CATHOLIC PATEROS, NJ. The Filipino. San Roque & Santa Martha devotees recreate beloved Philippine tradition

Transcription

1 The Filipino CATHOLIC VOL. 16, NO. 1 Spreading the Good News August 10 - September 7, 2011 PATEROS, NJ San Roque & Santa Martha devotees recreate beloved Philippine tradition The Filipino Catholic visits tallest Divine Mercy Statue

2 Pateros Fiesta Regenerated by Rene Tubilleja Every third Saturday in July, the Pateraneans of the Northeast celebrate their Town Fiesta in the grounds of the Holy Face Monastery in Montclair/Clifton, New Jersey. They have been celebrating this festive event continuously since They try to recreate the practices in their hometown of Pateros, which include talent shows, contests, and lots of games for the kids. The main event of the Fiesta, which makes it uniquely of Pateros, is the dancing procession. The statues of the town patron saints, Saint Martha and Saint Roque, are not just carried in the usual solemn walk through the town, but are actually danced in a lively fandango tune. The carriers of the float have to dance in precise steps so that the statues would sway gracefully above the procession that is also dancing to the same music. It is meant to show the townsfolk s joy and gratitude for the blessings received, but in a more expressive and unique way. The Pateros dancing procession would not be complete without the pasubo. People along the route of the procession would throw goodies and money at the procession also in gratitude for the blessings and to share their bounty. The Pateros Fiesta in New Jersey this year recreated all that. There was a dancing procession and pasubo, a folk dance presentation from the children of Piscataway, games for kids and adults, and, of course, lots of food. One very significant change this year is the more active participation of the younger generation in the celebrations. The carriers of the ondas or float are much younger now than the ones people are used to seeing in the past. It is hoped that they would continue the tradition. The other significant change is the integration of the Hermana Mayor role. Until last year, the Hermana and family would take care of all the preparations, invitations, food and drinks, games and prizes, decorations, etc. Starting this year, the role of Hermana is not given to just one family, but collectively to a geographical group. This year was organized by the South Jersey group. Next year will be North Jersey and the following year would be New York The Dancing Procession Fun and games for everyone Right: Devotees of San Roque and Santa Marta gather in front of the statues of the saints. Below: Young Pateraneans provide entertainment for the guests. Page 2 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

3 The Filipino Catholic The Filipino Catholic (BN ), an independent newsmagazine with editorial offices at 453 Hawthorne Ave., Uniondale, NY 11553, is published monthly and distributed free in New York. The Filipino Catholic is staffed by volunteers. Views expressed by the contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or the Catholic Church. LETTERS AND CONTRIBUTIONS Contributions from our readers are welcome but subject to approval, editing and condensation. Please include names, addresses and phone numbers on all correspondence. However, unpublished materials cannot all be acknowledged or returned. ADVERTISING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS The Filipino Catholic is funded by the support of advertisers and subscribers. Advertisements do not infer implicit endorsement by the Filipino Catholic. Advertising rates are available upon request. One year subscription is available for a donation of $25 or more. Contributing Writers & Columnists: Rev. Peter James R. Alindogan Fr. Ruben Cammayo Msgr. Ruben Dimaculangan Robert Fernandez Andrea Florendo Erlinda Franco Fr. Mike Lagrimas Fr. Joseph Marabe Araceli Medrano Mario Nieves Maria Pascual Norma Pascual John Primi Fr. Ronald Quijano Sonia S. Salerni Dean Suba Rene Tubilleja Laura Vogel Photography Albert Betito Henry Medrano Rick Santisteban Circulation & Distribution Wendel Javier Jun Makinano Spiritual Director Fr. Joe Cadusale Editor & Publisher Manny Pascual Write us at: The Filipino Catholic P.O. Box 3067 Garden City, NY (516) phone/fax FilCath@optonline.net Manny Pascual Over here, we call her by her nickname: Filcath. With God nothing shall be impossible. - Luke 1:37 FROM THE EDITOR Sixteen. That s how old she will be this month. For her sweet sixteen there will be no special invitations, no lavish party, no stylish outfits, no chauffeur driven limo. Not even a cake. There will, of course, be a mass of thanksgiving. And like her previous birthdays, friends will be served pancit and pan de sal... and if the budget allows, some arroz caldo. It will, nevertheless, be a joyous and love-filled occasion. She was born in the most austere condition. If having no funds to nurture her growth was bad enough, being a Filipino made it even worse. When people learned that she was also Catholic, they started to talk: She is not going to last long. But with God s grace, constant prayers and the love and help of loyal friends, she managed to survive. For 16 years. Amid challenges and trials. But most people know her by her full name: The Filipino Catholic. On this the 16 th year of our publication, let me give thanks to the special people who are the very life and soul of the Filipino Catholic: Fr. Joe Cadusale, Msgr. Ruben Dimaculangan, Fr. PJ Alindogan, Fr. Joseph Marabe, Fr. Ronald Quijano, Fr. Ruben Cammayo, Fr. Mike Lagrimas, Rene Tubilleja, Cely Medrano, Norma Pascual, Maria Pascual, Dean Suba, Laura Vogel, Jojo Carolipio, Robert Fernandez, Rey Lauron, Rolando Nolasco, Sonia Salerni, Andrea Florendo, John Primi, Henry Medrano, Mario Nieves, Erlinda Franco, Rick Santisteban, Albert Betito, Wendel Javier, Lily Ulep and Jun Makinano. Let me not forget those who had worked with us in the past: Fr. Euly Belizar, Fr. Claude D Souza, Jean Young, Gilda Abejar, Tim Aldaba, Felix Vinluan, Letty Conste, Alice Francisco, Del Chavez and Tony Lobacz. Also included in our thanksgiving and prayer are those who had already gone home to our Father in heaven: Fr. Bobby Sison, Fr. Alfred Guthrie, Fr. James Reuter, Fr. Basil Colasito, Danny Domingo, Tessie Rodriguez. Needless to say, our readers play a significant role in our still being around. Without our readers and the encouragement we receive from them we would not be able to go through the tough times that we sometimes face. So we thank them and we are grateful to them for their unending support. Special thanks to those kind hearted people who would occasionally send us some help to meet our financial needs. When we published our maiden issue, a lot of people were very skeptical and predicted that we wouldn t last a few months. They insisted that a Filipino newspaper that promotes Christian values was certainly headed for disaster. But we persisted and in our persistence, the Lord provided us with the right resources to continue and to grow. Here we are 16 years later still preaching and spreading the Good News of the Lord. Praise God! Of Faith And Practicality Artificial Intelligence and the Sin of Pride We who are constantly working with computers can never doubt the existence of God. Making a computer and developing the program that runs it is obviously the work of an intelligent being. One cannot just throw parts of a computer into a spinning washing machine and hope that in a million, nay gazillion, years they would by some chance all fall into place and become a computer. Now let s step back and consider our own existence. Aren t we human beings just like a well-designed computer? Everything is just right; in the right places, in the right amount of material, in the right combinations, doing the right things. Why then would people think that we evolved accidentally from an amoeba? In recent years, there have been many computerized robots created to automate many of our manual tasks. Some have even been programmed to work independently like they were using human mental processes. They are called AI, for Artificial Intelligence. They have the ability to make decisions based on external by Rene Tubilleja factors and to learn from ongoing experience with those factors. Each one of them has a maker whose intelligence and way of thinking are reflected in their programs. They can never be greater than their maker. They depend on their maker to achieve what they were meant to accomplish. At the completion of their task they must return it to their maker and be at peace as they participate in the satisfaction of the accomplished mission. God is our Maker. In spite of our great intellectual accomplishments, we are but AI s designed to minimally pattern His immeasurable intelligence. He put everything that makes us work intelligently in a program called the soul. Without it we are just like a useless heap of metal with no operating system, like a crashed computer. Even animals and plants have some kind of operating system for them to survive, grow and replicate. However, we need to nurture this soul with periodic updates because there are viruses and malware out there intended to destroy us or take us away from our Maker. Our original sin is the sin of pride. We think we are so intelligent that we begin to believe we know it all and that there is no God who is greater than us. We are our own makers. That alone shows us how imperfect this intelligence is. The worse part of it all is that this pride prevents us from seeking periodic updates from our Maker. This makes us highly vulnerable to all the dangers out there sown by sinister AI s who have fallen victims to their own pride. Our Maker loves us and cares for our well-being, and seeing that our pride is slowly destroying us, came to us Himself to show us the right way. He took the form of a seemingly imperfect AI in Jesus Christ so that we who are blinded by our own pride could understand Him and listen to Him. It is like the IT department talking to us in layman s terms and hooking up directly to our own monitors so we could see and understand what s happening. Jesus made for us a direct connection to God for the nurturing updates and additional security protections, and left us the owner s manual and the tools to make it work. I m sure you know what I m talking about. Let s just remember to keep that direct line with God, which Jesus has painfully set up for us, open at all times with prayer. While we re at it, let s also continue to download all the bountiful blessings available for us there. The Sacraments are the tools for doing so and the Bible is the owner s manual. Our Mama Mary holds a key to the shortcuts to these bounties and she would freely and lovingly share it with anyone who calls her for it. Her assumption of this role is celebrated this month, when she was taken up into Heaven in both body and soul. The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 3

4 FROM THE PULPIT Solomon s Prayer by Fr. Peter James R. Alindogan A married couple in their early 60s was celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant. Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table. She said, For being such an exemplary married couple and for being loving to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish. The wife answered, Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband. The fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - two tickets for the cruise ship Queen Victoria appeared in her hands. The husband thought for a moment: Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I m sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me. The wife and the fairy were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish. So the fairy waved her magic wand and poof! The husband became 92 years old. What do you want from me? When Solomon was asked by God that question, he did not hesitate in his response. Instead of answering from what he wanted or what he needed, he replied from God s standpoint by saying, O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant. Therein lies one of the secrets of Christianity: God is always the beginning of our wants and needs because God is always the end of what we want and what we need. Our prayers are answered and our wishes are granted when they begin with and from God. Jesus Himself said so because God knows more than what we know. Therein also lies one of the secrets of Christian morality. To live rightly and justly means to look from and through the eyes of God. We will always see and find mistakes in others when we judge from our own perspectives. All of us are given the same gift. All of us are guided by the same Spirit. All of us are loved by the same God. There is no reason to compare when there is no excuse to despair. Good Heavens! Mt 13:44-52 The first words we utter in the morning can be a very effective way of knowing our mental and emotional condition. If we wake up in the morning and we say, Good morning, Lord, we have a peaceful and happy disposition for the day. But if we say, Good Lord, it s morning, that means a rough day is ahead of us. Every morning we have every reason to thank and praise God. This is easy to see for those people who are simple and humble, the child-like people of the Beatitudes. Jesus praised the heavenly Father for them: I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for what you have hidden from the clever and the learned, you have revealed to the merest by Fr. Mike Lagrimas children (Mt 11:25). These are the ones who have discovered the mysteries of the Kingdom and who clearly see the wonders that God does at every moment of every day. But for people who are steeped in selfishness and worldly attractions, unfortunately, that is not the case. Their greed for material things, and their insatiable egoistic desires made their eyes blind to the supernatural and heavenly realities, which are the true and lasting treasures. This is what Blessed Pope John Paul II referred to when he said, The greatest misfortune of this age is that people consider money as the highest good. The scourge of this present humanity is materialism. When it rules, the spiritual matters invariably disappear, and the true and lasting treasures lose their value. Last Sunday, we reflected on the terrible reality of hell, the unquenchable fire of eternal punishment. For this Sunday, let us fix our eyes on the infinitely priceless treasure of heaven. The Gospel gives three parables of the Kingdom of God, about heaven. Just as hell is not only a geographical place, but is rather the state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed (CCC, no. 1033), so also is heaven not really a physical place. Indeed, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness (no.1024). In other words, if hell is the state of being away from God, heaven, on the other hand, is the state of being in the presence of God, being with God. The good news is that even though we are still on earth, it is possible for us to have a taste and a glimpse of heaven. This happens in and through Jesus, the true God in human flesh. The early Fathers of the Church loved to refer to Jesus as the autobasileia. Auto means self and basileia means kingdom. Jesus is himself the Kingdom of God. To enter the Kingdom of God, therefore, is to enter into a relationship with Jesus. When we are with Jesus, we are in a state of supreme happiness for we are with God. We are in However, we may have the hindsight, but not the sight. We may have the sight, but not the foresight. We may have the foresight, but not the insight. We overlook what is already there before us. We take for granted what was already given to us. We miss the obvious. It is obvious that the kingdom of heaven is more precious and more valuable than all our wisdom, treasures and gifts. It is obvious that the kingdom of God is in the here and now. It is obvious that Jesus is inviting us all to His kingdom. Whenever we question that all of us are called according to his purpose, whenever we doubt that for those of us who love God, all things work for good and whenever we forget that God wants to share with us more than what we desire, then we need to pray for wisdom like Solomon did. Solomon s wisdom brought him to pray for a heart of understanding and not want for a long life for himself. Solomon s wisdom brought him to pray for a heart above and beyond reason and crave not for riches. Solomon s wisdom brought him to pray for a heart of love nestled like a treasure and wish not for the life of his enemies. We know how the story of Solomon ended. We also know how the story of Solomon began. But more so, we know that when he made his request, the Lord was pleased. He gave him more than he wanted. heaven, our greatest treasure. How do we come into direct contact with God while on earth? How do we get some taste and glimpse of heaven on earth? Pope Benedict XVI said, The Liturgy is the act in which we believe that God enters our lives and that we touch Him...We come into contact with God. He comes to us and we are illumined by Him ( Light of the World, p. 155). In a very unique and special way, Jesus is really present in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist. Blessed Pope John Paul II said, The liturgy we celebrate on earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy (Angelus, Nov. 3, 1996). He further said that, in fact, It is the eternal worship of Heaven, but it is also steeped in time. (Address on Liturgy to the US Bishops,1998). A famous biblical scholar in the US, Dr. Scott Hahn, said, When Jesus comes again at the end of time, he will not have a single drop more glory than he has right now upon the altars and in the tabernacles of our churches. God dwells among mankind, right now, because the Mass is heaven on earth (The Lamb s Supper, p.116). St. John Chrysostom attested to this truth: When Mass is celebrated, the sanctuary is filled with countless angels who adore the Divine Victim immolated on the altar. In the Gospel this Sunday, the man who found the buried treasure in a field sold everything he had in order to buy that field. The merchant who found the pearl of great price sold everything in order to buy it. Jesus is talking about the priceless value of heaven that one can readily sacrifice everything just to possess it. Can we let go of our valued possessions in favor of heaven? Are we willing to invest all our hard-earned savings of a lifetime on the Lord s promise of eternal glory in heaven? But heaven is not just some abstract idea. Heaven is real, for it is Jesus himself. And Jesus is here with us in the Mass! Are we ready to leave behind our tasks at home just to be here at Mass on Sunday? Are we ready to sacrifice that baseball game, or forget about that cold beer with our friends and taste the sweetness of heaven here in the Mass with Jesus? Is that beach party next Sunday more interesting than the experience of heaven on earth in the Mass? This is something we have to think about very seriously. We are Catholics. We have the fullness of the Truth. We have all the sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ. And we encounter and receive Jesus really present in the Eucharist. Unfortunately, many of us take our Catholic faith for granted. We often tend to neglect Sunday Mass. This is very sad. St. Anselm said, A single Mass offered for oneself during life may be worth more than a thousand celebrated for the same intention after death. St. Margaret Redi of the Sacred Heart bewailed the people s lack of reverence towards the Eucharist: Ah, what continual irreverence he receives from man in his own house! In his humility, he deigns to dwell in our midst, yet how often is he neglected and forgotten, left in empty churches, while in his turn, he never grows weary of this lonely vigil. Truly Love is not loved! Let us ask God to continually grant us the gift of wisdom, like the one granted to Solomon, and to open the eyes of our faith so that each time we come to Mass, we will be able to see the infinite beauty and priceless value of heaven despite the distractions and limitations of this material world. May we eagerly look forward to every Sunday as a great blessing and a precious opportunity for us to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, have a taste heaven on earth, and begin to enjoy eternal happiness now and for eternity. Page 4 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

5 FAMILY and CULTURE by: Fr. Ronald S. Quijano, SThD Prayer Requests Every year I go to Rome, a friend in La Salle Chapel usually reminds me to bring her prayer requests. I sometimes offer them in a church known for having a miraculous saint. Of course I try to hide it discreetly that I will not be reprimanded by the caretakers. Recently I received a letter written by a teacher interceding for her four year old son who was having a severe ailment. She heard me preaching in the church preaching about the relevance of Blessed John Paul in the lives of Filipinos. Though hesitant to approach me, she gave me a letter addressed to the blessed pontiff which I gladly brought to Rome. I placed it near the black statue of St. Peter near the main altar, partly hidden inside the candle holder. I believe that prayers are answered once we offer it with humility and total dependence on God s grace. Not all of parishioners can go and witness these activities in Rome, so every time I participate in their liturgy I always bear in mind all the prayer intentions of the clergy, the faithful, especially friends in crisis whom I can be of help through my prayers. I know a good friend who has a deep devotion to Sta. Rita di Cascia. She prayed well to her when she was having difficulty in her pregnancy. I baptized her son and I was also one of the godparents. Though I did not promise her to visit Cascia, if God willing, I would love to do pilgrimage to Sta. Rita. As I write this column in Paris, and tomorrow I will be travelling back to the Philippines, my thoughts are focused on those persons who have physical infirmities and those who have difficulty in terms of relationship. Sta. Rita is incorruptible and her forehead has an open wound as a way of sharing in the crown of thorns of the crucified Christ. She is considered as patroness of suffering wife and mothers. It was May 2 when Fr. Jude, Merle and I went to Cascia. From Tiburtina station we took the bus at 7.30m for two and a half. It s a remote place and has one round trip for the whole day. Sta. Rita of Cascia is considered as the Saint of the Second Millennium while St. Faustina Kowalska is the Saint of the Third Millennium. In fact during the Jubilee Year 2000, the coffin containing her incorruptible body was airlifted by the helicopter and brought to the St. Peter s Square during her feast day, May 22. Everything went well. We took the stairs leading to her basilica, after our prayers, we had our lunch there and took again the bus going back to Rome. Along the way we saw the waterfalls of Terni, it s the source of hydro-electric supply of Rome. We reached Rome and had dinner at T-Bone in Via Franchesco Selci near Barberini with Fr. Ruel and Fr. Elmer who met us on the road. May Sta. Rita intercede for all women, wife and mothers. Amen Holy Infant The Holy Child Jesus is a powerful symbol of Filipino Catholicism brought by the Spanish missionaries who evangelized the Philippines more than four hundred years ago. Ten years from now, the year 2021 we will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Christianization of the Philippines. The Holy Child devotion plays a major part in our spiritual maturity. Of course there are still many areas of life need to be explored for we have been sacramentalized and not fully evangelized, yet in one way or another, we have been blest also as a people through the Holy Child Jesus. In downtown Rome, there is a Basilica of Sta. Maria di Aracaeli which enshrines the famous Bambino Gesú, an image of the Baby Jesus which was a gift of the Spanish monarch. Doing my pilgrimage in Prague, Czech Republic last May 6-8, 2011 I noticed that their Holy Infant Jesus enshrined in the Church of Our Lady of Victory was a gift of St. Teresa de Avila to a benefactress in that city who supported financially their monastery. The devotion to the Holy Child Jesus was propagated by the Spanish Carmelites as a symbol of humility, simplicity and total devotion to God s grace. Most of the churches in Prague were closed down during the communist regime. It was even a prohibited to give information to tourists on where to find a church to attend mass. But people kept on going to the Church of our Lady of Victory because of their great love for the Holy Child. Through him they were strengthened in their faith, they learned how to hope, and deepened their love. It is only in Prague that the cathedral is not owned by the archdiocese. The archbishop pays the government every time he celebrates Sunday mass for it has been sequestered during communist era and several attempts have been made on the part of the Church authorities and the current parliament to return its management to the archbishop but nothing happened. Though they are a free republic now, yet their mind set concerning religion is, the cathedral belongs to the people and not to the Vatican. This beautiful gothic cathedral is named after St. Vitus and one of the precious relics found at the main altar was the tomb of St. John Nepomuceno, the archbishop of the cathedral who was martyred for not breaking the sacramental seal of confession. I did my Sunday mass at the Church of Our Lady of Victory, though it was said by the Carmelite priest in Czech language, it was just fine for me. What I treasured so much was my quality time spent contemplating with the image of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague. The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 5

6 TAGALOG Mga Bagay na Bumubuo sa Tao Katawan Laman Kaluluwa Hinga SA LATIN: Copus Caro, Carnis Animus, Anima, Animum Spiritus SA GRIEGO: Soma Sarx Psyche Pneuma SA INGLES: Body Flesh Mind, Soul, Psyche - Spirit Karaniwan sa nilikhang may buhay ay may katawan at kaluluwa. Ang tao lamang ang may pangatlong by Rev. Ruben Cammayo katangian na kakaiba sa mga nakikitang may buhay. At yaong pagkakaiba ng tao ay ang kanyang hinga, spiritus. Itong hinga ay ang ating pakikibahagi sa Banal na Hininga:...at ang Hininga ng Poon ay humahagibis sa ibabaw ng katubigan... - Genesis 1, 1) Ibig sabihin, naroon na po ang Banal na Pamukha, si Hininga, bago nilalang ang nilkha......kapagdaka naghubog ang Poong Bathala ng tao mula sa putik/lusak/luwad/ abo ng lupa at hiningahan Niya sa kanyang mukha ang lagusan ng buhay at ito ay naging tao, isang kaluluwang nabubuhay... Genesis 2, 7) Ibig sabihin sa pangalwang kasaysayan ng likha ay ganito: si Bathala ay waring mangpapalayok na humubog ng tao. Dito payak ang kahulugan: ang tao ay buhat sa lusak ng lupa at Hininga ng Bathala. Kaya may katangian tayo ng lupa at ng Bathala. (Ang unang kasaysayan naman ng Likha na tao ay makikita sa Genesis 1, 27:...at nilikha ng Bathala ang tao sa Kanyang wangis, sa wangis ng Bathala nilikha siya, lalaki at babae nilikha Niya sila... Genesis 1, 27) karunungang ng Maylikha, na hindi man lamang malilirip nang lubusan ng nilikhang tao. Gayunpaman ang tao na wangis at hugis ng Bathala na namamahala at nagmamahal sa lahat ay magtatatamasa ng saya at laya sa gawa ng Maylikha. Kaya ang ayos ng sansinukob, ang antas at taas ng kalikhaan, ang panimulaing kilos, at ang Kilos na magpakailanman, ang dahilan ng kalahatan, ang hangganan at hantungan ng nilikha, ang karanasan ng sangkatauhan, ang mga himala at kababalaghan ng kabuhayan, ang bakas at kahayanan ng Kataastaasang Dakilang Hayan, ang katha ng sandaigdigan at sanlibutan, ang budhi ng sangkatauhan, ang ganda at galing ng nilikha, ang madayang sala at tagumpay ng biyaya, ang bagong likha ni Kristo, ang ikot ng kalikasan at ng kaplanetahan, ang sukdulan at kaganapan ng panahon, atbp.- Lahat ay kahangahangang karaniwan ng Makapangyarihang Maylikha. At sa ibatibang tao naman, masasabi na: Ang Malay tao kung magisip ay bayanihan, balangayan, bahayan, at ngayon bansaan. Ang Makakristo kung magmahal ay tungkol sa palataya..., at kaligtasan ng tao. Ang Makakano ay mapagmahal tungkol sa bagay ng Amerika. Ang Makafelipe ay mapagmahal tungkol sa bagay ng Espania. Ang Makahapon ay mapagmahal tungkol sa Japan. Ibig sabihin, ang tao ay nilikha ng Bathala, na may isip at damdamin, ang lalaki at babaing isip at damdamin ay nilikha ng Bathala, pinagpala Niya sila, at nagsabi sa kanila na Lumago kayo. Crescite Magpakarami kayo. Multiplicamini Muling Punuin ninyo ang lupa. Replete terram Sugpuin ninyo ito. Subicite eam. Pangasiwaan ninyo... Dominamini piscibus maris et volatilibus caeli et...gen. 1, 27ff....At ang Salita ay naging laman...(et Verbum caro factum est. - Johannes 1, 14) Ibig sabihin pala, ang laman ay hindi masama sapagkat tinanggap ng Banal na Salita. May parunong noon na yamang masama ang laman, hindi maaaring Bathala ang Salita sapagkat ang tunay na Bathala ay walang sabit ng masama, at sa kanilang parunong si Jesus daw ay hindi Poong Bathala sapagkat tumanggap ng laman. Subalit sa pagiging laman, sa pagtahan ng laman sa piling ng mga tao, tayo ay niligtas. Si Kristo Jesus ay hindi makataong pamukha, bagkus Siya ay makabathalang Pamukha. Iyan ang hiwaga at himala ng Isang makabathalang Pamukha, subalit dalawa ang likas, makatao at makabathala, hindi lito, hindi hilo, iba sila subalit isa sa Makabathalang Pamukha. At si Paulus naman ay naghangad nang ganito:...samantala naway ang tanang Bathala ng kapayapaan ay magpabanal sa inyo sa pamamagitan ng lahat na bagay, at naway kupkupin Niya kayo na buo ninyong hinga at kaluluwa at katawan walang angal sa pagdating ng ating Poong Jesus na Kristo. - 1 Thessalonika 5, 23 Kaya masasabi na ang lahat na tao ay binubuo ng katawan, o laman, kaluluwa at hinga. Ang tao ngayon sa daigdig ay may 6.93 billion (US Census Bureau). Kahit na ba marami ang tao, sila ay magkakaiba pa rin. Si kambal ay minsan ay lalaki, at babae, tulad nina Banal Benedictus at Banal Scholastica. Sa makajudea at makakristong pananaw, nagpapahayag lamang ito ng ibayong Ang Makaanglosaxon ay tungkol sa England. Ang Chino/Tsino ay tungkol sa China. Ang Katipun naman ay mapagmahal tungkol sa Katipunan at sa kanyang Res Publica, ibig sabihin, Pangmadlang Bagay, o Pangmamamayang Bagay, o Pambansang Bagay. Kung ang lipunan ay isinalin bilang Latin societas o society, ang tipunan naman ay masasabi bilang Hebreong qahal, Griegong ekklesia, Latin ecclesia, Spanish iglesia, Tagalog simbahan, Bikol sambahan, atbp. Ganito ito sapagkat tinipon sila si Yahweh, o Elohim, o Adonai, o ni Bathala. Ang makabathalang tinipunan bilang mabuti at banal ay naisasalarawan din sa makataong samahan. At sa tulong ng pahayag ng Ama, Anak at Hininga, at sa tulong ng katuwiran, at karanasan ng tao, ang pagunawa natin ay umuunlad sa bawat taon at daantaon. Sa antas ng katotohanan, kabutihan at kabanalan, tayo ay dapat lamang makasabay sa takbo at galing ng sangkatauhan. At sa panahon ngayon ng katalaan, o computer, sa lakas ng lambatan, o internet, sa dami ng lawangtanawan, o websites, sa panahon ng googles, facebook at ipad2, marapat lamang magpunyagi sa kaunlaran at kalakaran ng buhay, kaparaanan ng diwa, at kaligtasan ng tao. Tunay na ang bawat tao sa kanyang paligid at patubuan ay may sariling pananaw at pamigkas tungkol sa hiram na buhay, pagibig, hilig at daigdig, upang tuklasin at mahalin ng tao ang Maygawa ng lahat na nakikita at dinakikita, ang Poong Bathala- Ama, Anak, at Hininga. A.A.H, salamat po sa Kanyang Kamahalan. A.A.H, salamat sa kapwa tao na may mabuting kalooban... Bahala si Bathala. Nasa tao ang gawa, nasa Kanya ang awa. Amen. Page 6 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

7 PINAKA Peter James R. Alindogan Hindi siya magaling kumanta tulad ni Charice. Hindi rin siya magaling sa boksing tulad ni Manny. At hindi rin siya magaling sa mga katangiang likas at bukod sa mga Pilipino. Ngunit pangalan niya y nakaukit na sa pahina ng mga aklat, anyo niya y nakita na sa tabing ng telebisyon at internet. Siya si Junrey Balawing. Pinoy na nagkamit ng parangal maliban sa mga iginagawad ng pamahalaan, sining, paglingkod at pananampalataya. Pinoy na nakilala hindi sa kanyang angking talino, sigla o pananalita. Pinoy na nasaksihan ng karamihan dahil wala nang hihigit pa sa kanya. Hindi dahil sa siya y payak at mataba. Hindi dahil sa siya y napapaiyak at napapaluha sa tuwing makakita ng mga taong katawan ay mahahaba. Kundi dahil sa siya y pandak at mababa. Sa mga taong hindi hiyang sa Star Margarine, sa mga taong mga unano marahil ang mga ninuno at sa mga bonsai ipinaglihi, sa mga taong talampakan lamang ang bilang, siya na yata ang pinaka sa mga pinaka. M a b a b a Wala ng hihigit pa. Wala ng lalampas pa. Sukdulan na. Ngunit katulad nating lahat, may aral sa kuwento niya, may dahilan sa buhay niya, at may pangako sa kinabukasan niya. Hindi dahil sa mababa siya, wala ng pag-asa. Hindi dahil sa mababa siya, wala ng bukas. At hindi dahil sa mababa siya, wala ng buhay. Dahil tao pa rin siya tulad natin. Ginawa at nililok ng Panginoon sa kanyang isipan. Minahal at niligtas ng Diyos sa kanyang kahirapan. Inangking banal ng Diyos sa kanyang katauhan. Ang pagiging pandak ay isang katotohanan na sa maliliit na bagay nagsisimula ang anumang taas na kahihinatnan. Ang pagiging pandak ay isang katunayan na lahat tayong ginawa ng Diyos ay may karapatang hinahawakan. Ang pagiging pandak ay isang kaganapan ng mundong patuloy na hinuhubog at inaalagaan ng Maykapal. Kaya ito ang ginawang aral ni Santo Tomas upang patunayang mayroong Diyos. Sa mga taong labis ang pag-aalinlangan sa gitna ng kasamaan at kasinungalingan, sa mga taong labis ang pag-aatubili sa gitna ng kahirapan at kadiliman, sa mga taong labis ang pag-aagam-agam sa gitna ng luha t dalita, sinulat niya na ang mga sumusunod na salita. Kung may maganda man, mas may maganda sa pinakamaganda pa man. Kung may malakas man, mas may malakas sa pinakamalakas pa man. At kung may mabait, mas may mabait sa pinakamabait pa man. Wala ng hihigit pa sa Diyos. Sa Kanya ang katapusan. Wala ng lalampas pa sa Diyos. Sa Kanya ang hangganan. Sukdulan na ang Diyos. Sa kanya ang simulain ng lahat ng kabaitan, lakas at kagandahan. Kahangahanga si Junrey. Dahil sa kanya nalaman nating muli kung paano ang mabuhay na naiiba sa karamihan. Dahil sa kanya nabatid nating muli ang pagkakaiba ng ating mga katangian. Dahil sa kanya naniwala tayong muli na may Panginoon. Pinakamatangkad sa lahat na mga matangkad. Pinakamababa sa lahat na mga mababa. Ang Panginoon nating lahat. Syanga Naman! TAGALOG 1. Freedom of expression. Sa exhibit ni Mideo Cruz na ginawa sa Cultural Center of the Philippines, ipinakita ang isang krusipiho na may condom; isang collage ng larawan ni Jesus na may kahoy na bayag at isang figurine ng Kristong Hari ay may ilong ng payaso at tenga ng kuneho. Hindi pinakinggan ng management ng CCP ang protesta ng mga mananampalatayang Pilipino dahil sa covered daw ito ng freedom of expression na fundamental na karapatang ginagarantiyahan ng demokrasya. Para sa akin, merong karapatan ang bawat mamamayan pero merong karapatan ang Estado na kontrolin ang karapatang ito kung ito ay makakasira sa Msgr. Ruben M. Dimaculangan public order, sa security ng isang bansa, o makakasugat sa mga third party na nangangailangan ng proteksyon gaya ng mga bata, sa dignidad ng kababaihan, lalo na ang sensibilidad ng bawat relihiyon. Subukan kaya ni Mideo Cruz na ang tampalasanin niya ay ang Koran o anumang may kaugnayan sa Islam kagaya ng caricature na ginawa kay Prophet Muhammad sa Denmark nang Ewan ko lang kung magkakameron pa siya ng panahong mag-reason out ng freedom of expression dahil ubos ang oras nya sa katatago sa mga tumutugis sa kanya. Nais kong idagdag, ang paggalang sa iba ay paggalang din sa kanilang karapatan na magdesisyon anupaman ang sariling opinyon natin laban sa kanila. Igagalang natin ang kanilang isipan hangga t ang kanilang opinyon o desisyon ay hindi nakakasama sa iba. Kagaya ng media, ang papel nito ay hindi basta mag-report kung ano ang kanilang nasaksihan o kung ano ang katotohanan. Tulad ng hostage crisis sa Luneta nang 2010, may responsibilidad din sila sa kanilang mga tagapakinig, sa kanilang propesyon at sa demokrasya na nagbibigay sa kanila ng laya na makagalaw. Syanga naman. 2. Women Empowerment ba ang dala ng RH? Ang RH bill ay hindi tungkol sa women empowerment na nilalayon ng Millennium Development Goals. Sa katunayan nagdadala ito sa pang-aabuso ng mga kababaihan sa mga paraang hindi nila nahahalata. Women empowerment ba ang sila y malinlang dahil hindi ipinapaalam ng pharmaceutical companies ang negative effects ng contraceptives sa kanilang katawan? Empowerment ba kung a pondo ay ipagagamit lang sa pagkontrol ng anak (reproductive health) at hindi sa primary health care? Empowerment ba ang sila y maging sexual objects, bunga ng RH na promotor ng contraceptive, divorce at abortion mentality? Empowerment ba yung dahil sa RH ang pag-ibig ay parang nagiging isang kalakal? 3. Historical revisionism. Ginagawa ito, halimbawa, ng ibang mga feminists para i-revise ang history, gaya ng pag-aabante ng katayuan ng kababaihan sa kasaysayan ng daigdig at mula doon ay magsilbi itong tuntungan para ipagtanggol ang pagsasabatas ng RH, gay rights at diborsyo. Andyan si Sen. Miriam Santiago na para ipagtanggol ang RH, ay binigyan ng exaggerated na kulay ang pagpapahalaga ni Jesus sa mga kababaihan nang kapanahunan niya. Noon kasi, ang trato sa mga kababaihan at mga batang musmos ay animo y second class citizens. Andyan din si Dan Brown na sa kanyang ginawang kwento sa Da Vinci Code na nagsabing si Maria Magdalena ay asawa ni Jesus at inatasan ni Jesus na mamuno sa mga alagad matapos na sya ay mamatay sa Krus, ay ikinatuwa ng mga feminists. Jackpot sila sa natagpuang instrumento para gamiting panggatong sa argumento na dapat ilagay sa pedestal ang status at dignidad ng kababaihan. Dahil dito, sabi nila, hindi dapat pakialaman ng Simbahan ang babae kung sakaling gusto nilang mag-abortion dahil sarili naman nilang katawan ang kanilang pinagde-desisyunan. Syanga naman? 4. Super initiative. Anong sipag ng ulan nitong dalawang linggong nakalipas simula nang 24 Hulyo Halos walang tigil. Nakakainis na sipag dahil maraming kasalan at bertdeyhan ang naging handaang gitata. Pati mga bulaklak ng lanzones ay naglaglagan. Inaagosto! Magiging sobra ang mahal ngayon ng lanzones. Ang asal ng ulan na ito ay nagpapaala-ala tungkol sa ibang mga tao na kahit gumagawa ng magaling ay dumarating sa puntos na nakakainis na rin. Ha ha ha ha. Kasi naman, merong may super-initiative na sobra ang pangungunang bait. Dahil hindi sinasabi sa bossing ang kanilang initiative, nagkakameron tuloy ng conflict sa ibang mga patakaran ng parokya o ng opisina. Nakakapakamot ng ulo. At least, salamat sa Diyos, wala po akong problemang ganito. Syanga naman. 5. Ang kahulugan ng himala. Ang pagpaparami ni Jesus ng tinapay at isda ay tanda ng pagsaklolo ng Diyos sa sangkatauhang nagdaranas ng karukhaan. At nang utusan ni Jesus ang mga Alagad na sila mismo ang dapat magbahagi (Sundan sa pahina 26) The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 7

8 TAGALOG Sa bundok ng martir, aking nililiim; Panahong nagdaang nasa kanluranin; Sa lupang Europa, pinadpad ng hangin; Salipawpaw, bughaw; Francia ang may kimkim. Tuwing Biyernes mandin bundok aakyatin; Tungong Basilika, Pusong Maawain ; (Basilique du Sacre Coeur) kanilang wikain; Anupa t sa tuktok ng bulubundukin. Sandaang milyahe, aking babagtasin; Mula dormitoryo, ang ngala y Jean Calvin; Ika-limang pook Pantheon kung lakarin; Victor Hugong puntod, makata t may sining. Arenang Lutetia yaong lumang Paris; Sa umaga y bagtas, daang Sainte Genevieve; Saliw ng kampana sa tatluhang tinig; Hanggang Marin Marais, busog sa ulinig. Sa madaling araw simula ng lakad; Lansangan ng Sorbonne tanging binabagtas; Maubert Mutualite, palenkeng mahirap; Kape may matapang, mura namang bayad. Tulay lilibanin, magasawang ilog; Itaas ay rive droite; ibaba ay rive gauche; Sa pagitan naman, katedral ay gulod; Notre Dame ang bansag, Ginang nating lubos. Sa pagsinsay mandin sa dambanang mahal Niyong ating Ginang sa Paris natanghal; Butil ng Rosaryo, tanging iaalay; Simula ng layo niyong paglalakbay. Habang binabagtas ang manga lansangan; Awit ni Ka Naldo Sa Bundok ng Martir (AU COEUR DU MONTMARTRE) Manga naglilinis, nakaka-agapay; Di gaya sa New York nang bago pa lamang; Ang nais pumatay manga magnanakaw. Anupa t pagsapit sa Bundok ng Martir; Baytang ni Saint Denis, may sandaang higit; Habang inaakyat, tila mandin langit; Usal ay dalangin at awit ni David. Introibo ad altare Dei qui laetificavit Juventutem meam, dambanang sinapit Nang batang malayo sa manga ligalig; Ngayong matanda na, bulwagan ng Paris. Ngayon Basilika ng Diyos ng Pagibig; Sa pagkakatayo y tila nasa langit; Tuktok ng bulwagan, pintang ipinahid; Larawan ni Jesus na walang kawangis. Agad ala-ala yaong paring Jesuit; Ang bilin ng Padre Pacifico Ortiz; Habang nilingkuran ang misa sa Greenhills; Wika y Huwag limutin ang aming Basilique. Nuon daw sa una, bago pa ang giyera; Aring Basilika ng manga Heswita; Nang manga Aleman puspusang nagbomba; Ang banal na Hostiya ang tanging natira. Heto ngayo t layon nitong tila martir; Laluna t ang mahal na araw sasapit; Laging kaagapay sa kurus na sakbit Yumaong Cardinal Jean Marie Lustiger. Ay kung bakit baga araw na lumaon; Yaong tanging gulod laging nilalayon; Rey Lauron Ni hindi minsan man paningin natuon; Lalim ng bulwagan, hiwagang naruon. Mandin nitong huli ay kung bakit baga; Nataong bulwagan taas isinara; Kung kayat balana na manga bisita; Duon sa ilalim atas na pumunta. Bakit baga naman itong abang lingkod; Sa pagre-retiro duon napasuot; Bilang pasalamat, Detox nakaraos; Ang pagkasugapa santaong nabuhos. Sa napakatagal na pagkaka-luhod; Usal na dalangin sa Panginoong Diyos; Hindi namalayan banko ng pagluhod; Kay Sainte Therese, Lisieux, Bagong Anyong lubos. At yaon nga ay araw ng santaong lubos; Niyong pagdiriwang, layang nakaraos; At saka ng araw kamatayang daos; Anak na si Jose na nagbiling puspos. Bagong Anyo mandin, siyang naging turing; Des Etres... transfigures, pourquoi pas nous?, bilin; (Marie-Joseph Guillou, Ed. Paroles et Silence 2001) Kung ang manga banal bago kung tanawin; Bakit hindi tayo ay magkagayundin. Ang sa makatuwid, Bagong Anyo mandin; Ay manga binagtas na bulubundukin; Ng manga propetas at manga batas din; Sa gitna y Cantator Psalmorum ng sining. PACCCSI Picnic Lord s Flock Group 25th Anniversary The Philippine-American Civic and Cultural Community of Staten Island (PACCCSI) held its Annual Family Picnic at Willowbrook Park in Staten Island last July 24. Composed of some 300 families, the organization gathered together young and old alike to share native Philippine cuisine and some fun and games. Shown in the picture are current officers: President Bert Olimpo (standing at center), his wife Eileen at his left, Board secretary; Alma Geneta, treasurer (standing second from right); Board members Alys Apo, Dra. Eladia Lagmay and Manuel Carreon. Parliamentarian Bernabe Gupit is at far right, standing. Former PACCCSI presidents include Evie Mejia, Edith Reynante, Renato Gomez. Being dela Paz and Edith Gomez. Myrna Cortez Leyson, Head Servant of the Lord s Flock Prayer Group in Staten Island, speaks to guests who attended its 25th Anniversary Luncheon-Dance. It was held July 23 at the Hilton Garden Inn. The affair was preceded by Holy Mass, celebrated by Rev. Joe Cadusale (not in picture) and concelebrated by Rev. Gil Suaybaguio. Page 8 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

9 by Laura Vogel Th e O u r L a d y o f the Snows Church (OLS) bulletin shows on page one that there is a Novena on weekdays August 5 and August 8-12 at 7:30 pm, and weekends August 6-7, and August 13 at 3:00 pm. And on Sunday, August 14, is a concelebrated Mass for the Feast of San Roque. OLS is in Floral Park, Queens, th Avenue ( ). The link is html. The existence of the St. Rocco ministry at OLS is not an accident. This was organized and grew through the years as a result of the unrelenting passion and hard work led by Luz. Now it involved devotees from New Jersey to Virginia where Luz takes the image of San Roque. PROFILES IN FAITH On my grandmother s altar is a foot-long statue of San Roque. And when I was a young girl I was always intrigued because there were four statues and he was the only one that shows off a wounded part of his body. Interestingly, 25 years later, when my whole family visited the Philippines for the first time, (my kids are young adults), when we visited my Aunt s house and glanced by at her altar, they all noticed and asked who is that one with the wound on the thigh. San Roque (Rocco, Roche, Racko, Roch, and Ruckus) is especially invoked against the plague. According to his biography, he was born with a red cross marked on his breast and observed a very devoted spiritual life of fasting and poverty. He went to Italy during a plague, ministered to the sick and performed miracles to cure them. When he himself became ill and the town expelled him, he withdrew into a forest. There a spring miraculously was created and supplied him with water. A dog came upon him and supplied him with bread and licked his wounds. The dog s owner became his devoted acolyte. When he returned to France he was arrested and imprisoned as a spy. While in prison for five years he died on August 16, After his death, according to Legenda Aurea, Anon an angel brought from heaven a table divinely written with letters of gold into the prison, which he laid under the head of S. Rocke. And in that table was written that God had granted to him his prayer, that is to wit, that who that calleth meekly to S. Rocke he shall not be hurt with any hurt of pestilence. Luz Rebong and the San Roque Ministry at the Our Lady of the Snows Church Luz Rebong at home with her statue of San Roque. Luz explains that in July of 2005 there was a Feast Celebration of Saint Rocco (Roque) at a Glen Cove Parish. As she attended the Mass, her interest was picked because she had been celebrating San Roque feast day for a few years at home with a Mass and celebration with select friends and family. With the initial support of Father Aaron Vellaramparampil, Pastor of the Church of Saint Rocco in Glen Cove, the concept and reality of the Ministry evolved. From the St. Rocco Church in Glen Cove, Luz moved the prayer group to her parish church of OLS with the support and understanding of Father Patrick Longalong. Luz mentions and thanks her friends who helped her organize and build up the prayer group: Ms Lily Ulep, helped with the planning and organization; Engineer Wendell Javier, volunteered his time to do computer organizations and publications; Dr Carmen Javier, Dr Angelita Salandanan, Mrs. Bessie Bautista helped organize the Novena; Dr Philip Dancel, currently the Director of Our Lady of the Snows Himig at Alay Music Ministry; Rick Santisteban, volunteers his time for the images upkeep, and Manny and Norma Pascual for their support and publication to the Filipino Catholic Newspaper; and last but not least, the many friends, relatives and parish members unselfishness in lending their hands. Luz says, As I immersed myself into the process, it helped me organize my thoughts and strengthen my faith; it helped me focus on my life s evolving events, like how I pace myself and help other people. The page 1 of the OLS parish bulletin stated that San Roque is the patron saint of the towns of Kanluran and Victoria (formerly part of Pila) Laguna, Philippines. Luz says that any Rebong you meet in any place in America or other parts of the world originated from Victoria, Laguna. She describes it as a tiny town made up of two (2) Barrios, Nanhaya on the east side and San Roque on the west side, which were originally two small Barrios of Pila, Laguna (established in 1946 during President Elpidio Quirino s term, hence Victoria, the President s daughter s name.) Luz grandparents, Felix I and Adela Banca Rebong were owners of one of the first established businesses in Victoria, Laguna duck raising and balutan (my favorite Balut!). They had four children, Cresenciano (the father of Luz), Maria, Jaime and Elino. Like their parents, they also grew up to become entrepreneurs. Cresenciano married Apolonia Espiritu and together they had 13 children although only eight survived to adulthood. All the children helped out in the family business. All grown up, they all became professionals, and where Luz and her brother Efren are in here in the northeast. Luz is a Pharmacist working at the Flushing Hospital Medical Center in New York and Efren is a Physician in Connecticut. Luz came to America 39 years ago. If one googles Luz Rebong, a number of articles refer to her being an outstanding golfer. She is a member of FAGA (Filipino-American Golf Association) of New York and the Executive Women s Golf Association of Long Island Chapter. She is an annual supporter of the Golf Fund Raising Events Father Tugwood Golf Tournament of Our Lady of the Snows School. With the little time still available, Luz manages to also be active with the Our Lady of Antipolo Ministry, the Our Lady of the Snows Fil-Am Community, and The Victorians-East board association. The inspirational message from Luz is: Get involved, strengthen your faith, share and help others. Be Altruistic! St. Rocco feast day celebration in Glen Cove Parish in Long Island. The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 9

10 Go to Joseph by Fr. Joseph Marabe Of Numbers Games and Luxury Cars The Chinese dragon is again extending its clutches over an island chain Japan believes to be its own. Like in the ancient mythologies, there should come another dragon-slayer to salvage people from an insatiable hunger of a monster. ======== But giving out help does not entitle one to be abrasive, as the Japanese reconstruction minister learned: he dressed down a mayor for being late for a meeting threatening him exclusion from tsunami aid. He was forced to resign. Although beggars are not choosers, donors cannot be abusers. ======== Also, bishops must not be beggars, even in behalf of the poor; more so, if they are asking favor from the civil government. By receiving gifts, these prelates can no longer exercise their prophetic mission. They cannot bite the hands that feed them. ======= When I was the Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines- National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCP-NASSA), I requested for a car from a funding agency in Germany for my use at the time of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption rehabilitation project. The answer to me was: but we have just given your office a new car! It turned out that that said car had been donated to a bishop down South. There s nothing new under the sun. ======== Caritas Japan gave me a Japanese 4X4 for the purpose. My staff criticized me for being luxurious. So, the bishop board member assumed to use it for himself: it was no longer a luxury. ======== worded. Inside, the convenor sets the tone in favor of his position. Then, the number and line-up and sequence of intervenors. When everything is said and done so called majority dictates the terms. ===== When we take sides, we effectively say good-bye to truth. Amicus meus Plato; magis amica veritas. This is what is supposed to be, as Aristotle phrased it: Plato is my friend; but my greater friend is truth. ===== Language could help us make distinctions of things. Eventually, these distinctions separate people and convert them into oppositionists. ==== When feelings take over reason body language follows. Audience pretends to be listening, but what they are hearing is themselves. These are made manifest by smirks and quirks of combative faces. Logic is be-fogged. ===== The real opposites are the I and the not-i. Note that we write I in the capital letter like we write the name of God. The I wants to be god. I am who I am is the Sinai revelation. The lowland expression is I want this, and that ===== The not-i is the oxygen, food, water. They are free. They are God s gifts. And yet, the I feels it owns the not-i and therefore mentally defends it; protects it; defends it tooth-and-nail to the bitter end. ====== Meeting adjourned! Participants noticed the void. Who will decide? So-called majority shouts We, the People. Finis. Did they arrive at the truth? They certainly reached home. Titanic Experience First time I went on a cruise this summer. I got the taste of hugeness of the ship with 3,500 capacity... 1,500 of which are the food and maintenance crew. ====== When people are in the same boat, they have to be cordial with each other. They either live comfortably with each other or otherwise: nobody can just jump overboard when things get rough. This does not happen on dry land people do not care for each other, because they can just leave one another when circumstances are not favorable. ====== The passengers are wined and dined to their satisfaction. On the fourth day, Filipinos asked for their favorite tapsilog, adobo and sinigang. The reason for the privilege was the group s composite number 75 persons. Others not in this contingent joined the Pinoy meal. ======= The cruise became at the same time a pilgrimage: there was a daily mass with collections for San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel and for Students of Sorsogon Seminary. Religion and pleasure can mix. ====== Again, old habits die hard - Pinoys requested for line dancing sessions and participated in the Videoke. (The DJ-singer was a Filipina, just like most of the restaurant servers and maintenance personnel). You can take Filipinos from the Philippines, but not the Philippines from Filipinos. ====== As friendship is fostered, raffle tickets are sold out, other pilgrimage schedules are announced. That s how ex-pat Pinoys are religious, generous and friendly. Want to join another cruise? I would say yes for the physical benefits of it gym and sauna; and spiritual Eucharistic gatherings. ====== I travelled not as a chaplain of a group. I paid for my fare. SUMMER LUAU by the POOLSIDE Saturday, August noon to 6 pm at the Residence of DEAN and CARINA SUBA th Street Bayside (Oaklang Gardens), NY (718) Mininum Donation $30 Attire: Hawaiian (Pleae make checks payable to San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel) DIRECTIONS: From Manhattan/New Jersey: Take the Midtown Tunnel to Long Island Expressway (L.I.E.) I-495 East. Continue onto I-495 East and take Exit 26 (Francis Lewis Blvd.) Merge onto Horace Harding Expressway. Follow the road (stay on Horace Harding Expressway) and pass two traffic lights, 1st traffic light is Francis Lewis Blvd. and 2nd traffic light is Oceania St. After the passing the 2nd traffic light (Oceania Street) make a right turn on 211th Street. Continue onto 211th Street and pass the intersection of 211th Street and 64th Avenue and continue on 211th St. until you reach the last house at the corner of 211th St. and 67th Avenue. From Bronx/New Jersey: Take Throgs Neck Bridge to Clearview Expressway. Continue onto Clearview Expressway and take Exit 3 (73rd Avenue). Make a left on the first traffic light (73rd Avenue). Continue onto 73rd Avenue and make a left on 210 St. Continue onto 210 Street and make a right on 67th Avenue. Continue onto 67th Avenue and make a left on 211th Street. The house is in the corner of 211th street and 67th Avenue From Long Island Take the Long Island Expressway (L.I.E.) I-495 West. Take Exit 28 (Oceania/Francis Lewis Blvd.). Merge onto Horace Harding Expressway (West). Make a left on Oceania Street (traffic light). Make a left on Horace Harding Expressway (East). Make a right on 211th street. Continue onto 211 Street and pass the intersection of 211th Street and 64th Avenue and continue on 211th Street until you reach the last house (on the left) at the corner of 211th Street and 67th Avenue Tommy Suharto is eying a comeback to Indonesian politics. Will he be wearing a Hilfiger, instead of teluk beskap? Change of clothes, change of policy. POINT OF ORDER! The so-called Chatham House Rules adopted in the last dialogue in the Philippine Consulate General, like any other session rules, can be made as an excuse to advance one s own agenda. It starts outside the hall the way invitation is Fr. Joseph Marabe (left) and members of the San Lorenzo Ruiz group visiting the Church at Halifax, Nova Scotia where a Filipina was married on that day with the Parish Building Manager. Page 10 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

11 Criminal Law 101 Part 2-Initial Court Appearance What is an arraignment? Black s Law Dictionary defines arraignment to be the procedure whereby the accused is brought before the court to plead to the criminal charge in the indictment or information. The charge is read to him and he is asked to plead guilty or not guilty or where permitted, nolo contendere. What is an arraignment Judge? An Arraignment Judge is tasked to take the plea of the accused and enter the same on record. If the accused enters a plea of guilty, the arraignment judge explains the law and consequences of the entry of plea by the accused. He is also informed of the punishments, fines, imprisonment, probation, etc. If the accused enters a plea of not guilty, he is then either released on his own recognizance or the judge upon the recommendation of the prosecution, sets the amount of bail, either cash bail and/or property bail. The first court appearance of an accused person occurs after the initial police contact and usually after a period of time spent in a pre-arraignment lock-up. The first court appearance is known as an Arraignment. At the Arraignment the accused person is brought before a Judge and formally informed of the charges that have been prepared against him/her by the local District Attorney. The Arraignment is also the first opportunity for an accused person to answer the accusations against him/her and to ask the Judge to release him/her on his/her own recognizance or upon the posting of monetary bail. Securing legal representation for purposes of the Arraignment appearance of the accused is extremely important. A Criminal Defense Attorney will use his skills to convince the Arraignment Judge that the client s release pending the prosecution of the case is fair and appropriate. However, if the circumstances of the case require a bail package, the attorney will have arranged the bail package to be available to be posted immediately upon the conclusion of the Arraignment proceeding. Any person not released from the Court will greatly increase the hours spent behind bars. It cannot be over emphasized in this situation that the cash and/ or property bail bond be ready at the date set for the arraignment appearance of the accused. In determining the bail amount, the Judge considers the type and seriousness of the charges; any prior criminal record; connections to the community; and the probability that the accused will appear in court. If a bail amount is set by the court and is not immediately available for posting (through cash or bail bond), the accused person will be sent to the local jail facility. Bail usually continues through trial or a guilty plea. It is possible that the bail may be revoked or increased by the Judge depending on the Legal Critique by Ferdinand G. Suba, Esq. circumstances, an example is if a more serious charge is filed against the accused. In addition to preparing the accused person s family for any bail contingency, the skilled attorney will arrange for family members and friends of the accused to be present in court for the Arraignment. The Arraignment Judge will be concerned to learn whether the accused has strong ties to the community which would increase the likelihood that the accused will return to court on future court dates. Additionally, the attorney will gather as much pertinent information relating to the accused and the allegations made against him/her. The attorney will thereby be able to relay any information to the Arraignment Judge that will convince him that the release of the accused is appropriate. At the conclusion of the arraignment process, the fine litigation skills of the retained Criminal Defense Attorney will be evident when the accused has been released on his/her own recognizance after the accused has been informed of the charges, pleaded NOT GUILTY, and has been informed of the next date he is required to appear in court. The next step is preparation of the defense(s) of the accused and pursuit of his/her exoneration. (Part 3 in the next issue). Editor s Note: FERDINAND G. SUBA has been practicing law since He was a former professor at the Far Eastern University where he taught Corporation and Partnership Law, Negotiable Instruments Law, Taxation, and Constitution. He was a member of the editorial board of the Ateneo Law Journal and Ateneo Law Bulletin. He was a recipient of the Philippine Presidential Award as Best Parliamentarian. For more information, you may him at SUBALAW@AOL.COM or call (212) Fr. Joseph Marabe (standing second from left) and the San Lorenzo Ruiz Group with the Carnival Glory Crew. The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 11

12 A Place of Immense Mercy by Erlinda A. Franco, SFO This author has the permission to publish excerpts and information from the Magazine, Mysteries and Miracles of the Divine Mercy Hills written by Mrs. Paquita Adaza, who was instructed by the Lord through the visionary, Sister Agustina Tante, to document everything that has happened in the Divine Mercy Hills: the purchase of the parcel of lands, the miracles and healings. The author s purpose in this article is to make known the Divine Mercy in the Philippines, for those who have not heard about it The World s Tallest Divine Mercy Statue in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, Philippines In 2000 a group of Divine Mercy devotees started to receive visions, messages and instructions from Jesus to build the church of His Mercy. For 3 years the group ignored the Lord s request for fear and worry. They worried how this project will materialize and be funded. However, God s ways are not man s ways and the lord rebuked them for lack of faith, with this message, Why do you doubt? The fact that you have doubts indicates that you do not know your God, as you should. If your prayer life is infiltrated with doubts, you have denied yourself the greatest single avenue of power that your God has made available to you. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Obedience to my commands always brings fulfillment. When I give instructions, obey immediately and watch my perfect plan enfold in your life. When the group submitted to God s Holy Will, endless accounts of miracles were taking place. The group believed that these experiences on how God moves and uses people to fulfill His plan should be featured in a magazine as an inspiration that all may know that with God nothing is impossible. Sister Agustina Tante had a vision of a beautiful white book with the title, The Mystery of the Divine Mercy Hills. When she asked the Lord, why the word mystery, not history, the Lord answered, My daughter, if events are made by man-you write history, but at the Divine Mercy Hill, it is not man but my Presence that is moving in the place, that is why it is a mystery. It is called a mystery because starting from the search of the lot to its development, the mysterious hands of God are at work. Solutions and opportunities to seemingly difficult and unattainable situations, mysteriously and amazingly appear. Unexpected miracles of conversion and healings are taking place at Divine Mercy Hills. It is a mystery because the Lord Himself explained that It is My Presence that is moving in that place, not man. BUILD MY CHURCH The inspiration to build the church of the Divine Mercy came as early as 1996 but this was set aside or forgotten for 4 years. But God revived the idea to build His church in the year 2000.On April 15, 2000, a day before Palm Sunday, more than 120 Divine Mercy devotees headed by Atty. Guerrero Adaza and Mrs. Adaza and some members of the Board of Trustees of the Divine Mercy Foundation, Mindanao, Philippines, Inc. went to Waterman, Camiguin for religious pilgrimage. When they arrived at the port of Mashing, Camiguin, the group proceeded to Walkway, a 15-Stations way of the Cross leading to the top of Mt. Hibok-Hibok. After completing their prayers and sacrifices with praises and worship, the group in silence listened for God s message. Many had vision and received messages but one particular member approached Mrs. Adaza with the vision she experienced for the first time. She related, She saw a great flood of light coming from the 15 th Station - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - enveloping Sister Kits Adaza and the light lifted her up from the ground. Sister Kits Adaza listened to her testimony with amusement and disbelief, but deep in her heart she was wondering what could be the meaning of that vision. Two weeks after that pilgrimage the group had a triple celebration in their Parish Church of the Sacred Heart in Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City. It was a Eucharistic Celebration in honor of the Divine Mercy Feast Day; a thanksgiving for the canonization of Sr. Faustina Kowalska and also the Blessing for the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel of the ECO Church. After the celebration Sister Kits requested to be prayed over since she had arthritis pain. After the pray over, Sister Agustina Tante had a vision and a message from the Lord for Sister Kits, My daughter, start to build the Church of My Mercy for the day of My coming is near. The Vision: Jesus the Divine Mercy was standing up on the Hill facing the ocean. Upon hearing the message, the meaning of that message in Camiguin by the visionary Mrs. Diony Cosado, came to light. The Lord was commissioning her (Mrs. Adaza) to lead the group, the Divine mercy Foundation and spearhead the project of building the Church of the Divine Mercy. However, this was not taken seriously for it sounded impossible to undertake such a gigantic project. The following year, on April 18, 2001, after the celebration of the feast of Mercy, once again the Lord gave a message to Sister Agustina Tante to remind Sister Kits Adaza. The same vision of the Lord standing on top of the hill overlooking the ocean was again seen by Sister Merlyn Pacana, one of the group s visionaries. For the second time the group ignored the vision and message. The project is so huge that it would entail a lot of money. And the site on a hill overlooking the ocean would be far away. On April 25, 2001, one week after the Feast of Mercy celebration, Atty. Guerrero and (turn to page 25) Page 12 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

13 MY POINT OF VIEW To Be Or Not To Be Catholic Did you ever think that maybe we are just Catholics by chance? After all, there s popular song that goes, Bless the beasts and the children, for in this world they have no voice they have no choice. We did not have a choice when we were baptized as Catholics. Maybe our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents did not have a choice either. by Mario M. Nieves Before Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines in 1521, Filipinos were worshipping anitos (spirits of ancestors). Thanks to the Spanish conquistadores, Christianity was introduced in the Philippines. Five centuries later, the Philippines became the first and only Christian country in Asia, joined only by East Timor in 2002 when it became on independent state. Ninety percent of Filipinos are Christians, 5% are Muslims and the rest belong to other religions. Among Christians, 80% are Catholics and 20% belong to different sects and denominations, mostly Protestant. The Bible tells us that nothing happens by chance; everything is predestined by God. Accepting this truth, we must be comforted by the fact that we were baptized Catholic, not by chance but by God s choice. He chose us to be born and raised as Catholics. Is this good or bad? I like to think that it s good. But then, I read in the papers, hear on radio, and see on television that our countrymen are doing their best to be anti-catholic: population control through contraception, gay rights for homosexuals, dissolution of marriage through divorce, etc. Forgetting Our Faith? In the US, where 76% of the population is Christian, of which Catholics make up the largest single group, there is a trend to move away from religion in the name of the so-called separation of church and state. We hear, for example, of prayer being banned from schools, the Ten Commandments inscription being removed from office buildings, So help me God being removed from the oathtalking statement, Christmas being replaced by Holiday, etc. In the Philippines, Catholic politicians tend to be independent thinkers during election years. It is common knowledge that presidential, senatorial and congressional candidates would kiss the hand of the late Erano Ka Erdy Manalo, leader of Iglesia Ni Cristo, even if his church does not believe in the Holy Trinity and does not recognize the divinity of Jesus Christ. Political candidates would also travel to the far mountains of Davao to attend the birthday party of Apollo Quiboloy, head of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, though he claims to be Jesus Christ himself, the son of God. Recently in the US, President Obama signed a bill that allows homosexuals to join the military without any question and without any restrictions. And in New York, as in five other states, same-sex marriage has been legalized man to man, woman to woman. A Vanishing Tribe Is Catholicism becoming unpopular as a religion? Why are some Catholics leaving the church? Worse, why are those Catholics who become former Catholics turn out to be anti-catholic. I had a friend, who became a Saksi of Jehovah s Witnesses, who tried so hard to convince me that Jesus Christ used to be St. Michael the Archangel in pre-human form, and was a mere creature of God when he became a man. Have you heard someone say, I was a Catholic, now I m a Christian or I used to be Catholic, now I m Born Again? Some Catholics leave the church for doctrinal reasons: They don t believe in the Eucharist as the Real Presence of Jesus; they don t believe in purgatory; they don t accept the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of God; they don t want to venerate the saints; they don t accept the Pope as representative of Christ. Others leave the Catholic Church for convenience: those who don t want to go to church every Sunday; those who want to get a divorce; those who want to live together without getting married; those who don t want to go to confession, fast or abstain. In other words, people want to tread the path of least resistance. They don t believe that the path to heaven is hard and difficult, so hard that it is easier for a camel to pass through the head of a needle. Remember the Past The doctrines of the Catholic Church have not changed since Christ s resurrection and after St. Peter the Apostle became the first pope almost 2000 years ago. From the time of Peter there has been an unbroken succession of popes that continues until the present. The oldest Christian church after the Catholic Church is the Eastern Orthodox Church which broke off from the pope in The protestant churches came in the 1500s, when Martin Luther broke off from the Roman Catholic Church. Various protestant denominations (like the Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, or Episcopalian) sprouted, as different pastors founded one church after another with their own interpretation of the Bible. There are now thousands of Christian churches but only one Roman Catholic Church. The Christian Source Book, published in 1986, listed 21,000 Christian denominations and sects. Hundreds more are added each year. Paul Whitcomb, a former Protestant, published a little book, Confession of a Roman Catholic, where he said he originally thought that any church is as good as another so long as it is Christian. After converting to Catholicism, he learned, from careful study of church history, that the Catholic Church is the one most faithful to the teachings of Christ. Marks of the True Church How good is the Catholic Church s claim that it is the true Church of Christ? It is the oldest church and the one founded by Christ himself, when he said Thou art Peter and upon this rock I shall build my church. (Matt. 16:18) The Council of Nicaea, a conglomerate of the early church leaders, in 325 AD adopted the Nicene Creed which decreed a belief in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. These four marks of the church are present in the Roman Catholic Church. Proofs: 1) One only one set of doctrines is implemented in all churches; 2) Holy members are called to holiness through devout practices and sacraments; 3) Catholic or universal the same rules and rituals are followed worldwide; 4) Apostolic the succession of popes who represent the apostles is unbroken. To be or not to be Catholic is one question. Another question is: In light of the challenges facing the Catholic Church today, will you go or will you stay? 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14 FACES by Ate Norma & PLACES He s off to Spain for World Youth Day John Benvenudo (inset) is off to Spain to attend the World Youth Day there. He will be away from August 16 to 21. John, an accomplished singer, is a member of his church choir. Prior to departure his friends and fellow choir members gave him a warm send off, which included barbecue, cake and all, at the home of Luz Rebong in Bellerose, Queens. BIRTHDAY BOY! Birthday at the Beach Philip Dancel, musical director of Himig at Alay Choral Group of Our Lady of the Snows Parish, put his synthesizer and hymn book aside last July to spend a relaxing day at Jones Beach with friends and loved ones. The occasion? It was his birthday. Everybody agreed that the hardworking music guru could use a day of rest and relaxation. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. -- Ps. 100:2 CALEB ETHAN SCARLETT QUINN ALLISON Page 14 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

15 FACES & PLACES Here come the Bride... & Groom Bernadette Joy Cruz became Mrs. Anthony Joseph Maulion when the couple tied the knot last July 15 at St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Queens. Reception was held at the Sands Castle Caterers. Anthony is from Orangeburg, South Carolina, a Mechanical Engineer from Clemson University and currently with General Electric. Bernadette is from Bayside, New York, a Business Administration (Summa Cum Laude) and Psychology (Magna Cum Laude) graduate from Boston University and currently with JP Morgan Chase. He is the son of Romy and Marilyn Maulion. She is the daughter of Bert and Dinah Cruz, both active members of the prayer community in Queens.... and they walk down the aisle. Father of the bride The bride cuts the cake. 84and counting... Fr. James Dineros, Spiritual Adviser of the Suffolk Santo Niño Prayer Group and the Infant Jesus Prayer Group of Nassau celebrated his 84th birthday at the home of Inday Dineros in Hicksville, Long Island last July. Fr. James Dineros The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 15

16 FACES & PLACES CALIFORNIA, HERE WE COME! Cion and Jerry Lim, active members of the Ilocano Association and frequent attendees at various religious functions in Long Island, are moving to San Francisco, California. Their line-dancing friends recently gave them a despedida party at the home of Ruben and Virgie Nanez in Oceanside. Cion and Jerry Lim Left: Ate Amanda Yap is surrounded by her family as she prepares to blow out the candle on the cake during the party celebrating her 89th birthday. The party was held on Saturday, July 23rd at the home of Edgar and Emma Yap Rafol on Floral Park, Queens. A retired nurse, Ate Amanda and her family are active parishioners in North Floral Park. Happy Reunion From left: Eddie and Alma Caparas, Bobby and Gloria Federigan, Manny and Norma Pascual in Washington, D.C. last June. Eddie (coordinator of the Birhen ng Antipolo in DC), Bobby (freelance writer in Virginia), and Manny (publisher of the Filipino Catholic) were journalism classmates at the University of Santo Tomas half a century ago. They met during the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Antipolo at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Page 16 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

17 FACES & PLACES This is how you cut the cake. Eloisa Mascareñas gave her mom pointers on the gentle art of slicing a cake during Noemi s birthday celebration last July 4. Friends and members of the prayer community attended the party at a gourmet Chinese restaurant in Queens. SUBSCRIBE NOW to The Filipino Catholic The only Filipino Catholic newspaper in the Tri-State area is available in churches, prayer groups and most places where Filipinos congregate. Spiritual and inspirational in nature, it brings into focus what is most important to Filipinos: their faith in and love of God. Every issue is packed with articles that educate, inform and entertain. Its pages are filled with stories and pictures that inspire. The Filipino Catholic... an expression of our faith and of our people. Don t miss a single issue! Have The Filipino Catholic delivered to your home. Fill out the form below and send it to us, now! Yes! I want to subscribe to The Filipino Catholic for one year. Enclosed is my check/money order for $25 (to cover postage & handling only). Two-year subscription: $40. I enclose $ for year(s) subscription to the Filipino Catholic. Name Address Apt. # City State Zip Tel Please make checks payable and mail to: The Filipino Catholic P.O. Box 3067, Garden City, NY MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU When Derek Jeter got his 3000th hit, it was a homerun and the ball was caught by Christian Lopez. From the goodness of his heart, he immediately told the management that he is giving the ball back to Derek. It never crossed his mind nor did he ever have the slightest intention to keep that ball for personal gain by Deacon Rolando V. Nolasco though it legally now belonged to him. While the game was in progress, he was interviewed and declared that he is doing this because it is morally right- Derek deserves the ball since he worked hard for it. There were speculations that the ball could fetch a lot of money. Keeping it then would enable Mr. Lopez to pay his student loan and still have more left to make him financially able. Many were appreciative of his decision while some branded him a fool for passing that opportunity. In return, the Yankee organization decided to reward him a season pass to all Yankee games in the Bronx and some memorabilia. He would also have the chance to meet Derek personally during a later press conference. Unfortunately, these tokens of appreciation are taxable and many thought it would be a huge financial disadvantage. So we find more uncalled-for comments about how bad the decision of giving back the ball instead of keeping it. Luckily, there were good Samaritans who came to offer help pay the tax plus the opportunity to earn additional income. I truly believe this was meant to affirm that a good deed is never left unrecognized. This is indeed very uplifting to see some who still appreciate the value of such great unselfish act. But it is not surprising though for some to take this highly noble deed as something distasteful. It appears to be a contradiction of what the prevailing culture demands. In a world where self-gratification seems to be the rule, performing righteous deeds is frowned upon. So we understand why some expressed their disdain for Mr. Lopez s action of returning the ball. Somehow, we still can appreciate how he was uprightly raised by his parents just like the player he idolized. Derek had become a model for so many fans in and out of baseball. I raise the point that as Catholics, we are bound to embrace teachings handed to us faithfully for many generations. Though it had been challenged from the very beginning, it stood the test of time. Saying goodbye to my parents when I left for United States, both reminded me to be careful not to lose grip of my Catholic upbringing. The desire to make money could potentially allow anyone to embrace the materialistic culture in so short a time. We find many adapting so fast by totally abandoning who they are to a new culture. Just the way our political leaders decided to change our age-old perception of marriage as union between a man and a woman. Now it applies also to people of the same sex for equality reasons. It abolished the concept of father and mother. It even erased the natural order of relationship between husband and wife. One ridiculous posting expressed his excitement to finally acquire the title as Mrs. This proves that legislation cannot change the natural order of things, since this union would still require one partner to take the role of a wife and the other as the husband. I learned that this legislation would create more problem as the same-sex couple would eventually decide to part ways. One area of dispute that was raised is the difficulty of awarding custody right of their adopted children. In another instance, the preparation for the observance of the 9/11 attack of the World Trade Center; one issue brewing is the removal of the iron cross at the site. A handful of atheists wanted the cross out although survey indicates majority of the Americans want the cross to stay. Surprisingly though, I believe that our rights are stifled by the whims of few individuals. With the justification that there is a separation of the state and the Church, this commemoration is not a matter of the state alone but, of more importance, are individual families remembering those we lost and expressing gratitude to God for those who survived the horrible tragedy. It is appalling to see that our religious leaders never made an effort to resist this movement from the beginning. Just as we lose to legalized abortion in the guise of woman s choice, marriage of the same sex legislation was like a walk in the park. Politicians used this legislation to enhance their image and ensure grip of power. On the other hand, there was never a discernible resistance from our church leaders who are designated guardians of our faith. It could be possible, too, that since many of the faithful have failed to embrace our obligations totally, we became submissive to whatever the earthly desire to prevail. In many parishes, there was no mention of how the proposed legislation was going to affect us in many ways. Our right to pray had been curtailed by few who do not recognize God. In all the difficulties and challenges we face, we must remain steadfast in our faith in God. In moments of seemingly lack of resolve and guidance from our leaders, put our trust in Him who loves and cares for us. St. Peter admonished us to cast our cares on God alone. When St. Paul was faced with many trials, he sought God s help. In return, our loving Lord responded: My grace is sufficient for you. In times when we are in great stress and find life burdensome, we need to hang on to God and allow Him to restore our resolve to walk the path of righteousness. The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 17

18 Happenings by AA Medrano The New Lectors Congratulations to the new members of the Liturgy of the Word Ministry of Our Lady of Pompei Church - Minerva Rodriguez, Estela Cueto, Milagros Erana, Liza de los Santos and Corazon del Mar. After attending a series of seminars on Liturgy and the Eucharist, conducted by Fr. Mike Lagrimas, the new lectors were installed in a ceremony officiated by Msgr. Romy Montero and assisted by Fr. Romeo Hontiveros on Sunday, July 24. August 20 FPM Picnic Get ready for the annual Summer Picnic of the Filipino Pastoral Ministry of Our Lady of Pompei on Saturday, August 20, at the Sunken Meadow Park. It is going to be a whole day of fun and excitement. Come and join us. For more info, please call the office of the FPM at c/o Fr. Romy. September 4, Feast of Mary s Nativity Come and join us for the celebration of Mama Mary s birthday on September 4, Sunday at 3:00 P.M. with a concelebrated Fiesta Mass hosted by the Filipino Pastoral Ministry at Our Lady of Pompei Church. This year s celebration will be spearheaded by the 2011 Hermanas Mayores - Lucita de los Santos, Lydia Aquino and Jovita Claro. The Sunday Mass Triduum in honor of the Nativity of Our Lady will start on Sunday, August 14 to 28, during the 3:00 P.M. Filipino Mass in preparation for the feast day. Bring your family and friends to celebrate with us. September 5 Despedida Party The Filipino Pastoral Ministry (FPM) Family and Friends will host a Despedida Party in honor of Fr. Mike Lagrimas on Monday, September at 2:00 P.M. Fr. Mike is going home to his diocese in Novaliches this month. Although he is leaving NY, his pastoral mission will still continue. We are very grateful for all the help and spiritual guidance he unselfishly shared not only with the FPM Family but to the San Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America (SLRAA) as the spiritual adviser. We will all miss you, Fr. Mike. Estela Cueto, one of the five new lectors at Our Lady of Pompei, receives blessing from Msgr. Romy Montero and Fr. Romeo Hontiveros during the installation ceremony on July 24, September 25, San Lorenzo Ruiz Fiesta The San Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America (SLRAA) Inc. is celebrating its 30 th annual feast day celebration in honor of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila and Companion Martyrs on Sunday, September 25, It is our pleasure to invite you all to the annual celebration to be held at the Immaculate Conception Church in Jamaica, Queens, New York City All the Hermanos and Hermana Mayores for the past 30 years are invited to the renewal and installation ceremony during the feast day celebration. It will be a meaningful occasion for of all us to come together and honor San Lorenzo Ruiz and his Companion Martyrs. The celebration will start with procession at 3:00 P.M., followed by the Mass. There will be a reception and raffle drawing at the community Hall of the church after the Mass. We hope that you could invite your friends and neighbors to join us on this special day. See the schedule below. NOVENA MASS: September 16 24, 2011 Daily 7:30 P.M. San Lorenzo Ruiz and Scalabrini Center th Ave. Jamaica Hills NY th Annual Fiesta Celebration: September 25, 2011 Sunday, 3:00 P.M. SAN LORENZO RUIZ DE MANILA and HIS COMPANION MARTYRS IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH Edgerton Blvd. Jamaica Estates, NY PROCESSION, CONCELEBRATED MASS th Installation of the 30 Hermanos & Hermanas Mayores UST Alumni San Lorenzo Ruiz Devotional Group Renewal & Installation of the Past SLRAA Hermano & Hermana Mayores RECEPTION Rey Gonzales celebrated his 60th birthday with friends at Our Lady of Pompei Parish in New York City. Page 18 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

19 RAFFLE DRAWING HOSTED BY THE KNIGHTS OF SAN LORENZO RUIZ Feast day of San Bartholomew The Katbaloganon USA, Inc. concluded its 8 th Novena Mass in honor of St. Bartholomew, patron saint of Catbalogan, Samar, Philippines on Saturday, July 30 at Our Lady of Pompei Church. Msgr. Romy Montero was the main celebrant of the Novena Mass. The 9th and last day Novena Mass and whole day affair fiesta celebration is on August 6 to be held in New Jersey. All Katbaloganons, Warays and friends are invited to join in the celebration. The 39 th Anniversary Grand Ball Night traditionally held before the fiesta is on August 5 at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin, New Jersey. The president, Tim Bolastig and the Hermana Mayor, Michelle Lumontad are coordinating the festive celebration. October 2, Madonna di Pompei Feast day The parishioners of Our Lady of Pompei Church will celebrate the feast day of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Our Lady of Pompei with a solemn Mass at 12:00 P.M. followed by the Marian procession. The different ethnic communities of Our Lady Pompei Church Italian, Filipino, Brazilian, English - will host the celebration. Bro. Michael LaMantia is spearheading the preparation for the feast day. October 22, Laksambayan & FPM 23 rd Anniversary Twenty-three years serving the Filipino migrants under the auspices of the Scalabrinian Fathers and Brothers, is how long the Filipino Pastoral Ministry of Our Lady of Pompei has become a welcoming church for the Filipinos. The Laksambayan 23 rd anniversary dinner dance will be held on Saturday, October 22. Happy Birthday to all July Birthday celebrants especially to: Noemi Alfaro, Rose Fuentes, Glenda Dizon, Rey Gonzales, Mila Erana, Linda dela Cruz, Aida Valdeviezo and Susan Gamallo. The celebrators received a special birthday blessing from Fr. Romy Montero and the concelebrating priest, Fr. Romy Hontiveros. Rey Gonzales celebrated his 60 th birthday with family and friends at Astoria Manor on July 15. Friends of Reynor Santiago surprised him with an advance birthday and send-off party on Wednesday August 3 held at the Fr. Demo Hall of Our Lady of Pompei Church. Reynor will be attending the World Youth Day in Spain, together with Bro. Adolfo Novio and other seminarians from St. Joseph Seminary. Welcome to NY to my sister Daisy s family from Toronto Canada - Jonathan, Matthew and my brother in law Romy. Thank you for a wonderful visit. FILIPINO PASTORAL MINISTRY* Our Lady of Pompei Church *A community of disciples ministering to Filipinos in New York as a welcoming church SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES August to October 2011 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Mother of Perpetual HelpSunday 3:00 P.M. Misang Pilipino ** First Friday 6:30 P.M. Mass and Holy Hour 1 st & 3 rd Saturday 6:30P.M. Cenacle August 15 Sat 5:15 PM Assumption 20 Sat 6:00 AM FPM Picnic 28 Sun 3:00 P.M. August Birthday celebration ** Fellowship and free line dancing after the Mass. September 02 Fri 6:30 PM 1 st Friday Mass & Holy Hour 04 Sun 3:00 PM Our Lady of Nativity Feast day Triduum Mass - SAN LORENZO RUIZ 05 Mon 2:00 PM Despedida Party for Fr. Mike Lagrimas 25 Sun 3:00 PM 30 th Annual Feast day SAN LORENZO RUIZ Immaculate Conception Church Edgerton Blvd. Jamaica Estates, NY ** Fellowship and free line dancing after the Mass. October 07 Fri 6:30 PM 1 st Friday Mass & Holy Hour 02 Sun 11:30AM Feast of OUR LADY OF POMPEI 22 Sat 6:00 PM Laksambayan Night 23 Sun 3:00 PM 23 rd FPM Anniversary - (Thanksgiving Mass)) 30 Sun 3:00 PM Oct Birthday celebration /Halloween ** Fellowship and free line dancing after the Mass. ON SCHEDULE Masses, novenas, fiestas and other important religious celebrations. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. -- Ps 118:24 AUGUST 2011 EVENTS August 14, :00 PM - Filipino Mass Incarnation Church Francis Lewis Blvd., Queens Village, NY (Every 2nd Sunday of the Month) 2:00 PM - Filipino Mass St. Rose of Lima Church 269 Parkville Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (Every 2nd Sunday of the Month) 2:00 PM - Filipino Mass Church of Holy Child Jesus th Avenue Richmond Hill, NY (Every 2nd Sunday of the Month) August 21, :30 PM - Filipino Mass St. Joan of Arc Church th Ave. Jackson Heights, NY (Every 3rd Sunday of the Month) 1:30 PM - Filipino Mass Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church st Street, Ozone Park, NY (Every 3rd Sunday of the Month) 2:30 PM - Filipino Mass Guardian Angel Church 2978 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, NY, (Every 3rd Sunday of the Month) August 27, :30 PM Filipino Mass Our Lady of Mercy Church Kessel Street, Forest Hills, NY (Every 4th Saturday of the Month) August 28, :00 PM Filipino Mass Corpus Christi Church st Street, Woodside, NY (Every 4th Sunday of the Month) 5:00 PM Filipino Mass Most PreciousBlood Church (Basement) st Street, Long Island City, NY SEPTEMBER 2011 EVENTS September 2, :30 PM - Filipino Mass First Friday Sponsored by FDA and Apostleship of Prayer St. Jude Church 1677 Canarsie Road, Brooklyn, NY (Every 1st Friday of the Month) September 3, :15 PM - Filipino Mass St. Brigid Church, 409 Linden Street, Brooklyn, NY (Every 1st Saturday of the Month) 7:00 PM - Filipino Mass Presentation Church, Parsons Blvd., Jamaica, NY (Every 1st Saturday of the Month) September 4, :15 PM - Filipino Mass St. Patrick Church, th Street, LIC, NY (Every 1st Sunday of the Month) 2:00 PM - Filipino Mass Our Lady Help of Christians Church, 1315 E. 28th Street, Brooklyn, NY (Every 1st Sunday of the Month) 1:30 PM - Filipino Mass Our Lady of the Island Eastport, Long Island Long Island Expressway, Exit 70 (Every 1st Sunday of the Month) by Gene Salle September 10, :00 PM 9th Diocesan Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz Mary Queen of Heaven Church 1395 East 56th Street Brooklyn, NY Celebrant: Most Rev. Jesus A. Dosado, C.M., D.D., S.T.L. Archbishop of Ozamis, Philippines September 11, :00 PM - Filipino Mass Incarnation Church Francis Lewis Blvd., Queens Village, NY (Every 2nd Sunday of the Month) 2:00 PM - Filipino Mass St. Rose of Lima Church 269 Parkville Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (Every 2nd Sunday of the Month) 2:00 PM - Filipino Mass Church of Holy Child Jesus th Avenue Richmond Hill, NY (Every 2nd Sunday of the Month) 5:00 PM - Filipino Mass Mary s Nativity Church 4602 Parsons Blvd., Flushing, NY (Every 2nd Sunday of the Month) September 18, :30 PM - Filipino Mass St. Joan of Arc Church th Ave. Jackson Heights, NY (Every 3rd Sunday of the Month) 2:00 PM - Filipino Mass Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, st Street, Ozone Park, NY (Every 3rd Sunday of the Month) 2:30 PM - Filipino Mass Guardian Angel Church 2978 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, NY, (Every 3rd Sunday of the Month) 5:00 PM Filipino Mass St. Bartolomew Church Ithaca Street, Elmshurst NY (Every 3rd Sunday of the Month) September 24, :30 PM Filipino Mass Our Lady of Mercy Church Kessel Street, Forest Hills, NY (Every 4th Saturday of the Month) September 25, :00 PM Filipino Mass Corpus Christi Church st Street, Woodside, NY (Every 4th Sunday of the Month) 5:00 PM Filipino Mass Most PreciousBlood Church (Basement) st Street, Long Island City, NY Filipino Mass every Sunday - 5:00 PM at the Most Precious Blood Church (Basement), th Street, Long Island City, NY Novena to Mother Perpetual Help at 7:00 PM every Wednesday at St. Patrick Church, th Street, LIC, NY Please show your support to our Filipino Apostolate by participating and joining with us in any of these events. The readings, prayers, homily and songs are said in Tagalog. Please consult Mapquest.com or Yahoo.com or Google for directions to these events. The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 19

20 The Gospel Truth by Rev. Joe Cadusale There is another tip on how to get what we want from him. Seek his Face and not his hands to receive prosperity. If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my Face and turn from their wicked way then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land, (2 Chronicle 7:14). If you want to be the head and not the tail, read this message; The Lord will make you the head, not the tail, if you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them. (Deuteronomy 28:13) Join Fr. Joe s Bible Study Class For more information, please call: (718) Most Precious Blood Charismatic Prayer Community Most Precious Blood Church th Street Long Island City, NY Head Servant: Nenett Barbilla nd Tuesday 7:30 PM El Shaddai Prayer Community Most Precious Blood Church th Street Long Island City, NY Head Servant: Amerito Gerodias th Sunday 3:00 PM Light Of Christ Prayer Group St. Nicholas of Tolentine Goethals Avenue Jamaica, NY Head Servant: Cookie Fernandez Last Thursday 7:30 PM Family of Christ Prayer Community Presentation Church 8819 Parsons Blvd., Jamaica, NY Head Servant: Margie Fontanilla st Tuesday 7:30 PM Mary Mother of Divine Healer St. Gerard Majella Church st Ave., Hollis, NY Head Servant: Raymonde Cesaire st Friday 7:30 PM Haitian Community th Place Hollis, NY Head: Alberte Madame Delatur rd Tuesday 7:30 PM English Community 161 Le Grand St. Brentwood, NY Coordinator: Rose Nallie Germain st Thursday 7:30 PM Filipino Catholic 453 Hawthorne Avenue I was in the Subway one day and I was approached by a black man with the placard. Matthew 6:33 was written on it. He asked me, Reverend, do you know what does it say? I felt bad and humiliated not knowing what to answer. I removed my clergy collar and put it in my pocket. Upon arriving at the rectory, I opened the Bible. Matt. 6:33 says, But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. This message gives me an insight that before asking these things from the Lord there is a need to place him the center of our lives. I remember the famous challenge of the late President Kennedy, Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country. You will be surprised that God is also challenging us; Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgate of heaven and pour out so much blessings that you will not have room enough for it. (Malachi 3:10) Do you seek the kingdom of God above all else? Do you put God first in your life? What is really important to you? May God bless you and give you what you want! Uniondale, NY Coordinator: Dr. Norma Pascual Last Monday 8:00 PM Handmaid of the Lord/CFC Foothill Ave., A-38 Hollis, NY Head Servant: Dolly Pawal Last Sunday 6:30 PM Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Queens Blvd. Forest Hills, NY Head Servant: Nellie Milite nd Friday 7:30 PM Fil. Community Our Lady of Angels 2860 Webb Ave., Bronx, NY Head Servant: Josette Camino nd Saturday 7:30 PM Divine Mercy Dev. Lady of Victories 2217 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, NJ Head Servant: Tess Alvarez 4 th Friday 7:00 PM St. John Prayer Community 272 Boyd Ave Jersey City, NJ Head Servant: Purita Vasquez rd Monday 7:00 PM St. Nicholas Prayer Group 122 Ferry St. Jersey City, NJ Head Servant: Elsa Leonida st Sunday 6:30 PM Puissance Divine D Amore 820 Wallace Ave Baldwin, NY Head Servant: Yvrose Saint-Urban nd Thursday 7:30 PM Home Bound Bible Study St. Rose of Lima 269 Parkville Ave Coordinator: Violeta Robbins st Saturday 2:00 PM The Vine & the Branches IncarnationPrayer Group th St., Queens Village, NY Head Servant: Ofelia Villar rd Friday 7:00 PM Family of God th Rd Flushing, NY Coordinator: Perla Leonardo (718) nd Friday, 9:00 PM The Lord s Flock Prayer Group Sta. Rita 281 Bradley Ave., Staten Island, NY Coordinator: Myrna Leyson rd Saturday 8:00 PM Filipino Community Our Lady of the Angelus th St., Rego Park, NY Coordinator: Ofelia Concepcion (718) nd Monday 7:30 PM St Martin de Porres Ministry Flushing Chapter Range St., Bellrose, NY Coordinator: Sylvia David (718) rd Thursday 8:00 PM St. Anne Prayer Group 3545 Kennedy Blvd Jersey City, NJ Coordinator: Tina Edelmann (201) th Friday 7:30 p.m. Dominican Nuns Corpus Christi Monastery 1230 Lafayette Ave., Bronx, NY Coordinator: Sr. Maria Pia Last Saturday, 9 AM Let s study the Come Holy Spirit, Come. (Continued from last month) CATECHISM by Sonia S. Salerni Consecration and mission: proclaiming the King who is coming 931 Already dedicated to Him through Baptism, the person who surrenders himself to the God he loves above all else thereby consecrates himself more intimately to God s service and to the good of the Church. By this state of life consecrated to God, the Church manifests Christ and shows us how the Holy Spirit acts so wonderfully in her. And so the first mission of those who profess the evangelical counsels is to live out their consecration. Moreover, since members of institutes of consecrated life dedicate themselves through their consecration to the service of the Church they are obliged in a special manner to engage in missionary work, in accord with the character of the institute. 932 In the Church, which is like the sacrament- the sign and instrument - of God s own life, the consecrated life is seen as a special sign of the mystery of redemption. To follow and imitate Christ more nearly and to manifest more clearly His self- emptying is to be more deeply present to one s contemporaries, in the heart of Christ. For those who are on this narrower path encourage their brethren by their example, and bear striking witness that the world cannot be transfigured and offered to God without the spirit of the beatitudes. 933 Whether their witness is public, as in the religious state, or less public, or even secret, Christ s coming remains for all those consecrated both the origin and rising sun of their life: For the People of God has here no lasting city,... [and this state] reveals more clearly to all believers the heavenly goods which are already present in this age, witnessing to the new and eternal life which we have acquired through the redemptive work of Christ and preluding our future resurrection and the glory of the heavenly kingdom. IN BRIEF 934 Among the Christian faithful by divine institution there exist in the Church sacred ministers, who are also called clerics in law, and other Christian faithful who are also called laity. In both groups there are those Christian faithful who, professing the evangelical counsels, are consecrated to God and so serve the Church s saving mission (cf. CIC, can. 207 # 1, 2). 935 To proclaim the faith and to plant His reign, Christ sends His apostles and their successors. He gives them a share in His own mission. From Him they receive the power to act in His person. 936 The Lord made St. Peter the visible foundation of His Church. He entrusted the keys of the Church to him. The bishop of the Church of Rome, successor to St. Peter, is head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and Pastor of the universal Church on earth (CIC, can. 331). 937 The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls (CD 2). 938 The Bishops, established by the Holy Spirit, succeed the apostles. They are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular Churches (LG 23). 939 Helped by the priests, their co-workers, and by the deacons, the bishops have the duty of authentically teaching the faith, celebrating divine worship, above all the Eucharist, and guiding their Churches as true pastors. Their responsibility also includes concern for all the Churches, with and under the Pope. 940 The characteristic of the lay state being a life led in the midst of the world and of secular affairs, lay people are called by God to make of their apostolate, through the vigor of their Christian spirit, a leaven in the world (AA 2 # 2). 941 Lay people share in Christ s priesthood: ever more united with Him, they exhibit the grace of Baptism and Confirmation in all dimensions of their personal family, social and ecclesial lives, and so fulfill the call to holiness addressed to all the baptized. 942 By virtue of their prophetic mission, lay people are called... to be witnesses to Christ in all circumstances and at the very heart of the community of mankind (GS 43 # 4). 943 By virtue of their kingly mission, lay people have the power to uproot the rule of sin within themselves and in the world, by their self-denial and holiness of life (cf. LG 36). 944 The life consecrated to God is characterized by the public profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, in a stable state of life recognized by the Church. 945 Already destined for Him through Baptism, the person who surrenders himself to the God he loves above all else thereby consecrates himself more intimately to God s service and to the good of the whole Church. Source: The Catechism of the Catholic Church to be continued... Page 20 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

21 SACRAMENTALS S aints by Erlinda Franco, SFO St. Clare of Assisi Virgin, Founder of the Order of Poor Clares Feast Day - August 11 Clare was one of the first followers of St. Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in a Franciscan tradition, and wrote their Rule of Life, the first monastic rule written by a woman. After her death, the order was renamed in her honor, the Order of Saint Clare known as Poor Clares. She was born in Assisi, Italy, the eldest daughter of a Count. Her parents decided to marry her to a wealthy young man. She escaped and sought refuge with Francis, who received her into religious life. For a short time, she lived in Benedictine Monastery. She persevered in spite of the opposition of her relatives and friends. Her sister Agnes joined her. They moved to the San Damiano church, built by Francis. This became the first house of the order and Clare was its leader. Soon after, her mother and several other ladies of high nobility joined her. The foundation of Poor Clares, or the second order of St. Francis, was laid. Later she founded a number of other monasteries and her order spread. They lived in austerity, with mortification, and their fast was perpetual. Clare became heiress to the large fortune of her father but gave them all to the poor. When the armies of Frederick II was devastating the valley, the soldiers placed a ladder against the convent wall. Claire held the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament in sight of the enemies. She prostrated herself before the Eucharistic God. Her prayer was heard and the enemies fled. While the Franciscan friars moved around the country to preach, Clare s sisters lived in enclosure. Their life consisted of manual labor and prayer. For short period of time the order was directed by Francis. In 1216 she became the abbess of San Damiano. Clare sought to imitate Francis virtues that she was titled, another Francis. Clare s Franciscan theology of joyous poverty in imitation of Christ is evident in the Rule she wrote for her community. Two days before she died, Pope Innocent IV confirmed that Clare s Rule would serve as the governing rule for Clare s order. Clare died on August 11, 1253 and was canonized August 15, 1255, by Pope Alexander IV. Her remains were transferred in1260 to the Basilica of St. Clare, buried beneath the high altar. She was designated patron saint of television by Pope Pius X11 in 1958 because when she was ill to attend Mass, she was reportedly able to see and hear it on the wall of her room. The Eternal Television Network (EWTN) was founded by a Poor Clare nun, Mother Angelica. Today there are over 20,000 Poor Clare nuns throughout the world in over 20 countries. PRAYER: God, in your mercy, you led St. Clare to embrace poverty. Through her intercession help us to follow Christ in the spirit of poverty and to contemplate You in the heavenly kingdom. Amen. Source: Lives of the Saints, The Poor Clare Nuns and Wikipedia The Veil Would any one of us say we have too much money? Of course not, we would say, Keep it coming. Grace is similar to money. However there are some differences. We can have more money then our needs, but not with grace. Money does little for the soul where grace does everything for the soul. One person s money can just benefit that person where as one person s grace can benefit us all. Knowing this we can begin to understand that when a woman wears the veil in church we all can benefit by Scapular John from it, including men! Men, you may want to consider encouraging wives, mothers and daughters to wear the veil in church. By the way, it is still on the books for a woman to wear the veil in church. Cannon law, Vatican II never did away with that. A blessed veil is a sacramental, being such one receives a grace from wearing it. This is a grace that we all benefit from. Why? In Corinthians 12:26 it states if one person does well, we all benefit from it. Conversely if one person does badly we all suffer from it. Even if the veil is not blessed grace is given to the wearer by whom we all benefit because it is an act of humility. Such acts perfect the virtue of humility. Such perfection is attributed to none other than the Blessed Mother. How interesting that in every instance of her appearing to people she wears the veil. Would She ever be brazen enough to go to church baring her head? St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 11:5 that woman is to cover their heads. Specifically, But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered disgraceth her head: St. Paul also states in 1 Cor. 14:37 The things I write to you, that they are the commandments of the Lord. One of the many reasons for woman head coverings is help men stay focused on the Mass. Another reason St. Paul states is to respect the presence of angels offering with us the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. (1Cor. 11:10 and Rev. 8:3) We read in Acts 12:23, an angel of the Lord struck Herod, because he had not given the honour to God: and being eaten up by worms, he gave up the ghost. Other ways grace can be obtained for all of us are for women to consider wearing the veil during Eucharist adoration and when praying at home. When a woman prays while wearing the veil, she receives a grace of sweetness and a special rapport with the Blessed Mother. How much more is Jesus pleased when a woman comes to speak with Him wearing the veil. She is greatly rewarded. If Veronica did not have her veil would we ever have the sacred image of His face on it from which we are all benefiting from, even to this very day? She was the one who offered it to Jesus to wipe His face during His passion. Imagine what you would experience if you received back your veil with the image of His Face on it. You would know what a treasure you have and how you would tell your friends about it. One can consider asking Veronica s intercession of offer your veil, or mantilla, to Jesus, to help you to be there to wipe his Holy Face. Jesus Christ, yesterday, and today: and the same for ever. (Heb 13:8) This can be done in reparation for each one of us. The graces you would receive would be far greater then receiving an image on a veil. Why? Because the graces would be an image worn on you soul. You can also ask Veronica s intercession to the Blessed Mother for more graces of humility and the grace to wear the veil with ever deepening joy. Some times one can feel intimidated to wear the veil. Imagine how intimidating it was for Veronica to go through the ranks of tough marching Roman soldiers to reach Jesus with her outstretched arms holding her veil. She is great for her intercession for us for developing the virtue of courage and honor. It is an honor to wear the veil. It honors the feminine dignity. Would a military officer because of some people s beliefs, remove his stripes and medals? Hardly. Then why should a woman be undignified especially before the Lord? The blessed veils, like all sacramentals when used devoutly, are ways of showing our honor and love to Jesus. In turn we fall more in love with Jesus, with others, and ourselves as a great gift of God s creation. And this becomes the greatest reason for wearing the veil. The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 21

22 NOELETTE TOURS Waterways of RUSSIA from St. Petersburg to Moscow The Beauty of South America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru) HOLY LAND & EGYPT Fr. Fernando Caindec (Spiritual Chaplain) September 9-21, 2011 $2,399 +tax JFK La Pieta International Prayer Group ITALY & MEDJUGORJE Fr. PJ Alindogan (Spiritual Chaplain) October 7-18, 2011 $3,599 +tax JFK Eastern Europe & MEDJUGORJE (Poland, Czech Republic, Vienna, Croatia, Medjugorje) Fr. Bernardino Esguerra (Spiritual Chaplain) Oct 26 Nov 7, 2011 $2,699 +tax JFK HOLY LAND & EGYPT NOV 2-14, 2011 $2,699 +tax JFK Fr. Mike Fugee (Spiritual Chaplain) Sis Emma De Guzman (TOUR LEADER) THE MOST REV RAMON ARGUELLES (Spiritual Chaplain) October 3-13, 2011 $2,899 +tax EWR W Msgr Edward Weber (Spiritual Chaplain) Oct 22 Nov 4, 2011 $2,999 +tax JFK aéxäxààx géâüá aéxäxààx 206 PARROTT ROAD WEST, NYACK, géâüá NY or sales@noelette.com Web: HOLY LAND Bro Carmelo Cortez (TOUR LEADER) NOV 27 DEC 5, 2011 $2,299 +tax JFK 206 PARROTT ROAD WEST, NYACK, NY or sales@noelette.com Web: Page 22 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

23 St. Martin de Porres Prayer and Healing Ministry You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. Psalm 77 : 14 TESTIMONY On August 6, 2010, my brother Deo Aclo had a heart attack while attending the annual celebration of the Katbaloganon Association at Edison, New Jersey. I was not with Deo, as I was on my way to Canada to visit my family, but those who witnessed him collapse, said that he was already black and blue and without pulse. Alain Cinco and her sister Aisa, children of a close family friend, took turns in giving him CPR. It was only after 25 to 30 minutes that the paramedics from the JFK Medical Center arrived and brought Deo to the hospital. In the hospital, Deo fell into a coma and his condition turned from bad to worse. The neurologist told us that for some time, his brain did not have air and the prognosis was not good at all. At one point, his lungs collapsed and twice his heartbeat dropped to per minute. We were advised that Deo could be going home to the Divine Lord anytime. At one time I was asked if I would sign and agree to have all the tubes that was keeping him alive be removed if it was medically determined that Deo would no longer survive and would have very little or no chance to live a normal life. Under all this stress, my faith and trust to the Divine Healer never wavered. Instead, I asked my family, relatives, and friends to pray for Deo s healing. I called and wrote to known, prayerful individuals, like Sister Josie Dichoso, for healing prayers. Sister Josie, despite her very busy schedule, was so caring, concerned, and kind as to respond to my request for prayers. Almost every night, after praying the Holy Rosary and the Divine Mercy novena, I would call Sister Josie in California and we would pray together, with the phone on Deo s ears. After almost two months in the hospital, Deo was brought back home and Sister Josie continued her prayers for Deo s healing. All those who had known Deo s condition, including the doctors and nurses, attested that what happened to Deo was indeed a miracle. Deo is now back to his regular activities. His speech is a bit slurred, his gait slightly swerves to the side, his hearing is sometimes poor and he is forgetful. But the Lord gave Deo back to his family, relatives, and friends. To all those who prayed for the healing of Deo, and to Sister Josie, for her untiring and fervent prayers, thank you so much! Sister Josie, you are an inspiration indeed, especially for those who are desolate! SUSAN ACLO-ARCE Queens, New York 6/21 /11 DEO ACLO Queens, New York The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 23

24 Talents. Tifanny Viray Craig & Samantha Abaya Campos Zsa-Zsa Ariel Michael Young Alyssa Shoemaker Project D Nina Sofia Mojares Melai Jason Sounds of Manila Maureen Javier April Talangbayan Jaleo Dancers Seven Odon Starr Salazar AUGUST It is Filipino showtime at the Philippine Fiesta in America! Top talent performers from the Philippines, young aspiring singers, gifted musical instrumentalists, original band performers, amazing dancers and more! Well, Filipinos got talent! Get ready for a lot of surprises and excitements throughout the entire entertainment portion where unprecedented lavish thrills and frills impressively unfold before your very eyes. To exhibit or attend at the Meadowlands Expo Center, call or sepmgzn@yahoo.com. Visit Philippine Dance Company of Boston Friends of Enemies SAT., AUG. 20, 12pm-9pm SUN., AUG. 21, 10am-8pm MEADOWLANDS EXPO CENTER, SECAUCUS, NJ NOW ON IT S One Philippines 13th Year MEADOWLANDS EXPO CENTER SECAUCUS NEW JERSEY Free Parking Page 24 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

25 Divine Mercy... from page 12 Sister Kits joined Fr. Buenaventure Valles, Father Superior of the Congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, for a pilgrimage tour in Eastern Europe. Joining them were members of the Oasis of Love Community in Cebu City. Part of their itinerary was to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow, Poland and the place of apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugore. Here, Sister Kits Adaza shared with Fr. Buenaventure Valles, who is also a Charismatic Priest, about the visions and messages of the Lord and asked for his advice. She also poured out her fears, worries and apprehensions to undertake such a big project. Understanding very well what Sister Kits was going through, Fr. Valles gave an advice not to fear to build the Church of the Divine Mercy because if it is the will of God, money will come. God will provide. In spite the encouragement of Fr. Valles, the group still persisted in their doubts. THE SEARCH FOR THE LOT The group searched for a place that answered the specified location. Fr. Buenaventure advised them to look for an area no less than 8 hectares, but the group had only Pp2, 000 in the savings account. In another vision, St. Francis of Assis, who during his lifetime also built a church (3 churches), when asked by the Lord, gave an instruction to give the best spot for the Lord. They visited many sites but not one fit the specification. As they continued their search, they came across two locations in Misamis Oriental with the right specification. But the land owners were the obstacle; none would like to sell or reduce their selling price. In January2003 a relative of Sister Kits Adaza informed the group of a better place in El Salvador. The group went for an inspection on February 11, They knew that that was the place. They prayed to discern over the location of the property. The lord replied, My children I am the one leading you to this place. I have prepared this place a long time ago, this place is holy ground. When they asked the Lord why he kept it from the group instead of directly leading them to it, the Lord said, My children it is not easy to build my church. You have to shed sweat and tears. There will be many sacrifices and sufferings along the way. You will experience rejections and humiliations. You will be unjustly condemned and experience many trials. My enemy, Satan, will do his best to put obstacles to build my church because he knows if this church is built, many souls will be saved. CONFIRMATION OF THE PLACE Aside from the message of the Lord, the following are signs which confirmed the place as the chosen spot. * The place is located in El Salvador, which means The Savior * The patron saint of El Salvador is Our Lady of Snows * Strategically located on top of a hill overlooking the ocean, it slopes on three levels giving reference to the Blessed Trinity. * The site was first visited on February 11, 2003 Tuesday. It was the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Blessed Mother guided the group to this place and confirmed the 3 rd vision in 2002, Mama Mary was beside Jesus. * The group witnessed the dancing sun with the image of the Blessed Mother (Holy Tuesday 2003). * On Good Friday, about 300 people witnessed the dancing sun. * Healing water: Through the directions of Fr. Jose Villain a water diviner and Divine Mercy devotee a deep well was dug and clear water sprouted from the 280 ft below. Then the Lord gave this message: Do not fear to drink the water because it is clean and pure. The water is good to wash out the toxic chemicals in your body. When Atty. Guerrero and Sister Kits suggested that the consumption of water be limited to Divine Mercy Hills only, the Lord gave the group this message, Don t refuse people to get water from the well, and saw in a vision throngs of people lining up to get water TRIALS AND PERSECUTIONS With the skeptical reactions and comments of some people that they approached the group was discouragement about the idea to build a shrine. Even the husband of Sister Kits, Atty. Guerrero Adaza, was very cautious with the idea. People told them that they were just looking for problems. Some doubted when they learned that no priest or bishop had ever told them to build but was purely motivated by a message from the lord. They received very little support from church authorities. Only two priests encouraged them to pursue the project. As plans were made to raise money for the project, in many instances, even people whom they thought would help, rejected the group. All forms of humiliation, criticism and negative advice became a constant food for the group. But the group persevered and paid no attention to what people think or say. It was the Lord who told them to build the shrine and no amount of discouragement can derail them from this project. In spite of all these trials and sufferings, the group did the best thing possible, pray and turn with complete trust to the Lord. THE START OF NEGOTIATION The property was made up of 4 parcels of land owned by four different landowners with the total land area of 8.4 hectares. All negotiations to purchase the properties, the lord took control paving the way for the least possible price and maximum payable terms. Each experienced God s love and mercy. LOT # 1 The owner of lot # 1, Mrs. Magpulong, a retired teacher who had a cyst in the breast. For fear of surgery, she had been delaying the operation until such time that the cyst grew bigger and until she could not bear the pain. With discomfort and pain, she finally decided to submit for an operation. She prayed to the Divine Mercy and asked for whom she would go. In silence, she heard a name 3 times. That very afternoon, her cousin arrived for a breast cancer surgery. When she asked who the doctor was, she was surprised because that was the name she heard in her prayer. Immediately, she and her cousin left for Manila. The doctor said her cyst had already ruptured and any delay would be fatal, for her blood system was already poisoned. The immediate surgery turned out successful. During her confinement, she experienced more miracles of the Divine Mercy. Since then, her faith and devotion to the Divine Mercy deepened. When a relative informed her of the desire of the group to buy the site, she immediately consented. She was understanding when payments of the group was delayed. LOT 2 The second lot belonged to a family with a successful business engaged in supplying raw materials to Del Monte Philippines. Their son felt the calling of God and entered the Seminary despite opposition from the family. However, their son had a stroke and died when he was in his fifth year. The family business declined since then until it went bankrupt. The family thought of selling their property and sought the intercession of the deceased son. They promised while praying before his grave that if a buyer should come, they will give his share to the church. Many years had passed but there were no buyers, until the Mercy Foundation negotiated. From the original price of Pp80.00/sqm, they donated Pp The acquisition price then became Pp60.00/sqm LOT 3 The owner had just undergone brain surgery, so to maintain her medicines, she needed money. The seller agreed to 30% down payment and the balance to be paid in 24 monthly installments for 2 years. The group explained that there may be months when payment may be delayed since they were purely relying on donations and solicitations. They appealed for understanding and patience. With the grace of God, after 2 years, the foundation was able to fully pay the property. LOT 4 This is a 3.7 hectare prime lot located at the topmost part of the hill with the panoramic view of Makajalar Bay and from that hill you can also see the Camiguin Island and the ocean around it. To Mr. Juan Bahian, Sr. this property has a very sentimental value, purchased from his savings while employed as a plantation worker in Hawaii at age 16. When the Foundation negotiated for this property, it was priced at Pp300.00/sqm. Further negotiation brought it down to Pp100.00/sqm with the condition it will be paid in cash. The foundation was caught in a dilemma, since it had no immediate funds to pay. Without this property the rest of the surrounding lots will be useless. The group turned to prayers and asked the Lord for guidance. In a message, the Lord said, My children hurry up with the negotiation because the enemy is already at the door. They will do everything to stop this project because they know that if my church will be built thousands of souls will be saved. True enough, the family of Mr. Bahian, Sr. rejected the offer of Pp100.00/sqm. One of his granddaughters was insisting that she had a ready buyer at Pp150.00/sqm. When Sister Kits visited Mr. Bahian Sr. to negotiate for the lot, she brought with her a cathedral size framed image of the Divine Mercy. She explained about the devotion and the desire of the Lord to build a shrine in his place. She explained the meaning of life and the nearness of death. Bahian that time was 97 years old. She mentioned also about Fr. Alfeo Villanueva, former Parish Priest of El Salvador, a close friend of his, who died of stroke while celebrating mass at San Agustin Cathedral, Cagayan de Oro City. He passed away at 75. Another close friend of Bahian, former Municipal Doctor of El Salvador, met with an accident and died at 65. The whole conversation about life and death was not to scare Mr. Bahian but rather presented an opportunity for him to do something for the Lord, to offer his place to the Lord, a great value for him to tell the Lord when his time comes, I have offered my lot to You. Aside from that, since it will be his 97 th birthday on April 6, 2003, they will honor him with the First Holy Mass celebrated in the site. Mr. Bahian finally decided to sell his property to no other than the Foundation. He died at the age of 101 in November (To be continued) Next issue: PART 2 The funding on the development and access of roads The sculptor (engineers, architects) Dress Code The Miracles and Healing; The 3 funding Foundations; The Custodian of the Divine Mercy Hills. The ongoing constructions, etc. The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 25

26 REAL ESTATE The Buyers May Have Been Pre-approved, But... by Robert Fernandez Most home buyers are convinced that having themselves prequalified for a mortgage or even pre-approved even before starting to look for homes is a good thing to do. They realize they need to know how much house they can afford, the cash requirements and what type of loan they ll be able to obtain based on their assets, income, and credit. Additionally, they have a ball park number as to the monthly amortization and total payment. After weeks of searching, finally a property that the home buyers really like came on the market, an offer was made and the seller accepted it. What follows are the home inspection, contract signing and mortgage application. The application asks a number of things, such as personal and purchase information, employment, income, assets, liabilities, etc. The lender runs the borrowers credit reports. Bank statements, pay stubs, income tax returns, among others, are asked by the lender. The loan is processed and eventually goes to underwriting who makes the decision to approve (assuming there are no major changes in the borrowers income and financial situation that would negatively affect the loan), or disapprove. You re thinking, the buyers have been pre-approved. Isn t the loan approval a mere formality? Wait. What if the buyers incurred more debt and other credit blunders such as: Applied for a new credit card Co-signed for note such as a car, student loans Missed loan or credit card / cell phone payment/s Bought big ticket items like furniture, jewelry, big screen TV, etc. Made late payment/s The above borrowers actions may jeopardize the home purchase. Remember, the lender is loaning a large amount and in their eyes the above are risky behaviors and are frowned upon. The borrowers have to show financial restraint. Although this may be a case-tocase basis the safe route is, don t do any of the above at all. If it is a gray area, always consult the mortgage person. The loan may not necessarily be disapproved. However, the borrowers may have to do a lot of explaining and may have to undo some of these things. As a result, loan approval will be delayed. As you know, the lender has to follow underwriting guidelines. The ratio of income to loan payments has to be looked at. Credit scores must not fall below a certain number. Any substantial increase in debt, missed and / or late payments affect credit scores negatively. As you can see, the buyers have a great responsibility. It s not over until the buyers receive a mortgage commitment / loan approval and the transaction closes. Robert L. Fernandez, Seniors Real Estate Specialist and Notary Public, is Broker / Owner of Realty Network in East Meadow, New York. He can be reached at or by Robert@RealtyNetworkNY.com. Guiradelco Philippine-Oriental Restaurant & Grocery 324 Post Avenue Westbury, NY (516) Authentic Philippine Cuisine Home style Cooking Philippine and Oriental Food Emma Yuson Proprietor Syanga Naman mula sa pahina 7 Prayer to Saint Martin De Porres St. Martin de Porres, you always had sympathy for the poor and those who were suffering. I need your help and now ask for it with great confidence in your goodness and power. The favor you received from God encourage us now to ask your intercession. We ask you most humbly to befriend us and assist us from your place in heaven. When you were here on earth you spent your life loving God and your neighbor. Now that you live in the presence of God, intercede for us and beg the Divine Physician to give us health of soul and body. Amen. JCC Eighth Month Virgin Mary, the troubles and hardships of our daily lives often lead to despair. Please do not let this happen to us. Kindle in our hearts the certitude that your Son is ever with us and the assurance of your constant protection and encouragement. Teach us to recognize that God s presence not only encompasses us, but that He chooses to surround us with people of all ages and conditions, adults, youth and children, through whom He reveals Himself to us. Let us praise God with you when we see how His grace brings enemies to reconciliation; promotes willingness for understanding and agreement; transforms selfishness into generous caring; offers to those who have been treated badly the power to forgive and pray for those who wronged them. Our Lady of the Cape, shower your blessings on those who devote themselves to promoting justice, tolerance, understanding and mutual aid in our world. JCC ng tinapay, sinasabing ito ay isang pagpapahiwatig ng gagawin ng mga alagad sa hinaharap kapag ipinagdiriwang nila ang Banal na Eukaristiya. Ganon din, prediksyon ito ng papel nila sa pagsasa-ngayon ng pagliligtas na ginagawa ni Jesus mula sa iba t-ibang uri ng karukhaan. Syanga naman. 6. Sound system na misyonaryo. Ito ang napansin ko dati sa mga tuklong dine sa Pinagtongulan: Dati, walang mike o mahina ang mike sa loob ng tuklong pero meron namang tatlo o apat na malakas na mike sa bubong para marinig ng mga manang na maysakit, ng mga lalaking nasa kanilang bahay o ng mga matatanda sa kapitbahayan. Kaya kapag may dumaang tricycle sa tapat ng simbahan na nagbababa ng pasahero, at ang tunog ng tambutso ay kasing-lakas ng kulog, hindi na kami magkaintindihan. Ha ha ha ha ha. Ang sistemang ito ng sound system ay pinsan ng heresy of action : sobra ang pagmiministeryo sa iba, pero nakakalimutan ang relasyon ng sarili sa Diyos. Parang karpintero na sobra ang galing at pulido sa kanyang trabaho, pero sira-sira naman ang cabinet, pinto, bubong ng sarili nilang bahay. Parang isang sacristan na okey maglinis ng kumbento pero bongga ang gulo ng sariling kwarto. Syanga naman. 7. Mapalad ang may tsapa ng katarungan. Kapag ang tao y may integridad, may puntos na mararanasan niyang siya y nag-iisa at pinabayaan. Sa tingin ng daigdig, siya ay nagdurusa. Para bang hindi siya mahal ng Diyos. Pero sa totoo lang, kung naglilingkod ang mabuting tao nang may tsapa ng katarungan at katotohanan sa ngalan ni Jesus, ang pakiramdam niya sa kanyang sakripisyo ay hindi isang pagdurusa. Sa halip, para sa kanya, ang mga ito ay tanda ng pagmamahal ng Diyos. Bakit? Dahil inihahatid siya ng kanyang mga sakripisyo at pagsaksi sa eternal perfection habang ginagawa niyang ganap ang daigdig sa pamamagitan ng integridad niya sa serbisyo. Syanga naman. 8. Lalong di nakatipid. Meron siguradong iba sa atin na ilang beses nang pinalitan ang sim cards dahil wala, trip lang. Ang bulsa tuloy ay bumubukol dahil dalawa o tatlong cell phones ang dumagdag sa kumpol ng mga susi. Sa dami ng units, nalilito tuloy ang mga kaibigan kung aling number ang tatawagan: yun bang Smart, Globe, Sun, PLDT? Hindi kaya sa pagdami ng sim at subscriptions ay lalo silang napapamahal? Opppps, wala na pala akong pakialam dito dahil hindi naman ako nagbabayad para sa kanila. He he he he. Syanga naman. The Syanga Naman articles are published monthly at Ulat Batangan (Archdiocese of Lipa) and at The Filipino Catholic (New York, since 2002). Page 26 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic

27 Sacred Heart Family Apostolate th Street, Woodside, NY New Branch in New Jersey: St. Michael Enterprise Gift Shop, Printing and Travel 32A Washington Ave., Bergenfield, NJ (front of St. John RC Church) Divine Mercy Images in poster, vinyl or canvas print in three designs, Vilnius (original image), Hyla or Skemp (with a door). Available in all sizes. Call or Cell Church Display, framed or unframed. Get special discount. Also available, affordable pilgrimages in August and September at Krakow, Poland, or/and Papal Audience in Rome, and/or Medjugorge, Fatima, Lourdes accompanied by a priest. Please call same numbers. By The Sacred Heart Family Apostolate Bilingual Library and Gift Shop th Street, Woodside, NY Office: Cell BORROW OR BUY THIS BOOK AT OUR SACRED HEART FAMILY APOSTOLATE LIBRARY! Sponsors of this ad and services: 1. Sacred Heart Family Apostolate (64th St.) Family Library, Club -- assist in starting religious libraries Cenacle Prayer meetings and Fraternal sharing on 1.Mondays evenings-teenager group in Fort Lee,NJ call for details 2. Tuesdays evenings Bergenfield office3.thursday evenings- Woodside office Assist in Home Enthronement of the Two Hearts 2. Quallity Hands Placement Co. - Employment Services (64th St.) 3. Taxes - Authorized IRS E-File Provider (64th St.) 4. Fusion Excel distributor, display of products at office of St. additional income generating for Sacred Heart Family Apostolate.Come join us to this new opportunity for health, beauty, money and good fellowship among other denominations. Non profit income also for the Hope for the Children. New product: affordable shield against cell phone side effects from EMFIELD/EMRADION. 5. Web designs for you business 6. St. Michael Enterprise in Bergenfield FUSION EXCEL ---VERY POPULAR AMONG ASIANS AND FILIPINOS including President Arroyo,Imelda Marcos and the secret of Pacquiao Introducing SCALAR ENERGY WHICH SAFEGUARDS AGAINS MANY DISEASES AND RADIATION CAUSED BYMAN MADE MACHINES LIKE MICROWAVE,TV,COMPUTER,CELL PHONES,ETC.DEMO,DISPLAY OF PRODUCTS AT OUR OFFICE SEE IMMEDIATE GOOD EFFECT.MANY TESTIMONIALS, CALL ADDRESS ST WOODSIDE,NY Memoirs of the Communist infiltration into the Church. Memoirs of a Communist injured in an auto accident in France; he died in the hospital a few hours later. The nurse who attended him kept his journals, read them and published them as AA He had become a Catholic priest to subvert the Church from within. Describes his methods & plans. Says there were many more like him. Very enlightening! IRS TAX PROBLEMS... we can help. Formation of business organization. Corporation, LLC, Federal ID. Restore your credit score in a month. Call (accountant) or visit the office at th Street, Woodside, NY th Street Woodside, NY COME TO OUR BERGENFIELD STORE for a huge selection of religious items... medals, statues, books, dvds and other unique items... all great for gift-giving! Affordable Religious Articles Take advantage of the FREE BILINGUAL LIBRARY. DIVINE MERCY IMAGES - ON SALE NOW!!! Come to our office to view display. Also Available: AFFORDABLE RELIGIOUS ITEMS- Any religious articles,books and gifts can be ordered at the store at discounted prices. Small profit will help maintain the place. - Philippine Library Crusade - tax deductible $500 donation for a religious library at their designated parish church in the Philippines consisting of religious DVDs, books, TV and VCR. NEW ARRIVALS ENEMIES WITHIN Exposing the adversary treatise,illuminati master plan to destroy the church, Communist Goals - 80 percent already accomplished Network of Angels how to know your angel and how to communicate and ask their intercession and many more available at two stores END TIMES PREPARATION AND REMEDIES - book only 5 dollars,free blessed grape with order. Available blessed oils of St. Sharbel, weeping crucifix of Geno Marti, Holy water from Three Kings, St. Joseph, herbs necessary for end times like St. John Worth, Hawthorne, Violet, Incense and more available at Bergenfield office. Any Religious Book, Statues, Medals. Relics, Images, Statues from Fatima AVAILABLE AT YOUR REQUEST CALL ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE FORMATION OF CENACLE PRAYER GROUP REQUESTED BY OUR LADY THROUGH FR. GOBBI WHICH LEADS TO THE TRIUMPH OF HER IMMACULATE HEART (PRIESTS ARE RECRUITTED BUT FAMILIES CAN START). MOTHERS SHOULD CONSECRATE THEIR CHILDREN TO HER IMMACULATE HEART FOR THEIR SOULS TO BE SAVED. CALL THE OFFICE FOR FREE BLUE BOOK AND CENACLE GUIDELINE AND FREE SCAPULARS AND ROSARIES. We can help you set up libraries and start fundraising for your church or ministry. Call: Pilgrimage to nine countries deadline July 12. Sept 30.- Oct 16, 2011 $100 per day excluding airfare Tel Tel Mobile S a c r e d H e a r t F a m i l y A p o s t o l a t e Library and Religious Book Store is open to public at 64th Street and Bergenfield, NJ The Filipino Catholic August 10 - September 7, 2011 Page 27

28 Marian Festival 2011 COME, JOIN OUR FILIPINO MASS Every First Sunday of the month at The Shrine of Our Lady of the Island Eastport, Long Island, New York Mass in Tagalog at 1:30 p.m. preceded by Rosary in Tagalog Pray the Rosary Daily Saturday, September 10, 2011 Time: 12 noon to 7:00 pm SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA 674 Moutain Road, Washington, New Jersey Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, S.J., D.D. Celebrant For Information Call: Manhattan Hilda (646) Queens Mely (718) Bronx Benita (914) Leona/Teaneck/Bogota Mary (201) Jersey City Tina (201) Bergenfield Mildred (201) Lodi Gloria (201) Dumont Lorena (201) Englewood Ester (201) Hackensack Nurray (201) Connecticut Josie (860) Rockland Margie (914) Staten Island Tita (201) Spanish Luz (201) Filipino Vicky (201) FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL: Primo & Tessie Carlos (631) Infant Jesus Prayer Group of Nassau Manny & Norma Pascual (516) Nita Vasquez (516) Jiji Shapiro (516) Zeny Berroya (516) Eden Gaceta (516) Elsa Vergara (516) Helen & Peter Buni Good Samaritan Prayer Group (631) Inday Dineros Santo Niño Prayer Group of Suffolk (516) Directions: Head east on LIE, then take exit 70 South on Port Jefferson-Westhampton (Capt. Daniel Roe Hwy - Route 111). Drive for a couple of miles, then turn right to Eastport Manor Rd. and follow the signs to the Shrine. Visit the Shrine s website at: Page 28 August 10 - September 7, 2011 The Filipino Catholic