With Satan’s Curse?

Could an inanimate object really be a medium to bring a curse? Or was it a mere manifestation of an artist’s ingenious creativity?

Last Thursday, I was greatly perturbed when an office mate called to my attention a controversial video from a popular show in Philippines, the Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, aired last September 10, 2017 on GMA Public Affairs.  I was just at first listening to the interview of the man who claimed that the religious item he had, possessed such grave impact upon his family enough for him to think it had the devil’s curse. I was even more alarmed when an exorcist priest, Diocese of Novaliches Chief Exorcist Father Rev. Ambrosio Nonato Legaspi, confirms of the existence of such thing and that there is a possibility of truth in such claim (http://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/faithful-warned-about-satanic-rosaries/ or check http://www.veritas846.ph/exorcist-reinstates-caution-satanic-rosaries/).

Getting curious by the minute I stood up and looked at the item in question. It looked oddly familiar to me, so I went back to my table and rummaged inside my bag to confirm what I just saw.

I didn’t know how I would feel as I looked more closely at the thing I took from my bag.  It was a gift I, as well as some of our batchmates, received from a former classmate when we met last April 2015 for the Annual Alumni held every summer at our Alma Mater. According to her, she bought it in one of her visits to Rome and had them blessed there.

As a fervent believer of the mysteries of the holy prayer known to most Catholics, I was really glad to had received such a one coming from the most holy place all Catholics thought to be which I could only dream of to go to in my whole life but doubt if I really could.

Then, looking at the religious item, I told my office mate, I have one in my possession which, of course, brought most of them to stand up on their feet and looked at the controversial item up close. It was the exact replica of the item on the video, a video of the interview on a man who claimed that what he had and what I have in possession is a so-called Satanic Rosary.

I told them I had it already for the last two years. The office mate who brought the video as a topic, asked me then if was it at the time when I got sick. It made me think and replied, “I had it when my second daughter got sick of dengue and had to be placed in the ICU due to grave danger in her life.”

One of my office mates who also happened to be a batchmate and who received the same thing from our former classmate, stood up and said she had the same item but didn’t believe the item is cursed as it was blessed from Rome, of all places, after all.

I asked the first office mate what was the exorcist priest’s advise as to what to do with the rosary. He answered that it should be surrendered to the church. Throwing it away is an act of sacrilege for Catholics. With that thought, I decided to approach our own clergy during the Saturday mass in the village chapel. 

The next day, another office mate, reading the many comments on a post on Facebook on the same topic, came upon a declaration of a member of a Satanic group (times are indeed different nowadays for people are more outgoing and brave to claim their uncanny beliefs to the whole world without shame or fear of censure). 

Anyway, the person claims that the controversial rosary is in no way be the right image of the satanic rosary since the symbols their members were using are the hexagram or “The Eye”. Well, thinking over that, his claim is somewhat more plausible to me than believing that the Satanic group would use Jesus Christ’s image as their symbol. Being a fan of many fiction books about witchcraft and immortal beings (i.e. Vampires, wolves, elves, etc.), hexagrams were often mentioned as a magical symbol for witchcraft and “The Eye” as a cult symbol.

But being as vulnerable as I am with how much difficulties I had to face and battle recently, I began to ponder heavily on the issue. So, when Saturday came and the time for the mass to begin, I dressed up and carried with me the rosary to the chapel. The mass went on without a hitch, with the gospel about forgiveness and how God is a forgiving master to advice Peter to forgive his brother not just seven times, but seven times seven more.

After the mass, before the Novena for the Divine Mercy would begin, I approached the officiating priest and asked him if I could ask his opinion on something. 

So walking a bit away from the other church-goers, I asked him if he heard about the issue regarding the Satanic Rosary and what does the church had to say about it.

He told me that as of present, the church had not made a definite stand or opinion regarding the matter. What the church says, according to him, that if in doubt, the item should not be used but definitely not thrown away. Better place it on the altar (to be near more sacred items to ward off any, if there is, of its demonic powers, I surmised).

The good priest, one way or the other, had the same thinking as I had that the creator of such instrument may had been merely expressing his ingenious creativity, depicting imagery that were misconstrued. The four suns on each corner of the cross could have been his way of telling the power of brightness that dispel sin from Jesus sacrifice of dying in the cross instead of being the symbols “of the Satanists…particularly by the group called Illuminati”, as stated by Rev. Legaspi on the CBCP news. The line spiralling down Jesus’ head could have been a decorative vine instead of a snake. Or if even it was a snake, it could be depicting or a portrayal of man’s grievous sins that Jesus Christ had to die for in the cross to save us from eternal death.

I may just have a positive or even poetic outlook towards the imagery portrayed on the religious item, but what was uppermost in my mind was that, it’s just too much of a convenience to blame an inanimate object, albeit something that was almost considered a lifeline by most elders in the Catholic faith, for all the negativity that occurs in our daily lives. After all, as the good priest I talked to himself said, the rosary is just a tool, an instrument we use to say the prayers. It is our heart that is actually communing with God. The issue could have just been to “detract believers from the Catholic faith”, to quote him.  

I am not, of course, undermining, the warnings made by Rev. Legaspi. He was after all been through several occurrences, personally witnessing and fighting against such demonic activities. He, among others, is more well-versed with such things and manifestations being an exorcist priest.

In fact, upon checking other articles on the net regarding the issue, and reading the two uppermost articles regarding it as per the two links I shared with you earlier. (http://www.veritas846.ph/exorcist-reinstates-caution-satanic-rosaries/ and http://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/faithful-warned-about-satanic-rosaries/), I was once again alarmed by the fact that the workings of the devil and his believers could be that intricate to worm their way through the peaceful lives of firm believers of Christianity, so much so that they would perform satanic rituals to spread chaos and create a medium for their intention to do so.  As of date, however, the Vatican is silent regarding the issue. CBCP News on its update last September 5, 2017, issued the following: 

“Update as of September 5, 2017 

In social media comments, the story about satanic rosaries has been mistakenly attributed to the CBCP.  The CBCP Media Office has clarified that Fr. Ambrosio Nonato Legaspi was speaking as head of the diocese of Novaliches office of exorcism (Libera Nox) and not for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.”

We had to admit that for some other religious beliefs, sects or religions, the Catholics’ fervent belief on rosaries, statues, and images were actually of paganism attribute and would more likely readily agree that our entire belief on such religious items are sacrilegious, whether it is just the normal ordinary rosary or the so-called Satanic Rosary.

So, do I believe that the rosary I have had any demonic powers to bring down a curse upon me and my whole family?

Despite all the woeful events that occurred in my life, I don’t actually believe that the rosary had anything to do with it. (Am I just trying to make myself believe that?) 

The trials and difficulties we had, if I really had to be honest with myself, are results of decisions and actions I and my family had made or situations that not just my family are in. Meaning, there were types of situations that could have been avoided if we had been more careful in our decisions and undertakings. There were situations that were brought about by our surroundings or by carelessness. There were also those brought upon by circumstances that almost everyone in the workplace are suffering from, even those who don’t have the same rosary on them, or those not even within my vicinity to even consider blaming myself to have brought the blight with me.

What we should always remember, Catholics or not, our faith in One True God is not anchored on an inanimate object such as a rosary. Communicating with God is through our prayers, whether it be through repititive mumblings of Our Father and Hail Mary for us, Catholics, or random words from the bottoms of our hearts as most Christians do.

Trials and hardships in life does not spare anyone. Even Job, God’s faithful servant, had to experience the test of faith (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+1&version=GNT&interface=amp). What we just need is the unwavering faith that God will not allow us to suffer what we cannot bear. All He is waiting for is for us to surrender everything into His capable hands. It is not wrong to acknowledge our weaknesses and instead be prepared to revel in the Power of God to make everything right. Believe when He said:

Faith Changes Everything

Annyeonghaseyo! (Hello!)

It’s another serious talking today, guys and so as not to disappoint you, I have another quote from a Korean drama to share with you. 

The photo above (yehey, I was finally able to upload photos!), show a quote from the Korean tv series entitled Falsify starring Nam Goong Min (http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Nam_Goong_Min) as Han Moo-Young, who became a media jackal to unveil the truth behind the death of his brother who was murdered through a seemingly vehicular accident by a man with a tattoo for trying to correct falsified stories he published instigated by the director of the newspaper company he worked for and revealing social corruption involving the biggest newspaper company, the chief prosecutor and a secret organization.

The quote Han Moo-Young said to one of the victims of false accusation in the drama was this:  

“You may feel like you’re in the desert without a compass, but nothing will change if you keep on dwelling on your emotions.”

There are times in our lives that we feel how unfair fate it seems, that we feel like we were left in the middle of the desert without a compass, uncertain of which direction to take.  It is somewhat akin to a fish taken out of water and left to gasp for air and plop itself helplessly, seeking a way to breathe and survive.

No matter how much we wail and “plop” and let ourselves be enslaved by our dire situation, nothing will indeed change if we kept on dwelling on it.  

And although according to Friedrich Nietzsche: “Hope, in reality, is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man,” I’d rather continue to hope while positively thinking that all will come to pass.

My Dear Friends, what we all must bear in mind, when the road ahead becomes so difficult you can’t see a thing beyond a foot, when it seems all that surrounds you is a boundless desert, when life is seemed hopeless, is to never, ever lose faith.

Remember:

Surrender (Poetry)

How long must I wait

    For these things to come to pass

How much shall I suffer

    Before I can say I surpass

Is this really.my fate

    I am trying hard not to cuss

I pray I am stronger

    I say to myself, “buck up, lass.”

As long as your spirit

    Never fails you and keeps fighting

As long as your faith

    Is deep and ever persevering

Step up and hold on tight

    Ask for help, God is just waiting

With a single breath,

     Shout, “Lord, to you, I’m surrendering!”

(Note from the author:  My apologies for the late posting.)

Surrender (Poetry)

How long must I wait
    For these things to come to pass

How much shall I suffer

    Before I can say I surpass

Is this really.my fate

    I am trying hard not to cuss

I pray I am stronger

    I say to myself, “buck up, lass.”

As long as your spirit

    Never fails you and keeps fighting

As long as your faith

    Is deep and ever persevering

Step up and hold on tight

    Ask for help, God is just waiting

With a single breath,

     Shout, “Lord, to you, I’m surrendering!”

(Note from the author:  My apologies for the late posting.)

God Save the Philippines (Poetry)

When peace and lives of our brethren,
With war and unrest is threatened.

What can we ever do to help,

When they themselves can only yelp?

When the guns just kept on firing

Their limbs trembled while in hiding.

If only someone would save them

Before they expire with a scream.

Lord, why is this war happening?

Is the world near to its ending?

Are the people so full of sins?

But, God, please save the Philippines!

Taking The Plunge

Sometime last week, I heard a peer of mine say talks about marriage life and hearing negative things about it makes her fear getting married at all.  

So, I wondered, if my posts of the past two weeks could have attributed to her fear  or if talks she heard from plights of women who are suffering from marital problems or are on the verge of marital breakup.had? Anyway, as usual, I kept the question to myself and reflect over it.

I was born when my parents got separated and was only able to finally meet my father when I was about to start schooling at the age of seven.  Imagine the wariness emanating from a seven-year-old at looking at an unfamiliar face who was supposed to be my father.

I can almost still recall the uncomfortable feeling.  Then while growing up under the same roof with him, often than not, I felt like I was a total stranger to him.  Suffice it to say that my memories of a so-called father and man of the family was not a pleasant one, not to say the least, that growing up in a not-so-normal household would have traumatized many children, especially a young woman, exposed to violence and irresponsible behavior of adults.

As a teenager when having crushes, even boyfriends, is the norm, I lived in worry and wariness around men, for fear that my father would make a cripple out of any young men who might give me attention.  Looking back though, I might have my father to thank for for honing my senses as to what kind of man is ideal with me.  

Men who were not that courageous enough or in love enough went scurrying away without me lifting a finger to shoo them on their way.  Weren’t I sad to have not the chance to even enjoy much of their company?  Well, I was spared of getting my heart broken unnecessarily.

I have read on a book before that children when exposed to violence and traumatic experiences with a parent tend to grow as introverts, even, emotionally crippled.  In some sense, I was indeed an introvert.  

During my teenage years, my father had shown me excessive attention which if he had manifested it when I was still younger, I might had been ecstatic.  This sudden turn of events had caused me a lot of uncomfortable even embarassing experiences that would have incurred phobia and hysterics to other teenagers.  It made me feel odd but thanks to most of  my classmates those years, male and female, they had not made me feel like an alien among their midst.  They still accepted me and helped me make it through those difficult years.

Several more uncomfortable events occurred throughout my college days that would have made many young women cringe at the thought of ever having anything to do with men for fear that they might end with the same kind of man I had to live with for most of my teenage life.

Had I for a single moment thought of not marrying and creating a family of my own because of my bad experiences living with my father?

In all honesty, what I thought and prayed back then was to find a man whom God will grant me, who will accept and love me and my family for whatever he can see and know about our entire story.

When I finally met my husband, while I was looking at him at a distance, a flash of realization just suddenly hit me, and I said to myself, “this is it!  It’s him, the man I am destined to be with.”  More than a year after that, I took the plunge and exchanged vows with him.  

Nineteen years and counting, we are still together.  As I had said in my previous blogs, our marriage life was not an easy road to traverse.  Trials and hardships we both gone through added spice to a marriage meld by time and numerous tests.  But if asked if I regret any of those years with him?  Despite everything, I would say, I am glad I took courage and went beyond my inhibitions and fear, for I could have never chosen a much better man other than my husband.
In making a decision about our own life, we should remember, upon our hands lie the outcome of our actions.  By taking the risk, we might be uncertain of what lies ahead but we are the managers of our own destiny.  It is like driving a car along a cliff, the wheel is tightly grasped in our hands.  It lies upon us to what direction we can go-to safely reach our destination or to careen over the cliff. 

If we aspire something for our life, we need not put shackles around those dreams in fear  of the unknown.  The thrill of the unexpected and the unknowns spikes up the level of interest and makes life more exhilarating.  Life would be redundant and boring if we don’t explore what is out there.  We will never know the thrill of hurtling barriers if we don’t experience obstacles. We will never fully enjoy life if we always shy away from getting out of our protective shells.  

So, the choice is really up to you but why not…

God is With Us!

When it rains, it pours.

This was the quote that immediately came to mind, when I thought of all that has been happening with my family lately.

A month hadn’t pass us yet since we had to face that nerve-wracking operation my daughter had to undergo and now I had to once again submit myself to that proverbial rollercoaster ride, with my heart jammed in my throat.

Having to face situations like this, makes me feel like I am standing on a precipice, facing a cliff with jagged edges of rocks taunting me below, while behind me is a dark cloud formation that unnamed, unknown dangers could spring out suddenly.

In other words, it felt like no matter which way I look, problems and trials surround me.and rhe members of my family.  Am I just experiencing paranoia or am I just overreacting?  

I read somewhere before that our family members would always be our weaknesses, and I totally agree with that.  Over the years, I would always say to myself, I rather prefer to be the one who’s ill than any member of my family.  Yes, and I would still choose that because, at least, I am actually the one suffering.  The pain is first hand and I could take the pain or know how to handle it or myself on such a situation. 

But when the one who is suffering is a loved one, not really knowing how much in pain he is or when I see him gritting his teeth to whatever he must be going through and to spare me from worrying, nevertheless, I get worried the more.  

Various thoughts bombard my senses then.  I had to shield my inner thoughts from being totally corrupted by all the negative thoughts that just come to taunt me like the monsters they are.  

A battle ensuing inside my brains could prove more energy-depleting and stressful than actually battling it out with fists and fangs (as if, I had been in one).  Anyway, with a physical fight, I would probably receive bruises and gashes even, but with the mental one, the pain of worrying over the unknown is more debilitating.

It takes too much effort to just channel my mind on other things that needed my attention. But then, after too much thinking and worrying, realization comes like a light dispersing the dark clouds.

In all the trials and tribulations I had gone through, was there a single one I had not hurdled?  Isn’t being alive and writing now proof enough that I even survived life-threatening events?  In everything that had happened, did God ever ignore or forsake me?

Asking myself those questions and answering them truthfully made me realize that my Father in Heaven loves me a lot!  He has not for a single moment left me by myself.  In all of those terrifying moments, He made sure that I made it through all of them.  He always paved the way for me to find any help I would need whenever I needed it most from surprisingly or unlikely sources.  Time and time again, the Bible passage from Matthew 7:7 was proven true to me.

So, despite being worried for knowing my beloved is sick, I am much more relieved now for I believe God will watch over my loved ones and will help us through these tests.  I know God is with us. 

 

Heavily Laden (Poetry)

When my heart feels this laden heavily,
          To whom do I call?

Not the popular Ghostbusters surely?

          Should I just act cool?

When many things seem ro be uncertain,

          Can’t I do something?

Then I raised my eyes up in the heaven

          The Holy Being

Placed his hands upon my heart…and PEACE reigned.

           

Foolish Me (Poetry)

• 
• How good the Father is to a sinner like me
• He keeps me from doing any iniquity 
• He keeps me safe, secure, away from any harm
• If only I will believe and keep myself calm.

• My greatest problem, though, is with this foolish heart
• Which with fears, worries, doubts is never seemed apart
• Despite knowing, deep in my heart, my faith is great
• Yet I always tend to fall in such a sad state.

• Oh, my dear Father, please keep your patience with me
• Please get rid of this petty insecurity
• From my own weaknesses, please save me, have mercy
• For without you, I’m nothing, that’s a certainty.
• 

Carrying that Heavy Luggage Called Responsibility

Responsibility, to some might be easy

As counting one to three, or climbing a short tree.

But for me, it is like carrying the whole world

Upon my back like the Indian legend of old.

I took each of them to heart, very seriously

For I believe in my heart, that it’s my duty

To fulfill them, for the sake of my family

As well as my contribution to my country.

These responsibilities, in whatever form,

Should be faced with a committed heart, that’s the norm

But sad to say, not everyone is that stalwart

Who can keep up with it with a strong and brave heart.

To those who have the tendency to fall, waver,

I deeply pray your faith remains strong whenever

Self-doubts and weariness suddenly take over

For God is our Refuge, so please do remember.