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Category: Reflection

  • THE GENEROSITY OF THE PEOPLE OF BALABAGAN

    THE GENEROSITY OF THE PEOPLE OF BALABAGAN

    by Portia Awayan, FLARE

    ***From March to May, the Redemptorist Itinerant Mission Team was in the Parish of San Isidro Labrador, Balabagan, Lanao del Sur to help and facilitate the Golden (50th) Jubilee of the Parish. The three-month mission which was aimed as a way of RENEWAL AND ACCOMPANIMENT began with the Lenten Recollection in the Small Christian Communities of the Parish.

     The theme of this year’s Lenten Recollection for the parishioners of San Isidro Parish of Balabagan was “Gifted to Give,” taken from the theme of the celebration of the 5th Centenary of Christianity in our country.   The recollection aimed to deepen their reflection of this theme and relate it to the meaning of Lent. 

      The theme is taken from Matthew 10: 8, where Christ told his apostles: “Freely you have received; freely give.” It’s actually Christ’s command for his apostles to do all, to give all they’ve got for the mission.

    To jump up the activity, each participant was given 5 small pieces of paper and were asked to write five of the most precious gifts they have received in their life. These could be be material things, relationships, experiences, character, etc.   Then, one-by-one, they were requested to give any of their treasured gifts to the poor, to the church, to the people of other religions, and to the mission.  

    Miss Portia giving the input of the Lenten Recollection – GIFTED TO GIVE to the Christian Community in Lower Itil, Balabagan, LDS

    It was interesting to note that most of them were willing to give and share their precious gifts, even their own family, their own lives, and their own faith to others.  Although it was just a kind of a game, but they showed how generous they are as a people.

    During the recollection, the participants began with the insight that today, with the idea of “being deserving of something you receive” or “of being entitled”, not many of us have really appreciated our gifts. Some would even lose their sense of surprise, even their gratitude and joy. However, a gift is something one does not expect, even something one does not merit, yet freely given according to the desire of the giver. Indeed, we are all gifted at an unexpected moment. So, one wonders!

    But this year, the parishioners of Balabagan reflected that they cannot only be grateful and joyful but should be awed by the gift of Christianity which the nation received 500 years ago.   At a closer look, it is not just faith that they received but the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

    At the closest and last look, it is neither just the faith nor the Gospel that they received: It is Jesus Himself!   Thus, the celebration is not just about them; it is about Jesus.  They do not only see the gifts, but the Giver.

    Moreover, during this Lenten Season, the parishioners are reminded of the greatest gift of salvation that they have received from Jesus, through His passion, death, and resurrection!   He has reconciled the people back to the Father!  They are saved from the darkness of sin!   They have become people of the Light!  This is truly a gift that brings genuine joy to all believers, like the parishioners of Balabagan!

    The parishioners then reflected on the meaning of the centennial Logo, and on their mission as lay people.   Most importantly, they echoed that they are called to build Christian families. They put into their hearts and minds that the Vatican Council II calls the laity to develop their own family spirituality and to make their families schools of holiness and defense of family values.

    As we ended every recollection in different communities in Balabagan, they were asked to offer the remaining piece of their treasured gift to the altar, in front of Jesus’ cross.  Without hesitation, they gracefully offered their last gift, showing their generosity as a people.  The members of the mission team could attest to this during their three-month stay in Balabagan.  They have experienced how the people welcomed them, and shared their time, talent, and material goods in all mission activities.  The team especially witnessed the kind hearts and helping hands of simple people, despite their underprivileged conditions.  No wonder, Jesus loves the poor, and reserves for them the Kingdom of God!

  • WORLD DAY OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE: REFLECTION OF A MILLENIAL PRIEST

    WORLD DAY OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE: REFLECTION OF A MILLENIAL PRIEST

    February 2, 2021 – On this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Bishop Jose Rapadas III, Bishop of Iligan presided the mass to celebrate the “World Day of Consecrated Life.” Bishop Rapadas asked these questions among us religious in his diocese, “As a consecrated person, what are you most grateful for? What gift you are asked to give in return?”

    Video Clip from the Facebook Page of St. Michael’s Cathedral, Diocese of Iligan.

    Below is the transcript of my own reflection delivered during the mass.

    “I am Jom. I am a Redemptorist Missionary. I was professed in 2012 and was ordained in 2017. I am 31 years. I was recently asked to move here in Iligan last August 2020.

    As a consecrated person, what am I you most grateful for?

    RELATIONSHIPS, FRIENDSHIPS – These are the gifts that I have grown in gratitude this time. (aside from the usual like the gift of life) And as a millennial priest I also recognize the need to relate, to build friendship, to feel being loved and to love. These are facts and gifts that I believe what I really need that I may be able also to grow continually as a person and as a Redemptorist Missionary.

    Thus, my Redemptorist community, with all its imperfections and weaknesses is something that I am very grateful for. It is through my community that I have been affirmed many times. People also have recognized and affirmed me. This did not only boosted my self-confidence but also added to my conviction that I am gifted in one way or another. And that these gifts in me are not for me alone but to be shared in my own way of life as a Redemptorist Missionary. However, it is also around here that at times I feel uneasy being affirmed, simply because affirmation and recognition can also be intoxicating.

    Indeed, affirmations and recognitions can be quite overwhelming. I recognize that these can be forms of temptations where I will grow over-confident, self-satisfied and arrogant because of what I have achieved and gained. And my Redemptorist community served also as my own mirror to see my own inadequacy and the need to grow more and to develop as a better person. Thus, being corrected and being confronted of my own weaknesses and failures have helped me a lot to know myself better and to respond responsibly.

    Hence, being a Redemptorist, my community is a gift that I have grown really to be grateful for.

    Outside my own Redemptorist Community, I also recognize the gift of friendship that I have developed among the people, among our parishioners, among the different ministries that I am involved in and the gift of friendship that I continue to develop and to nurture.

    These friendships outside my religious community have given me not just affirmations but also opportunities for me to express intimacy, to express love and concern without crossing and abusing boundaries. Those friendships that I have with individuals and families have helped me better understand that it is indeed possible to love without exclusivity in the religious vocation, and that it is possible to express intimacy, to be loved and to be loving in my religious vocation.

    Now, both of these, have helped me too to become more grateful of my personal relationship and friendship with the Lord. Those human relationships I have with my religious community and with others have helped me certainly to have a grounding in growing in my relationship with God whom I cannot see physically but through the people who surround me.

    With all of these, through the gift of relationships and friendships, what I also believe that I am called to give now in return is the gift of my presence as a friend, as a pastor, as priest and as a missionary. The gift of my presence, as I have become aware, involves many demands from me. I know that to give ones presence will not be easy. To be able to give fully my presence into the other would always require me to let go of my own comforts, to let go of my biases and even in many ways, to let go of my tendency to keep myself at a safe distance.

    Yet, as Pope Francis said, as a religious, I too am called to live the gospel with joy which can only be possible when I also become more generous of myself to others most particularly in my ministry.

    Being called to give that gift of presence to the people or the church, calls me further to be life-giving both in my words and also in my actions. And I recognize that this will not be easy and again it will demand more from me. But joy and the fullness of life will surely be a reality for me once I will be able to give more life to others. Hinaut pa.

  • HOW THE ORIGINAL STATUE OF THE STO. NINO DE CEBU SURVIVED THE WORLD WAR II

    HOW THE ORIGINAL STATUE OF THE STO. NINO DE CEBU SURVIVED THE WORLD WAR II

    Edited by Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

    Kept in a bomb-proof vault; the historic icon of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, spent seven months in the safekeeping of the Redemptorists at the close of World War II. This is a little-known page of history which took place when an emergency arose at the close of 1944.   The Augustinian friars had to find a safe place for the icon because the basilica located at the Cebu City’s pier area had been heavily bombed. According to an account of the emergency transfer written by Fr. Antonio Dizon, OSA, the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was kept in an underground chamber by the Redemptorists, who were mostly Australian and Irish missionaries.

    The icon of the Holy Child was hidden in a vault in the Redemptorist monastery. The vault was placed under the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  [The metal vault still exists today. It is on display at the left side of the main entrance to the church.]

    For Catholics, the symbolism is clear: the child Jesus took shelter in the home of his mother. The Augustinian friars’ account appears in a devotional booklet of the Redemptorists printed in 1984:

    “Among gidala kining dyutay’ng Bata sa balay sa Iyang Inahan, siya karun nagabantay kaniya.” (We brought this little Child Jesus to the house of His Mother who now takes charge of Him.)

    Why the Redemptorist Monastery?

    Its location at the time was in a countryside setting. The Redemptorist Monastery was standing there alone; amid mango trees and cornfields. It made the place far enough from trouble.

    Heavy bombardment had badly damaged other Cebu City churches, including the Sto. Niño or San Agustin Church and convent near the harbor. At one time, a bomb dropped inside the Sto. Niño Church near the main altar, Dizon wrote.  The sacred image, which was at the center with no protective glass case, shook but did not fall directly on the ground.

    Instead, it was found tilting and hanging with the cape snagged on the electric candles of the altar. The original icon of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, fell from its niche and acquired a “chipped eye and scratched cheek”.

    The incident left a visible “scar” on the right upper cheek, which remains one of the signature marks of the Sto. Niño de Cebu for devotees who wonder if this is the original 16th century icon given as a gift by Ferdinand Magellan to Rajah Humabon as a baptismal gift in 1521.

    The archive photo shows the end of the seven-month sanctuary on April 20, 1945; with Fr. Thomas McHugh, CSsR, the Irish rector at the time, turning over the image of the Sto. Niño, with its crown, cape, and pedestal intact to Fr. Leandro Moran, OSA.  The photo is kept in the McArthur memorial Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

    After that, the Augustinian friars took the image from the debris of the church and hastily carried it to the Redemptorist Monastery. This was the first time that the Sto. Nino icon had left its base since its enthronement in 1740. First-hand accounts are sketchy, so a photo of the return of the statue is a precious evidence of the cooperation between the Augustinians and the Redemptorists during this war-time emergency. The archive photo shows the end of the seven-month sanctuary on April 20, 1945; with Fr. Thomas McHugh, CSsR, the Irish rector at the time, turning over the image of the Sto. Niño, with its crown, cape, and pedestal intact to Fr. Leandro Moran, OSA.  The photo is kept in the McArthur memorial Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

  • Time of Letting Go. Time of Letting God. Time of Welcoming

    Time of Letting Go. Time of Letting God. Time of Welcoming

    December 31, 2020 – 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas and the Last Day of the Year

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/123120.cfm)

    We have reached the last day of the year of 2020. We have been through a lot this year. There are too many to mention them. Not just to few of us but to most of us living on this planet. 2020 has given us many blows of fear and anxiety. In addition, our personal struggles with our families, with our work, studies and other aspects of our life are also there. And perhaps, they are still with us until this last day of the year.

    One can just imagine the overwhelming trials that brought life-changing moments into our life. Yet, despite all those things that bombarded us personally and as a community, there are still so much to be grateful for. This is very essential as we go forward today and welcome a new day that is about to unfold before us.

    With all of these, it is just proper for us to allow everything to touch us. We can do this by giving a time of silence for us to listen and to feel. St. John’s Gospel tells us that before God spoke to create the world, there was only the silence of God. It was from that silence of God also, that God speaks. We are reminded that “in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God.” And this Word became flesh who made his dwelling among us.

    And so, for all that has been, I would like to invite you now that we observe a minute of silence and close our eyes to thank the Lord for his grace and favor upon us.

    Please observe a minute of silence now.

    There are also three invitations that I would like you to dwell on this last day of the year. These three invitations will hopefully help us to look ahead with hope, to be grateful at present and to be reconciled with our past.

    The first is the invitation of letting go. There must have been painful, hurtful and traumatic events that happened this year. They could have created sad memories in us. We could have been filled guilt and shame, or with sorrow and grief, or with disappointment and hopelessness. However, when we do not learn to let them go then, we will only be unnecessarily dragging past burdens into our present life. We will only feel being burdened and tired in the next coming days. Then, we will surely lose the opportunities to enjoy the day and enjoy life in its fullness. Hence, this is a time of letting go. Let go what must be surrendered. It might not be easy. But for the sake  of our sanity and the good of those people around you, let go. Nevertheless, be assured also that as we let go those that burdens us, the Gospel of John reminds us, “From his (Jesus) fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace.” We are graced and be confident in that.

    The second is the invitation of letting God. Once we let go, we also let God to heal us, to renew us and to transform us. St. John tells us in his Gospel that God is a light that shines in our darkness. To let God shine in us means not allowing darkness to overcome us. We allow God to be our God and not our selfish desires and tendencies. Hence, this is a time of Letting God.

    The third is the invitation of welcoming. Allowing God to be God opens opportunities for us to be surprised. The days ahead are not certain, yet, if we make our hearts filled with anxiety because of uncertainties, then we also lose the spirit of being childlike. To be childlike is a constant invitation of the Lord to us. To be welcoming is to develop an attitude joy and cheerfulness in us. This makes our day lighter despite the demands that we may have. St. John reminds us again in the Gospel, the true light (Jesus) enlightens everyone. Thus, let us never lose the chance to be enlightened by Jesus by being welcoming of the light. To be enlightened by the light of the Lord is to welcome others into our life and to welcome opportunities for growth without our biases and prejudices. This day, indeed, is a time of welcoming.

    May this last day of the year bring us now new hope and a renewed spirit that does only look what is ahead but also rejoices what we have now. Hinaut pa.

  • Christmas Message (Jn 1:1-18)

    Christmas Message (Jn 1:1-18)

    Above all, it’s about Christmas than holidays

    “And the Word became Flesh, and Dwelt amongst us”

    It has always been a great honor and pleasure to be visited by someone special in our lives. Whenever special people pay us a visit in our home, we usually do our best to be a good worthy host to our guests. We normally welcome them into our house, offer them some refreshments, and spent quality time to listen and talk with them. We are not to leave them behind, on their own, while we do our usual affairs.   We are to be and should be with our guests all throughout and until the visit. We must hear what our guest’s agenda and what they have to offer us, while we also have to share what we can offer and contribute, as well as share what we receive from our guests to others within our family & neighbors. Thus, being and becoming a Good Responsible Host to a special Guest.

    Today we celebrate Christmas Day, the Birth of Jesus into our lives.

    The entire Mystery of Incarnation – of God becoming Flesh is considered to be God’s visitation to his people. God, through His son Jesus, visited his people more than two thousand years ago. Through the birth of Jesus into our lives, God has paid us a visit. In Jesus, God has visited us. He became our Special Guest paying us a visit in life. And even after Jesus has returned to the Father, He still continuously “visits” His people now. Jesus “visits” His people through Us, Christians – who became God’s children who recognize, accept and welcome Jesus into our lives. God continues to visit our life and our world today through the ministers of the Church, through the Word of God being proclaimed, and through the sacraments especially the Eucharist that the Church celebrates. Jesus also makes His presence felt every time a community is gathered in His name. He also “visits” us through the ordinary events of our life.

    Sad to say however, as the gospel would tell us, people in Jesus’ time who “did not know and accept Him” failed to recognize not only the time of God’s visitation but above all, to acknowledge God in Jesus. They missed the chance and the grace to be visited and blessed. They were very concerned about their own worldly hopes that their spiritual life was neglected. They interpreted the Bible in their own worldly sense instead of believing in the teachings of Jesus. Even today, there are still people who failed and is failing to acknowledge God’s visit to us through Jesus.

    Even now in America today, there is a debate that they call “War on Christmas”. It is all about other people wanting to call and promote this season as “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas” because they basically want to take away Jesus Christ from this holiday. We may notice these through Slogans in the media and advertisements around these days. More being said and promoted about “Happy Holidays” than “Merry Christmas” because they want to get rid of the Jesus story in the celebration. Even in Japan now, there is a display window in a shopping mall that sells cloths on display with a design background of Santa Claus crucified on a cross hoping to attract Christian shoppers for the holiday season.  

    But what is Christmas without Jesus Christ? Is there a Christmas without Jesus? Well, this season can be a holiday without Christ, but will it still be Christmas? … Not at all. Christmas without Christ will be just like a meaningless party celebration without the celebrant and guests.  A holiday celebration and party without any meaning, except just to party. Yet still, there are people who do not welcome Jesus and reject Him because they fail and are failing to recognize and accept in Him the God visiting his people. And worse, Jesus is considered just a decoration, an added background display to their lavish & selfish lifestyles for the holidays.

    Like the Jews during Jesus’ times, many times we may also fail to recognize Him. We fail to welcome Him and let Him enter into our life today. With our worldly concerns and affairs, we may have left the Lord behind on His own, neglected, and abandoned. He could have something more and better to offer us now with His visits, but we rather do our own thing and don’t mind Him at all. Thus, we sometimes missed and may have missed & wasted a lot of blessings and graces which we could have received from God.

    Remember then that above all, these days are all about Christmas than holidays.

    As we celebrate Christmas season, may we put Jesus Christ first in our lives and concerns especially during these pandemic times, may we now be more conscious of His “visits” to us and being with us, and may we be a Good worthy Host to our Special Visitor by recognizing Him, welcoming Him and letting Him stay in our life to protect & intervene for us. Amen. A Merry Blessed Christmas to Us All.