NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE SACRED HEART: CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT FAITH: LUIS ANTONIO G. CARDINAL TAGLE

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT FAITH: LUIS ANTONIO G. CARDINAL TAGLE

"CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT FAITH. TO REMOVE FAITH

FROM CHRISTMAS IS TO EMPTY IT OF ITS MEANING."

This year we celebrate the Christmas Season within the Year of Faith declared by Pope Benedict XVI. What can the Year of Faith contribute to the Christmas spirit? Faith is a living and sustained relationship with God. It is the Triune God who initiates this relationship by coming to us. Faith becomes complete in our response to God in trust and love, transforming our relationship with other people, society and creation.

In a real sense, Christmas is all about faith. To remove faith from Christmas is to empty it of its meaning. It is a season born of faith and a privileged time to renew our faith.

On the one hand, Christmas vividly recalls the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ, incarnate by the power of the Holy Spirit. He comes as one like us except in sin, because as the Savior he cannot participate in humanity’s rejection of God. He opens the door for us to enter God’s life. His obedience and fidelity is the door to God. He is the way.

On the other hand, every Christmas season invites us to receive Jesus as the true Son of God become Flesh, to accept him as our Savior and to enter the door to life in the Holy Spirit. Faith in God leads us to solidarity with our neighbors, especially the poor whom Jesus loves. Faith makes us sharers in Jesus’ saving mission and heralds of true freedom from all that enslaves us.

I pray that all Christians may appreciate more the precious gift of faith during this Christmas season. As we behold the Christ Child, humble and poor, let us thank God for his great love for us and let us respond with all the love we could give. Only pure divine love can save us! I wish all you and your loved ones a Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!

LUIS ANTONIO G. CARDINAL TAGLE
Archbishop of Manila

SCHEDULE OF CELEBRATIONS

Rector / Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Roderick L. Castro
Resident Guest Priest: Rev. Fr. Rogelio A. Orpiada

WEEKDAY MASSES
6:00 AM, 6:45 AM and 7:30 AM * 12:15 PM * 6:00 PM

SATURDAY MASSES: 6:00 AM, 6:45 AM, 7:30 AM
ANTICIPATED MASSES: 5:00 PM / 6:30 PM (Tagalog)

SUNDAY MASSES
6:00 AM, 7:30 AM (Tagalog), 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM 12:00 NN
2:30 PM (Children's Mass Tagalog), 4:00 PM (Tagalog),
5:30 PM, 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM

SPECIAL MASSES - Second Sunday
7:30 AM Mass for the Elderly (Tagalog)
5:30 PM Mass for the Youth

CONFESSIONS
Monday to Friday 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 11:45 AM, and 5:30 PM
Saturday 6:00, 6:30, 7:00 AM, 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM
Sunday
6:30, 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 AM
4:00, 5:00, 6:30 PM, 8:00 PM
First Wednesday
6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 11:45 AM * 12:15, 5:30, 6:00 PM
First Friday
6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 11:45 AM * 12:15, 5:30, 6:00, 7:00 PM

ALL FRIDAYS
Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at all Masses

FIRST FRIDAYS
Whole Day / Night Adoration and Vigil in Church
Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at all Masses
Veneration of relic of St. Margaret Mary after 12:15 PM Mass
Additional 7:00 PM Mass
Additional Mass at 12:00 MN followed by continuation of Adoration/Vigil until 5:00 AM

FIRST SATURDAYS
5:00 AM Dawn Procession in Honor of Blessed Virgin Mary

BAPTISM: Every Sunday at 11:45 AM (Mass Baptism)
Individual Baptism is by appointment

ANOINTING OF THE SICK / EMERGENCIES: Anytime

ADORATION CHAPEL: 5:00 AM - 9:00 PM Daily

ENTHRONEMENT OF THE SACRED HEART
By Appointment

STA. CRUZ CHAPEL SUNDAY MASSES
7:30 AM (Tagalog) / 6:30 PM

12 SACRED HEART PROMISES

Every First Friday of each month, devout and faithful Catholics consecrate to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the spirit of reparation.

Jesus Christ Himself made the following promises to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, in favor of those who fervently practice and promote this devotion.

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.

2. I will give peace in their families.

3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4. I will be their security and refuge during life, and above all, in death.

5. I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.

6. Sinners will find in My Heart the Source, and Infinite Ocean of Mercy.

7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9. I will bless every place in which an Image of My Heart is exposed and honored.

10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart.

12. I promise you in the excessive Mercy of My Heart, that My all powerful Love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months, the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in My disgrace, nor without receiving their Sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

MY SACRED HEART DAILY PRAYER

O Lord, I pray that in my home, peace, quiet and well being may prevail under the shadows of Your Holy Mantle.

Bless and protect, O Lord, my endeavors, my enterprises, and all those who depend on me and everything that I long for and desire.

Banish from my mind and my heart false ideas and evil sentiments. Infuse in me a love of my neighbor and grant me the means to help him.

Give me resignation and fortitude of spirit in time of adversity, so that I may rise above the contradictions of life.

Guide and protect, O Lord, my own who are exposed to the dangers and contingencies of the world.

Do not forget, O my Jesus, our loved ones with whom we are united in life and whose departure from this earth caused us sorrow, at the same time consoled by the thought that, because they remained faithful to You, You did not abandon them at the hour of death.

Have pity on them, O Lord, and bring them to their eternal glory in heaven. Amen.

PRAYER TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER

Heavenly Father, as we honor and cherish our earthly father, we give you grateful thanks and praise for giving us one of the most important persons in our earthly life.

For it is in the person of our very own father, that we are able to understand and experience the true meaning of fatherly love. Because of him and through him, we are able to comprehend the essence of your Divine Fatherly love.

We thank you for being such a wonderful Heavenly Father to all of mankind. We are most eternally grateful for your Divine Virtues of Mercy, Compassion, Benevolence and Providence.

We praise your Holy Name for your Divine Love for us, for You are so gracious and merciful that You didn't withhold from us Your very own Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who willingly offered His own life so that all of mankind might be saved through Him and that through Him, we are reconciled to You.

We are always grateful that You continue to provide for our daily temporal and spiritual needs and that You are always compassionately forgiving us for our many faults and sins.

We acknowledge with human humility, that we came into this world with nothing and shall also leave with nothing.

For who we are and all that we have comes to us from the abundant grace of Your Divine Providence, to sustain our needs and those of our neighbors.

Thank You for Your Divine Patience with us, Your prodigal children who at times, neglect and are indifferent to the many great things You lovingly do for us.

Because of Your inexhaustible Divine Mercy, we are always assured of a warm welcome upon our return to our Eternal Home to You.

Almighty God and Divine Father, we ask that You grant us Your Fatherly Blessings and send us Your Holy Spirit as You continuously watch over and provide for us in perfect accordance with Your Divine Will.

We ask this in the Holy Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ with the Maternal Intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Amen!