Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent

The Catholic Church in the Philippines teaches the importance of Ash Wednesday as the beginning of the Lenten season. On this day, everyone faithful is encourage to fast, abstain and do charity (these shall also be practiced on Good Friday). The cross on the forehead signifies a reminder that all of us must admit our sins and repent for we are all from ashes and will soon end as ashes.

Lent also known as "Quaresma" that means Forty in Latin, is observed before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter vigil. Though the total number of days from Ash Wednesday till Easter is 46, when lent was observed, the 6 Sundays were exempt from lent as Sunday was considered as day of celebration of the resurrection of our Lord.

Lenten season is a period of preparation for the passion week, which begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter, the main and biggest feast of the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. Jesus began His ministry with fasting for 40 days and nights (Mathew 4 : 2) and finally ended with His sacrifice on the cross. In the old testament, we have a number of instances where people fasted, the more notable one is the fasting of Nineveh (Jonah 3 : 5) and even the king of Nineveh sat in ashes.(Jonah 3 : 6)

Traditionally, the palms of the previous year (of Palm Sunday) are burnt and the ash is made and blessed and put on the foreheads of the faithful on Ash Wednesday using the words, remember you are dust and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3 : 19) or repent (turn away from your sins) and believe in the gospel (Mark 1 : 15).

The faithful go for the way of the cross which is conducted every Friday during this period. People also give up certain habits like smoking, drinking alcohol etc.

The colour of the vestments to be worn by the priests during the Mass, is purple, except on 19th March, the feast of Saint Joseph, 25th March, the feast of annunciation and on Maundy Thursday the colour would be white, while on Palm Sunday and on Good Friday it will be red.

Though Lenten season looks like a difficult period, it is certainly the most joyful period, as we are united in prayer and are spiritually preparing to celebrate the greatest feast – Easter. So, if you are making sacrifices during this period, do it cheerfully, (God loves a cheerful giver..... 2 Corinthians 9 : 7) for the love of Jesus who died for us. It is a way of saying “Thank you Jesus.”

Just a little sacrifice will make this day a meaningful one.

(contains excerpts from unknown authors)

Valentine's Day and the patron of hearts

Let's have a little religious side on this day of hearts.

The history of Valentine's day (including the story of its patron saint) is still a mystery up to this generation. As a matter of fact, the Catholic Church recognizes three saint named Valentinus or Valentine, all were martyred.

One legend said that Valentine was a priest who served Rome in the third century. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than men with wives and children, he outlawed marriage for young men. As Valentine realized the injustice of the law, he secretly performed marriages for young lovers. The emperor discovered his actions and Valentine was put to death on February 14, 269 AD.

Other stories say that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons and experienced tortures. According to a legend, prisoner Valentine actually sent the very first "valentine greeting" after he fell in love with a young girl (probably the jailor's daughter who visited him often). Allegedly before his death, he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine" an expression still used at present time.

Immaculate Conception: what does it mean?

The Immaculate Conception is a Catholic dogma, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, with a splash Ineffabilis Deus, which claims that the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from original sin, from the first moment of conception: The Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved for special grace and privilege of almighty God, in anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ the Savior of mankind, free from all stain of original sin. In fact, the Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that explains how Mary was protected from original sin, has not had a sin nature and is, in fact, sinless. So the dogma tells us that Mary was conceived by his mother Elizabeth, with the privilege not to carry the original sin that Adam and Eve, we all carry with us at the time of conception. This conception is celebrated on December 8 for the reason that this date precedes the nine months, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If this feast falls during Advent is a sheer coincidence that has nothing to do with Christmas. However, we can see, clearly, the relationship with the birth of Jesus, God preserved Mary from original sin, to prepare a worthy dwelling place for Christ incarnate.

"In the sky there appeared a great sign, a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and cried out in labor ..." (Rev 12: 1-2). The "woman", which immediately suggests the idea of ​​wife and mother refers to the covenant of God with his people, often expressed in terms of nuptial love. And the woman clothed with the sun-the people, the light of God surrounds it. The "woman" has around her head a crown of twelve stars that evoke a whole together and all the people of God (12 tribes, 12 apostles). This "woman" is the assembly of the Church, is Christ who gives birth to son, which was founded by the Church as he had also told Paul to the Galatians. Son undermined by the Evil One, in fact: It appeared a second sign, a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and ten crowns on the heads .. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, to devour her child when she was born (AP12, 3-4). The dragon is "the antico, serpent called the devil, who satana" (AP12, 9) which acts by entering human history, creeping into the structures of social life, in the centers of power, but not touching the Son { been brought to God } (AP12, 5).


In 1858, the same Mary appeared in Lourdes, Bernadette said to be the Immaculate Conception, and was to confirm the dogma promulgated by the Church in 1854.


The precursor of this long journey, for the promulgation of the dogma, was S. Anselm of Canterbury (1109), but he developed his thought in the sense strongly in favor of the Immaculate Conception, was his disciple Eadmer (1134). He was the first to write a treatise on the subject, which says that the popular faith is universal on this point, and that this wisdom is wiser than the learned. Eadmer lays the foundation for the Church in 1854, 720 years later, promulgated the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.


We can not and must not forget that the Holy Rosary is an eloquent prayer in which it is clear this dogma, as well as the litany that we always remember: "Queen conceived without sin, pray for us."

Manila Day: "Escapade to Baguio"

June 24 is declared as a non-working holiday in celebration of the 439th Araw ng Maynila (Manila Day). With much anticipation of a vacation, me and my fellows decided to make the most out of it for a holiday. And we decided to travel all the way to Baguio - the country's summer capital!

Quite awkward, isn't it, that it's already rainy season? But this is really so much fun. We will stay at the coldest part of the Philippines for four days so you can read most of my entries about it on the following days to come. So in the mean time, let me share you my first day here in Baguio City.

The following photos were shot at the orchidarium. I was never fascinated with flowers until I saw different kinds of it in rows and columns, with different colors and sizes. Totally, the place will enchant your eyes and overflow your sight with beautiful hues.

This is the herbal plants section. Not so colorful in pictures but I'm so happy to learn how they magically cure simple illnesses that commercial drugs also do. Below are samples of the flowers you will find in the orchidarium.

It's the frog actually, not the plant.. Well, anyway, we got some solemn moment there coinciding with the heavy rains of the city. I had the chance to climb the 100steps stairway to the Baguio Cathedral of the Our Lady of Atonement and the experience is quite rewarding. This is my first time visiting the church in my second time of travel to Baguio.

This is the most fun of the activities we did today. We enjoyed the boat riding at the Burnham Park. It is my first time to row a swan-boat with three passengers. I was so thankful that i drove the boat smoothly.

A lone branch of a tree. Actually, no significant event that I can associate it with. Just to end this post, expect more to come in the succeeding entries.