ANG PANGSEMANA NGA PAHAYAGAN SANG PAROKYA NI SAN VICENTE FERRER [SHRINE OF ST. VINCENT FERRER], LEGANES, ILOILO.

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1 JANUARY 4-10, 2009 visit us at Volume: XIII Number: 06 ANG PANGSEMANA NGA PAHAYAGAN SANG PAROKYA NI SAN VICENTE FERRER [SHRINE OF ST. VINCENT FERRER], LEGANES, ILOILO Pangamuyo sa Pagdangat sang aton mga kinahanglan. Bulahan nga San Vicente Ferrer, nga sang nagpuyo ka pa diri sa duta, wala ka sang pahuway sa pagbulig sa mga nalisdan nga nagadangup sa imo, tamda ako nga yari sa imo atubangan nga nagapangayo sang imo pagtabang. Kay nahamut-an ka sang Ginuo kag karon yara ka na sa Iya luyo, Naga-ampo ako nga akon ma-agum sa Iya ang akon ginapangayo sa Imo pagpatigayon (diri isambit ang imo ginapangayo) Nakahibalo ka, mabinalak-on ko nga Mananabang sang akon kaayohan; Gani ig-ampo sa mahal nga Dios nga akon gid madangat ining akon pangabay Nga dili makaupang sang akon kaluwasan, Kundi makabulig unta nga akon madangat ang Himaya nga walay katapusan Kabay pa. O Ginuong Dios nga tungod sang pagwali nga katingalahan ni San Vicente sa mga tawo, binihag niya para sa Imo ang dili maisip nga mga kalag. Nagapakiluoy kami sa Imo nga tungod sang mga pahanungdan Sa amo nga Santos nga magawawali sang Imong pahukum Sa mga buhi kag mga minatay nga tanan, Kabay nga Iya bugayan sing bugana nga grasya kag bulig ang tanan nga nagadangup sa Iya, nagabulig sa Iya simbahan kag nagapalapnag sang Iya debosyon, kag ipanagdangat niya kami nga tanan sang Imong ginharian sa langit nga puluy-an ni Jesukristo nga Hukum kag Ginuo namon. Kabay pa. San Vicente Ferrer, Ig-ampo Mo Ako. URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI The grace of God our Saviour has appeared to all Dear brothers and sisters, in the words of the Apostle Paul, I once more joyfully proclaim Christ s Birth. Today the grace of God our Saviour has truly appeared to all! It appeared! This is what the Church celebrates today. The grace of God, rich in goodness and love, is no longer hidden. It appeared, it was manifested in the flesh, it showed its face. Where? In Bethlehem. When? Under Caesar Augustus, during the first census, which the Evangelist Luke also mentions. And who is the One who reveals it? A newborn Child, the Son of the Virgin Mary. In him the grace of God our Saviour has appeared. And so that Child is called Jehoshua, Jesus, which means: God saves. The grace of God has appeared. That is why Christmas is a feast of light. - Tit 2:11, Vulg. Not like the full daylight which illumines everything, but a glimmer beginning in the night and spreading out from a precise point in the universe: from the stable of Bethlehem, where the divine Child was born. Indeed, he is the light itself, which begins to radiate, as portrayed in so many paintings of the Nativity. He is the light whose appearance breaks through the gloom, dispels the darkness and enables us to understand the meaning and the value of our own lives and of all history. Every Christmas crib is a simple yet eloquent invitation to open our hearts and minds to the mystery of life. It is an encounter with the immortal Life which became mortal in the mystic scene of the Nativity: a scene which we can admire here too, in this Square, January 4- May 10, kasugpon Ubi et Orbi..., page 5 1

2 We three kings or orient are, bearing gifts we traverse a far. Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star. When I was a little boy I always wanted to be one of the kings. They were my favorite characters in the Christmas story, other than Jesus of course. Whenever the children would put on a Christmas pageant, I wanted to be one of the kings. By the time I was too old for the Christmas pageant my mother was an expert at making crowns out of cardboard and tin foil. I really enjoyed dressing up like the kings and wearing a crown. Then I would walk up to the manger and kneel before the baby Jesus. And I would reach into my cloak and pull out my treasure, usually either a fancy looking box or flask of some kind, and I would give that great treasure to Jesus, the King of Kings. And sometimes I would even get to sing a verse of We Three Kings as a solo. There is something about this story that is intriguing and captivating. There is something about these characters which attracts us. We Christians have devoted our lives to serving this poor boy, Jesus. And it somehow trips our fancy that these kings would travel a long distance and then pass the castles and mansions of this world to go and present precious gifts to our lord. I liked pretending I was one of the kings when I was a child. But I am an adult now. And playing pretend is something of the past. I put it away with that cardboard and tin foil crown. As an Adult I find myself asking, Who are these kings? Where did they come from? What were they all about? Who are these kings? We usually call them kings. Some people call them Wise Men. The word that appears in the original Greek is magoi. That is where we get the word magi. The word literally means a magician or it can be used of an astrologer. 2 January 4-10, 2009 WE, THREE KINGS?! Some Magi were religious leaders. Some of the magic that they practiced was closer to what we call the natural sciences than it was to magic. They were well known for their observations of nature. And for the wisdom they gained from observing nature. So these were probably indeed wise men, who had studied the writings of many religions and were aware of the world around them. So it is no surprise that they would notice that a new star had appeared in the sky and would understand its significance. They were probably also men of power and wealth. They may not have actually ruled over kingdoms, but magi were often employed by Kings. One ancient writing says that a Persian could not become a king until he had mastered the sciences of the Magi. So they would have had positions in royal courts and were probably well paid for their services. And Where did they come from? All the Bible says is that they came from the East. However many believe that Isaiah was foretelling these kings arrival when he said, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring Gold and Frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. Whether they came from Midian and Ephah and Sheba or not is unclear. Even if there were three is unclear. The Bible doesn t actually tell how many there were. One ancient tradition said there were 12. What is clear is that they had come from foreign lands in a day when long distance travel was not easy. So Who are these Kings? They were wise, learned and wealthy men who could see the darkness of the world around them. They had worked with the kings that ruled the people and I am sure had seen much evil. Since they were observant and aware of the darkness they were able to detect a new light when it appeared in the world. Many who were right in the same town where Christ was born missed it. But because the magi were observant they saw his star in the east and its light brought them hope. They were also from a distant land. They were not Jews. Yet they came a long distance to pay homage to the one who was born King of the Jews. Most importantly they were the first Gentiles to worship Christ. They are a sign to us and to the world that it was part of God s plan to call all the world to worship Christ. And the star they followed shows us that Christ was the light sent into the world that would call all nations to himself. Just as that star called those foreigners to come to worship at the manger, so Christ would call the whole world to kneel with them. They represent all those Gentiles who would find redemption through Christ. Who are these Kings? We are the Kings. In a very real sense all who have found salvation in Christ are represented by those kings. Like them we have seen the darkness of our lives. Like them we have looked to heaven for some hope. Like them the light of Christ has shined in our lives and given us hope. And like them we have sought out and found the one born the King of the Jews. The same light which called those magi to worship Christ calls us to do the same. Perhaps the only way we can fully appreciate who these Kings were would be to stand in their place. Maybe we should dust off those cardboard and tin foil crowns from our childhoods, and the imaginations that go with them. And like those kings, approach the baby Jesus asleep in the manger. Oh that may be a long journey for some of us. To travel from the darkness of our disbelief to follow the light of a child s faith. But maybe then we can begin to understand the journey that these Wise Men made from the darkness of their distant lands to the light of Christ. Then, when we arrive at the manger, we can each reach inside our royal cloaks and pull out the most precious treasure we could give to Christ. And we could lay our hearts on the altar as a gift to the one who came to save us.

3 Kag Ang Pulong Nangin Tawo January 4, 2009 Epiphany Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12 January 5, 2009 Memorial of St. John Neumann, bishop Monday after Epiphany 1 John 3:22 4:6. Psalms 2:7bc-8, 10-12a Matthew 4:12-17, January 6, 2009 Tuesday after Epiphany 1 John 4:7-10Psalms 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8 Matthew 6:34-44 January 7, 2009 Wednesday after Epiphany 1 John 4:11-18Psalms 72:1-2, 10, Mark 6:45-52 kids corner!!! January 8, 2009 Thursday after Epiphany 1 John 44:19 5:4 Psalms 72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17 Luke 4:14-22 January 9, 2009 Friday after Epiphany 1 John 5:5-13 Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, Luke 5:12-16 January 10, 2009 Saturday after Epiphany 1 John 5:14-21 Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, John 3:22-30 Paul was determined to be a great teacher. Certain people did not like this. They put him in jail sometimes. There he wrote letters so he could keep teaching. One day he hid so they did not find him. January 4-10, 2009 Color me St. Paul... A Very Determined Man: A Story of St. Paul. A Coloring Book. 3

4 May kasugpon... Ubi et Orbi..., page 5 as in countless churches and chapels throughout the world, and in every house where the name of Jesus is adored. The grace of God has appeared to all. Jesus the face of the God who saves, did not show himself only for a certain few, but for everyone. Although it is true that in the simple and lowly dwelling of Bethlehem few persons encountered him, still he came for all: Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, those near and those far away, believers and non-believers for everyone. Supernatural grace, by God s will, is meant for every creature. Yet each human person needs to accept that grace, to utter his or her own yes, like Mary, so that his or her heart can be illumined by a ray of that divine light. It was Mary and Joseph, who that night welcomed the incarnate Word, awaiting it with love, along with the shepherds who kept watch over their flocks (cf. Lk 2:1-20). A small community, in other words, which made haste to adore the Child Jesus; a tiny community which represents the Church and all people of good will. Today too those who await him, who seek him in their lives, encounter the God who out of love became our brother all those who turn their hearts to him, who yearn to see his face and to contribute to the coming of his Kingdom. Jesus himself would say this in his preaching: these are the poor in spirit; those who mourn, the meek, those who thirst for justice; the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness sake (cf. Mt 5:3-10). They are the ones who see in Jesus the face of God and then set out again, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, renewed in heart by the joy of his love. Brothers and sisters, all you who are listening to my words: this proclamation of hope the heart of the Christmas message is meant for Ang kasugpon... Star..., page 5 just as it led those wise men so long ago it leads us now. God led the wise men and God leads us. In the same way God is reaching out to the lost peoples of our world. There are more than 6 billion people alive today. One estimate says that there are more people alive now than all the people who have ever lived before. About a third of them claim to be Christian. Of that third of the world s population, Lord only knows how many actually place them faith in Christ. all men and women. Jesus was born for everyone, and just as Mary, in Bethlehem, offered him to the shepherds, so on this day the Church presents him to all humanity, so that each person and every human situation may come to know the power of God s saving grace, which alone can transform evil into good, which alone can change human hearts, making them oases of peace. May the many people who continue to dwell in darkness and the shadow of death (cf. Lk 1:79) come to know the power of God s saving grace! May the divine Light of Bethlehem radiate throughout the Holy Land, where the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians. May it spread throughout Lebanon, Iraq and the whole Middle East. May it bring forth rich fruit from the efforts of all those who, rather than resigning themselves to the twisted logic of conflict and violence, prefer instead the path of dialogue and negotiation as the means of resolving tensions within each country and finding just and lasting solutions to the conflicts troubling the region. This light, which brings transformation and renewal, is besought by the people of Zimbabwe, in Africa, trapped for all too long in a political and social crisis which, sadly, keeps worsening, as well as the men and women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the war-torn region of Kivu, Darfur, in Sudan, and Somalia, whose interminable sufferings are the tragic consequence of the lack of stability and peace. This light is awaited especially by the children living in those countries, and the children of all countries experiencing troubles, so that their future can once more be filled with hope. Wherever the dignity and rights of the human person are trampled upon; wherever the selfishness of individuals and groups prevails over the common good; wherever fratricidal hatred and And God is still reaching out to lead these billions to Christ. The light of Christ s love is still shin- 4 January 4-10, 2009 ning in the world. Sometimes that light leads people to the church just as it led the Wise Men to Israel. The question is: What do we do when they come to the church? The scribes in Herod s court opened the books of prophesy and told the Wise Men that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They pointed the Magi in the right direction and God helped them along. When people led by the light of God s love come to the church, where do we point them? Do we point to involvement and action and fellowship? Do we appoint them to a committee? Do we proscribe rites and rituals? Or do we open the scriptures and point them to Jesus? Better yet do we walk with them as they follow the the exploitation of man by man risk being taken for granted; wherever internecine conflicts divide ethnic and social groups and disrupt peaceful coexistence; wherever terrorism continues to strike; wherever the basics needed for survival are lacking; wherever an increasingly uncertain future is regarded with apprehension, even in affluent nations: in each of these places may the Light of Christmas shine forth and encourage all people to do their part in a spirit of authentic solidarity. If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart. Dear brothers and sisters, today, the grace of God our Saviour has appeared (cf. Tit 2:11) in this world of ours, with all its potential and its frailty, its advances and crises, its hopes and travails. Today, there shines forth the light of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High and the son of the Virgin Mary: God from God, light from light, true God from true God. For us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. Let us adore him, this very day, in every corner of the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a lowly manger. Let us adore him in silence, while he, still a mere infant, seems to comfort us by saying: Do not be afraid, I am God, and there is no other (Is 45:22). Come to me, men and women, peoples and nations, come to me. Do not be afraid: I have come to bring you the love of the Father, and to show you the way of peace. Let us go, then, brothers and sisters! Let us make haste, like the shepherds on that Bethlehem night. God has come to meet us; he has shown us his face, full of grace and mercy! May his coming to us not be in vain! Let us seek Jesus, let us be drawn to his light which dispels sadness and fear from every human heart. Let us draw near to him with confidence, and bow down in humility to adore him. Merry Christmas to all! Scriptures to the place where they can kneel and worship the Son of God made human? God sent Jesus his only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world so that whosoever believeth in him shall have eternal life. And God is leading people to Christ today just as God led the Wise Men. We need to be prepared for them when they come seeking the King of the light they are following. We need to be ready to tell them how they can be saved and find Jesus. We need to be able to tell them that Jesus is the only true source of the light they seek. We need to be able to tell them that they don t need to look to the stars for guidance because they can know the one who made the stars. Like the scribes we need to point them to Bethlehem and Jesus, because only he can save them.

5 The star of Bethlehem: it s the light that led the Wise Men to the baby Jesus. We have seen it depicted in art and movies and fiction. It is often portrayed as a bright star that moves in the sky to show the Wise Men where to find the baby Jesus. But what does the Bible really say about the star of Bethlehem? First of all it does not say that is was bright. In fact there is reason to believe that it was not very bright. There is no indication that anyone saw it other than the Wise Men. One of the things that Wise Men or Magi did was to map the stars. They thought they could predict the rise and fall of kingdoms from observing the stars. So the star only had to be bright enough to be visible for the Wise Men to take notice of it. Since only they seem to have noticed, it would seem that it could not have been much brighter than any average star. Most of the time we imagine the Wise Men seeing the star night after night during their journey until it led them to the baby Jesus. Actually from Matthew s report it would seem that the star appeared twice. It appeared a first time in the sky and based on its position they concluded that it signaled the birth of a king in Israel. So at first they did not follow the star as one would follow an arrow pointing the way, but they followed the meaning of the star. When they arrived in Israel they went straight to the King, Herod, to see the new prince that the star signaled. It was only after they left Herod that the star appeared again. It was then that the star appeared to lead them to the Christ Child. As you know, one of my areas of interest is Astronomy. So I have always wondered what the star of Bethlehem was. One suggestion is that it was a Supernova. A supernova is the explosion of a star. When a large star dies it goes supernova and a supernova can be so bright that it appears in the daylight. Supernovae have also been known to get bright, then dim, and get Feast of The Epiphany Reflections We are nearing the end of the celebrational season wherein we are invited to Christmas parties. Upon being invited we usually respond about our desire to bring something, What shall I bring? Funny how we don t want to go empty-handed when all we are asked to bring is ourselves. I wonder if we do not think bringing ourselves is enough. A bottle of Coke, a bowl of maraconi salad, a pouch of bichobicho might make our arrival and presence more pleasing? This week as we move from His birth to His going public, we can prepare for the weekend s liturgy by preparing to bring nothing except ourselves to that celebration. The kings or Magi brought expensive gifts from their abundance. We present our human poverty and truth to receive the manger-bound, Divine-Surprise and exaltation. If possible, try to not ask what you should bring if you are invited to someone s home for dinner. Ultimately, we are learning that it is more gracious to receive than cover up our embarrassing poverty. Looking at The Star bright again. From the point of view of the Magi it may have appeared, disappeared, and then appeared again. But it would not have moved in relation to the other stars. Another possibility is that it could have been a conjunction of planets. A conjunction is when one planet passes in front of another The Wise Men would have tracked the visible planets like Jupiter and Mars and there were a couple of rare conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn about the time Jesus was born. The Wise Men would have been familiar with Astrology and might have interpreted a conjunction of planets as having special meaning. Most other people would not have noticed it at all especially the scribes and Pharisees who rightly considered Astrology to be a form of idolatry. Two different conjunctions in the same area of the sky could also have appeared as one light appearing, disappearing and then reappearing. It would also have moved from night to night. Another possibility is that the star of Bethlehem could have been a comet. A comet would have appeared to move and would have been bright enough to be noticed. The tail could also have appeared to point to a particular house in Bethlehem. The other possibility is that it was not an astronomical phenomenon at all. Instead of a natural event, it could have been a supernatural miracle. God could have sent an angel or some other light to draw the Wise Men to Israel and eventually to Jesus. So what was it: a supernova, a conjunction, a comet or a miracle? I don t know. And the Bible doesn t tell us enough to figure it out. But what it does tell us is significant. Learned men from the east came to Jerusalem seeking Jesus. They were not Jewish. They were Our First Reading for this feast is a poem which celebrates the return to prominence of the city of Jerusalem. It is a prophetic presentation to those in exile that their holy city, which has been dirtied, disgraced and publicly polluted by foreigners and disbelievers. The poem predicts that the holiness of the city will return as will her sons and daughters. Others will come to present gifts from the sea-nations which will come by ship as well as from the east who will cross the deserts. All this will come to pass, because the light and glory of God will shine upon the city and people who are now in darkness. It is a hopepoem meant to keep up the spirits of those who long to go back home. The Gospel is complicated, mystical, political and familiar. I do not wish to explain the various aspects of all of these in some academic or New Testament 101-way. Matthew is saying something very important about the universal implication of a very intimate reality. Jesus is born for more than Mary and Joseph. He is born to not believers in God. They were even practitioners of a superstition that was in violation of the laws of God given through Moses. And it was a heavenly light them led them to Jesus. Sure, their knowledge was primitive by our standard. Even a high school algebra student could have taught them a few things about mathematics. Their concept of the solar system was probably based on an earth centered solar system. But they knew the positions of the stars. Their ignorance was so extensive that they even operated under the false belief that they could predict the future by following the motion of the planets in the sky. But God used their limited and even misled knowledge to lead them to Christ. By whatever means, God placed a light in the sky where the wisest of the Gentile world would see it. Through that light God led these wise Gentiles, who practiced idolatry, to Israel. And once they got there the Scriptures revealed the real truth of where the King was. And in the end these astrologist Wise Men knelt and worshipped the only begotten Son of God who created the stars, planets, comets, etc. You see that is the way God works. God uses our limited knowledge to lead us in the right direction. If we are honest we have to admit that our understanding of Divine things is very limited. We do have the advantage of having the Bible to lead us. But sometimes we even have trouble understanding the Bible. We can t even figure out what the star of Bethlehem was that lead the Wise Men. But God still led them even if the means are beyond our understanding. And God still leads us. Not by lights in the sky like some non-believers suppose, but by the light of God in our lives. The Star of Bethlehem may not be visible in the night sky. But its light is still with us. It s the light of Jesus. And May kasugpon... Star..., page 4 bring light and life to more than Judea and all of Israel. What we are praying with, confronted with, is that God, in fact, is showing off. We consider mental health by the consistency of gestures. A person is healthy of mind and emotions when that which is experienced inside is reflected accurately outside. Obviously there are the occasional unusual behaviors, but generally gestures match emotions and ideas. Is God healthy? It is a strange Gospel to have three wisdom-figures whose whole spirituality is based on interpreting celestial beings, following a single unknown star across the desert and eventually humble themselves before an unknown baby in an unknown town. There is perhaps even more Divine-daftness. The unknowable God speaks the infinite Word in baby-talk, and we grow to understand and interpret this foreign language made native. God had come close before, but never dropping to such depths as to become One of us. God had never crossed the threshold, but did the inviting from May kasugpon... Reflections, page 6 January 4-10,

6 Ang Kasugpon... REFLECTIONS, from page 5 just beyond, over there. These Magi, who gain their wisdom from conversing with starbeings trust their message given in a dream and return, not merely geographically, but wisdom-wise, by an other way. This other way is what Epiphany means. God s sanity, mental-health, is manifested or shown-off by fooling our starstruck wisdom or way of figuring things out. The new way is walking across deserts by the Light of a Star. We are dazzled by stars, but what is even more dazzling is the response we make by trusting that this Light is leading us to an unknown good. I was graced deeply one recent evening to sit in on a group of our young people who were reflecting on their experiences, internal and external, during their weeks spent in giving YE to the young people of Leganes. They remembered faces and meals and cold baths and with some tears went back in memory to the conditions of poverty and yet the strong sense of family and faith there. One young lady began reflecting about her having attended the first meeting of the facees who are now beginning to prepare to go to the barangays. She mused at all they were sharing about why they were going and what they hoped to receive and achieve. She related that they are going to get so much more than what they re asking for. I asked her just how did she come to receive so much more. She, like the Magi, went with a certain, preconceived wisdom. She returned by a different way. She shared that she was humbled not humiliated. She came to see that faith was more than knowing or seeing or understanding. She, and the group agreed heartily, that simplicity is a wealth and sharing is having, and going without allows one to go within. To some, this is not good mental health. The Magi were touched by the simplicity and withoutness of the Divine- 6 January 4-10, 2009 confusion. They humbled themselves in a new experience of recognizing without clearly encompassing. This group of young people have been hanging onto the new way by talking and supporting each other as they journey across their deserts. It is not easy to stay influenced by such a craziness. I muse at how the Magi may have related what they had witnessed to the wisdom cultures to which they returned. We all go to the stable, to be humbled by God s consistent fooling and humbling us by the calls to Bethlehem, Nazareth, Calvary and the most unusual, His and our Resurrection. Those who can not be humbled wait in the dark for more, bigger, shinier, and closer calls of stars. God s crazy way seems to dazzle by dim so as to be consistently faithful. Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. Ps. 72 POPE BENEDICT XVI Christmas for comments and suggestions, us at: wings.svfshrine.com wingssvf@yahoo.com.ph Editorial Board Rev. Ryan Fernando S. Teves Editor Henry Mota Quirico Molina Jr. Associate Editors Steve Fernandez (Reflections) Joecel Huesca (Ako kag si San Vicente) Dannisa Prader (Yo!) Remy Sunio (Social Apostolate) Brigida Debil (Education) Dahlia Caminero (BEC Updates) Gerry Monera (BEC Updates) Gilma Guinalon (Parish Notes) Gino V. Loguibis (Labay man akon ) Rev. Roy Ronald Bretana (Sa Pihak nga Baybay) Rev. Julius Almeria (Halin Sa Bangi) Contributors Gilma Guinalon Joecilyn Buenafe Secretary Nonoy Ubal Jovy Japitana Layout/Graphic Artists Msgr. Ramon Pet Moderator Publication Board Msgr. Ramon Pet Chairman Brigida Debil Vice Chairman Eddy Herradura Treasurer Ronnie Landoy Circulation Quirico Molina, Jr. Rev. Ryan Fernando Teves Members Wings! is printed at Chem Printers, 7 th Street, Lawaan Lopez Village, Balantang, Jaro, Iloilo City. Wings! is the official bulletin magazine of the Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer [San Vicente Ferrer Parish], Leganes, Iloilo and is published once a week with its Editorial and Publication Office at the Parish Rectory, Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer [San Vicente Ferrer Parish], Leganes, Iloilo. Comments and Suggestions should be addressed to: The Editor Wings! Parish Rectory, Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer [San Vicente Ferrer Parish], Leganes, Iloilo Address: wingssvf@yahoo.com.ph wings.svfshrine@gmail.com Website: Wings! 1996 Leganes, Iloilo KATAPUSAN NGA PAHIBALO: SA MGA NATUNGDAN NGA TAG-IYA SANG PANTEON NGA MADUGAY NA NAGPASAR: NATAPOS NA ANG ISA KA BULAN NGA PLASO NGA GINHATAG SA INYO. MAY DUGANG NGA BALAYRAN SA MGA AMOROSO NGA PANTEON. SA INDI MAKABAYAD SANG ILA TUIGAN NGA BALAYRAN INI AMON IPAGAMIT SA KON SIN-O ANG MAGKINAHANGLAN. MAGKADTO LANG SA OPISINA SANG PAROKYA SA SINI NGA KAANGTANAN. MGA PANTEON NGA NAGPASAR SA BULAN SANG NOBIEMBRE, 2008 (Deadline: DISIEMBRE, 2008) Ngalan sang Patay Nich No. Ngalan sang Tag-iya Petsa 1. Michael Elle 40 Enriqueta Elle Nov. 20, Jose Suay 140 Agripina Belgira Nov. 8, Mateo Perales 189 Adela Juanillo Nov. 11, Irene Alimane 251 Josefina Lacadin Nov. 11, Elias Espigar XIV Nida Mañago Nov. 13, Carlos Guadalupe, Sr. XXII Carlos Guadalupe, Jr. Nov. 16, Socorro Simaurio XLII Nov. 5, Erich John Jasa LV Consolacion Lusuegro Nov. 8, Ramon Jomilla LXV Margarita Jomilla Nov. 23, Efren Gumacal, Sr. LXVII Nelida Sui Nov. 27, Norberto Heso LXXXVIII Jimmy Heso Nov. 13, Remedios Herradura 59-c Quidato Nov. 18, Elizar Divinagrcia XIV-c Eliezer Divinagracia z Nov. 16, Rogaciano Gubatanga XLVIII-c Montano Gubatanga, Jr. Nov. 4, Vicente Arrivas L-c Paciano Arrivas Nov. 25, 2008

7 LORD, EVERY NATION ON EARTH WILL ADORE YOU. In a remote barangay where everybody knows everyone, a sudden and unannounced arrival of a stranger can provoke various reactions ranging from mild curiosity to intense fear. People start asking: who is this? Why did he come here? Where did he come from? Today s Gospel narrative from St. Matthew on the arrival of three strange men from the East caused disturbance to some of the great people of Jerusalem: King Herod, the Chief Priests, the Scribes. Who are these men, strangely-clad, obviously of aristocratic and intellectual background, who came looking for the King of Israel? In our catechesis before we used to refer to them as kings or magi from the East. Nauna ang tatlong haring mago as our well-known Christmas song goes. The reference evokes the Psalmist s words that the kings of Tarshish and the Islands shall offer gifts, the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring tributeand all kings shall pay him homage (Ps. 72:10 ff). It also conjures the creative vision of the prophet Isaiah of the dromedaries, the camels, the wealth of the nations being offered, and the people from Saba bringing gold and frankincense to the king (Is. 60:5-6). More recent versions of the Bible speak of them as astrologers because of their knowledge of Astrology, or learned men from Babylon who were often consulted by the kings to interpret dreams or strange portents (Dn.2:2). Attracted by the appearance of a miraculous star, these astrologers tirelessly and faithfully watched its rising and set on a journey to follow it until it led them to the end of their quest - the Child in the manger. What convinced the Magi that the Child was the King of the Jews and the King of the peoples? There is no doubt that they were persuaded by the sign of the star that they had seen in its rising and which had come to rest precisely over the place where the Child was found (cf. Mt 2:9). But even the star would not have sufficed had the Magi not been people inwardly open to the truth (Pope Benedict XVI, 2008). In their hearts they knew something that King Herod and the people of Jerusalem did not know that the King of the Jews has just been born in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Liturgy calls today s feast Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord. The word epiphany comes from the Greek word epiphaino which means appearing, manifestation or a revelation of something that was previously secret or hidden. With the visit of the magi, the ancient prophecies about Israel have now been fulfilled. Rise up in splendour! Your light has come. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance (Is 60: 1-3). Jerusalem, the fortified city of David and the pride of the Jews will now be a beacon, a light for ALL peoples of the world. A foreshadowing of the universal call to salvation. The visit of the magi reveals that the new-born Child in Bethlehem, is not only the Lord and Savior, the Emmanuel for the Jewish People, but also for ALL men. This is what the refrain of the Responsorial Psalm repeatedly makes us acclaim: Lord every nation on earth will adore You. In his Letter to the Ephesians St. Paul proclaims: God s secret plan was revealed to me, unknown to men of former ages but now revealed by the spirit to the holy apostles and prophets. It is no less than this: in Christ Jesus, the Gentiles are now coheirs with the Jews, members of the same body and sharers of the Promise through the preaching of the gospel. To the Jews, all those who don t belong to the Jewish nation are the Gentiles. They can lay no claim to the Promise made to Abraham. Some, however, continues to hear the distant call of their Shepherd who longs to gather all the sheep in one sheepfold. They are represented by the magi who, attentive to the call of the Child, set on a pilgrimage of faith guided only by the star shining in their hearts, endeavoring to free themselves of all that could stop them from following the star: their own country, loved ones, intellectual accomplishments, familiar places and friends. Detached of ALL, with open minds they can attach themselves to the new-found Treasure: the Child Jesus. The offering of their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh expresses this faith. We are among the Gentiles. We are the children of the Promise because we have been ransomed from sin and death by our Lord Jesus Christ and made as adopted children of the Father in baptism. Today s feast is our feast. We celebrate today our call to believe in the Christ and to offer Him the gift of ourselves and of all that we hold most dearly to our hearts. The Virgin Mary with her Fiat, teaches us to be a manifestation of the Lord, opening our hearts to the power of grace and faithfully abiding by the words of her Son, Light of the world. Let us be grateful to the Lord because He has called us. Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, reminds us : This is what disciples of Christ must do: trained by him to live in the way of the Beatitudes, they must attract all people to God through a witness of love: In the same way, your light must shine before men so that they may see goodness in your deeds and give praise to your heavenly Father (Mt5: 16). Whereever we are, these are venues of the many epiphanies of God s presence in our midst today. Strive to take our inspiriation to heart by knowing, valuing, living and sharing it. Today s Solemnity can offer us this perspective, based on the manifestation of a God who revealed himself in history as the Light of the world to guide humanity and lead it at last into the Promised Land where freedom, justice and peace reign. And we see more and more clearly that on our own, we cannot foster justice and peace unless the light of a God who shows us his Face is revealed to us, a God who appears to us in the manger of Bethlehem, who appears to us on the Cross. While we await that Great Epiphany of the Lord s glorious return, we daily witness to the Kingdom of God, by living the Paschal Mystery in the power of the Holy Spirit with Mary as our companion. The new-born Child is little and small. Let us offer him gifts that are also little and small. Let our practice of sharing make us become heralds affirming the Little Way of St. Therese of the Child Jesus: anumang magaling, kahit maliit, basta t malimit ay patungong langit, not only in our contribution but in our life of love as God s children. Let us celebrate the Solemnity of our Lord with the acclamation: Lord, every faithful in the parish adore you! January 4-10,

8 ofshrine St. Vincent Ferrer Parokya ni San Vicente Ferrer Leganes, Iloilo the Philippines Telephone No.: Rt. Rev. Msgr. Ramon A. Pet, HP MISA Parish Priest/Rector Rev. Ryan Fernando S. Teves Parochial Vicar Gilma Guinalon Joecilyn Buenafe Parish Secretary MISA Lunes-Sabado 6:15 a.m. & 7:00 a.m. Mierkoles: Novena & Misa 5:00 p.m. Biernes: Novena kay San Vicente tapos ang nahauna nga misa Domingo: 6:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. KOMPESYON Sabado - 5:00 p.m. Primer Huwebes - 5:00 p.m. Iban nga adlaw - Magpahibalo sa opisina KASAL Mierkoles: Ordinaryo 7:00 a.m. Iban nga adlaw: Areglohon sa opisina isa ka bulan antes ang kasal BUNYAG Sabado: Ordinaryo 11:00 a.m. Seminar 10:00 a.m. Domingo: Special 11:00 a.m Seminar antes sang bunyag Iban nga adlaw: Areglohon sa opisina LUBONG Martes: Libre 2:30 p.m. Iban nga adlaw: Areglohon sa opisina BADLIS SANG MGA NAGAMASAKIT Kon grabe: Bisan ano nga oras kag adlaw. Sa iban nga kahimtangan: Areglohon sa opisina BENDISYON Sang mga salakyan, imahen sang mga santos kag iban pa Sa tapos sang tagsa ka Misa OFFICE HOURS: Martes - Domingo 8:00-11:00 a.m. 2:00-4:00 p.m. Wala sing opisina sa adlaw nga Lunes. Ang Palapak ginahiwat sa tapos sang tagsa ka Misa 8 January 4-10, 2009 MARRIAGE BANNS The couples below wish to contract Holy Matrimony. If you know of any impediment or serious defects that will prohibit marriage please inform the Parish Priest or contact the Parish Office. FIRST PUBLICATION DIONY F. QUEDA, a resident of Feliciano, Balete, Aklan, son of Noel Queda and Fidela Fernandez; and CECILIA MIJARES, a resident of Cag. Norte, Leganes, Iloilo, daughter of Federico and Venancia Mijares. SVF Community welcomes the newly baptized: Ariane D. Castociano, Renz Z. S. Mallorca, Aldinver D. Griño, Suri Niyl Hairraj E. Gadiane, Jun Joe Jr. R. Posoc, Hanna Kristel M. Dilla, Qytch Lorrainne Gulmatico, Angel Mae A. Adorio, Justin Rey S. Bayas, CJ A. Caturas, John Mark A. Suarez SVF Community welcomes the newly wedded couples: Raul Capaducio and Roseme Barela; Alvin Arca and Hilda Hopilos; Jessie Julitan and Sonia Peñafiel; Roel Molina and Agnes Batisla-ong Let us pray for our dear departed: Mitchel Guinalon, Agustin Pinggo, Severino Subere, Jurie Biñas Collection Report December 14-21, 2008 Sunday Mass Collection P 23, US$ 1.00 Love Offering P 19, US$ 8.00 Palapak P 7, Daily Weekday, Funerals P 2, SVF Special Fund P Mother of Perpetual Help P Blessings P WINGS P 2, L2000 P 7, Construction P Aguinaldo Mass (Dec ) P 10, Midnight Mass (Dec. 25) P 3, December 25 P 16, Pax Te Cum P 6, palangga ka sang Dios! MISA SA SEMANA ENERO 04 DOMINGO 6:00 a.m. Misa para sa nagkalainlain nga katuyoan 7:30 a.m. Misa para sa nagkalainlain nga katuyoan 9:00 a.m. Chanted Mass Thanksgiving By: Mr. & Mrs. Rosalito de los Reyes & Family 4:00 p.m. Jerusalem Mass ENERO 05 LUNES 6:15 a.m. Chanted Mass +Severino, Asuncion, Nelly, Marianito, Jose & All Souls in Purgatory By: Georgina Gulmatico & Family 7:00 a.m. Mass Intention Thanksgiving for their birthday By: Miss Emilia Golingay & Eladio Planta ENERO 06 MARTES 6:15 a.m. Mass Intention Thanksgiving for the recovery Of Trinidad Pudadera By: Consolacion Somollo & Family 7:00 a.m. Mass Intention +Pepito, Maria, Abner, Cesar & All Souls in Purgatory By: Miss Resurreccion Celiz ENERO 07 MIERKOLES 6:15 a.m. Mass Intention 7:00 a.m. Mass Intention +Crispin Solas, Sr. By: Mrs. Rosita Solas & Family 2:00 p.m. Kasal 5:00 p.m. Mass Intention ENERO 08 HUWEBES 6:00 a.m. Mass Intention Thanksgiving By: Mrs. Ma. Lyn Legaspi & Family 7:30 a.m. Mass Intention Thanksgiving on their 13 th Wedding Anniversary by: Mr. & Mrs. Mark John and Leah Mae Somollo 9:00 a.m. Mass - Thanksgiving by:mr. & Mrs. Gil and Eva G. Tabanda & Family ENERO 09 BIERNES 6:15 a.m. Mass Intention +Jim, Mark Sherwin, Bienvenido & All Souls in Purgatory By: Miss Sheila Jaleco & Family 7:00 a.m. Mass Intention +Generoso (4 th Death Anniversary) By: Ronquillo & Acepcion Family ENERO 10 SABADO 6:15 a.m. Mass Intention - +Socorro By: Gustilo Family 7:00 a.m. Mass Intention Thanksgiving By: Jinon-Lustria & Pagdato Family 9:00 a.m. Mass Fiesta-Brgy. Cari Minor 2:30 p.m. Funeral Mass +Teresita de la Puerta 4:00 p.m. Brgy. Mass Villa Leganes & Cari Minor

9 ANG PANGSEMANA NGA PAHAYAGAN SANG PAROKYA NI SAN VICENTE FERRER [SHRINE OF ST. VINCENT FERRER], LEGANES, ILOILO JANUARY 4-10, Volume: XIII Number: 06 Ang Piyesta sang Tatlo ka Hari tama gid ka popular halin pa sang una. Nadumdoman ko nga sang bata pa ako, didto sa amon banwa sa Concepcion, bisan gamay ang amon simbahan, apang sa Piyesta sang Pagkatawo, may tatlo ka dalagko nga bituon nga nagalakat padulong sa Belen nga ginhamtangan ni Jesus, ni Maria kag ni Jose. Naglibog ang akon ulo kon paano sila nagalakat. Ulihe ko na nahibaloan nga ginahigtan man lang sila sing lubid kag ginaguyod sang tatlo ka tawo pakadto sa altar. Bisan amo lamang ini ka simple nga pahito, apang nagbunga ini sa akon kaisipan kag imaginasyon nga sa pagkamatuod basi amo gid ini ang nahanabo sa Bethlehem sadtong balaan nga gab-i nga natawo si Jesus. Karon, ginapamangkot ko ang akon kaugalingon. Ano bala ang kahulogan sini nga tanda? Ano ang kaangtanan sining bituon sa aton pagtuo bilang mga Kristiyano nga Katoliko? Siling sang akon iloy, ang tatlo nga bituon nagarepresentar sa tatlo ka Hari nga halin pa sa sidlangan nagpangita sang bag-o natawo nga Hari sang kalibutan. Apang, ang bituon nga nagsubang sang pagkatawo ni Jesus kag nagtuytoy sa ila padulong sa Bethlehem naga-representar kay Jesus. SI JESUS AMO ANG BITUON. Ang tatlo ka Hari, ukon mga Magos, naga-representar sang tanan nga mga tawo sa bug-os nga kalibutan. Tungod sang ila pagduaw sa Bethlehem, nagpauli sila nga nagatuo nga si Jesus amo ang Dios kag Mesiyas, nga ginpanaad sang Amay. Nagpauli sila nga malipayon kay tungod sang ila pagtuo na-angot na January 4-10, 2009 MENSAJE SA PIYESTA SANG TATLO KA HARI: SI JESUS AMO ANG BITUON NGA NAGATUYTOY SA TANAN NGA MGA TAWO ang Tingog sang Manogbantay RT. REV. MSGR. RAMON A. PET, HP HINIGUGMA KO NGA MGA PAROKYANO: ang ila kabuhi kay Jesus, kag tungod sini may kahulogan na kag may katuyuan na ang ila pagkabuhi. Ang mensaje ni Jesus labi na gid natungod sa paghidait kag paghigugma amo na ang magagiya sa ila kag nagahatag kabilinggan sa ila bugos nga kabuhi. Sila man makabig nga mga larawan sang Simbahan nga ginatapuan sang mga tawo sang nagakalain-lain nga rasa kag mga pungsod. Agod nga mangin katapu sang Simbahan ang bisan sin-o nga tawo wala nagakinahanglan nga bayaan niya ang iya kultura ukon duna nga panggawi, kundi ini tanan iya lang ipaidalum sa pagbulut-an ni Jesukristo; agod nga wala sing tawo nga tama gid ka manggaranon nga wala na gid sia nagakinahanglan sang iban, kag wala man sing tawo nga tama ka imol nga wala gid sia sing ihatag. Ang mga tawo karon sa aton panahon, katulad man sadtong mga tawo sa panahon ni Jesus. Ang iban nakakita man sang BITUON, apang wala sila magsapak kag amo man sila gihapon nga walay padulongan ang ila kabuhi. Ang iban katulad sang mga Magos nagluhod, nagkilala kag nagbaton kay Jesus bilang kapawa sang kalibutan kag ini sila nagpanglakaton sa kapawa nga may kalipay kag paglaum. May iban gani nga luyag patyon ini nga Kapawa, kay luyag sila magpabilin sa kadulom, apang suno kay San Juan ang kadulom dili makadaog sang kapawa. (Jn.1:5) Gani, sin-o yadtong luyag iwagan sini nga KAPAWA? Yadtong mga nagahandom nga ang kapawa sang Balaan nga Kasulatan magpanalupsop sa ila mga tagipusoon. MALIPAYON NGA PIYESTA SANG TATLO KA HARI SA INYO TANAN!! A- 1

10 AGENTS OF HOPE & POVERTY ALLEVIATION ARCHBISHOP ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, DD ARCHBISHOP OF JARO New Year 2009 Message With the advent of the New Year 2009, everybody wants to think positively, and hopes that the New Year will be, as everybody greets, Happy New Year or Prosperous New Year. Prayerfully, 2009 will be as we wish and dream it will be: happy and prosperous. But especially for whom? The Biblical Greeting is Rejoice in the Lord Always (1 Thess. 5/16; Phil 4/4). In our Christian context, the reason for rejoicing at any time is not something we have done or received from our fellow humans. The fundamental reason for our rejoicing always is that in Jesus Christ, God and Man, God has become God with us Emmanuel. So that in the midst of many human negativities, accidents, cruel poverty and broken promises, we still have countless blessings to be merry and happy about. With God hope springs eternal. Unfortunately, God s countless blessings have been and are obstructed or hindered from reaching their respective targets. The realities: according to one study, for every 100 pesos of our national budget, 40 pesos go to debt servicing, 15 pesos for education, 1 peso and 40 centavos for health services, and only 18 centavos for housing. For every 100 pesos, sadly 43 pesos and 42 centavos become the object of greed, fraud, plunder and corruption. Recently it was said that the 23 million poorest of the poor have whom are victims of their neighbors greed. There is so much to be hoped for, or there is much to be worried about in the New Year Where should New Year s Resolutions go? While poverty alleviation is one of the Church s social action programs with restricted funds from charity for charity, there is much to be expected from large government appropriations, not as acts of charity only, but as acts of justice and honesty. The extreme poverty of the poorest of the poor is neither natural nor normal: it is man-made and can be overcome or eradicated by acts of justice, honesty, compassion and charity. God s blessings are unlimited and countless. What is unfortunate is that they become limited through selfishness, injustice and corruption. Pope Benedict XVI said on Christmas Day that it is GREED that destroys the world and its peace, unbridled and criminal greed of individuals and institutions. The evil effects of greed are worse and more widespread than the evils of war. Will the New Year 2009 be a better year for the poorest of the poor because they are better looked after by Society, the Church and Government? Only the future will tell! In 2009, will someone be less poor, less hungry, better educated, because of what I shall have done? A challenging and appropriate question to ask if we want to become increased to 27 million, most of agents of hope for A- 2 January 4-10, 2009