The knee jerk notion of “mercy” and “compassion” in the workplace would most likely be the scenario of firing someone and having a change of heart “Have mercy on meeeeeeee!!!!” which may (or may not) turn out to be disastrous for the office in the long run. But “mercy” in the workplace need not be that dramatic. When you bring into your profession the wholeness of your being, you bring into the workplace the kindness and justice that the love of Christ brings. Rather than seeing workers as a means to an end, a thoroughly replaceable entity by an entirely more efficient alternative/robot, you regard those around you as human beings and you set goals and targets which allow them to move into achieving the fullness of their aspirations. A good example of this would be a story I heard recently wherein the job for a hospital janitor entailed “mopping, cleaning, and disinfecting the floors”. When reprimanded for not doing his job by helping the elderly get on and off the bed, for singing to the bandaged blind patients who could not fall sleep, for taking the time to make the sick children laugh – his response was “yes I do mop, clean, and disinfect the floors, but my job is to make sure that I provide the environment so that the patients get better.” It was a man of mercy who must have hired the janitor, briefed him, and set him loose on the workplace – a janitor, a human being on fire to help others get better.
PREPARING FOR ASH WEDNESDAY
Every year, Catholic churches around the world prepare for Ash Wednesday by burning palms, which were blessed during the previous year’s Palm Sunday.The priest begins the rites by calling the faithful to do penance and show mercy. After the palms are burned, the ashes are blessed by the priest and collected for use on Ash Wednesday.
Why are ashes from the previous year’s Palm Sunday used?
“Palm Sunday was when the people rejoiced at Jesus’ triumphal entrance to Jerusalem. They celebrated his arrival by waving palm fronds, little realizing that he was coming to die for their sins. By using palms from Palm Sunday, it is a reminder that we must not only rejoice of Jesus’ coming but also regret the fact that our sins made it necessary for him to die for us in order to save us from hell.”
Why do we use ashes?
“Blessed ashes having been used in God’s rituals since the time of Moses.Ashes are a biblical symbol of mourning and penance. In Bible times, the custom was to fast, wear sackcloth, sit in dust and ashes, and put dust and ashes on one’s head. While we no longer normally wear sackcloth or sit in dust and ashes, the customs of fasting and putting ashes on one’s forehead as a sign of MOURNING and PENANCE have survived to this day.”
PREPARING AS A FAMILY
In this Year of the Family and the Eucharist, we are invited to kneel down to bring renewal to the family. With so many problems stemming from family issues, broken marriages, sibling rivalries, parental abuse, problem children, among others, we are called to strengthen our relationships with our family more than ever. This Lenten Season, let us mourn together and do penance as a family.
Penance: Mutual Forgiveness
Pope Francis in his catechesis said: “The family cannot live well without mutual forgiving. Every act of forgiveness repairs the cracks in the house and strengthens its walls.”He says, “If we learn to ask for forgiveness immediately and mutually forgive one another, healing the wounds, the marriage is strengthened and the family home gradually becomes more solid, capable of resisting the shock of our small and great wickedness. Now, that does not require a big speech, but just a caress: a caress and everything is finished and starts again.”
Mourning: Praying and Making Sacrifices as a Family
Family prayer not only strengthens each family member’s relationship with God, but also with each other. It makes each family member aware of each ones pains, thus are able to share the same with each other. Pray about marriage problems together; Pray about parental problems together; Pray about your children together; Pray for the world together.
Families can also make sacrifices as a family and together share in the passion of Christ. It doesn’t have to be heavy. The whole family can make simple sacrifices like going to Mass together or having family meals together or doing outreach work together throughout the season of Lent.
Let us also make the holidays Holy Days as a family, by staying home during the Holy Week and participating in Church activities. Join the Way of the Cross, which will be held every Friday starting Feb. 12, attend the Vigil on Holy Thursday, Visita Iglesia,Seven Last Words on Good Friday, Easter Vigil on Black Saturday and celebrate as a family on Easter Sunday.
PREPARING AS A COMMUNITY
Buling-Buling 2016 Dekada: A Retro Musical Affair
Santuario de San Antonio Parish will be holding its annual Buling-buling festival on Feb. 9, 2015 (Tuesday) at the Parish Center Social Hall. A mass will be held at the main Church before the start of the festivities. JJ Yulo, Antioch adult leader, will be master of ceremonies for this year’s event. The different ministries will be showcasing their talents through song and dance numbers based on this year’s theme: Dekada: A Retro Musical Affair. Food stalls will also be set up. The festivities will be culminated with the burning of the blessed palms, which will be used on Ash Wednesday.
We would like to invite all the families to join the SSAP community for Buling-buling and as a community prepare for the season of Lent.
References:
http://prayerbookforreligious.blogspot.com/2011/03/palms-to-ashes-rite-of-burning-palms.html
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/ASH_WED.htm
http://www.familiam.org/famiglia_eng/church/00004309_Pope_Francis.html
In 1584, Pedro Bautista y Belasquez arrived in the Philippines at the age of 42. He was a man of many talents:he was a famedorator in his native Spain, a philosophy professor, and an excellent musician.
His first assignment was to teach music the town of Sta. Ana, Manila (then called Namayan and later Sta. Ana de Sapa). His lessons brought togetherboth children and adults alike from the surrounding towns and parishes. He later served as Guardian of San Francisco de Manila and as parish priest of Lumban, Laguna. By 1586, he was electedCustos or superior of all Franciscans in the Philippines.
During his term, Pedro Bautista and his friars spread over hundreds of kilometers from Bulacan to Sorsogon preaching the Gospel, evangelizing, and building up Christ’s Church.
He was the moving spirit behind the founding of many towns in Morong, Camarines, Laguna, and Bulacan.He also rebuilt a stone church in Lumban, Laguna, formed a special group for the evangelization of the Japanese in Paco, Manila, built a novitiate and convent called NuestraSeñora de Monteceli (then more popularly know as San Francisco Del Monte, and know renamed as Santuario de San Pedro Bautista in Quezon City), built hospitals in Los Baños and Cavite, and helped establish Colegio de Santa Potenciana in Intramuros, Manila. Under his term as Custos was the Philippines erected as the Franciscan Province of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Sixtus V. His termasCustosended in 1591 and he was assigned again as Guardian of Francisco De Manila. He later on resigned from his post but continued on as preacher of the convent.
Pedro Bautista proved to be a very passionate and effective preacher. His preaching ignited the desire of many men to serve God as priests, even inspiring a member of the Governor General’s household who later on became the first Chronicler of the Province. He once stood on a stone bench and while holding a wooden cross in his hand asked the crowd, “Does anyone want to be a soldier of this band? The Captain is Christ. The Lieutenant is St. Francis, the war is with hell, the wages – Glory.”
He was also actively involved with many of the issues that plagued Philippine society such as those of the taxes or tributes to the colonial government from the natives, reports of government abuses, and was consulted by the Governor General on different occasions regarding violent civil outbreaks and the like. He even“preached a scathing sermon on the injustices being committed by the government, stating that unless the government policies were changed, it would lead to open rebellion (Schoenstein).” In 1593, he was sent as a missionary to Japan where he and his fellow catechists and missionaries were eventually martyred in 1597. We celebrate his feast day on February 5.
San Pedro Bautista spent nine years in the Philippines and in that time, he dedicated his life to building up the Church of Christ in as many ways as he could. Let us pause and reflect on how we too are building, contributing, and sharing the Church with those around us and for the future generations.
Sources: “San Pedro Bautista in the Philippines” by Fr. Erwin Schoenstein, OFM; “The Life of San Pedro Bautista” by Fr. Andres B. Rañoa, OFM
This week, we take a quick break from all our activities to greet our wonderful parish priest, Fr. Reu Galoy a very happy birthday. If you’re wondering, his birthday was on January 26 – and Fr. Reu, his brother Franciscans and some parishioners came together for a little celebration.
Let’s also take a moment to thank God for how blessed we are to have Fr. Reu guiding the flock of San Antonio. A servant who uses his talents, Fr. Reu is one who has constantly moved to learn more and do more. He got his Ph.D. in Ministry from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He has served for many different parishes and in many different capacities for the Franciscans. Before coming to San Antonio he was Dean of the Franciscan School of Theology and President of OLAS College.
Above that, he brings to San Antonio his skills as a facilitator and is talented in bringing people together to work for the mission of the parish. Undoubtedly he has done much to work with the many different people from different stages and walks of life within the parish. No doubt, that at the heart of it is his love and compassion for people, regardless of where they are from and what they can offer. With him, the parish continues to come to life and grow into God’s design for the entire community.
“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
― Francis of Assisi
It takes a lot to handle everything going on the parish. After all, San Antonio wants to make room for everyone who wants to serve the Church and the community. Done right, the parish becomes a place where people can come and work together productively. Pope Francis has this vision for the parish as well. At an audience last year he said, “The parish must work the miracle of a more communal life for the whole of society.”
This is what the different ministries aim to do. And everyone worked for it during the parish planning session. Even though each person had different ideas on what could be done to improve San Antonio’s missionary spirit, everyone was united with a sense of identity as a Franciscan parish.
St. Paul addressed this in the early Christian communities, when he wrote,
For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. (Romans 12: 4-6)
Edmund Lim, the parish president echoed this in his closing prayer for the planning session. Reading a homily of Father Tacky, he said “A parish should not be a place where we are constantly looking over our shoulders, protecting our backs, anxious about anything we might say. Our Family should not be like that and neither should our parish be like that. It should be enough that we are authentically CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS and proud to be CATHOLIC. Like a family, a parish embraces many people. People from all walks of life. At its heart are one Lord, one faith, one Baptism.”
As the year continues, may we serve Christ more. May God send his spirit to each of us to work for his Kingdom.
The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called 2016 the Year of the Eucharist and the Family. The theme is part of a nine-year preparation period for the Jubilee of 2021. We shall then celebrate the 500th anniversary of the first Mass on Limasawa, which also witnessed the first Filipino baptism of Rajah Humabon and his wife. Begun in 2013, each year called us to focus on one of the Nine Pastoral Priorities of the Church in the Philippines for the New Evangelization.
For this year, the focus is on the Eucharist and family. In a CBCP Pastoral Exhortation last November 29, 2015, CBCP President and Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan Socrates Villegas called us to reflect on the coming year through the act of kneeling. He explained that during this year, “we are invited to kneel down to bring renewal to the family. We kneel to serve like the Lord. We envision every Filipino Catholic family to be missionary disciples of the Eucharist.”
“Our generation seems to have lost the religious gesture of kneeling; we have become more a clapping generation. We seem to have compromised the virtue of humility with a culture of self-security and independence. Our throw away consumerist culture can hardly imagine kneeling down before one another, like the Lord who washed the feet of His beloved ones…If we want renewal, let us learn to kneel again in body, in heart and attitude.”
Finally, Socrates called everyone to kneel as one family. “The family that prays together stays together. The family that kneels together will be refreshed and renewed together. The family that kneels together will remain young and fresh and new. Kneeling empowers families to stand up against the storms of life. Kneeling is strength.”
Aside from 2016 being the Year of the Eucharist and the Family, the Church is also observing this year as a Jubilee Year of Mercy as decreed by Pope Francis in the papal bull Misericordiae Vultus and Cebu shall be host to the 51st International Eucharistic Congress this January 24 – 31, 2016.
In this year of Mercy, Eucharist, and Family, let us find again that humility of service and that centeredness on Christ in our hearts and with those most in them.
References: “Nothing can stop God’s mercy – not even sin, Pope says” by Elise Harris (CNA); “Christ, the face of the Father’s Mercy”- Pastoral Letter of His Beatitude Fouad Twal (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)
A very Happy New Year to all of us! The Christmas season officially ends this weekend. As we embark on this new year and new Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) term, allow me to thank everyone who participated and organized all of our parish activities from Advent to Epiphany. The hard work of all our ministry heads and members gave our parish another beautiful Christmas season.
Looking forward, the PPC will have their planning day next week to set the goals and direction of the parish for the next two years. Specifically, we will explore 4 key areas where we can make our parish more meaningful in our lives.
Firstly, we hope to complete the current reorganization program our Parish priest, Fr Reu, had began last November with the help of the PPC Execom. This reorganization aims to strengthen our parish organization by improving coordination and cultivating new leaders/members in our different ministries.
Secondly, we seek to review and check the physical structure of our 63 year old church. This activity will continue to ensure the comfort of our parishioners while maintaining the upkeep of our facilities.
Thirdly, we will strive to develop new plans to enhance the stability of our parish’s long term financial well-being.
And finally, we will work closely with our Parish priest and pastoral team to stimulate spiritual growth and bonding in our community.
As we begin this process of discernment, we request for your continued prayers and understanding. Our goals will only become achievable with your help and God’s Grace. Our whole team is elated to serve and we look forward to a year of compassion and mercy.
“Come see my tree,” said my friend Cora Florencio and that made me smile. To me, once the Christmas tree is up, the most beautiful and well-revered season is definitely upon us. My mother would play Christmas carols and sweet lullabies that were both soft and calming. She’d gather us around the console radio and relate the first-ever hotel overbooking that resulted in no vacancy for Joseph and Mother Mary. My sisters took turns in hanging tree ornaments with new ones that they added every year. My Lola would stock up our pantry with native desserts and home-brewed refreshments as reminders that the body as well as the spirit must be well nourished. Christmas was the only time in the year when children were allowed to stay up late. Sometimes, my sisters even took me to the early dawn mass (Simbang Gabi) that made me feel really grown up. I wonder whether the fact that I was the resident, always-on-call chaperon limited any alternative choices opened to them? These images brought home the message that we can practice the virtues of faith, hope, charity and love in small and simple ways. My top favorite remains the Christmas tree because I can see, touch, and smell it. If I sit under its leafy canopy, I end up climbing it, to the highest branch, to see what was over the fence and over the horizon. 
(In decorating the Christmas tree, follow one rule of thumb: Use ornaments that you have collected through the years. From Russian matryoshkas or nesting dolls to Spanish fans and native anahaw fans, Danish blue and white Christmas plates, piglets in ballet tutus and pointe shoes, butterflies, happy faces, miniature perfume bottles, silk flowers, sachets stuffed with lavender seeds, cinnamon sticks, dried orange rinds, Venetian masks, garden tools, photo frames, miniature books, baking tools or kitchen magnets, even pieces of jewelry and fun watches). For my first grandson, a nursery theme of Noah’s ark and the parade of animals in twos. What about a musical theme with miniature notes and instruments including the colorful jackets of music CDs? Indulge your hobby too by using that as a theme. For my son, that would be automobiles while daughter would go for the constellation, the moon and stars. The ideas are as endless as your imagination).
Our parents and elders spent time to pass on the traditional symbols of Christmas so why not make room to embrace the wonder and beauty of what they each represent?
The tree. If you’re lucky to find a fully-grown fresh pine tree – like in cool and picturesque Baguio of yore – the green color represents the everlasting hope of mankind. The needles pointing upward symbolize man’s thoughts turning toward heaven.
The star is the celestial sign of promises made long ago, the shining hope of mankind. It is a time to rejoice and to celebrate the birthday of a precious baby. When he grows up, he will fulfill his mission that will cost him his dear life in ransom for ours.
The wreath is the eternal nature of love, never ceasing, forming one continuous circle and having no end, like the round wedding band that signifies the precious covenant between husband and wife.
The candy cane represents the shepherd’s crook or staff used to bring lost sheep back to the fold. That no matter where you stand, whether as a simple folk or a scion, each one has a place in the grand plan of the Maker.
The gifts are symbolic of the gold, myrrh, and frankincense that three wise men brought to the Christ child. In gift-giving, remember that there is a part of you that you wrap with the item, in praise of friendship and brotherly love.
The bells ringing out are to guide lost sheep back to their fold. A fitting reminder that Jesus will look for any lost sheep and that each of us is so precious to him that he will never leave anyone in a lurch.
The satin bow is used to tie the gift to symbolize the intimacy of being tied together in bonds of goodwill and kinship.
These symbols are not limited to the Christmas season. In summer, during the wet season or if you live abroad where there is winter, spring and autumn, the flowers gathered in a bouquet would remind us of the giving nature of true love.
The sound of distant bells, or the wind chime hanging in your garden trellis, can resonate and make tingling sounds to lead you back to the right path.
Lastly, the star, in any season and wherever you are, can light and guide us safely back to our hearth and home.
If you are still searching for the heart of the season, just remember that without Christ, there is no Christmas. May you don a generous spirit and like a child, fill yourself with wonder and awe. Tell me again, Who alone can make a tree?
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10
This article is in dedication with the grace of St. Martha, the patroness of service. A saint who I look up to, most especially in my calling to serve the church in whatever capacity.
My name may not ring a bell to the parishioners. I am part of the Single Young Adults community and serve in every “SYA Weekend” mass which welcomes the participants. Some of the members of the SYA community are also on board the newly reformed Editorial team of the Parish Bulletin, which will promise everyone a touch of the classic and modern look.
Everyone asks me the same question. Where do I get the passion and desire to serve and volunteer in my ministry when I do not get anything in return? They say it’s a calling. The same way our names were discerned and got the calling to serve and facilitate for the SYA Faith Community. All members of the Editorial team are also part of other ministries of the Parish, which serve in the community.
God gave us talents for us not to bury under the grounds, but rather to use it wisely and glorify His name and serve His people. The more blessed we are with God-given gifts, the more we are responsible and power we have to do good for the benefit of others. Christmas is also the best time to share our gifts with each other. And mine is to use the gift of writing and sharing my insights to the Parish Bulletin. Having had the opportunity to meet personalities in different fields, it’s about time I offer something related to my faith. This may not be financially rewarding although it may take a lot of commitment and devotion, but the impact it brings and creates to society creates a huge difference most especially the Heavenly rewards and being a blessing to others.
I’ve always believed that this devotion is a way of thanking God for everything He has given and sooner the seeds being planted shall finally bear fruit.
In behalf of your friendly neighborhood Parish Bulletin, this kind soul is sincerely requesting from you, from the adults to the kids of the parish community: to spend your time more with the community and learn more about how you can share your talents with us. You can join any organizations or ministries within the Parish – Worship, Social Services, Family Life, Education ministries and the different organizations under each ministry – and this can make your 2016 worth it.
The entire community of Santuario de San Antonio is always here to welcome you in whatever ministry you may want to take part with. We are one family.
The Christmas season is above all a family celebration. Overseas relatives and contract workers make it a point to come home at this time of the year to celebrate Christmas with the family. The most joyous moment of the season is definitely the Christmas midnight’s nochebuena, when all the family members gather at table. The Church has wisely placed the feast of the Holy Family in the context of the Christmas season in order to highlight the importance of the family. So important is the family that God himself entrusted his only Son, not to a monastery or to a seminary, but to a family.
The family was created by God to be the mirror of God himself and the expression of the Trinitarian life–unity and love despite differences: “God created man in his image… male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). The family provides all our basic needs: food, clothing, education, etc. In the bosom of the family we get our first experience God’s love through the love and care of our parents.
Indeed, we are the product of our family. If we experience love and affection in our childhood, we grow up to be loving individuals; but if we experience rejection, violence and abuse at home, we grow up to be violent and abusive ourselves. It is statistically proven that most cases of juvenile delinquency can be traced to an unhealthy family life.
Today, the Holy Family is presented to us as our model. Being a “holy” family and having God’s only Son among its members, we might think that the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus enjoyed a peaceful and blissful kind of life. Not at all. What we see is a family beset by problems and trials, bigger perhaps than those experienced by ordinary families. Being close to God and to God’s Son doesn’t mean being exempt from trials. On the contrary, the closer we are to the Lord, the greater our share in his sufferings.
Many families today are going through painful crises and broken relationships. Each family, of course, has a story of its own to tell. However, there are certain factors which are frequently observed in most broken marriages. For instance, many among the young no longer believe in life-long relationships. The expression “until death do us part” scares them. They rather make their commitment “until further notice.” That’s hardly the way to build a strong family life.
Economic or financial factors play also an important role in the deterioration of the family. Parents are forced to look for greener pastures abroad; but in the process they find, very often, greener partners. Besides, leaving small children to be raised by the lola or the yaya hardly contributes to the strengthening of family life. Material wellbeing is a legitimate pursuit for married couples, of course. However, it is no guarantee of happiness. Children need, and want, more than money. They look for care, affection and quality time from their parents.
Little or no communication is another weakening factor in the family. The intrusion of communication gadgets into our homes has paradoxically weakened or lessened communication among the family members; each member has his/her own TV set, laptop, tablet, cellphone, i-pad, etc., and is busy talking to somebody from outside the family.
Most importantly, there is no time for prayer in common. Gone are the days when the family members gathered around the altar in the evening to pray the rosary. Now, leaving God out of family affairs can only result in loss of family values. Parents should learn from Mary and Joseph to lead their children to the Lord.
In this year of the Family and the Holy Eucharist, let’s commend to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph all our families, in particular those that are going through difficulties and trials, that they may draw strength and inspiration from the Holy Family of Nazareth and from Jesus, the living bread.
Santuario de San Antonio Parish 