Alone with Our Lady

2017 is a special year for Marian devotees because it marks the 100th anniversary of Our Lady's apparition in Fatima, Portugal. An indulgence is granted by Pope Francis throughout this jubilee year (which began on 27 November 2016 and will conclude on 26 November 2017) to: 1.) anyone who would visit Our Lady's Shrine in Fatima f; 2.) anyone who prays before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October (2017), and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary.”; and 3.) the elderly and infirm to pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima "and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017."  

Our parish here in Bulwell is blessed because there is a statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the Poor Clare Monastery Chapel where people who are unable to make a pilgrimage to Fatima during the jubilee could pray and venerate Our Lady's statue.  The Poor Clare sisters, described by Fr John Martin (our new Parish Priest) as "a powerhouse of prayer", have been kind enough to welcome visitors who would like to avail of the jubilee indulgence.

One sunny afternoon, I decided to pay Our Lady a visit. Mother Lilly, the Monastery abbess, opened the door for me. The chapel was empty. As I knelt before Mary's statue, I thought to myself, "I have been to this chapel many times, but it was only now that I had a look at Mary's beautiful face!". It was neither happy nor sad, in keeping with how the three visionaries Lucia dos Santos and her cousins (now Saints) Francisco and Jacinta Marto described her.

I felt at ease with Our Lady's aura and spent a few minutes pouring my heart to her. Beneath her pedestal was a box where devotees could place their prayer requests. I turned left and right to look for a piece of paper and a pen to write my petitions. Luckily, there were sheets of paper and a pen at the back of the chapel. I wrote a handful of requests, I thought of people who need prayers. Later, I approached the statue and placed the sheet of paper in the box. I held Our Lady's left hand, looked once again at her beautiful face, and (because I was all alone in the chapel), sang this popular Marian song:

As I was getting ready to leave, Sr Francis came into the chapel. I thanked her and the rest of the sisters for welcoming me. 

Two things on prayer struck me in that visit: space and specificity. We all need that space to be alone with God, with Mary and the saints in prayer. In a rat race culture we're all in, this could be a challenge. But, as I have seen from some people's experience, if we ask God to give us that space (and time), He'll grant it! 

Being specific with what we pray for is also good because it keeps us focused on what we need, on what frustrates us (be it events, people, or ourselves), and on what comes from the heart. Writing it down especially when you're running out of time helps a lot because it allows you to let go and let God do the rest. It is also heartwarming to know that someone else, like the sisters, are praying for your requests too.

I felt good making that visit to Our Lady. I am happy thinking that she will always be here to guide and protect me, to guide and protect all of us, her children. We need Our Lady, we need the message she gave in Fatima 100 years ago. Entrusting ourselves to her is the way forward if we wish to follow Jesus and obtain the peace which we badly need (Think about Manchester, Marawi, London, Syria, etc.) and which He alone could give. 

The Buck Stops Here

The late US president Harry S Truman used to keep a sign with this phrase while holding office at the White House. For him, it served as a constant reminder that as president he has to make the decisions and accept full responsibility for those decisions.

Since that day of infamy when the Philippine Supreme Court (SC) allowed the burial of Ferdinand Marcos' remains at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB), mass protests, commentaries, statements, etc have been made denouncing the decision and vilifying the 9 associate justices who were in favour of such burial, the heirs of the former dictator for their deviousness in having the remains buried secretly at the LNMB, and Ferdinand Marcos himself for his 20-year rule of oppression and plunder.

There have been some commentators who were quick to point out that the blame for such an unthinkable burial shouldn't be put on the SC nor the Marcoses. The blame or the buck stops at President Rodrigo Duterte.  I totally agree. For wasn't Duterte the one who promised during the presidential campaign to have Marcos' remains interred at the LNMB? And when he won the elections, didn't he give orders to his subordinates to implement his promise? By the looks of it, the SC, Marcos Family, AFP, PNP, etc just took the cue from the President!

I think protests actions should not only highlight that the late strongman is not a hero. Protests should not only underscore the SC's failure to look beyond the letter of the law. Protests should not only bring to the fore the Marcoses' notoriety for using subterfuge on many, many occasions (when they were still in power and now that they feel entitled to such power, thanks to the President). 

The protests that are being organised across the country and beyond should also condemn Duterte's callousness for letting Marcos be buried in a cemetery reserved for heroes and for dismissing the atrocities of the Marcos dictatorship as though they were kuwentong kutsero. 

Had Duterte steered clear of the Marcoses, had he been more aware and sensitive of the plight of the Martial Law victims, had he acted more as a statesman rather than a politician our country would not be in this mess! I find it strange that Duterte seemed to have forgotten that his late mother fought against the dictatorship. And that his rise to power began when Cory Aquino appointed him OIC Vice Mayor of Davao.

Duterte should be called to task for showing his real colour: a tuta (lapdog) of the Marcoses.

Now that's one sign we should see unfurled during these mass protests!

***

It's the start of the Advent season this Sunday! Let this season be a moment for us to rethink of our past, of our values, of all our gains and losses. Let Advent be an opportunity for us to realize where we are going to. Is it back to the manger of Bethlehem or nowhere? Let this holy season be a time for us to rediscover that only in Jesus could we find the light which will defeat in the darkness our country is in. From November 29 to December 7, let us say at least a decade of the Rosary, asking Mary Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (our country's patroness) to lead us to Jesus, to yearn for the Promised Messiah: O come, O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Orient's Pearl!

Shining Within Us

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,
Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

I have accidentally omitted this beautiful song in my recent article on the Taize prayer service which was held in our parish.  With a slow and gentle tempo, this song allows us anyone who sings it to meditate, to let one's heart speak to the Lord.

 

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,
Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

I think of this song as I recall that horrible mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. In an interview, the father of the gunman had one question to his son: Why? Indeed, most if not all of us affected by this incident would echo the same question. Is it pure hatred on the LGBT (Lesbian, gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community? If it is, would killing 49 people and wounding another 50 be justifiable?

 

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,
Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

My thoughts too go to that bishop in Shanghai, China, Thaddeus Ma Daqin who recently made an about face when he publicly recanted his decision to bolt the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA). CCPA is sanctioned by the state to control the life of the Catholic Church in China since the 1950s. Control includes ordaining their own bishops without the blessing from Vatican. When Daqin was ordained, he publicly dissociated himself with CCPA. Put under house arrest, he did not give into pressure to recant and served as a model to Catholics who secretly maintained their loyalty to Rome. Until last June 12. What made him change his mind?

 

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,
Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

While my heart has high hopes for the President-elect in my land of birth, I felt uneasy with how he has already alienated a host of people: the UN, the Catholic Church (albeit I would imagine that his ire is more focused on the leaders of the Church), the Martial Law victims, women, the media, and the Vice President-elect (I could understand why he is not going to appoint her to his Cabinet, but having a separate inauguration is beyond me!). He seems hell-bent to have the former dictator buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.  Why? To console the Marcoses at the expense of the many who suffered under the dictatorship? Elections are political exercises. They divide people. Some are in this camp, while another is on that camp, etc. But now that they're over, shouldn't Duterte, as paterfamilias, reach out to everyone (regardless if they voted for him or not) instead of catering only to the needs of his friends and others close to him?

 

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

In these moments of darkness and doubt, in these times when we would often ask "Why?", let us take courage in Jesus' light "shining within us". Let us also pray that this same light will shine on the victims of the Orlando shooting, on Omar Mateen (RIP) and others who have wrong views on other people, on Thaddeus Ma Daqin, on our fellow Catholics in China who keep the faith alive, on President-elect Duterte, and on our country.  And because it's Father's Day this Sunday, let us also remember all fathers in our prayer.  May we all be guided by this light to work for what is true and just.

 

Reduced to Clear

A few days ago, while buying my lunch in the nearby convenience store, a shelf in one corner was loaded with various items. Each one was labelled "Reduced to Clear" - their prices were reduced to give way to new products for Christmas.  And if you go through these items, you might be lucky to find something at a lower price.

Last weekend, we started a new liturgical year via the season of Advent.  For the next 4 weeks, we turn our gaze at the Advent wreath, lighting the candles one by one each week, asking the Lord to come.

And yet, asking someone to come to our place or our very lives isn't that easy. You have to make sure that the home is tidy, that provisions such as food, clothing, transportation, toiletries, etc. are available, that you have time to be with this someone. Relationship-wise, you have to be committed to this person.

To ask someone to come means to identify those things or aspects in our lives that need reducing.  Is it our pagpapaimportante? Take for example an appeal for help in our community. We know very well that we can assist, but why can't we? Are we waiting for the band to serenade and fetch us? 

How about our sense of entitlement? We sometimes want people to respect us because perhaps of our age or position, even if we are wrong.

How about our Pharisaical tendencies?  We may be devout, learned or better off and yet look down at others. I remember Msgr Albert Salonga (currently Rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy in Mandaluyong City) discouraging people from saying "Hindi ako bababa sa level niya" (I am not going down to his level.).

And our backstabbing moments? In a religious organization's gathering, a priest told his audience "Kapag may putok ang kapatid mo, pagsabihan mo" (If your brother/sister has a body odor, call his attention). Body odor or not, we indulge in telling other people about someone else's defects. Sadly, the person concerned is the last person to know.

Whatever it is that hinders us from welcoming Jesus into our lives this Christmas, Advent is the opportune time for us to reduce these hindrances to nothing so that our lives would become clear for the Lord.  I suggest we read and reflect on St John the Baptist's call for people to prepare the way for the Lord. The coming weeks' Gospel readings would feature him and his crusade.

Furthermore, a renewed devotion to Mary, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, is recommended. She, who was conceived without sin, became the Mother of our Savior.  She who received and nurtured Him will lead us to the Lord.

Let's be expectant hosts this Christmas and not cold strangers to the King who is to come!

Living Rosary

August 25, 2015. The second day of my second visit to the Big Apple. It was a hot day in New York. After having breakfast, my younger brother Gio and I made our way from Queens to Manhattan via train and then headed to Staten Island via ferry to see our dad.  I told my wife that on our way, I would like to visit the Shrine of St Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born citizen of the US to become saint, which was just across the ferry station.

We intended to take the 10:30 am ferry ride and ran as fast as we could, but a member of staff has signaled that the gates are closed.  The next ferry will be in the next 30 minutes. Perhaps this was a sign to visit the shrine across the street!

I have seen the façade of this church during my first visit to New York in 2012, but didn't have the chance to enter it.  The church is actually dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary.  How did it become a shrine of St Elizabeth? The church is actually located on what used to be the saint's house.  On one corner of this small church, one could find a statue of St Elizabeth as well as paintings depicting her life story.

Gio and I went to a pew and spent a few minutes in prayer. Then, I approached the main altar to marvel at the stained glass featuring some important events in the life of St Elizabeth. To the right of the main altar is a statue of Our Lady and the Child Jesus. I approached this too and said a prayer to the Blessed Mother. I took a photo of the statue and wondered, how come the Virgin nor the Lord is not holding a rosary? Surely, if this is the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary then there should be a rosary similar to statues like that of Our Lady of Fatima or Our Lady of La Naval or Our Lady of Manaoag?

A few weeks back, on the Eve of the Assumption of Mary, Cardinal Chito Tagle of Manila, said "Magpractice na tayo ng langit dito sa lupa. Practice makes perfect. Gusto natin ng langit, magpractice na dito. Eh ang langit ay never-ending communion with Jesus. Practice na ngayon! Sige na! katulad ni Maria: joyous, sorrowful, luminous, glorious, always with Jesus".

Reflecting on what the good cardinal said, could it be that the statue is telling me - and all other devotees - to become Mary's living rosary, to mirror the various mysteries wherein both Mother and Child were united? I'm sure if we do so, we would be able to convince more people to appreciate this devotion, to love Mary, and ultimately to love Jesus.

October is just around the corner, that month dedicated to the recitation of the Holy Rosary. As we once again observe this revered devotion, as we lovingly repeat the Hail Mary, let our hearts say to Our Lady "Yes, Mama Mary we would like to become your rosary. Help us to reflect your virtues. Help us to be like you, constantly united with Jesus in spite of what life throws at us".

Thy Will Be Done

"Hanapin mo ang kalooban ng Diyos. Sabihin mo lagi 'Panginoon, ituro mo sa akin ang kalooban Mo'". (Search for the will of God. Always say, 'Lord teach me Your will') These were the words I would often hear from Lola Piling during my teenage years.  For some time, I would just let the words pass from one ear to another. Like any teenagers, I wanted to gain that independence, to seek my will and not someone else's. Such was my stubbornness that I didn't even bother to ask her what God's will is.  

One time, Ms. Melba Silvela, our Religion teacher in 4th year high school, asked us to write an essay. I can't remember now what the topic was all about, but I wrote something like it was God's will that something bad has happened (An earthquake perhaps? Mind you, there was an earthquake that hit Luzon that year).  Nanay Bang, as I now call this beloved teacher, read my paper aloud and corrected me. She said it wasn't God's will that calamities happen. Rather God permitted them to happen. So from then on, I learned that God's will isn't the same as God's permission; particularly that God won't will for His creation to be destroyed.

I continued to ask my peers (rather than my superiors). One classmate Fernando Lopez (not the former Vice President!) who once was a seminarian told me that God's will is in His 10 commandments. Later in college, when I was studying Ethics, I learned that to know God's will is to read the Scriptures. Finally, another ex-seminarian, told me that God's will can be discovered when you are at peace with your decisions.

We've often prayed "Thy will be done" without fully understanding nor sincerely seeking for it.  However, as a parent now myself, I realize the huge responsibility of raising my child as a good Christian. I dread the day Chiara might ask me what it is and I'll find myself dribbling my answer like a basketball. Worse, I might set a bad example to her (and to others). 

During Lola's final phone call to me and my siblings in Manila about 15 years ago, her last words to me were "Always communicate with God." What a perfect way to know the Lord's will than to communicate with Him!  

Lent gives us all that opportunity to have a hard look at our stubborn selves.  Is our will working? If not, then it's definitely time to try someone else's; someone who is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9). We may not find it straightaway and be perplexed like St Joseph when he discovered his future wife to be with child. But if we are humble and open like this son of David, we will soon discover what God really wants.

God's will may seem to be undrinkable like the cup of suffering that Jesus referred to in His agony in the garden (Matthew 26:39), but let us trust the Father the way Jesus did. Didn't Christ say that "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." (John 4:34)?

Going back to Lola, she was a devotee of St Joseph. Her favorite color is green which is one of St Joe's symbolic color (the other being yellow). But beyond the green attire she wore, I found in her persona the true essence of being a devotee of this great saint: obedience to God's will.

Happy 100th birthday, Lola Piling! Thank you for your unfailing love and motherly guidance. Thank you for putting up with such a hard-headed grandson. Thank you for always reminding me with what matters most in being a Christian, in being a person.  Keep on inspiring us, keep on praying for us that our hearts too may always say "Thy will be done"!  Rest in God's abiding peace. I love you!

Borne out of Poverty, Sustained by Prayer

In his Lenten message, Pope Francis urged the faithful to give up indifference so as to be more attentive to the needs of others. According to the Holy Father, it is when we live comfortably that "we forget about others." And when we do so, the pope continued,"our hearts grow cold."

Individualism has been the norm especially here in the West. To which, the Pope tells us " (Jesus) is interested in each of us; his love does not allow him to be indifferent to what happens to us." 

How interested are we in others? Interested not in the sense of being nosy, but in the sense that we are concerned about others' conditions. 

Just a day after Ash Wednesday, we'll be commemorating the 127th birth anniversary of the late Aurora Aragon-Quezon.  Mrs. Quezon was known for her humanitarian acts, particularly through her active participation in the Philippine Red Cross till her untimely death in 1949.  What motivated her to reach out to people? Was it power or prestige?  Surely, she was once the country's First Lady and was a prominent figure in society, but there is something deeper in her persona.

Born from a middle-class family in Baler, Aurora and her brood suffered poverty when her father was imprisoned and their properties were confiscated by the Spanish conquistadores. In his book "Aurora A. Quezon: Her Life and Deeds", Sol Gwekoh, the Quezons' biographer, wrote that the young Aurora and her siblings have to do menial jobs such as pounding rice, fetching water, etc. Her elders saw in her "an exceptional industry in the home and kindness towards her playmates and neighbors...she was...the personification of hope and faith!"

True, that hope and faith came alive when she formed the Baler Reading Circle and Library.  She wanted to train as a teacher, however she was forced to discontinue her studies due to her poor health. Nevertheless, she developed the habit of reading good books in various languages and shared her meager collection of books with her kababayans in Baler. Thus, the Baler Reading Circle and Library was born. It has been said that because of her generosity, her town mates were able to learn the rudiments of English.

Gwekoh also told a story about how Mrs. Quezon made an appeal to Governor General Frank Murphy on behalf of a Bilibid inmate on the verge of dying (She was not yet First Lady at that time). She was informed about the prisoner's condition - he was afflicted with tuberculosis and was not getting proper treatment. The prisoner was moved to a sanatorium; his treatment expenses were shouldered by Mrs. Quezon. 

When her husband became President in 1935, they opened the Palace to the less fortunate of Manila at Christmas to share a meal with them and give them packages of toys, clothes, etc. 

In another part of her biography, I note that it was Mrs. Quezon's practice to visit the poor districts of Manila especially Tondo and San Nicolas. Her biographer mentioned that she "...devoted her time to orphans and children...giving them food, clothing, and not infrequently money. She even sent these young boys and girls to school and defrayed their expenses." Gwekoh also mentioned how this great woman would arrange quietly the wedding ceremony of poor couples who could not afford to pay their marriage fees.

These are just a few of the many works of love, acts of care, endeavors of concern by Mrs. Quezon.  For me, they were borne not from power nor prestige, but from first hand experience of how it was to be poor.  If we are/have been poor, let that poverty inspire us to rise up and help others to do the same. If we are better off, we can be one with the poor by embracing a simple lifestyle. Living simply allows us to share so that, as the Canadian bishops once said, "other may simply live."

Doña Aurora's experience has been sustained by prayer, especially the Holy Mass.  Going back to Papa Francesco's message, he said "we become what we receive: the Body of Christ. In this body there is no room for the indifference which so often seems to possess our hearts." 

In our journey this Lent, let's be a new Aurora to others. Let's be that personification of hope and faith for the less fortunate.  

Doña Aurora, pray for us!

The Cold Won't Bother Me Anyway

"Put on your socks! It's cold." I told Chiara as she was playing in the living room.

"It doesn't matter", she replied.

I am sometimes puzzled that my daughter doesn't easily feel cold when her Mom and I would have wanted to bury ourselves under sheets this winter. One time, I told her again to keep herself warm. And again, she gave the same response. I retorted, "Why? 'The cold won't bother me anyway'? It made her laugh as she realized that I quoted Queen Elsa's last lines in the song "Let it go".

I saw the same behavior in our countrymen who braved the rain and all just to be with Pope Francis during his Pastoral and State Visit to the Philippines last week.  I must admit that I wasn't able to focus that much on the Holy Father's visit, but from what I gather his trip was heart warming.  

For his part, Lolo Kiko, as he was fondly called in the Philippines, reached out to them.   His words "Some of you lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silent. And I walk with you all with my silent heart." cuts through the heart. St Francis of Assisi once said “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words". Papa did preach, but it was a moment when words won't be necessary or would suffice. His mere presence with the people per se was the preaching! 

Moving on, the Philippine Church has asked believers 10 things to do:

Our country,in spite of many catastrophes (man-made or not) it faced and continue to face, has shown its openness and resiliency during those blessed days with the Pope. Let's take to heart his message. Let's proclaim it wherever and whenever. As he once said: "We have a Lord who is capable of crying with us, capable of walking with us in the most difficult moments of life". 

With Jesus by our side, the cold - of sin and evil, of uncaring people, etc.- won't bother us anyway!

PS: There's two things that disconcerted me though about the recent visit. First is that there were three pope mobiles used instead of just one. Second is that children are caged to keep the streets clean during the visit. The first runs counter to His Holiness' simplicity while the second not only opposes the Pope's preference for the poor, but also prevented him from reaching to them!

A Decade of Sharing the Good News

Happy New Year! I hope you and your loved ones had a great celebration of the Lord's Birth and welcoming 2015.

2015 is a special year for all of us in anluwage.com for it marks our 10th anniversary. It seems it was just yesterday when Art Reyes and Mike Flores created the web as an online ministry of Tanghalang Anluwage, Inc. Among its first items were "Before Sundays", the forerunner of what is now "God-speak", a regular feature of the web containing  reflections on the Sunday Mass readings are shared. 

There were also "The Nine Gifts" and "The Seven Last Words" special online devotions for Advent and Holy Week respectively. There were also columns such "Bits and Bobs" and "Tanggero".

Since then, more people and more items were added into the web. The vision and mission statements were drawn up. An editorial board was organized.  We also created a group page in Facebook to reach out for more people.

It is through your generous support that we have achieved such blessings. I could not thank you enough for all the help that you have given the web. 

Our 10th anniversary coincides with 2 important events: the Year of Consecrated Life in the Universal and the Year of the Poor in the Philippine Church. I hope our web would be able to contribute in promoting and supporting religious life and also in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus to the poor.  Sharing in Facebook of articles featured in the web would be a simple way of proclaiming that Good News to others. Another suggestion is to get to know more about our very own Fr. Shay Cullen who apart from being a religious, is also involved in reaching out to the poor via the PREDA Foundation. Finally, we would welcome more writers and other supporters to help us keep the fire of the Spirit burning.  

May Jesus, the Word-made-Flesh, continue to be THE source of inspiration in our ministry. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and ours, and St. Joseph, our patron, intercede for us for a fruitful 2015.

God bless us all! God bless anluwage.com!

Ears to Hear With

Since the third Sunday of Advent, the manger scene (or Belen) has already been put up in our parish sans the Holy Family, shepherds, and kings; only cows, donkeys, and of course the manger.  Last Sunday, just a few steps from the Belen were papier mache figures of Mary, Joseph, and an angel. All three have their distinctive costumes - Mary wearing a veil, Joseph also wears a veil and has a beard and moustache, and the angel has wings and a halo. They didn't have faces though. What caught my attention was that one of Joseph's ears could be easily seen.  I am not sure if this was done on purpose, but it just gave a link to another event I attended the day before.

The day before we went to church, our rosary group held its annual Christmas Party celebration. For this year, members - young ones and once - were asked to wear a cartoon character costume. Chiara and Nidz were Princess Anna and Queen Elsa (from the Disney's "Frozen") respectively, while I was Superman.  

Others 'portrayed' Snow White, Woody, and Prince Charming, to name a few. This was the first time we did this in observance of our fifth anniversary this year. In my welcome remarks, I told my colleagues that Christmas is indeed for the children, and for the child at heart.  Hence, our attempt to capture that 'child in us' via our costumes.

But what if we fail to capture that child in us?  Beyond the costumes and glitter, I think it is necessary for us to listen. Going back to Joseph's papier mache in church (or to his ear to be more specific), we would recall how this unassuming man lent his ear to God's word. By listening to God, he became enlightened (i.e. that his future wife is bearing God's Son), by becoming enlightened he obeyed (i.e. he took Mary as his wife), and by obeying he cooperated with God's plan (i.e. he nurtured Jesus, our Savior). 

Listening is key to welcoming Christmas.  Jose Mari Chan tells (or sings) us more about this in this beautiful Christmas carol:

As we celebrate Christmas, may we also have the ears to hear God's word with so that we too may recapture that child in us - a child who trusts God wholeheartedly, a child who treats others fairly, a child who humbles himself to wash someone else's feet, a child willing to make sacrifices for the good of others, a child like that newborn King lying on the manger, the very reason for Christmas.

From all of us here in anluwage.com, I wish you all a Blessed Christmas!

Conversation with a Fellow Christian

I was waiting for the bus to arrive on late afternoon. I took a seat on the bus stop and took out my Magnificat prayer book to read that day's Mass reading. The lady next to me (probably noticing what I was doing) asked me "Are you a Christian?". I said yes. She seemed interested in what I was reading and introduced herself as a Christian too.  She later told me that it is only Jesus who can save me, not the Virgin Mary nor the Pope. I agreed. 

She went on by saying that neither the Mass or the bread and wine can save me. I told her that in my Catholic faith, we believe that the bread and wine becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus during Consecration. She disagreed and explained that the 'Body of Christ' is us. I said to her that indeed we, the Church, form the body of Christ, but Christ Himself said that He who eats His body will be saved. The woman disagreed again and told me that Judas ate the bread and drank the wine, but wasn't saved. I retorted "How about the other 11 (apostles)?". Still, she ignored the question reiterating that it's only Jesus who can save us.  With the bus arriving, I stood up and thanked the lady for offering her views.

This seemed to be the first time I spoke with a fellow Christian where there seemed no agreement of ideas except that Jesus is the only saviour of the world. While I do have some former work colleagues who are also Christians from other denominations such as Methodist and Baptist (with whom I could relate well), this conversation I have had looked challenging. While I do respect her views, there came a time that I have to speak up to what I believe in.

Looking at the bigger picture where leaders of the Catholic Church are in dialogue with their counterparts in other Christian denominations, I guess such a conversation that I had with my fellow bus passenger would have been present.  Indeed, it is a big scandal to see a division among the followers of Jesus, among Christians. I pray for my fellow Christian that she would at least respect my belief and, ultimately know the truth. I echo what Jesus' prayer to His Father: "that they will all be one" (John 17:21).

Considering too the division among Christians, it is also imperative for us Catholics to know and deepen our faith - this is our web's intention this month. I remember 20 odd years ago in the Philippines when fundamentalists posed a challenge for us Catholics.  I note how the Filipino Catholic bishops lamented, in their exhortation to the laity early this year, the shallowness of some laity's faith and urged them to know more and deepen their faith lest they be indoctrinated by other religions. The conversation I have had was a wake up call to speak up in defence of the faith. It also jolted me to revisit the same faith that have been passed on to me. Baka nangangalawang na kasi (as it might be gathering rust already). 

There is, however, a more jolting experience happening elsewhere: the violence happening in Iraq that, according to Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, could spell the end of Christianity in the country. The head of the Chaldean Catholic Church (Iraq's largest Christian community) also mentioned that Muslims are also suffering from this violence. What is heart warming is that these persecuted Christians "... are known to be a disinterested mediator seeking the good of the country.Where fighting groups refuse to meet outside, when we invite them to our Churches to talk, they come," according to Patriarch Sako. Let us be united in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ suffering persecution for their faith.  

Coming Close Through the Heart of Mary

Last weekend, our parish celebrated the feast of our patroness, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.  The celebration coincided with the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. As such, the liturgy was that of the Lord's feast.  However, there was an opportunity for all worshippers to pay tribute to Our Lady by offering flowers to her icon.  In his homily, Fr Gerry (our Parish Priest) was able to fuse together the two feasts by calling our attention to two treasures of our church: the Last Supper mosaic at the main altar and the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.  What was catching between the image of Jesus in the former and that of the Blessed Mother in the latter were their eyes. Beholders, wherever they are located in church, won't fail to be 'caught' in the gaze of these pairs of eyes. For 10 years now, I have always been 'touched' by that gaze of Jesus' eyes every time I go to that church.  Apart from the gaze, the Lord's hands are outstretched as though inviting everyone to the feast, encouraging those afraid to come and have that conversation with Him. Fr Gerry invited us to think of Mary as being in that Last Supper mosaic.  With her in that celebration, how can we refuse to take heed of Jesus' call?

June 27, the traditional feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, happens to be the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus this year.  Just like that Corpus Christi event in our parish, the liturgy for Friday will be that of the feast of Our Lord.  And yet, you would hear that the Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, is due to observe its patroness' feast on the same day. I guess Jesus won't mind if devotees pay tribute to His Mother and ours on His feast day.  As St Louis Marie de Montfort, a French priest known for his devotion to Mary, once said "We never give more honour to Jesus than when we honour his Mother, and we honour her simply and solely to honour him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek - Jesus, her Son".

Coming from a culture known for being makaina (pro-mom), we approach Mary so that through her we can come close to Jesus. Catholics, and Pinoys in particular, are convinced that the best way to know and be near the Heart of Jesus is through the Heart of Mary.  The first few lines of the Apostleship of Prayer's Morning Offering say: O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day...

Mary has been known to be of help to others even when she was in need herself.  As of this writing, the Church celebrates the Birth of St John the Baptist. Mary, upon learning that her elder cousin Elizabeth was pregnant (with John the Baptist), travelled to Judea to visit her, to come to her aid.  Mary did this in spite being pregnant herself.  Then again at Calvary, in spite of being sorrowful Mary wholeheartedly accepted her new role as our mother.  Jesus Himself came to the aid of others even to the point of scandalizing some of his self-righteous contemporaries, even to the point of emptying Himself so that others could have their fill.

As we celebrate these feasts, let us ask for the grace to have a heart ready to help others.  There is another celebration happening on the 27th - World Day of Priests. One of the 12 promises made by the Lord to St Margaret Mary Alacoque was that He will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. Touching the most hardened of hearts seems to be an uphill battle nowadays, not only for priests, but for parents and other concerned people. Let's entrust our priests to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary that they may remain open, humble, and caring to the flock entrusted to them. Only if their hearts are like that of Jesus would they be able to touch others' hearts.  Our diocese currently has no bishop. May the good Lord send us a new shepherd whose heart is after the heart of God Himself.

***

June 29 marks the sacerdotal anniversary of two priests I know of in the Diocese of Nottingham.  

Fr Gerry Murphy, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and Delegate to the Diocese's College of Consultors, will be celebrating his 40th anniversary. Through Fr Gerry's support, our rosary group has been able to hold the monthly Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help in the church every last Saturday of the month. Our group was also given the opportunity to contribute further to the life of the parish through assistance at Mass, visit to the elderly, and gardening at the monastery and parish hall.

Fr Geoffrey Hunton, Dean and Parish Priest of St Barnabas Cathedral, will be commemorating his 12th.  He's one of the first priests I have known since migrating to the UK.One of the first 'ministries' I got involved with in church was to assist Fr Geoff in the cathedral bulletin. Although I don't do that any more, I feel welcomed at the Cathedral every time I go there, especially during Thursday noon time for the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Fr Geoff's warmness made that possible.  I am truly blessed to have him as a friend!

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus inspire and animate you in your ministry! May the Immaculate Heart of Mary be your refuge! May the Apostles Peter and Paul intercede for you.Thank you.

Look Who's In Control

During the Good Friday Service at our parish last week, I was asked to be one of the readers of the Passion of Jesus according to John (18:1-19:42).  At one point I was the maidservant, later I was Peter then the soldier who slapped Jesus' face, and finally I was Pontius Pilate.

Reading through the Passion - before and during the service - I felt the tension experienced by most of the characters. Peter was a classic example with his denials of Christ before the cock crew. In the earlier parts of the Passion, this was the same apostle who drew his sword cutting off Malchus' right ear.  Another character who felt tense was Pilate who told the Lord: ‘Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?’.

And yet, throughout that Passion, Jesus was in control. Notice His reply to the exasperated Roman governor: ‘You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.’. And towards the end of the story, He uttered: ‘It is accomplished’.

Jesus' being in control has been reiterated to the world through the visionary nun Faustina Kowalska.  To this 20th century nun - now a saint - Jesus appeared as the Lord of Divine Mercy.  To a world mired in sin, Jesus offers His mercy. To souls bogged down with despair and incredulity, Jesus offers His mercy. 

If Jesus was (and is and will always be) in control, what should we be afraid of? What should we worry? What is holding us back?

Only one response is necessary. And this response was taught by the Lord to St Faustina:  "Jesus, I trust in You"!

***

I am one with the whole Catholic Church in celebrating the canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II this coming Mercy Sunday.  Both popes strove to trust and mirror Jesus' mercy to the world.  A day after Christmas in 1958, Pope John XXIII visited the Regina Coeli prison in Rome where he told the inmates: "You could not come to me, so I came to you.". Before the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square on the day he announced the opening of the Second Vatican Council, this beloved pope said: "Dear children, returning home, you will find children: give your children a caress and say: This is the caress of the Pope!". Another touching moment was when he He 'opened' the Church through many efforts such as eliminating the description of the Jews as 'perfidious' in the Good Friday Liturgy, removed the word 'faithless' from the prayer for the conversion of the Jews, and convened the Second Vatican Council. 

In his encyclical Pacem in Terris, he wrote:  "Man has the right to live...the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life, particularly food, clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the necessary social services. In consequence, he has the right to be looked after in the event of ill health; disability stemming from his work; widowhood; old age; enforced unemployment; or whenever through no fault of his own he is deprived of the means of livelihood."

The last words of Il buon Papa (The Good Pope) were "I had the great grace to be born into a Christian family, modest and poor, but with the fear of the Lord. My time on earth is drawing to a close. But Christ lives on and continues his work in the Church. Souls, souls, ut omnes unum sint (That all may be one)". 

Pope John Paul II visiting Mehmet Ali Agca (a Turkish gunman who shot and wounded him in May 1981) in prison comes to mind when I think of the Divine Mercy.  In his pontificate, he built good relations with other faiths and apologised to those who suffered in the hands of the Catholic Church such as Galileo Galilei, the victims of the Holocaust, and the victims of sexual abuse.  During his visit to Yad Vashem (the national Holocaust memorial in Israel) in march 2000 he said: "We are deeply saddened by the behaviour of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer, and asking your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant".

On the sexual abuse scandal that hit the US, he told American cardinals who went to Rome in April 2002: "Priests and candidates for the priesthood often live at a level both materially and educationally superior to that of their families and the members of their own age group. It is therefore very easy for them to succumb to the temptation of thinking of themselves as better than others. When this happens, the ideal of priestly service and self-giving dedication can fade, leaving the priest dissatisfied and disheartened".

His last words were "Allow me to depart to the house of the Father".

Unfortunately, John Paul II's papacy comes under a cloud of doubt due to clergy sexual abuse: he recalled Cardinal Bernard Law (who was known to cover up sexual abuse committed by priests in his archdiocese) to a key post in Rome and supported Fr Marcial Maciel (founder of the Legion of Christ who abused boys, had relationships with women, fathered several children whom he also abused).  His 'centralization' of power at the Vatican made the Roman Curia behave as though it should be served rather than serve the local churches. (Look at how the new English translation of the Mass was implemented!) These issues have made some quarters uneasy with his canonization.

I'm aware that Pope Francis is facing these two issues head on. Perhaps that is the way forward. Definitely, the Holy Father needs our support.  Let's entrust him to Jesus, King of Mercy! May Sts John XXIII and John Paul II intercede for him and the entire People of God!