Dear Loved Ones,
Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA, USA! We are still in the glow of the Christmas season and busy fulfilling our resolutions for year 2016! Let’s all pray and look forward to GOD’s continuous Blessings, much Thanks GOD!
We resumed our Tuesday
Bible study with EPIC – Church History, where we discussed the Dark Ages period
(1400 – 1800), the various schisms, protestations, reformation, etc. We must
really thank GOD that our Catholicism survived, with the help of the Blessed
Trinity, Mama Mary, the Saints, and our early church Fathers! On my
contemplative life, I got more calls from Marge to sub for Chapel adoration so I
welcome more opportunities for mortification and more Blessings.
I am happy to do more
apostolate, spending more time with friends and in our Opus Dei group; lunches
with Alice, Raquel, Marietta, Hanh, and more. For New Year, the parish gave out
books (Rediscover Jesus, An invitation), in addition to the annual Art
calendar, for all parishioners. It is nice that our Church is truly concerned
for the Evangelization of its members to live Christ’s Way!
Our international shipping
business in Manila is continuously doing well, with God’s Blessing, in helping
families in our country. One other answered prayer is for the smooth transition
of our condo unit to an ex-pat tenant and we are I the process of negotiations
with a Japanese renter. Sean is still busy living his American dream of getting
the best worlds in his career, vocation, sports, recreation – balanced life
indeed!
Other highlights of the month:
·
I continuously serve as Eucharistic Minister (Eucharist or Precious
Blood) twice a month. To prepare for worthiness to serve, I pray a lot, do
fasting, and mortification. Please help me Lord!
·
My friend Hanh had to go to Orange City to take care of his blind
brother and deal with other family crisis with her 11 siblings, more prayers
for her; so with Marietta; Sean helps me with her concerns;
·
Movies watched: Hateful Eight (violent Q. Tarantino movie), 5th
Wave ( movie on Faith and spirituality – recommended), The Revenant ( Leonardo
di Caprio – story of revenge); The Finest Hour ( survival movie – highly
recommended, especially for seafarers, our crew)
·
Books read: Rediscover Jesus, An Invitation, by Matthew Kelly (gift from
the parish, courtesy of the Knights of Columbus), Glorious Holy Spirit, Knowing
Who You Are by Knowing Whose You Are, by Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P.; Transforming
your Life through the Eucharist, by John Kane; The Blessing of Christmas, by Pope
Benedict XVI; The Little Way of Advent, by Fr. Gary Castor (Meditations in the
Spirit of St. Therese of Lisiuox; Open Wide the Door to Christ, by S.C. Bela.
·
Sean and I pampered ourselves with foot Massage, haircuts (mine was like
Thea’s of the TV show Arrow; Sean had several field works to Los Angeles, San
Diego, Tahoe, and Reno, away for several days/week;
·
I was blessed to have 3 priests at home for dinner – Frs. Aldrin Basarte
(our St. Mel’s pastor), Cormac Lacre (from Jagna, Bohol, assigned at Winters),
and Ruel Pangan (visiting from Bohol, the school director of my high school in
Panglao). We had so much fun, speaking Visayan.
Much love and Best Regards!!!
SUSAN BG
