Carmel is Where My Heart Is

            A blessed day today! I thank our Lord God for letting me return to my religious and spiritual family, the Carmelites. I also thank Bro. Ioannes Laurentius, OCarm, for referring me to this Carmelite community that I am fit to be. I was a former aspirant in the Order of the Secular Discalced Carmelite wayback, and if you have read my blog, I desire to study the Carmelite life and works of great saints and doctors of the church. I am accepted as an aspirant now in the Carmelite Order of the Ancient Observance, O'Carm. The OCDS is the community that was reformed by St. Teresa of Avila. This may be two different communities but they all belong to the Carmelite family.

My devotion to our Blessed mother and the saints that I look up to from Carmel and their way of life is the reason why Carmel is close to my heart. My community's patron saint is St. Telesphorus. This is our coat of arms. 

I was also able to get a beautiful 3rd class relic with all of our Carmelite family there. It is framed and I put in it my religious books cabinet in our master's bedroom at home. I could not ask for more. Even if it took a long time, I found the place where I should be. My heart is joyful and contented now. May my footsteps always follow our Lord Jesus.As our coat of arms motto, "To Live in Obedience to Christ Jesus!" To Jesus, through Mary! 

A Visit to the Franciscan Secular Order

            Last Sunday, I was able to attend the Secular Franciscan monthly meeting. It is every 3rd Sunday of the month. Sr. Precy Cruz, SFO invited and welcomed me. I am not fully 100% made up that I will join their order. It is hard to forget my Carmelite family. I was an Order of the Discalced Carmelites aspirant before. I was accepted in the Carmelites convent in Gilmore, Quezon City. Every month I attended our meeting at Carmel House of Prayer in New Manila, Quezon City. Many years ago has passed and even if I did not become a religious nun, there is still an empty space in my heart, that I know only God can fill. Maybe, this is God put me. To be a mother and a wife. Still my desire to be closer with God and learn more of him did not die. 

I sat with the Secular Franciscans. The meeting was held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of St. Francis Parish Church in Meycauayan, Bulacan. It is considered one of the oldest church if I'm not mistaken. After praying the Franciscan rosary (this is different with the regular rosary that we are familiar with), bible readings, they also shared personal stories, a lot of the members were flooded, most of the members houses and things were submerged in floodwaters. They were all teary eyed and a few cried recounting their stories. 

Most of the members were in their senior already. Only three of us were the young ones in the group. I don't want to join this order half-heartedly. I just felt that I don't belong in their community. 

There are many Franciscans well-loved saints by everyone, I like St. Anthony of Padua who is a Franciscan is one of my favorite saint, I have a 3rd class relic of his, piece of cloth that touched his tongue. As an observer in this community I thank the Lord for the opportunity to experience being with another spiritual family. Still, I pray that I might go back to Carmel. 

Rebuilding My Collection of Books

I was thinking of what should I post next here in my blog. Two weeks ago I was able to put my collection of Catholic books in my cabinet. We moved here in Bulacan about 2 months ago. Little by little we are able to organize and put our things in their proper place. During the pandemic I was able to buy a few Catholic books that are hard to find in a local bookstore. I am rebuilding my collection again. I am regretting that I disposed my collection of Roman Catholic books when I joined a Protestant (Independent Baptist) group in 2011. I started collecting those books when I was still a young girl. I got interested in religious books when my aunt gave me a Lives of Saints book from St. Paul's Bookstore. I also love the magazines of my aunt, The Life of St. Agnes, St. Thomas More, and St. Rita of Cascia. They were all bought from St. Paul Bookstore by the Daughters of St. Paul and Society of St. Paul (priests).

Here are some of the titles that I have collected again since the pandemic. I also included my journals which I wrote when I was still a teenager. List of My Collections: I. CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, CATECHISM & THEOLOGY 1. Catechism of the Catholic Church 2. The Student's Catholic Doctrine 3. The Catholic Church Has the Answer 4. The Seven Sacraments 5. Practical Theology: Spiritual Direction from St. Thomas Aquinas — Peter Kreeft II. SCRIPTURE & BIBLICAL STUDIES 6. Understanding the Scriptures — Scott Hahn 7. The Bible from a Scratch 8. The Family of God — Scott Hahn 9. The New American Bible 10. The Parables of Jesus 11. Hark the Herald: How the Bible Tells Us When Jesus Was Born — Fr. Gerardo R. Tapiador 12. Hark the Herald 2: The Story of the Manger of Jesus Christ — Fr. Gerardo R. Tapiador 13. Bible Diary 2026 III. CATHOLIC APOLOGETICS & DEFENSE OF THE FAITH 14. Reasons to Believe — Scott Hahn 15. Rome Sweet Home — Scott and Kimberly Hahn 16. The Catholic Guide to Miracles: Separating the Authentic from the Counterfeit — Adam Blai 17. The True Icon: From the Shroud of Turin to the Veil of Manoppello IV. CHRISTIAN & CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY 18. The Imitation of Christ 19. The Way, The Furrow, The Forge — St. Josemaría Escrivá 20. Healing Moments — Fr. Jerry M. Orbos, SVD 21. Moments — Fr. Jerry M. Orbos, SVD 22. Strength in Darkness: Wisdom from St. John of the Cross 23. The Gospel of Love According to Juan/a 24. No Moment Too Small — Norvene Vest 25. Thoughts Matter — Mary Margaret Funk, OSB 26. The Steps of Humility and Pride — St. Bernard of Clairvaux V. MARIAN SPIRITUALITY & MARIOLOGY 27. 33 Days to Morning Glory 28. See How She Loves Us: 50 Approved Apparitions of Mary 29. The Blue Scapular: Scapular of the Immaculate Conception 30. 10 Wonders of the Rosary 31. The Secret of the Rosary 32. Miraculous Medal: Pendant of Power 33. The Meaning of Akita 34. The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics — Raphael Brown 35. True Devotion to Mary — St. Louis de Montfort 36. Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love 37. The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary: From the Visions of Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich VI. ST. JOSEPH SPIRITUALITY 38. Consecration to St. Joseph VII. DIVINE MERCY 39. Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of St. Faustina 40. 33 Days to Merciful Love 41. Understanding the Divine Mercy — Fr. Chris Alar VIII. SPIRITUAL WARFARE, EXORCISM & DELIVERANCE 42. Deliverance Prayers — Fr. Chad Ripperger 43. Exorcist, Volumes 1, 2 & 3 — Fr. Jose Francisco Syquia 44. The Exorcist Files — Joy Cuadrante 45. An Exorcist Explains the Demonic — Fr. Gabriele Amorth 46. The Exorcist Files II — Joy Cuadrante 47. Catholic Handbook of Deliverance Prayer — Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia 48. Father Amorth: My Battle Against Satan — Fr. Gabriele Amorth 49. The Exorcist Files — Fr. Carlos Martins 50. Dominion — Fr. Chad Ripperger 51. The Diary of an American Exorcist — Msgr. Stephen Rossetti 52. The Liber Christo Method: A Field Manual for Spiritual Combat IX. SAINTS' LIVES & HAGIOGRAPHY 53. Saint Stanislaus Papczyński 54. Lives of Saints 55. God's Great Miracle and Worker: St. Anthony of Padua 56. Blesseds and Saints Carmelites 57. St. John Mary Vianney, the Curé of Ars: A Parish Priest for All the World 58. Catherine of Siena: A Life of Passion and Purpose 59. 101 Questions and Answers on Saints 60. Bernadette 61. St. Carlo Acutis: The Cyber Apostle of the Eucharist X. SAINTS' DIARIES, AUTOBIOGRAPHIES & SPIRITUAL MEMOIRS 62. Story of a Soul — St. Thérèse of Lisieux 63. The Diary of St. Gemma Galgani 64. Hope: The Autobiography — Pope Francis 65. The Seven Storey Mountain — Thomas Merton XI. MYSTICISM, VISIONS & PRIVATE REVELATION 66. Mga Tula ni Sta. Teresa de Jesús — Poems of St. Teresa of Ávila 67. Hildegard of Bingen: Mystical Writings 68. The Visions of Saint Frances of Rome: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven Revealed XII. BENEDICTINE & OBLATE SPIRITUALITY 69. The Rule of St. Benedict 70. Nun Sense — Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB 71. Thoughts Matter — Mary Margaret Funk, OSB 72. The Cross and Medal of St. Benedict: A Mystical Sign of Divine Power 73. Oblate Formation Booklet and Other Oblate Resources from St. Vincent Archabbey XIII. DOMINICAN HISTORY, SPIRITUALITY & PREACHING 74. Beginnings of the Filipino Dominicans — Fr. Rolando dela Rosa, OP 75. Talambuhay ni Sto. Domingo de Guzman — Fray Jigs Villaflores 76. St. Dominic: A Saint for Impossible Causes — Fray Jigs Villaflores 77. A Preacher's Calling — Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, OP 78. For the Sake of Preaching the Gospel — Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, OP XIV. CHRISTOLOGY, THE PASSION & THE EUCHARIST 79. Through the Mysteries of Light 80. The Greatest Treasure: Considerations on the Daily Mass 81. Yeshua, Son of Man 82. 100 Eucharistic Miracles 83. The Wisdom of the Saints on the Eucharist 84. A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About the Passion of Christ 85. The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ: From the Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich XV. LITURGY & PRAYER 86. 30 Favorite Novenas 87. The Catholic Assembly Book 88. Christian Prayer: The Liturgy of the Hours 89. Pieta Prayer Booklet XVI. CHURCH HISTORY & CATHOLIC HISTORY 90. My First History of the Church 91. Church Fathers — Pope Benedict XVI 92. A Vatican Journey: Fifty Milestones — Pope Francis XVII. RELICS & CATHOLIC SACRED OBJECTS 93. More Precious Than Gold — Book about Relics XVIII. FAMILY & CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIPS 94. Relationships: A Mess Worth Making 95. Christian relationship/self-help book; Protestant XIX. CATHOLIC PERIODICALS 96. Old Catholic Digest XX. CHRISTIAN PARENTING & FAMILY LIFE 97. Children and Parents: Wisdom and Guidance for Parents — Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Updated list: September 22, 2026

St. Michael and his Relic Rock

         Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel at Mt. Gargano in Italy. 

 In the year 492 a man named Gargan was pasturing his large herds in the countryside. One day a bull fled to the mountain, where at first it could not be found. When its refuge in a cave was discovered, an arrow was shot into the cave, but the arrow returned to wound the one who had sent it. Faced with so mysterious an occurrence, the persons concerned decided to consult the bishop of the region. He ordered three days of fasting and prayers. After three days, the Archangel Saint Michael appeared to the bishop and declared that the cavern where the bull had taken refuge was under his protection, and that God wanted it to be consecrated under his name and in honor of all the Holy Angels.

Accompanied by his clergy and people, the pontiff went to that cavern, which he found already disposed in the form of a church. The divine mysteries were celebrated there, and there arose in this same place a magnificent temple where the divine Power has wrought great miracles. To thank God's adorable goodness for the protection of the holy Archangel, the effect of His merciful Providence, this feast day was instituted by the Church in his honor.

It is said of this special guardian and protector of the Church that, during the final persecution of Antichrist, he will powerfully defend it: At that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince who protects the children of thy people. (Dan. 12:1) Compare this text with Chapter 10 of the Apocalypse of Saint John.

St. Michael is depicted as a warrior angel with breastplate and sword, vanquishing the evil one. He is also depicted as an angel holding the scales. It is said that he weighs souls on his perfectly balanced scales.

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I was blessed to finally have this rock from Mt. Gargano in Italy. I thank the Lord for letting me be connected with people that I don't even know who has been instrumental with me obtaining this rock. I am not that rich to be able to travel to Italy but I hope that I will be able to visit these holy sites in Europe and the Holy Land while I'm here on earth.  I just started having a devotion to St. Michael and the archangels. I just feel the need to ask for their intercession. I also bought a fancy bracelet with St. Michael engraved on it. Just had it blessed by a priest before. 

During these dark times. We must have the friendly companions of our angelic friends. For they help us get close to God and they also offer their protection. 

Catholic Saints Relics

            I have known about relics when I attended the feast day of St. Rita de Cascia's feast day and St. Anthony de Padua after attending the holy mass. We were allowed to kiss the relic. 

What are relics. They are the mortal remains of a saint or someone you considered to be a holy person. For us Roman Catholics, they are a source of inspiration especially to our faith. They have been a source of miracles and an advancement of faith. 

It is forbidden to buy 1st and 2nd class relics as states in the Canon law. If you mistakenly bought one without the knowledge that it is it is forbidden. You should immediately talk to your parish priest. I read that you can give these relics to the church for safekeeping, for it really belongs to them, not for individuals like us. We are allowed to have 3rd class relics (items that has been placed and has touched a first or a second class relic) and mementos from the place of saints or the place that the Holy Family has trod upon. For example it is not wrong to have a piece of soil rock. I also have a St. Michael rock from Mount Gargano in Italy which I obtained from a seller who was referred to me by a brother tied to a religious store in the U.S.A who brings relics to the faithful. The relic is free according to him. Only the case of the relic and the material of it is the one that you need to pay.

I thank God for these tangible things that has been left by his holy and faithful men and women. These things brings us more closer to Him and has helped us experience his love and miracle.