More Miracles and INA Stamps

Why we Bikolanos come home to Naga every September is not only a most cherished tradition, but a deeply personal pilgrimage to revitalize our journey of faith with Ina in our daily struggles wherever we may be. More than anything else, it is our special way of thanking God for his many blessings and miracles granted through Ina's intercession.

On this note, a friend just recently recounted to me a special miracle he believes Ina has bestowed on him.

Only last June, he and his friends motor-biked to Naga. Along the way near Ragay, one of them slammed into a parked truck and was seriously hurt, with bruises and fractures all over. He had to be airlifted to Manila for further treatment.

On the way back to Manila, my friend told his companions to drop by the Peñafrancia Basilica first to pray for a safe journey. Although extremely careful, my friend also slammed head on to an Elf truck somewhere near Tagkawayan. He was overtaking the truck then, but the truck's driver made a sudden left turn without signaling at all, thus leaving no chance for my friend to avoid collision.

My friend's companions and nearby residents thought he was surely dead because of the impact. But, lo and behold, my friend was able to stand up without any injuries except for a fractured little bone in his wrist.

Now, he wants to do something more to thank Ina's special intercession on that fateful day that saved his life.

For sure, each one of us is also thinking of how to repay God's many blessings in whatever way we can, especially on the tercentenary of our devotion to Ina.

Concretely, I can suggest at least one thing: buy the Tercentenary Commemorative Stamps for your personal and business mails or for posterity as a souvenir for all time.

These stamps were pursued with Philpost by our local Church through the efforts of Fr. Wilmer Tria and the help of Atty. Avelino Sales and many others for the purpose of contributing to the celebration and the further propagation of the devotion to Ina.

Ina stamps for your paper letters or business brochures and advertisements can obviously reach out to the entire world depending on where you send your mails.

Sample designs are posted at http://inafoundation.org. There are four designs. Two bear a close-up of the image of Ina, one shows the Peñafrancia Shrine, and the last is a picture of the Basilica. There is also a souvenir sheet, which shows both the Peñafrancia Shrine and the Image of Ina. Framed stamps to decorate your home or office are also available.

The Tercentenary Commemorative Stamps was officially launched on Saturday, September 11, at 10:00am at the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary. For orders, call +6354 495-5490.

Indeed, INA stamps may well be like the mustard seed that starts small, but grows the biggest and bears greater miracles in the end.