Hail! The Rosary! (A Call to Re-discover the Rosary)

Transcription

1 Santuario de San Antonio Parish We Care Because We Pray Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time October 21, 2018 Hail! The Rosary! (A Call to Re-discover the Rosary) By Karen L. Blanco Most of us keep precious photographs in our homes, or in our wallets and cellphones. They remind us of the most significant people and events in our lives. The Rosary is much like these revered photos. It s a simple way of keeping close, the most important person in our life -- Jesus. It is not just an object we keep in our pockets, but also one that connects us to Jesus and helps us to deepen our relationship with Him, through His mother, Mary. My childhood memories recall praying the Rosary during summer vacations in my grandma s house, kneeling in front of the altar with cousins and household staff at six o clock in the evening. And religious occasions like All Saint s Day and during the Rosary month of October. Later on, I started praying it on my own and held on to the beads during times of difficulty. Now teaching the Rosary to my own children bring back Father Patrick Peyton s oft-quoted phrase, The family that prays together, stays together. The kids even recite it during their morning commute to school. In my Prayer Group, the Rosary is considered as a prayer of supplication and intercession. To pray the Rosary is to hand over our burdens to the merciful hearts of Christ and Mary, said Pope John Paul II. It is a contemplative prayer: The procession of Our Fathers, is a prayer taught by Jesus; of Hail Marys, the salutation of God to the Virgin by means of Angel Gabriel; of Glory Be s, the praise of the Most Holy Trinity. It is a series of the most basic prayers of our faith - repeated (again and again) - while reflecting about the most important events in the life of Jesus and, by extension, of His mother Mary. It doesn t require a vast knowledge of the Bible or the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but those of us who enjoy reading and studying will find that it will only enrich our recitation of the Rosary, he continued. When we pray the Rosary, we are in the company of our Saviour and His Mother. They become a bigger part of our lives and the events of their lives become part of our own. Whenever we pray the Rosary, we know that it s not a boring series of prayers but a means of deepening our relationships with Jesus and Mary. It becomes something that we want to do. Yes. Again and again. Santuario de San Antonio Parish Forbes Park, Makati City Tel. nos.: / 31

2 PARISH BULLETIN Thank you to our Francis Fest Donors! (List as of October 16, 2018) PLATINUM Carrie Bautista and Family Mrs. Josie Razon GOLD Eduardo & Mayda Tankiang and Family Lucio & Pacita Rodriguez Atty. & Mrs. Manuel Lazaro Richard & Lucy Gomez SILVER Aboitiz Foundation Inc. Mr. & Mrs. S. Antonio Roxas-Chua Friend of St. Anthony Mr. & Mrs. Bernardito Chu Vivant Corporation BRONZE Amb. & Mrs. Antonio Lagdameo Mr. & Mrs. George U. Young Jr. Suyen Corporation Abad Family Petrona Lim PATRONS Raymond and Marrot Moreno Asuncion Jalandoni Mr. & Mrs. Bernardo Lichaytoo Mila Tanseco Hyland Realty & Dev t. Corp / Paeng & Mely Hechanova Xavier & Mert Loinaz Angeles Jalandoni Liberty Foundation, Inc. Nenita Floirendo/Anflo Management & Investment Estela J. Lopez Mr. & Mrs. Napoleon Nazareno Belen Hidalgo Mr. & Mrs. Jose Mari Chan Consul Helen M. Ong BMI Realty Agchem Manufacturing Corporation Carmen Carlos Randy and Cecile Limjoco Pure Value Resources Corp. Amb. Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. Former VP Jejomar Binay & Dra. Elenita Binay Jun & Jehan Rodriguez and Family Carlos, Mariza & Miguel del Rosario Mr. & Mrs. Cesar Zalamea Pechay & Jolly Gomez El Tigre Security & Investigation Agency, Inc. Marvie Cojuangco Yulo Union Bank Assisi Development Foundation 2 Family of Lim Lian Continuing Catholic Development (CCD) Felicidad T. Sy Foundation, Inc. CWC BENEFACTORS Avesco Marketing Corp / Mr. Jimmy T. Tang Carmelo & Purificacion Santiago Mrs. Menchu Bautista Mrs. Aurora Villanueva Luz Lorenzo Alegria Development Corp JM & Company, Inc. Kanlaon Development Corporation Kanlaon Farms, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Jun Lopez Liwayway Marketing Eddie Pineda Leonardo S. Gamboa & Family Nora Robles Lourdes Goquingco Ofelia Abaya Mrs. Rosita Lesaca Trina Management Development Corp. Amb. Carlos & Isabelita Salinas Manny & Baby Javelosa Agustin & Elisa Bengzon Assumption High School Batch 81 Foundation, Inc. Joey & Malu Macadaeg Lourdes Montinola Horizons Realty Inc. Jacqueline Ejercito Mr. & Mrs. Ernesto Rufino Aida Coliangco Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Mckenzie Raul & Menchu Concepcion Mrs. Aurora Antonio Atty. & Mrs. Cesar Cruz Lorna Perez Laurel Araceli Leonor Cristina Caedo DONORS Paul & Caron Macasaet Mary Yao Te Antonio Montinola Louie & Liza Bate Teresita F. Briones Barangay Forbes Park Mr. & Mrs. Teodoro Tagle Rufino & Violeta Tiangco Patty J. Jalbuena Dr. & Mrs. Beng Fores Amb. Nida Vera Mr. & Mrs. Jose & Lourdes Chan Monark Foundation Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Tecman Alonzo Mr. & Mrs. Jovencio Sinco Eduardo H. Yap Amb. & Mrs. Jesus Tambunting Mabel Abano Forbes Park Association, Inc. Bert & Noni Basilio Lia Marie Te Raul & Dora Cantada Richard & Mary Lou Lee, Pacita & John Tiong Superior Maintenance Services, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Andres Eduardo Mr. & Mrs. Mike Limpe Mr. & Mrs. Pedro Morada Viola Family Mr. & Mrs. Dave Tan Lucy & Jerry Limpe Pons & Marite Tanjangco Resty & Linda Tiangco Leticia Tan Roxas-Chua Dexter & Pinky Go Muchie Villasor Benedicto & Lourdes Pe Lim FRIENDS OF ST. FRANCIS Dasma Circle of OLMM Mr. & Mrs. Romulo Bernardez Angelo King Teody Buenaflor Ofelia Recto Star Management Corp. Alvin & Tricia Dee Erlinda Velasco Mr. & Mrs. Peter Roxas-Chua Delza Villongco Freddie Atienza Mr. & Mrs. Ramon Manaloto Bobby Novenario Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Dizon Jerry Tiu Loretta Galang Mr. & Mrs. Jose Ma. Antonio Campillo Rico Paolo Ledesma Dorothy Isabel Drysdale Teresita Choa Asia Insurance (Philippines) Corporation Maria Christina Patricia F. Briones Group Management Corp. Right Eight Security Agency Inc. Henrietta Ocampo Julie Jalbuena Chief Justice & Mrs. Artemio V. Panganiban Ma. Luisa Boiser Gilda Grande Dr. & Mrs. Vicente Poblete Rosario Montenegro Gerry & Katty Qua Nancy Gonewai

3 October 21, 2018 The Rosary By Peachy Maramba The Rosary is a method of prayer, which is, as the Catholic Catechism tells us, the raising of one s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. It is our means of talking to Jesus and His Mother, Mary. It is a favorite prayer of the faithful since time immemorial. It is no wonder that it is our first prayer and devotion. Its Two Parts The Rosary is a blessed binding of both vocal and mental prayers. 1.Vocal Prayers These prayers primarily consist of the prayer of Christ or the Our Father and the Angelic Salutation or Hail Mary. These were the first prayers and devotion of the faithful all through the centuries. They are basically prayers of praise and petition to Jesus and Mary. 2. Mental Prayers We now come to the most important part or soul of the Rosary. It is the silent contemplation of certain particularly significant events in the Life, Death and Resurrection of Our Savior called the great mysteries of God s love as revealed to us in the blessed Scriptures. This is why the magisterium calls the Rosary the Compedium (or concise summary) of the entire Gospel making it a Gospel prayer. Jesus and Mary practiced certain virtues as shown in the mysteries. By praying the Rosary, we get to honor and hopefully learn to imitate these virtues and follow the lessons contained in each mystery. So meditation becomes the door that opens the way to mental prayers, which in turn lead us to act in Christ-like ways. The Rosary then becomes not only a prayer, but a way of spiritual life. heavenly tree, its roses will never fade, nor the tree lose its beauty. This marvelous tree, our Rosary, is really Jesus and Mary. Its green leaves are the Joyous Mysteries, the thorns are the Sorrowful Mysteries and the flowers are the Glorious Mysteries. The whole plant may be the Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light (added on by Pope John II in 2002) The buds are the childhood of Jesus and Mary. The open blooms show both in their sufferings and the full-blown roses symbolize them in their triumph and glory. Each bead of your Rosary is really a rosebud that will open out into a gorgeous rose if you say the prayers and meditate on the mysteries with love and devotion. If you say a whole Rosary devoutly from your heart, then you place a crown of roses upon the heads of Jesus and Mary, according to Saint Alan de la Roche. If, on the other hand, you rattle off or mumble your prayers mechanically, speedily and vocally without any form of mental prayer to go with it and without contemplation of the mysteries, then all you have given Jesus and Mary are dry wilted flowers. Since the rose is the queen of flowers, the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and therefore, the most important of all. So be sure to plant this beautiful tree in the garden of your soul and let it prosper by watering it daily with devoutly said prayers. Don t forget to fertilize it with good works. Together let us all do our part in propagating this movement to enable every Filipino to say the Rosary daily and in the right way. Expanding on Father Peyton s message, let our cry be the country that prays together, not only stays together, but will prosper and be saved together. However, many Catholics who pray the Rosary are not aware of this requirement to meditate on the mysteries and therefore skip this most important part. Remember God listens more to the voice of the heart than that of the mouth. A Crown of Roses Did you know the word Rosary comes from the Latin word, rosarium, meaning a rose garden? Saint Louis de Montfort likens our Rosary to a mystical rose tree which is to be planted in the garden of your soul. Being a 3

4 PARISH BULLETIN John Paul II: Fraternal Love in a Broken World By Clarisse Gomez Rarely does the Church accord the title of Great to a person, but few in the modern era would deserve the word as much as St. John Paul II. He was known to the world as the charismatic head of the Catholic Church, whose papacy guided the faithful and influenced the world from 1978 to 2005, when he passed away. Pope John Paul II was a beacon of hope in a century of violence, political upheaval, oppression and persecution. Despite the tragedy and suffering he experienced and witnessed in his early life, his message to the world as Pope was one of love and mercy. For this he is considered a Saint of the Catholic Church not so much for his accomplishments but for what his life and spirituality teach us about holiness in the modern world. St. John Paul II and His Five Loves In the book, John Paul the Great and His Five Loves, Jason Evert identifies and reflects on five themes in John Paul II s life, namely his love for: young people, human love, the Blessed Sacrament, the Virgin Mary, and the Cross. Human Love Over many years, John Paul II developed what we now call the Theology of the Body. This is the collection of his teachings about the meaning and vocation of being human, which is evident in our bodies created in God s image and likeness. John Paul II taught that ultimately, the calling of all people is to Love. The Blessed Sacrament John Paul II s life was deeply rooted in prayer. He explained his love for the Mass saying, For me, the Mass constitutes the center of my life and my every day. He would spend hours in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament daily, even if this would delay his schedule. The Virgin Mary From the beginning, John Paul II dedicated his papacy to the Blessed Mother, using the motto, Totus Tuus, which means totally yours. In 1981, during the anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima, an assassin attempted to kill John Paul II. He attributed his survival to the Blessed Mother, and as a sign of thanksgiving, placed the bullet removed from him in the crown of Our Lady of Fatima. The Cross In his old age, John Paul II suffered greatly from physical ailments. Throughout this, he embraced his suffering, offering it for the redemption of souls. His suffering united him to the cross of Christ about which he said, In the cross lies Love s victory. St. John Paul the Great was canonized on April 27, 2014 on Divine Mercy Sunday. His Feast Day is commemorated on October 22. Young People During his papacy, John Paul II started the World Youth Day, and even that to this day attracts millions of young people from all over the world to a week of celebration, faith, and communion. His love for young people emerged from his pastoral ministry as a parish priest in Poland. This continued throughout his life as he called on the youth of the world to not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium. (WYD 2000) 4

5 October 21, 2018 Reconnecting with God through the SYA Weekend Retreat It was cold and it really was a good thing that I brought my jacket with me, that was my first thought -- as I quietly sat in a corner of the chapel in Santuario de San Antonio Parish -- while everyone around was busy setting up the chairs for the evening Mass celebration. Usually, I wouldn t spend a Friday night like this. Weekends mean binge-watching a drama series or reading my favorite books in the comfort of my bedsheets. But not this particular Friday. Maybe it was my sister s constant reminder for me to attend a retreat. Or maybe it was my own desire to take a break from the everyday hurdles of being a young adult. Whatever it was, I just saw myself sitting with strangers my age and sharing with them the things I would normally keep mum, about myself and my faith. During the Single Young Adults (SYA) Weekend Retreat, we were able to talk about the different graces from God that we usually take for granted. For three days and two nights, I was able to meet other young professionals and share with them my struggles in re-examining my faith and strengthening my relationship with God. Who am I? Where do I belong? What do I want to communicate? Where am I bitter? We looked into ourselves to answer question after question and somehow, after each exercise, we got to know ourselves a little bit better. It s actually one of the challenges young adults like us have to face. We forget who we are, as we lose ourselves in the responsibilities that come with adulthood. One day, we just realize that we are already far from the protection of being a carefree and innocent child. We become too busy growing up that we forget how it is to be a child of God. Together with the other attendees whom I consider my friends now, we prayed, revisited the lives of saints, read passages of Jesus teachings, and got inspired by the stories shared by members of the SYA community. By MJ Fernandez During the whole retreat, I realized that I was too focused on myself all this time, too worried about what other people thought of me, and too afraid to take bigger leaps in life. But after each session of the retreat, I learned that God is present in each of our struggles and achievements. He manifests Himself through the people we encounter and the little miracles that happen every day. On the third and last day of the retreat, I looked around and felt the warmth of welcome from the SYA members. It feels good to have somebody share with you how it is to be loved by God. With all my worries and fears chased away by the thought that God embraces me even with all my faults, I can now say No! It doesn t feel so cold now. My Father has warmed me with the assurance of His love. 5

6 PARISH BULLETIN Luke 18 71st Weekend: An Unforgettable Weekend Marts Camurungan Luke 18 was fun and exciting. I really don t know how to explain it but it was the best thing that has happened to me so far this year. I loved it so much -- especially the songs and sharing with my share group. I also liked the skits that they prepared for us because they were really funny. In Luke 18, we weren t allowed to bring our phones and I thought it would be so hard; but honestly, it felt really refreshing. Most importantly, it brought me closer to people and to God. For me, I can see God in everything -- in the people around me, those who care for me and those I care about. Overall, I love Luke 18. It made me the best version of myself and I m so excited to be a part of it now. Annica Bartolome Luke 18 is one of the best things I ve ever experienced. It was such an inspirational and heartwarming experience. I was able to open up to people I ve never met before and I was able to get close to my faith family. I was also able to become closer to God and actually enjoy praising Him. I would super recommend Luke 18 to those young people who want to interact with other people who believe in one God. Justina Estrella Personally, I m really glad that I joined Luke 18 because it was so much fun and a really big help to me in many ways. I m pretty shy with new people but Luke 18 helped me learn how to open up, understand and appreciate my religion more. I learned a lot of new things -- like how to recognize my gifts and everyone else s gifts, how to reach out to others, how I can contribute to the Parish, and so much more. All in all, my time in the weekend was very meaningful, enlightening, and a lot of fun. Joaquin Parpan I first heard about Luke from my dad and my tito. My dad served in Luke at his Parish in Quezon City, while my tito joined here in San Antonio and moved on to Antioch. They both told me about what a great experience being a member of this community was -- how their faith was strengthened, and the lifelong friends they made. Hearing this made me very excited to join, and so I finally signed up for the 71st Weekend. I completely underestimated their stories! Over the course of just two and a half days, I got to know these incredible people that I got to share stories and pray with. The meetings and discussions we had together were very thought provoking and the teamers, silent servers, candidates, titos and titas were all very warm and friendly. This made it really easy to get close to them. I m very eager to remain active and I m excited for the future meetings! Tali Macasaet When I was younger, my parents told me that I would be joining Luke 18 when I got older and I was honestly scared and nervous. For so long, I felt like I was being forced to join but at the start of 2018, I was the one asking my parents when I would join. Looking back at that, I don t know why I felt like that at all. The weekend was really fun and everyone 6

7 (continuaton of Luke 18 71st Weekend: Testimonials) was so nice and welcoming. On top of all of that, I was able to strengthen my relationship with God and learn a lot -- like the importance of family and how to open up to others. Micael Drilon Luke 18 was fun and cool to go to. At first, I thought it would be about talking about the scriptures and all that, but only to realize that Luke 18 is about finding yourself with the Lord and your faith family is really amazing. It was fun and a remarkable experience to take in. Making friends was hard at first but eventually it will get easy when you open up to everyone. I like Luke 18. I consider them as my third family. I love everyone in Luke 18. They re one of the best communities I have been a part of. Everyone in the community finds ways to help you and listen to your problems and even assures you that you are not alone in this world and that God is always with you. I thank Luke 18 for helping me realize that. I also thank them for extending support to the candidates and myself. I am really happy to be part of this community and I hope to stay with this community forever. Gabby Tuason Joining Luke 18 is probably one of the best decisions I ve made. Not only did I rekindle my relationship with God, but also I was also able to create new relationships. Luke 18 has shaped and turned me into a better version of myself. At first, I was anxious about the whole idea of being with younger people because I was scared I wouldn t really fit in. Turns out, all the stress and worrying was for nothing. I instantly felt the warm welcome and love from everyone. Over the weekend, the people who I saw as strangers turned to friends and eventually to my 2nd family and home. Patrick Kho Despite resenting the fact that my parents had guilt tripped me into going to Luke, my time at Luke will be something I remember for the rest of my life. Even though I was one of the older candidates (and even older than some of the teamers), everyone the other candidates, teamers, the SS made sure that I made it through the weekend without feeling out of place. From the songs sung, discussions and activities, I learned that Luke 18 is more than just a weekend that parents sign their kids up for: it s a family. And the family of like-minded people I found at Luke is a family that I know I ll cherish forever. October 21, 2018 Schedule of Liturgical Activities WEEKEND MASSES Saturday 6:15 am, 7:30 am (with Morning Prayers at 7:00 am except on First Saturdays), 12:15 pm, Anticipated: 4:30 pm, 6:00 pm - Fatima Prayer of Adoration and Reparation after the 6:15 am, 7:30 am, and 12:15 Masses - First Five Saturdays for the Reparation of Sins Committed Against the Immaculate Heart of Mary (February - June, August - December) at the 6:15 am, 7:30 am, and 12:15 pm Masses with meditation and recitation of the Holy Rosary 30 minutes before the Mass Sunday 6:30 am (Tagalog), 7:45 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, 12:00 nn, 4:30 pm, 6:00 pm MASS SCHEDULE IN SURROUNDING VILLAGES: Dasmarinas Village Clubhouse: Saturday, 6:00 pm Anticipated Mass (North) Forbes Park Pavillion: Sunday, 11:00 am Urdaneta Village Friendship Hall: Sunday, 7:00 pm WEEKDAY MASSES Monday - Friday 6:15 am, 7:30 am (with Morning Prayers at 7:00 am), 12:00 nn, 6:00 pm - Recitation of the Holy Rosary before every Mass, except on Tuesdays - Divine Mercy Chaplet after every Mass on Tuesday - Novena to St. Anthony and Exposition of St. Anthony s Relic after all Masses on Tuesday - Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help every Wednesday at 8:00 am and after the 6:00 pm Mass - Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus after all Masses on Friday except on First Friday - First Friday Holy Hour: 8:00 am,11:45 am and after the 6:00 pm Mass CONFESSION Monday. Wednesday. Friday 7:15 am - 7:45 am, 12:00 nn - 12:30 pm 5:45 pm - 6:15 pm Saturday 7:15 am - 7:45 am, 12:00 nn - 12:30 pm 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm For special Confession, please call the parish office FOR THE SICK Please call the parish office for anointing of the sick or when a parishioner is bedridden and wishes to receive Holy Communion. 7

8 PARISH BULLETIN Try Gina Vi s award-winning desserts! Frozen Brazos (Karamelo, Dalandan, Dos Tsokolates, Kalamansi, Kape, Keso, Mangga, Milon, Mercedes, Pakwan, Presa, Tsokolate, Ube, Wasabi); Flavored Leche Flans (Keso, Tsokolate, Koko, Kape, Mangga) ; ginavi2015@gmail.com; FB: Gina Vi