Javier Luis Gomez – Santuario de San Antonio Parish

“For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.“

Rom 12:4-5

As we enter into Holy Week, we approach the summit of the liturgical year. It is a time that draws us in to the very heart of the Christian mystery. Through the Triduum the saving love of God continues to manifest itself in our lives today.

To help us enter more fully into the mystery, we invite everyone to attend a meditation on the seven last words of Christ. Friday is the day that Jesus died on the cross. It was on this day that his body was beaten, persecuted, scourged, spat on and crucified. Today, Christ’s body is still tortured, persecuted, discriminated and killed. Beyond the borders of the Philippines, Christians all over the world continue to participate in the sufferings of Christ.

This unique meditation will bring to us sharers from different backgrounds and different cultural milieu. They will share with us their experiences of being Catholic in different parts of the world, and how in their experiences they find solidarity with Jesus Christ.

From Malaysia, Peter Toyat shares with us his experiences living in a country that is a melting pot of different faiths and cultures. Peter is actively involved in Christian-Muslim dialogue and interreligious dialogue in his home country.

Ian Monsod is from our parish and has recently returned home after living in the America for many years. He brings to us a story of struggling to keep his faith in a culture that is becoming increasingly secularized.

Sister Luz Mariais a Columbian sister who has been in the Philippines for many years, working at the Holy Family Home is Taguig. She compares her Latin-American roots to our own Filipino context and how there is much we can learn from each other.

Sr. Mary Vanaja, MCJ (Vana) is an Indian sister shares with us the history of the Indian church and how it has deep Christian roots that come out of the period of great missionary evangelization. The Church in India today faces many struggles that are shared by many Asians across the region.

Fufu Widjaya is a wife and mother of three young children. She has lived in Manila for almost ten years now, after having grown up in Indonesia. She shares with us her experiences growing up as a minority Catholic in a country that is mostly Muslim – and how that experienced has shaped her today.

Father Rey Legayadahas recently spent much time stationed with the Franciscans in Spain. Over his time there he has seen many of the changes that the Church in Europe has undergone and he shares his own insights on that reality.

Mara Eala spent some time after her studies to volunteer with the Assumption sisters in east Africa last year. She traveled around Tanzania and Kenya helping the sisters with their ministry. She shares with us what she has seen from the Church in Africa.

Each of the sharers will share with us their experiences with the universal church. As we contemplate on the sufferings of Christ, let us also meditate on the sufferings the body of Christ continues to experience today.

The Seven Last Words takes place on Good Friday – 1:30pm to 3pm.

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Javier teaches at the Ateneo de Manila University and is the head of the Evangelization Ministry at Santuario de San Antonio. He continues to work with young people both in and out of the parish.

Over the last three Saturdays, the parish has sponsored a series of Lenten talks under the theme “REDEEMED”. Each talk focuses on a different sacrament in the life of the Church and how the sacraments are realities that continue in our lives as Catholics up till this very day.

The first talk was entitled “BLOOD and WATER” and was focused on the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. It was given by Javier Gomez, a lay theologian and instructor at Ateneo de Manila University. Following Pope Francis suggestion, he advised us all to “reawaken the memory of our Baptism and Confirmation.” We shouldn’t remember these two sacraments as merely events that took place in the past. Instead, to “remember” our Baptism and Confirmation means that we allow these sacraments to continue to affect our lives as followers of Christ today. Pope Francis says that is important for us to remember the day that we were immersed in the stream of God’s salvation – the day that we became a part of God’s family.

The second speakers were Tony and Dottie Pasya, a married couple who are the chapter heads of the Couples for Christ in Santuario de San Antonio. The title of the talk was “SACRAMENT” which focused on the sacrament of matrimony. Tony emphasized the power of the sacrament and how it gives husband and wife the supernatural grace to be loyal, loving and faithful to each other. Above all, Tony shared about the power of forgiveness and how it is essential to sustaining a marriage. Dottie offered many practical tips to developing not just a God-centered marriage, but a God-fearing family. In our times when the family is subject to so many opposing external forces, fostering a family centered on love is so key.

Our third talk was entitled “MERCY” and was centered on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. During this time of Lent, this theme is especially important to us. Lent is the time for us to return to God. Pope Francis himself has placed so much emphasis on this, designating this very weekend – March 29-30 – as a “24 hour period to come back to the Lord.” The talk was given by Jolly Gomez, who is involved with the parish prison outreach at Makati City Jail. In his talk, Jolly focused on the many ways that the seven deadly sins separate us from God’s love, and how each one can be remedied through the practice of particular virtues. Finally he invited everyone to return to God through the sacrament of reconciliation.

There is still one more yet to come. The fourth and final talk of the REDEEMED series will focus on the most important sacrament in the life of a disciple of Jesus today. This Saturday, the last talk – entitled “BREAD and WINE” will focus on the Eucharist. Our speaker will be Sister Marietta Vega, abbess of the Kidapawan monastery for the Poor Clares. These sisters are famous for their Eucharistic piety and she will share with us her experiences of the power of the Eucharist, both in their tradition and for each and every one of us today. This is definitely a talk you don’t want to miss.

So please join us for the last talk of REDEEMED – this Saturday, April 5 from 9am to 12noon at the Parish Center. It is a blessing and an opportunity that God has given us to deepen our faith and continue our lives of conversion.

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Javier teaches at the Ateneo de Manila University and is the head of the Evangelization Ministry at Santuario de San Antonio. He continues to work with young people both in and out of the parish.