What is the Filipino Identity?

This question was expanded on by a Filipino priest, Father Vincent, in his sermon during the First Filipino Mass in the Greensburg Diocese, held at the Immaculate Conception Church in Irwin, PA on July 8, 2019. Father Vincent is one of the seventeen priests from the Philippines called upon to help out the Greensburg diocese due to the dwindling number of priests in the United States.

The whole liturgy was in Filipino including his sermon. He did translate some of his jokes in English to the delight of the predominantly English speaking audience. I was eager to hear how he would address this question especially in a sermon.  I should have guessed. It is our faith! He made his point using two statues we have devotions for.

The first one he mentioned was the Infant Jesus of Prague which almost every household in the Philippines including ours has a statue of.  For him, the devotion reflects our love for children.  I would like to add this symbolizes also the trusting spirit and positive childlike nature exhibited by the Filipinos.

The second one Father Vincent mentioned is the Black Nazarene, which is the statue of Jesus kneeling as he carries the cross.  We have this in most churches in the Philippines and once a year millions, mostly men, attend the procession outside the Quiapo Church in the Philippines to celebrate its feast. For Father Vincent this devotion reflects the persevering spirit of Filipinos as they meet challenges and sufferings in their lives including the ones they undergo when they migrate to another country.

I would like to add a third one, Out Lady of Perpetual Help, which is not a statue but a painting of iconic origin of the Blessed Mother with baby Jesus.  For me, this symbolizes the Bayanihan spirit of the Filipinos or their desire to unite and help their neighbor in times of need.  This characteristic is exemplified by these seventeen Filipino priests as they share their ministry with the Greensburg Diocese.

 
The gratefulness of the diocese and its members was palpable that night as they worshiped and sang with the Filipinos in a language foreign to them during Mass and feasted on a grand buffet of Filipino food after. It was a joyous night assuring each other we are in this together.

Umbrella

Shelter from the rain.

I do not get wet. You don't

too. Meant for sharing.

Tale of a Lost Puppie and an Owl

My grandchildren love their cuddly toys.  They take them everywhere and that was the case when we went to the zoo one fine sunny day two weeks ago.  Maddie had her puppy named Puppie while Luca had his owl named Amen as we traversed the zoo grounds. Their cuddlies were with them as they excitedly viewed the beautiful tiger, the ferocious lion, the elegant Flamingos, the magnificent giraffe and the mighty elephants in their park like confines.

We then ate lunch after which we decided to stay in the large sand box in the so called Island part of the zoo.  They set their cuddly toys on the Adirondack chair beside mine while they enjoyed making structures with the sand which happened to be very dry to work with that day. It did not matter they loved every minute of it and we stayed there for about an hour.

At the end of our stay in the sand box, Maddie wanted to pose for pictures with Luca in the giant Adirondack chair with the word Island on it. She could not resist following the other zoo goers' example of posing for photos on that chair. We then visited the monkeys and gorillas in their covered abode and the different fishes in the aquarium.

We then stopped for a cool treat.  Who could resist the dippin dots? We couldn't so we had them. While we were sitting eating them, we heard thunder and lightning signaling to us it was time to go home before the rain comes.

We hurriedly walked back to the exit but the rain caught up with us and we settled for shelter on a bench at the tunnel close to the exit of the zoo. When the rain subsided we walked back to my car.  As Maddie was buckling herself she noticed that her Puppie was gone.  And so was the owl.  She was confident we left them on the bench at the tunnel.

I returned to the tunnel for their toys but they were not to be found on the bench. I went to see if they were on the shed where we ate the dippin dots but Puppie and Amen were not there either. Then I remember the sand box and how we set the two cuddlies on the Adirondack chair beside me.  I decided not to go back there since the Island was quite a distance. As I went back to my car, I requested a zoo personnel if they could look for the two cuddly toys at the sand box. When asked to describe them I said one was a puppy and the other was a bear.  For some reason, I always thought Amen, which was an owl, was a bear.

When I relayed the news to Maddie that I did not have Puppie, she bawled. I told her she has an exact one at home but she said it was not as soft as this lost one.  She said she would have a hard time sleeping. I assured her they would find Puppie and Amen.  I told her I requested the zoo personnel to tell the custodian in charge of the Island sand box to look for a puppy and a bear. What! Boy was she mad that I mistook Amen for a bear.

The traffic was pretty heavy going home so I decided while sitting on traffic to proceed to call the zoo to correct the description of Amen. I had blue tooth service so they could hear the voice of the receptionist who answered the phone.  That helped calm them down.

The next day I called at eleven in the morning and they said no toys have been turned in.  My heart sank but I was hopeful it was because the custodian at the sand box had not cleaned up yet.

In the meantime, I was preparing for Plan B if they were not found.  I started practicing a lecture in my head about life's realities which include losses while I was sitting in the hair salon having my hair permed. Then I got the call with the good news.  They found them, the lost cuddlies.

I decided to make the trip to the zoo that same afternoon to get this crisis over with.  I have not been any happier in my life and extremely relieved when I saw Puppie and Amen on the receptionist desk. There is indeed a God looking over grandparents in distress.

I went by my daughter's house to drop the lost and now found cuddlies. Since nobody was in I just propped the two, Puppie and Amen on their dining table.  My daughter texted later and asked if I was the one who placed the two on the table.  I texted back, grandma fairy did. She texted back a photo of Maddie grinning ear to ear with her beloved Puppie.

This past Sunday I was telling them how it took me two hours to go to the zoo and back to their house to return the cuddlies  The effort it took must have sank in Maddie's head and heart. Sometime later she said a heartfelt thank you for finding her Puppie.  That was enough for me. All is well that ends well. But what a crisis!

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Who could resist a good, creamy dip?  I couldn't. This one is full of flavor, creaminess and crunch, thanks to the water chestnuts added.  The silken tofu effectively fills the role of the sour cream and mayonnaise usually used in non vegan versions. Try this for the coming July 4th picnic.

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

1- 12 oz silken tofu
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp dried minced onions
2 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1\4 tsp black pepper
1-8 oz bag fresh Spinach  (or you can also use 10 oz frozen spinach thawed and liquid squeezed out)
1-14 oz (8oz dry weight) artichokes, drained and chopped
1/3 cup chopped scallions (around 3 stalks)
1- 8 oz can of water chestnuts, chopped



Mix the tofu up to the black pepper in a blender till smooth. Set aside.

Microwave the fresh spinach for 3 minutes at high setting.  Squeeze out the water.

Add the spinach, artichokes, scallions and water chestnuts in a bowl.  Add to them the tofu mixture and mix.