Living in Faith

In some blogs here, I featured St. Padre Pio Pietrelcina Chapel in Libis, Quezon City which we usually visit but not regularly. Then I saw this Christmas tree made out of probably thousands of different rosaries. Amazing 🙂

Thank you Philippine Star.

 

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Something To Think About

“You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart; in fact on certain occasions you should speak to Him only with your heart… One searches for God in books. One finds Him in meditation.”

Happy Feast Day St. Padre Pio, one of my favorite saints.

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Faith

I have often raised my hand in the silence of the night and in my solitary cell, blessing you all and presenting you to Jesus and to our seraphic father, St. Francis of Assisi. – St. Pio of Pietrelcina

I have often said in my previous blogs that when you are touched by God’s graces more than you ever expect, your heart sings with joy and gratitude.

The arch at the back entrance at Padre Pio Chapel. Notice  the rosaries hanging there. A tremendous and overwhelming show of faith.

Yesterday, I was so blessed to be able to visit St. Padre Pio Chapel again after more than three months. This time, I was with some friends and a healing priest. Fr. Cris Bautista, MS  belongs to the congregation of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette.  I was there earlier than the appointed time because I want to pray the rosary inside the chapel and write my petitions at the prayer room of St. Francis  of Assisi. I am always touched by the silence and beauty of the place.  I saw some visitors too wearing head gears, hats and caps with matching face masks. Deep in my heart I know that some of them are cancer patients or maybe cancer survivors like I am. Until now, I still wear face masks too when I am in the middle of a crowd and when I am traveling in a public conveyance. There was even a patient in a wheelchair being fed via an intravenous tube attached to his body.

The silent moments, the peace within, the joy of visiting a sacred place to pray.  I always feel so blessed every time I have the opportunity to come here. This time though, I call it a truly blessed Saturday for me and my friends. Fr. Cris prayed with us, anointed us with Holy Oil and we sang with him songs for Mama Mary  (Salve Regina) , we prayed in thanksgiving  for our health and healing – memorable moments that made my day complete, and the tears flowed freely while Fr. Cris was praying with us.  What a beautiful message faith brings, trusting in the Lord’s goodness, secure in His love.

I posted this simple prayer at our online page this morning.

I choose to be brave

I choose to be strong

I choose to have an unshakable faith despite the raging storms in my life.

St. Padre Pio, please pray for me.

Mama Mary, thank you.

Lord Jesus, bless me.

Fr. Cris gave us rosaries and prayer pamphlets of  Padre Pio. September 23 is a special day for Padre Pio devotees. It is his feast day. I’ve long wanted to buy a biography of Padre Pio. One of these days, I will visit St. Paul’s publication to find one.

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The Angel And The Dove

Yesterday, my son,  her girlfriend Jovy  and I visited Padre Pio Chapel in Libis, Quezon City. This is Jovy’s first time to visit the place so we toured her around the gardens after spending some time inside the chapel and at the prayer room of St. Francis of Assisi. I always feel blessed and energized every time I visit this lovely place. Never mind that I am still dragging my left foot while walking. I haven’t been here for a year and I really missed the place. One thing that I enjoy  and always look forward to  is writing prayer petitions. It was a wondrous communion with God. Despite the  knee pain, I found it easier to kneel and the flow of words kept coming. Mere thanksgiving is not enough, asking for more blessings  seems a little selfish but that is what I did – praying for the family and for my health.

I took lots of pictures  which I will use for my online apostolate.  One thing  that I found so amazing and so beautiful  are the pictures of a dove perched at the statue of an angel in a corner of the garden. It seemed as if it was saying “welcome” to us.  Don’t laugh but I said “hello” and it just turned its head the other way, maybe acknowledging our presence there in the heat of the morning sun. Doves have long been depicted as symbols of  love, peace and as messengers.  White doves are often used during weddings too.

When I was a little younger, I thought doves always come in white. I later learned that there is a dove-gray color like this.

 

Oh look, it has turned its head seemingly saying, “Isn’t she lovely?” while looking at the angel figure behind.

 

Will post more pictures of Padre Pio chapel in my next blog. Just could not get enough.

 

 

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Saint Padre Pio Chapel

Always humble yourself lovingly before God and man, because God speaks to those who are truly humble of heart, and enriches them with His gifts. – St. Padre Pio

There are places where we really feel at home, places where you long to be closer to the Lord and experience that inner tranquil peace that one normally does not  experience in such a noisy world such as ours.  The very first time I visited St. Padre Pio Chapel in Libis, Quezon City, I was struck by the lovely interior of the place and the prayer room was such that when I began writing my prayer petitions, thoughts came freely, unhampered by the movements of other people who kneeled side by side with me writing their own prayers and thoughts on paper.  I’ve longed to visit the place since a former classmate suggested it when I had my chemotherapy more than two years ago. Come to think of it, it’s a walking distance from Eastwood City and just about a few minutes ride from our place but I never knew it existed.  Since that first visit, I always planned of attending masses there.  It’s full during Sundays and parking is nil unless you come one hour early before the scheduled mass. Proper dress code is strictly implemented – no shorts, no sleeveless dresses, no plunging necklines which I think is just right. People from all walks of life come to this place for a visit.

The facade was patterned after the Church of Our Lady of Grace in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy where St. Padre Pio spent most of his remaining years until his death.  I remember taking these shots during Padre Pio’s Feast Day last September 23, 2011 when I attended mass there.

This is the main altar of the Chapel where a life-size  image of St. Padre Pio is venerated by the faithful.

 

The Prayer Room

Lighting candles is always one of the highlights of my visit here.

The place is adjacent to the high-rise buildings of Eastwood City.

 

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