OUR PARISH PRIEST

NARITO ANG IYONG LIWANAG (CANDELARIA) Sa araw na ito, ginugunita ng maraming madre at mga relihyoso ang kanilang panata sa Diyos, dala ang mga kandilang may sindi sagisag ng pagbibigay nila ng sarili sa Diyos. Sa katotohanan, tayong lahat ay nagsimulang magdala ng kandilang nakasindi noong tayo ay binyagan. Sa Mabuting Balita, gitnang-gitna ang posisyon ng liwanag.   Si Simeon, isang matandang lalaki, ay matagal nang naghihintay sa kaganapan ng pangako ng Panginoon. Nang makita niya ang sanggol at ang mga magulang nito, lumakas ang tibok ng kanyang puso. Tila may nagbulong sa kanya na ito na nga ang “liwanag ng mga bansa, at kaluwalhatian ng Israel.” (Lk 2:32). Punung-puno ng saya, naipagdasal niyang handa na siyang mamatay. Ganito rin kay Anna, ang matandang babaeng katulad ni Simeon ay nakatutok sa paghihintay sa pangako ng Diyos. Kahit hindi binanggit sa ebanghelyo, palagay ko, ang panalangin niya ay tulad din ng pasasalamat, papuri at pagiging...

BEHOLD OUR LIGHT (Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple) This is such an interesting feast.   First, the gospel brings us back to a Christmas scene. This time, the parents of Jesus come to the temple to offer sacrifice. And joining them are a pair of elderly people, who excitedly pronounce prophecies about the Christ Child. I imagine a perfect family picture, with the grandparents home for a visit! Second, this feast comes with a concrete symbol, the lighted candle. At this time in Rome during my student years, religious men and women gather for Mass. The candles represented the flame of self-dedication and commitment to God and the Church. In reality, we have all received the lighted candle at our baptism. In the gospel, the centrality of the light becomes conspicuous. Simeon, the old man, spent all his life waiting for the moment when God would unveil his promise. When he saw young couple and the baby offering the prescribed gifts, his h...

MAGING MISYONERONG ALAGAD Sa ebanghelyo ngayon, ginagawa ng Panginoon ang paborito niyang misyon.   Hindi po iyan pangangaral, pagpapagaling o paggawa ng mga kababalalaghan.   Ang ibig kong sabihing paboritong gawain ni Hesus ay ang tumawag ng mga tao upang sumunod sa kanya.   Ang una niyang tinawag ay ang mga dakilang alagad na sina Pedro, Andres, Juan at Santiago – mga bigatin ng ating pananampalataya na naging mga apostol, misyonero, santo at mga unang papa at Obispo natin. Pero huwag nating isiping ang tinatawag lang ng Panginoon ay ang mga inihahandang maging tanyag. Habang tinatawag niya sila, tumatawag din ang Panginoon ng mga iba pang tao.   Sa pamamagitan nila, tatawag pa ang Panginoon ng marami pang iba. Kaya nga, patuloy na tumatawag si Hesus sa atin ngayon. Pati tayo ay kasama sa mga tinatawag ngayon na sumabay at makilakbay at sumunod sa kanya. Dahil mangingisda ang unang mga apostol, ginawa silang “mangingisda ng m...

JESUS’ MISSIONARY DISCIPLES Today we see Jesus doing the task closest to his heart. No, not healing the sick, not preaching, not performing miracles – although these are essential to his mission too – but simply going around town calling people.   Simply calling them - not issuing a command, nor releasing an order, nor promulgating a decree.   Here, Jesus sincerely and simply looks at a person, maybe taps his shoulder and urges him to “Follow me” (Mt 4:19). The first disciples the Lord approached and the first ones to heed his invitation were Peter, Andrew, James and John.   We know them today as big shots of our faith, the first apostles, great missionaries, saints and of course, early bishops of our Christian Church.   Lest we be tempted to think that Jesus selected only the illustrious members of his team, we must realize that he did not stop with these men or with the 12 apostles who were his intimate band of brothers. As he cal...

TAMANG ARUGA Tumitibok ang puso ni Hesus para sa mga bata at mga kabataan. Sila ang halimbawa ng kadakilaan. Ang kanilang kababaang-loob ay kahanga-hanga. “Kapag hindi kayo nagbago at tumulad sa mga bata, hinding hindi kayo mabibilang sa mga pinaghaharian ng Diyos. And sinumang nagpapakababa tulad ng batang ito ang siyang pinakadakila sa mga pinaghaharian ng Diyos.” (Mt. 18:3-4). Pero paano ba talaga pahalagahan at arugain ang mga bata at kabataan ngayon? Hindi madaling gawain ito tulad noong dating panahon. Masalimuot ang proseso ng pagpapalaki sa mga kabataan ngayon. Balot sila ng teknolohiya at media. Minsan kailangan pang mag-seminar ang mga magulang para lang magtagumpay sa kanilang tungkulin sa mga anak nila! Iyong ibang magulang hinahayaan lang ang mga anak na gawin ang anumang naisin nila. Nagmamasid lang sila at takot masabing nakikialam.   Subalit dapat tandaan na kung may isang bagay na hindi pa buo sa kabataan, ito ay ang pag-iisip ng kinabu...

CARING FOR THE YOUNG This feast of the Sto. Nino (Holy Child Jesus) is among our most popular religious celebrations.   Coming after the intense devotion for the Black Nazarene, this time Filipino Catholics locally and worldwide, rally around the image of the Child Jesus.   The festive mood is an extension of the Christmas spirit and reveals how important the child and the young person are to Filipinos. Ours is a nation of children and young people.   The Filipino family loves to care for the young. The heart of Jesus echoes our own appreciation for the young.   He makes the child the example of true greatness. He extols its humility. “…unless you turn and become like little children you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt. 18: 3-4). But how must we truly value the children and young people in our lives today? These growing and vulnerable...

MABUHAY ANG PARING PILIPINO! Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo (born 11 March 1939) is a Filipino archbishop and cardinal-elect . On January 12, 2014, Pope Francis named him as one of the 19 new cardinals of the Catholic church. He will be created a cardinal in the consistory of February 22, 2014. Early life He was born on March 11, 1939, in Laoag , Ilocos Norte . In 1945-47, he attended grades 1 to 3 in Laoag Shamrock school, and finished grades 4-6 in Marbel Central Elementary School in Marbel, South Cotabato (graduating in 1950). He attended Notre Dame High School in Marbel from 1950-1954. Priesthood He entered San Jose Seminary from 1954-56, but spend his novitiate in St. Peter's Novitiate in Mission, Texas . He completed his Philosophy in San Jose Seminary from 1957-1960. From 1960-64, he completed his STB and MA in Religious Education from Oblate College (Catholic University of America) in Washington, DC . He was ordained a priest of the Mi...

PINILI AKO NG DIYOS! Natutuwa ako na ilang kabataan sa parokya ang nagsaad ng kagustuhan na maging Katoliko. Nais daw nilang tumanggap ng sakramento ng Binyag. Talagang excited sila.   Parang ganito rin sa Mabuting Balita natin ngayon. Si Hesus ay buong pananabik ding lumapit kay Juan Bautista upang magpa-binyag.   Noong una, tumutol pa si Juan subalit sa paliwanag ng Panginoong Hesus, bininyagan niya ang kanyang Panginoon. Isang mahalagang kahulugan ng binyag ang ipinakikilala sa atin ngayon.   Para sa mga kabataang ito, at tulad ng Panginoong Hesukristo sa ebanghelyo na pumunta kay Juan, ang binyag ay isang pasya, isang pagpili.   Damang dama ito ng mga may edad na na nagnais magpa-binyag.   Malayang pinipili nila ang binyag para sa kanilang sarili kahit na may kaakibat itong mga kundisyon sa araw-araw na buhay. Pero paano naman tayong nabinyagan noong bata pa. Ni hindi natin alam ang naganap nang binyagan tayo.   Ang ta...

I AM CHOSEN I am so happy that several young people in the parish recently expressed to us their desire to enter the Catholic Church. They desire to be baptized.   I can see how excited they are to start their preparations for the sacrament that will make them part of the Church. The Gospel conveys the same excitement as Jesus eagerly approaches his cousin John to partake of the ritual bath John was performing for the people. A short argument ensued as John felt unworthy to baptize his Lord, while Jesus assured him that this rite was a passage he must undergo to fulfill the Father’s will. The young people I met have decided to seek baptism.   The Lord Jesus too, sought baptism on his own. This shows an aspect of baptism that is very important - that baptism is a choice. When those who have reached the age of reason ask for baptism, they freely choose the sacrament, with its conditions and demands. There is free choice in following the Lord. ...

HANDOG NG DIYOS SA LAHAT NG TAO Ang dami mo sigurong natanggap na regalo ano?   Iyan ang tanong ng aking mga kaibigan matapos ang Pasko.   Para sa atin, ang Pasko ay panahon ng regalo. Ako mismo, naghahanda at nagpapamigay ng regalo. Ngayong kapistahan ng Epifania (o Tatlong Hari dito sa Pilipinas), ang pagbibigayan ng regalo ang tampok sa araw na ito.   Kasi naman, ang mga haring mago ay tagadala ng regalo sa Hari ng Mundo. Bitbit nila ang mga marangyang regalo mula sa kanilang malalayong bayan. Subalit dapat tandaan, na ang tunay na regalo, ang pinakadakilang regalo, ay hindi galing sa kamay ng mga haring ito. Ang tunay na regalo ng Pasko ay galing sa kamay ng Diyos, na ngayon ay dumadaloy sa kamay ng kanyang Anak sa sabsaban. Higit pa sa tatlong hari, ang Diyos ang tunay na tagadala ng regalo sa ating buhay – kaligtasan kay Kristo Hesus! Sa katauhan ni Hesus, binuksan ng Diyos ang kanyang regalo para sa buong daigdig, na kinakatawan ng tat...

GOD’S GIFT IS FOR ALL Did you receive a lot of gifts? This was the question posed to me by one friend during a simple post-Christmas reunion.   Indeed, this is a season for presents, mostly coming in colorful, glittering, ribbon tied boxes or paper bags.   I delight in giving gifts to my own friends and parishioners and I prepare them well and early. As we celebrate Epiphany (famously known as Three Kings in our country), gift-giving is still the focus of the feast. The Magi have always been portrayed as bringer of gifts for the King of Kings. The wise men came from faraway lands in search for the promised Savior of the world.   And they went on their journey prepared to meet the Christ Child with their fitting offerings. But we must not overlook the fact that the real gift, the greatest one of all, is not in the hands of these wise men from the East.   The real gift came from the outstretched hands of God, now seen in the open arms...