Gatsby Daily

17/12/2024

I stood beneath the midnight sky,
where the cross rose silent and still,
its form cutting the clouds,
and the moon,
cradled in a halo of light,
a night like no other—
a birth, a manger, a quiet beginning.

The sky, then, too,
must have shimmered with wonder,
angels threading songs through the dark,
their voices turning silence into praise.

Here I am,
beneath this same sky,
beneath this cross,
thinking of Love —
the child who became the Lamb,
the Lamb who would bear this weight.

I thought of Mary,
her trembling hands,
her Fiat.
Of Joseph,
steady beside her,
holding
as tightly on her hand.
Did they see the shadows of this cross
etched in that holy night,
or just the Light,
spilling from a lowly stable?

The moon tonight is a mirror —
soft and tender,
its Light not its own,
but reflected from a Greater Fire.
And I wonder,
is that not the story of us all?
To hold His Light,
even faintly,
and offer it back to the world?

The cross looms large,
but tonight,
it does not speak of sorrow.
Tonight, it feels like a doorway,
a bridge between the heavens and earth,
where angels once descended,
where God chose to dwell among us.

And I stand here,
beneath it all,
beneath this moonlit cross,
thinking of the manger,
thinking of the child,
and how He chose
to hold the world,
even then,
in His tiny hands.

Tonight, I let myself be held,
in the quiet mystery of it all,
beneath the midnight cross,
beneath the same sky
that sings of His birth.
Emmanuel — God with us...

CRADLED BY THE CROSS
JGatsby
12.17.2024
331am D2: Misa de Gallo
📍Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish

06/12/2024

Dear God, dear stars
Dear trees, dear sky
Dear peoples, dear everything
Dear God
God is inside me and everyone else
That was, forever will be
I came into this world with God
And when I finally looked inside
I found it
Just as close as my breath is to me
Risin' (risin', risin') like the sun
Is the hold that sets us free
Your heartbeat make my heart beat
When we share love like a blade of corn
Like a honey bee
Like a waterfall
All a part of me
Like the color purple
Where do it come from?
Now my eyes are open
Look what God has done
It take a grain of love (grain of love)
To make a mighty tree (to make a mighty, mighty tree)
You take the smallest love (smallest love)
And make a harmony (harmony)
Like a drop of water (like a drop of water)
You keep the river high (He can make the river high)
There are miracles (there are miracles)
For you and I (for you and I)
Like a blade of corn (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Like a honey bee (ooh)
Like a waterfall (hey)
All a part of me
Like the color purple (like the color purple)
Where do it come from? (Tell, where does it come from?)
Now my eyes are open (my eyes are open)
Look what God has done
I don't think us feel old at all
I think this is the youngest us every felt, ohh
Amen ('men)

Oscar®, Golden Globe® and Grammy® winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) has dazzled the world with her matchless talent. This fall, she makes her long-awaited ...

21/07/2024

When you say goodbye to a parent, you are suddenly living in a whole new world.
You are no longer ‘the child’ and regardless of how long you have officially been ‘grown up’ for, you realise you actually never were until this moment. The shock of this adjustment will shake your very core.

When you have finally said goodbye to both your parents, assuming you were lucky enough to have had two. You are an orphan on this earth and that never, ever gets easier to take no matter how old and grey you are yourself and no matter how many children of your own you have.

You see, a part of your body is physically connected to the people that made it and also a part of your soul. When they no longer live, it is as if you are missing something practical that you need – like a finger or an arm. Because really, you are. You are missing your parent and that is something far more necessary than any limb. And yet the connection is so strong it carries on somehow, no-one knows how exactly. But they are there. In some way, shape or form they are still guiding you if you listen closely enough. You can hear the words they would choose to say to you. You can feel the warmth of their approval, their smile when a goal is achieved, their all-consuming love filling the air around you when a baby is born they haven’t met.
If you watch your children very closely you will see that they too have a connection with your parents long after they are gone. They will say things that resonate with you because it brings so many memories of the parent you are missing. They will carry on traits, thoughts and sometimes they will even see them in their dreams. This is not something we can explain.

Love is a very mystical and wondrous entity.
It is far better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all and grief, grief is the price of that love. The deeper the love the stronger the grief.
When you say goodbye to a parent, do not forget to connect with that little girl who still lives inside you somewhere. Take very good care of her, for she, she will be alone and scared.

When you say goodbye to your parents, you lose an identity, a place in the world. When the people who put you on this earth are no longer here, it changes everything. Look after yourself the way they looked after you and listen out for them when you need it the most.

They never really leave. ❤️🙏🏼

- Donna Ashworth -

18/07/2024

P E L I K U L A
J.D. Vance’s journey in Hillbilly Elegy serves as a powerful example of the impact of generational trauma and the importance of healing the inner child. His story underscores that while we cannot change where we come from, we can choose who we "BEcome."
At the heart of J.D.’s story is the inner child, which represents the vulnerable, often wounded parts of ourselves formed during childhood. J.D.‘s inner child was marked by the chaos and instability of his family life, particularly his mother’s struggles with addiction and his exposure to domestic violence. These early experiences left deep emotional scars that left feelings of guilt, shame, and unworthiness.
Healing the inner child involves acknowledging these wounds and nurturing the parts of ourselves that were hurt. For J.D., this process was held up by the steadfast presence of his grandmother, Mamaw, who provided the love, discipline, and guidance he desperately needed. Mamaw’s iron fist influence helped J.D. recognize his potential and gave him the courage to pursue a different path from his parents.
J.D.’s story ultimately involves breaking the cycle of trauma. His decisions to join the Marines, pursue higher education, and build a stable life are conscious efforts to forge a new path. This journey required confronting painful memories and developing inner strength and a deep faith in God.

J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis fo...

11/07/2024

I hope you have a good roommate with you.

25/06/2024

Pause. ⏸️
B R E A T H E. 🫁
and
remember who you are. ❤️🙏🏼

19/06/2024

The story of Maya

17/06/2024

What do you think?

15/06/2024

Anong masasabi mo?

15/06/2024

“Relationship Addiction” ano yon?!

14/06/2024

What do you think?

08/05/2024

In one of our classes, I was asked to talk about my role in spiritual accompaniment. Being a visual person, I chose to use a video to convey my thoughts effectively. In this video, the woman dressed in black at the start serves as a metaphor for what accompaniment means to me.
A spiritual companion is like a scaffold for the person praying—the girl in the middle—as she enters into an intimate dance with God. It's important to observe how the woman in black lovingly looks and follows the man, adjusting her movements to sync carefully with his as he interacts with the girl. This illustrates the role of a spiritual companion: to support and enhance the spiritual experience without leading it.
Notice that the woman in black gradually fades into the background. This transition embodies the shifting role of the spiritual companion from an active participant to a witness, quietly observing and receiving the grace that flows from the deepening connection between the pray-er and God. In their sacred dance, the focus is entirely to the divine interaction, marking the core of spiritual accompaniment.

04/05/2024

Groaning is different from throwing tantrums and just being a spoiled brat, a hard a #% and a bit #%! Groaning is primal. A disposition of vulnerability and humility. A place where our deepest hurts reside — a place of healing if we let God even see it and touch it.

Groaning was my most intimate experience of God — lovingly looking at me with tears and silent cries. This God did not even ask why. He stayed and waited as long as I wanted to groan.

Maybe you might be thinking, why did God “just” wait in silence? My answer is, “I don't know.” I didn't have words to ask, and that space was enough for me. What I felt and experienced was a space where I was seen and heard. I did not feel He had an agenda to get me out of there or fill our space with words. God was not “just” there. He was with me, for me, and in me. And in a moment of one last wailing and moaning at the top of my lungs, as if giving birth to a child — a deep, personal Breath of I AM. ❤️🙏🏼

[…]

02/05/2024

How long in a day do you practice “SHHHHHHH”?—calm your mind, soothe your senses, and still your body. Let all aspects of yourself become peaceful. In this tranquil state, take no action. It is then that Truth will unveil itself to you.

25/04/2024

When you don’t pay attention to the present, it is easier to judge a situation or a person. PAY ATTENTION! It makes a difference.