“I have seen the Lord.” Mary Magdalene made this announcement to the apostles after she saw, heard and spoke with the Risen Jesus. As told in the Gospel (John 20:11-17), this made her not only the very first witness of the resurrection but also its first apostle, or one sent to do a mission for...
Category: Lifestyle
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A testament to faith stands strong in a coastal town in Camarines Sur
CALABANGA, CAMARINES SUR—In the heart of this first-class municipality by the coast, a testament to faith stands strong. The wooden figure Amang Hinulid and the passion play “An Pasyon ni Kristo” have become integral parts of Calabanga’s identity, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims each year and making the sacred tradition a source of pride...
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Land before time: Road trip turns into time travel
SYDNEY—Between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day people pause from the hectic holiday pace before the next round of festivities. Some stay home, perhaps catch up on their reading or simply catch their breath. Others take the opportunity to engage in an activity not always manageable during the regular work week. That period last year...
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When the Pope and priests wear pink
“Gracia” was dismayed to see the parish priest wearing pink while celebrating Sunday Mass. She said a priest should be neutral and not openly declare himself a “kakampink” (literally, pro-pink), a supporter of then presidential candidate Leni Robredo. Pink was then the campaign color of choice of Robredo and her supporters. Was the parish priest a “kakampink”?...
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Gaita Forés’ first birthday in eternity gives us a Cibo kind of love
My good friend and fellow freelance writer Alma Cruz Miclat knew I was in Manila (down from my base in Baguio City) for just a week and insisted on a long ladies’ dinner on a Sunday at Cibo (second level of the original Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City). The name “Cibo,” meaning “food” in Italian,...
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Setting forth alone to the familiar, or travel as disconnection
People travel for various reasons. Adventure. Fun. Business. Family affairs. I do travel for all these purposes. But I also travel to be alone. I feel this most in an airport and aboard a full-to-capacity plane. Alone. With no thought or concern except to get to my destination. It affords me an in-between. A shifting...
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Lessons on the beloved potato (or how it fits quite nicely in Filipino cuisine)
Think of a few of your typical savory Filipino dishes—adobo, menudo, kaldereta, nilaga, maybe even kare-kare or sinigang. You can easily imagine all of them incorporating that ubiquitous and beloved brown-skinned vegetable. “I don’t think you will grow up or get to this age in the Philippines without having potatoes, because we love our potatoes,” Reji Retugal, Philippine representative of...
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Marking Ash Wednesday and recalling Pope Francis’ call to ‘return to God with all our heart’
The Holy See Press Office announced on Feb. 28 that Pope Francis would not preside over the traditional celebration of the Ash Wednesday liturgy on Aventine Hill, which is to take place on March 5. The Pope has been confined for more than two weeks in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to receive treatment for bilateral pneumonia...
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Popularity of K-pop and K-food surging worldwide, says report
K-pop and Korean cuisine are surging significantly in popularity worldwide, indicating the strong influence of Korea’s culture exports that ride on the Korean Wave, or “hallyu,” according to the 2024 Global Korean Wave Trend Analysis Report. Countries in Asia accounted for the most voluminous content about the Korean Wave (50.6%), followed by those in Europe...
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Diamonds are forever
There was something profoundly moving in old friends saying prayers in a misty morning, their lives squarely in the hands of a mild-mannered man expertly steering the vehicle. The voices coming together in a steady hum, the familiar cadence of the words, doubtless stirred many memories. But for the intervening decades, they could have been...