CECILIA MANGUERRA BRAINARD: PHILIPPINE AMERICAN WRITER CALIFORNIA CEBU
Finding God: True Stories of Spritiual Encounters
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Published by Anvil Publishing, Inc. Finding God: True Stories of Spiritual Encounters is a collection of 18 essays about people’s 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.
Blurbs:
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, 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
(Photo l-r: Marily Orosa, Mila Aguilar, Cecilia Brainard, Marlinda Tan)
E-mail questions/comments
to cbrainard@aol.com
Copyright © 2009 Cecilia
Manguerra Brainard
