Author: Santuario de San Antonio Parish

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LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME By Karen Blanco

“LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME…. and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14

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Every Sunday during the 1030 am mass, a classroom full of 4-7 year olds gather together at the parish center for Magnifikids, a program under the Family and Life Ministry. It is a class where kids learn about the Sunday Gospel through fun activities like arts and crafts, story telling, games, song and dance.

As a volunteer teacher, I have witnessed how the above verse is made concrete through this program. Jesus indeed calls on everyone as His beloved children.

In a world where media and popular culture greatly influences the mindset and the lifestyle of even kids, it is very refreshing to have children equally talk about Easter as Christ’s resurrection and the egg hunt and bunny with so much gusto!

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In a universe of violence and uncertainty, it is amazing that kids without hesitation sing the sorry song and reflect and pray for mercy for their sins.

Sure, these kids are not angels 100 % of the time. Sometimes they fight, call each other names and refuse to share crayons but in the end they make up, play and pray together.

As I end each class with these amazing kids, I am reminded to be childlike….loving and forgiving. They are truly gifts of our Lord not only to their families,but to our church as they serve as inspiration of love, joy, peace and hope to our imperfect lives.

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Gratitude for Mercy

Is there still mercy in Easter? We think of Easter as a time of rejoicing. We cast away the sullen looks and turn now to the joy of the resurrection. Jesus rose from the dead, and the world now rejoices. Mercy often gets left behind in Lent. With the cross comes mercy, and once Jesus rises from the dead, sometimes we stop thinking about mercy and move on.

But Easter is the embodiment of mercy. One of the first things Jesus does when he appears to his disciples is he gives them the Holy Spirit and then says to them “ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:23)

The forgiveness of sins – the distribution of God’s mercy can only happen after the resurrection. Certainly on the cross, Jesus displayed God’s mercy for all, but without the resurrection, it remains on display – forever enclosed but never released.

Easter allows God’s mercy to break forth. Just as Jesus broke forth from the tomb, so the mercy of God breaks forth into the world and each of our lives. It is the gift of the resurrection.

Easter is not an afterthought to the passion but the completion of it. If Jesus did not rise, then nothing has been accomplished. St. Paul says “if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain, and your faith has been in vain” (1 Cor 15:14)

Thus, Lent leads to Easter, and mercy leads to grace. Indeed, God has shown his great mercy through the death of his son Jesus, but it is through the resurrection that creation is restored and that mercy becomes a factor in our lives. And so the resurrection leads us to gratitude. The gratitude that we have received so much mercy from God in our lives, in so many different ways.

If we focus on just the passion, we are at risk of wallowing in guilt. For we have done many terrible things. But the resurrection shifts from guilt to gratitude – from self-loathing to thanksgiving.

We are always thankful that God shows us his great mercy – yesterday, today and always.

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The Sacred Heart of Jesus And Divine Mercy

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The Sacred Heart of Jesus can be traced back in the 12th century but it was only through Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673 that Jesus appeared and told her “that the love of His Heartmust spread and manifest itself to men.” With the help of her confessor Saint Claude La Colombiere, the devotion to the Sacred Heart spread in France and eventually throughout the world. The said devotion was officially recognized and approved by Pope Clement XIII in 1765.

On the other hand, the devotion to the Divine Mercy was promulgated by Saint Faustina Kowalskain the1930’s in Poland with which we are more familiar with the daily 3 o’clock prayerhabit. Our Lord appeared to Saint Faustina to give her the message of mercythat “God loves us — all of us — no matter how great our sins. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others” (EWTN). Pope John Paul II had actively promoted the message of Saint Faustina and when he canonized her in the Jubilee year 2000, he likewise proclaimed that Divine Mercy will be celebrated every second Sunday of Easter.

In contrast, both the messages of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Divine Mercy share one common theme…God’s call to us for repentance. As we celebrate today Divine Mercy Sunday, we recall that our Holy father Pope Francis has declared 2016 a special Jubilee Year of Mercy and Compassion in which everyone is encouraged to do both corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

The parish is inviting all men to join the Men of the Sacred Heart. For more inquiries, you may visit our parish office.

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The Taste of Silence By Conchitina S. Bernardo

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Reconciliation conjures many images. …Two persons making their peace; the sacrament of confession; or, discovering another route to encounter God. The prayer of silence, Centering Prayer, brings you to all these and more.

The inability to quiet the mind offers a challenge to one practicing Center Prayer. Yet because of this, the prayer bears fruit and opens up the possibility of creating other channels for reaching God. None is more loving and uplifting than the prayer of gratitude. Initiated by the spirit, and in the quiet of the prayer, you find countless ways to say “thank you Lord.”

The annoying tingling sound of the ice cream man all the way down the street, makes you cringe and hope it goes away. Then suddenly your heart says, “thank you.” Why? Because all the way up to the 45th floor of a condominium unit, with the windows sealed, you realize that you hear the bell. You hear it clearly. The sound then becomes friendly.

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Lamenting the galloping of years when the heart is weary and is greying like the rest of you, suddenly you praise God that you can still walk, climb, dance, paint, travel, and suddenly, everything about you becomes bright. You whisper, “thank you God, I am alive and able, albeit slightly limited! But alive and loving life!”

Fearing the loss of a beloved can be crippling, and useless, because the person is still around and well. How liberating it is to enjoy the moment over dinner, a scrumptious ice cream, a stroll in the mall, and a movie. Simply say “thank you we still have each other.”

It is endless because there is just so much to be grateful for. If the only prayer that springs from your heart is “thank you Lord” you will need no more. Centering Prayer brings you there. The Language of God is Silence, and in the Silence you hear God’s laugher every time you praise and thank Him! You feel an embrace, a peace, a comforting feeling because you are reconciled with God. Your eyes moisten and vision blurs and you find yourself saying “thank you God for the gift of tears” and the silence follows.

Visit our website http://www.cophil.org

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Prayer Heals By Caron Santiago Macasaet

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Paul and I met through common friends while I was on my summer vacation from college in San Francisco in 1997. We had a long distance relationship for two and a half years and finally got married in Feb. 27, 2001 in this parish.

I wish I could say we lived happily ever after but that was not the case. A month before getting married, I found out he was heavily into drugs. I tried to stop the wedding. Paul promised to change. One month after the wedding, I found his drugs in our home and a few other things. I packed my bags and left him. Being the stubborn and proud person that I was, I wanted to end everything. I did not want to be with him anymore. Having a sibling who was also into drugs, I did not want a husband who was an addict.

I approached two priests and told them that I wanted to end my marriage. Fr. Dave Clay, from our Discovery Weekend and Fr. Prex, a close family friend, both advised me to just pray. Pray? What do you mean pray? Crazy as it sounded at that time, I did just that. I prayed.

Paul hit rock bottom after a month and came home. He entered rehab to show my family and me that he wanted to change. He said he wanted to just get it over and done with. He did not intend to stay clean after rehab, but while he was in rehab he met and saw people willing to kick the habit for good. He had a change of heart, we both did.

Our lives changed as we welcomed our first daughter, Bianca. Bianca was the focus of his recovery. As the years passed, even through life’s ups and downs, we have remained together. We now have three kids. Paul has been clean for 15 years and we just celebrated our 15th year of marriage. Today, we serve God by serving in our parish ministries: SYA, Luke 18, Prison and Hospital Ministries. Just recently, I was asked to join the Parish Pastoral Council under the Worship Committee. They made me head of “Novenas and Devotions” because I love to pray so much. Paul and I now recite the rosary in Church every Wednesday before the 12:15 pm Mass. We do all these things to give thanks to God for all the blessings He has given us and continues to give our family.

We would like to invite you to recite the rosary with us before the 6:00am, 7:30am and 6:00pm Mass from Monday-Friday and before the 12:15pm Mass from Monday to Saturday.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

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Articles Holy Week

SEVEN LAST WORDS: A GOOD FRIDAY MEDITATION IN LIGHT OF OUR FAMILY LIVES By: Marie Tycangco

Jesus’ Seven Last Words tell us a story of Jesus’ sufferings during His last hours in Calvary while fulfilling His mission. He speaks about forgiveness, mercy, love, abandonment, suffering, accomplishment and total surrender to God.

Join us as we reflect on Jesus’ 7 Last Words as our fellow parishioners share their own experiences of suffering and fulfilling Christ’s mission here on earth, in light of their family lives. Together with them, let us meditate on our individual crosses and trust that amidst our sufferings,God is always there for us, as we too are called to be present for each other.

The First Word: “Father Forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”- Lk 23:34

ANDREA CELESTINO

Speaker: Andrea Celestino
Ministry: Hospital

Sometimes we make mistakes not realizing that we have hurt others or others hurt us twithout them realizing. This is especially true with people close to us, like our family. We easily take their feelings for granted, creating gaps in the relationship. They are easy to hurt, but sometimes hard to forgive, as we fill our hearts with greed and pride. Like the criminals who were beside Jesus, we too are sometimes unaware of the pain we cause others. Are we ready to forgive and ask for forgiveness?

The Second Word:”Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”- Lk 23:43

CATHERINE ONG (1)

Speaker: Catherine Ong
Ministry: Youth of San Antonio (Luke)

A lot of times, we have been impatient and irritated at our family members. We disregard their kind actions and refuse to accept their help. We too have our flaws, yet we rebuke them for the same flaws. When we realize that what we have done or said was out of hand, did we show sorrow and ask for forgiveness?

The Third Word: Jesus said to His mother: “Woman, this is your son.” Then He said to the disciple: “This is your Mother.”- Jn 19:26-27

CARINA SAMSON

Speaker: Carina Samson
Ministry: CCD

They say, parents will always love their children, but why is it so easy for children to abandon their parents? Jesus calls us to reflect on our relationship with our parents and return the love that they have unconditionally given us.

The Fourth Word: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”-Mt 17:46 & Mk 15:34

WINNIE POWELL MUELLER

Speaker: Winnie Powell Mueller
Ministry: Marian Cenacle

At some point in our life, we have experienced deep suffering and felt abandoned by our family. During these times, did we turn to God? How did the situation affect our prayer life and our relationship with God?

The Fifth Word: “I thirst.”- Jn 19:28


RJ LIMPO

Speaker: RJ LIMPO
Ministry:Prison 

We all desire for a perfect family life — a perfect marriage, a perfect relationship with our parents, with our children, with our siblings, but no matter how hard we try, there seems to be something missing; something does not seem to be satisfied. What is it we thirst for? What will it take to fill the void?

The Sixth Word: When Jesus had received the wine, He said: “It is finished.” And He bowed His head and handed over the Spirit.-Jn 19:30

NELIA B. NAVARRETE 

Speaker: Nelia B. Navarrete
Ministry: Health Care

Just like any relationship, family life requires effort to make things work. Sometimes, things get out of control and all we can do is to surrender to God. We just need to trust in Him to take control for us, until we can finally say “It is finished.”

The Seventh Word:Jesus cried out in a loud voice:”Father into Your hands I commend My Spirit.”- Lk 23:46

TRICIA MONSOD

Speaker: Tricia Monsod
Ministry: Family & Life 

As we undergo deep trial and personal difficulties in our family life, it is very easy to just give up. We easily fall into temptation and conveniently choose the easy way out. As Jesus was enduring all the pain in fulfilling His mission, He too was tested, but He fought the most difficult battle until the end and lifted everything to the Father.

Seven Last Words will be on Mar. 25 (Friday) at 1pm at the Main Church. Everyone is invited to attend.

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Articles Lent

PASSOVER MEAL by Tina Teehankee

 Passover Seder MealThe Passover Seder Meal is a Christian ritual that allows us to return to the sources of our past that is the very ground of our being.  The celebration remembers the Passover night when God rescued the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt.  Why is it important for us to observe the Passover Seder Meal?  Moses said, “You shall observe this rite as a perpetual ordinance for you and your children.  When you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this observance.  And when your children ask you, “What do you mean by this observance?’ you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses.”  And the people bowed down and worshiped. – Exodus 12:24-27

We invite families and friends to attend the Passover Seder Meal. The Passover Seder Meal costs P500.00 per head.  We can choose beef, chicken, or fish for our main dish complete with the Seder Meal symbols on each table.  We invite all Ministry Heads, Members, Parishioners and friends to attend.  Reserve a table and bring the entire family! Register now at the Parish Office c/o Ms. Bernadette Andulte or your Ministry Head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From the Desk of the Parish Priest: COMPASSION IN ACTION

Last February 28, 2016, our parish housing project for Yolanda victims in Brgy. San Antonio, Basey, Samar was finally turned-over. There were 48 beneficiaries with their respective families who happily accepted their pre-assigned house in the presence of Most Rev. Isabelo C. Abarquez, DD, the Bishop of Calbayog Diocese. The good bishop also presided the Eucharistic Celebration and the blessing of the San Damiano Chapel and Multi-Purpose Center. Mr. Edmund Lim, PPC President; Christina Teehankee, PPC Vice Pres.; Girlie Sison, Worship Ministry Coordinator and Jaime Blanco, former PPC Pres., have witnessed the occasion as well. They braved through and successfully crossed the muddy and slippery terrain to the housing site.

Four days before the turnover and blessing, 20 Franciscan friars (4 priests, 16 brothers), 9 SYA members and 1 parish social worker participated the Franciscan Solidarity Camp II to help the final preparations despite the erratic weather. Indeed, a joyful service and ministry find its reason and inspiration from working as a team and through communal spirit of giving and sharing – it is not what a person possesses in this life that definesJesus’ disciples. Rather, it is what a person can truly give up and authentically share with the people in dire need that blesses disciple’s life. Truly, having material and financial resources is not a guarantee to being generous but compassion and mercy does.

In behalf of the Pastoral Team, the Parish Pastoral Council and most especially the 48 families-beneficiaries, kindly allow me to express my heartfelt and profound gratitude to all those whoextended their compassion and care for the Yolanda victims – your solidarity and generosity give them reason to believe in God’s manifold abiding presence, to continue discovering life’s meaning in the face of tragedy and to begin again to build their family’s dream through their new found home.

Our parish community was able to received donation amounting toP 8,334,352.27 from various sources. This amount enabled us to buy almost 1 hectare land for the location site of San Antonio Franciscan Eco-Village (P 1,200.000.00); 48 shell housing built on concrete andsteel materials with classique corrugated roofing (P 5,630,740.42);San Damiano Chapel and Multi-Purpose Center (P 1,336,3777.85); and Equipment for Income Generating Project – CHB Production (P134,034.00).

FOR ALL THOSE WHO DARE TO BE GENEROUS
(Time, Treasure and Talent),
YOUR KIND ACTION MAKES GOD’S COMFORTING PRESENCE TRULY ALIVE
IN THE MIDST OF DESTRUCTION AND DEATH.
MAY YOUR SIMPLE ACT OF COMPASSION AND MERCY
BRINGS YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES PERSEVERANCE, PROSPERITY, AND PEACE.

Fraternally,
Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM

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The Fear of Confession by Javier Luis Gomez

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Articles Fr. Jesus Galindo

Meeting the God of Mercy with Fr. Jesus Galindo

_S360222We sat down with Fr. Jesus Galindo to talk about the Year of Mercy and its place in the lives of the parish of San Antonio. He shared with us his thoughts and hopes for the year and how we can all encounter God’s mercy throughout Lent and the rest of the year.

Fr. Jesus began by talking about the timeliness of this Year of Mercy. “The Church has always been seen as a powerful institution,” he says. “There’s a saying, utos ng pari, hindi mababale. That kind of mentality has been problematic. What we need now is a Church devoted to being a Church of the poor. That means being a place where God’s mercy can be encountered by all, especially the marginalized.”

“The tone of the parable is not anger and condemnation but
mercy, love, and joy. That is the God we would like to encounter”

When I asked what the parish can do during this Year, Fr. Jesus pointed to himself. “It has to begin with us priests,” he said. “We acknowledge that we are human and in need of God’s mercy ourselves. Only then can we show mercy to others.”

“A special place where this can happen is in the sacrament of reconciliation,” he continues. Fr. Jesus emphasizes that he prefers the idea of reconciliation and repentance over calling the sacrament ‘confession.’ The name ‘confession’ evokes too much of a trial or courtroom, which was the old context of the sacrament. The sacrament is still the same, but we can emphasize today an encounter with a merciful God who wants to reconcile with us so deeply.

When I asked him about his hopes for the rest of the Year of Mercy, Fr. Jesus highlighted two things. One would be for mercy to start at home. Many parishioners have helpers in their houses. “It is as basic as treating them with respect and dignity,” Fr. Jesus says. That already is a simple act of mercy. The second would be to participate in communal celebrations of the sacrament of reconciliation. This would be a good way to understand how the sacrament is really one of healing and mercy. “Consider the father in the parable of the prodigal son,” Fr. Jesus suggests. “The tone of the parable is not anger and condemnation but mercy, love, and joy. That is the God we would like to encounter”

Fr. Jesus has personally devoted himself to the confessional these days. It is where his life and ministry has led to at this point in his life.

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