OUR PARISH PRIEST

WHAT A RELIEF! 14th Sunday The past Sunday solemn feasts have not been very easy celebrations. For one, the feasts celebrated, although forming the core of our Catholic Christian faith, have been anchored on great mysteries that are not easily understood by all. Yes, we can experience the new Pentecost, we encounter the Most Blessed Trinity and we receive with joy the Body of Christ the Lord. And yet, if we mull over the mysteries mentioned, at times, we fail to grasp their entire meaning. But today, the Lord is as if telling us: enough of mysteries, even those that touch deeply your faith in Me. Jesus is simply telling us to find our rest in him. Jesus is simply inviting us to trust him and experience his great love and concern for everything that happens to our lives. Let us pause for a moment. Close your eyes if you need to. And listen to your heart and mind. Even before you entered the church, so many concerns have already been affecting you these days. ...

HAPPY 6OTH PRIESTLY ANNIVERSARY TO HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI LET US PRAY FOR THE INTENTIONS OF OUR HOLY FATHER.

GET THE MOST OUT OF THE MASS The Body and Blood of Christ Why do we go to Mass? We go because we are hungry: Hungry for the Word of God that inspires us to live for Jesus; hungry for the Bread that feeds our souls. After we receive God’s Word, we prepare to receive the nourishment that the Body of Christ brings. As I reflected on the gospel, the message is clear and very enlightening: this Body and Blood leads us to eternal life (Jn 6:54). If we want to live with God, we need to receive the Body of His Son given to us now. Many Catholics are going to Mass now with a purpose, an understanding of what they are doing. But still we must deepen our faith in the Eucharist to draw from its fountain of blessings. Let me help you with some guidelines. First, we must PREPARE. We sacrifice for the Mass by fasting one hour before Communion. This show us how important is the spiritual food we are to receive. Then we come to Mass on time. So many people miss t...

FEAST OF OUR GOD Trinity Sunday If there is any feast that directly teaches us about God, it is the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity. As Catholics, we can easily spot other Catholics by their faith in the Trinity. The quiet gesture of someone making the Sign of the Cross reminds us that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How often we see people surrender to this God as they trace the cross on themselves in moments of joy, life, adventure, death, sickness and prayer. This Sign of the Cross is the sign of our faith in the uniqueness of our God; He is one and three, the three are but one. In one God, we find a loving Father, we find our brother in the person of Jesus, and we find the perfect gift for our lives in the person of the Holy Spirit. This is neither easy to understand nor to explain. But it is easy to experience because our God is available to all. In the Gospel today, Jesus shows us the connection between the Father and the Son; a common love for hu...

watch out for our new parish and parochial school website: http://www.stvpasig.org/ we praise and thank the Lord for this milestone in parish communication our parish.

RECEIVE THE SPIRIT, RECEIVE PEACE Pentecost Sunday I realized the Solemn Feast of the Holy Spirit was coming and we needed to prepare. I asked someone to execute a fine illustration of the Holy Spirit. Before that, I showed this artist some depictions of the Holy Spirit. The first was fire coming down on people. Then a picture of the apostles praying with Mother Mary in their midst. Lastly, I offered the image of a dove. When the artist saw the dove he excitedly said: This is the one! This is the image most people will understand. One of the evocative symbols of the Holy Spirit is the white dove. We like this image because a dove is meaningful to us. Why do newlyweds release doves? Why do public holidays feature the releasing of doves? Why do meetings of leaders, church and government, end or begin with doves thrown up into the air? It is because the dove symbolizes peace. One look at this peaceful creature and you are filled with serenity and c...

SPREADING THE INSPIRATION Ascension Sunday Fr. Boyet was my idol. He was a great man, a great priest. I heard he founded the first home for the abandoned elderly in our province. I came to see him at work. How inspiring! Dressed in old, simple t-shirt, he moved around barefoot while tending to the needs of these old and sick people. But soon after, I heard that he left the place. He went to another province starting a similar institution. They said he worked with the same passion there among the poor. But after a while, he was off to another place, this time, to found a home for drug dependents somewhere in a mountainous location. Guess what? After some time there, he abandoned his post to go somewhere else. Last I heard aobut him, he is in another area starting another charitable work. Is this priest crazy? Is this priest a wanderlust? Is he confused and unstable that he never stays too long in one place? I guess we will quickly judge him ...