2010: Nativity scenes in the city of my birth

Christmas trees in the city in 2010

Natural trees 

Adorned

With

Lights

And

Lanterns

Turn

Into

Christmas trees.

Man-made coconut Christmas trees

are great to behold

even in the day.

A maya bird falls almost dead - but flies again later!

A maya bird from the Philippines

One late afternoon, while waiting for the Holy Mass to begin, I noticed two maya birds chasing each other in the air inside the church.

One fell on the floor.

It was a very bad fall; I thought it was already dead.

But several pews from where I was sitting, I could see it was writhing in pain and dizzy and trying to stand on its feet.

I went to get the bird from the floor and put it somewhere outside to avoid being trudged on by church-goers.

The wall fan, maybe, was the culprit because I saw the two passing by the fan before that one bird fell.

Whatever the cause, but it was really hurting.

I picked it up, went outside and prayed.

"All Heaven, this bird needs graces: let it recover and fly again - for me, amen."

As I prayed, its claws were holding on tight to my finger.

I was a bit alarmed because the Mass would start in a minute.

I took its claws from holding on to me - and went back to my seat.

I let it on my palm while caressing its head with my finger.

I put it on the floor where it was safe - and the Mass began.

A little later, it flew away suddenly - with swiftness, power and strength - to my amazement!

I dream: I receive Communion on the tongue from the Blessed Virgin

Behold, I have another dream: I dream of I who took Holy Communion from the Blessed Virgin.

And, lo, all the vision was in white and green.

In the middle of a forest, the Blessed Mother and I were standing;  it was a forest in the neck of a great mountain in the place where I was born. She was young and slim; and Her Face was white and serene. Her veil and clothes were of ashen-green; and it looked to me as worn by a nun in hiding. 

Behind Her was an old tree whose trunk and branches were covered with moss.  So, too, the ascending ground where She and I were stepping on.  And the leaves of the tree were dripping with rain. A step higher than me, the Blessed Mary stood facing downhill; I stood facing uphill. 

And, lo, She was holding a White Host above a chalice to Her Breast -- in front of me.  She  was tight-lipped -- but placed the Host on my tongue. And I woke up.

Behold, that day was the day of eight of the ninth month -- Her birthday.

The seawall divers

It is a raging sea.

There is excitement inside of me.

I can see the same excitement in every young boy plunging from the seawall to the waves.

And I see that these young divers like to be watched as they do their thing because they are smiling at me.

I was grinning to show my appreciation.

Diving at such a time was dangerous, though, because the sea was not yet that very high.

Yet, they managed to come out unhurt.

A squeaking bird

There is that squeaking voice of a bird again!

It is coming from next to my room, a vacant lot that seems to be a little "jungle."

Intermittently, it would shrill like shouting for help.

Maybe, it is crippled and asking for food.

I don't know, but I already prayed.

A chinky-eyed kid

I am here at the seawall, having my snack. A boy is asking for some; I never give, I can't because he has lots of companions -- all kids, too.
.

But where is that kid now? That round-faced and chinky-eyed kid? I left a portion for him, and he is nowhere in sight.

Thanks, God! I found him. I gave it. I am relieved.

I am going now to the chapel.