The mass at dawn.

Perhaps it is only in the Philippines where a mass at dawn is held for nine days leading to Christmas Day.

It is called "simbang gabi," or "misa de gallo," and commences on the 16th of December and ends on Christmas Eve.

When I was growing up, the misa de gallo in our parish was held at 4 a.m.  So my aunt would awaken me and my elder sister Jo and sometimes my kid cousin Ding at 3.  But we were always late and had to settle kneeling by the aisle for the duration of the mass that lasted more than one hour.

Oftentimes, I would be seen napping by my aunt.

Those days the December breeze was cooler; killer typhoons and destructive floods were relatively unknown then.

Usually we donned our knit sweaters for the long walk to church.

Since the dawn mass starts on the 16th of December, students who would still attend classes during the day find it difficult to finish the nine day misa de gallo.

When we were kids and studying in a public elementary school, we jockeyed for position at a neighbourhood food stall, "carinderia," for our morning supply of Christmas food like "bibingka," or rice cake, and  those violet colored tubular delicacy called "puto bumbong."  If we didn't push our light weight around, we'd be late for the 7 a.m. classes.

Aling Agre had the best bibingka and puto bumbong in the Mabini-Castaneda neighbourhood where I grew up.

In Mandaluyong, people filled up the two Christian churches to the brim.  The Catholic church, San Felipe Neri started its mass at 5 am, and the Aglipayan Church started an hour earlier.

There was one time when my sister, a cousin and I woke up so early and found the church still closed. We found the Protestant church open and waited there until our church opened up.

The start of misa de gallo also signalled the lighting of the Christmas tree in our household; it was a family tradition that has been continued by my sister  Jo.  In our own household now, Christmas starts in October with accompanying tree and lights and Nativity Scene or "belen."

Filipinos who are newly migrated to countries such as Canada and the U.S. and other places always find it hard to adjust to the Christmas tradition in these countries.  Although Christmas is celebrated lavishly in these parts of the world, the Pinoy still hankers for the Christmas back home.

And this includes the simbang gabi, bibingka and puto bumbong, the "parol" or Christmas lantern, and the "karoling," or neighbourhood kids singing carols from house to house for pennies.

If you're away from home this Christmas and want to feel the Paskong Pinoy, why not try preparing your own puto bumbong. Here's a recipe. 

INGREDIENTS FOR PUTO BUMBONG

    *  1 cup glutinous rice
    *  2 tsp purple food color (ube)
    *  2 cups water
    *  Panutsa (sugar cane sweet) or muscovado (raw brown sugar)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
* Soak glutinous rice in water overnight.
* Grind the soaked rice. (see bibingka how)
* Mix food color while the glutinous rice is being ground.
* Wrap the ground glutinous rice on a piece of muslin cloth and place it in a strainer to drain excess  liquid. Another technique in draining excess liquid is by pressing a heavy object that has been placed over the muslincloth.
* Once the ground rice has slightly dried, rub it against the screen of a strainer to produce coarse grained rice flour.
* The rice flour for making puto bumbong is now ready to cook. Fill each bamboo tube (bumbong) with just enough glutinous rice and put them into the steamer. See to it that the steamer contains boiling water.
* Steam rice flour in the bamboo tubes for 10 minutes.
* Once cooked, shake out the contents of each bamboo tube or remove the cooked glutinous rice from the bumbong with the help of a knife.
* Spread butter on the puto bumbong and place a small piece of panutsa (sugar cane sweets) or 1 tbsp. of mascuvado (raw Sugar)
* Add a small amount of grated coconut before serving.

Talk about one's faith.

I had been taught that you don't discuss politics and religion over dinner at friends or at social gatherings.

Even in family gatherings, these two subject matters could sometimes lead to explosive debates and arguments, especially if there's alcohol ingestion.

Today's churches and theologians lament about the disappearing faithfuls.  As Fr. Catalino Arevalo, SJ, mentioned at the San Andres Apostol Parish Advent Recollection last Dec. 5, 2012, only about 6 percent of Filipino Catholics go the mass on Sundays these days.

Then where do the 94 percent of the Catholics go or do?

Pope Benedict proclaimed Oct. 11, 2012 to Nov. 24, 2013 as Year of the Faith and The Year of Faith is connected to Synod by subject matter which is, of course, faith. The official title of the Synod is: "the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith".

At the opening of the recently concluded Synod held last Oct. 2012


The Year of Faith, in the mind of the Holy Father, is an occasion for a renewal of the Church through the deepening of the faith of her members.  The Pope says in 'Porta Fidei', the document which establishes the Year of Faith, that this year is: "a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world."

Fr. Arevalo continued to say in his talk that that it is the duty of Catholics to talk about one's faith in order to bring new faithfuls to the Church, to help the poor, to bring back those who left the Church, and to bring the young into the Church.

We must talk about our Catholic faith. We must live our Catholic faith in order to be shining examples to others and become shepherds too, like Christ,  in seeking those who got lost and in finding new flocks.

We were at a Christmas party of a family and marriage- oriented community last Sunday and in the dance presentations, the youth was well represented.  But we were a bit disheartened to see the kids brought out dances like 'gangnam' and other street dances such as hip hop and break dance without any reference to Christmas.

The mis-step is likened to the growing secularization in churches today.

To talk about one's Christian faith is a crime in some countries.  For us who live in free nations, it is doubly expected that we talk about our faith.

Pope Benedict, in his homily at the Synod said,  "Our role in the new evangelization is to cooperate with God."  "We can only let people know what God has done."

Knocked out. For Good.

The Knights of Columbus Council 15419  and the Daughters of Mary Immaculate International, staged an Anti-RH Bill mini motorcade last Dec. 8th.

The Season of Christmas brings on Christmas parties, Christmas shopping and hectic activities at homes, offices and especially in Christian churches.

Being new in our parish, we've had countless preparations and actual events we found exhilaratingly tiring, like getting a TKO. The veteran volunteers are shining examples for us to look up to.

Most people still in the workforce feel that Christmas is ironically short ; that's because offices and organizations usually have their themed parties (inter-deparmental, general and unit-wise), and there's the countless exchange gifts, and then individual workers host their own parties at home.

Those who are retired or stay at home couldn't be any less busier, because retirement brings on more volunteer work, and being stay at home mom or dad means doing the day-to-day shopping plus the extra added Christmas shopping for the other spouse and the kids; gifts for spouses' co-workers and gifts for the children's friends and teachers.

Even those who say they are poor in countless surveys could not escape the lure of the Christmas spirit; they still prepare, although simply.

After all, the Yuletide Season is all about the Redeemer's birth, and a newborn is always an occasion for all to rejoice.

A dawn procession was held at the San Andres Apostol Parish last Dec. 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Photo from the San Andres Apostol Parish website.

This weekend we went to two church-adjunct Christmas parties, one anti-RH motorcade, one dawn procession in honour of the Immaculate Conception, and one live Rosary recitation and a dance practise.

Live Rosary held at San Andres Apostol Parish courtyard on Dec. 8th. Photo from gallery of San Andres Apostol Parish website.

We also sang at a choir for a Sunday mass, participated in a Christmas dance presentation, and ingested more calories than we had to.

On Dec. 16th, the dawn "misa de gallo" mass will start.  In our parish, it commences at 5 am.

But our parish priest has a more daunting schedule. This Advent Season on a Sunday, he'd have to celebrate at least six masses.

A dance presentation at the recent IHMMEC Christmas Party held at the BNS court in Fort Bonifacio

To sing like an angel.

They sing like angels.

Sometimes when we hear exceptional choirs, we utter these words, referring perhaps to the lilting effect of a song in one's heart that only a holy creature can do.  Angels, after all, are supposed to be the guardians leading us to happiness.

The Westminster Cathedral Choir

Church choirs have a very important function in church services and ceremonies. They inspire the congregation into singing and make the communion with God more intimate and holier.

In a visit to the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama a few years ago, we had the privilege of hearing the cloistered nuns, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, sing. And what beautiful voices they had! You don't see them but only hear them.

In our city of Toronto,  the St. Michael's Cathedral runs the St. Michael's Choir School, a school with over 75 years' history. The choir sings regularly on Saturday and Sunday masses, and on weekday masses, it is common to see a choir member leading the church singing. Tourists to the City make it a point to attend mass to hear the boys sing.

At the Blessed John XXIII church I regularly attend in Don Mills, there are at least two Filipino choirs. One sings regularly at the 9 am Sunday masses.

When the Filipino Chaplaincy was still at the John XXIII, the 5 pm Tagalog mass had the San Lorenzo Ruiz choir singing. And on Christmas Eve when the weather was at a minus degree, it was heart warming to hear Tagalog songs being sung at the midnight Filipino mass. I remember the former parish priest of John XXIII Fr. Rudy Imperial saying "Pascua," and it was like being transported back to Manila. It was not unusual to see Pinoys crying during these masses as they reminisce, perhaps, on Christmases at their native provinces with their loved ones.

In the Philippines where the karaoke was invented by a Filipino and where there are more than 600,000 Catholic churches and some 20 million chapels, you'd definitely expect to have an astounding number of church choirs. And it does.

At the Megamall chapel for instance, there's the regular Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord choir, the ADB choir performing at the 12:15 Wednesday masses and the Assumptionist Choir which sings regularly at the 6 pm Wednesday masses. among other choirs. 

At San Andres Apostol Parish in Cainta where we worship, there are a number of choirs which lately have been banded together into a Grand Choir in preparations heading towards the church's dedication. Individually, there's the IHMMEC choir, the Kids' Choir, an all-male choir, the El Shaddai, Dictum Veritas, and the San Andres Apostol choir.

Westminster Cathedral Choir is acclaimed as one of the world’s great choirs. Since its foundation in 1903 it has occupied a unique and enviable position at the forefront of English church music, and is featured frequently on radio and television.  When its busy liturgical schedule permits it, it takes its music further afield.  In addition to regular concerts around the UK, recent tours have included Hungary, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy and the USA.

The Bible says that a band of mighty angels announced to the lowly shepherds that the Messiah was born in a cave in Betlehem. The shepherds could have been roused from their sleep by the angelic voices whispering in their ears amidst the cold winter in the wilderness. 

Come. My Friend

By Gener


Where have you been my friend
I'd been waiting for you many moons ago
And you never came 
And you never dared to call,
In my angst I let you know I missed you
Gave you a clap in the ear
A splash in the face
A painting to trigger your vision.

But you went away
Never bid me goodbye
Shut down the memories of our friendship
No letters, no thank you, no hellos,
I became sad for I longed for your presence
In those nights we used to talk endlessly
In those mornings when you me woke up with a sigh
In those mid-day concerns you posed to me.

And then I heard the bad news about you
How you got sick and how you lost a child
How you were kicked out of a precious job
How you missed on payments on the house,
How friends abandoned you and then
Your spouse left you for another
Your parents gave up on your insolence
Your relatives disinherited you of their love.

My friend why wait for these gloom before knocking on my door
Why settle for the bad 
Why heap countless woes on people who cared for you
Why throw the years we'd known each other
And take the side of my foe,
My friend and beloved you are also my child
I never stopped thinking about you for a second
I was just waiting for you to call on me again.

Lest you've forgotten my name
I am Jesus

I am your best friend forever. 

God's Little Children

By Gener

I bought you a cradle
Loaded it on a carriage
Put you there to sleep
when your mood was not good,
Till the swaying stopped
Into a play pen
You landed next,
In a big-sized bed you crawled
With the dolls at your side.

Your mum cuddled you tight
As I slept by your toes,
Your cheeks puffed into dough
As I fed you your milk,
Your legs turned into barrels
As I scooped Gerber into your mouth,
Your hair thickened slowly
As mum washed it daily.

Your baby photos adorned
the walls of my wallet,
Your voice was captured on tape
which I played late at night,
Your shoe size I watched grew
Your dress size changed a lot
Your dolls n' your toys kept abreast of your height.

Me and mum didn't care
when we slept less and less,
And we didn't mind too
that we spent more on you,
We worked apart from each other
to feed and educate you,
We got lonely and old
But then, we had you.

God's little children
we parents love every bit of them,
So we don't get the reasoning behind this stupid RH Bil,
Those law makers who pushed them
will be consigned into the forgot'ten,
And those who opposed them
will be remembered forever.

Say NO to RH Bill
And say YES to God's little children.

What's in a Dress?

Our Lady of Angels Monastery and Shrine in Hanceville, Alabama

When we went on a pilgrimage to Hanceville, Alabama at the Our Lady of Angels Monastery years ago,  I remember that the Church provided jackets and even pants for those visitors not properly attired for church or mass.

Mass at EWTN (Eternal World Television Network) in Alabama, founded by Mother Angelica

You see, a lot of the pilgrims to the Monastery and the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament come from far away states and countries and a lot, during the summer months. So they're clad in shorts and tees; that's why the jacket and pants at the entrance to the Basilica.

I also remember an incident which took place a long time ago in a church in Sta. Ana when a priest refused to give communion to a friend who was wearing a "tube blouse."

What really is the proper way to dress for church?

Common church scene, circa 1950's, somewhere in Canada

At the Chapel of the Holy Eucharist at the Megamall in Mandaluyong, there is a poster at the door prominently showing parishioners the proper attire to wear in church.

Sunday mass - From an unknown source.

Quiapo Church in the Philippines,  circa 1890's. Photo shows how Filipinos dressed for church.

 Quiapo Church and church goers, circa 2012

In Manila, numerous complaints about skimpy attire in church have prompted the Archdiocese of Manila to issue guidelines for proper dress when attending Mass or other church services.

In 2007, the archdiocese began distributing posters on proper church attire in its parishes and shrines. These  posters were to be placed in areas where they are clearly visible.

“The posters clearly show how one can be properly dressed for church,” said Fr. Godwin Tatlonghari of the archdiocese's Ministry of Liturgical Affairs.

The guidelines indicate that women should not wear short skirts, skimpy shorts, sleeveless blouses, tank tops or spaghetti-strap tops and plunging necklines in church. Men should not wear caps, shorts and basketball jerseys. Instead, the archdiocese recommends women wear blouses, corporate or office attire, school uniforms or long dresses, while men should wear shirts, jeans or slacks.

Western Easter Sunday - from the past

One church goer said of the late Fr. John Robbins of the parish of St. Anne's in Houston, Texas. "Fr. John Robbins preached about dressing in church one Sunday, but his take on it was a little bit different.  He suggested that parishioners who worried about the way others were dressed were the ones who needed to adjust their attitudes. He said they should focus on the liturgy, not on the other congregants.

After he finished his homily, and was returning to his seat, someone started clapping; most of the congregation joined in. He looked over his shoulder at us and said, “I bet it was someone wearing shorts."

At the Holy Rosary Parish in Ohio which I used to go to, most of the men and women dressed conservatively for Sunday mass. During Easter, women even wore hats.  Men often wore suits. The youth usually came in sneakers and T-shirts of their favorite sports team but wore jeans and jackets.  A lot had dress shirts and dress pants. Of course there were exceptions.

At the Toronto church where I attend services, the congregants are a mixed population - Canadians, Filipino immigrants and immigrants from Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, India and the Middle East. But again, most dress on the proper side.

But come summertime, women and men tend to wear less because of the oppressive heat, and the priests tend to empathize with them.  Men usually wear casual shirts, dress shorts and women those "bermuda" shorts" which are just above the knee.

When we were kids, we always donned our "Sunday best" for Sunday masses, and on Christmas, New Year and even fiestas, I'd dare say the whole of the Philippines, wore their "pamburol," or the best in their wardrobe - new for most and if old,  always clean and well pressed. 

Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla once said "Sunday best has become a common expression of people who know the value of the Sunday celebration and so those who pride themselves on self-respect choose the best for the Lord. I am not very sure now whether that passage in the Gospel where an invited guest was thrown out because he was not dressed properly, is applicable here. It seems it is," he added.

When in comes to jewelery, most churches, globally and locally, do not mention it in their dress codes.

Maybe that's because jewelery, especially for women, is part of fashion accessories;  even priests wear gold bracelets.

Wearing jewelery in churches is as normal as wearing wrist watches and is not obtrusive or a show off.

Present day Philippine church congregation

Personally,  I don't find it a distraction and I don't see them as an untoward act in their worship.

Showing a lot of skin for women is definitely a no no. But asking women or forbidding them not to wear an earring or a bangle or make up is also a no no.

I remember seeing a Lino Brocka film where two "manangs," or church ladies, instead of focusing on the liturgy, were whispering to each other about the high heeled shoes of the women who were kneeling at the front pew.

To continually intone on proper dressing is a distraction in itself and quite alienating. The low key approach - posting visuals at the church door showing the dress code could work better.

The Day of the Saints.

It is colloquially called Undas in the Philippines, this day referred to in Catholic Tradition as All Saints Day.  In the Philippines it is a National Holiday.

All Saints day, according to wikipedia, is a solemnity celebrated on November 1 by parts of Western Christianity, and the day after Pentecost by Eastern Christianity, in honour of all saints whether known or unknown.

This year we started Undas on the 30th of October.  We drove to Bulacan after the 6 am mass  and visited the graves of departed relatives at the Memorial Park. And yesterday, November 1st, we visited the graves of my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and nephew.

 
Photo of Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, courtesy of TripAdvisor

I remember going to the cemetery as a child early evenings and getting soaked going home. I remember walking carefully and avoiding little mounds of earth that were graves of certain individuals. I remember those stack up graves we called "apartments."

Poor man's cemetery in Manila

And I remember those big boys carrying globes of melted candles, parading them as if these were precious gems. Yes as a kid, I looked up to them as some sort of pirates out to maraud for hidden treasures in the grave yards.

In Mandaluyong, although traffic was re-routed and people amassed at the cemetery as early as All Saints' Eve, it was pretty orderly although we had to walk several blocks from the parking spot we found.

Lined in the street were tents of local volunteers handing out free bottled water, giving information to visitors, and at the entry to the cemetery, there was bag inspection.  The lady guard asked me, "meron po ba kayong dalang lighter?" (Did you bring any buthane lighers?).  It was not allowed, so were forks and knives, music systems and liquour.

In Toronto, All Saints Day is celebrated with a mass and private prayers for those who've gone ahead of us.

In Manila, gone are the days of loud music and party-like drinking at the grave sites. Thanks to the national and local governments for the orderly celebration of Undas.

The Joy is in the Serving.

In a strange new world, people become more individualists.  More and more souls live day by day in the confines of their rooms, with only their computers as friends.

A cousin told me "my son in his thirties, still doesn't have a girlfriend, yet late at night I hear him having a conversation in his room."  Perhaps he's chatting on line, or doing more.

It's a sad fact of the modern times; many are waiting to be served.

We are programmed to get instantaneous result, feedback and action from whatever we do.

We want instant gratification, always.

We have TV and cable on demand, we have 24/7 help desks, we have on line orders and purchases, we have medical and legal advice on line as well, even instant divorce.

Mothers cannot afford inaction, husbands and kids would complain.  So there's instant food or delivery for those juggling motherhood and career.

While some of these modern devices and conveniences make living easier, many become distractions and aberrations. For instance, instead of promoting family closeness or bonding, eating together becomes a joke when a family eats in front of a television set with their take out food as center piece.

Or when we send flowers to a friend in a hospital through FTD.com or phone in floral delivery, without actually visiting him or her.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

In Mark 10: 35-45, the brothers James and John asked Jesus for a big favour: Lord appoint us to seat in the right and left sides of your throne.  And when the ten other apostles heard this, they got angry at the two for they also wanted to ask for favours and were beaten to it by James and John.

Yet Jesus replied, " Who among you want to be great shall be a servant of the others. For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve."

There is joy in serving others.  Aside from serving the members of our family, we can move on to serve a bigger community.

In doing service to others, we discover our inner peace and strength.

Knighthood.

When a person from Church approached me and asked me to join the Knights of Columbus, I didn't readily agree.  Instead I went to the Net and looked for information about the organization.

What I saw affirmed my earlier hunch that the Knights of Columbus is an honorable undertaking.

My only contact with the Knights of Columbus was seeing its members in church events in which they participated donned in knight regalia, cape and sword and hat (called chapeau) and all.  It was a beautiful sight.

Even in my parish at Blessed John XXIII, I remember debating whether to join or not.

As I turned a new leaf in my Christian life, I finally decided to be a part of this Catholic fraternal service organization whose membership includes Carl A. Anderson, former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan and the present Supreme Knight,  Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, Denis Coderre, Member of Canadian Parliament, and Hilario Davide, former Philippine Supreme Court Justice.

To read more about the Knights of Columbus, please go to www.kofc.org and for the Philippine site, at www.kofc.org.ph/

Go go go.

Last Thursday, Oct. 4th, I went to check this blog and saw my last entry was on May 2009.  That was three years ago.

So I decided to post again.  I did on Friday, Oct. 5, when I posted "Bible as a Book."

I hope to post more.  Thank you for visiting and reading.

Neighbourhood Crusade.

In their effort to curb crimes, barangays and village groups in the Philippines have had watch crime groups established in their neighbourhoods.  In Toronto, Canada there are even sticker/badges you place in your main door signifying that you're an active neighbourhood crime watcher.

In another kind of neighbourhood watch, one aimed to promote peace through prayers, rosary crusades had been promoted by Catholic neighbourhoods in the Philippines and all over the world.

Yesterday morning, Oct. 6th, our Parish Church, the San Andres Apostol, held a dawn procession honouring The Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Manaoag.  

Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag (Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de Manaoag)  is a 17th-century Roman Catholic ivory image of the Blessed Virgin Mary placed in the high altar of a shrine in Manaoag, Pangasinan. Under that invocation, Mary the mother of Jesus is locally venerated as the patroness of the town and is often referred to in both the Pangasinense and Ilocano dialect as Apo Baket (English: "Venerable Madam").

The 6 a.m. mass celebrated after the procession by Fr. Vic Flores was held in honour of the Blessed Mother,  St. Josemarie Escriva who founded the Opus Dei, and the BEC organization which brings the Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Fatima - into the homes  of Greenwoods residents.

Let's all together promote peace through prayers.

Bible as a Book.

Although I attended a Catholic high school and had been a practising Christian ever since I could  remember, I couldn't say that I understand the Bible, then and now.

Yes, there had been episodes in my life that I had taken to reading the Bible - those were the days when there were troubles and woes. But going to mass had been a constant.

In Jersey City, I attended Sunday mass at the St. Aedan Church near Journal Square and also at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church on Westside.

In Steubenville, Ohio, me, my sisters and their families went to the Holy Rosary Parish Church, a stone's throw away from our house.

In Toronto, I first attended masses at the St. Patrick's Church in Mississauga, then at St. Anne's in Gerrard, at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help near St. Clair and Mt. Pleasant, and finally at the Blessed John XXIII Church.

When I was working in Manhattan, I would walk to the Our Lady of Victory Church on William St. for its 12:15 pm mass, and then grabbed a bite before heading back to my office which was near New York's Federal Reserve Bank, where at one time,  I witnessed a man jumped to his death from one of the building's upper windows. Whew!

When our office moved midtown, I discovered a church called St. Malachy "the Actor's Chapel" at 57th Street.  Then on Wednesdays, I'd take a fast-paced walk to St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue and on to Macy's for its Wednesday special sale. Those were the days.

Back in Toronto, I attended some Sunday masses at the St. Michael's Cathedral located at Dundas and Church streets.

In my extended stay in Manila, I re-discovered the local church in our Village, the San Andres Apostol Paris Church. Ably shepherded by Fr. Vic Flores, San Andres Apostol is a young parish, going on its third year  this coming November  although it had been a chapel for some 19 years already.

Facade of the newly completed San Andres Apostol Parish Church at Greenwoods.

The San Andres Apostol Parish Church boasts of an active Catholic community with a vibrant Marriage Encounter group called IHHMEC  (Immaculate Heart of Mary Marriage Encounter) and several other organizations with adult and youth memberships.

Previous to my regular attendance at the San Andres Apostol, I had been hearing masses and novenas at the Eucharistic Chapel of the Risen Lord at the Megamall.

Lately, I longed to have a deeper understanding of the Word of God, and alas, barely a few days after, our Parish Priest announced that a Basic Bible Seminar I would be held at our parish. So for two consecutive Saturdays, I listened and heard.

•      That the Bible is a Book, and as a Book, it should be read, studied, prayed, lived, and shared with a larger community.

So now, a Bible is prominently displayed in the house's altar, and a candle perpetually lighted near it.

Graduation Photo, Basic Bible Seminar I participants. From the facebook account of San Andres Apostol Parish.  Author at top most row, second from the right.

It will be read, studied, prayed, lived and shared.  These were the promises we, the Basic Bible Seminar I graduates, made on Graduation Day last Sept. 29th, 2012.

Praise God.