Sparkling

Sparkling

First Amaryllis of this May!

"What is it?" Dao asked me.
"It's an amaryllis," I answered.

She gazed doubtfully upon the slender plain stems poking out of the pot.
"It's a flower?" she asked slowly.
"Yes.  I know you don't see any leaves on it and the bud is quite flat, but it's a flower." I reassured her.

I had just come home from Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish and my arms were full of gifts.
Candy, snacks, fried shrimp, lotion, with knick knacks.  And the amaryllis.
All from catechists who wanted to spoil me and my community for Christmas.

The amaryllis peeked out from the tall gift bag.

According to Greek mythology, Amaryllis was a shy shepherdess who fell deeply in love with Alteo, a shepherd with the strength of Hercules and the beauty of Apollo.  Her affections were not returned and she hoped to win his heart by giving him what held his attention:  flowers.  Following the instructions of the oracle of Delphi, Amaryllis dressed in maiden's white and appeared at Alteo's door for 30 nights, each time piercing her heart with a golden arrow.  At last Alteo opened his door and he found a striking crimson flower, sprung from the blood of Amaryllis's heart.

"Amaryllis" means sparkling in Greek.
Its brilliant showy flowers has become popular Christmas centerpieces and favorite gifts because it can re-bloom year after year.

In fact, up to 75 years.
No wonder it symbolizes pride and determination. 

Determination is the flip side of endurance.
And what produces endurance?

Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5: 3 - 5)

No wonder the flower can bloom up to 75 years.
It sprung from a bleeding heart.

What kind of flowers are you planting?

Dedicated to Mary in this month of May.

ps.  This blog is late in coming as I meant it to be a thank-you note to those who gave me these Christmas gifts.  I know I have their forgiveness.

ps2.  http://www.ehow.com/facts_5836495_history-amaryllis-flower.html

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Blessing

Blessing

"Fr. Alex was here today," Sr. Jacinta Ngân said.
"Oh?  Is he back from his sabbatical already?" Sr. Terry Thủy asked.
"Yes.  He came with gifts, little Jerusalem crosses for each of us," Sr. Jacinta Ngân continued.

Last year, Fr. Alex had come to say Mass twice for our convent because the priests nearby at St. Luke's was tied up with First Reconciliation for over 900 kids.  He had wanted to come more often, yet we feared for his safety.  He was over 80 years of age and his home was a good 20 minutes from our convent.

"He asked me what was the name of the sister that worked at the hospital, the one he worked with," Sr. Jacinta Ngân elaborated with a twinkling smile.  "I told him, Sr. Janine, Father, Sr. Janine."

We giggled at Fr. Alex's lapse in memory.  It was amazing that he served as a chaplain at Parkland Hospital to over 1000 Catholic patients and still remembered the location of our convent.

"Oh yes, oh yes, Father said.  Then he let opened it up.  Let me go get it."  Sr. Jacinta Ngân got up from the dinner table.

"For Sr. Geanina!" Sr. Jacinta Ngân crowed with delight as she handed me the parchment.

Geanina?


To Sr. Geanina and Mary Queen Sister.

An apostolic blessing from the Pope to our community.
And myself.

I told the sisters "Geanina" is my new name.
Because that is how the pope knows me.

Actually, I don't mind being called Sr. Geanina.

To be named is to become real.
To be remembered is to be gifted.
To be remembered by a priest who has served our Lord faithfully for 60 years is indeed a blessing.

In honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the one who "kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."  (Lk 2:19)


More on papal apostolic blessing:
http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/worship/papal_blessings.php
http://www.diocesetucson.org/officeofbishop2.html

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Define

Define

"What is a saint?" Fr. Jaime asked.

Hands shot up in the church.
"Some one who is holy," a little girl replied.

One can spy miniatures St. Patrick, St. Rose, St. Jean of Arc, and others wiggling in the pews.
It was the Feast of All Saints and the children from St. Luke's School had come to Mass.

"What is a saint?" Father asked again.
"Some one you can pray to."
"Some one who loves God a lot."

"Last night, I saw a lot of trick-or-treaters.  Some of them were dressed like superhero characters like Batman and Wolverine.  But their powers aren't real.  It's fake because these are just stories.  But the saints, their power is real!" Father paused.

"What is a saint?"
"Some one who doesn't watch TV!" 

Jesus called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."  (Mt 18:2-3)

 ps.  Angelo, posing in front of my "failed banana bread" the past summer.  He thought it was awesome that he got to help out!  I had forgotten to put sugar in!

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Control

Control

"She had just lost her baby.  It's been three hours.  And she was still holding on to it."

I looked at Carlos carefully.
He was the head of the Women and Infants Department at the hospital, 15+ years a chaplain, and a nurse.

"I told her it was time to let go.  Time to let God take control.  Time to take control of myself.  Blah, blah, blah, you know what I mean," Carlos continued in a playful tone.  A smile was beginning to break on his face.

It was not usual for Carlos to view death as someone else's loss.
He was a man of deep sensitivity.

"She looked at me after I was yakking my mouth for almost 30 minutes... Then I smelled it... Gas!"  He stopped as giggles began to engulf his sentences.

"Then she looked at me and said, 'Some things you can't control!'"

ps.  Memories of my days as a chaplain at the hospital.

Photo Credit:  http://www.xda-developers.com/android/get-more-control-of-your-htc-sensation-with-takecontrol/

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ART

ART

"There were a lot of priests in there," Lyly noted.
"And a bishop.  5 priests and our auxiliary bishop," I added.

The room was jam-packed.
Although the workshop was set in mid-afternoon, not one person nodded off.

A multi-billion dollar industry.
Minimal regulations.
Innovative research.

"We say we're going to get married and have children," Angelique Ruhi-López said.
"Perhaps we might want to consider saying that we receive children," Carmen Santamaría, her co-speaker shared.

"If it is to have children, then we feel entitled to them," Santamaría continued.
"Hence, all these procedures to have a baby.  Have you seen the adds for egg donors?  $5,000.00 - $10,000.00.  And these young women take drugs to hyperstimulate their ovaries so that instead of producing one mature egg a month, they are producing 10-20.  Do we know the effects of pumping drugs into young women?  No.  Yet, it is still being done," Ruhi-López pointed out.

ART.
Or Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Is it really an art?
Or playing a twisted game of Sorry! as certain embryos will be frozen indefinitely while others will "be chosen" to come to full term.

SHE.*
Sara - Hannah - Elizabeth.
She three in the Bible that faced childlessness.
And ridicule.

Times have not changed.
Except some doctors are willing to take God's place.

One in six couples face infertility.
How will I stand by them?

As a witness to a God who can give through mystery?
Or a believer of technology that becomes certain person's life-denying playthings?

Ps.  Workshop was titled "What Does the Catholic Church teach about Assisted Reproductive Technology" by Angelique Ruhi-López and Carmen Santamaría.

It was at the UD Ministry the past weekend.

ps2. *A title taken from the speakers' book, "The Infertility Companion for Catholics."

         www.catholicinfertilityjourney.com

ps3.  Photo credit: ultimatechase.com

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