
Edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and Marily Orosa
Anvil, 2009, softcover, 158 pages, ISBN 9789712722899
PALH has a few rare out-of-ptint copies, $65 each, Free US shipping, email palhbooks@gmail.com
Winner of the prestigious Gintong Aklat Award for 2010
True Experiences of Encountering God
This collection of 18 essays focuses on true-to-life experiences of encountering God. Contributors have written honestly about their spiritual encounter after the death of a family member, or illness of self or of family members, or infidelity of a spouse, or difficulties with family members. Others write of experiencing God’s presence during childbirth, in school, during a zen-moment, and during pilgrimages to Lourdes and Medjugorje. The experiences are varied; some writers are Catholics, some are Born-Again Christians. Eleven of the contributors are based in the United States, while seven are based in the Philippines. The book thus provides a Filipino and Filipino American points of view.
Contributors are: Mila D. Aguilar, Raquel Villavicencio Balagtas, M.G. Bertulfo, Susan Evangelista, M. Evelina Galang, Evelyn Regner Seno, Tony Robles, Edgar Poma, Aileen Ibardaloza, Paulino Lim, Jr., Brian Ascalon Roley, Marlinda Angbetic Tan, Lisa B. Martinez, Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, C. Sophia Ibardaloza, Reme A. Grefalda. Cecilia and Marily also have essays in the book.
Praise
“There is one thing I am sure of, and it is that God will never do anything that is bad for us. Our puny minds often cannot understand how all our sufferings can be good for us, but if we look back at our lives, we see how everything eventually works out well in the end. This is the faith that underlies the essays in this book. It is a simple faith, but a profound one.” (Isagani R. Cruz for The Philippine Star)
“My father confessor once told me, that at times one would not be able to see God’s plan until one looks back or partake in the experience of others. This book, a collection of narratives on finding God will surely uplift our faith as we learn from the experience of others.” (Jocelyn B. Gerra, Ph.D, OPL, (Lay Dominican), Executive Director, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.)
“Finding God on earth, next to entering heaven in eternal life is, to my mind, the greatest gift one can experience.I know that not everyone can be aware that he or she is finding God at
precisely the moment this experience is happening, but all the contributors are to be envied, for finding God can be such an awesome moment whether it happens when one is in great physical pain or in deep spiritual anguish. I am privileged to write one of the blurbs of a book being dedicated to the memory of my dear friend, Jose de Santos Orosa, who taught me what forgiveness is all about.” (Josefina T. Lichuaco, columnist, former Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications)
Book Review
Allen Gaborro for Philippine News, November 20, 2009