"Let nothing frighten you..."

I woke up today to some terrible, terrible news. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit the Visayas islands, strongly affecting the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros and the city of Iloilo where many of our heritage sites are located.

At first, I was worried about the parents of my daughter's caregiver. They live in a coastal town in Bohol and for a while, nobody could locate them. A lot of the roads were impassable as some bridges collapsed. But thankfully, we got news later in the day that they were safe and unharmed though many of their neighbors have severely damaged houses.

Disasters sadden me. I am worried that soon, a strong earthquake may disrupt Metro Manila. (We are past the 20-year cycle, I was told.) And the thought that it could happen at a time when my daughter is not with me frightens me. I am trying to work on something in my own way through the opportunities that I have at work. Yes, I can knock at doors to put a little more pressure on our government so they can help us prepare for such a dreaded event. But could we really ever be ready?

I thank my new friend Gwen for religiously sharing articles and video clips in our prayer group's Facebook. This evening, she posted this beautiful prayer of St. Teresa of Avila whose feast we celebrate today together with a popular song, which it has inspired entitled "Huwag Mangamba."