Filipino Catholics in the Eyes of Foreigners

Here's something very positive written by a foreigner named Steve Ray, about Filipinos. Steve Ray authored many best-selling books, among which are, Crossing The Tiber (his conversion story), Upon This Rock (on the papacy), and just recently John's Gospel (a comprehensive bible study guide and commentary).

STEVE RAY'S OPEN LETTER TO THE FILIPINO CATHOLICS:

We stepped into the church and it was old and a bit dark. Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front. We didn't know what to expect here in Istanbul , Turkey. I guess we expected it to be a sombre Mass but quiet and sombre it was not - I thought I heard angels joyously singing behind me.

The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful. What I discovered as I spun around to look did not surprise me because I had seen and heard the same thing in other churches around the world. It was not a choir of angels with feathered wings and halos but a group of delightful Filipino Catholics with smiles of delight and joy on their faces as they worshiped God and sang His praises. I had seen this many times before in Rome , in Israel ,in the United States and other countries.

Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God. What are the special traits which characterize these happy people? I will share a few that I have noticed- personal observations- as I have travelled around the world, including visits to the Philippines

FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family. These Filipino Christians did not sit apart from each other in different isles. They sat together, closely. They didn't just sing quietly, mumbling, or simply mouthing the words. No, they raised their voices in harmony together as though they enjoyed the sense of unity and communion among them. They are family even if they are not related.

SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world today. When most of the world's citizens are worried and fretful, I have found Filipinos to have joy and peace - a deep sense of God's love that over shadows them. They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still a sense of happy trust in God and love of neighbour.

THIRD, there is a love for God and for his Son Jesus that is almost synonymous with the word Filipino. There is also something that Filipinos are famous for around the world - their love for the Blessed Mother. Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title for Mary I always hear from their lips is "Mama Mary." For these gentle folks Mary is not just a theological idea, a historical person, or a statue in a church - Mary is the mother of their Lord and their mother as well, their "mama."

The Philippines is a Catholic nation-the only such nation in Asia –and this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world. They are not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church. No, they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth, and everywhere they go they take the joyous gospel of Jesus with them. They make a sombre Mass joyful when they burst into song. They convict the pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the Eucharist central in their lives.

My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines sharing my conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that the Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities. I pray that they will continue loving their families, loving the Catholic Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the Eucharist.

As many other religions and sects try to persuade them to leave the Church, may God give the wisdom to defend the Catholic faith. As the world tempts them to sin and seek only money and fame and power, may God grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and love for God is far more important than all the riches the world can offer.

May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be a light of the Gospel to the whole world!

Be a proud Filipino.

The Beauty of Mathematics

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321


Now, take a look at this...


101%
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to
GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

If:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

A Mouse Trap Story

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain? The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning :
There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. " " I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray.

"Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital , and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.

To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.

So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

_____________________________________

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

REMEMBER…

EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY;
OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

Yodz and Lolo Mangyan

YODZ and LOLO MANGYAN in the 21st Century
YODZ: Yodz Computer Store... Can I help you?
LOLO MANGYAN: Thanks. I’m setting up an office in my den, and I’m thinking about buying a computer.
YODZ: Mac?
LOLO MANGYAN: No, the name’s LOLO MANGYAN.
YODZ: Your computer?
LOLO MANGYAN: I don’t own a computer. I want to buy one.
YODZ: Mac?
LOLO MANGYAN: I told you, my name’s LOLO MANGYAN.
YODZ: What about Windows?
LOLO MANGYAN: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
YODZ: Do you want a computer with Windows?
LOLO MANGYAN: I don’t know. What will I see when I look in the windows?
YODZ: Wallpaper.
LOLO MANGYAN: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
YODZ: Software for Windows?
LOLO MANGYAN: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What have you got?
YODZ: Office.
LOLO MANGYAN: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
YODZ: I just did.
LOLO MANGYAN: You just did what?
YODZ: Recommend something.
LOLO MANGYAN: You recommended something?
YODZ: Yes.
LOLO MANGYAN: For my office?
YODZ: Yes
LOLO MANGYAN: OK, what did you recommend for my office?
YODZ: Office.
LOLO MANGYAN: Yes, for my office!
YODZ: I recommend Office with windows.
LOLO MANGYAN: I already have an office and it has windows! OK, let’s just say, I’m sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
YODZ: Word.
LOLO MANGYAN: What word?
YODZ: Word in Office.
LOLO MANGYAN: The only word in office is office.
YODZ: The Word in Office for Windows.
LOLO MANGYAN: Which word in office for windows?
YODZ: The Word you get when you click the blue W
LOLO MANGYAN: I’m going to click your blue w if you don’t start with some straight answers. OK, forget that. Can I watch movies on the Internet?
YODZ: Yes, you want Real One.
LOLO MANGYAN: Maybe a real one, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of your business. Just tell me what I need!
YODZ: Real One.
LOLO MANGYAN: If it’s a long movie I also want to see reel 2, 3 & 4. Can I watch them?
YODZ: Of course.
LOLO MANGYAN: Great, with what?
YODZ: Real One.
LOLO MANGYAN: OK, I’m at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do?
YODZ: You click the blue 1
LOLO MANGYAN: I click the blue one what?
YODZ: The blue 1.
LOLO MANGYAN: Is that different from the blue W?
YODZ: The blue 1 is Real One and the blue W is Word.
LOLO MANGYAN: What word?
YODZ: The word in office for windows.
LOLO MANGYAN: But there’s three words in office for windows!
YODZ: No, just one. but it’s the most popular word in the world
LOLO MANGYAN: It is?
YODZ: Yes, but to be fair, there aren’t many other words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other words out there.
LOLO MANGYAN: And that word is real one?
YODZ: Real One has nothing to do with Word. Real One isn’t even part of Office.
LOLO MANGYAN: Stop! Don’t start that again. What about financial bookkeeping? Do you have anything I can track my money with?
YODZ: Money.
LOLO MANGYAN: That’s right. What do you have?
YODZ: Money.
LOLO MANGYAN: I need money to track my money?
YODZ: It comes bundled with your computer.
LOLO MANGYAN: What’s bundled to my computer?
YODZ: Money
LOLO MANGYAN: Money comes with my computer?
YODZ: Yes. No extra charge.
LOLO MANGYAN: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
YODZ: One copy
LOLO MANGYAN: Isn’t it illegal to copy money?
YODZ: Microsoft gave us a license to copy money.
LOLO MANGYAN: They can give you a license to copy money?
YODZ: Why not, they own it....

The Hidden Meaning of "Yodz Insigne"

I find this cool stuff about finding hidden meaning of names. I tried it and, well the description is exactly me... so I posted it here.

"Yodz Insigne" - hidden meaning

You are wild and outrageous. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are incredibly wise and perceptive. You have a lot of life experience. You are a natural peacemaker, and you are especially good at helping others get along. But keeping the peace in your own life is not easy. You see things very differently, and it's hard to get you to budge. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life. You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone. Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I Think I Needed A More Mature Blog Entries

Today, I decided to read all my blog entries. I find it odd because, of all the online geeks out there, it should be me who should be reading and updating it more often for corrections, coherence and content. While reading my entries, I find it a little childish, which is understandable because I am childish. I think I needed more mature compositions nowadays, not that I am already 28, but because a more informative subjects is I think, more nicer to read. I also tried to check how old is my blog. I am surprised because it is already four years!

THE AGE OF MY BLOG (as of the date and time of this entry)
years: 4.60 months: 55 days: 1680 hours: 40312 minutes: 2418700 seconds: 145122013
Milli seconds: 14512201300 weeks: 11758 Day of My first Blog Tuesday

I sometimes feel like deleting some incoherent entries in this blog but I decided not to. I don’t care what others will say anyway. I think I should also start a new blog dedicated for the great and not so cool books I read and also for the movies I watched. And another blog regarding the development of my thesis.

Hmmm…. I really need to manage my time well then.

I Love You Yodz Insigne

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you.

He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Yodz Insigne."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Yodz crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from Cavite and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Yodz just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Yodz never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Yodz added, "And think of me."

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but she felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Yodz .

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a thousand peso bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her thousand peso bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Under the napkin were 30 more 1,000 peso bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Yodz Insigne."

There is an old saying "What goes around comes around."