Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: AUTHORS

  •  My ASSIGNMENT AS DAVAO PARISH PRIEST:  “Galloping Around the Barrios” 2002-2004

     My ASSIGNMENT AS DAVAO PARISH PRIEST:  “Galloping Around the Barrios” 2002-2004

    After having been unexpectedly and abruptly transferred to join the mission team in Tacloban, I was given another unexpected and sudden assignment as parish-priest of our parish in Davao. Again this was a change in venue and type of apostolate I was totally unprepared for. On top of this, it happened in the middle of the triennium (the usual three-year term).

    God must have smiled when He let our Council approve this assignment. Their decision was a response to a request made by Fr. Sean Purcell, then parish- priest of Davao. As Fr. Purcell put it:  he had been parish priest for 23 years and he was now 60 years of age. So, he wanted a change to a more restful and reflective assignment. He then suggested that in his place be assigned a “younger man that we could let loose to gallop around the barrios.”

    The “younger man’s” appointment “to gallop around the barrios” did not materialize. Instead the Council appointed me, one senior to Fr. Purcell in age by three years and in ordination by two years. My galloping around the barrios as the new parish priest of our Davao parish lasted two years (2002-2004) when I was again abruptly given another short-term appointment.

    Now at 71 years of age, I was appointed parish priest for the first time. At that time our Bajada (Davao) parish was a sprawling territory covering some 62 small chapel communities, spread out from the national highway in front of the church to the rural communities into interior villages from behind the church. Challenging as the task ahead might have seemed to me after Archbishop Capalla officially installed me as pastor of our Bajada parish, I started in my old age to learn to be parish-priest by doing. 

    Fortunately, by this time the struggle for “liberating” the parishioners of Buhangin area from their eviction the agitation for relocation had become a thing of the past. This is a story that is told in another article “The Buhangin Story”.

    When I started taking over the care of our Davao parish, I faced many challenges, but at the same time I was blessed inherited many blessings. I  had no full-time parish assistant. All the other priests in the community were engaged in formation or teaching  work in the Davao Studentate (Redemptorist Major Seminary). However, one of the formation teachers was officially assigned as my part-time assistant. The other priests on the teaching staff generously helped with the sacramental and liturgical services in the busy parish church. 

    It was a blessing that I had a good team of full-time lay parish workers. One or other of them would accompany and assist me as I made the rounds of the small chapel communities, driving the ADVENTURE ,  the reliable all-purpose parish vehicle.

    I was also blessed in having inherited a very active parish, thanks to the creative and tireless efforts of the previous parish priests and their parish collaborators.  The parish was noted for its liturgical celebrations and social concerns ministry. Evangelization and catechetical activities kept the parish workers on their feet most of the time.

    The youth in particular were actively involved in parish life. They participated fully in National Youth Day celebrations and held parish Alphonsian Pilgrimage gatherings. Contests among the BEC youth groups included “Cheer-dance” and talent competitions.

    The youth revealed their talent in a special way in colorful and reflective liturgical celebrations of Christmas and Holy Week. These celebrations are memorialized in album pictorials of the Nativity and Passion plays.

    With all these activities to animate and accompany, this ageing parish priest was not given a chance to grow old! It did not take me long to not only adjust to but even to get to love my uncharted journey as parish priest in my twilight years.

    But just as I was getting to feel at home in my assignment as parish priest of our Davao parish, I was shaken out of my comfort zone by a new appointment.  A phone call from Archbishop Capalla informed me that the Apostolic Nuncio was in the archbishop’s residence and wanted to speak to me. His Excellency, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Franco, after getting me to sit down in front of him, broke the news of my new appointment as gently as he could, saying, “I have come to ask you a favor in behalf of the Holy See.  The bishop of Iligan is resigning officially for ill-health and they are asking to take care of the diocese as its Apostolic Administrator until a new bishop is assigned. It was the last “favor” I would have dreamed of being asked no matter how gently.

    Thus ended without a formal goodbye my short two-year term as parish priest of our Davao parish. I  had to rush my entrance to Iligan as the outgoing bishop said he had no more jurisdictional power once I had been formally appointed as administrator of his diocese. So, in the evening the following day, I took the night bus to Iligan arriving there at dawn to begin my life in the uncharted life in the unknown.

    Thank God for the Tacloban hiatus, even though it was only for two short years. One never knows what lies ahead.

  • Generosity brings life and light

    Generosity brings life and light

    June 7, 2022 – Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060722.cfm)

    It was through the widow in Zarephath that Elijah was sent by the Lord. The land was in drought, people were poor and growing hungry because of the scarcity of food. Yet, the request of Elijah for some bread and water did not prevent the widow to give the small things she had. Indeed, the widow remained kind and accommodating to the stranger, Elijah, expressed through her generosity.

    Through her generosity, it allowed the Lord to work wonders with her who despite her poverty and insecurity in life she remained kind. Consequently, the Scripture revealed to us how the jar of flour never been emptied and the jug of oil never been dry. This is God’s generosity and providence.

    Generosity, then, is also an expression of trust and confidence in the providence and kindness of God. The Lord shall never let a generous and trusting person to run out of surprises in life.

    But aside from the surprises that God does through our generosity, is also the effect of our generosity to people around us. The Gospel of Matthew today speaks of this as Jesus proclaims, “You are salt of the earth. You are light of the world.”

    A generous heart brings life and light. It inspires and uplifts those who are struggling. Thus, a true believer of the Lord expresses generosity that comes from the heart in order to bring life and light into our homes, communities and organizations.

    This may calls us then to express our generosity by not just extending our material resources to those in need, but also our presence and friendship, our understanding and compassion to those who need them. Kabay pa.

  • The Caress of a Mother

    The Caress of a Mother

    June 5, 2022 – Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060622.cfm)

    The caress of a mother or even of someone who is motherly to us, would always bring comfort and healing to an injured knee from running around to a broken-heart because of failures and hurts in our relationships and dreams. In fact, when we are caressed by our mother or by someone who is motherly to us, it soothes us and relaxes us. This is the wonder and the power of a motherly caress, loving and caring.

    Today, just after celebrating the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Church celebrates and honors Mary, as the Mother of Church. The Gospel of John tells us how the crucified Jesus gives assurance to his disciples through the presence of Mary, as a mother. There at the cross, Mary, his mother stood and was in pain seeing how his son suffered and was about to die. Yet, that very moment also became an opportunity for Jesus to declare that presence of Mary as a mother to all disciples as he said, “Woman, behold your son.”

    Indeed, the presence of Mary becomes also an assurance of that comfort and healing to the terrified disciples. Her caress as a mother to the disciples must have also given them the confidence. This is what we celebrate now!

    Hence, in today’s feast of Mary, as our mother, our devotion to her also calls us now first, to be a comforting presence to one another, to our friends, family and people we shall meet. Second, that our touch may always be a caress that shall bring healing and life and will not become a violent touch that only bring pain, destruction and death. Kabay pa.

  • OMPH DAVAO PARISH GIFTED WITH BULAWANONG GASA

    OMPH DAVAO PARISH GIFTED WITH BULAWANONG GASA

    Fifty years ago in June of 1972, the Our Mother of Perpetual Help parish under the administration of the Redemptorist Missionaries was founded. These were the circumstances leading to this historic event (as quoted in the 50th anniversary commemorative publication).

    Devotees of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

    “ It was not until the early 1970s when the idea of a Redemptorist parish in Davao again surfaced. In May 1971 this offer was made formally by the Archdiocese in writing.  On September 2, 1971 during the visit of the Vice-Provincial, Fr. Mahoney, the community (composed of Fr. Sean. Magnier as Superior, met to discuss whether a parish should be established. Some questions that arose included: Would accepting a parish be for the good of the Local Church? Would it so reduce their missionary effort as to render it ineffective? Furthermore it was to be considered that conducting missions was the  priority apostolate. At that time,  the parish of about 25,000 was being cared for by one priest.

    The community members were in a deadlock and could not reach consensus. It was then left to the Vice-Provincial and the members of his Council to make the decision and they approved the establishment of a parish. A meeting was then held at the Archbishop’s residence and among those who attended were Archbishop Antonio Mabutas, Fr. Maurice Leveille PM, other PMEs and Blessed Sacrament Fathers and Fr. Magnier and Fr. Pierse. One task at hand was to set the boundaries between the areas left with the Assumption Parish under the Blessed Sacrament Fathers and the new parish under the Redemptorists. A date was then scheduled for the date of the parish foundation which was to be a week after Easter of 1972. Officially, however, the foundation of the OMPH parish in Davao was inaugurated on July 27, 1972 with Fr. Dominic McKenna CSsR as parish priest.  When it was first established, the parish covered the areas of Callawa, Mandug, Tigatto and Buhangin.”

    Bulawanong Gasa (A Golden Gift) was decided by the Davao Redemptorist Mission Community (DRMC) as the theme for the 50th anniversary celebrations when the members met a  year ago to prepare for this event. This theme became the title of the commemorative publication which recently got published and distributed to the different CSsR units and foundations, and are not available to the parishioners and churchgoers.

    Various activities were planned and some of them have already been accomplished through the past few months. There were mass confirmations, baptisms and first Holy Communion rituals involving all of the 35 GKKs across the parish. Just these past week-ends, more than a hundred volunteers (from the DRMC members to parish staff to GKK leaders and youth) volunteered to be facilitators and resource persons for the 50th year parish missions held in the different seven zones. These missions were mainly skills training for the spotted new leaders as well as existing alagads of the GKKs.

    On Pentecost Sunday, the Care for the Earth parish ministry conducted an Organic Market in the church grounds, in collaboration with the Paglaum Ecological Network which is affiliated with Sustainble Davao Movement. Through this network, the parish ministry is linked to other parishes, Catholic schools, NGOs and other ecological groups based in Davao City. They will be hosting the novena Mass on Sunday, June 12 where hundreds of trees would be distributed so parishioners and churchgoers can be actively involved in making sure the city have more trees. On the same day, a group of volunteer ophthalmologists and optometrists will provide free eye consultation to poor households of the parish.

    The nine-day novena from June 10 to June 18 will be live-streamed for both the 6 AM and 5:30 PM Masses (although on Sunday it will be at 6 PM). Each Novena Mass has its theme which relate to the Province’s missiological priorities. From June 13 to 17, the St. Alphonsus Theological and Mission Institute (SATMI) in collaboration with the parish and the MindaNews Media Cooperative Center/Institute of Journalism are co-sponsoring the Second Mindanao Book Festival, a Book Fair/Exhibit that will have a launching of all Mindanao books published during the time of the pandemic on June 13 at 3 PM. All Mindanao books published through the years are then exhibited in Rooms 5-6 at SATMI.

    A concert – Halad ni Maria, featuring Fr. Bonn Barretto CSsR and the different church choirs (Sts. Catherine, St. Blaise and St. Hildegaard Choirs) along with the Kaliwat Theatre Collective backed up by a quartet under the baton of Kruz   – will take place inside the church on Friday, June 17 at 8 to 9:30 P.M. Songs to be interpreted are all in Cebuano-Bisaya used popularly in most of our missions, especially with the Redemptorist Itinerant Mission Team.The finale are songs dedicated to the Blessed Mother.

    A dawn procession will begin the fiesta day on Sunday June 19. The Pontifical Mass will be at 10 A.M. with the Archbishop, Msgr. Romulo Valles officiating and Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar CSsR as homilist. Lunch will be served by the DRMC to invited guests. From 4 PM to evening, members of the GKK will gather inside the gym for the final activity – a grand fiesta celebration!

    All Redemptorists are naturally invited to join their confreres at this 50th anniversary of the OMPH parish, especially all those who have served the parish through the years!

  • RE-LIVE AND RE-EXPERIENCE THE FIRST PENTECOST

    RE-LIVE AND RE-EXPERIENCE THE FIRST PENTECOST

    June 5, 2022 – Pentecost Sunday 

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060522-day.cfm)

    What keeps us from truly expressing ourselves? What prevents us from sharing ourselves to others? What stops us from being truly free? Fear of being not accepted, of being rejected and thus, of being hurt prevents us from being free, from sharing and opening up ourselves to and for others.

    This is how our traumatic and painful experiences of abuse in whatever form that is, or of betrayal, of failures, shame and guilt, or of separation and death – could paralyze our relationships, damage our self-esteem and hamper our maturity in all aspects of life.

    However, God desires that we become fully human according to God’s image, and that is by being truly free and having developed our full potentials as persons in all aspect of our life.

    Today, as we celebrate the Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit into the Church, we are being reminded today of this desire of God for us to have peace, to be free, to be filled with all the good things that God offers us as individuals and as a Church.

    So, allow me now to bring you a bit deeper into our readings today that we may also be able to see and claim what God has prepared for us today, on this Pentecost Sunday.

    The Gospel that has been proclaimed to us today would tell us about the terrified situation of the disciples. The disciples were in hiding. They were terrified and so they locked themselves because of so much fear. They did not want to go out anymore, to socialize with their other friends and relatives or to continue preaching about the kingdom of God and healing people’s illnesses. They were rather filled with fear.

    This tells us that fear can actually paralyze us. Fear can prevent us in making movements and in making decisions. Consequently, when we become fearful we also settle to what is only minimal and comfortable for us, then, this makes us complacent. We wont take risks because we are afraid of rejection and failure or of the possibility of another pain and hurts.

    But then, such attitude could also make us controlling and demanding in our relationships to the point that we direct others on how they should treat us, or accommodate us and love us according to how we want it. We do not think of others then, because we do not want any compromise. We only think of ourselves, locked in those painful past but terrified of the present. This was how the terrified disciples kept themselves in a locked room. It was a paralysis to love and be loved, to forgive and be forgiven.

    This is the very reason why Jesus appeared in the midst of his fearful disciples. Jesus wants them to get out from the attitude of fear. Jesus penetrated those fearful and closed hearts of the disciples and gave them PEACE. And that peace filled their hearts with the Holy Spirit. With that, it completely changed all of them.

    The Holy Spirit indeed calmed and gave confidence to their terrified hearts, healed their wounded hearts, forgave their hearts that were found guilty, freed their imprisoned and locked hearts, and filled their hearts longing for love.

    In fact, in the Acts of the Apostles, it was proclaimed to us how the Holy Spirit changed the disciples. That is why, aside from the noise that sounded like a violent wind and the tongues of fire that rested on each of them, there was a more interesting expression of the Spirit that happened there. The disciples of the Lord who were mostly Galileans proclaimed the goodness and power of God. Though they spoke in their own native language yet strangers and foreigners understood what the disciples were proclaiming about.

    Yes, foreign peoples grasped what the disciples of Jesus had proclaimed because at that moment, they became confident and unafraid. They were able to get out from their fears of being persecuted, from their doubts about Jesus and from their insecurities of the coming days. They realized how good God is. They truly believed that “Jesus is Lord.”

    All of these realizations were fruits of their journey with Jesus. With the Holy Spirit, the disciples found peace in their hearts, meaning, these fearful and doubtful disciples had at last found and recognized God in their life, in their human experiences. This is how the Holy Spirit creates and renews us, as the Psalm proclaims to us today. As we are being renewed by the Spirit then we shall begin to see and recognize God’s indwelling presence in everyone and in everything, and in every circumstance of our life.

    Jesus said, “Peace be with you!” which also means, “I am with you!” because Jesus is the Prince of Peace. The Lord who is with his disciples sends them now. And so, they have become witnesses of Jesus – witnesses who convey God’s offer of salvation and love not just to a particular group of people but to all, to Jews and Greeks, to rich and poor, to you and to me.

    This is also how the foreigners understood the disciples of the Lord and in effect were converted to believe in Jesus. Thus, a church was born, a church that is not fearful of persecutions and a church that joyfully sings God’s goodness and love.

    What is it to you and to me now, as a church gathered here today?Our birthday celebration today is not meant to be a mere remembering of the distant past. This feast of the Pentecost calls us rather to relive and to re-experience the first Pentecost – and that is to experience again that confidence with God, being secured by his love, by being courageous and honest enough to share the kindness of God and his love to others.Because you and I, have already received the Holy Spirit.

    We may be constantly aware, then, of the Holy Spirit in all of our human experiences and relationships. In that way, we may be renewed by the Spirit who is ready to free a heart locked in fear and insecurities, ready to calm and give confidence to our terrified heart, ready to heal our wounded heart, ready to forgive our heart that has been found guilty, and ready to fill a heart longing for love. Kabay pa.