Jose Rizal

His death was commemorated by a cartoon of himself being shot by two motorcycle riders in tandem.

"Good Riddance Day"

"Since 2006, a group of people have celebrated this unusual event around the New Year.. Based on a Latin American tradition, individuals write down unpleasant, embarrassing memories and bad issues from the past year and throw them into an industrial- strength shredder. Or some take a sledgehammer to their good riddance item." (Our Daily Bread)

How does the entire world do this with Covid-19?

Dutertismo

 Someone had classified members of this cult:

1. Die--hards from when he was still Mayor

2. Opportunists and turn-coats of fairly recent times

3. Technocrats who want to sincerely help out

4. Patriots who put country above anybody else

5. Middle class who just want to have change

Picasso

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

Who Remembers Christmas 1941

Lourdes S. Bautista's "High Blood" column in the Inquirer recalls the entry of PH in WWll on 7 December 1941. It ended in 1945.

Hopefully, this pandemic doesn't take that long.

"Ponder It"

"Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

'Allow yourself a few minutes of quiet during this busy season to sit and listen for what God might be saying to you.' (Our Daily Bread)

Weight Loss

"After every chemotherapy session, I developed a metallic taste in my tongue which destroyed my appetite and induced the terrible feeling of nausea.

Instead of grieving over it, I welcomed it as a chance to finally lose weight...

I also took it as an opportunity to offer my suffering for reparation for my sins, in solidarity with people who are sick, hungry, and suffering.

How to handle trials and sufferings?                    Nasa pagdadala at pagdadalangin.                        Hindi sa pagdadaldal at pagdadada!" 

(Fr. Jerry Orbos' "Healing Moments")

Hope

"Not only is cultivating hope in God a strategy, but clinging to Him in faith and trust is the only strategy." (Our Daily Bread, 22 December)

Warm Springs

Almost like a Christmas miracle story, this touching film on FDR featured him contracting infantile paralysis (polio) in adult life, turning a rundown community into a holistic rehabilitation haven, then "running for the presidency when he could hardly walk" but being given unprecedented three terms during the Great Depression and World War II.  As he said, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself."

Golden Girls rule

Blanche E. Devereaux with the interesting initials rued, "Back in our Career Day, I decided to marry one with a career!"