Are our hearts shut like this little library’s doors? Or blurred by netting of past grievances, just like the avocados? Or empty like the sardine can, yet precious body oil to the Mangyans?
I requested hubby to go buy Spam. He got back quickly: “I will sell for $10. That was a high – risk errand.” I laughed. I then brewed coffee, poured it into his favorite mug. “Here’s your coffee, for $30.” We both laughed.
(L) Lunch prepared by hubby, sardines on #homemade#cranberry#walnut #sourdoughbread he baked and from avocados and calamansi in our backyard. (R) Hubby went on a high – risk errand to buy what I planned to make: spam musubi.
He then made us lunch, using canned sardines, avocado, calamansi both from our backyard and the cranberry walnut sourdough bread he baked.
Find gratitude each day, and be mindful of all you have and not what you want.
Dad of @heylindshay, mom of a son and quadruplets.
These beautiful fragrant roses are from my neighbor’s front lawn.The little library that was a gathering place for nannies, not anymore during #CoronaVirus. I worry about them.
One summer in college, friends and I took the ferry and traveled to a friend’s ranch in Mindoro. After the ride, we rode an open bed truck that gave us a good dousing of brown dust. We arrived with dust in our hair, and white turned into light brown t-shirt. We took our shower and next am, we had tapa from deer, a gift from the locals. She asked if we were ready to visit the Mangyans.
Excited, we took our gifts of spam and sardines. I expected spam would excite them. Instead, they opened the sardines, took the oil and rubbed it all over their bodies. They believed this precious oil would keep their skin supple and soft. What I viewed as trash, was precious oil to them.
Empty sardine can with precious oil to the Mangyans I met in college.
I woke up raring to go. I was prepared for an encounter with the Lord at Holy Family Artesia.
Savor the life the Lord the Lord gave us. We are being taught by Him a longing for the Eucharist, not as a habit, but a belief that Jesus will give us life. He is the Bread of Life. May the Lord’s life we all seek, that will only give us true satisfaction in this unsatisfying world!
Fr. John Cordero
Thank you Facebook for livestreaming without glitches.
I took a break from posting my reflections. Mistake, as writing about what I learn from homilies is my lifeline to God, my own encounter of Him, that a livestreamed mass gets me sobbing, realizing the depths of God”s love for mankind.
We now can see the snow-covered Himalayas as skies in India are without pollution.
The ozone hole in the Northern Hemisphere has healed, where before the sun’s rays could penetrate to fry us all. Imagine that!
We now have more billionaires contributing their wealth: Facebook donated to help frontliners’ fatigue by housing them near hospitals, and FB created a multimillion fund for local newspapers. We have wealthy folks participating in keeping guardians of local democracy alive and for the common good.
Oil that peaked to $140 per barrel in 2005, before the recession in 2007, is now at -$40 per barrel, cheaper than prices since 1870.
Hands are actively serving others.
Squads of aunties are sewing masks, hundreds and thousands of them to protect the Navajos and the prisoners to be released in Adelanto. I wanted to help so I donated a meal to one of them, which she split into meals. That was the best expenditure I made that day.
Folks are mostly awake to help others. Cafe Dulce, owned by James Choi buys meals from restaurants in Little Tokyo and Arts District, starting w/ $1,000donation now at $20,000 and twice a week, folks come to pick up dinners. What a treat for seniors!
Our profession of our faith is foreever. Our faith is tested by fires, even by this #CoronaVirus.
I woke up weary, sad and tired. Still, I cleaned the bathroom, baked banana bread, and prepared dinner. Hubby made his bread and did the laundry.
(1) Banana bread made with chocolate chips and walnuts (2) Avocado with butter mochi also known as bibingka, my breakfast.
After attending mass twice, one with Vatican’s Pope Francis and with Holy Family Artesia, a walk in the backyard, I am energized again.
I am happy that New Zealand is opening up their economy, construction & manufacturing. Signs of more recovery perhaps?
Do we emerge better people, consciously caring and serving others or do we become hoarders of wealth, stuff, and complainers?
To celebrate my dad’s birthday, I acted as a bridge, the connector plank, so friends can continue their kindness to others.
So to sew more masks, I sent a friend ube pancake mix. To a professional whose acupuncture clinic is deemed non-essential, I sent gifts for my two children in advance to help him connect and to feed the needy. To enable a digital artist to assist others, I bought her dinner for her family so she doesn’t have to cook. To help a friend launch her app and website, I ordered through her, breakfasts for priests. To my cleaning lady, I asked her not to come, enjoy her days with family but, still paid her. To help another artist feeding his community by cooking adobo, I made a small contribution of 3 pounds out of 75 pounds he has done on his own since shutdown.
Little good things can bring so much good. Discern the good things, the little seeds that produce so much fruit. Those are the little things we can multiply in our lives.
Fr. John Cordero
Whenever Pope Francis does a homily, it pierces deep into my heart: “Faith is not a social habit. Our faith must go out, beyond ourselves. Faith is transmitted. How? People see how you live. Christians must show their faith, it brings you to give it, part is to reveal God in social practice. It is a mission. It is a social faith. If I say I am a Christian and I live as a Christian-that attracts – no need to proselytize. Instead, faith is a treasure, you offer it in humility in your dealings with others.”
When the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, they ceased to be free.
Edith Hamilton
Dr. Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist in a Ted Talk gave an A rating to Iceland with 10 deaths, New Zealand with 18 deaths and Taiwan with 6 deaths, in the absence of a vaccine and timely response to #CoronaVirus.
US and UK were rated F, failures, Dr. Brilliant said, while Germany and South Korea got B ratings.
I am not sure why he gave F to UK since Italy has 192, 994 cases and 25, 969 deaths, far more than UK.
UK has 144,640 cases and 19, 567. As part of Europe, folks traditionally looked up to UK.
UK’s F rating from Dr. Brilliant is an expectation that UK can do more in recovery rates of its patients, much like Germany. After all, UK prominently helped in stopping prior pandemics. Germany has over 100,000 patients recovered. I hope Germany shares their treatment protocol with F- rated US and UK.
Worldwide:
2, 811. 891 cases
197, 162 deaths in 185 regions
US has 905, 333 cases and 51, 949 deaths. US has more Americans who died in 9 weeks than soldiers who died in Vietnam over 12 years.
Staying home changes what could be a Mount Fuji – like peak into a pulse.
I love my community. They are so loving, thoughtful and supportive. I miss hugging you all as if your Mom looking after your needs. But I know #CoronaVirus just made you all more caring, more artistic, more loving and more thoughtful. Thank you for your living, vibrant and loving hearts. There are too many to thank: the facebook group Support LA’s Filipino Small Businesses, the restaurants who delivered to us even at a far distance like Titas of Manila Filipino Kitchen, Lem Balagot. And how the superior quality of Metro Cafe, Republique were sustained and upheld. Thank you Island Pacific Seafood Market and Giselle Tongi Walters for making groceries, online now. Hooray for your sacrifice and creativity!
Thank you Asian Journal for boosting our morale with stories featuring folks with generosity of hope and spirit and continuing your mission of being our trusted community media voice.
Thank you to the musicians who kept singing, but not just singing, hoping and sharing their excellent music to boost us living in seclusion: Ryan Cayabyab, Lea Salonga, UST Alumni Singers, Pinoy Priests, Pete Avendano, Nicole David Yalong, Josh Nelson, Antoine Reynaldo Diel, Michael Paulo and Mon David.
Thank you to the morale boosting actions of the theater artists and community exchanging ready made adobo and house of pies strawberry pie. They do it at a distance but still show us the #CoronaVirus has not secluded our warm hearts from one another.Thank you Ted Benito for daily doses of laughters from your memes and clever jokes, 99.9% of the time. It shows you care to make us laugh and hope for another day.
Thank you to Max’s and Lucy’s ensaymadas for their first shipment to us, boosting our palates that “All Shall Be Well,” Thea Fernandez Martinez for sustained shipments of Yoli’s alkalete and pur and of course, Ninong’s Pastries and Cafe for developing during this pandemic, Ube Pancake Mix, for breakfast.
Thank you for our fashion designers turned masks makers like Carl Andrada, Oliver Tolentino, Alexis Bong Monsanto and Kenneth Barlis.
Thank you to the sustained efforts of our health frontliners and peace officers who continue to keep us healthy and safe. 34 Californians went to NY and distanced themselves from families so they can save lives.
Thank you to the credible, data-sharing and facts only media like Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times, The Rachel Maddow Show, the New Yorker Magazine.
Thank you Facebook and Instagram for being digital forces for the common good and your Q and As, Marc Zuckerberg and your wife, Patricia.
Thank you for boosting my own spirit, with your sustained digital work Hydee Ursolino and sustained academic work Karen Buenavista Hanna in telling our Filipino and Filipino American stories.
Thank you to our diligent, conscientious public officials who continue to give us the truth but also negotiate with banks on forbearance of student loans for 90 days, no penalties for unpaid mortgage, for knowing how to control down the death rates, valuing our lives as their own. I am truly grateful for Mayor Eric Garcetti, Gavin Newsom, Rob Bonta, even NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Ferrer of LA County Health, and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong for their truthfulness in conveying what they know.
Thank you to our Holy Father Pope Francis, Fr. James Martin, Bishop Marc Trudeau, Bishop Barron, Fr. Dan Leary, Fr. Rolly Clarin, Fr. Rodel G.Balagtas, Fr. John Cordero, Fr. Joachim Ablanida, for sustaining us with deeper insights of the Gospel but also that “All Shall Be Well.”
(Left) My 80 year old neighbor, Larry’s front lawn. His lawn mirrors the beauty of his sweet and thoughtful heart. He was so thoughtful and started the circle of kindness in our neighborhood (Right) Orange pod in our sago palm, which I just noticed. It has been here for over 35 years.
Thank you to my favorite warmhearted 80 yo neighbors, my own loving family I am proud to be part of: my beautiful daughter, my handsome son, my loving granddaughter with upbeat essence of joy who collectively sustain us with groceries, homemade bread, prepared dinners, indoor plants and my foreever love, my dear husband who continues to bake, grow crops, fix stuff, even write OP-eds and my favorite surprise hugs.We all can do more. Like the efforts of our small business leader Johneric Concordia who organized his business to serve food to hospitals, even LASA-LA and RiceBar for their sustained cooking to feed frontliners as well as Romeo Chocolates in Long Beach for reaching out to 150 families with donated 150 bags of groceries from Island Pacific Seafood Supermarket, as they all continue to keep the lights on in their shops.
My favorite beautiful folks in the world, inside and out.
Keeping lights on in her shop is also the worry of Lee Mikuriya, but instead, she organizes her customers to buy e-gift certificates and she had a small goal but her customers rallied with their $20, $100, and she transmitted those to buy sacks of rice to sustain several barangays. We all can transform our worries to feeding others. Temptation of worry to Grace of Feeding Others.
Just like Antonio Whiteley who braved the strong rains to deliver extra candles to his client and commissioned ones just because his clients are family to him, even if his acupuncture clinic is closed.
Let our legacies, collectively not be of worrying, but nurturing a bright future for our children just like these giving and generous folks. Not worrying about our businesses when they might open, but retooling and rebooting them now in service of the greater humanity. #weareonehumanity
And most of all Crash Landing On You – 2019 – 2020 Korean Drama, now with 1.75 billion views on TVN – some have watched it 7 times, I did 3 times and discovered affinity to Koreanovelas and Asian television series.
Just a thought if 1.75 billion watched a great 16 episode series that made us care and become even more warm hearts, perhaps, we all can pray together to find a validated cure and vaccine that will save our lives from #CoronaViruses of all kinds and support the scientists, virologists, epidemiologists, doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists we now have that prolong our lives?
Thank you Lord, God, Holy Spirit, Mama Mary, for giving the opportunities to see what collective prayers can do for us, witnessing miracles of recoveries for a senior nurse in London and a young physician in the Philippines, suffering from #CoronaVirus. We are certain collective prayers are answered, from sincere places of intimate trust and loving hearts. Thank you so much, God Almighty for a reset of humanity towards the common good, truthfulness, love and care for Mother Nature and humanity.
Thank you to our gardeners, cleaning ladies, garbage workers, UPS and FedEx truck drivers, independent delivery folks who keep us sustained, fed and nourished with basic life essentials, as one people.
He taught me unconditional love and generosity of Spirit, even as he was a teenage orphan whose guerrilla parents were assassinated by the Japanese imperial soldiers. He taught me an enduring legacy as a gardener of souls and crops, to do it with loving care. I miss him so much and his stories.
Eleazar is and was Christmas
Fr. Tony Astudillo in his eulogy for him. 20 years ago, April 24, 2000, my father died
I love you all and may our current presence on earth leave it better than we found it: healthier, cleaner, less pollution, less crude, less hateful and more alive, caring and love for one another. –Prosy Delacruz, April 24, 2020 on the 20th death anniversary year of my most generous father, Eleazar, who showed me to live is to love generously, over the top for my mom, his family and his grandchildren. I learned so much from him, including his bad temper, lol
About 250+ joined the livestreamed mass at Holy Family Artesia, presided by Fr. Joachim, who spoke of the gift of Holy Spirit given to those who obey God. God does not ration the gift of the Holy Spirit. I also attended mass at Casa Santa Marta in Rome with Pope Francis. He described the once weak and fearful Peter who denied knowing the Lord was transformed. He accused the high priests in the temple of killing Jesus. He could have taken a compromise, a soft touch, which sometimes we do, the Pope said, to protect our church, but not the Holy Church.
What gave Peter that strength, he asked?
It was Jesus praying for Peter so that his faith may not fail as well as strengthen his brothers’ faith. What Jesus did for Peter, Jesus does for all of us. Contemplate Jesus who shows His wounds to God, one who intercedes for us — Jesus shows the Father the price of our salvation – His wounds. Peter, I will pray for you so your faith does not fail, says Jesus.
Have you realized that Jesus is praying for all of us, in the Church, that we may have Grace, the strength of the Holy Spirit? The Pope also prayed for the suffering poor families with children and how usurers take advantage of them.
Many families are in need that it is heartwarming to know @islandpacificmarket donated 150 bags of groceries to be distributed by @romeochocolates in Long Beach to help the poor.
Our dinner tonight is a team effort: seafood paella from @metrocafela, delivered by my favorite beautiful daughter and granddaughter; harvested lettuce into salad that I made; cinnamon challah baked by @coriput and cranberry walnut bread by @enriquedlz and I roasted asparagus.
It was a great gift of presence and thoughtfulness to exchange efforts, even if we all can’t sit down yet as a family to share meals during this #coronaviruspandemic.
Today is also the feast of St.George and the feast of Pope Francis. Thank you for these beautiful encounters of the divine via Facebook and Vatican News.
So. Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee defied scientists to reopen their public squares. Total deaths in these states as of today are 2,137.
Julian was a 14th century hermit, called anchorite, who lived in a small place next to this Old Church of St. Julian (google photo) in Norwich, 100 miles of London. She chose to live in seclusion, praying often out of her longing for God and reflecting on: black plague causing a third of population to die, wars that enslaved and oppress folks, pestilence, cruelties and inhumanity towards Armenian Christians who pled for help to the Court of King Edward.
Church of St. Julian in Norwich, England. Source: Google Photo Images
My gratitude to Holy Family Artesia whose Bishop Marc Trudeau celebrated the Eucharist today and spoke of Julian, the anchorite who had 16 revelations of God’s Divine Love for humanity, including: “God shall make well all that is not well; and thou shall see it.”
Julian, a woman, pledged vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, seclusion, and permanency of place. Folks held funerals for these anchorites or hermits. After the funeral, the doors were closed to their place, usually a small addition to the side of the church. Bishop described the place of this anchorite or hermit: her secluded room, isolated from the community, with two interior windows – one for the sun to peek in, and another for food containers to be delivered, and a door for her to walk into the sanctuary of the church to receive the Eucharist. She spent 40 years of her life in seclusion. On May 13, 1373, the Lord showed revelations to her, Julian calls them 16 “shewings” in her dream. She was 30 years old. She had a mysterious illness that she thought she would die from, that the priest came to give her the Last Rites. But, she recovered to write 16 revelations on Endless Bliss and Divine Love. She referred to the soul as as sanctuary to a church and sins behave as thick mist before the eyes of the soul, thus unable to see the fairness of God. She wrote them after recovering, and she revised them for 20 years. She is known for her great calmness, power of observation, reflection, discriminating judgment or critical thinking skills, certitude, humor, depth of passion, loyalty in faith, serenity and candor.
God is with us, most especially in our sufferings, not just for us, but with us – God is with us in sufferings, pain, isolation, fear and death. Jesus makes that all holy. May we join Julian and be a light to others. All shall be well!
Bishop Marc Trudeau
I cried for most of the Mass, in part recalling the experiences of the sheperds, the children of Fatima, Portugal and their parents and ancestors who witnessed more than 65% of their population perish from influenza or flu.
I did my research today to learn more about Julian of Norwich and read about her 16 revelations, wrote them and consulted other sources to know about the context of upheaval, terror and chaos during Julian’s time on earth. This 21st century, April 22, 2020, we now have worldwide 2, 623, 415 confirmed cases of #CoronaVirus resulting in 183,027 deaths in 185 countries in 4 months. Palau and Samoa have zero cases. We are experiencing our own plague.In the US, we have 839, 675 confirmed cases and 46, 583 deaths. South Korea has 10, 694 confirmed cases and 238 deaths, while Singapore has 10, 141 confirmed cases and 12 deaths.
I often think about mistakes I may have made, what I could do better. But the one mistake I know I never make is the mistake of not caring.
Hashem Zikry, MD, Mt. Sinai Hospital
Reflections: I am quite grateful that my adult children set the tone of caring for us their elderly parents with co-morbidity factors at the beginning of this pandemic. They nurtured us with love and kindness. They took extra steps of dropping off groceries and prepared dinners for hubby, myself and octogenarian neighbor. We said more I love yous. They gave us love bit more than, hope that our end is not near yet. It is about living to the max to appreciate more love and goodness.
Last night, I kept holding the hand of my husband, grateful that we are both alive. He is busy preparing the soil to plant more vegetable crops for the next season.
I got sentimental last night from the passing of former Senator Sonny Alvarez, who actually got better with the plasma treatment, then died suddenly.
I sent out ensaymadas with gratitude to the four priests ministering to our spiritual needs. If only I can send a box to Pope Francis, a carrier of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you losangelesbuffet.com! Thank you Max’s and Lucy’s Ensaymadas! Thank you all, and my gratitude to Facebook and Instagram for keeping us all connected.
Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the famous Swiss-American psychiatrist and author of the best-selling On Death and Dying, wrote: “It’s not really the dying that’s so hard; dying takes no skill and no understanding. It can be done by anyone. What is hard is living—living until you die; whether your death is imminent or a long way off . . . the real challenge is to fully live the time you have.
