I was not born to love
Cursed to travel and stay
On the peak of the world's highest mountain

Up there I saw how the world works
But once I wanted to change my destiny
Yet my star forbade me to do so

Sometimes to change one's destiny is to accept it
To accept it is to face it
How cruel is this life to me

I have all the battle scars
The rewards of triumph that no one is interested
All they care are their passion for each other

When you are unaccepted on this Earth
When even your roots cut you from their tree
Soar and fly until you look down upon them.

I was not born to love
And I do not want to love
For it is an overrated thing that only fools suffer

I was not born to love
And I dream of the worldly things that blinded me
Yet when I'm satisfied with it, I'll reach for more until the world is empty.

I was not born to love
And I'll die without love
06.09.17

Our Lady of Wawa

I was just actually bored and stumbled upon some image of the Our Lady of Wawa, and decided that it would be a great subject for editing. The original image of the Virgin Mary is very interesting since it is an important image left by the Spaniards to our culture. Honored by many miracles witnessed by the people of Wawa, Nasugbu, Batangas, the image continuously bless the life of devotee around the province. I was actually there last May 10 to attend the feast and I was happy to witness the Caracol specially the devotion of the elders in dancing to pay homage to the guidance the our lady brings.

Tags: Nuestra Senora dela Paz y Buen Viaje de Wawa, Mahal na Ina ng Kapayapaan at Mabuting Paglalayag, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage of Wawa

Here is the original story, courtesy of Patrick Elvas from flickr

Nstra. Sra. de la Paz y Buen Viaje-Brgy. Wawa, Nasugbu Batangas

History of Veneration and Image:
 Barangay Wawa's image bears the same title as that of Our Lady of Antipolo. The story of how it came to Wawa. Pablo Bolintiam, an employee of the Ayala-Roxas Family in the late 1800's, served in the hacienda well. As a result, the daughters of Dona Margarita Roxas de Ayala, namely, Dona Trinidad and Dona Carmen, asked him whether he would like any land for his dedicated service. Instead of land, Pablo Bolintiam asked for the image of the Virgin Mary which the Roxas Family had in their hacienda home in Nasugbu. Two other hacienda employees chose tracts of land. The generous and religious daughters of Dona Margarita were very happy with Pablo's request and gladly gave the Roxas family imagen to Pablo Bolintiam's family. From then on Our Lady lived at the Bolintiam home. She was given the title Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje in honor of Our Lady of Antipolo.
 The Roxas y Cia family donated the land for the chapel to the Archbishop of Lipa. The pious residents of Wawa were able to build a modest chapel made of wood. After Sunday mass, the image of Our Lady returned to the safety of the Bolintiam home. When a stone chapel was built, Saint Francis Xavier Parish gave the old altar to Wawa. There Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje was placed in the altar.
 The patron of Wawa has always been attentive to the prayers of the people. In thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest of fish, the fishermen hold a joyful procession at sea called the "karakol" which is Spanish for "snail" (because the boats travel slow). Every May 10th the faithful devotees travel from distant places to dance with her image to the Nasugbu Bay and back to the church.
 In times of calamities such as powerful storms, tidal waves, and natural disasters the people ask for the Virgin Mary's help so that God will aid them for their safety. And she never fails to ask God, because God answers all of her requests.
 

During the Japanese War, a canonball was fired towards the Bolintiam home. The wall where her altar stood was totally damaged but the image of Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje was not even touched. The canonball went through the wall and went pass through the other wall. When the Japanese confiscated Pablo Bolintiam's home, the residents fled to the mountains taking Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje with them for safe keeping. At the end of the war, she was returned home. Since that time, she was given a procession during every last day of the month. The practice only stopped in the 1970's. Nevertheless, she continues to protect Wawa.

Here is the image:

I have made he ocean as a reference to the Our Lady's voyage continuously throughout these years.

And Jesus Said

‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.
for today

________

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say?’ They were using this question as a trap to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’" (John 8:3-11

My Precious Collection 1 - Religion

Religious I might be but ...

I know that people have something that they collect, a collection they treasure the most, most of my age collect shoes, toys, figurines of superheroes, albums of their favorite artist and many more. But me, I collect religious figures, imahen, miniature santos.

Most of them have their own stories, some are obtained very hard, and some are given to me. During field trips, they serve as my souvenir and somehow when I saw something that I immediately fell in love with, I will always have a nightmare about going to a shop where it is seemingly available yet in the end, I still won't obtain it. Obsession right, weird yet Holy.

 The Itim na Nazareno (Black Nazarene) Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, one of my first saints, I bough it from a carving store who went to my hometown during the Fiesta, it is made of fiber glass, and depicts very fine details and emotion. The rosary was given to me by an old lady after the procession of St Anthony, it is my primary rosary, but I decided to let it stay with the image so that it wont get lost.

St Martin of Tours, bought recently from the Taal Basilica, I am thinking of painting it myself but I clearly don't trust myself in painting :(. St Therese, it is actually my Mom's but I think she already gave it to me. St John the Baptist, bought from its own parish in Lian, Batangas, my Mom gave it to me after she bought it when they are getting the saint for the "santuhan". St Raphael Archangel, replica of the original one from Calaca, Batangas, I ask my classmate to buy it for me, it was actually broken once accidentally, when I am fixing it, I immediately  realize that a little part of the wings is missing. I almost panicked and went to our dormitory to find it, only to realize that they are already sweeping the floor, I crossed myself and prayed, suddenly, miraculously or not, I found the part under my locker. St. Sealthiel the Archangel, a gift from my godmother, when we were in Quiapo. St Joseph Marello, bought it from my Grade Six Retreat. 

 My collection of Marian statues, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Manaoag - bought it when the image went to our parish, a gift from my Mom, Our Lady of Caysasay - Recently, I've been obsessed with getting it, so I planed on going to Taal again, so I plotted an excuse, I decided that I need to wake up 7:00 so I can catch a van at eight but believe it or not I woke up at twelve. I decided that I will leave at two, I arrived there at four, and bought St. Martin, I asked the vendor, if whose store is the one in the corner of the church,she said that to buy there, I need to call the seller, but she's not sure if she will go because of the rains. I am thinking of going to their place or call, I first called. Hoping and praying, coincidence or fate or FAITH the seller an old church lady is going to church before 5:00, I was very happy, knowing that someone really is controlling everything. The last one is the Our Lady of Antipolo.

 St. Padre Pio, bough it from the shrine in Sto. Tomas during our field trip, We are expected to go back to the bus in five minutes when I realize that there is a souvenir shop, I immediately rush only to buy it. St Martin of Porres, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the Crucifix which have a long private story, St. Peter Calungsod from Manila Zoo during one of our field trips, St. Jude Thaddeus, and St. Francis of Assisi.

Below are my goals to add on my collection:

Our Lady of Penafrancia

 The Risen Christ, I though of making a custom made order but I saw one in Quiapo so...

Santo Entierro, although I think it would be the most expensive buy, one day I will obtain it.

STALKERS!!!

I dont have a problem being stalked but still... :3 Using it against me tsk tsk tsk, if you are one of them GO AWAY XD

I was having my usual mind practicing thing when this concept came to my mind: Its better to have a shepherd who tends you rather than wondering freely outside the fence or worse being tended by the wolf.

Somehow, I can say that this is about religion, I have nothing against atheist except that I don't like them, but we must remember how it feels that someone is caring for us and someone tends us with love while we are inside his facilities. The fences are religions, take note religions with the s. The bigger ones have bigger fences, the little ones have little. But the shepherd looks at them fairly no matter how different they are, everyone is always welcome to each of the fences, they can change yet the shepherd is still the same. This shepherd is God. For me like a parent, a mother or a father, your heart feels love when there is someone who takes care of us and prevents us from going outside the fence to protect us from the dangers out there. Yet, there are still some who tried to escape and escape........

What happens to them?
Oh.... they might be on their own, having this life, full of explorations, they can comeback of course, but they can choose the life without the boundaries, life free of doing anything, good or bad.

OR they might be eaten by the wolf or serve as his instrument to turn us to a creature like him.

I am always grateful to Him for everything I have now, even a second of breath that I'm still here, for my family, my gifts,and to the continuous blessings I receive, the trials, the tears and the love.

Without Him I'm nothing, I cant do anything, that is why I'll always love him.

Trust Him, and never sell you soul to the devil for money and fame because one you have achieved this, you won't have a single trace of happiness in you.

Trust Him and you shall smile for a single achievement you earned with Him. Together, you and Him will achieve things that you worked hard and offered to Him.

THANK YOU LORD!!!

There is no one true religion. Religions are paths. They are not meant to cause war or killings. They are our guidance to being good. We know God in different ways, in different names, in different personalities, but I know one thing, that he is Unlimited and Kind, he loves it when we love him directly and through our brothers and sisters, through our enemies and friends and through ourselves. Every doctrine that is morally acceptable would serve as a way to God.
Like what the Pope said: There is no such thing as a catholic God, there is only God.....

I would just like to say this. Help the lame, the poor and even the non-believers, help those who cannot stand anymore, help the minorities and respect each other no matter who we are.