Category: Ministries

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OFS

Celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi by Cristina Teehankee

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In celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Secular Franciscans of our Parish invited as their guests of honor their brothers and sisters in Christ . . . the blind . . . the deaf . . . and the disabled . . . gathering them together last Sunday, September 28, 2014 in celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

During this time of the year, the Secular Franciscans look forward to share their time and service and rekindle their friendship with their little friends through the kindness and mission of the family of Bro. Ernie Chua Chiaco, OFS. The gathering in prayer that Sunday, celebrated the Feast of St. Lorenzo Ruiz who like St. Francis of Assisi was proud to be a Catholic, being centered on Christ in doing God’s will. The homily of Fr. Baltazar Obico, OFM, OFS Spiritual Assistant was timely and appropriate, sharing the message of the Gospel to humbly regard others more important than ourselves, looking out for the interests of others.

That day, the Secular Franciscans prayed to our Almighty Jesus to continue to fill the hearts and minds of their little friends with love, peace and joy. That day, the Secular Franciscans were on active duty, opening their arms, joining their friends in Christ for brunch with warmth, hospitality and love at the Convento Garden. That day the Secular Franciscans were moved to action, doing their best . . . serving their disadvantaged brothers and sisters in Christ with love. That day we thanked our Almighty God for His blessings . . .

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SYA

28TH SINGLE YOUNG ADULTS WEEKEND – MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD By Caron Macasaet

SYA Week end
I was brought up a in a very religious, Catholic family. We lived in the U.S. when I was young, and I served my church youth group in South San Francisco for about 4 years. I had a good relationship with God, although my prayers were mostly about asking Him for things I wanted and needed. God in His goodness would provide me these things, yet I felt something was missing in my life that I could not explain.

When we returned to the Philippines I continued to attend daily Mass and visit the Blessed Sacrament regularly. God continued to answer my prayers. Still, it did not seem like this was enough. Then one day, God suddenly stopped giving me what I asked for. Huh? But why, I thought. I pray and go to Mass. What is happening, God? It was during this time of uncertainty when I met my mama’s friend who told me, instead of asking God for things that I want, I should ask God for things He wants me to do for Him. So I attended the Single Young Adults (SYA) Weekend and there I found many ways I could serve God.

In SYA, I learned to serve God through our visits to Makati City Jail (MCJ). I didn’t really want to go to MCJ at first; I mean who wants to go to jail? I really did not understand why we had to visit a jail, but I still went. We arranged a recollection for the inmates on Black Saturday, and it was there that I saw God in each of the prisoners in my group. God made me sit with a group of five women who were all in jail for drugs. I remembered my relative, an addict whom I had pretty much given up on. One of the inmates shared about how her mother fell from a high staircase and while falling she prayed to God to just take care of her grandchildren because she knew she wouldn’t survive the fall. Her mother survived unscathed. It was her prayer that saved her. After hearing that I didn’t give up on praying for my relative’s healing.

I used to feel depressed about small things. Sometimes I feel I don’t have money or maybe I don’t earn as much as other people. Spending time with the inmates has made me realize many things about my life. I am so blessed! God loves me so much & I have so many blessings! I have a roof over my head, food on the table and so many other things I take for granted. The inmates go through problems just as we do, but they really have nothing. No house, no food. The inmates are human beings like you and me. It is because of extreme poverty that they end up doing the things they do. I am more compassionate about their situation. They make mistakes and they also need forgiveness & love.

Matthew 25:35-36: 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ I’ve heard this passage through out my life but it seems this phrase always escapes me. “I was in prison and you came to me.”

Now I know why we go to prison. To share God’s love to every prisoner we encounter.

A few weeks ago we had an MCJ activity. We celebrated Mass with the prisoners and watched a Filipino Indie Film with them. As we were giving out popcorn and juice a lady prisoner called me by my name and was very excited to see me. “Ma’am Caron bumalik ka ulit. Magturo ka ulit,” she said. This encounter made me realize that I could bring so much joy just by being there. Our mere presence in MCJ makes a difference. Sometimes we think we need to do amazing things, but all I did was eat popcorn and watch the movie from behind. Just being there brought smiles to this woman who called me by name but whose name I could not even remember.

Now I serve God through the many outreach activities of SYA and still keep my daily schedule of attending Mass and holy hour. In the past I would feel so bad if I failed to keep my schedule. Through SYA I’ve learned to offer my work as prayer; so if I can’t do all my prayers because of the work I need to do for God, I just say a little prayer while doing God’s work as my prayer and offering to Him.

In SYA, I found a family or a “faith family” as they call it. I have found sisters & brothers in Christ who have helped me become a better person & a better Christian serving God. It may seem like we have known each other all our lives, but I’ve only been in the community for 2 years. I have learned to look beyond my needs & priorities in life and put somebody else’s needs in front of my own. And as our faith lead, Jolly Gomez, always says, “”Do not worry God will always provide,” and God always does.

The 28th Single Young Adults weekend will be from September 12 – 14, 2014 (Friday evening to Sunday) at the 2nd floor of the Santuario de San Antonio Parish Center. Registration Fee is P1,000. Informational brochures are available at the Parish Office. You may also contact Jonathan at 09178367374 or jona.dcruz@gmail.com for more information.

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SYA

REFLECTIONS ON FINDING GOD by Mara Boquerin

8 I grew up without a religion because my parents decided that they wanted me to choose one for myself when I was an adult. This had to do with my parents being raised as Catholics then ending up agnostic. So in the absence of religion, they taught me universal human values and principles such as justice, truth, love, gratitude, and so on. This method had its own pros and cons.

On one hand, I was free to figure things out for myself and was not committed to any particular spiritual way of living. On the other hand, I missed out on growing up with a faith community and spent a lot of time pursuing questions that did not always have logical answers. My fairly liberal upbringing was also reinforced by being in a high school, college and a sorority that had no religious affiliations whatsoever. All of which encouraged me to question everything and keep a very open mind.

I always believed in God. I simply could not imagine the universe not having a source. So I would pray to Him from time to time – to thank Him or to ask for some help. For the first 18 years of my life, this was enough. Truth, logic and rationality were my solace. However, there came a time when I started asking questions about how I would fulfill my lofty dreams, make everyone I love happy, get over my anger, insecurities, inertia, and so on.

I found myself overwhelmed and clueless about what to do. I tried different things and talked to different people but nothing really helped me – because what was crippling me more than anything else was fear. Fear that I would fail, fear that I would get hurt, fear that I might have to admit that I’m not as good as I thought I was. For the first time, my usual formula for solving problems was of no help. The more I tried to pacify my fears, the more frustrated, anxious, and self-absorbed I became.

I tried psyching myself, escaping my problems by becoming hedonistic, as well as trying some very foolish things – anything to get some semblance of peace again. None of it worked. Neurotic that I was, I kept thinking this was happening because there was something I was missing like a technique or an epiphany.

It was only after a good friend of mine told me to pray every day before sleeping and upon waking that I started to feel whole again. She told me praying would help me let go. Let go of things I had no control over anyway, and as a consequence the things that I wanted would eventually come in ways that would surprise me. While praying more often made little sense to me at that time, I decided to take her advice anyway. I prayed Our Father twice a day and that was it. After a few weeks, I noticed I was calmer, I could sleep better, and I was fulfilling the promises I made to myself because I was accountable to God.

Eventually, all feelings of fear and insecurity were obliterated and replaced by courage and compassion. Since then, I accomplished more, took more risks, became much more comfortable with uncertainty and vulnerability, and made many other people happy.

It soon became apparent to me that my own will and desires were not compelling enough reasons to weather challenges. I found no peace or meaning or joy within the solitude of my own head. I only found these when I appreciated all that I had and spent most of my time in the service of others. In other words, I learned to have faith and I learned to truly love. I learned that love was not just a feeling – it was work and it meant giving. I learned that selfishness was the antithesis of love as well as the cause of much suffering in the world.

This was a significant paradigm shift for me. I got over being a grumpy, inflexible, overly cerebral and highly critical control-freak by fully welcoming God into my life. It is His presence that has enabled me to grow into a more mature, loving, and peaceful person. In my gratitude, I do my best to bring the same sense of peace to as many other people as possible. It was around this time that I decided to become Catholic and join the SYA (Single Young Adults) community. Since then, I’ve been surrounded by even more like-minded and like-hearted individuals. This only deepened my conviction that finding God is indeed one of life’s most rewarding pursuits – intellectual, emotional, spiritual or otherwise.

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Prison

Jail Time by Marco Joson Merencillo

It was gloomy today as I got near the huge gray gates surrounded by equally tall walls. This barrier was well built to contain the people inside. Then as the steel doors opened, guards clad in black clothes stopped me for inspection. Upon getting clearance to move on, I walked a little further and I saw them… the people in yellow shirts… the prisoners.

I was within the premises of the Makati City Jail… and it was my first time inside a prison.

Why did I end up here? No, I did not commit any crime. Rather, I volunteered to serve the criminals here with my SYA friends from Santuario San Antonio Parish and the Prison Ministry.

Upon my first glimpse of the inmates, they were not locked up in their cells. Instead, they were inside a chapel attending a catholic mass during a Saturday afternoon. As I heard the word of God was being read, I entered and took a seat beside these dangerous people.

I have to admit that I didn’t feel at ease being around these lawbreakers… after all, they did something evil to be put behind bars. Did they rob an employee in a crowded mall? Did they rape a girl walking in a dark alley? Did they kill someone in broad daylight? Questions such as these filled my mind.

However as my eyes roamed around, I noticed that the physical features of these people varied greatly. Some were scrawny while others were brawny. There were males, females, gays and lesbians. A lot were Filipinos but some were foreigners. Most of them looked clean and did not stink.

What’s my point? At first glance, you wouldn’t know that they were criminals unless you see them inside this prison.

During the Holy Eucharist, I observed that the detainees were also the readers of the bible passages and some were members of the choir. All throughout the mass, they were well behaved as they listened carefully to the priest. Their actions showed their devotion to Jesus by solemnly praying and gleefully singing to honor Him.

After the concluding rites, an officer-in-charge ordered the male convicts to go outside the chapel. They moved out to gather as a group while the warden made a headcount.In contrast, a female officer tallied the women who were left behind. The detainee near me said that counting usually occurs every three hours. According to her, so far there have not been any attempts to escape among the regular attendees of the mass.

As the prisoners returned to their seats, my SYA friends and I gave them some popcorn and juice.We held a film showing entitled “Ekstra” starring Vilma Santos.

The movie revolves around the life of a bit player (ekstra) named Loida Malabanan who is a single mom that wants to provide a better future for her daughter. She is a professional bit player whose role is to be part of a crowd in most Filipino soap operas. The movie shows the numerous hardships that bit players undergo to earn a small amount of money.There are no changing rooms, no toilets and no sleeping beds that are provided for an “ekstra.”But as a whole, everyone involved in producing a telenovela has some sort of adversity to overcome even if he is a director or a staff.

When the film ended, one of the prisoners volunteered to share his insights on the film. He said that: “Katulad sa pelikula, lahat sa atin dito ay may iba’t ibang antas sa buhay. Merong mayaman, mahirap at yung iba ay taga ibang bansa pa. Pero tayo ay lahat nandidito sa loob ng kulungan kaya dapat mahalin at irespeto natin ang bawat isa.”

The audience applauded and afterwards, my SYA friends started to distribute some soap to the detainees as they fell in line to return to their cells.

Since this was my first MCJ experience, I was astounded that the prisoners were calm all through out. There were no signs of greediness or rowdiness. I did not expect this orderliness from them. I always thought that the people inside this institution were war freaks. I was wrong.

So I asked the guy in yellow beside me, “Bakit hindi kayo magulo dito?” He smiled a bit and answered, “Hindi kami basta mga preso, kami ay pamilya.”

Thank you Father God for the opportunity to serve today. I was really glad to have spent my time with the prisoners. I am blessed to be part of the SYA Family.

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Articles SYA

“Finding Joy in SYA — My Extended Family, My Second Home” by Marie Tycangco

At some point in our lives we ask ourselves ‘What is it to be truly happy?’. We explore all the possibilities to find things that will give us the joy we have been longing for, but after so many tries, we still can’t seem to find the answer — not in a person, not in our work, not in the hobbies that we enjoy. So, where?

Is happiness the absence of problems?  Is it having a perfect family, having lots of friends, having a huge paycheck, being able to travel the world? Is it even possible to be problem free?

I think being happy is a decision. It is appreciating what life has to offer, seeing the beauty in everything that we do and in everybody that we encounter. It is in knowing that God is with us in every endeavor we face that we find happiness. It is inevitable that we have disagreements within our parents or have conflicts with our brothers or sisters or go through failed relationships or have problems at work. These things should not stop us from being happy.

Back in 2012, I felt that amidst having a complete family, a good set of friends, a growing business and keeping myself busy with lots of activities that I enjoyed, something was missing. Then a friend invited me to join the 23rd Single Young Adult (SYA) Weekend and without hesitation I did, with high hopes that with some divine intervention, I will find the missing piece in my life that will make me happy. True enough, my weekend experience was a starting point to becoming a better me and finding happiness. It strengthened my relationship with God, making each day thereafter a happier day to live. Now, no problem will pull me down, without being able to rise again and seeing the brighter side of things. So many things can go wrong, but with a strengthened faith, I believe that God will not give me anything that I can’t handle.

It all started with one weekend, but the impact of the experience is forever. What was it during the weekend that made me change my perspective of life and continue to serve God through this community? The talks were simple but very relevant and real. It made me reflect on who I am, my relationships with the people around me, what I have been searching for, and the things that are keeping me from growing, among others. The people I met in this community have become my new friends. SYA has become my extended family, my second home. This community has taught me what happiness is all about and what it is to be in the midst of people who share the same happiness. It has made me see things in a different light, allowing myself to live life with more enthusiasm and share the same zest for life with others.

I would then like to invite all those who are single, 21-39 years old to join us for the 27th SYA WEEKEND on March 21 to 23 (Friday evening to Sunday) at the Santuario de San Antonio Parish Center. Sign-up forms and informational brochures are available at the Parish Office. For more details you may also visit the parish website at https://ssaparish.wordpress.com/parish-mininstries/youth-of-san-antonio/sya/.

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MarieMarie has been a member of the Single Young Adults since 2012. She enjoys traveling, trying out new restaurants, and playing sports like badminton and boxing.

Categories
Articles Lectors and Commentators

LeCom’s Official Writer

RachelleA special thanks to Rachelle Wenger, who has agreed to be the Lectors and Commentators (LeCom) Ministry’s first official writer for all our Lecom activities!

Aside from being lector/commentator at San Antonio, Rachelle is also a CCD Confirmation teacher and derives greatest pleasure from being a wife to Thomas and mother to Justin & Curtis. Thanks, Rachelle!

LeCom Ministry Starts the Year Right
By Rachelle Wenger

To start the year right, members of the LeCom Committee gathered at the St. Bonaventure conference room in the Parish Convento to hold its first meeting for 2014. Our new chairperson, Dee Chan, led the opening prayer for grace. Discussed during the meeting was the calendar of activities for the year, welcoming of new members, reminders, appeals for specific tasks, and lastly an enlightening talk by guest priest, Fr. Jesus Galindo. To close the meeting formalities, a prayer was said thanking our Lord for another fruitful get-together and of course, what meeting would be complete without the sharing of food. It was definitely a great start to the year and an optimistic vision for what’s in store for the months ahead.

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We also have a newbie, who wrote about her first Lecom meeting experience. Thanks for your contribution, Marie Tycangco! READ ARTICLE

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Articles SYA

“SYA Weekend-First Step to a Wonderful Journey” by Alexandra Li

SYA WeekendWhen I was asked to join a Single Young Adults (SYA) weekend in 2008, I didn’t know what to expect. All the while, I thought I wouldn’t get a lot out of the weekend since I had lived a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I had firm goals in life and was on track to achieving them. I was spending just the right amount of time for God, family, work and leisure. Mondays to Fridays are mostly spent working. Occasionally, I would hang out with friends after work. Saturdays are mostly spent playing sports or going on short trips out of town. Sundays are definitely reserved for church and family.

However, a few weeks before the weekend, the life that I once knew fell into pieces. Work became too busy which made meeting with friends more difficult. Friends turned against each other. My relationship with my mom was getting shaky.

As the weekend approached, questions about life started to pile. Questions like—“Do I bother myself with these problems or do I turn my back on them?”, “How do I piece myself and my relationships back together?”, and “Where is God amidst all the chaos”?

Finally, the weekend came. I was surprised how 3 days can put things in perspective. It was a great way to reflect on all aspects of life. The weekend facilitated self-rediscovery, finding our identity—which is mostly drowned or taken over by what we do versus who we really are,our relationship with our family and friendsand how we—as Catholics—fit into the big picture. Unknowingly, it was what I needed and more. I was in the company of people going through the same uncertainties in life. I was not alone. All participants were moved by the talks and sharings, and as time went by, we have all grown closer to one another and had been each other’s confidants.

After the weekend, SYA had continually inspired me to see God in everything I do. The community is a place I know can always fall back on with no judgments and no hesitations. As I had been a prodigal son who had left and returned, SYA had always been the family who was glad to see me back.

Joining SYA had been one of the best decisions in my life. I thank God everyday for allowing me to take my journey together with a loving community. It is a group that always provides me opportunities to keep my faith strong—through various church activities like prayer meetings, birthday masses, and service at Makati City Jail and Philippine General Hospital. It is a group that continues to help me find God in the center of all things. I have never felt more purpose in life than when I found God in my center.

The 28th Single Young Adults weekend will be from September 12 – 14, 2014 (Friday evening to Sunday) at the 2nd floor of the Santuario de San Antonio Parish Center. Registration Fee is P1,000. Informational brochures are available at the Parish Office. You may also contact Jonathanat 09178367374 or jona.dcruz@gmail.com for more information.

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Photo Gallery SYA

HALLOWEEN IN PGH by Rocky Chan

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photos courtesy of Rocky Chan *All Rights Reserved*

Last October, SYA-ers Brought Joy to PGH. Halloween is a time of the year that is made for the child in all of us. Candy by the bucketful and kooky costumes worn by kids of all ages are the hallmarks of this festive day.

This year, the Single Young Adult (SYA) Community brought Halloween to the Philippine General Hospital. Gamely wearing costumes, the SYA-ers brought the treats to the Children’s Wards of the PGH, shared prayers with the individual families of the children confined at the ward, and threw an all-out Halloween party at the Silahis ng Kalusugan High School of the PGH. I have always been in awe of the generosity of the SYA-ers. More than just the donations collected to fill the loot bags or chipping in to provide the catering for the Halloween Party, the SYA-ers are more than willing to share their time for the various ministries of the SSAP. For this event, Sabs Soriano took the lead, ably organizing the party, transforming the Silahis ng Kalusugan classroom into a Halloween venue. The students, along with their parents and teachers, were just as game, with most of them wearing costumes and ready with their prepared song and dance numbers. It was definitely a fun time for all.

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Ministries

Lecoms, During Fiesta Week

Fiesta Week 2013, LeComs with their daughters attended to the Breakfast Feeding program of CWL
photo1st row bending Catherine Ong, Dani Remulla, Lia Lesaca
2nd row standing Jackie Ong, Billie Remulla, Micki Poe, Estée Cerilla, Angeli Ong, Zari Poe, Edmund Lim, Chloe Romulo-Periquet

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Ministries

CCD Students Reach Out

Putting into practice what they learn in the classroom about their faith, and specifically the Commandment of love, CCD’s (Continuing Catholic Development) Level 7 students (Confirmation Level), celebrated the holy season of Advent and brought forward the joyous season of Christmas, to children at the convent of the Daughters of Charity Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul at Parañaque City.

On Saturday morning, 7 December: students, teachers, committee and helpers, departed by bus from the Parish for Paranaque – loaded with food, drinks, presents, good cheer and a strong sense to share with those children who were the beneficiaries of the first CCD Outreach program for this school year. Funds to pay for these goodies and to make the Outreach a distinct possibility, was raised from CCD’s own annual Light A Parol fund-raising project.

CCD’s contact with the children and the Daughters of Charity Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, was through BINHI, an English Literacy Foundation, which begin in 2008 by a group of women bonded by a common vision to help improve the future of Filipino children in the marginalized areas, through education.

The CCD students were tasked with giving and grading Mid-Test to their young hosts, girls and boys aged 3 and 4 years old – to determine whether the child can already recognize upper and lower case letters. The overall results would also indicate whether the child is ready for enrolment in the elementary schools. The report back from BINHI was that 71% of the total number of children passed the test; 7% would have to re-do the test.

The whole exercise and the project itself was one of caring patience, kindness and consideration to the younger children some of whom quickly formed a bond with their guests from CCD. “Love your neighbour as yourself” as clearly and widely in evidence that day and as told to a teacher by a student: “today, we are the Good amaritan”. Clearly those from CCD were indeed putting their Faith in Action.

After an enjoyable interval of singing and dancing, eating and resting, we bade goodbye to the children, their parents, their teachers and the nuns who care for them, and made the bus ride back to Santuario de San Antonio Parish, mentally and spiritually refreshed and happy, that we had just spent a very worthwhile morning with some very deserving people – in an Outreach of caring and sharing.

To know more about Santuario de San Antonio Parish CCD Program>>>>>

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