Other things may change, but our family will not. Family time, however, can serve as an escape from the demands and deadlines of daily life and is paramount in building strong relationship. Simply going to church, watching movies, exchanging thoughts and having meals together can give countless joy. A habit to display interest in the wellbeing of your family members can lead to a willingness to share problems and build mutual respects between parents and children. These are my delightful moments with my family.
— Janice Andeza
It is happy to pray together with my family every night, as we gather in our living room to worship and meditate on God’s words. It’s our way of giving back all the glory, honour and praises to him for being faithful in our lives. Through this, our family bonding is getting stronger every day by the grace of God. With this ritual every night, we are able to reflect on the will of God and give thanks to his never ending favour for us.
— Bethoven Borlongan Jr.
When my siblings and I were young my mother made a lot of sacrifices taking care of our needs and working in the farm since my father was always in the city. Then when my father became sickly and had to return to the province, she spent most of her time taking care of him. A prayerful woman herself, my mother taught us to pray the rosary daily and we never missed reciting it as a family. There is a novena we pray for our birthdays as well. For me nine days before my birthday we will pray the Novena of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. My siblings have their own novenas too. She would always tell us the great importance of having a prayer life and remind us that a family that prays together stays together.
I well remember deeply in my memory the celebration of her 80th birthday. I was so busy planning our family surprise birthday for her when she hugged me and whispered “thank you”. I always remember her hugs.
She succumbed to acute asthma and returned to the Lord on May 3 last year. She may have gone but her memories will linger in our hearts forever.
— Esmie Chung
I’m very happy if my family is gathered even for simple occasions. But I’m specially delighted when we gathered for Christmas holidays, sharing food, laughter, good and bad experiences and plans for the future. There are also times that we shed some tears but with the family around, it still brings joy to me. Having my family around with me, every day is delightful.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
— Norma Lenaming
The times of Christmas and Easter were also my delightful moments when I see the images and scenes of angels. It reminded me that when we were young, my siblings and I would be dressed as angels every Easter celebration. They reflected the sweet image of my mom who gently guided us towards spiritual maturity. I believe mom is peacefully happy and is now our angel who watches from heaven.
— Leni Monleon
My family is my strength and inspiration. Every moment spent with them is cherishable. There are things that are complicated but through our faith and guidance of the Lord, we always end up in a good shape. We have different mindsets and opinions, and sometimes we end up in arguments, but the nice thing is we keep our respect for each other. We help each other even though they have their own lives with their own family. We always give the best to one another.
My father is not with us now but his memories remains and we value his teachings. We always remember that we should be responsible for our actions because we don’t want to ruin his good name. Being apart from them is a big struggle for me, but thanks to the social media it is easy for us to communicate with one another.
— Aracile Nacario
