1965 picture of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. (From Huffington Post) Fr. Adam speaks about Saint Mother Teresa Friday, 16 September :50

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1 1965 picture of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. (From Huffington Post) 1 / 9

2 EASILY, about 1,000 parishioners were inside Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary Catholic Church in this Las Vegas parish last Sunday. Fr. Adam officiated the mass that my daughter MC and I attended. Evidently, Fr. Adam is a well-liked priest here judging from the seemingly endless number of people arriving. MC had to park in the second parking lot across the street. Half of those inside the church were Filipinos. And surprisingly, like us, they arrived on time. They were not late! 2 / 9

3 Lol! When I was here last year, it was also Fr. Adam who was the celebrant. And I also shared his equally powerful homily with our readers. Do you recall us writing his joke on the Biblical Letter to the Philippians as Letter to the Filipinos? Fr. Adam has a good sense of humor. And little crazy, too. He started his homily with a question addressed to the parishioners. He asked, Do you notice I m nervous when I m starting to give my homily? Then, he walked from the main altar to the lectern carrying a portable plastic container, which, looked like urinal to me, in the full view of the parishioners who started giggling quietly and applauding loudly. (We know what happens, at times, when a person is nervous. Especially, among the young boys and girls who are starting to go to school.) 3 / 9

4 His subject was the newly-canonized Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the sacrifices and sufferings the saint experienced in her lifetime, as well as our own, and the significance of those sufferings to our lives. Fr. Adam stated Saint Mother Teresa s sufferings and sacrifices led her to tell one priest friend when she was still alive that if she would become a saint after her death, she wanted to be known as the saint of darkness. We know that this amazing Saint spent her life for and by the poor. When she accepted a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she said, she gratefully received the award in the name of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone. It was Saint Mother Teresa who said that each time she saw a poorest of the poor, she saw Christ under the guise of human suffering. Fr. Adam pointed out that hope and joy follow each person s suffering. (Applause.) At that point, he gave his parishioners a litany of his own sufferings when he was still a seminarian in the hands of those who administered the seminary where he studied priesthood. He could hardly control his emotions when he complained that those who ran the seminary lacked kindness and compassion. 4 / 9

5 But, despite all, he finished and was ordained. Fr. Adam also shared his answer to a question that s occasionally thrown at him. Whether he wanted to be named as Monsignor, or Bishop, or Archbishop, or Cardinal or even Pope. He said his answer was always NO! He said he wanted a better one...he wanted to be a saint! (Laughter and applause.) Back to his topic, Fr. Adam said we should accept suffering and offer it to God. In so doing, he said, it gives us joy. Suffering is a great gift of God; those who accept it willingly, those who love deeply (I could relate to this), those who offer themselves know its value, said Saint Mother Teresa on the subject. Fr. Adam concluded his homily by citing the essence of Christianity...the Resurrection after Christ s sufferings on the cross. Saint Mother Teresa said, Remember that the passion of Christ ends always in the joy of the resurrection of Christ, so when you feel in your own heart the suffering of Christ, remember the 5 / 9

6 resurrection has to come. Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of the Christ risen. Fr. Adam ended with assurance of his love for his parishioners. (Loud applause.) *** 6 / 9

7 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaking at Holy Family Church in New Yorlk on Sept. 13. (Photo by Roger Santos) UN hits back at Pres. Duterte United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, one of the first to call the attention of President Duterte on extrajudicial killings and possible human rights violations and, in return, was branded tarantado by the Philippine President, spoke Tuesday in a Prayer Service in New York. The invite only Service was for the success of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, attended by the diplomatic corps and the religious ecumenical leaders in the greater New York area, including Northeast A Region of Couples for Christ ANCOP USA, represented by Roger Santos, Executive Director, ANCOP USA. I was informed that the Secretary-General called for a revolution of the hearts and minds of nations leaders around the world towards the formation of what he called global family in the face of social and political problems. Likewise, I was told Mr. Moon called for the protection and respect for life and rights of every human being. Apparently, the Secretary-General implicitly hit the continuing extrajudicial killings in Manila with his remarks. The day after the Secretary-General spoke in New York, the UN High Commissioner for Human 7 / 9

8 Rights, speaking in Geneva, said the President of the Philippines was utterly lacking knowledge about human rights institutions. A spokesman of President Duterte in Manila answered back and said Uncle Digong was a respecter of human rights. *** Today, Sept. 14, is the 13th death anniversary of my wife. Eternal rest grant to Carilyn, Oh Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon her. May she continue to rest in peace. Amen. I had been a good boy, Sweetheart. You may continue resting in peace. 8 / 9

9 Paul Verzosa might say I m not telling the truth, but he is not alone. Just joking Theart. Please pray for eternal repose. Thank you. At the same time, we also request for prayers for healing and complete recovery for Dr. Angie Cruz, Ph.D., who is in the hospital after she was reportedly hit by a car while crossing a Manhattan street earlier this week. mcaball241@aol.com 9 / 9