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Tag: Redemptorist Missionaries

  • SHARING THE AMAZING MYSTERIOUS LOVE OF FR. NOEL GARTLAN, C.S.s.R.

    SHARING THE AMAZING MYSTERIOUS LOVE OF FR. NOEL GARTLAN, C.S.s.R.

    BY REMY S. RABOR

    I believe letter-writing is an effective means of communication to get to know a person … This I learned from my 10 years of letter-writing with Fr. Noel Gartlan, C.S.s.R.

    Fr. Noel does not like writing a”personal” letter but he likes receiving them. Since I’m fond of writing, so he gives his response whenever he has time.

    Fr. Noel was a person full of love. He was called to incarnate God’s unconditional love in whatever circumstances he was placed. He expressed God’s love in his work in Tacloban and also in Davao with the seminarians, and in Iligan, and in the people he met.

    In all his letters to me he always begins with; “My dear dear Remy“… In almost every letter, he always says “one friendship progress“, because we can say what we feel, without any fear of being judged or fear that the other would be taken aback by what we say. Our relationship, me being his “little sister” and him my “big brother” is what we liked very much and one we both like to remain. If he has been able to enter into my sufferings and sorrows, trials & challenges in my life a bit, it is because he comes for me somewhat more than ordinary pastoral care.

    Whenever he writes about his love and concern for me, he always emphasizes that he hoped his words could never be misconstrued by Rey as anything but showing the highest concern for me as a married person and for my marriage, for it is great concern for him that my marriage be a success and that Rey and I grow in the deepest possible love together & anything he can do to help that along, is what he feels he should do for a “little sister”.

    “Happiness is the result of trying to do something else besides trying to be happy. Maybe, the worst way to attain happiness is to work with set purpose to be happy. The harder one tries, the more elusive is the fruit desired. The butterfly does not come to the one who tries to catch it. Joy comes from being in tune with life around. The butterfly enjoys being fully a butterfly in full freedom, than captured in our hands. We must try to be at peace with the cosmos, to be in tune, in harmony.”

    It makes him happy when I tell him what I have been doing especially in my marriage because he grows too in this mystery of love as the year goes on.

    Fr. Noel always expressed his gratitude whenever he received my letters, or birthday gifts or phone calls. He expressed his thanks by telling me: “Silly little sister!” and added, “Thank you”, for showing him something of my love for him, and helped him too to know more clearly of his love for me.

    I cannot forget what Fr. Noel said,” Touch the good earth every day. It’s Friendly. It’s from where we came and to where we return.”

    Fr. Noel always said he has so much to thank me for. I too felt the same and happy too, whenever he shares anything that comes to his mind. It is because we are special friends we can say anything to one another.

    Fr. Noel always emphasized on God’s love. Jesus is the human expression of God’s love. We are called to a relationship of love with God, in the person of Christ. Once the relationship is right, all else is right. What I do is very secondary to whom I AM in relationship with Christ.

    In one of his letters, Fr. Noel shared that he was an instrument of God’s love. A woman he met along the small chapel asked if she could take some of his time. There was somehow an understanding between them and they sat in the chapel for about 30 minutes. She poured out her heart to him. Because the nature of the problem she presented they had to share on love. Giving her some of his love, he could feel she was responding. He knew they were both the better for the encounter. With a misty eye of gratitude, she asked his name. It was only 30 minutes, but in that short time, he felt he knows her heart and she, his. He knew he met Christ. Isn’t it a great mystery? This is his little reflection for me in his letter.

    In every ending of Fr. Noel’s letter, he always says that in his prayer each morning, he speaks my name to God and prays that I will know His love for me and that his own way be a little of the same sort.

    Fr. Noel is one person whom I consider a part of my life. In his own unique way, he has shown me the human love of Jesus for me.

    Fr. Noel’s and my letter-writing relationship will always be printed in my heart and mind all years till I depart. I praise God for the gift of Fr. Noel in my life and those whom he also encountered.

    May God have mercy on Fr. Noel Gartlan, CSsR. May the Lod grant him eternal rest. AMEN.

  • SEEKING OUR HAPPINESS AND FULFILLMENT

    SEEKING OUR HAPPINESS AND FULFILLMENT

    August 1, 2023 – Solemnity of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

    Readings

    From the Book of Prophet Isaiah (61:1-3)

    The spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me;

    He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;

    To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;

    To comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion –

    To give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

    The mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

    They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

    Responsorial Psalm : Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

    From the Gospel of Matthew (9:35-10:1)

    Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness.

    When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without shepherd.

    Then he said to his disciples,

    “The harvest is plentiful, but he laborers are few;

    Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

    Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.

    Who would not want to be happy? Who would not want a fulfilled life? To be happy and to have a fulfilled life is everyone pursuit in life. This is the very reason why we dream, aspire things for our life and others, hope for a better and comfortable life.

    And in our search for happiness, we also realize that there can be actually many reasons to make us happy from small things to the big and great things. We may also do many things just to make ourselves happy or make other people happy. We can also actually make our life busy in pursuing happiness. This is not just true among adults or old people but even among the young generation. Yet, in making ourselves busy to find happiness we might also lose the opportunity to be really happy. The question now, is on the quality and endurance of our happiness.

    There are many young people today, who entertain themselves with a lot of things. Many are drawn towards online or mobile games to experience a surge of happiness in winning a game. Others would also keep their eyes on the screen to watch Korean TV Series and be entertained with the Korean Idols. Others make themselves busy on everyday TikToks and selfies to be uploaded on Facebook and Instagram.

    Though these are forms of short-term happiness but they can also lead us to what would really make truly happy and fulfilled. However, in our sear, we may be prevented by many things as well especially when expectations from our families and friends are different from what we truly desire. People around us may have something in mind for us, believing that what they think is better for us. Yet, this is not always the case. That is why, there would be individuals whose lives become miserable because they have to follow the desires from others for them.

    This reminds me of the life of Alphonsus whose feast we celebrate today. That is why, I also wonder of the kind of life Alphonsus had when he was young and what led him to affirm his vocation by giving his life for the poor and the most abandoned.

    Alphonsus came from an aristocratic family in Naples, Italy. As the eldest in the family, his father had so much expectations from him. We were told in his biography that an early age he had books on his hands instead of toys. He must have been deprived of playing with other children because as an aristocrat, he needed to receive instructions from various teachers. He was an exceptional boy who even finished his studies in both civil and ecclesiastical laws at the age of 16. In his twenties, he was already a known lawyer in Naples. Not just that, he also excelled in arts and music and authored many books.

    With all these things on him, I am very sure that Alphonsus had felt so much pressure from the family and particularly from his father. His father expected him to succeed and follow him as what had been practiced in their family. His relatives and the whole clan had surely expected him also to follow the footsteps of his father as an aristocrat. This was the reason why at an early age he was expected to follow whatever was told to him. Alphonsus was very careful to follow everything and not to commit any mistakes.

    At that time, any mistake will not go unpunished. We could imagine how Alphonsus had to endure the corporal punishments and the shame, every time he would commit a mistake or a failure. This kind of upbringing had actually a deep influence on the spiritual life of Alphonsus. He was a very scrupulous man. Alphonsus was very afraid of hell and of eternal damnation. He was very careful not to sin and not to commit any mistake because he believed that God would not be able to forgive him.

    Being scrupulous prevented him to be free from shame. He was always haunted by guilt too. Now, we understand how family pressures and his severe upbringing affected his relationship with God. In his lifetime, he struggled to believe that God could forgive him. No matter how small was the mistake or the sin he committed, he would go anxious and worried. Somehow, Alphonsus struggled to find what truly makes him happy and what would truly fulfill his life.

    However, there was something in Alphonsus that really desired for freedom, to be free from pressures, from shame and guilt, and from that severe childhood upbringing. Deep within, Alphonsus desired to express what he really wanted. He searched ways were he could truly express his true self without any pressure or expectation from others. Alphonsus was searching to what would really give meaning and true happiness in his life. This was the reason why he excelled in many things but most importantly with his encounter with the common people.

    It was with the patients at the House of Incurables, the prostitutes of Naples, the men and women in the marketplace and later on with the people in a remote area of Scala, that he found himself, and found God more alive, where he found happiness and fulfillment of this life.

    This was the beginning of the continual conversion of Alphonsus. By becoming more in touched with his struggles and questions, he too became more aware of God’s desire for him more than the pressures of the people’s desire around him. Hence, Alphonsus gave up his profession and his status as an aristocrat by becoming a poor priest. With this decision, it greatly upset and broke the heart of his father to the point of disowning Alphonsus as his son.

    However, God’s desire for Alphonsus cannot be prevented by anybody. God has so much plan for Alphonsus. And for Alphonsus, he willingly sought God’s desire and he found it among the people. This was where Alphonsus also found how good God is to him. He realized how God loved him so much despite his imperfections and weaknesses.

    Our Psalm today proclaims to us, “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” Alphonsus was indeed singing the Lord’s goodness not just expressed in his paintings, music and writings but also in his person, in the way he related with people. This happiness and fulfillment in Alphonsus touched many men and women including his father. Later on, his father discovered also how God worked in the life of his son and that God had a bigger and better plan for Alphonsus than him.

    Despite the deprivation Alphonsus had and the strict upbringing in his childhood, he did not become a bitter person but rather, his negative experiences allowed him to become understanding and generous to those who were deprived with many things in their life. Consequently, Alphonsus affirmed that the spirit of the Lord is upon him because the Lord anointed him and chose him.

    Today, on this blessed feast day of Alphonsus, the Lord is inviting each of us to continually seek our own happiness and fulfillment , and in our search, we may also be continually converted into God’s heart. Let our search leads us deeper and intimately into God.

    Let us allow the Lord then, to unfold before us his desires for us by being open and welcoming to his invitations to change and to be converted in his ways and thinking. May our encounter with people allow us to affirm God’s desire for us whatever that may be in bringing happiness, joy and peace not just to ourselves but also to people around us. Hinaut pa.

  • CHALLENGE TO US FILIPINO REDEMPTORISTS FOR THE 2023-2028 SEXENNIUM

    CHALLENGE TO US FILIPINO REDEMPTORISTS FOR THE 2023-2028 SEXENNIUM

     

    The XXVI General Chapter of the Redemptorists recently concluded its deliberations on October 7, 2022 after it convened on September 11 in Rome. Three statements were given during and after the Chapter which should make us Filipino Redemptorists reflect on where we are today and the challenges we face in the future which we should face squarely during our incoming Provincial Chapters.

               First was that of Pope Francis.  On the first of October, Pope Francis addressed the delegates and he offered to them these words of inspiration and exhortation:

    “Do not be afraid to tread new paths, to dialogue with the world, in the light of your rich tradition of moral theology. Do not be afraid to get your hands dirty in the service of those most in need and of the people who do not count…

    In your Constitutions there is a very fine expression, where it says that the Redemptorists are available to face any trial to bring Christ’s redemption to all.  Availability. Let us not take this word for granted! It means giving oneself entirely to the mission, with all one’s heart, dies impendere pro redemptis, unto the final consequences, with a gaze fixed on Jesus.

    The Church and consecrated life are living a unique historical moment, in which they have the possibility of renewing themselves to respond with creative fidelity to the mission of Christ. This renewal passes through a process of conversion of the heart and mind, of intense metanoia, and also through a change of structures. At times we need to break the old pots, inherited from our traditions, which have carried a great deal of water but have now fulfilled their purpose. And breaking our pots, full of affections, of cultural customs, of histories, is not an easy task; it is painful, but it is necessary if we want to drink the new water that comes from the wellspring of the Holy Spirit, the source of all renewal.”

              After reading his statement, he had an impromptu address in which he said:

    Photo from http://www.catholicnewsworld.com/

    “I was struck by a phrase your group said: ‘Leave your comfort zones and go out on the mission.’ I wonder, what are the comfort zones that a congregation has, that a province has, that a community has and that each one of us has? Ask yourselves that question, because it was said that each person accommodates the vows as he pleases. And so, you can practice poverty with a bank account, you can practice chastity with a companion, and you can practice obedience by talking and deciding what you want. These are very distorted forms. But the one that always produces a distortion in the three vows is comfort. That is where the evil comes in, in trying to be comfortable, to be at ease, to live a bourgeois life, without going out, and going out on the mission…Each one of us must analyze our own temptation to be comfortable. We all have that temptation; we all face that temptation.”

               

    From such statements, clearly Pope Francis is exhorting all of us to reflect on where we are today in terms of our mission and lifestyle and to be engaged missionaries truly immersed among  “those in need and the people who do not count.” 

                Second was the statement of Fr. Rogerio Gomez CSsR, our new Superior General who sent this to the Union of Redemptorists of Brazil on October 12. While this statement is meant for his confreres in Brazil, it might as well be addressed to all of us Redemptorists, for in the document, he highlights the complex and challenging times in which we live and asks for courage from all of us:

    “We are experiencing a phenomenon to which we must be very attentive: the erosion of democracy, the use of religion to manipulate reality and to impose fear and exclusion on the poor. This reality should make us think. We must be wise as children of light,’ says one of the excerpts from the letter.

    The spread of fake news can be related to the sin against the eighth commandment: ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness!’ It is an enormous disservice to the truth.”

    “How can we believe in the true God and defend weapons, persecute traditional religions, destroy Mother Nature, and not invest in public health, education, science and social policies for the benefit of the poorest and the country’s development? How can we believe in the motto ‘the truth that sets us free’ (Jn 8:32)? However, we live with the flood of lies that deceive people and create reality.

    How is it possible to speak out against abortion yet advocate the death of blacks, indigenous people, homosexuals, and women, the death penalty, cover up domestic violence, reaffirm machismo, promote prejudice against northerners and minorities, and cause social mistreatment? The teaching of the Church is evident in affirming ‘the inviolability and dignity of life from conception to natural death (JPII Evangelium vitae, 2)’.”

             Third is the recent letter of Fr. Gomez to all Redemptorists around the world, issued on the Feast of St. Gerard last October 16 addressed to everyone in the congregation from superiors to Council members, Secretariats to Formation Teams, professed and lay missionaries and even the formandi. In this letter he affirms the important role of the Brothers in the congregation, but is in crisis owing to lack of promotion and attention and calling on everyone to find creative ways to recruit and form Brothers to reverse the present reality of their dwindling numbers.

                All these are framed within the call for the coming sexennium, namely that we all strive to be missionaries of hope in the footsteps of the Redeemer. There are many reasons why sometimes we feel discouraged owing to the sad global realities (the impact of climate change, the repercussions of the pandemic, wars and conflicts, consumerism, secularism, individualism, etc.), the national situation (return of dictatorship, unchecked corruption, patronage politics, inflation, rising prices, etc.) and even dynamics within our own congregation.

    But we are supposed to be children of the light, filled with hope that God never abandons His people. However, that hope can only be nurtured if – through following in Jesus’ footsteps – we are truly able to witness to plentiful redemption which is reflected in our faithfulness to the mission of serving the most abandoned, and sharing a community life lived not in affluent comfort but following the model of Jesus and his disciples.

                 We pray that the Provincial Chapters that will be unfolding in our two units would lead us to the path earlier taken by St. Alphonsus, St. Clement, St. Gerard and all our confreres who through the years since we were founded followed in the Redeemer’s footsteps!

  • ON TAKING RISKS AND NOT LOSING HOPE

    ON TAKING RISKS AND NOT LOSING HOPE

    March 15, 2020 – Feast of St. Clement Maria Hofbauer, CSsR

    Have you failed recently? Is life too difficult these days? Are you confused, depressed and sad of what is happening with your family, studies, work and your entire life now?

                Do not lose hope. Keep the positivity. Keep dreaming!

                Despite failures and difficulties, God has always something good and wonderful prepared for us that we may not yet aware of as of this moment. Life could be difficult these days for you, but never lose hope. Never be afraid of taking risk in trusting your loved ones, your friends, the Church and God especially.

                Today March 15, we, in the Redemptorist Family throughout the whole world, celebrates the Feast of St. Clement Maria Hofbauer. He is considered as the Second Founder of the Redemptorist Family because he took the risk and never lost his hope despite the many challenges and difficulties he faced. It was because of him that the Redemptorists are now present in more than 70 countries around the globe.

                St. Clement was born in Moravia, which is now in Czech Republic. He met “major, major” challenges in his life. At an early age, war had torn his childhood. His father died when he was seven. His mother was poor. As a young man, he had to work and study at the same time to reach his dream.  This is an experience of many working-students today.

                He dreamed of becoming a priest but it seemed that it was just so difficult. Moreover, he pursued his studies by becoming a baker and other works. Yet, as he applied to the local seminary, he was refused. However, this did not discourage him. He became a hermit at the beginning. A hermit is a person who lives alone in a remote place, dedicating life into prayer and penance.

                But, with his friend, Thaddeus Hubl, they journeyed to Rome to find a seminary who might welcome them. There in Rome, they found the Redemptorist Missionaries and expressed their desire, but still, though they had been accepted yet they experienced discrimination because they were not Italians. Again with His friend, Thaddeus, after their ordination, they volunteered and took the risk of doing missions outside Italy. They went to Warsaw, Poland, an action that was unimaginable by the Redemptorists at that time.

                St. Clement was indeed a risk taker and a believer of hope in God’s providence and generosity. In Poland, he revived a dying Church, founded an orphanage and helped victims of war. All these had been his childhood experiences. He lost his father at an early age and was displaced many times because of war. The difficulties of the past made him ready for this kind of challenges.

                However, he and his co-Redemptorists were expelled from Poland when another war broke out. They had to flee until they reached Vienna. Despite the difficulties, Clement did not lose hope. In fact, he made those difficult moments as opportunities to serve God and serve the people around them, whom he loved.

                In Vienna, he met and changed the lives of many young people, intellectuals and academicians. His presence and experiences in life became an inspiration to many. This was because he too was a witness of constant hoping amidst difficulties and challenges in life. He learned how to listen and dialogue with different kinds of people and won their hearts for the sake of Christ.

                In those times, he found God most near to him. And in those difficult times he allowed God to transform him, becoming a person for others by loving and serving, and not in complaining, bitterness and being depressed.

                So, chillax guys! St. Clement did it and so, we can! Continue to dream. Take the risk of trusting God and in not losing hope. All struggles of today shall bear good and wonderful fruits tomorrow. St. Clements has proven that to us!

  • Here the will of God is done, as God wills, as long as God wills

    Here the will of God is done, as God wills, as long as God wills

    October 16, 2021 – Feast of St. Gerard Majella, Redemptorist Saint

    “Here the will of God is done, as God wills, as long as God wills.”

    These are St. Gerard’s words of wisdom to us, and to himself. Until now, on the door of his room in Deliceto, Italy where he was formed as Redemptorist & in Materdomini, where he was assigned until his death, Gerard placed a sign with these words: “Here the will of God is done, as God wills, as long as God wills” to remind others & himself who he is, & what his life is all about. 

    Somehow these words reflect the content, the means & the purpose of his life, as Christian. “Here God’s will is done”… His life is all about doing God’s will. “As God wills”… and he does God’s will, by means & through God’s ways, & none other. “As long as God wills”…  and he does God’s will in God’s design & purposes. Somehow this is Gerard’s way of proclaiming that, as God’s will for us, our Lord Jesus Christ is His Way, His Truth & His Life.

    His words of wisdom are based on his lived experience of faith and life, & not just product of inspirations from prayers & contemplation. As frail child, Gerard experienced a lot of bullying & rejections. While working as apprentice tailor, many times he was rejected entrance to seminary & religious life. Not until that he became involved with Redemptorists on mission in their town in Muro Lucano that he was able to join the Redemptorist, though not without the recommendation: “I am sending you a useless brother.” As young Redemptorist, Gerard had bouts of mistreatments, even from his fellow Redemptorists. Like, Alphonsus disciplined Gerard for being humbly silent about a false accusation made against. His deep empathy & remarkable apostolic zeal of counselling & taking care of the poor people have also garnered jealousy & hatred among his very own confreres. And in a highly feudal society & clericalized church of his time, he ran into conflict with his superiors & brother priests vis-à-vis the witness & practice of religious life.

    Despite these odds, all along what sustained Gerard are these words to himself: “Here the will of God is done, as God wills, as long as God wills.” Like St. Paul, Gerard deeply believed that Jesus Christ made him His own, and thus Gerard made Christ his Own. Same way, as Jesus also said in our gospel: “the Father will honor whoever serves me”, Gerard served & followed the Lord, and in life has been favored with many spiritual gifts, among which were prophecy, reading people’s heart & miracles. And now honored in the church as our Saint & patron of expectant mothers.

    Like Gerard, may our Christian faith & life always be attuned with God’s will, so that we may enjoy God’s plentiful redemption now and always. Amen.