a vortex differently. Possibilities include new insights, intense feelings of joy, heightened spiritual awareness, problem- solving or healing of past memories. Overall, a person experiences "well-being and transforming soul nourishment" in a vortex.

To complete the Sedona visit, Gil took us to the Chapel of the Holy Cross on a much higher elevation with a vantage view of the whole area. Looking up to the chapel, one's gaze is held captive by its most prominent feature - a giant cross that seems to support the structure which jutted between two huge red boulders. To me, it seemed that Divine Hands split open the fiery monolith to make room for a sanctuary for those who are heavily laden and from whence He gives rest. True, it offers the necessary respite to anyone who ventures the long, winding climb up the mountain. We were fortunate to have used a courtesy vehicle which brought us near the chapel entrance. More than being a palliative for aching knees and feet, the elegantly simple chapel envelopes one with a certain kind of peace almost within the context of the Biblical passage, " peace beyond human understanding." To some extent, it must be the kind of feeling one experiences while being in a so-called "vortex." It is said that the Chapel of the Holy Cross is located in a vortex!

The Chapel of the Holy Cross was envisioned by Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a religious painter and sculptor, in 1932 but it was  only in 1956 when she was able to build it. The American Institute of Architects gave it an Award of Honor in 1957, stating, " Though Catholic in faith, as a work of art, the chapel has a universal appeal. Its doors will ever be open to one and all, regardless of creed, that God may come to life in the souls of all men and be a living reality."

By the way, inside the chapel is a pedestal with the sculpted Head of Christ. The inscription said that it came from the Chartres Cathedral in France. I was moved by it! I felt some affinity to it not only because of its fine delicate lines and expressive countenance but due to the special privilege of having visited its source. The Chartres Cathedral is known all over the world for its majestic stained-glass windows but more importantly for having in a big side altar, on display, the slightly grayish - blue " Mantle of our Blessed Mother." 

September 1, 2012 - FAMILY REUNION

Family is an all-inclusive term that binds siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins of varying degrees into one consanqiuneous or "blood"  relationship.. As such, many individuals become a coherent whole under the banner of  "family." It is no wonder, therefore, that many people put a hefty premium on their family bestowing on it a certain sense of "sacredness" reserved only to the sublime.

Through the encouragement of Cielo who first thought of the idea, I started the wheels rolling on a Family Reunion of the Pablo Calara - Carmen Miranda Clan to be held on September 1, 2012.at the De Souza Hall of the Holy Spirit Church in Fremont, California. 

The celebration started with a Mass, actually a Healing Mass, which happened to be regularly scheduled at that sanctuary.The grace of the Anointing of the Sick was bestowed on us and many of our relatives that day. It marked an auspicious opening - rite for a day filled with fun, music, food and laughter. The hall was a beehive of pleasant chatter of folks not having seen each other for long periods of time.Everywhere I looked, I saw faces beaming with delight and unquestionable happiness, an inner joy of meeting relatives after a long absence. 

August 26, 2012 - OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA

Today, August 26, 2012, is the Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa or Queen of Poland as She is called since centuries ago. Today, She is known to be one of the two "Miraculous Black Madonna" in the world. Our Lady of Montserrat of Spain is the other one.

My journey to Eastern Europe in the year 2000 covered visits to Czechoslovakia, Poland, Austria and Hungary. The total ambiance of these places had a discriminating allure so intricately difficult to explain, yet, so soothing to unravel within the senses of my being. Every place had a charm all its own - a hold on me quite removed from the plush and grandeur of Paris, London or Spain. Why? I searched for answers rather exhaustively and pinpointed three  plausible reasons: my long-time devotion to the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague, my inherent love for music which Vienna represents and the mind-boggling World War II atrocities committed in these places especially in Auschwitz.

"Jasna Gora" or "Bright Mountain" is referred to as the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland.

August 9, 2012 - PARIS SOJOURN

Tomorrow, August 10, 2012, I will be on a Paris sojourn with my daughters Marissa and Cielo and my niece, Ritz, daughter of my sister, Glory. The sights and sounds of the City of Light has enraptured me in its web of Renaissance architecture and contemporary edifices, fascinating melting-pot of art, culture, fashion and culinary excellence. It is a cosmopolitan city of many wonderful things for the eyes to see, the ears to hear and magnificent array of time-honored crafts hands have created and a surplus of nuances for emotions to  surge and hearts to embrace. The very ambiance of the place where people of diverse origins, color, creed or attire meet and inter-act in a manner amicably with respect and understanding, consideration and assistance overwhelms me! Yet, Paris also is the capital of France where social reforms have ignited revolutions of such magnitude to effect political and social living.

What keeps me breathless with wonder and amazement is the old-world charm of the Renaissance structures of cathedrals and buildings coupled with the sweeping elegance of bold Modern Art. However, to me, the medieval masterpieces in painting and other art forms outshine the contemporary look although a certain harmony pervades in their contrasting features. With more than 2,000 monuments, breath-taking sanctuaries for worship and prayer which are masterpieces in themselves, I, nay, anyone can be easily carried to Cloud 9.

Most important of all, my visit to Paris always includes a pilgrimage to 140 Rue de Bac where our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in the chapel of the Convent of the Sisters of Charity on July 18, 1830, the first of several encounters. She leaned her hands on our Lady's lap as she was told of the great suffering that would come to the Church. In addition, she was told of a mission she was to undertake.

On November 27, 1830, our Blessed Mother appeared to her in an oval frame standing on a globe wearing many rings of different colors which shone rays of light. Around the margin of the oval were the words, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee." A large letter, M, was encircled with 12 stars and a stylized Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. Our Lady said, " All who wear this medal will receive many graces." The medal which was struck upon instructions received by St. Catherine Laboure became known as "The Miraculous Medal" because of the reported cures and healing which number by the millions.

St. Catherine Laboure died at age 70 on December 31, 1876. Her body was exhumed after 57  and was found unravaged by natural law of death with her blue eyes open. I first saw her in 1975 and through the 18 times I have so far visited her, St. Catherine's body is still incorrupt and her eyes still blue. 

Another pilgrimage site in Paris is St. Vincent de Paul. But his story deserves a blog all its own.... for next time.  

Aug.1, 2012 - ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI

Today, August 1, 2012, is the Feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, a lawyer, philosopher and theologian who founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or "The Redemptorists." 

He was born on September 27,1696 in city near Naples, Italy. A brilliant student, he became a lawyer who won every case he handled. Despite his success in his profession, he felt an emptiness within. At age 27,  after practicing law for eight years, he lost his case for the first time and decided to quit. Against his father's wishes, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest at 30. He lived his first few years as a priest with the homeless and marginalized youth of Naples. He founded Evening Chapels as centers of prayer, preaching and community social activities. Upon his death, there were 72 Evening Chapels established with over 10,000 active participants.

His priestly life was somehow marred, if one would call it that, by a condition known as "scruples" which was an  obsessive concern with one's sins and a compulsive performance of religious direction. St. Ignatius Loyola had been known to suffer from "scruples," too and described the condition as a "groundless fear of sinning that arises from erroneous ideas."

St. Alphonsus Liguori was canonized in 1839 and was elevated to being a Doctor of the Church in 1871.

The Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Rome is between the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the seat of the Bishop of Rome and the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiorre), the largest church dedicated to our Blessed Mother in the world. The shrine dedicated to St. Alphonsus Liguori is the repository of the original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help or as She is also called, "Mother of Perpetual Succour."

It is recorded that the icon was fished out of the waters near the island of Crete by a fisherman who kept it in his home for some time. Then one night, he dreamed the "Lady" telling him that She desired to be venerated in the church between St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major. St. Matthew's church fitted the instructions so that in 1499, the icon was venerated there for 300 years. Then during the 60-year period of turmoil in Rome, the little church of San Matteo was destroyed and the icon hidden away. The Redemptorists built a church in the site in honor of their founder St. Alphonsus Liguori. Pope Pius IX gave the title Mother of Perpetual Help to the icon and also bestowed its custody to the Redemptorists in 1866.

My first visit to the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Rome was in 1976. The original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help hung above the main altar. The image was painted on a piece of wood measuring about 4 ft by 3 ft. I learned that the icon had existed for several centuries which accounted for its slight discolorization and dire need for restoration.

I have been a devotee of Our Mother of Perpetual Help since my college days when I tried to consistently attend the Wednesday novena at Baclaran in Manila. Only inescapable reasons would cause me then to miss the devotions at Her national shrine. To think that through all those years, I never knew the specifics of the icon until that 1976 talk with the pastor in Rome. 

July 31, 2012 - St. Ignatius Loyola and Our Lady of Montserrat

Today, July 31, 2012 is the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus or as the community is commonly called, "The Jesuits." He wrote "Spiritual Exercises" which is widely used in retreats today.


He was born in 1471 of a noble Spanish family and trained to be a warrior until he was 30 years of age. In the Battle of Pamplona, his legs suffered major injuries. While confined in bed, he read the only available books his sister-in-law had. They were about Jesus and the Lives of Saints. He was greatly moved and developed an insatiable desire to know more of Christ and His teachings. Upon recovery, he went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat near Barcelona where he made an all-night vigil. It was a turning point in his life so that he left his sword on the altar before the Virgin Mary and vowed to be a follower of Jesus. 


He went to Manresa and lived in a cave in complete mortification and realization of God in the world. Eager to be an instrument of change, he studied Theology and Latin in Salamanca, Spain. Later, he went to the University of Paris for his Master's Degree. It was during his stay in the Paris that he formed a group of six schoolmates into one dedicated to poverty, obedience and chastity. They called themselves the "Society of Jesus." In 1540,they went to Rome to have their community approved. Since the Pope at that time was beset with the growing Protestant Reformation, he asked them to help him. The "Jesuits" as the community was then called became involved in the field of education.
St. Ignatius Loyola wrote "Spiritual Exercises," a method of prayer, meditation and discernment based on the Scriptures. He died in Rome in 1556.

The life of St. Ignatius is inextricably associated with Spain's Our Lady of Montserrat, one of the two widely-acclaimed Miraculous Black Madonnas. The other one is Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland.


Montserrat is a mountain 4,055 ft. high above sea level near Barcelona, Spain. It is a "jagged" or "serrated," multi-peaked mountain with striking slightly- colored sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded formations. The wind, rain, snow, heat and cold for thousands of years have molded the rocks into weird, capricious  shapes. Some peaks or crags have fancied resemblance to human figures, animals or objects and have been given names as: Cat's Head, Elephant Trunk,The Bell, The Parrot, The Dice, The Friar, The Doll, and The Giant. Surprisingly, despite the lack of soil and the scarcity of water, vegetation grow in abundance.


It is recorded that as early as the 8th Century, hermitages were in Montserrat and by the 12th Century, a sanctuary was built which has become a Benedictine Monastery. Widespread miracles of the Blessed Virgin brought pilgrimages then which has continued to the present.


My visits to Montserrat were in 1988, 1996 and 2003 with my grand-daughter, Diana, after her Grade VIII graduation as "Valedictorian." Montserrat was pilgrimage site in our tour of France, Portugal and Spain.


In my 2003 visit, I had time to take the funicular or trolley trip down  to the base of the mountain to see the cave where the image of our Blessed Mother was found. At the ticket counter, we were informed that the last trip of the funicular was at 6 PM. I let Diana spend more time with a sweet young lady, Tina, who was so gracious to let her tag along. Another woman within my age bracket, too, Celenia was my companion during the cave adventure.


Much to my surprise, the end-of-the-line station of the funicular was not near the cave. We had to go through a very rocky path farther down for more than 30 minutes to reach our destination. It was an awesome feeling to be inside a cave that had existed thousands of years through the centuries when God did not even thought of putting me in His blueprint of the universe! More importantly, I was in a sanctuary, a blessed place, indeed!


Celenia and I departed with the group for our return trip. Despite our determined effort to walk with them, we lagged behind since the uphill climb was more exacting on our knees and legs. Maneuvering through the many right and left turns of the trail further caused  a tremendously long gap behind our companions. We reached the small patch of platform which served as the station only to see the tail-end of the trolley disappear among the forest greens.


I realized that it was the last trolley for the day and that we had to stay overnight in the "wilderness." My heart sank to its lowest ebb and my whole body weakened like a mass of gelatine. Physically, I was in the "Lost Horizon" but then my Faith, like a flaming arrow  zoomed up to the Heavens, to my God Who will never abandon me! I have always believed, "I am one of God's favorites!"


While Celenia kept pacing back and forth murmuring invectives about our companions' lack of consideration for us, I felt the stomach-churning fear of spending the night in the dark forest inhabited by nocturnal animals out for human flesh. I shivered at the thought! In utter despair, I looked up to the darkening clouds, lifted up my arms and prayed loud, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear? The Lord is my refuge, of whom should I be afraid. (Psalm 27) I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34). All of a sudden, I saw two figures coming towards us from a distance. I did not have any trace of apprehension but rather of expectancy! As the two men came nearer, I noticed one having the resemblance of St. Raphael, the medicine of God and travelling companion, as depicted in a "stampita" I had.  Since I have been travelling a lot in my career, I have always prayed to St. Michael and St. Raphael. Anyway, it was a flitting thought.


They came to us and went direct to the water tube inserted in the hillside from whence water was continuously falling. I excitedly asked them while they were drinking with their cupped hands, "How did you come down? Almost in unison, they pointed to the same direction. No word was spoken. With a brief, "Thank you," I hurried on with Celenia close to my tracks.


Night had fallen. The crescent moon did not shed enough light for our way up the mountain in a trail of rocks and stones. My heart was in unceasing prayer as we took turns helping one another, pulling one up this way or the other in our ascent. After a few minutes, we came to a point where a rock hung precariously at the edge of the mountain. It spelled danger with any false step! We stopped trying to figure out the safest maneuver. The lack of light made the situation worse.While in deep thought over our next move, we heard a rustle of leaves behind us. Instinctively, we turned our heads only to see two smiling ladies, possibly in their mid 20's.




 Surprised, I asked, "Where have you been?"
They answered, "We were left by the trolley."
I said, "But we did  not see you at the station," As I mentioned earlier, the so-called station was a small cemented open-air platform. A sizeable tract around it was cleared of trees or bushes.
One lady answered, "We were there," as she immediately held my arm directing me make the right moves over the rock. My attention centered on our climb to the top where the Benedictine Monastery stood. We each had someone helping us all along the way. It was only through the timely assistance of the ladies. who claimed to be from Singapore, that we successfully survived our ordeal.


I invited them for dinner but they politely declined saying, "We have to go back to Barcelona."
We thanked the young ladies profusely as we poured our double, triple, nay, limitless gratitude to God Who will always let His Presence be felt during times when we need Him most! 


          Psalm 91:11- 12  "For to his angels he has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways. Upon their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone."