Evangelization Ministry – Santuario de San Antonio Parish

Every time I mention the name of Father Phil Estrella, I keep hearing things like “Uy, Magaling yan,” or “He really gave me a lot to think about.” So I was really excited when Grace Padilla and the Contemplative Ministry told me that they had invited him to give his Adult Lay Spirituality Program here at San Antonio. On August 1, from 9am to 4pm, Fr. Phil will share with us the fruits of his long reflections on the laity and their role in the Church.

You don’t need to look very hard to see that the lay people make up most of the people of God. Probably 99.95% of all baptized are the laity. Father Phil wishes that the laity reclaim their rightful role in the Church and that the clergy support the laity in doing that. That’s what the Adult Lay Spirituality Program is for. It is Father Phil’s effort to guide the laity in bearing the fruits of their lay calling and stepping up to their role in the Church.
The Adult Lay Spirituality Program normally takes place over three days. But for San Antonio’s parishioners, Father Phil is going to compress the essentials into a single day seminar. It will begin with an introduction to Lay Spirituality and the trials that lay people face – what Father Phil calls the “Thorns of the Human Heart.” Then there is an invitation to embrace life and all its challenges with a mature faith. He will describe what it means to be an adult in your faith life. Finally, he will talk about the stages of faith. This will help each person see different landmarks in their faith journey and the role of spirituality amidst all of this.

If you feel like your faith has stopped growing, or if you feel like you may be called to greater things by the Lord, this seminar would be a good place to start. Each of us is called to grow in our faith and take responsibility for the gift we have received. I am reminded of the verse in Corinthians where Saint Paul says “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.”
It’s possible to treat one’s faith in a mature way, and Father Phil will gladly share with us his thoughts on how do to it.

The seminar will be free of charge on August 1, Saturday from 9am to 4pm in the Santuario de San Antonio Parish Center. For any questions, please text 09175807182.

Pope Paul VI visited the Philippines in 1970. Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines twice – in 1981 and in 1995 for World Youth Day. Now for the fourth time in our modern era, the Holy Father will be visiting the Philippines once again! As many people already know, Pope Francis will be visiting here in January – and all sorts of people are looking forward to this visit.

In order to increase the blessings and growth that we can experience through the visit of Pope Francis, we’ve been asked by the Church to prepare ourselves before he arrives. Cardinal Tagle writes that, “our excitement needs to be purified and strengthened by constantly listening to the Word of God, by frequently participating in the Eucharist, by sincerely repenting of our sins, and by habitually doing acts of justice and love.” Each and every one of us needs to prepare ourselves for his arrival.

Pope Francis himself, through his visit, hopes that the focus would not be on his own person, but on the suffering and struggles of the poor and the marginalized in the Philippines, specifically those who were affected by typhoon Yolanda one year ago. Despite all the growth that the Philippines has experienced many people continue to suffer. If we are to truly develop as a nation, we need to become a people of mercy and compassion.

Pope Francis has shown us a great example already. He is constantly in the news about the many things that he does to seek out and touch the suffering of the poor. Just recently, they reported that he is installing showers in the Vatican for homeless people. As beautiful as this all is, we can fall into the trap of admiring Pope Francis, without seeking conversion and change in ourselves. This is one of Pope Francis’ hopes for the visit – that we don’t just admire but also act! That we become people of mercy and compassion in both word and deed.

So, again we would like to invite everyone to attend our Advent recollections – both to prepare for the coming of Christ this Christmas and for the coming of the Holy Father next year. They will be on two consecutive Saturdays – on December 6 from 10am to 12nn and on December 13 from 10am to 12nn. Both our speakers will speak on our theme for the visit – “Mercy and Compassion.” It is a beautiful opportunity to step back from the bustle of Christmas and remind ourselves of what we need to focus on this season.