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*FAITH, Reviews

All about “Hallow”

Hallow. It’s another term for holy.

These days, Hallow is also the #1 prayer app in the world that helps Catholic Christians, like me, to connect with God despite being busy and whatnot.

I’ve been a Hallow user (I even paid for an annual subscription!) since 2022, that’s why I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve partnered with them just this month in “influencing” others to learn more about the faith and strengthen prayer lives. 🙂

I live in the Philippines — a predominantly Catholic country — but to be honest, it’s sad to say that the Catholic Christian faith has been taken for granted by most Filipinos, especially by the new generation. I mean don’t get me wrong, most of us are “Cradle Catholics” (born and raised with the faith) who eventually became “Cafeteria Catholics” (those who just choose to follow the teachings of the Church that suit them), and I guess it’s part of human nature to “ignore” something that has been bombarded to us since time immemorial. As they say, we never know the true value of something until it’s gone… or until we hit rock bottom.

Which is exactly what happened to me.

Sure, I went to Catholic schools from elementary to college, but I’ve nurtured my faith more outside the four walls of the classroom. I experienced God firsthand through my fair share of “rock bottoms” in life and it was only Him that sustained me through it all. That’s why faith is such a sensitive topic because more than being taught, it’s something to be experienced — which is unique for each person. I mean, for example, you can tell me all the wrong things you can think about Catholicism but I’ll just listen and move on because all the good things about it have been ingrained in my heart and mind because of my unique experience.

And no, I’m not perfect, I’m still a sinner who needs God’s grace and mercy every single day, heck I still don’t get to pray the rosary daily (the struggle is real, my friends!). That’s why it’s really refreshing to have faith-based apps like Hallow because it’s as simple as clicking a button and being reminded that I’m not alone in this journey.

Having said that, what do I really love about Hallow? Well, personally, these are what I use the app for:

PRAYERS – As mentioned, I struggle to pray the rosary every day. I know how powerful it is (during an exorcism, Satan admitted that each Hail Mary is a blow to his head — so imagine if we all pray the rosary! That’s why I can also imagine why it’s such a struggle to do so — there’s spiritual oppression in the background!). With Hallow, I just go to their Daily Rosary section, then choose a guide and length (I usually choose Jonathan Roumie who played Jesus in The Chosen series and the shortest option which is 18 minutes; I also include the “Light Piano” background music which is also an option in the app).

Aside from the rosary, it’s also now easier for me to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet as well as novenas because of one click of a button through Hallow!

COURSES – Similar to podcasts, Hallow also has a vast collection of exclusive audio series or courses you can listen to. The ones I already tried are Feminine Genius by Lisa Cotter and Routines Course by Leah Darrow.

MUSIC – Oh yes, there’s also Christian music in the Hallow app! From Gregorian chants and instrumental music to beautiful worship songs, you can explore Hallow‘s different playlists to incorporate in your day. My favorite track to listen to so far is Adoro Te Devote by Matt Maher.

AUDIOBOOKS – Some books written by Saints are quite long and to be honest, hard to read. So it’s good to have the audiobook versions of classics like Story of A Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux (narrated by Sr. Orianne) in Hallow.

I hope they also include audiobook versions of Confessions by St. Augustine of Hippo and Divine Mercy in My Soul a.k.a. Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska soon! *hint, hint*

BIBLE – One of the main tabs in the app, the entire Catholic Bible can be accessed and read in Hallow (my favorite translation is NABRE). There’s also the Daily Readings section which is supplemented by an audio version of the readings and a reflection for further listening.

COMMUNITY – You can also create groups in Hallow. Similar to other messaging apps, you can create a group with certain people who also use Hallow. Once you create or join a group, you can then exchange messages and prayer requests, as well as reflections and sessions in the app you’ve completed.

Currenly, I’m part of Catholic Woman Daily (CWD) created by my friend and fellow sister in Christ, Carissa Roque-Magbiray — for my other fellow females out there who want to grow in their Catholic faith, I highly suggest you join us by using this group code: M31RP6. But first, you gotta download Hallow for free! ❤

CHALLENGES – Ah, one of the things I look forward to during the seasons of Advent and Lent — Hallow‘s prayer challenges! Ever since I started using Hallow two years ago, I’ve never missed joining one!

The current challenge as of this writing is called Lent Pray40: He Leadeth Me. It started on Ash Wednesday, but it’s not yet too late to join this! You can start by trying Hallow here. 😉

❤

So if you don’t have Hallow in your apps yet, this is your sign to download it. Haha! Seriously, though, it can make wonders for your faith life just as it did to mine.

And if you’re already a fellow Hallow user, maybe you can share some of the things you also love about Hallow. ‘Cause why not!

Kaya tara, dasal tayo! 🙂
#StayPrayedUp

TO GOD BE THE GLORY ALWAYS AND FOREVER!

❤

“for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
-2 Corinthians 5:7

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*FAITH, Books, Relationships, Reviews

Just a (Royal) Thought: “Spare” by Prince Harry

So, I finished reading Spare by Prince Harry in just three days. Those close to me know that I’ve always been an Anglophile ever since I was young (I used to joke that I could pass as someone who graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in History, Major in Royal Studies – if there ever was one! LOL!) — mostly due to my childhood crush on Prince William, which then transitioned to my admiration for his wife, Kate Middleton… then I visited the U.K. in 2016 and somehow my Anglophilia subsided after that. Add to that binge-watching The Crown on Netflix and suddenly, my overall “fairytale” view on the British Royal Family faded slowly.

I realized that I became fascinated with the British royal family because on the outside, they were the epitome of living the ideal (if not perfect) life. Blame it on Disney for adding fuel to my already burning interest for princes and princesses while growing up! But if there’s one thing I learned about the royal family, they’re just like any other family – imperfect, with human beings (sometimes borderline “human doings”) as family members, and a little bit dysfunctional just like the rest of us. And I don’t mean this in a bad way because truth betold, we’re all “broken” in one way or another.

“They can’t break me, I thought. Is it, I wondered, because I’m already broken?”

from “Spare” by Prince Harry

And that’s basically the overall theme I got from reading this book: brokenness. Ever heard of the term “hurt people, hurt people”? It was obvious that Prince Harry has unresolved issues and trauma within his family (all the way back from his childhood), especially because of what happened to his late mother, Princess Diana (may she rest in peace).

Prince Harry is a hurt person (aren’t we all?) and writing this book is somehow a way for him to cope. But since that “hurt” isn’t completely healed yet, he somehow “hurt” others, too, along the way — especially his family, the royal family, unfortunately.

I picked up this book because as mentioned, I’ve always been interested in the British royal family (albeit not as interested as before). What I liked about the book is first, as Prince Harry claims it, the source is himself — straight from the horse’s mouth although ghostwritten by another author. He talked about his unresolved grief about his mother’s death, his military experience, his relationship with his family (current King Charles III which he calls Pa; Prince William which he calls Willy; and the late queen, Queen Elizabeth II, which he calls Granny — may she rest in peace as well), his love story with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their growing family, and of course, his unending anger toward the British press (referred to as “paps” in the book, short for “paparazzi”). I find everything in the book relatable — even though he’s from the royal family, Prince Harry definitely gave me a glimpse of how imperfect his life is, how imperfect being a royal is — and that’s okay because yes, at the end of the day, they’re still just human beings like the rest of the world when stripped off of those titles, wealth, and whatnot. Plus, I valued my status as a “private citizen” more after reading all about his horrible experience caused by the media (and yet many people still chase after fame in this day and age — be careful what you wish for!).

Then there’s the part that I don’t like: well, it’s basically the underlying (or maybe unconscious?) motive of revenge on his own family members through words. As a devout Roman Catholic striving everyday (you know this blog’s theme, right?), I truly believe in Sr. Lucia dos Santos‘ message that the “decisive battle between the kingdom of Christ and Satan will be over marriage and the family.” Yes, MARRIAGE and the FAMILY. Just look at what’s happening in our broken world today. And well, Prince Harry sure did prove this message with the way he wrote his book. Then again, we already established the fact that hurt people have a tendency to hurt others in return; I can only pray for Prince Harry that his acknowledgment of his brokenness (see quote above) will truly pave the way for his healing — and despite a very challenging feat by the looks of it, reconciliation with his royal family members… eventually.

Okay, the aforementioned “battle” needs to be discussed in another post altogether. I suggest you read Prince Harry‘s memoir, Spare, with an open mind to get a glimpse on his struggles and whatnot. However, if you end up hating and even blaming him or any of his family members after reading the book (which is quite the tendency), maybe just offer a prayer for them. I’m not one to impose my faith and religion on another person because that is a unique and personal journey for each of us. This isn’t about taking sides nor supporting this and that because at the end of the day, who are we to judge? We all have our daily struggles to begin with. So if you can’t pray for them, maybe just remember that not. one. of. us. is perfect and just like us, Prince Harry and the British royal family have their own struggles to deal with. It’s just unfortunate for them that they’ve been public figures from the time they were born.

At the end of it all, it all comes down to LOVE. That’s all we seek, really. It just so happens that in our imperfect and broken world, we search for love without realizing that we’re looking in all the wrong places and outlets. Hence, the vicious cycle of brokenness across generations. So help us God. *hint, hint*

TO GOD BE THE GLORY ALWAYS AND FOREVER!

❤

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who choose one shall eat its fruit.’”
-Proverbs 18:21

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Books, Reviews

Book Review: The Tale of Juliet by Jhet Torcelino-van Ruyven

Title: The Tale of Juliet: You Have the Power to Change Your Life

Author: Jhet Torcelino-van Ruyven

Format: Paperback

In a nutshell
This is a self-published book about the “rags to riches” life story of Juliet “Jhet” Torcelino-van Ruyven on how she overcame her struggles as a poor girl in the province of Batangas, Philippines when she was still young, worked hard and studied, achieved her dreams one by one, which led to her eventually becoming one of Canada’s successful female entrepreneurs. Add to that the fact that she’s also now a bestselling author and sought-after motivational speaker, having the likes of Mark Victor Hansen (of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series) as one of her mentors.

My thoughts
This became an instant page-turner for me! Having the author as one of my kababayans (we’re both from the Philippines; although she’s now Filipino-Canadian), it was easy for me to relate to her storytelling. Sure, I have to admit that I haven’t experienced the “extreme poverty” she mentioned in the book during the early years of her life, but it opened my eyes more on the plight of some of my fellow Filipinos and really made me appreciate more what I have.

The writing part of the book is done in a very simple way, and those who are after the writing style won’t really be impressed (I actually saw one negative review on an online book store, and I was like, “why would you be after the writing?!”). But what it lacked in the “writing style” department, the book very much made up for in content and inspirational message. Heck, I even witnessed the author twice in a live speaking event, and I really love her humility in admitting that grammar isn’t really her strongest suit that’s why she left that for the experts (editors, etc.) — what she has is a really big message that inspired, inspires, and will continue to inspire the world! And isn’t that what a book really is for at the end of the day? To share a message! To inspire! And the author has done that. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “my life is my message” — and the same rings true for Jhet. Her life story on how she turned her breakup into a breakthrough, her mess into a message, her struggles into successes — that’s what will make you buy and read this book. That’s what you’ll remember (and will inspire you to take action in achieving your own dreams and helping others) even long after you read it.

With this book, you can’t help but also be motivated to turn your life story into a successful one too! 😉

Rating: 4 out of 5

❤

*BONUS!* I was able to meet the author herself, Ms. Juliet “Jhet” Torcelino-van Ruyven with her husband, Mr. Ted van Ruyven. They were such a very nice couple and down-to-earth people! May God bless them both more! 🙂

with the author and her husband (P.S.: don’t mind the bandage on my chin; I had an infected zit but that didn’t stop me from pushing through with my day’s activities! haha)

—

Have you read “The Tale of Juliet,” too?
Share your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below!

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