Sunday, March 30, 2008

TRUSTING CHRIST'S DIVINE MERCY

"The soul that will go to Confession and
receive Holy Communion on that day shall
obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.
Let no soul fear to draw near to Me,
even though its sins be as scarlet."

Message of JESUS THE DIVINE MERCY
to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

St. Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun who died on October 5, 1938 at only 33 years of age. She had lived a very simple life proclaiming an extremely simple message: the Heart of Jesus is overflowing with Divine Mercy towards sinners and wants all to come to him with trust-filled love.

This invitation is powerfully expressed in the classic painting of the Risen Christ, which an artist executed under the guidance of Sr. Faustina herself who, on 22 February 1931, had seen Christ with red and pale rays of light emanating from His chest. Those rays of light recalled the blood and water that flowed down from the pierced Heart of Christ on the Cross and symbolized the inexhaustible richness of His merciful love made present and available all through the Sacraments.

Jesus Himself had instructed Sr. Faustina to have the sentence "JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU" written at the bottom of that painting. This sentence expresses the response of humble faith on the part of the sinner to the endless Mercy with which God views mankind and constantly brings about the salvation of the world.

This is the Mercy that brought God's Son to become a human being and to give His life on the Cross for all sinners. This is also the same Mercy that led the Risen Christ to go in search of His Disciples the very day He rose from death, to reassure them of His forgiving love. No revenge for having been deserted by them right when He needed their allegiance most, but only the gifts of His Peace and comforting presence. No bitterness against the doubting Thomas who persisted in rejecting the witness of his companions, but only patient understanding for his weakness, and a tender desire to arouse in him faith in the Resurrection.

"My Lord and my God!" exclaimed the bewildered Apostle as he felt inundated by the love of the Man God who had only words of mercy and forgiveness for him.

"Jesus, remember me when You enter into Your reign!" had been the earnest plea of the man being executed with Him on Calvary as He viewed his life as a total failure and Jesus' Mercy as his only hope. And he was not disappointed.

"Jesus, have mercy on me. I trust in You!" is a powerful expression of complete self-surrender which all of us should address to our Savior as we realize our unworthiness and our need to be forgiven. What can save us from the devastating consequences of our sins is only God's merciful love.

And this is what we implore, in all humility and confidence, not only on this Second Sunday of Easter, but throughout our lives, until our last moments. Like the repentant thief dying on a cross, side by side with the innocent Victim, we place all our trust in Jesus, the King of Divine Mercy.


Father Sal Putzu, SDB
Saint John Bosco Parish Church
Makati City, Philippines



Thursday, March 27, 2008

PURIFICATION ON EARTH: PRE-REQUISITE TO HEAVEN

A PROPOSITION TO ALL: THE DECISION IS YOURS!

(Interview with Maria Simma written by Sister Emmanuel Maillard of Medjugorje)

Now, I have a proposition to make to each one of you: we could make the decision that none of us will go to Purgatory! This is really possible, we have everything in our hands to make it come true. I remember the words of St. John of the Cross: he says that the Providence of God always provides, in every life, the purification that is needed to allow us to go straight to Heaven at the hour of death.

Providence puts enough difficulties in our lives, trials, suffering, sickness, hardships -- so that all these purifications, if we accept them, may be enough to bring us straight to Heaven.

Why doesn't this happen? Because we rebel, we do not welcome with love, with gratitude, these gifts of trials in our lives, and we sin by rebelling, by non-submission if you prefer. So, let us ask the Lord for the grace to seize every opportunity so that on the day of our death He sees us shining with purity and beauty.

Of course, if we decide on this, I do not say that the way will be easy, since - let's remember this - the Lord never promised that the way would be easy but our way will be in peace, and it will be a path of happiness: the Lord will be with us.

Above all -- and this is what I would like to stress here -- let us make the most of the time which remains to us on earth, this time which is so precious, during which we are still given the chance to grow in love. This means to grow towards the Glory to come and the beauty; which is destined for us. Each minute, we can still grow in love, but the souls in Purgatory can no longer grow.

Even the angels envy us this power we have to grow each minute in love while we are on earth. Each little act of love we offer to the Lord, each little sacrifice or fast, each little privation or battle against our tendencies, our faults, each little forgiveness of our enemy, all the things we can offer of this sort, will be later for us an ornament, a jewel, a real treasure for eternity.

So, let us seize every opportunity to be as beautiful as God desires us to be already in His presence. If we saw in its full light the splendor of a pure soul, of a soul purified, then we would cry for joy and wonder, because of its beauty! A human soul is something of great splendor before God; this is why God desires us to be perfectly pure. It is pure. No, it is through our repentance of our sins, and our humility.

You see, it's quite different! The saints are not "faultless" souls, but those who get up again and again each time they fall, and ask forgiveness; it's very different. So, let us make use of the wonderful means the Lord puts into our hands to help the souls still waiting to possess God and who yearn because of this delay, because of this splendid God they have already perceived and whom they desire with all their hearts.

Also, we must not forget that the Prayers of Children has an immense power over the Heart of God. So, let's teach our children to pray. I remember a little girl to whom I had spoken about the poor souls. I said to her: "Now, you're going to pray for the souls of all the members of your family and friends who are already dead. Would you like to go before Jesus and ask him?" She went before Jesus, and five minutes later she returned, and I asked her: "What did you ask the Lord?" She answered: "I asked the Lord to deliver all the souls in Purgatory!" This answer struck me greatly and I realized I'd been miserly in my request, but she had understood straight away what to ask for. Children sense so much, they can obtain so much from the heart of God.

Also, Let's mention here retired people and all those who have free time; if they went to Mass often, daily...What a treasure of grace they would store up, not only for themselves but for their deceased and for thoughts of souls! The value of one single Mass is immeasurable. If we only realized!… What riches our ignorance, our indifference, or simply our laziness lead us to waste! Whereas we have the power in our hands to save our brother, by becoming co-redeemer ourselves, together with Jesus our Savior and our Redeemer!

DON’T FORGET ABOUT INDULGENCES

Mother Church has some wonderful treasures in store for us -- let's take a closer look at some of them!

"Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sins for themselves and also for the souls of Purgatory" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1498)

What is an indulgence? Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say:

An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the Saints.

"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin." Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead." (1471)

Jesus gave to his disciples, and therefore to the Church, the power to bind and to loose, and down through the centuries, in many different ways, the Church has used this channel of the mercy of God towards the living and the dead.
Everything concerning indulgences was revised by Pope Paul VI; the results can be found in The Book of Indulgences, Rules and Grants, published June 29, 1968 (Vatican Publishers).

"The aim pursued by ecclesiastical authority in granting indulgences is not only that of helping the faithful to expiate the punishment due to sin, but also that of urging them to perform works of piety, penitence and charity--particularly those which lead to growth in faith and which favor the common good."

"And if the faithful offer indulgences in suffrage for the dead, they cultivate charity in an excellent way and while raising their minds to heaven they bring a wiser order into the things of this world."
"Although indulgences are in fact free gifts, nevertheless they are granted for the living as well as for the dead only on determined conditions...the faithful have to love God, detest sin, place their trust in the merits of Christ and believe firmly in the great assistance they derive from the communion of saints."

As a result of the reform, all distinctions of day, month, and year have been abolished; the only distinction retained is that between plenary and partial indulgence.

We should also note the following:

NO ONE PERSON CAN GIVE THE INDULGENCE HE OBTAINS TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS STILL LIVING. BOTH PLENARY AND PARTIAL INDULGENCES CAN ALWAYS BE GIVEN FOR THE DEAD.

"The faithful who use with devotion an object of piety (crucifix, cross, rosary, scapular or medal) properly blessed by any priest, can acquire a partial indulgence. But if this object is blessed by the Supreme Pontiff or any Bishop, the faithful who use it devoutly can also acquire a plenary indulgence on the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, provided they also make a Profession of Faith using any legitimate formula."

In Medjugorje, on July 18, 1995, Our Lady said:

"Dear children, today I call you to place more blessed objects in your homes and call everyone to put some blessed object on their person. Bless all objects, and thus Satan will attack you less because you will have armor against him."

"To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill three conditions: Sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent."

The condition of praying for the Supreme Pontiff's intention is fully satisfied by reciting one "Our Father" and one "Hail Mary." Nevertheless, the individual faithful are free to recite any other prayer according to their own piety and devotion toward the Supreme Pontiff.

The new reform provides for three concessions:

1. Partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in fulfilling their duties and in facing the adversities of life, raise their souls to God with humble confidence, and add in their heart a pious invocation.
2. Partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, with a soul full of faith and mercy, give themselves of their goods to their brothers in need.
3. Partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in a spirit of repentance, deprive themselves spontaneously of something.

Plenary indulgence can be obtained on the following occasions:

1. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one half-hour.
2. Recitation of the entire rosary in Church, as a family or in community.
3. Making the Stations of the Cross.
4. Reading Holy Scripture for at least one half-hour.
5. A Church visit between Noon of November 1 and Midday of November 2, for the intention of the deceased.
6. Visiting a cemetery, for the intention of the deceased.
7. Taking part in a First Holy Communion ceremony, or the first Mass of a Priest, or the Anniversary of 25, 50, or 60 years of priesthood.
8. Renewing one's Baptismal Promise during the Easter Vigil.
9. Adoration of the Cross during the Good Friday Liturgy.
10. Papal Benediction, even when received listening to the radio or watching on television.

By going to Confession regularly, one can obtain many plenary indulgences.
Only one plenary indulgence a day is permitted, but one may obtain a number of partial indulgences on one day by reciting certain prayers suggested by the Church. Below are some prayers for the Holy Souls.

Prayers for the Holy Souls
 
1. To you, Blessed Joseph
2. Angelus Domini
3. Chaplet of the Holy Souls
4. Daily Prayers for the Holy Souls
5. Cardinal Newman’s Prayer for the Holy Souls
6. Liberera Me
7. Psalm 130 (De profundis)
8. O Salutaris Hostia Sacra
9. Prayer to Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth
10. A prayer for the Dead
11. A Prayer for Our Dear Departed
12. Prayers for the Holy Souls
13. Deliver Them from Purgatory
14. Prayer of St. Gertrude for the Holy Souls


This list is not complete.

Partial indulgences are obtained through concerted acts of faith, hope, and love, in the midst of the trials of life and as we carry out the duties of our daily lives. Indulgences are also obtained by acts of charity towards our neighbor, voluntary fasting, and ejaculatory prayers or spontaneous thought addressed to God, to the Blessed Mother, to the Holy Family. The Book of Indulgences contains a list of suggest prayers; it is a precious book to read.



 

PURGATORY: A PLACE OF EXPIATION AND SUFFERING




An interesting book authored by a Salesian Italian priest, Fr. Adolf Faroni, SDB; titled MARY, Mother of Mercy and the Souls of Purgatory extensively discusses a very controversial topic, the existence of Purgatory.

Purgatory as the name implies is a place of expiation and suffering. Although it is not mentioned in the Bible, this book chronicles the true to life experiences of Maria Simma, the Austrian visionary who since 1940 was tasked to help those souls from Purgatory who continuously come to ask for her help.

As recounted by Maria Simma in Fr. Faroni's book "These souls appear in diverse forms. Some appear in their human shape as clearly visible as their mortal life dressed as in ordinary days while others are dressed in a fading way.

The suffering souls who are enwrapped by the terrible fire of purgatory produce a dreadful impression. The more they are purified by their sufferings, the more they become luminous and affable. Often, they tell how they had sinned and how they managed to escape hell, thanks to the Divine Mercy."


These suffering souls came to Maria Simma to ask her to physically accept their sufferings for them and by accepting their sufferings voluntarily reduces the amount of time that soul was supposed to suffer for itself.


According to Maria Simma, "Purgatory is found in several places. The souls never come out of purgatory but they come with purgatory in themselves."


Maria saw purgatory in several ways. There is an immense crowd of people in purgatory, it is a continuous coming and going. Those who sinned against faith carried a dark flame in their hearts. Others who sinned against purity had a red flame.


She also saw souls in groups: priests, religious; Catholics, Protestants, pagans. The souls of Catholics suffer more than those of Protestants. Pagans instead have a purgatory still less painful, but they receive less help and their punishment is longer. The Catholics receive more help and are freed faster. She also saw many religious condemned to purgatory for their tepidity of faith and their lack of charity.


It was also revealed to Maria how every soul is punished according to the nature of his faults and the degree of attachment to the sin committed. The intensity of suffering is not the same for every soul.


Some have to suffer as one suffers on earth when one lives a hard life, and have to wait to see God. A day of strict purgatory is more painful than ten days of light purgatory. The duration of suffering varies greatly.


There are also souls who have to suffer terribly till the time of universal judgment. Some others have only half an hour of suffering to undergo, or even less, they do nothing else than crossing purgatory as if in a flight.


The souls of purgatory suffer with admirable patience, and praise the Divine Mercy for having escaped hell. They know that they have deserved to suffer, deplore their faults and, undergo the process of purification. They beseech Mary, Mother of Mercy.


Maria Simma also saw many souls waiting for help from the Mother of God. For the souls of purgatory, Mary is the Mother of Mercy. When her name is heard in Purgatory; souls experience a great joy.


A soul said that Mary at Her death, had asked Jesus to free all the souls who were in Purgatory on the day of Assumption and Jesus accepted the prayer of His Mother. On Assumption Day these souls accompanied Mary into Heaven because She had been crowned Mother of Mercy and Mother of Divine Grace.

In Purgatory, Mary distributes graces according to Divine Will. She often passes through Purgatory and this is what Maria Simma observed.

The important message that this informative book imparts confirm the existence of a place called Purgatory as a place of expiation and suffering for those souls who escaped hell, the place of eternal damnation.


If you are able to acquire this very interesting book, try to read it as it could be of great help to our dearly departed who may still be in Purgatory needing our sacrifices and awaiting for our valuable prayers.

For related reading, here is an in-depth interview with Maria Simma on the subject of the Poor Souls of Purgatory.


Further references taken from the November 13, 2010 Message of Jesus Christ validating the reality of Hell and the Promise of Paradise can also be read here.




Sunday, March 23, 2008

URBI ET ORBI: EASTER 2008 MESSAGE OF POPE BENEDICT XVI

"I have risen, I am still with you, forever."

URBI ET ORBI

EASTER 2008 MESSAGE
OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI

Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum. Alleluia! - I have risen, I am still with you. Alleluia! Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus, crucified and risen, repeats this joyful proclamation to us today: the Easter proclamation. Let us welcome it with deep wonder and gratitude!

Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum – I have risen, I am still with you, forever. These words, taken from an ancient version of Psalm 138 (v. 18b), were sung at the beginning of today’s Mass. In them, at the rising of the Easter sun, the Church recognizes the voice of Jesus himself who, on rising from death, turns to the Father filled with gladness and love, and exclaims: My Father, here I am! I have risen, I am still with you, and so I shall be for ever; your Spirit never abandoned me. In this way we can also come to a new understanding of other passages from the psalm: “If I climb the heavens, you are there; if I descend into the underworld, you are there … Even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as clear as day; for you, darkness is like light” (Ps 138:8,12).

It is true: in the solemn Easter vigil, darkness becomes light, night gives way to the day that knows no sunset. The death and resurrection of the Word of God incarnate is an event of invincible love, it is the victory of that Love which has delivered us from the slavery of sin and death. It has changed the course of history, giving to human life an indestructible and renewed meaning and value.

“I have risen and I am still with you, forever.” These words invite us to contemplate the risen Christ, letting his voice resound in our heart. With his redeeming sacrifice, Jesus of Nazareth has made us adopted children of God, so that we too can now take our place in the mysterious dialogue between him and the Father.

We are reminded of what he once said to those who were listening: “All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Mt 11:27). In this perspective, we note that the words addressed by the risen Jesus to the Father on this day – “I am still with you, forever” – apply indirectly to us as well, “children of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (cf. Rom 8:17). Through the death and resurrection of Christ, we too rise to new life today, and uniting our voice with his, we proclaim that we wish to remain forever with God, our infinitely good and merciful Father.

In this way we enter the depths of the Paschal mystery. The astonishing event of the Resurrection of Jesus is essentially an event of love: the Father’s love in handing over his Son for the salvation of the world; the Son’s love in abandoning himself to the Father’s will for us all; the Spirit’s love in raising Jesus from the dead in his transfigured body. And there is more: the Father’s love which “newly embraces” the Son, enfolding him in glory; the Son’s love returning to the Father in the power of the Spirit, robed in our transfigured humanity.

From today’s solemnity, in which we relive the absolute, once-and-for-all experience of Jesus’ resurrection, we receive an appeal to be converted to Love; we receive an invitation to live by rejecting hatred and selfishness, and to follow with docility in the footsteps of the Lamb that was slain for our salvation, to imitate the Redeemer who is “gentle and lowly in heart”, who is “rest for our souls” (cf. Mt 11:29).

Dear Christian brothers and sisters in every part of the world, dear men and women whose spirit is sincerely open to the truth, let no heart be closed to the omnipotence of this redeeming love! Jesus Christ died and rose for all; he is our hope – true hope for every human being. Today, just as he did with his disciples in Galilee before returning to the Father, the risen Jesus now sends us everywhere as witnesses of his hope, and he reassures us: I am with you always, all days, until the end of the world (cf. Mt 28:20).

Fixing the gaze of our spirit on the glorious wounds of his transfigured body, we can understand the meaning and value of suffering, we can tend the many wounds that continue to disfigure humanity in our own day. In his glorious wounds we recognize the indestructible signs of the infinite mercy of the God of whom the prophet says: it is he who heals the wounds of broken hearts, who defends the weak and proclaims the freedom of slaves, who consoles all the afflicted and bestows upon them the oil of gladness instead of a mourning robe, a song of praise instead of a sorrowful heart (cf. Is 61:1,2,3).

If with humble trust we draw near to him, we encounter in his gaze the response to the deepest longings of our heart: to know God and to establish with him a living relationship in an authentic communion of love, which can fill our lives, our interpersonal and social relations with that same love. For this reason, humanity needs Christ: in him, our hope, “we have been saved” (cf. Rom 8:24).

How often relations between individuals, between groups and between peoples are marked not by love but by selfishness, injustice, hatred and violence! These are the scourges of humanity, open and festering in every corner of the planet, although they are often ignored and sometimes deliberately concealed; wounds that torture the souls and bodies of countless of our brothers and sisters.

They are waiting to be tended and healed by the glorious wounds of our Risen Lord (cf. 1 Pet 2:24-25) and by the solidarity of people who, following in his footsteps, perform deeds of charity in his name, make an active commitment to justice, and spread luminous signs of hope in areas bloodied by conflict and wherever the dignity of the human person continues to be scorned and trampled. It is hoped that these are precisely the places where gestures of moderation and forgiveness will increase!

Dear brothers and sisters! Let us allow the light that streams forth from this solemn day to enlighten us; let us open ourselves in sincere trust to the risen Christ, so that his victory over evil and death may also triumph in each one of us, in our families, in our cities and in our nations. Let it shine forth in every part of the world.

In particular, how can we fail to remember certain African regions, such as Dafur and Somalia, the tormented Middle East, especially the Holy Land, Iraq, Lebanon, and finally Tibet, all of whom I encourage to seek solutions that will safeguard peace and the common good!

Let us invoke the fullness of his Paschal gifts, through the intercession of Mary who, after sharing the sufferings of the passion and crucifixion of her innocent Son, also experienced the inexpressible joy of his resurrection. Sharing in the glory of Christ, may she be the one to protect us and guide us along the path of fraternal solidarity and peace. These are my Easter greetings, which I address to all who are present here, and to men and women of every nation and continent united with us through radio and television. Happy Easter!


Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE: EASTER MESSAGE

Last Christmas, you heard me ask this question over and over again - "When was your best Christmas ever?" Many of us thought about this question and really searched our memory banks for the right answer - only to find out that at the end, the best Christmas ever will always be the present moment.

It may be awkward of me to write about Christmas during Lent - but isn't there another Christmas after all? Kung mayroon Pasko, mayroon din tayong Pasko ng Pagkabuhay! (If there's a Celebration for Christ's birthday, we also have a Celebration of Christ's rising into a new life!)

Easter Sunday is the summit of our long Lenten preparation - because on that day the Lord is risen and there is so much to celebrate.

We have spent many, many days preparing -
Not only for the dying, but for the rising to life;
Not only for the pain, but for the gain,
Not only for Good Friday but for Easter Sunday,
Not only for the Passion but for the Resurrection.

Our vision of the fullness of life is here and now. We have been liberated by no other than Jesus Himself - and because of His Resurrection, we can celebrate life in its fullest. He has liberated us from sin, Satan, and even guilt. By His Cross and Resurrection, we have been set free and now fully enjoy each day as sons and daughters of God, making each day the best days of our lives ever!

What no one ever saw of heard,
What no one ever thought could happen,
Is the very thing God prepared for those who love God.
1 Corinthians 2:9

Resurrection is God at work. It is not merely an event that occurred but a powerful salvific act of God that manifests in our lives every single day. The act of God's love did not end in the death of His Son. He has risen and is truly alive.

May we not remain buried in the Good Friday of our lives,but rather be able to rise again. We have our own crucifixion and dying but Jesus can restore us to life. His followers went through a difficult passing over - from their sorrow and pain as they witnessed His death - but were amazingly transformed as the experienced the radiant Jesus Who is alive with a new vision and power. May we recognize His Face in our daily passing over - from our suffering to freedom and our own brokenness to a new life.

Let us celebrate the life of Jesus: the joy He brings to us and the joy we can offer to others. The joy that lasts ... the joy that gives life as we proclaim the power of Jesus in our words and works as how Mother Teresa puts it:

"A person filled with joy preaches without preaching!
May we be the joy of others as we radiate the
Source of Joy: Jesus Himself!"

Let us enjoy and celebrate the best day of our life in Jesus! Alleluia!


FR. VICTOR Y. APACIBLE
Rector / Parish Priest
NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE SACRED HEART
Makati City, Philippines


Thursday, March 20, 2008

PAPAL THOUGHTS: SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION

"It is not Sin that is at the Heart of the Celebration, but rather
God's Mercy, which is infinitely greater than any guilt of ours."


POPE BENEDICT XVI ON THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION

VATICAN CITY, March 17, 2008 (Zenit.org)
Here is a L'Osservatore Romano translation of Pope Benedict XVI's March 7 address to participants in an annual course on matters of conscience, organized by the Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary.


Your Eminence,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Confessors in the Roman Basilicas,

I am pleased to meet you at the end of the Course on the Internal Forum, which for some years now the Apostolic Penitentiary has organized during Lent. With its carefully planned program, this annual meeting renders a precious service to the Church and helps to keep alive the sense of holiness of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

I therefore address my cordial thanks to the organizers, especially the Major Penitentiary, Cardinal James Francis Stafford, whom I greet and thank for his courteous words. Together with him, I greet and thank the Regent and staff of the Penitentiary as well as the praiseworthy Religious of various Orders who administer the Sacrament of Penance in the Papal Basilicas of the City. I also greet all those who are taking part in the Course.

Lent is an especially favorable season to meditate on the reality of sin in the light of God's infinite mercy, which the Sacrament of Penance expresses in its loftiest form. I therefore willingly take this opportunity to bring to your attention certain thoughts on the administration of this Sacrament in our time, in which the loss of the sense of sin is unfortunately becoming increasingly more widespread.

LOVING AGAINST THE TIDE OF OPINION

It is necessary today to assist those who confess to experience that divine tenderness to repentant sinners which many Gospel Episodes portray with tones of deep feeling.

Let us take, for example, the passage in Luke's Gospel that presents the woman who was a sinner and was forgiven (cf. Lk 7:36-50). Simon, a Pharisee and a rich dignitary of the town, was holding a banquet at his home in honour of Jesus. In accordance with a custom of that time, the meal was eaten with the doors left open, for in this way the fame and prestige of the homeowner was increased. All at once, an uninvited and unexpected guest entered from the back of the room: a well-known prostitute.

One can understand the embarrassment of those present, which did not seem, however, to bother the woman. She came forward and somewhat furtively stopped at Jesus' feet. She had heard his words of pardon and hope for all, even prostitutes; she was moved and stayed where she was in silence. She bathed Jesus' feet with tears, wiped them dry with her hair, kissed them and anointed them with fragrant ointment.

By so doing, the sinner woman wanted to express her love for and gratitude to the Lord with gestures that were familiar to her, although they were censured by society.

Amid the general embarrassment, it was Jesus himself who saved the situation: "Simon, I have something to say to you". "What is it, Teacher?", the master of the house asked him. We all know Jesus' answer with a parable which we can sum up in the following words which the Lord addressed basically to Simon: "You see? This woman knows she is a sinner; yet prompted by love, she is asking for understanding and forgiveness. You, on the other hand, presume yourself to be righteous and are perhaps convinced that you have nothing serious for which to be forgiven".

The message that shines out from this Gospel passage is eloquent: God forgives all to those who love much. Those who trust in themselves and in their own merits are, as it were, blinded by their ego and their heart is hardened in sin.

Those, on the other hand, who recognize that they are weak and sinful entrust themselves to God and obtain from him grace and forgiveness.

It is precisely this message that must be transmitted: what counts most is to make people understand that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, whatever the sin committed, if it is humbly recognized and the person involved turns with trust to the priest-confessor, he or she never fails to experience the soothing joy of God's forgiveness.

In this perspective your Course acquires considerable importance. It aims to prepare well-trained confessors from the doctrinal viewpoint who are able to make their penitents experience the Heavenly Father's merciful love.

Might it not be true that today we are witnessing a certain alienation from this Sacrament? When one insists solely on the accusation of sins - which must nevertheless exist and it is necessary to help the faithful understand its importance - one risks relegating to the background what is central, that is, the personal encounter with God, the Father of goodness and mercy. It is not sin which is at the heart of the sacramental celebration but rather God's mercy, which is infinitely greater than any guilt of ours.

It must be a commitment of pastors and especially of confessors to highlight the close connection that exists between the Sacrament of Reconciliation and a life oriented decisively to conversion.

It is necessary that between the practice of the Sacrament of Confession and a life in which a person strives to follow Christ sincerely, a sort of continuous "virtuous circle" be established in which the grace of the Sacrament may sustain and nourish the commitment to be a faithful disciple of the Lord.

FREQUENT RECOURSE TO CONFESSION

The Lenten Season, in which we now find ourselves, reminds us that in our Christian life we must always aspire to conversion and that when we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently the desire for Gospel perfection is kept alive in believers.

If this constant desire is absent, the celebration of the Sacrament unfortunately risks becoming something formal that has no effect on the fabric of daily life.

If, moreover, even when one is motivated by the desire to follow Jesus one does not go regularly to confession, one risks gradually slowing his or her spiritual pace to the point of increasingly weakening and ultimately perhaps even exhausting it.

Dear Brothers, it is not difficult to understand the value in the Church of your ministry as stewards of Divine Mercy for the salvation of souls. Persevere in imitating the example of so many holy confessors who, with their spiritual insight, helped penitents to understand that the regular celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and a Christian life that aspires to holiness are inseparable elements of the same spiritual process for every baptized person. And do not forget that you yourselves are examples of authentic Christian life.

May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy and of Hope, help you who are present here and all confessors to carry out zealously and joyfully this great service on which the Church's life so intensely depends.

I assure you of my remembrance in prayer and bless you with affection.

© L'Osservatore Romano -- March 12, 2008



Saturday, March 15, 2008

NSSH MARCH 2008 HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE SACRED HEART
MARCH 2008 HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

16 Palm Sunday
PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION
5:00 AM Assembly at the Sta. Cruz Chapel
5:30 AM Procession from Sta. Cruz Chapel to Shrine
Regular Sunday Masses follows at the Shrine
Blessing of Palms after every Mass

17 Holy Monday
10:00 AM 4th Station at NSSH
by Sto. Sepulchro Parish from Laguna
Lenten Recollection after 6:00 PM Mass

18 Holy Tuesday
CENACULO after 6:00 PM Mass by the Parish Youth Cluster/Ministry

19 Holy Wednesday
4:00 PM Passover Meal with the Apostles at SMMA Hall
6:00 PM Holy Wednesday Mass
Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help after the 6:00 PM Mass
First Day Novena to JESUS THE BLACK NAZARENE
7:00-10:00 PM KUMPISALANG BAYAN (COMMUNITY CONFESSIONAL)
Image of Jesus the Black Nazarene from Quiapo Church
is inside the Shrine for a Nine Day visit.

20 Holy Thursday
No Morning Masses at the Shrine
6:00 AM CHRISM MASS at Manila Cathedral
Breakfast for Parish Servants at SMMA Hall afterwards
6:00 PM MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER and Washing of Feet
at Parish Grounds. Vigil of Organizations until 12:00 Midnight

21 Good Friday
7:00 AM Community-Wide STATIONS OF THE CROSS
12:00 NN SEVEN LAST WORDS
5:45 PM First Day Novena to DIVINE MERCY
6:00 PM COMMEMORATION OF THE LORD'S PASSION
Good Friday Services at Parish Grounds, followed by
Procession of STO. ENTIERRO AND MATER DOLOROSA
After Procession, VENERATION OF THE CROSS
in the Church until 12:00 Midnight

22 Holy Saturday
8:00 PM EASTER VIGIL MASS at Parish Grounds

23 Easter Sunday SALUBONG
4:00 AM Start of Procession of Two Images
Men will come from Shrine with Image of the Risen Christ
Women will come from Sta. Cruz Chapel with Image of Mater Dolorosa
EASTER MASS at Barangay Sta. Cruz at Yague corner Visita Street.
SALUBONG ENDS BEFORE MASS.
7:00 AM Onwards NSSH Regular SUNDAY MASSES

30 DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
FEAST OF THE DIVINE MERCY
6:00 AM Onwards Regular Schedule of SUNDAY MASSES

"The soul that will go to Confession and

receive Holy Communion on that day shall
obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.
Let no soul fear to draw near to Me,
even though its sins be as scarlet."

Message of JESUS THE DIVINE MERCY
to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska



Wednesday, March 12, 2008

LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: LIFE AND DEATH

"I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he die, yet will he live. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die." (John 11: 25-26)

Fifth Sunday of Lent
(John 11: 1-45)

On the Fifth Sunday of Lent, our reflections on the Liturgy focuses on life and death. The readings are a marvelous movement from Ezekiel to Paul, to John - from Jerusalem to our world to the next, from the past to the present into the future. The movement opens with the prophet Ezekiel. The context is exile.

In 597 B.C. Ezekiel prophesied Jerusalem will be destroyed, and its destruction will be God's judgment on a people that has played the harlot of infidelity to its God. In 586 B.C. the city and its temple were destroyed.

Once the exiles repented of their infidelities, God gave them a new Spirit, His own Spirit, gives them new life, life in a Jerusalem restored, in a temple rebuilt. From death comes life. They experience once again God's presence among His people in their own dear land.

From Ezekiel the readings move to Paul, Again we hear of death and life, of dying and rising.

The dead are "those who are in the flesh, who live according to the flesh, who set their minds on the things of the flesh." (Rom. 8:5)

For Paul "flesh" has a special meaning. It denotes man and woman in their natural, physical, and visible existence, weak and earthbound; it connotes the natural human creature left to its native self.

Paul spells it out for the Christians in Galatia [and us], "Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, rivalries, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like." (Gal.5:19-21)

These are what separate us from God, weaken the life of God in us, darken the image of Christ in us. In Paul, alive are those who are "in the Spirit," in whom "the Spirit of God really dwell".

Paul spells it out for us: You are alive if your life is shaped of love: if your life is centered not on yourself, but on a whole little world around you. You are alive if joy suffuses your whole self - a joy that lends joy to all you touch.

You are alive if you are at peace - at peace with yourself, at peace with your sisters and brothers. You are alive if you are patient: if you can take the slings and arrows of each day with a measure of calm, with a minimum of complaint.

You are alive if you are kind, not only to your own kind, but to such as bore you to tears.

You are alive if you are generous - not only liberal in giving, a free spender and not a free-loader, but free from meanness of mind, from smallness of spirit.

You are alive if you are faithful: if you are full of faith in God and your fellows, if you inspire faith and trust in others. You are alive if you are gentle: if you are caring, courteous, and considerate.

You are alive if you are in control - not of others but yourself, master of whatever passions make you less human, less a mirror of the Christ in whose image you were molded.

From Paul the readings move majestically to John, from our world to the next, from the present to the future. The good news is that we are destined to be alive forever.

The Gospel of Lazarus tells us in story what Paul proclaimed to the Christians of Corinth: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.”

The story of salvation makes sense only if we take literally the verse in St. John's Gospel: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

The promise courses through our very veins at this very moment, the pledge of days without end: "If [you] love me, my Father will love [you], and we will come to [you] and make our home with [you]."

Today's grace is our pledge of tomorrow's glory. Ezekiel, Paul and John guaranteed us in different ways that God can make dry bones spring up to life.

But, like Lent itself, they remind us that rising involves dying. Dying begins when living begins; we share Jesus' dying by sharing the cross through the whole of our lives. It was not by refusing the cross that Jesus triumphed over death; it was in His very dying that He gave us new life - now and forever.


FR. BEN SIM, SJ
Parish Priest
SACRED HEART PARISH CHURCH
Cebu City, Philippines


Sunday, March 9, 2008

SEARCHING FOR NAZARETH

Several years ago, I left the Philippines.

Maybe to look for myself. Maybe to look for GOD.

And so I went to Rome, the capital of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

BUT I DID NOT FIND GOD THERE.


And then I went to Bethlehem and Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ - the Son Of God - was born, and where He died. BUT I DID NOT FIND GOD THERE.

Too noisy. Too commercial. Too institutional. Too regimented. Too artificial.

And with the endless pilgrims streaming in and out - not really praying, but forever posing for their pictures and their souvenir albums - I could not find God. Only vanity and shallowness.

So I went away, and I retreated to a place that was ordinary and humble and obscure - NAZARETH.

And in Nazareth, I looked for the most ordinary, the most humble, the most obscure place, I prayed there during the day, and as darkness came, I walked out in the cool of the evening and gazed up at the myriad stars - the same stars that the Carpenter Jesus saw thousands of years ago. And I inhaled the cool evening breeze . . . the same cool breeze that the Son of Mary, the Son of God, inhaled.

And there - in that simple, silent place - I was touched by the True, the Holy, the Divine.

My brothers, my sisters - as you walk the road of life, you may sometimes find the need to search. For yourself. To search. For GOD. You may find the need to be touched. By THE DIVINE, THE HOLY, and THE TRUE.

Do not look for your answers in the dancing sun and the bloody tears and the magic petals, because they are not always there, and they are not always true.

Look instead for Nazareth. YOUR NAZARETH. Stop . . . and for the first time, notice and appreciate . . . your COOK and your MAID, who prepare your breakfast and clean your toilet everyday. Stop and appreciate the LOLA (Grandma) and the LOLO (Grandpa) in your house, who no longer feel useful, who no longer feel needed, and who no longer feel loved.

Stop, and notice and appreciate your LITTLE CHILD - so vulnerable, so open, so close to GOD. Stop and notice and appreciate YOUR WIFE . . . because she is always there, serving your children and loving you, you have long ago taken her for granted. Stop and notice and appreciate YOUR HUSBAND, who works every day to feed you and to send the children to school.

Most of all, my friend, stop in front of the mirror. Then notice and appreciate the person you see there - YOURSELF - and behind the disguise of the common and the ordinary, discover THE DIVINE, THE HOLY and THE TRUE. For Jesus Christ says, "The Kingdom of God is inside you. The Kingdom of God is inside you."

Look again at yourself. And discover GOD right there.

My brothers, my sisters, do not be so fascinated with the very good and the very bad.

LOOK RATHER, FOR THE ORDINARY,
THE HUMBLE, THE OBSCURE.
LOOK FOR NAZARETH - YOUR NAZARETH. MAYBE,
MAYBE YOU'LL FIND GOD THERE.

BECAUSE HE IS THERE. WAITING. FOR YOU.


FR. ARSENIO C. JESENA, SJ
Catholic Author of the Jubilee Year 2000
From his book Yayee 4: Embraced By God
Published in the Philippines, December 2007
E-Mail: junisj@yahoo.com Phone: (632) 426-5941


Saturday, March 1, 2008

GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER: MY TESTIMONY

I was born at a time and place in which the Internet, television, cell phones and shopping malls were unheard of. Every family had to provide for its own needs. Children had to improvise their own toys from whatever materials were available - tin cans, banana leaves, wood branches and the like. Life then was easy and simple, and the weather was good.

Those were years of abundance and pleasant memories. Food was garden-fresh, and candies were fresh sugarcane peeled by teeth and strong young jaws. Fruits of all kinds were abundant all year round; and red tomatoes were picked from the garden, dipped in salt; and eaten with macho gusto.

My parents being devout Catholics, sent me to a Catholic school in Malaybalay, 30 kilometers away. I was second to the smallest in class. I was assigned to play the snare drum in the Preparatory Military Training Band. The administrator of the school was a formidable nun named Sister Redempta, a disciplinarian.

I hated being a drummer, so I escaped every time we had rehearsals and parades. Later on, I discovered a small hole under the bushes along the school fence. It was big enough for me to crawl under, escape and go home unnoticed. I was getting familiar with this "Ho Chi Minh Trail" of mine and I became reckless. One afternoon as I was about to escape for freedom, I saw Sister Redempta towering over me. With her strong right arm, she tossed me back to the campus. Thus I learned to respect authority - and strong nuns.

Upon the prodding of my parents who happened to be landed, I went to College and took up agriculture at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos. It was a time of idealism, socialism and student activism. I was deeply enthralled by the teachings of Mao Tse Tung's Red Book. But I did not embrace the violent method it espoused for the transformation of society - through a bloody revolution. Although I dreamed of seeing our poor farmers gain freedom and control of their own lives, I did not approve of violence and bloodshed.

All through the farming years of my youth, I had seen peasant farmers being exploited and helplessly forced to remain poor, while landlords and comerciantes grew richer and more powerful - at the expense of the peasant farmers. I just wanted the farmers to enjoy the highest possible price for their produce and get their fair share of the farm income. Yet, even this was easier said than done. So I gravitated to the cooperative principle of economy, especially at the farm level.

I worked with teams of the Xavier University Extension Service in organizing cooperatives in my province, Bukidnon. The Extension Program was under the directorship of Fr. William Masterson, SJ. The prime movers working under him were Anselmo Mercado, Ed Canlas and Ed Chaves, among others. It was in 1974, during my years as an Extension Worker of Xavier University, that I had the chance to go to Israel and study the moschov cooperative settlements. My passion to establish cooperative settlements in the Philippines burned more intensely in my heart.

Upon my return from Israel, I helped a farmer group establish a cooperative farm in the eastern part of my hometown, Valencia. In Barrio Buco, there were 35 farmers who bonded together and secured grants to buy a 12-hectare farm, which they tilled to produce corn and rice. They developed a portion of the cooperative farm into a piggery. Today 33 years later, the pigs are long gone, but the farm is now a flourishing rice land. The farmer-members have eventually been able to buy their own rice mill, thresher, power tiller and other farm equipment.


In 1973, there was a severe drought in the province. The drought lasted for seven months, scorching the current harvest and preventing the planting of the next crop. It was at this time that the Xavier University Extension Service allied with the Social Action Center of the Prelate of Malaybalay.


The head of this Social Action Center was Fr. Arsenio C. Jesena, SJ - a young and energetic priest about 5'9" but with an idealism taller than Goliath. We became natural friends and together poured out our passion and dedication to the upliftment of the poor peasant farmers in Bukidnon.

Three beautiful girls - Raya, Charisse and Reyna were added to my family. Joy and I tried our best to raise them well. During all this time, I was doing all my good work out of love for my people, using all my own strength and all the human resources I could harness. I was getting popular among the masses, and in 1980 I was elected as the youngest member of the Provincial Board of the Province of Bukidnon.

Although I professed to be a Christian, I didn't really know God. Christianity to me was nothing more than the usual Christmas, Holy Week, All Saints' Day, Communion every now and then, and making the Sign of the Cross during lightning storms.

But God by His own absolute and perfect Will, wants to be known to everyone - including unworthy me. He engineered events in my life just so I could meet Him.


It happened this way. My youngest daughter had a freak accident in front of our house - Reyna was run over by a tricycle-for-hire. She was screaming, with the tricycle on top of her and the driver trying to ply her out from beneath the vehicle. My immediate response was to look for my shotgun and execute judgment on the tricycle driver for hurting Reyna, my favorite five-year-old daughter.

But the driver escaped. Reyna, though bloody in the head, turned out to have sustained only a very small wound on the left side of her head. A couple of stitches by the doctor were all that were needed to clean up the mess. No harm done, after all... or so I thought. Five years later she turned epileptic.

A CAT scan revealed that Reyna had a tumor underneath the very areas where she had been wounded in the tricycle accident five years before. The neurosurgeon ordered an immediate operation, but I did not have the funds for it. So the doctors agreed to postpone the operation for a month or two until I was P100,000 richer.

Before this operation could happen, I met a Charismatic Priest named Fr. Joseph de Grandis. He was visiting the Philippines, conducting mass healing sessions among Catholic believers. By a twist of fate, I was able to meet him. I asked him to pray over my daughter, Reyna. He gracefully obliged, and we had a prayer session in a private home in Cebu one evening. Instead of him praying for Reyna, he asked me to pray over my youngest daughter.

I knew nothing about praying, but he said that praying was simply talking with God. "Just say what's in your heart," he said. So, I summoned all my courage and strength, but I couldn't say a better prayer than telling God that I was a sinner and the one who deserved to have the tumor - not my daughter. I even told God to transfer her tumor to my head, multiply it six times if He liked, if only to spare Reyna's life.

At this point, the good Priest interrupted my prayer and cried, "Oh God! Don't listen to this ignorant man!" He then corrected me by saying, "Ask forgiveness, but don't ask for the tumor transfer. It is not God's way."

After that brief prayer session, he told me that I must ready my Bible. I never had a Bible; and even if I had, I didn't have the affinity to read it. At that time, only the Protestants were reading and openly studying their Bibles. He told me to go and get hold of a Bible and a notebook. He instructed me to listen and take note of the verses. He ordered me to verify everything in my Bible; and whatever was found in the Bible, I should believe. Whatever wasn't in the Bible, I must reject.

Also, he asked me to pray every day for the healing of my little Reyna; in six month's time, he said, she would be healed. After hearing that, I said, "I make this vow today that I will pray every day not just for six months, but for the rest of my life, just so God may have mercy on me and heal my daughter."

Six months of prayer passed. I went back to the same doctor and subjected my daughter to another CAT scan. Lo and behold, Reyna's brain was clear! Praise be to God!

No trace of the tumor was found. The doctor asked for another scan to make sure of the accuracy of the findings. I said, "Sure but I'm not paying for it." He said he would take the tab. He proceeded with the scan with the same outcome: no more tumor! God's words were proved to be true, "God is the same yesterday, today and forever."

This encounter with God was so profound that my reaction was a continuous thanksgiving to Him. I started to really devour His Words day and night, until I finished the entire Bible. And then I kept on reading again and again, until I had the habit of underlining the verses that struck me in the course of my reading. Soon enough the prints blurred out with all my notations and underscoring.

The words in the Bible were so sweet and amazing that I even asked myself why there were not taught in school? They were even more profound than the various teachings of the great philosophers I studied in my Humanities classes in the University of the Philippines.

It was in those moments of glimpses into eternity that I understood that, truly, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Together with Joy - my wife of 38 years - I started sharing all that I had learned, Then I shared with my entire family and household, which I started calling "The Little Church."

Then more miracles happened. My two sons were healed of drug addiction just by our praying and fasting. I did not know that for five years prior to my encounter with God, my two sons had all along been deep into drugs. They were stoned every day of those entire five years. And now by the grace of God, my two sons were healed! They were completely healed of their drug addiction.

And then my wife, Joy, got healed of what the doctors diagnosed as cancer of the breast and cancer of the uterus. And then we started seeing more of the miraculous happen, as God had intervened in the affairs of our lives - whenever we asked Him to do so. Then the truth of Jesus' words dawned on me: He had taught us to literally command the Kingdom of God to come to earth, so that the power and the authority of His Kingdom may be seen on earth.

Up to the time of this writing, the majesty of the presence of God among all men and women amazes me no end. As I look back in retrospect, I am convinced that nothing I had done was enough to buy all these wonderful graces from heaven, I am not worthy. But all these graces are confirmation of His Word - we are all sinners who have fallen short of the Glory of God.

As such, no man can stand reconciled with God through his own good works and deeds. Only by believing and trusting in the finished work at Calvary can we be reconciled with the God of the Universe and call Him OUR FATHER. As this happens, all our good works become a sweet-smelling incense of offering, worthy and pleasing before Him.

How God reveals His majesty is beyond me. He saved me from being a murderer at the time my daughter Reyna figured in the tricycle accident. He blessed me by withdrawing finances from me when the doctors wanted to operate on my daughter's head. Otherwise, I would have defaulted from the chance of encountering God.

Truly, to all who love God and their fellowmen, everything works together for good. I conclude with this prayer for everyone who reads this testimony; "May God show you His wonderful ways of embracing you, that you may also turn and embrace Him, and your brethren."

EMMANUEL (MANNY) L. ALKUINO, SR.
October 29, 2007
Valencia, Bukidnon, Philippines