August 27,2009 * 2:00 a.m.

I am very happy feeling God’s love now that I don’t worry anymore. I have decided to let God do the worrying. But I guess He does not worry either. He just does His will whenever we pray “Thy will be done.” Isn’t it funny that we fret and blame others for every media hype? We immediately want laws to be passed to compel others to obey so that everything will be all right. Aren’t we just being pharisaical? Jesus did not like the Pharisees because they made too many rules. Jesus just wants us to trust God and to live by what He says. Will you still worry when you obey what He said “Fear not! Do not be afraid. I am with you till the end of time.”

“Love one another as I have loved you.” Thank You, Lord! Alleluia!

A Tribute to Tita Cory

I was never a fan of celebrities. But when providence intervenes we cannot reject whatever we have that comes from God. Tita Cory (as many of us call the late President Corazon Aquino), like all of us, comes from God. Her being celebrity makes her so different from us in so many ways.

1. 1. Tita Cory is a woman of prayer so she is always in constant contact with God. Can we imagine what a wonderful world we will have if all world leaders especially men will be persons of prayer?
   
   
2. Answers to women’s clamor for equality with men began only in the 80’s year of the Aquarius, although the Bible, particularly in Genesis, says that God created them man and woman. Tita Cory was insulted when Marcos said that women are good for bed only. And one newspaper columnist became the object of her ire when he wrote that she hid under her bed during the first coup attempt against her administration.
   
   
3. Tita Cory did not ask to be president of the country. In her reluctance she had to ask for a million signatures before she decided to say yes. Everybody knows she did not compete with her husband who died a senator. She died as president of her country.
   
   
4. Tita Cory is a disappointment to elitists because she is only a housewife. Honors and adulations not only in her country but throughout the world were given her without she working for them. Even the poorest of the poor love her and she loved God through them.
   
   
5. She did not need to manipulate to make beautiful events happen. They just happened in God’s own time. She did not practise magic. Her presence in life and even in death is magic.
   
   
6. She is eucharist or thanksgiving personified. Thank You, God, for giving us Tita Cory. Thank you, Tita Cory.

Prayers for Seniors

A prayer that I find so consoling was given to us who attended the reunion of retired employees of the Court of Appeals (Manila, Philippines) at Jade Vine Restaurant on March 4, 2005. I want to share it with those who like me are in our bonus years hoping and praying that it would appeal to all who read it and to share it with others too.

This Time In My Life

I may be growing old, dear Lord, but I'll never outgrow my need to talk with You. I thank You for helping me to get this far. May You continue to watch over me each day.

You are my dearest Friend, and You know I've had my ups and downs in my life. Although there have been some sorrows, I've also been blessed with many joys. Now that I'm in my later years, please give me the strength and energy to carry on in the best ways I can. I'm so glad to be alive, Lord. Keep me safe from harm. Let me be as free as possible from any health and money worries.

I hope to take things a little easier at this time in my life. Of course, at my age, I'm not able to do as much as I used to. I'm slower now and sometimes it takes me a while to get going. So please help others to be kind, patient and understanding toward me. And may I always remember to treat them the same way.

Let me look forward to each new day, Lord. Be merciful and bless my remaining years with happiness and loved ones who care. Amen.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the gift of life, and for the blessing to be among those who know You are the Son of God.

Thank You for the gift of sight that lets me see the wondrous things You made and for my soul to help me see beyond my sight.

Thank You for all the things and specially my heart in which You placed magnetic seeds of grace that draw me forever to Your love.

I know You hold me forever in the palm of Your hand and shield me with Your Holy Face. Yet as years go by, Lord, I fear the yoke of sickness and pain and worry how life will end.

And so I humbly come to ask You, Lord, that when my time comes to leave here below, do not call me by sudden death, not by accident that tears the body apart, not by illness that leaves my mind confused or the senses impaired, not at the mercy of evil forces, not with a heart filled with hate or a body racked with pain, not abandoned, lonely, without love or care, not by my own hand in a moment of despair.

Jesus, let death come as a gentle friend to sit and linger with me until You call my name.

Then let me enter Your Heavenly home to receive Your final gift of grace to be near You forever and look upon the divine countenance of Your Holy Face.

Bonus Years

It gives me joy to be reminded everyday that after 70, I am living my bonus years. Praise the Lord! Thank You, Lord!

With this joy comes the search for meaning. What am I living for?

Looking back to my younger years I recall that my Grade IV teacher made us write our first theme “My Ambition” twice. The first time I wrote that I wanted to be a clown, obviously to make others happy. I did not become a clown by profession but I still am looking for opportunities to laugh and make others laugh. I am fond of joke books and joke sections in magazines are my priorities .

The second time I wrote about my ambition, I wanted to be a saint. But since we were taught since childhood that God is very serious in making us obey Him and He is ever ready to punish us when we do otherwise. For so long I believed that saints are forbidden from laughing. So how can I be a clown and a saint at the same time?

Lately, I began assuming that if God doesn’t laugh loud enough for us to hear maybe He smiles at our obstinacy to learn that everything we need to know we learned in kindergarten (according to Robert Fulghum).

“This is the way I wash my hands (sing “Happy Birthday” 2 x while washing your hands to make you 99.9% free from AH1N1 virus}. :-)