A Journey of Faith Inside Out

As the tiny white butterfly is nourished from the nectar of the sunflower sustained in sunlight, so do we draw sustenance from God, the sovereign source of all light, life, and energy.

ROAD TO EMMAUS

We are an Easter people. There is a reminder of this at a certain church where the huge Cross hanging over the altar shows the Crucufied Christ on one side and the Risen Christ on the other.

The Crucifix is the symbol of Christian faith, focused on Jesus our Redeemer. We are part of his dying, but so are we part of his rising. Yet in times of anxiety or disappointment, we may wonder where God has gone, much like the disciples walking to Emmaus, disheartened and confused over Christ's disappearance, even as He walked right next to them.

We pray for hearts constantly attuned to Him, so we may feel "hearts burning" in His constant presence. Our road to Emmaus , though not always easy, leads to Him. So He makes sure He accompanies us, because we are His.

Because we are an Easter people.

The Surprise of Christ

  FR. DAN MACALINAO The Magi had traveled a long way...following a star in search for a king. They assumed they would find him in Jerusalem,...

A RELEVANT CHURCH

We are an Easter people. There is a reminder of this at a certain church where the huge Cross hanging over the altar shows the Crucufied Christ on one side and the Risen Christ on the other.

The Crucifix is the symbol of Christian faith, focused on Jesus our Redeemer. We are part of his dying, but so are we part of his rising. Yet in times of anxiety or disappointment, we may wonder where God has gone, much like the disciples walking to Emmaus, disheartened and confused over Christ's disappearance, even as He walked right next to them.

We pray for hearts constantly attuned to Him, so we may feel "hearts burning" in His constant presence. Our road to Emmaus , though not always easy, leads to Him. So He makes sure He accompanies us, because we are His.

Because we are an Easter people.

“The Shepherd Who Walked Among Us”

JOHNSON KOTTARAM I'm not much of a religious person, but Pope Francis is one person I respect for his uncompromising stand on behalf of the...

MARCH'S PICKS

Discover features Nancy Razon in AGING GRACEFULLY, who describes her younger years as vibrant wife, mother, and banker accomplishing goals competently and helping others, on her way to realizing her own dreams. Now in her sixties, Nancy’s energy has waned but her childlike spirit lives as she shares time, talents, and resources to serve others in grateful humility, wisdom, compassion, joy, and peace.

In Gifts & Graces, Fr. Lambert Ramos writes “My Homily on the Occasion of a Dear Friend’s 80th Birthday” who was present and suffers from frontotemporal dementia. He touched on how diminished health or illness can be a suffering for both the sick and the care-giving spouse, tempting to blame God for such travails as he did from his own experience. He shares that God, however, in mysterious ways, give our afflictions meaning and come with an assurance of love and presence to those who believe and trust him and do not turn away from him.

Anthony Rodriguez writes about 'My Faith Journey: A Life of Mission and Growth' in White Butterfly's PANANAGUTAN. He recalls a 'reluctantly attended' youth camp in 1990 that left the memory of a Baptism of the Holy Spirit as the beginning of his faith trek. Becoming a fulltime pastoral worker after college and getting married to his long time friend in the work, Anthony served in mission trips giving talks and leading worship in campuses and youth gatherings around the country to beyond, in missionary places like India and Timor Leste. As the Spirit leads, Anthony pledges to faithfully respond.

FEBRUARY'S PICKS

In DISCOVER, Marianne “Girlie” Crisol chronicles in “Embracing God’s Will” her life with husband Bobby wherein the fear and anguish of grave illness and loss are lived instead in deep gratitude and joy, as one not merely follows God's words and plans but entwines one's heart and life around them with humble and absolute trust in His love.

For GIFTS & GRACES, Malen Lorenzo's writes a moving article, “Caring for Two Son's Who Answered God's Call”. Here, a mother prayerfully looks back at how God knocked on the door of their home to call her two sons to a priestly vocation. Malen realizes she never planned on how this happened; God intended for it to happen, and moved all by grace.

PANANAGUTAN’s offering is Kirby Llaban'sWhy I Dove into Theology as a Layperson”, an account of his journey to pursue a doctorate in Philosophy, inspired and guided by his firm resolve to understand God's work among his people. It took Kirby 11 years to complete the work. He stands fully confident of a hopeful tomorrow serving a God who purposed his life.

JANUARY'S PICKS

In White Butterfly’s  Discover, author Ernie Maipid, Jr. with his 9 year old granddaughter, Aria Soleil's article, 'CARE TALKS'.  Ernie relates his 'Papu' efforts at sharing the legacy of Blessed Mother’s rosary with the next generation. This touches Aria, who picks up the caring witness of her mom, an Early Child educator, and writes about her own 'caring and loving' faith journey.

Gifts & Graces features Rose Isada Cabrera's article, 'ISADA FAMILY: LIFE LESSONS FROM A CHOCOLATE BAR AND A MANGO PIT'. Here, Rose recounts the living witness of Christian family values through generations of the Isadas, palpably alive in their young today.

The Bejeweled Rock of Prayer: The Oratory of St. Francis Xavier In Nuvali, is Pananagutan’s entry by Fr Johnny C. Go SJ.  His article invites the reader to be enthralled by  the magnificent stained glass windows of the chapel glowing like multicolored gems, depicting the life of Jesus Christ as lived through the charism and mission of the Jesuits in the world and as the mainstay of Ignatian education. Artist of the stained glass windows and Xavier School alumnus Carlos de Santos Tanseco and Xavier School Founder and President  ( 2001-13) Fr. Johnny C. Go SJ, have together created a veritable treasure and legacy of LOVE  and FAITH.

DECEMBER'S PICKS

For DISCOVER, In "Where To From Here”, the first chapter of a book being written by Aurelio O. Angeles, he reveals how the word "static" was a stranger to his life history - the challenging journey from his itinerant childhood to the present, replete with difficult crossroads leading to the critical one towards entrepreneurship. Continuous hardships paved the way accompanied by anxiety, matched by dogged determination to reach the next stage, always with a search for meaning and purpose and a constant call to the Holy Spirit for guidance, depending on God for courage, virtue and wisdom to keep moving forward with unfailing faith in Him, no matter that the future remains unseen.

For GIFTS & GRACES, Jonathan Crisol in his article, 'Remembering Bobby Crisol, My Father of Love and Presence Unsurpassed' recalls that at 11 years, he needed to don, on emergency, his Dad's sneakers to play ball in school. This, he vividly remembers, was met without any hesitation by his Dad, who was to family, the rock on whom all leaned.

Now a father himself and his Dad just gone, Jonathan writes about 'his filling in the shoes' of his Dad who left a life filled with values to emulate.

In the PANANAGUTAN entry, Dong Magsajo in 'Dear Basti', pens a letter to his 13 year old son who is battling grief, unable to give away his happy memories of the family's staunch rock, 'Lolo (grandfather)', whom God has called to himself.

Dong writes of the need for Basti to 'release' Lolo for God's full loving.

White Butterfly

"When God's power is manifested in the world, in his creation or in his people, God is glorified. When we pray that our lives may glorify him, we are asking that the self may be put down."
(Elisabeth Eliot)

God loves us and will use many ways and instruments to keep us in His company. He will draw us to Him through people, events, and circumstances. Sometimes He will send us unexpected messengers.

There it was one day, the surprise of an insignificant, tiny white butterfly, which seemed to carry an invitation for me to God's banquet. My answer, through His grace, led to a simple blog, which now evolved into this website.

White butterfly is a gathering place where God invites all to HONOR and GLORIFY Him, each in one’s unique way.

Please join us by sending us contributions for any of the website categories: ROAD TO EMMAUS, A RELEVANT CHURCH, DISCOVER, GIFTS & GRACES, and PANANAGUTAN.

We await you!

Sometimes your incredible experience of God's love, fidelity, or mercy inspires you to write about it with kindled heart and spirit, or simply in a jubilant burst of unceasing gratitude.

If you want to contribute an article,

Join us and send it here!