Spread the love

I would be the first to admit that I’m not a devout Catholic in the truest sense of the word. However, I do have a deep, strong, personal relationship with God and my faith in Him has never faltered all throughout the ups and downs of my life.

Needless to say, I was very excited to see Pope Francis when I first heard he was coming to visit the Philippines. However, we weren’t able to plan on how to see him because of our schedule.

We spent the first couple of days of his visit at home, watching him on the live coverage on TV. I was deeply moved by him and his speeches and found myself crying several times while listening to him.

I made sure to watch the coverage of his Meeting with the Families at the Mall of Asia Arena. I wished I could be there but sadly, I couldn’t leave the house. So, I just watched everything on TV. Let me share with you my favorite snippets from his speech during the event that day.

Here’s my most favorite one. I am all for dreaming. This one definitely resonates.

 

PopeFrancis1

 

As someone who has had one failed marriage, I can definitely say this is true. I plan on posting this message now in our house so that it can serve as a reminder to me and hubby.

 

PopeFrancis2

 

Resting is definitely something I don’t get to do a lot of. But I know we, as a family, need to recommit to “resting together” especially in prayer.

 

PopeFrancis3

 

After watching Pope Francis that day on TV, hubby and I decided we can’t possibly let this chance pass by without attempting to see him while he was here. So that Friday night, I booked us a stay at Midas Hotel and Casino for the coming Sunday, after studying his route for Monday morning, which was his last morning in Manila.

As much as we wanted to attend his Sunday mass at the Quirino Grandstand, we knew it wouldn’t be practical to bring our three kids there, including a rambunctious and restless 3-year-old. So, the next best option was to wait for him on the street, Roxas Boulevard to be exact, which is where he will pass by on his way to Villamor Air Base to take his flight home.

We checked in to the hotel on Sunday afternoon and watched his encounter with the youth in UST and his mass at the Quirino Grandstand on TV. Here are my favorite quotes from the Pope during the youth encounter.

I love how he made a special mention about women. I think there’s a need for people to be reminded of this every so often because women’s roles in society tend to be downplayed a lot.

 

PopeFrancis4

 

This is a good reminder to all of us the importance of putting our thoughts and feelings into action. A lot of us think of doing good deeds. But if we don’t really feel it in our hearts and don’t do anything about it, then thinking is a waste.

 

PopeFrancis5

 

I especially like this quote about love. This definitely holds true for me. We can even think of love in romantic relationships this way. It sounds like something my hubby said to me before.

 

PopeFrancis6

 

I woke up at 4 am on Monday morning and couldn’t go back to bed because of the excitement. I woke up hubby and the kids by 5 am so that we can have time to have our breakfast first before heading to the street. Midas is located on Roxas Boulevard so all we had to do to see the Pope was to cross the street. We actually got a table with a view of the street so that we can see if people are flocking the barricades already. We actually saw policemen and people there already when we woke up.

We were expecting Pope Francis to pass by around 9:15 a.m. so we went to the street an hour before that. There were a lot of people milling about already but there was still lots of space available. I was actually very surprised by how nice the people were. They were especially helpful in assisting us to go over the islands to get to the other side of the road where the barricades were. The nuns in front of us even offered Ziggy some water to drink when they overheard him saying he was thirsty. They were actually live streaming the live coverage so that we would all know when the Pope is already on his way. If only everybody is this nice every day.

Let me just say, I really admire the policemen there who were manning the barricades. They came all the way from Calabarzon and they were already stationed by the barricades by 5am. I think what they have done to maintain peace and order during the entire Papal visit is admirable.

Anyway, we took a couple of photos of ourselves while waiting. I think this is the first time we did something like this as a family.

 

PopeFrancis8

 

Finally, we heard from the live streaming that the Pope was on his way. Some of the police handed out white flags to wave but we didn’t get any. Everybody started standing up and prepared their gadgets to take photos. The energy was really something else. Thinking about it now still gives me goosebumps.

Then finally we saw his motorcade coming. I really tried my best to capture nice photos with only the use of my new iPad mini since our digicam is busted. Pope Francis passed by for only two seconds in front of us. It was so quick!!! But at least I was able to get some decent photos. Here they are.

 

PopeFrancis7

 

This was the closest shot I got but someone’s hand is partially blocking the view. Of course, a lot of us were waving to the Pope so it’s all good.

 

PopeFrancis9

 

The two seconds that we got to see him was so short yet so worth it. But I do hope he comes back again so that I can hopefully have a closer encounter with him.

His coming to the country means a lot to me, so much that I can’t even put it into words. Just thinking about it now makes me cry. It’s overwhelming to say the least. So, allow me to just revel in this feeling.

‘Til the next time, Pope Francis. Thank you for coming.

 


Spread the love

24 Comments

  1. It really is an experience! I just posted about our experience attending the Concluding Mass in Quirino Grandstand. Everything was worth the sacrifice! One of the best (if not the best) days of my life πŸ™‚
    Joei recently posted…Papal Visit 2015.My Profile

    1. I know what you mean, Joei! Even if I wasn’t there to personally attend his events, his effect on me is really amazing. πŸ™‚
      Janice Lim recently posted…The Day We Saw Pope Francis (and my favorite quotes from his visit)My Profile

  2. Hey Janice you’re so lucky to have seen Pope Francis and thanks for sharing his inspirational quotes! God bless! πŸ™‚
    Karl Marty Balingit recently posted…#4 Launching 2 books in a year and guiding Pinoy Yuppies with Mighty RasingMy Profile

  3. alam mo, I can’t for the life of me understand where Pope Francis gets his wisdom. Grabe. Talagang divine intervention!! He has so much wisdom – ang galing ang talaga. I am so proud to be Catholic!!

    love, Didi
    Didi recently posted…HK Eats: Brunch Club & Supper in Causeway BayMy Profile

  4. Sayang, we weren’t able to see Pope Francis in person. πŸ™
    Yvonne Bertoldo recently posted…Gina Rodriguez wins Best Actress in Golden Globe AwardsMy Profile

  5. You were pretty close! I didn’t know that quote about resting in prayer. I like it! I fully agree with that and believe it should be a constant reminder for us busy moms.
    Maan recently posted…For A Special OneMy Profile

  6. I think you were so close to the pope mobile! It’s still a great shot regardless of the waving hand! Such wonderful words from the Pope.
    Nilyn Matugas recently posted…A Look Back at The Gifted Alumni: Inspiring a New Generation of GiftednessMy Profile

  7. I always dreamed to visit a pleasant place, with family. You are lucky Janice.. has come to pope francis. Thank for share
    Fajar recently posted…Natural Home Remedies for Hair LossMy Profile

  8. Thank you for sharing Pope Francis’ quotes. They really are good reminders to a lot of us. πŸ™‚
    Joy recently posted…My Journal 2015My Profile

  9. I love the quotes and of course, Pope Francis seems like a lovable lolo to us Filipinos. Let’s hope he visits us again πŸ™‚ -edel
    Edel recently posted…Happy Wife, Happy Life Part 2My Profile

  10. you’re so lucky to have that position and to have that shot.

  11. I bet you were star-strucked when you finally saw him! ^_^
    Channel Imperial recently posted…Cebu Travel Catalogue 2015: Travel The World At Cheaper Rates!My Profile

  12. The pope is truly an inspiring person. I wasn’t able to see him in person during his visit in the Philippines but the social media and the TV is all about him. Kudos to the policemen and other people who made this event peaceful and enjoyable for the Pope and the Filipinos.
    Irish recently posted…Kay sarap at Casa Rap, BatangasMy Profile

  13. The Pope’s visit is really a blessing. He is here to inspire us to be a better nation.
    Franc Ramon recently posted…Runnr Unveils their 2015 Product LinesMy Profile

  14. You were so close! We weren’t able to go to Manila so I was tuned to news channels for updates. I love his message during the Encounter with Families. And I was a bit emotional during his mass in Tacloban. Tagos talaga sa puso πŸ™‚
    Ayi recently posted…Enjoy P&G with its Everyday MeMy Profile

  15. I love this line from the quotes uttered by the Pope,”Resting in prayer”. Another way of saying it is “resting in the presence of God.”
    Jojo Vito recently posted…PALAWAN TRIP PART 3: EL NIDO β€œTOUR A” (LAGOON AND BEACHES)My Profile

  16. His visit in the country is definitely and truly inspiring. πŸ™‚
    Aisha Kristine Chong recently posted…Natural Rehab in Your Kitchen Rid Your Body of Toxins With JuicingMy Profile

  17. We weern’t able to see Pope Francis in person but I was able to reflect on what he said. We are truly blessed that he visited us.
    Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen recently posted…Strawberry Scones with Lemon GlazeMy Profile

  18. I love the last thing he said about Real Love.
    Mommy Peachy recently posted…Infographic: The Career Path Of An Aspiring Nurse LeaderMy Profile

  19. Pope Francis is truly an inspiration to everyone. I regret not having seen him in the flesh. I only got to see him on TV. I really hope he visits PH again soon.
    Maria Teresa Figuerres recently posted…A Post-Christmas Gathering of FriendsMy Profile

  20. The Pope’s visit to our country is really a blessing. He is an inspiration to many Filipinos and also a source of Hope.
    Mommy Pehpot recently posted…RACKS Opens Two New Stores With NEW LOOK!My Profile

  21. That was so close πŸ™‚ I know in my heart Pope has come to heal those children in sickness and heal family whose broken. I hope the next time Pope Francis visit, I can see him πŸ™‚ Truly remarkable.

  22. I’m not Catholic so I wasn’t monitoring the Pope’s visit, but my feed was full of updates and quotes and like the ones you shared, they were indeed full of wisdom. these days the news is full of something completely different – violence and discord – but I do hope some of the Pope’s messages make a lasting impact on a lot of people. God bless!
    rinabee recently posted…Baby Comics, and a Sort of Veggie Nuggets RecipeMy Profile

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *