Faith Culture Vocations Hot Button Shop Rethinking the (Long) Pinoy Christmas Season A call to live Ordinary Time and Advent properly and meaningfully, so that in due time, Christmas can be truly Divine Providence and Taxis: No Wish is Too Small In an era before Grab and Uber, getting a ride was not as easy a feat. I remember our family Half-Lessons from Cancer Rather predictably, I cried when my brother doctor told me the news. “Stage 3, Ate,” he said. Then, I expected Revisiting the HP Dilemma: What's A Parent to Do? I hesitated writing this post for my friend because almost every single discussion I’ve seen or been in online about Musings on My Stinky Veil A few months ago, while in St. Louis to help care for my Papa who was dying, we attended Mass The Crucifixion The Carrying of the Cross The Crowning with Thorns The Scourging at the Pillar Institution of the Eucharist The Agony in the Garden The Presentation The Nativity An Open Letter to Priests at a Time of Scandal in the Church Having spent a week in Rome, I'm moved over and over again by my encounters with holy priests. (Yes, they Isang Araw sa Buhay ng Isang Musikera ng Simbahan Alas-tres ng madaling araw. Maririnig mo nang tumutunog ang celphone/alarm clock mo. Ang sarap pa sana matulog, pero ayaw Visitation Raising Future Astronomers: How to Get Your Kids Interested in Astronomy A fellow-amateur astronomer once joked that we amateur astronomers tend to promote our hobby with quasi-religious zeal. Indeed, when the Annunciation I Wanted To Be A Cool Mom Everything was going according to plan – or so I thought. At a pretty young age I decided I wanted Crazy Rich Asians: A Movie Review In all honesty, I was skeptical about this movie. I’ve seen books like Crazy Rich Asians before. To me, books Viva Cristo Rey On trembling knees I offer thee my King no price of gold of studded ring no fragrant oil from Musings Blessed and Beautiful A guest post by Alma Alvarez. KAIROS — this is the special time appointed by God. It is the Lord’s IN-THE-MEANTIME, pansamantalang A Character Report Card for Catholic Homeschoolers We’ve been using this character report card sporadically for a while now. We updated it recently so we can use God Is Always There An Associate of Opus Dei in the Middle of the World Opus Dei is a Personal Prelature of the Catholic Church whose aim is sanctity in the middle of the world. Further Along The Road Less Touched by The Former Sapphist Instead of saying, “That person gets on my nerves, think, that person sanctifies me.” — St. Josemaria Escriva Even Sporadic NFP Use Has Many Untold Benefits My husband and I were one of those Catholic couples who got married not knowing about Natural Family Planning How to Trust Like Mary Tradition holds that Mary was in the midst of prayer when the Archangel Gabriel came with his message. At that Is Contraception Really What Filipinas Want? This past week, I ran across three interesting posts online, from three different Pinays. The first comes from a A Few Favorite Moms in Movies and Books by Cristina Montes It is yet another indicator of how little we appreciate mothers. When we in the Pinay Voices Warning Behaviors To Watch Out For In A Relationship If you’re in a relationship and observe these behaviors constantly in your significant other, beware. It may be a sign A Time Tested Way of Growing in Wisdom by Cristina Montes One common complaint about the millennials is that they resist mentoring. To be fair, it is Wala na Pong Spare Parts by Marcia Miral. I was whipping white frosting for my mom’s birthday cake when I heard my 27-year old The Body Beckons by Candice Tolentino. Lest you think this is another one of those the-spirit-is-more-important-than-the-body Catholic articles, please read until Better For Parents To Divorce Than For Kids To Witness Fighting? Lessons from Unhappy Marriages You’ve seen the argument many times: better for parents to divorce than for the children to keep seeing them A Children’s Book on the Dignity of the Body: an Interview with Nica Katigbak Have you heard about Theology of the Body? If you haven’t (or even if you have), you’re in for a “Do The Next Thing”: A Curriculum “Classical relaxed unschooling” sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But it describes our CURRENT style of homeschooling so well. A Mother’s Heart is a Strange Thing A guest post from Marcia Miral. A mother’s heart is a strange thing. It holds a newborn in its arms, Of Suffering, Safety Nets and Kings Over the past few weeks, PinayVoices has been hopping because of our posts on divorce. It can be draining. It’s These Are Holy-days, Not Just Holidays by Tina of TrulyRichandBlessed Today, Holy Thursday, marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum. We Catholics consider these days Hope After Abuse A guest post from Elizabeth B. I’m sharing my story because I want people to know there IS hope Counseling Centers and Shelters for Women in Crisis, Maternity Homes Click on the arrow/icon on the upper left of the map, to see a list of the centers. God First, Family Second: Reflections from a Solo Date With God A guest post. I was able to say all twenty decades of the rosary and I was able to follow On Divorce and/or Marriage Dissolution I’m imperfect and my marriage is likewise imperfect. And because of these imperfections, I recognize that I need Learning To Love Each Other Again A guest post. I used to be pro divorce bill five years ago because I wanted a divorce too. Annulment Marriage Redeems A guest post from Jade Vargas-Pulido. Today I was Facebook chatting with my Mom. We have been doing Marry Someone Who Isn’t There To Be Satisfied On the Topic of Divorce and Abuse in the Philippines by Candice Tolentino Yep. You read that right! But before Health Claims and Seniors A guest post. Image: Todd CravensIf you are a distributor of food supplements, especially those expensive kinds, please be careful about We Are Deeply Loved by The Rambling Catholic “Law came in, to increase the trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the Intentional Prayer Time A guest post from Michelle Siaotong Llaban. My deepest desire this year is to be closer to God, be at Know Thyself If there’s any piece of advice I’m taking myself this year and giving to others, it would be this: How I Organize My Life, Part 2 Part 1 is here. Time to talk about materials. I used to buy a new planner every year, often trying A Critique of a critique on Moira Dela Torre’s song ‘Titibo-tibo’ by The Former Sapphist This morning, I woke up to a message calling my attention to this article by John An open letter to LGBTQs who wish to find Love by The Former Sapphist “Hear the other side.” — St. Augustine Dear Catholic gay/lesbian, I shared the same sentiments you have, when Let Not The Manger Remain Empty There is no Christmas tree. There is no creche. There is no Advent wreath on the table, nor St. Nicks Call Us Conservative for Our Choice, But It Is Our Choice A guest post from Laika Pantaleon. I wrote this status some time ago after we attended the LGU’s pre-marriage Do You Want To Be Humble? An Advent Rambling by Candice Tolentino Are you humble? Do you want to be? Then this article is for you! I Tracing and Recording One’s Family History: A Worthwhile Holiday Project by Cristina Montes Holidays mean more time with extended family relations whom one sees only this time of year. This How I Organize My Life, Part 1 Organization is such a personal thing, I hesitated quite a bit before writing this. If you knew me in person, Book Review: Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette by Cristina Montes My sister is getting married next year. As part of her preparations, she is reading Emily Post’s The Worst Dating Advice and How To Respond to Them Listen up, ladies. At the request of a friend, I’m writing this article to call your attention to the worst Here’s why I hate late by The Former Sapphist. I seem to have a knack for attracting habitual late-comers. While I am also, on #MeToo, In the Time of 50 Shades and GoT? Last week, Alyssa Milano reignited a decade-old campaign to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault. Her Cultivating the Habit of Reading in Your Children One of my favorite quotes about reading is Ray Bradbury’s “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a Raising Catholic Kids: An Observation by Candice Tolentino Last week we were asked to give a talk about “Strengthening the Christian Families” which means we Christina Mamaril on Chasing Beauty When I first got on Instagram, a friend dutifully warned me that it was the place for shallow people, mostly The Wonders of Snail Mail by Cristina Montes Even in this Internet age, I still send snail mail. My attachment to this dying form of Christ’s Teachings Are the Vegetables Of Our Lives One of the reasons I love cooking so much is that it’s often meditative for me. Peeling, chopping, mincing, crushing, What Rocks a Marriage and What Makes a Marriage Rock By May A by May A. The Survey of Marital Generosity (www.stateofourunions.org) was published in 2011 and was a summary Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross QUOTES: ST. AUGUSTINE Heaven and Homeschooling by Candice Tolentino When I was an expat in Cincinnati 11 years ago, I met this weird family. They were In Conversation With God: Spiritual Reading How to DIY Your Child’s Homeschooling Curriculum Part 2: BOOKS! In Part 1, I talked about “my process” for designing my child’s homeschooling curriculum. Because we’ve been homeschooling for In Paris with a Broken Camera by Cristina Montes Exactly five years ago, at this time of the year, I was counting off days before Nadine Lustre, Cohabitation, and the Demand for Approval First of all, YES. Nadine Lustre and James Reid are adults and they can make their own decisions. But Cohabiting and the Worn Out Moral Fiber of the Youth Youth is wasted on the young — George Bernard Shaw by The Former Sapphist This is not the first time I’ve come Is living-in now a good idea because ‘it’s 2017’? A Reply To Nadine Lustre by Anna Cosio Yesterday, I stumbled upon the news about local actress Nadine Lustre addressing circulating rumors that she was How to DIY Your Child’s Homeschooling Curriculum It’s that time of year — the most exciting, for every DIY homeschooler mom!! It’s curriculum-designing time. We’ve been homeschooling for ~18 Hearts of Jesus and Mary Sacred Heart of Jesus Why Read the Old Testament? A recent discussion with a loved one set me thinking. He asks, why read the Old Testament? It’s supposedly Wonder Woman is Pregnant — with meaning by The Former Sapphist. I had to wait a few days to let it simmer. Otherwise, it would’ve been just Ten Reasons to Leave Facebook in 2017 Just to be clear right off the bat, I’m not leaving Facebook, not yet anyway. I’ve finally found a good On Cassocks and Conduct and Modernizing the Church by The Former Sapphist. A continuation of a series, until the lewd #metroseminarian poster is removed. It has been This Is Your Marriage On Social Media I wish I were clever and resourceful enough to come up with a commercial similar to the one below, to On Metro Seminarians, Cassocks and Conducts, and Modernizing the Church by The Former Sapphist THESE ARE THE KINDS OF STUNTS that give millennials the reputation they have. After a long Single but Full of Love by Cristina Montes Judging by the varying reactions to us women who remain single by choice or by necessity, we Sailing Through Rough Seas by The Rambling Catholic. Dark clouds blanketed the sky as a tiny boat traversed over the great waters. Birthing A (Firstborn) Adult Despite maintaining a fairly public profile, I don’t like writing about personal stuff, especially about current issues that we are Musings on a First Friday mass by The Former Sapphist. A transgendered woman who’s well in his 60s sat about five rows in front of me. What Not to Say to a Repentant Homosexual by The Former Sapphist. It’s been a good 18 months since I renounced homosexuality. For someone who had exhibited Catholic Podcasts to Deepen Your Knowledge of Our Faith A guest post from Sheryl Ebarvia Coronel. Dear all, if you’re looking for Catholic podcasts to deepen your knowledge of Teaching Your Kids How to Love House Chores by Sigrid Perez. I love doing house chores! That may sound weird since house chores are always associated with Poetry Begins At Home by Cristina Montes. My favourite parts of the movie The King Speech are when the character Lionel Logue recites A Ladder to Heaven: Lectio Divina by The Rambling Catholic As an agnostic revert, I found it difficult at first to understand Scriptures. My primary Finding Joy In The Kitchen Two things: a story on how I fell in love with baking and a simple recipe for delicious banana bread. Instead of Glory Be... There are three days within the year when, instead of praying the Gloria/Glory be, we substitute another vocal prayer more Depression, Suicide in the light of Judas’ Betrayal, Despair & Suicide The gospel reading on Holy Wednesday is about Judas’ betrayal and subsequent despair and suicide. The Bible and homilies Sago’t Gulaman for Holy Thursday and Other Traditions by Cristina Montes. Year after year, our family has been celebrating Holy Week the same way for as long Easy Easter Gift Ideas for Filipino Kids by Tina of #TrulyRichandBlessed It’s already Holy Week here in the Philippines and many Filipino families are already gearing up Female Friendships Sans Drama by Cristina Montes. While I was living in Pamplona in Spain, I shared a flat with two other women: On the Concept of Human Dignity by The Rambling Catholic. One only needs to drive around big cities like Manila and see billboards of half-dressed Rising from the Depths of Pornography A guest post. Let me tell you a side story of my life… As a child around five or Road to forever: Her Story by Dana Altura To be honest, it feels like it was only yesterday that I was greeted by the best Letter to My Daughter on Her Graduation A guest post. A guest post. This was a letter I wrote for my daughter’s career guidance portfolio Marriage: Contract vs. Covenant Graphic by Anna Cosio. Why Marriage Is A Covenant, Not Just A Contract “When God makes a covenant with us, Considering Beauty in 2017 Today marks the end of National Woman’s Month. For the past 30 days I’ve been musing about what being a A different mindset on reproductive health by Joy Antonio My reproductive system reproduces. Say whaaaaaaat? My reproductive system, given the right conditions, reproduces the species amazingly. From Fairytale Romance to Passionate Service by Deanne B. Dimacali It’s a hackneyed idea we all too often fall for: that marriage means being whisked away Money Mistakes and Finding Freedom Money Mistakes and Finding Freedom by Candice Tolentino. Shortly after getting married, I was given the rare opportunity to Hidden Figures: A Girl Power Movie with a Heart Behind NASA’s great achievements in the Space Race are the unrecognized contributions of the West Computers, a group of African-American Let’s Meet in Barcelona by Kate Garbino. Imagine that you had saved enough money to go travel on your own. And let’s just say In silence she treads
