Shalom. We Care Because We Pray 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Forbes Park, Makati. October 22, by Dennis Montecillo

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1 October 22, 2017 We Care Because We Pray 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Forbes Park, Makati Shalom by Dennis Montecillo Most practicing Christians will agree that St. Francis may be considered a promoter of peace. However, it is unlikely that peace immediately comes to mind when we speak of the Saint. The excerpt in this bulletin about St. Francis and the sultan is wrapped in the mists of legend, and gets far less attention than the saint s other marvelous exploits. Upon further reflection, though, it should not come as a surprise that St. Francis was a staunch promoter of peace if you take the meaning of the word peace to a deeper level and consider the context of the times. The word peace occurs 429 times in the Bible, and of course, in the original, was the Hebrew word shalom. In today s world, this word is of coursed primarily used as a word of greeting, but in so many instances, when Jesus used it, it meant much more. Certainly, shalom - even if used interchangeably with peace - must mean more than the absence of war. In the book Not the Way It s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, author Cornelius Plantinga described the Old Testament concept of shalom: The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom He delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be. Viewed from this perspective, is it still surprising that someone as holy as St. Francis would be considered a promoter of peace?

2 parish bulletin St. Francis: Promoter of Peace 2

3 October 22, 2017 WHITE ELEPHANTS ARE WELCOME GIFTS! Santuario de San Antonio Pastoral Team Fr. Baltazar A. Obico, OFM - Guardian Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM - Vicar Provincial, Parish Priest Fr. Judee Mar Maquinad, OFM - Bursar Fr. Jesus E. Galindo, OFM - Member Fr. Efren C. Jimenez, OFM - Member RDIP - PB Editorial Team & General Informatio Suzette H. Gatmaitan - Head, RDIP-PB/Editor-in-Chief Javier Luis Gomez - Asst. Editor/Writer Ramon M. Ong - Asst. Editor Marie Tycangco - Asst. Editor/Writer Dennis Montecillo - Asst. Editor/Writer Aissa Montecillo - Asst. Editor/Writer Peachy Maramba - Contributor Lianne Tiu - Contributor Conchitina Bernardo - Contributor Jeannie Bitanga - Website Administrator Alexa Montinota - Asst. Website Administrator Edward Lu - Art & Design Colorplus Production Group Corp. - Production Santuario de San Antonio Parish Center Office Tel. nos ssap_info@yahoo.com Website: Website webi@ssaparish.com Parish Pastoral Council Edmund Lim, KHS President Cristina Teehankee Vice President Suzette H. Gatmaitan Secretary 3

4 parish bulletin St. Francis: Promoter of Peace FRANCIS AND THE SULTAN by Dennis Montecillo In today s situation, where the noxious aroma of war is wafting in many parts of the world, the story of St. Francis and his encounter with the Sultan of Egypt provides a realworld example of how peace can prevail even under the most dire circumstances. Francis of Assisi (1181?-1226) is the saint of the poor, the environment and animals; he was a man who lived a life of evangelical poverty, humility and peacemaking. He sent his brothers out to preach the Gospel -- and if necessary, [to] use words.. As we all know by now, Pope Francis took this name because one of the cardinals told him, Remember the poor. But there was one remarkable event, often only mentioned in passing in church history books and even biographies of the saint, when Francis set out for Egypt during the Fifth Crusade. At that time, the Muslims still controlled Jerusalem, but to reach there, the crusaders decided to first capture the fortress of Damietta in Egypt and gain control of the Nile River. The film tells us, however, that Francis did not buy the pope s call to war but went instead to embrace the Muslims. When the crusaders laughed at Francis and dismissed him as he tried to convince them not to fight, he decided to meet the sultan. He and Brother Illuminato entered the sultan s camp, where they were treated as spies then brought to Sultan al-kamil. No one actually knows what was said since Francis did not speak Arabic and the sultan didn t speak whatever French-Italian dialect Francis used. It was their way of being together, the attitude of mutual respect and understanding, as well as their belief in one God, prayer, kindness to the poor, and peace that certainly appealed to both men. When Francis returned home, he even amended the rule he had written for his brothers, saying that those who feel called to go to Muslims should be allowed to do so. In 1272, a sultan allowed the Franciscans to settle in the Cenacle in Jerusalem. In 1342, Pope Clement VI named the Franciscans the custodians of the Holy Land in the name of the Catholic church. While the encounter between the two protagonists is rightfully clothed in the context of inter-religious differences, the lessons of open-mindedness and dialogue in lieu of hostility shine through and serve as powerful messages. The foundation for their relationship was the mutual respect they most certainly had for those things that we today hold in common, such as belief in the one true God, the centrality of God s will in our lives, charity for the poor, and the desire for peace. 4

5 PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS October 15, 2017 During this month of the Holy Souls, the 6:15am Mass on weekdays and the 6:30am Mass on Sundays will be offered for your intentions. Envelopes can be found at the church racks. Please drop them at the designated box or into the collection bags. Please make checks payable to FRANCISCAN FATHERS. All Souls Day Mass for your dearly departed laid to rest at the Santuario de San Antonio Crypts will be on Nov. 2, 2017 (Thursday) at 9AM. Blessing of niches follows after the Mass. Please light your candles at the designated areas only. There will be no First Saturday Mass at Crypt 3 for the month of November. 5

6 parish bulletin PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS SSAP Fatima Mass and Blessing & Unveiling of the Retablo of Our Lady of Fatima 6

7 PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS October 22, 2017 calendar of ministries for the week SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22 4:00PM - CORO, Practice 9:00AM - CCD Sunday Religion Class MONDAY, OCTOBER 23 8:00AM - Livelihood Assistance Program at St. Francis Friendship Home 1:00PM - OFS Formation 5:00PM - Marian Cenacle Monday Group Prayer Meeting TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24 8:00AM - Livelihood Assistance Program at St. Francis Friendship Home 9:00AM - CWL FREE Clinic and Breakfast 9:00AM - JPIC Hospital Ministry PGH Visitation 2:00PM - Health Care Ministry Dancercise Open to All Parishioners 4:00PM - Marian Cenacle Group Prayer Meeting WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 8:00AM - Livelihood Program at St. Francis Friendship Home 4:00PM - CCD Religion Class THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 8:00AM - Livelihood Program at St. Francis Friendship Home 2:00PM - Health Care Ministry Dancercise Open to All Parishioners FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27 8:00AM - Livelihood Assistance Program at St. Francis Friendship Home 9:00AM - Health Care Ministry Visitation at Rizal Medical Center, Pasig City 11:00AM - Adoration Chapel monthly mass 2:00PM -OFMS Employees Formation 7:00PM - Household Help Charismatic Prayer Meeting 7:30pm - SYA S Payday Prayer at the Adoration Chapel 9:00PM - Tig-Awit Choir Practice SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 4:00PM - VOSA Choir 4:00PM - LUKE 18 Prayer Meeting Buntis Ka? Hindi mo inaasahan. Akala mo mahal ka niya pero ngayo y iniwan ka na. O siguro pinagsamantalahan ka. Di mo alam kung sino ang lalapitan. Pati pamilyo mo itinakwil ka. Makakatulong kami. Call us: GRACE TO BE BORN 53 Dr. Sixto Antonio Ave., Brgy. Kapasigan, Pasig City, 1600 Tel. No CWL-SSAP Grace Lleno

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