Sounds like her grandmother's life would make a good book, and there is a dearth of good books about Philippine life (most of the books in English are either written from a western point of view or else by locals who imitate the nihilistic style novels of the west in order to get published).
I've only read one of her books (the Night's dark shade, via Scribd) and they are light but well researched historical fiction: easier to get through than the violent books by Bernard Cornwell et all and less porn than the Angelique series.
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Related item: Heneral Luna (the movie) is up for a foreign language oscar, and Ruby and most other folks here loved it.
She said unlike most local movies, which over do the heroics, it was very funny in parts but also sad.
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DavidWarren has a "how the Irish saved civilization" type post, reminding Catholics that even if the West and the western church degenerates, that it will spout again, from the least likely places you could think of...
Well, if the church in the USA survives, blame an Italian American nun in Alabama who took on the PC "amerchurch" types and got into deep trouble for it.
When Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles issued a pastoral letter she thought watered down the Real Presence, she critiqued him, point-by-point, on television -- and refused to offer a false apology, even when Cardinal Mahony's machinations got her threatened with interdict (the loss of the Sacraments) and the closure of her community. When still other bishops tried to gain control of EWTN and stifle her loudly orthodox voice, she famously said, "I'll blow the damn thing up before you get your hands on it."
But not all Catholic Christians live in the American Bible Belt: Cardinal Sarah pretty well said the same thing.
“I have absolute confidence in the African culture. I have absolute confidence in the African faith and I am certain that Africa will save the family, that Africa will save the Church. Africa saved the Holy Family (cf. the flight into Egypt, ed.).
alas, I am not sure that the Philippines will side with them. Tagle is famous for being nicey nice and for "loving the poor" but unlike the now retired old leftie Bishop Cruz, I haven't seen him in court for libel because he called out the nefarious corruption by local politicians (or rather, the husband of a local politician). Instead, he seems to be defending the "process" (read the rigging of the synod by the PC church)
full report here. Heh. 2/3rds of the bishops remain true to Jesus's position on marriage, so I guess it's not as bad as it seems.
But their editorial on the synod of the family, which is full of mushy double talk, is only partly about that problem: Half of it is about climate change.
I wonder if the bishops realize that methane emissions from flooded rice fields is a major contribution to global warming? Ditto for waterbuffalo farts.
as for corruption: Not a peep.
I mean, it's nice to preach to "help the poor", but am I the only one who notices that this constant messages is aimed at the rich? Who preaches to the poor? Things like the nobility of hard work, don't steal, don't drink, be faithful to your wife, and that caring for your children and elders is a way to serve God? Or that these ideas not only help you serve God, but get you a job to get your family out of poverty?
Ah, but there are a lot of Protestant and Pentecostal types who do just his...So expect more pious Pinoys to turn Protestant in the coming years.
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if I remain Catholic, it is because of the Eucharist:
The Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ, and receiving communion is literally receiving Christ into ourselves, so that we can grow in holiness. Not just a symbol, or a psychological vague "receive Jesus"in our hearts" but an actual deed of receiving Jesus into our hearts, minds, and body (sacraments are using material things to help us grasp the spiritual reality).
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