Category: Articles

This Lenten Season, I feel distinctly blessed to attend not one but three very special and very different Recollections and talks. The speakers from the clergy and from the laity spoke on FORGIVENESS, HUMILITY, on FAST, ABSTINENCE, ALMSGIVING and PENANCE. Being from different backgrounds, their presentations of their subjects were uniquely their own but with the same underlying theme proper to the season of Lent. For me however, what was so amazing, and full of hope, was that they each ended their talks with the same message– that God is love and that God’s love will always win, which to me, translates into “God’s Victorious Love”, beginning with that first Easter Sunday.

Contemplative Outreach Philippines, through its many different prayer groups in Metro Manila meets weekly at different locations. (Here in SSA, we meet every Monday morning at St. Elizabeth room near the parish office.) We do Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, a practice of prayerful listening to Scripture. The regular practice of contemplative prayer and lectio has become a way of life for us. In time, one experiences a deepening of one’s relationship with God leading to personal transformation.

As His beloved sons and daughters, we are “Bearers of God’s Victorious Love”. With utmost trust and belief in His infinite power and mercy, we welcome and accept each day as a gift from Him. With fidelity to our spiritual practices of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divine, God’s grace helps us to grow in obedience, compassion, forgiveness, and charity.

Let us pray and walk together in our spiritual journey. As a faith community may we experience God’s love, peace and joy. In turn, may we become bearers of these divine gifts to our families and friends not only during this Lenten season but for all seasons.

Visit us at the Contemplative Outreach Philippines web site. Go to http://www.cophil.org.

As published in the April 16 issue of the Parish Bulletin.

Beloved co-journeyer in life and faith!

On behalf of the Pastoral Team (PT) and the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), I wish to greet all of you a blessed Easter and pray for the gifts it brings to you, your loved ones and to our parish-community.

Our Lenten journey came so fast and we are now celebrating the spirit of Easter even in the most ordinary routines we do daily. Hopefully, as we look back on what we have been through our parish activities to relive the greatest expression of God’s love for us – offering His only begotten Son’s life for our salvation, we can always capture the irreversible imprint of God’s mercy and compassion that transforms our human frailty into a living sign of God’s infinite and unconditional love. A Challenge To Transform our Parish to become a Communion of Communities.

As we embark our Easter journey, I would like to humbly invite each and every member of our parish to take seriously the message of Jesus’ resurrection – Easter is God’s ‘yes’ to all that Jesus preached and taught to His followers and God’s ‘no’ to the powers that killed Him. For Jesus, God was the central reality of His life and the Kingdom of God was the center of His message. The Kingdom of God was not about Heaven, not about life after death, but about the transformation of life on earth, as the Lord’s Prayer affirms. It is not about “Take us to Heaven when we die,” but about “Your Kingdom come on earth” – as already in Heaven. The Kingdom of God on earth was about God’s passion – and Jesus’s passion – for the transformation of “this world”: the humanly created world of injustice and violence into a world of justice, peace and care for mother earth.

In so doing, let us remember that Lent allowed us to personally and communally experience God’s mercy and compassion. Easter empowers us to share, even to the extent of offering forgiveness and reconciliation within our homes, workplaces and communities in order to transform these sacred places from being tombs of death to being tabernacles of life and love. We cannot find Jesus in the tomb among the dead because He lives among the living, in our hearts where mercy and compassion is truly alive.

Let me take this opportunity to express my humble and profound gratitude to all those who participated our Lenten and Easter preparations and activities, especially the PPC officers and members, different ministries and organizations, and to all our parish staff and employees. Your tireless endeavor joyfully lightens our journey by doing God’s will and purpose.

Your co-journeyer,

Fr Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM

As published in the April 16 issue of the Parish Bulletin.

Reflecting on the Stations of the Cross during the past few weeks, I was taken by the 7th Station where Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry the cross. All around our Parish, different people gifted with diverse talents offer themselves to help lighten the load that our Lord carries. As a community, we pray, share and care for the Church keeping our Lord’s promise alive.

In the past few years, I saw many take up the cross of leadership to spread God’s love. Many more lightened the cross by helping in their own special way. It is with gladness for me to share that this year is no different. Mrs. Bel Poe had agreed to chair our fiesta 2017. She had constantly supported the Church anonymously the past few years. This year, she and her family graciously accepted the call to lead our community in the various fiesta activities.

I know that each one of our parishioners has the spirit of Simon of Cyrene. With a few words of encouragement, parishioners eagerly volunteer to serve our community. Some write, some sing, some execute plans whose fruits we see around us inside and outside our Church. A lot has already been done resulting in my good achievements in and around our Church…. it is through the collective of all the Simons here in SSAP what we have achieved.

As we enter Holy Week, let us remember that there will always be need for more Simons of Cyrene. They will be needed even after Easter. Come and be like Simon now in Holy Week and beyond. Let us lighten the burden of our Lord together.

As published in the April 9 issue of the Parish Bulletin.

Year after year, we enter into these days of Holy Week, trying to remind ourselves of the meaning of these days and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. We try to meditate and enter deeply into these experiences. As we pray, we realize that the suffering of Christ, though they happened many years ago, is not something that remains in history. The body of Christ continues to suffer today, and we each experience that suffering in our own unique kind of way.

We invite you to witness and immerse yourself as we listen to what the sufferings of Christ mean to our sharers.

1st Word: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Speaker: Nena Rosales

In this world, we experience so much pain, suffering, and injustice. How do we encounter and react in the face of all of these? Can we find the space within us to say “forgive them?”

2nd Word: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Speaker:Totoy Abiog

Through the many trials and challenges in life, what would it mean to hear these words? Is Jesus able to reassure us that there is something at the end of all this pain and suffering? Often, we do not see through the darkness that we are caught in at the moment.

3rd Word: “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”
Speaker: Jillian Roy

Jesus loved his mother very much, and he did not want her to be left on her own. We are called to reflect on our own family relationships and how they affect us especially during times of struggle.

4th Word: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Speaker: Gina Ordonez

Each of us at some point have experience deep pain and loneliness. At this hour, when we feel most alone, do we cry out to God? Do we ask him where he is and if he can show his face to us? How does it feel to be forsaken?

5th Word: “I thirst.”
Speaker: Caron Macasaet

We all desire for a perfect family life- a perfect marriage, or a perfect relationship with those around us. No matter how hard we try though, there always seems to be something missing. What is it we thirst for? What can fill this void?

6th Word: “It is finished”
Speaker: Marie Tycangco

All things take work. Our lives sometimes feel like great projects that we are slowly building over the course of years. Many times we feel in control, but sometimes, our lives go awry. Will we be able to look back one day and see how everything comes together?

7th Word: “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!”
Speaker: Mel Zervoulakos

As we undergo the different trials of our lives, it is easy to just raise our hands and give up. We can choose the easy way out. Jesus too experienced this test and temptation and he ends his life by lifting everything up to God his Father.

As published in the April 9 issue of the Parish Bulletin.

When Francis of Assisi had 12 followers already he went to the Pope to have his rule of life approved. According to Celano this consists of gospel texts and some things necessary for common life. When Francis arrived at the Papal Curia, the council members of the Pope were in disbelief who this man from Assisi having an audience with them. Francis was wearing penitential garb, a tattered habit. Upon reading his proposed rule of life, the Pope advised Francis to make use of existing, tried & tested rules of life, either the Agustinians or Cisterians. The Pope & his council had the opinion that the Gospel cannot be lived as presented by Francis, but through the intervention of the Bishop of Assisi, the Pope nonetheless gave his oral approval (not signed!) ; a diplomatic way of saying no to Francis’ proposal; a kind of condescending, wait and see attitude as the part of papacy’s policy. In its approved form, the rule of 1223, says “the rule and Life of the friars minor is to live the Holy Gospel” of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Textually a comparative study of the Benedictine rule reveal that the Franciscan Rule is descriptive rather than prescriptive where details are legislated rather than described. It appears not a legal document but as an exhortation; that is the reason why in 1223 final approval, many gospel texts were dropped to conform it to Church’s canonical form. In the introduction, he says the “Rule and Life” to mean that the law is something dynamic, alive and needs, consistent revision to make it responsive to the signs of the times.

What is this Gospel life? All religions are basically the same in the sense of having three components; doctrines, laws and rituals. The OP’s for example would stress truth or doctrines; they preach doctrines. The Benedictine would stress rites, hence they are liturgical experts. The church in general have very elaborate canon law. Without denying dogma, liturgy & hierarchical structure, Francis concentrated his whole energy in proclaiming to all new form of life according to the gospel. He rejected all attempts to pin down the Gospel under a mass of legal regulations, ordinances or prescriptions. Unlike St. Dominic whose vocation is tied up with fighting heresy & therefore preaching truth & doctrine, Francis would take the path of moral, not doctrinal preaching. Moral preaching founds its authority, not in knowledge, but in a converted life; hence witnessing to the Gospel is essential, if not the first proclamation according to Francis.

The word Gospel has been appropriated by Christianity & given its limited meaning from the church’s self understanding. Literally it means Good news. The Good News, is the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead; According to St. Paul our faith would have been in vain had Christ not been raised from the dead.
Christianity, therefore, before being doctrine, law & rituals is an event in the person of Jesus. It primarily a relationship with a person and the network of relationship that issued forth from that relationship. Conforming with the Church doctrines alone and even passing them to the next generation do not fulfil the criteria of a life lived according to the Gospel. Since death has been overcome, then a believer can love unto death. For Francis, fraternal relationship is the core of Gospel; and fraternity is facilitated by being minor to each other. Hence, the Order is called the Friars minor. Doctrines separate us from non-Catholic and other believers; the law separates us from the law breakers and sinners; the rites divides us from other believers; but relationship with the Risen Lord unites us all; not only among men women, but the whole of creation.

As published in the April 2 issue of the Parish Bulletin.

Dear co-journeyers:

Few days from the moment you pick up and read this Parish Bulletin issue, we will be pre-occupied with our Holy week activities and prayerfully be journey with Jesus especially through our Easter Triduum liturgical celebration. During these three days of contemplation and anticipation our liturgies emphasize the sacrificial death of Jesus in the Cross, the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist, by which we enter into the life giving Passion of Christ and grow in hope of eternal life in Him.

Our Parish, through its different ministries is now in full swing preparing our liturgical celebrations. Your presence and participation will make it more meaningful and significant. It is my prayer that we take this opportunity to deepen our understanding about our Roman Catholic faith, guide our pastoral activities into becoming a Cristo-praxis, and strengthen the relationship among the members of the domestic church (family).

While I understand that there are other ways to make use of this weeklong vacation, I am appealing to our dear parishioners to spend this time for God with your love ones in prayer – revisiting your relationships, evaluating your values and priorities and crafting your future endeavor according to God’s plan and dream for you. Wherever we are in our life and faith journey, how we spend our time matters and to STOP (standing), LISTEN (seating) and PRAY (kneeling), make sense always.

God loves us much that He gave his son Jesus, for our redemption. We also have received much from God that helped us survived in many ways. Would it be fair enough if we ask: with how we live our life and as stewards of God’s gift, individually and collectively, does God deserved the state and quality of our life or do we give justice to God in the way we manage his blessings; vis-à-vis the victims of poverty, extrajudicial killings and destruction of our natural resources.

Journeying with Jesus to Calvary is never easy. But it always teaches us to LOVE that transforms and liberates, simply because it is free and authentic.

Your co-journeyer,

Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM

As published in the April 2 issue of the Parish Bulletin.

Christians esteem humility as the highest of human virtues, considered to be a lofty ideal, like a queen virtue. But if humility is an ideal to be lived, why do we spurn being humiliated? What is our response to a situation of humiliation?

A Case in Point

Last August 16, 2016, we were invited by the DENR to present our case opposing a known company operating within the Upper Marikina Water Basin Reservation, and another well-known developer constructing a subdivision in the same place (along Infanta-Marikina Highway, Brgy. Pinugay, Baras/Antipolo). This was one of several meetings we had with DENR officials. This time they have invited the company in question to face us. At one point of the discussion, the lady President of the mining company stood up and faced us (stockholders and complainants), and begun to lambast and to castigate especially two of us priests, Fr. Jovar Vergara and myself. She rebuked us of our involvement to stop their quarrying, saying they have the legal right to do so, and that we have destroyed the name of their company. She added that it is a shame for us to distribute Holy Communion during the mass, and warned us at the same time that “kung ano man ang mangyari sa kapatid ko” (the older sister is said to have cancer) may pananagutan kayo..!” Our lead counsel, Atty. Chris Monsod was present to witness the show of arrogance.

Analysis

Fr. Jovar and I humbly accepted those reviling words in the midst of a conference room packed with government officials and stockholders like us. What was our response to such public humiliation? We were calm and unperturbed in the midst of the deafening silence. I signaled to Fr. Jovar not to rebut, though I must admit I was perspiring amidst a freezing room. In our hearts we knew the truth of what we were doing and westood firm on our commitment to environmental justice.

How do we relate the experience of being humiliated to Humility? Is that the kind of experience within the concept of a virtue? To the modern mind it is contrary to the natural disposition of man. But history will show that Jesus silently endured the physical, mental and moral affront of his enemies. Matmaha Gandhi demonstrated the ironic silence of non-violence (words or physical resistance).

Humility may require of us acts of passivity or self-limitation in response even to the basest affronts, degrading or shameful acts to which the most the most natural reaction of any “self-respecting person” would be to fight back and feel justified in doing so.

The virtue of humility may be said to have lost much of its religious or philosophical basis, but it remains silently active in the heart of our moral life. For it iswritten: “. . . humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

As published in the March 26 issue of the Parish Bulletin.