The Lost Sacrament and The Lost Sheep

I was busy this past couple of months preparing my second grader for his First Reconciliation (Confession). I was a little bit surprised when I first learned that I would be the one teaching him about this Sacrament. My children attend public schools where Religion courses are not taught. So they attend their catechism classes every Saturday in our parish church. But you see, my two older sons learned about Confession through their catechism classes. So it was a different experience for Ryland.

To prepare the parents for this task, we were invited to attend three meetings. It was really sort of a refresher course on what Reconciliation is all about. And also to guide parents on how to explain this Sacrament in such a way that our 7- or 8-year olds could understand.

On the first meeting, we were asked to remember about our experiences in Confession. I was one of the parents who couldn’t remember the first time I went to the Confession. Talk about selective memory, eh? Yeah, I do have a lot of baggage that is repressed deep inside me. Well, what I remember is that I had it the day before my First Communion. Because back then, and this was also what my two older sons experienced, Confession and Communion go side by side. And back then, we also went to the Confessional box. I guess for me, it was less intimidating knowing that the priest couldn’t see my face when I told him my sins.

There was this Dad at the meeting who remembered going to Confession as a kid as a terrifying experience. He went to a Catholic school and every other Friday or so, he would line up in a hallway with the rest of the students waiting for his turn to go in the Box, while contemplating about his sins and worrying if Father would remember that his sins were the same ones he confessed the last time.

We don’t use the Box now. I remember my first time to go to Confession when I first came here in Winnipeg. I was surprised that I didn’t have to go to a Confessional box. I was kind of embarrassed to tell Father my sins, face to face. We sat next to each other in one of the pews. I was, at a certain point and up until that time, what people say “living in sin.” I felt so vulnerable. I cried my eyes out. It was a very intimidating experience. But I felt so relieved and so clean after that.

Which brings me to what a Mom shared at that meeting. She said that her husband tells their children, “going to Confession is like taking a bath. What would you feel if you don’t take a bath for a month? You would be stinky. If you don’t go to Confession, your soul will be stinky.” I must be one of those stinky souls because I don’t go that often. But I always pray to God every night and ask for his forgiveness. Could I be really stinky?

I didn’t mind teaching Ryland about Confession. The parents were given a Family Guide, which included stories and pictures, to help tackle this task. For half an hour, three to four nights a week, Ryland and I sat down by ourselves and learned (for me, I re-learned) about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And I even noticed that Ryland appreciated the conversations and special time that we spent together. I also noticed, that my middle son, Ryan, hang around a couple of times, probably wanting to have a special one-on-one time with me as well. And we will. He’s having his Confirmation later this school year so we will have this special time together when we prepare for that. I try to have one-on-one time with each of my three children whenever I find the time. But I guess I can never give them as much as they’d like.

These past weeks, Ryland has learned how to follow the paths of God. He has learned how to forgive and how to be a peacemaker. He also learned the story of The Lost Sheep - Luke 15: 1-7.

This is the version that we read together.

Once a shepherd had 100 sheep. He loved them very much and took good care of them. One evening, as he brought them back to the stable, he counted his sheep as usual: 97-98-99… But where was the hundredth?

The worried shepherd left his other sheep and set out to find his lost sheep.

At last he found her at the bottom of a ravine, entangled in thorns.

Did the shepherd complain to her? No, just the opposite. He was so happy that he put her on his shoulders and sang on his way home.

As he passed through the village, he gathered his friends together and invited them to celebrate with him.

In the same way, Jesus said:

“There is great joy in heaven when a single sinner comes back to God.”

Next: An Interesting Discussion of "The Prodigal Son" and A Communal Celebration of Reconciliation

My Five Favourite Childhood Foods

I have been tagged by Ange to list five foods that I loved during childhood, but no longer eat or able to find them. I also included links to pictures I’ve found on the internet for visual reference.

1. Champorado (Chocolate Rice) – Sticky rice boiled in a mixture of water, cocoa and sugar. It has a soupy consistency and is usually served with swirls of condensed milk. Perfect for those cool rainy days.

2. Atis (Sweetsop or Sugar Apple) – This is a round fruit with very scaly skin. This fruit has lots of seeds about the same size as the tamarind seeds. If my memory serves me right, I think each scale corresponds to one seed. Each seed is enveloped with white sweet flesh. It may take you a while to finish one fruit but it’s all worth it. I haven’t seen any here in Winnipeg. This is one of my must haves if and when I go back home to the Philippines for a visit.

3. Duhat (Java Plum) – (You have to scroll to the middle of the linked page for a picture of the duhat .) About the same size and shape as grapes. It has a thin blackish purple skin, white flesh and a large seed. Taste is somewhere between sour and sweet. I would put a bunch of duhat in a bowl, sprinkle with sea salt, cover the bowl and shake the contents. This fruit leaves an aftertaste in your mouth and also purple stains on your tongue, as well as on your clothes. So don’t wear your best clothes if you plan to eat this fruit.

4. Sugar cane – We would peel these stalks, sometimes with our teeth. We’d chew the fiber extracting the juice. Then we would spit out the fiber once we have taken out all the juice. Kind of like eating gum, which we chew and spit out once the flavour is all gone.

5. Manggang Piko (A variety of mango) – The only kind of mango that we get here in Winnipeg is the kind that we call "Indian mango" in the Philippines. This "Indian mango" has greenish or sometimes yellow flesh and is usually sweet. What I miss is the manggang piko. It is smaller than the "Indian mango" and is more elongated. Manggang piko is very sour. I would prepare patis (fish sauce) in a small plate and sprinkle it with sea salt. I’d dip my sliced manggang piko in this sauce. Umm, nangasim tuloy ako.

I’m supposed to tag 3 people. But instead, I’m keeping this as an open invitation to anybody who’s interested in sharing their 5 favourite childhood foods. Just let me know. I'd like to read yours ,too. Enjoy!

Celebrating Christmas at the Christmas Capital of Canada

Usually after Halloween, Christmas decorations start to appear in the stores, carols fill the air, advertisements of toys, jewelry, and electronic gadgets pop up on TV. Snow falls and then it will really start to look a lot like Christmas. Known as the Christmas Capital of Canada, Winnipeg kicks off the holiday season on the third Saturday of November with The Santa Claus Parade. Houses are brightly lit with Christmas lights throughout the season. At home, my kids help me put up and decorate the Tree.

Continue reading how I and other Filipinos celebrate Christmas in different parts of the world in Ang Aming Pasko (Our Christmas) at pinoyatbp.

How much does it cost to see a movie?

We paid only Cdn$4.25 a ticket at Garden City Cinema here in Winnipeg when we watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire this past weekend. I don’t know if it’s because we caught the matinee. The last time my three kids and I went to the movies, we paid Cdn$8.50 each. Well, I’m not complaining.

This is how much we spent: ($ = Cdn$)

Tickets $4.25 x 4 = $ 17.00 (taxes included)

Large popcorn $5.79 x 2 = $11.58
Extra butter $0.25 x 2 = $0.50
Small Kool-aid $3.29 x 3 = $9.87
7% GST (goods & services tax) = $1.54
7% PST (provincial sales tax) = $1.54

Total = $42.03

We couldn't forego the overpriced popcorn and drinks. My kids don't see the point of going to the movies without these. If you will notice, we shared the popcorn and I didn't buy drinks for myself.

We saved $17.00 this time, ticket was half price. Otherwise, we would have spent $59.03. Quite pricey, eh? This is the reason we go to the movies only once or twice a year. We usually just wait for the movies to come out on DVD.

What about in your city, how much does it cost to go to the movies?

Trials and dilemmas

“It was boring,” my seven-year old said.

“I like Harry Potter 3 better,” my 11-year old said.

“What about you, Reggie, did you like the movie?” I asked my 16-year old.

He nodded.

I personally enjoyed it. Although, I’ll admit that I didn’t have that same feeling of satisfaction when I first saw Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I read three movie reviews of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before I actually found the time to watch it this weekend. The film stayed close to the book, although there were a few parts that didn’t make it to the movie. I didn’t mind it though because the film captured the essence of the story. Sometimes filmmakers have to sacrifice some parts of a novel for brevity. Otherwise, we’d be sitting at a four-hour long film.

Boy, these young actors have grown! Daniel Radcliffe has become more handsome. Emma Watson is very pretty. Rupert Grint is not that bad, either. And it was very interesting to see some characters come to life for the first time. Cho Chang’s beauty is very simple and charming. Mad Eye Moody is magical. And Ralph Fiennes, although we can’t recognize him, gave a fine performance as Lord Voldemort.

The special effects is outstanding. It’s amazing to see the three trials happen on the big screen. The scene at the graveyard is not that too harsh for the kids. I got emotional towards the end of that scene. I don’t know if it’s just me. But I got misty eyed when I watched Harry broke down when he brought Cedric back from the graveyard. It could also be the acting. These youngsters have matured not only physically, but professionally as well.

In my opinion, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has the best storyline of the series so far. In this book Harry was faced with different trials in the Triwizard Tournament, which could signify the trials we face in life. He was faced with dilemmas in the last two trials but he rose to the occasions and he showed his “moral fibre.” We also witness the characters grow up as they experience the pangs of adolescence. To Harry, stealing an egg from a dragon was an achievable task, but asking Cho to the dance was excruciatingly painful. I can relate. I could easily solve a trigonometric equation in high school but I was clueless at how to make a boy notice me.

I guess this is the reason that the Harry Potter series is a success. The theme is universal. Teenagers can relate to the characters, and parents as well because they have been through that phase. At the same time, I think this is also the reason why my two younger kids didn’t enjoy The Goblet of Fire as much as Reggie and I did. This installment is geared towards a more mature audience

Note: I have noticed recently that the movie rating is more lenient here in Canada. In the U.S. this movie is rated PG 13, here in Canada it is PG. I also noticed that there are movies Rated R in the U.S. that are rated only 14A or 18A here. Or it probably varies in the different provinces and territories.