Finding Peace in Prayers – Saint Pancratius

On most days you know you have the physical strength, the willpower, the motivation and commitment to do your daily grind. You work smart and you have a great team, you have a supportive family and circle of friends. But there are days when it seems that all you can hope for is divine intervention.

Back in 2002 when I first landed a job in the BPO industry and my first experience doing a graveyard shift, my late grandmother came up to my room one day and gave me this novena. She told me that since I was working in the night time, this novena was for good health, success in work, and being free of adversities or ill-intentioned persons.

 

This novena carried me through tough times back then. Though let’s admit that we sometimes miss out on our catholic obligations, and only remember to pray when we are in need.  

 

Nowadays, I experience more and more obstacles in Life. May it be work or personal, some of these situations are just beyond my control. (Though I am still trying to find a solution for it to be within my control.) But this is where I turn to a higher power. It may not bring the desired results, but I do find peace and comfort whenever I complete my prayers.

So I just want to share the Novena to Saint Pancratius, for it may bring strength and guidance in your daily tasks.

NOVENA TO

SAINT PANCRATIUS

Act of Contrition:

 

 Jesus, my God,
how often have I offended Thee and,
despite my firm promise never to sin again,
how many times have I left Thy sweet company
to follow the path of sin!

Dearest Lord, I am sorry for my past negligences.
I regret this weakness of mine.
I would be ashamed to promise again
that I will not sin were it not for the confidence
I have in Thy love and Thy mercy.

I kneel in Thy presence,
hopeful that despite so many past violations of Thy commandments,
notwithstanding so many failures to correspond with Thy grace,
I can still repent.

I know that there is time to make a new beginning.
With Thy aid I will strive to be faithful to Thee,
with Thy assistance I will do my utmost to serve Thee faithfully - and always.
Do Thou, dear Jesus, help me.

Amen.

 

First Day

Our hearts have been created to love.
It is God Whom you have to love most,
more than all beings,
more than all riches of the world,
and in this way you will avoid many disappointments.
St. Pancratius did it so
and by it he obtained many favors from God.
Ask him fervently for this grace,
you will live peacefully
and will obtain his protection in all your needs.

Prayer for each day to the Blessed Trinity

Prayer to the Eternal Father

I believe, Heavenly Father,
all that Faith teaches,
and in that faith I wish to live and die;
through the intercession of St. Pancratius
grant us good health to fulfill our duties.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory be...

Prayer to God the Son

O good Jesus,
grant me the virtue of Hope in your promises
in the same measure that St. Pancratius
always trusted in your Providence,
so that I may, through his intercession,
obtain work and success in all my undertakings.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory be...

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Grant me the virtue of Charity
that I may love God above all things
and my neighbor for the love of God,
as St. Pancratius did.
Through his intercession
I hope to obtain this grace
and that of being free from adversities
and from ill-intentioned persons.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory be...

Concluding Prayer:

O glorious St. Pancratius,
I beg thee to obtain for me
all the graces that I need,
but especially health and work,
so that I may appear before thee
to thank God for the favors
I received through your powerful intercession.

Amen.


Second Day

It is the law of God to love our neighbor,
but only in as much as this love does not hinder us from loving God.
St. Pancratius gave us the examples,
thus leading many souls in the right path to heaven.
Let us ask him from the depth of our hearts
to give us the grace to love our neighbors
as ourselves in order to love God better;
in this way we shall obtain many graces
from the glorious St. Pancratius.

(Prayer to the Blessed Trinity as on First Day)

Third Day

St. Pancratius possessed such a kind heart
that he always sympathized with the poor and the unfortunate;
for this reason he obtained so many graces from heaven.
You too, should imitate this virtue and thereby obtain,
through his intercession,
many favors from God.

(Prayer to the Blessed Trinity as on First Day)

Fourth Day

The glorious St. Pancratius not only tried to be good himself
but also strived to lead other souls to heaven,
and for this reason God bestowed on him
such a great power in behalf of those devoted to him.
You too, should try to spread this devotion
and to lead others to heaven.
In this way you will gain many graces,
especially those that you like to receive in this novena.

(Prayer to the Blessed Trinity as on First Day)

Fifth Day

There are many persons in the world who due to human respect,
fail to serve God wholeheartedly.
Be not one of them,
but rather imitate St. Pancratius
in defending always the truth and the good,
for the sake of God.
In this way,
you will obtain all that you need
through the intercession of St. Pancratius
who is always ready to hear your prayer.

(Prayer to the Blessed Trinity as on First Day)

Sixth Day

One of the hardest things for the heart
is to forgive those who have injured us.
Ask St. Pancratius to obtain for you this grace
when someone has offended you,
since he forgave even those who martyred him.
Be sure you will then be more at peace
and will obtain for yourself and for your family
graces that grow more than you can hope for.

(Prayer to the Blessed Trinity as on First Day)

Seventh Day

In this world,
great patience is needed for everything,
for more obstacles always come in our way than we expect.
Imitate St. Pancratius who always conforms his will
to the Holy Will of God,
and thus succeeded in living happily
and becoming a great saint amidst difficulties.
Ask him fervently to help you,
and he will grant you this grace and many others.

(Prayer to the Blessed Trinity as on First Day)

Eighth Day

Just as you treasure the picture of your parents
and other dear persons,
so also should you treasure the image of St. Pancratius,
assured that from heaven above he sees you
as you kneel before his altar.
The greater the fervor with which you do it
the more he will intercede for you before God
that he may grant you the graces you want
to obtain in this novena,
for you as well as for your family.

(Prayer to the Blessed Trinity as on First Day)

Ninth Day

Now that you are ending this novena,
you are encouraged
and you feel a greater desire to love St. Pancratius
and by it to make yourself worthy of attaining heaven
where you will keep his company.
Be sure that he waits for you there,
and you will fulfill your duties faithfully,
leading the life of a good Christian;
and thus obtain his protection for yourself and for your family.

(Prayer to the Blessed Trinity as on First Day)

 

The Gladiator Way

They say that if you are not first, you're last. That championships defines success and excellence. That winning is everything. 

Not entirely true.

There is a lot to be said about the sport of basketball. How this team sport breeds and develops athletes not just physically but mentally. How the sport changes one's perspective in life and work ethic. A sport that unites and inspires others. And I am very grateful to have played basketball for at least a third of my life.

So what's the point if you did not win the championship?

They say that if you are not first, you're last.

True. If there are just two teams competing in that particular league. True. If indeed you are dead last and have not won any games at all. But if you have been in the finals for 3 consecutive years, in reality, I don't consider that being last. It's being competitive. This team climbed from being a 2nd runner up on it's first year, 1st runner up on the 2nd year, and became champions on the next. On our fourth year, after losing our first game, the team never looked back and streaked to the finals. It is unfortunate though that we lost to a better team. 

Take for example the San Antonio Spurs. They never won it each and every year (They've won a total of 5 back in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014), but their competitiveness never waned. Each and every year they won anywhere between 50 to 60 games out of a total 82 games. Would you consider the Spurs to be last?

That championships defines success and excellence, and winning is everything.

Indeed it is great to win them all. But it would be the greatest if you've won authentically and without shortcuts. To some, winning is everything, thus they would recruit talents just for the sake of playing. In the professional leagues, why not. But in a BPO industry; come on.  One thing I am very proud of this team is that the players are TRUE employees doing actual BPO work. 

I will be blunt and harsh on this. Other teams employ half of it's lineup and puts them in a department that needs very minimal office work or none at all. I know because we've done it in my previous employer. And believe me, when we won the championship, the feeling for me wasn't authentic. We took the short route, we guaranteed victory by getting an ex-professional player, collegiate athletes and a couple of amateur league players. For others they even brought in an import.

Really? These guys do BPO work? They go on a graveyard shift? They clock in 9 hours doing actual office duties? Is that defining success and excellence? Sure, sure. 

So how come we have ex-collegiate/amateur players in our roster you say? Let's set the record straight. These guys walked into our doors and applied on their own free will. And I am very proud of these two employee-athletes, who have shown much dedication and commitment, both with the sport and with work.

Rhey Mendoza and Danny Pribhdas for me are an excellent example of an employee-athlete. In the past 3 years these two were the heart and soul of the team. But despite being that, they have been unselfish and as true leaders they trusted and believed in their team mates and helped to make them better.

Rhey used to play for the NU Bulldogs and was named part of the Mythical Five and Danny played for the UST Growling Tigers in the UAAP. How much effort they put into the sport is the same level as to how much they exert their effort at work. Rhey is an OJT (On the Job Trainer) who helps new hires during their training period. Danny is one of our high performing employees and is now assuming an assistant team leader role. Regular night shift hours, high stress levels, and yet they deliver both on the court and on the job.

As captain of the team, Rhey said, "Even if we lost this year, what's important is the winning culture that we have. We will come back stronger and better as always."

Winning may not be everything, but the culture that you instill to breed the right attitude and behavior towards work and play, for me is more important. Never give up and strive harder.

That is what defines success and excellence.

That is the Gladiator Way.

Kian Turns 7

It amazes me how 7 years have passed and how much you have grown since then. Whenever I attempt to carry you, it isn’t an easy task anymore. Although, whenever I try to explain things to you, it is easier nowadays because you understand and analyze things better. (Looking back at how I could just cradle you in my arms when you were just weeks old.)

I can no longer escape or talk my way out of certain things such as the price of apps in the Apple iTunes store. (Apparently you discovered my currency converter app and is now able to compute for the converted dollar price to pesos.) So I frequently hear you say, “Dad, one dollar and 99 cents is just like 90 pesos. I have one hundred pesos, I will pay you”.

It surprises me how you remembered that I promised to open a bank account for you when you reached the age of 7. How you keep reminding me to check the Manila Observatory if you can look into the big telescope. (I hate to bring you the bad news but they don’t have the telescope anymore, but don’t worry, they told me they will let me know when they have stargazing events.)

It amuses me how you love collecting toys just like your Lolo Johnny who collects die cast model cars, like your Tita Nan who collects Lego, and of course me, who collects pretty much everything that I missed out on during my childhood days. From your model planes, to your Kuya’s Nerf gun armory, and your Minecraft Lego (The living room right now is a Minecraft village and has now extended to my room.)

Though it saddens me a bit, that I may have not given much attention to other things. Such as being able to help you with your homework, bring you to the cinema to watch the movies you wanted and just settles to watching it on DVD, and accompanying you to play basketball or ride the scooter at the park. Thus, the reason why I keep saying that each time I get, any free time that I have, if you ask for me during those times, I will be there.

You have grown into the boy the way you should be and not the way that is forced upon. I don’t mind having you to choose your own destiny as long as I guide you along that path to what is righteous and God inspired. I may have not been there all the time, but for each time spent with you is definitely with full sincerity and affection, and never less. 

I'm a Tourist: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Having some final getaway before classes start for the kids. Thank you to my cousin for the huge discount on the rooms. Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan is about 3 hours away from the Metro. (Took us about 5 since it was our first time so we took a wrong turn somewhere.)

But worth the travel to this heritage hacienda by the beach. Although the place was still under construction or under restoration for some parts, it was still a sight to marvel upon. Most of the houses were actually knocked down from their original locations and brought to this place to be restored. The rest were replicas. 

Not much activities yet available, but the tour was worth while as we learned a few things about history that were probably not taught in school.

So much detail on the structures.

The main reason for this, the joy on the faces of these two.

Will definitely be back here once everything is 100% completed.

Check out their website: http://www.lascasasfilipinas.com/

New Year in Ilocos 2016

After an 11-hour trip with all the stopovers, finally made it. (Good job Toyota Innova) Thank you also for the new TPLEX highway, which probably saved us about 2 hours of travel time. Although not really my first trip; (Ilocos Revisited) this was the longest drive I did in my life; 450 kilometers. Will be more prepared next time...about a liter of Barako coffee maybe.

First attraction: The Suba Paoay Sand Dunes

Sandboarding

No fear from Kian as he took the sandboard ride on his own.

2nd attraction: Playa Tropical Resort & Calle Crisologo in Vigan

Final attraction: La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc

What's a vacation without the usual food tripping;

Street foodies in Batac, goodies and home made cooking.

The best part of the trip, the kids enjoying life without the iPads...

National Heroes Holiday 2015

Earlier this year I made a promise to visit at least one major attraction or destination every month; (January was an exemption since we were in Vietnam for our anniversary. I'm a Tourist: Vietnam. I had to pass up on July as well since it was my son's birthday and the office sent me to Dumaguete City.)

1. Hot Air Balloon Festival (February)
2. Philippine International Pyromusical Competition (March)
3. Staycation (April)
4. Labor Day 2015 (May)
5. Pico De Loro 2015 (May)
6. Independence Day 2015 (June)

Kids nowadays have very specific demands;

Spend a night at a hotel

Must have a pool

Must be in Tagaytay

But keeping true to our promise not only brought a huge smile on their faces, it also gave us a chance to explore more attractions within the Luzon area.

Having to find an affordable place especially during a long holiday weekend can be challenging since these destinations usually bump up their prices and availability is close to nil. Luckily, we found Hotel Dominique which was just located along Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay.

With a party of 8, you would usually have to get at least 2 rooms. But Hotel Dominique offered what they called a Casitas; having two floors, with a huge Queen size Bed (with a pullout bed), and 2 twin size beds, extra mattresses, 2 bathrooms and a balcony. And of course, the most crucial thing nowadays…the free Wifi. All of these for a low price not exceeding Php 7,000.00.

We then tried to maximize our time by checking out new places in the area. 

(With the exception of the Bee Farm.)

Lunch at Balay Dako

Ilog Maria Bee Farm. The need for honey for allergies.

Dinner at Caffe Sant’Antonio for some Four Cheese Pizza, Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino, and a Strawberry Banana smoothie.

And one the highlights of the trip, which is one for the books; the Guinness World Record holder, Puzzle Mansion, for having the world's largest collection of jigsaw puzzles.

Biggest Puzzle in the World (With I think 32,000 pcs)

2nd Biggest Puzzle in the World (24,000 pcs)

And of course the best part...

Independence Day Weekend 2015

Earlier this year I made a promise to visit at least one major attraction or destination every month; (January was an exemption since we were in Vietnam for our anniversary. I'm a Tourist: Vietnam.)

1. Hot Air Balloon Festival (February)
2. Philippine International Pyromusical Competition (March)
3. Staycation (April)
4. Labor Day 2015 (May)
5. Pico De Loro 2015 (May)

It doesn't need to be a far off place, as long as it's with the family and the kids get to enjoy. We headed off to Seda at Nuvali in Sta. Rosa over the long Independence Day weekend; the drive was about an hour away from the Metro so there were no excuses whatsoever.

While waiting for our rooms, the hotel served treats and refreshments.

Coffee, tea, Melon juice, Guava Lemonade, bread pudding. I don't mind waiting for an hour for the room. Please do take your time.

Scene of relaxation and peace.

Someone is in awe by the view.

Game Room and Day Care area.

A visit to Nuvali isn't complete without feeding the Koi fishes.

The little boy now knows how to do a cannonball.

Enjoyed much with the cousins.Definitely deserves a round two.