Toronto is a multicultural city. Everywhere you go, you meet people of different nationalities, colour and faith. Canada puts a high premium on tolerance and equality of rights, which is good. Except that in the desire to be politically correct, people avoid any mention of God or religious reference because it might offend someone. Even the Christmas tree in front of our city hall is no longer called Christmas tree but holiday tree. And in stores and offices, people must not say “Merry Christmas” but “Happy Holidays”.
And yet, Canada is the only country I know of that has two government-funded educational systems – one public and one Catholic. The children enjoy Catholic education up to high school for free. To me, this is such a great blessing because the school reinforces Catholic teachings, and guides the kids through their first communion and confirmation. In such a liberal and free-thinking society, it is important for the children to get a good, solid Catholic foundation.
The Catholic faith is vibrant here in Toronto, thanks largely to immigrants, especially Filipinos. There are many Catholic communities. And every church you go to is always full. In our previous parish, going to mass was like walking into a church in the Philippines. About 80% of the parishioners were Filipinos, and for a few years, the parish priest and assistant parish priest were both Filipinos.
Sunday mass is one of the non-negotiables we have set for our children. There are no excuses when it comes to attending mass on Sundays, even if they have to go to work, or even if it is snowing heavily. The kids tell me that some of their classmates only go to mass twice a year – on Christmas and Easter Sunday. I reply that this is the way we want them to grow up, keeping their faith alive and receiving regular spiritual sustenance through the Holy Mass.
The kids are not active in our new community as we would like them to be, but for now, we are happy that they are continuing to live and practice their Catholic faith.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. If these are yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)
May 26, 2009
May 25, 2009
At the Table
In the Caloocan house where I grew up, we had a long dining table that could seat 14 people. It was big enough for our large family (my parents and 11 children). I recall many happy meals on that table, with us sharing news of the day and Papa regaling us with his stories (which he told over and over again). We had countless relatives who ate with us on that table, and we had to put additional chairs so everyone could sit. I would bring along my school friends for lunch and sometimes, dinner. I remember crying on that table when no special food was prepared for my birthday and scalding myself when I poured hot water from a thermos. On lazy summer afternoons, Rusty, Beng and I would play ping pong on that table and thankfully, did not break anything in the dining room.
On that table we laid out food for my 18th birthday. It was also there where I served my then fiancé Jojo the first food I cooked for him – burnt fried chicken. We shared our first meals together on that table as a young couple during the early years of our marriage. At that table, the whole family would gather together for Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries. It was also at that table where we last shared a meal after Papa’s and Mama’s deaths.
The Caloocan house is now gone, and I don’t know where that table went. But if I should see it again, it will surely bring back memories of fun, laughter and tears shared over the years.
The first place we lived in here in Canada was a basement apartment. It had a small eat-in kitchen with a table good enough for 2-3 people. So we had to take shifts for our meals.
When we moved to a house, someone gave us an oval glass dining table with six chairs. The chairs needed some fixing, so we bought some leather and Jojo upholstered them himself. Aryan and Yobel had to sit on folding chairs, one at each corner of the table. It was a bit cramped for eight of us, but we were thankful to have it for free.
That dining table became the hub of our family activities. On it we dined, read newspapers, made homework, completed projects. On it we served food for birthdays, reunions, prayer meetings and other celebrations. On it we also had many serious discussions on family issues.
That table served us well for seven years. When we moved to another house, we decided to give it away and finally buy a table that would fit all of us. We settled for a long wooden table, much like the table that we had in Caloocan. It has eight chairs with room for more. There’s plenty of space to spread out school materials, textbooks, newspapers, even my portable sewing machine and sewing kit.
We are already starting to build memories around this table. As a family, we try to eat together as often as possible. We like to invite relatives and friends to share meals and stories with us. After all, it’s not really the table that’s important but the people who gather around it. At the table, we not only eat food to nourish our bodies but share of ourselves and give thanks to the One who provides for us. This table will be a witness to all the special people and events in our lives and we intend to keep it for a long, long time.
There, too, before the LORD, your God, you and your families shall eat and make merry over all your undertakings, because the LORD, your God, has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:7)
On that table we laid out food for my 18th birthday. It was also there where I served my then fiancé Jojo the first food I cooked for him – burnt fried chicken. We shared our first meals together on that table as a young couple during the early years of our marriage. At that table, the whole family would gather together for Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries. It was also at that table where we last shared a meal after Papa’s and Mama’s deaths.
The Caloocan house is now gone, and I don’t know where that table went. But if I should see it again, it will surely bring back memories of fun, laughter and tears shared over the years.
The first place we lived in here in Canada was a basement apartment. It had a small eat-in kitchen with a table good enough for 2-3 people. So we had to take shifts for our meals.
When we moved to a house, someone gave us an oval glass dining table with six chairs. The chairs needed some fixing, so we bought some leather and Jojo upholstered them himself. Aryan and Yobel had to sit on folding chairs, one at each corner of the table. It was a bit cramped for eight of us, but we were thankful to have it for free.
That dining table became the hub of our family activities. On it we dined, read newspapers, made homework, completed projects. On it we served food for birthdays, reunions, prayer meetings and other celebrations. On it we also had many serious discussions on family issues.
That table served us well for seven years. When we moved to another house, we decided to give it away and finally buy a table that would fit all of us. We settled for a long wooden table, much like the table that we had in Caloocan. It has eight chairs with room for more. There’s plenty of space to spread out school materials, textbooks, newspapers, even my portable sewing machine and sewing kit.
We are already starting to build memories around this table. As a family, we try to eat together as often as possible. We like to invite relatives and friends to share meals and stories with us. After all, it’s not really the table that’s important but the people who gather around it. At the table, we not only eat food to nourish our bodies but share of ourselves and give thanks to the One who provides for us. This table will be a witness to all the special people and events in our lives and we intend to keep it for a long, long time.
There, too, before the LORD, your God, you and your families shall eat and make merry over all your undertakings, because the LORD, your God, has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:7)
Waiting
There we were in the doctor’s office, my kids and I, waiting for our turn. We had been sitting there for three hours, and there were still three patients ahead of us. It’s always like this when we have a doctor’s appointment. The waiting takes too long. But it’s difficult to find a family doctor here in Toronto, so we hardly have any option. Besides, our Filipino doctor really takes time to explain everything (that is why each consultation takes so long) and I’d rather have her than go through a quick 10-minute visit with another doctor.
Patience is certainly not one of my virtues. And I hate it when I have no control over circumstances. But every day, I am placed in situations where I have to wait – for the bus or train to come, for the traffic light to change, for a document to arrive, for the manager to approve some papers, for dinner to be cooked.
There have also been many occasions in my life when I had to wait for months or years for something I really wanted or hoped for. I had to wait one year for my first job after college, 22 years to have my first boyfriend, 3 years (and 18 hours in labour) to have my first child, five months for our application to Canada to be approved, four years to get our citizenship.
The waiting sometimes makes me anxious, because not knowing “when” forces you to put your hope on something that is unsure. But I’ve realized that I cannot always make things happen at my own time. Prayers are answered; dreams are fulfilled – at their appointed time, when God wills them to happen. So, even now, I am still waiting for some of my petitions to be heard.
Waiting to be called in the doctor’s clinic, I know I will get good service when my turn comes. In the same way, I know that God, in His own good time, will grant my request in the way that He knows best.
In the meantime, I shall patiently wait.
Good is the Lord to one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:25-26)
Patience is certainly not one of my virtues. And I hate it when I have no control over circumstances. But every day, I am placed in situations where I have to wait – for the bus or train to come, for the traffic light to change, for a document to arrive, for the manager to approve some papers, for dinner to be cooked.
There have also been many occasions in my life when I had to wait for months or years for something I really wanted or hoped for. I had to wait one year for my first job after college, 22 years to have my first boyfriend, 3 years (and 18 hours in labour) to have my first child, five months for our application to Canada to be approved, four years to get our citizenship.
The waiting sometimes makes me anxious, because not knowing “when” forces you to put your hope on something that is unsure. But I’ve realized that I cannot always make things happen at my own time. Prayers are answered; dreams are fulfilled – at their appointed time, when God wills them to happen. So, even now, I am still waiting for some of my petitions to be heard.
Waiting to be called in the doctor’s clinic, I know I will get good service when my turn comes. In the same way, I know that God, in His own good time, will grant my request in the way that He knows best.
In the meantime, I shall patiently wait.
Good is the Lord to one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:25-26)
May 21, 2009
Home Service
I often joke that the person I miss most is our ever reliable helper, Mylene. And that is partly true. What a relief it would be to have her here and help us with our daily chores. But the reality is, everyday, I have to wake up early to prepare breakfast, take out food from the freezer for dinner, and when I get home from work, prepare dinner, help with the children’s homework, do laundry, etc., etc. Weekends are spent going to the grocery, cleaning the house and doing more laundry. My day’s work is never done.
So, the rest of the family have to step in and do their part. Jojo and I have agreed that I take care of everything inside the house, and he takes care of everything outside, like shoveling the snow, mowing the grass, and gardening. He is a handyman, so we have saved a lot of money for small repairs, as these services are very expensive here. The kids follow a schedule of chores. The two younger kids clean and set the table. The older ones take turns washing the dishes (it would be a dream come true for them if we used paper plates everyday). They prepare their own lunches and snacks for school, and cook their own merienda when they get home. They also do their own laundry. I told them that if they don’t wash their clothes, they don’t wear anything.
Sure, I love serving my family and I enjoy cooking. But it’s difficult to manage a large household and there are days when I just want to lie down and sleep. So there are nights when we buy cooked food or settle for noodles.
Such is the routine of our life here in Toronto. Used to having helpers around, we took some time to adjust. But we have all learned valuable lessons in taking responsibility and relying on each other for help. God has given us the opportunity to serve and show more love to one another. It has also given us a whole new appreciation for the service our helpers used to provide.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have Mylene around.
Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1 Peter 4: 8-10)
So, the rest of the family have to step in and do their part. Jojo and I have agreed that I take care of everything inside the house, and he takes care of everything outside, like shoveling the snow, mowing the grass, and gardening. He is a handyman, so we have saved a lot of money for small repairs, as these services are very expensive here. The kids follow a schedule of chores. The two younger kids clean and set the table. The older ones take turns washing the dishes (it would be a dream come true for them if we used paper plates everyday). They prepare their own lunches and snacks for school, and cook their own merienda when they get home. They also do their own laundry. I told them that if they don’t wash their clothes, they don’t wear anything.
Sure, I love serving my family and I enjoy cooking. But it’s difficult to manage a large household and there are days when I just want to lie down and sleep. So there are nights when we buy cooked food or settle for noodles.
Such is the routine of our life here in Toronto. Used to having helpers around, we took some time to adjust. But we have all learned valuable lessons in taking responsibility and relying on each other for help. God has given us the opportunity to serve and show more love to one another. It has also given us a whole new appreciation for the service our helpers used to provide.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have Mylene around.
Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1 Peter 4: 8-10)
May 20, 2009
The Will and Grace of God
My husband Jojo and I went through a period of discernment before deciding to move to Canada. We never dreamt of living abroad. But God planted the desire in our hearts to consider uprooting our family to another land. It was a difficult decision reached at after many months of praying. God confirmed His message many times through brothers and sisters in the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) community. We shared in three different BCBP breakfast venues one after the other and the response song after the sharing was always the same – “Yahweh the Faithful One”. A verse in the song goes “Go now and leave your homeland, and I will give you a home.” What could be a more direct message than that?
It wasn’t easy for us when we first came here. We had to deal with issues like finding a place to live in (no apartment wanted to take in all 8 of us), looking for work, adjusting to the freezing cold in winter. I didn’t work for the first few months because we didn’t want to leave Yobel (who was only 1) with a babysitter. Jojo’s earnings were not enough, and the money we brought with us was slowly drying up. I was at a low point in my life. I was unemployed, Jojo was working but unhappy with his job, our money was almost gone, and I missed so much the comfort of having family and friends around. There was a time when I found myself staring into space and asking “Lord, did you bring us here to suffer?”
As I gave in to my worries and fears, God remained faithful. Jojo and I eventually found good jobs; we were able to purchase our own house in 2 years (with no money for a down payment, but that will be another sharing); we found a new community to belong to; Jojo’s brother and sister eventually migrated, and with my brother here, we now had a larger extended family; we made new friends and re-connected with old ones (my high school classmates, Jojo’s college classmates, long lost relatives). We certainly are not swimming in cash and we still sometimes worry about our expenses, but we have never been in want. God continues to provide for our every need.
About four years ago, Jojo and I were at a Christian bookstore when we saw this large framed picture of a road leading to somewhere unknown. Below was written “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.” It was such a fitting message for us. But, we could not afford to buy the frame at that time. We did come back for it when it was on sale. It now hangs proudly in our living room, a constant reminder that God’s grace will always be overflowing because we have followed His will. And yes, He really has given us a new home in Canada.
For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot. (Jeremiah 29:11-14)
It wasn’t easy for us when we first came here. We had to deal with issues like finding a place to live in (no apartment wanted to take in all 8 of us), looking for work, adjusting to the freezing cold in winter. I didn’t work for the first few months because we didn’t want to leave Yobel (who was only 1) with a babysitter. Jojo’s earnings were not enough, and the money we brought with us was slowly drying up. I was at a low point in my life. I was unemployed, Jojo was working but unhappy with his job, our money was almost gone, and I missed so much the comfort of having family and friends around. There was a time when I found myself staring into space and asking “Lord, did you bring us here to suffer?”
As I gave in to my worries and fears, God remained faithful. Jojo and I eventually found good jobs; we were able to purchase our own house in 2 years (with no money for a down payment, but that will be another sharing); we found a new community to belong to; Jojo’s brother and sister eventually migrated, and with my brother here, we now had a larger extended family; we made new friends and re-connected with old ones (my high school classmates, Jojo’s college classmates, long lost relatives). We certainly are not swimming in cash and we still sometimes worry about our expenses, but we have never been in want. God continues to provide for our every need.
About four years ago, Jojo and I were at a Christian bookstore when we saw this large framed picture of a road leading to somewhere unknown. Below was written “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.” It was such a fitting message for us. But, we could not afford to buy the frame at that time. We did come back for it when it was on sale. It now hangs proudly in our living room, a constant reminder that God’s grace will always be overflowing because we have followed His will. And yes, He really has given us a new home in Canada.
For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot. (Jeremiah 29:11-14)
May 19, 2009
Hungry for News
When you’re thousands of miles away from family and friends, you grab at anything that will connect you with the place you once called home. E-mails, photos, news articles, TV shows and movies – I devour everything about the Philippines.
Since we hooked up to TFC, I have become a TV addict. I will watch any show, even those that I never even cared to look at while in the Philippines. And with TFC’s new technology, I can actually watch at my own time, pause, fast forward and watch a show over and over again. After work, I need to get my daily fix of my favorite telenovela. The two younger kids watch eagerly with me.
I get even more excited when I receive e-mail updates from family and friends. And I just love pictures – I look at every face to see if I still recognize each one and check what has and has not changed.
Yes, I will grab at every bit that fills my hunger and takes up the empty space that aches for home.
I pray every day that I will have the same hunger for God’s word – to know Him more, find out what pleases Him and what He wants for me. I know that my TV addiction is taking precious time away from praying and reading the Bible, and I am struggling with it. For what can be better news than the good news of salvation?
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3)
Since we hooked up to TFC, I have become a TV addict. I will watch any show, even those that I never even cared to look at while in the Philippines. And with TFC’s new technology, I can actually watch at my own time, pause, fast forward and watch a show over and over again. After work, I need to get my daily fix of my favorite telenovela. The two younger kids watch eagerly with me.
I get even more excited when I receive e-mail updates from family and friends. And I just love pictures – I look at every face to see if I still recognize each one and check what has and has not changed.
Yes, I will grab at every bit that fills my hunger and takes up the empty space that aches for home.
I pray every day that I will have the same hunger for God’s word – to know Him more, find out what pleases Him and what He wants for me. I know that my TV addiction is taking precious time away from praying and reading the Bible, and I am struggling with it. For what can be better news than the good news of salvation?
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3)
May 13, 2009
God’s Purpose for Me
I was in my usual hurry this morning to get to work. I looked at the clock and saw how time was quickly passing by. Time has really passed me by. It’s been eight years since we landed here in Canada. A lot of things have happened to us since then, but I never really got to share any of those experiences with my relatives and old friends. Save for an occasional e-mail, oftentimes forwarded by someone else, and the usual Christmas greeting, we haven’t really been in touch.
Someone sent me an e-article by Bo Sanchez “How to Know if your Dreams are God’s Dreams” where he talks about finding your life purpose. He suggests asking yourself two simple questions: “What do you enjoy doing?” and “What do you do well?” Also, recently, I received a miniature edition of Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life”. It summarizes the main points of his book (I should read the book one of these days). Again, it talks about finding God’s purpose in your life.
Even as a kid, I’ve always enjoyed writing and I do it well. All the bosses I’ve had in this country say that writing is one of my strengths. And that has led me to thinking what God’s purpose is for me. He wants me to share this gift with you, and not just writing about anything, but writing how God has worked wonders in my life. Our eight years in Canada have brought us many rich experiences of God’s love and protection. What better way to witness than to write about those experiences!
So, permit me, my brothers and sisters, to start writing my reflections. I cannot promise how often, but I will write them as they come. I do not plan to be like St. Paul and preach. I want to tell you what has been happening to us in this part of the world, but more importantly, to share how God has been working in our life. If I make you smile or cry with me, that will be great. But it will be even greater if God can speak to you through me.
In him we were chosen; for in the decree of God, who administers everything according to his will and counsel, we were predestined to praise his glory by being the first to hope in Christ. (Ephesians 1:11-12)
Someone sent me an e-article by Bo Sanchez “How to Know if your Dreams are God’s Dreams” where he talks about finding your life purpose. He suggests asking yourself two simple questions: “What do you enjoy doing?” and “What do you do well?” Also, recently, I received a miniature edition of Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life”. It summarizes the main points of his book (I should read the book one of these days). Again, it talks about finding God’s purpose in your life.
Even as a kid, I’ve always enjoyed writing and I do it well. All the bosses I’ve had in this country say that writing is one of my strengths. And that has led me to thinking what God’s purpose is for me. He wants me to share this gift with you, and not just writing about anything, but writing how God has worked wonders in my life. Our eight years in Canada have brought us many rich experiences of God’s love and protection. What better way to witness than to write about those experiences!
So, permit me, my brothers and sisters, to start writing my reflections. I cannot promise how often, but I will write them as they come. I do not plan to be like St. Paul and preach. I want to tell you what has been happening to us in this part of the world, but more importantly, to share how God has been working in our life. If I make you smile or cry with me, that will be great. But it will be even greater if God can speak to you through me.
In him we were chosen; for in the decree of God, who administers everything according to his will and counsel, we were predestined to praise his glory by being the first to hope in Christ. (Ephesians 1:11-12)
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