@March 22nd Holy Saturday 1:05Am Manila Time, Dom says: Good Friday's a blessed day!

@11:00Am Good Friday Mt Time USA, Dom says: today, my life is blessed with three blessings... First is a real good spiritual post and second is an email from a former co-teacher in San beda Grade School, and the third one is a golden reminiscense that's filled with the fond memories of guests from other Religious Orders such as these Franciscans who, in the past frequented their visits in my community to spend their weeklong retreats and immersions to our way of life: the Benedictine contemplative way of life.
In the following photos, you will see how my community is blessed with Franciscans from outside who came all the way from far places in New Mexico as well as other nearby States of America to join me and my monkbrothers in our daily life and its activities inside the monastery.

Indeed is a blessing I got for today from a friend's letter,Cora. Cora Lipana is a good friend and a former co-teacher of mine who, I never thought, came over to the USA for a greener pasture (and I guess, a greencard as well)
cora almanzor lipana wrote:
dear Dom Lawrence,
cora lipana ito, i'm here at Baton Rouge Louisiana, teaching sa Banks Elementary school. musta ka na? right now i'm teaching grade 2, uwi ka ba sa atin? cguro ako matatagalan pa bago uwi. do hope magkita din tayo. hope to hear from u.
always,
cora
my immediate reply to her was...
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:11:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: "dom lawrence, OSB"
Subject: Re: hello
To: cora almanzor lipana
wwwwohaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! cora, this is a very pleasant surprise to me!.... ay nasira ang aking pagluluksa sa pagkamatay ni Kristo sa sulat mo bwhahahahahaha---

katatapos pa lang ng aming Lauds!...our next prayer in Church is at 8:15Am this Good Friday. kailan ka pa andito sa Tate?

ay ang saya naman- at least hindi ako nag iisa sa foreign nation na ito na punong puno ng yelo!....

naku- hindi ako makakauwi this year dahil mag start na akong mag aral sa Seminary - I will be starting with my MA in Divinity sa Saint Meinrad Seminary diyan sa Indianapolis , Indiana.
Ikaw lang ba andito? hindi mo kasama pamilya mo? Madami din ditong teachers sa New Mexico hired by a private agency based in Colorado- as in sandamukal na sila dito sa espanyola- and still the district is hiring for more Science, Math, English and SPed teachers from 'Pinas-
Just last Holy Tuesday ay dumalaw ang pitong pinoy teacherts dito sa monasteryo na na assign sa espanyola district- just a 45 minute drive from the monastery...
oy, sige- kumusta mo ako sa aking pupil na anakis mo- malaki na ba? binata na? musta naman diyan? kasama mo mister mo?

hoping to hear from you soon!...
sige- at magtitika na naman kaming mga monghe sa simbahan at nag kalembang na naman ang kampana hudyat para sa dasal namin-

bless you cora....
dom lawrence

Cora is at the far left standing and I am at the far right seated. Photo is originally taken by a film camera years years ago and I reproduced it using my digital camera in Feb. of 2005. During our field trip to Banawe