The Gate

Gospel according to John  

John 10:1-10

Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. And will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

So many would want to lead but with ulterior motives. Only Jesus led with the end view of giving us life and giving it more abundantly as the Gospel tells us. Why are positions of power so attractive? Simple, they give us opportunities of enriching ourselves. No wonder so many would like to run for office: be it in the national or local level. And it is always with the wrong intentions. It takes a lot of honesty to accept that our services are tainted with selfishness and ambition: reason why, in the Church, an ambitious priest could never become a bishop. In the Church, only those who are humble and would never want positions of power are given power. Quite a paradox, don't you think?

This 2016, let us watch out for those who would run for elections. May this Gospel reading be our guide in choosing our future leaders. It is unfortunate how we were deceived by thieves and robbers! As early as today, let us study each prospective candidate and pray for light and guidance. 

And because it is Mothers' Day today, we need not look any further but on our own mothers for a good example of self-sacrificing love and service. To all the mothers in the world, HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY. May you teach your children to choose to be brave! 

Sacrament of Reconciliation

The best preparation for Holy Week is a good Confession. They say, there are few people who go to Confession, nowadays. I don't think so. In fact, I have gone to Confession today and there were six priests hearing Confessions. Each Confessional Box had a long line of Penitents.Penitents are persons who are sorry for their sins and are willing to go to Confession. With contrite hearts they are willing to do penance and have a strong resolve to amend or change their lives. 

If you have observed, the things I mentioned above are all found in the Act of Contrition. Let us highlight each resolve a penitent should have based on the Act of Contrition: 1. to confess my sins; 2. to do penance 3. to amend my life.Recall that the Act of Contrition tells God how sorry we are for our sins: "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You and I detest all my sins..." Why should we hate all our sins? The Act of Contrition tells us clearly that the reason why we should detest all our sins:is because of that dread that we shall  lose heaven and we fearfully anticipate the unimaginable pains of hell. But most of all because I have offended you, O my God who art all good and deserving of all my love." So, it's not merely because we are afraid of hell. Well, are you not afraid of the sufferings hell would bring? We've had enough sufferings here on earth. Do you still want more in the next life? No way! But that's not the most important reason. It says "most of all because I have offended You, O my God. Yes, my God who is all good. Yes, my God who is most worthy of all my love. All, meaning not half but all. 

After confessing or telling our sins to the priest, there is another thing we need to do. We have to do penance. Penance is the satisfaction or peace offering for our sins. It is not enough and it will never be enough to pay for the sins we have committed. It is Christ's death on the Cross that paid the full price for our sinfulness Nevertheless, it shows our sincerity to do everything we can to reconcile with Him. 

Reconciliation with God does not stop in confession and doing penance. The last component is a change of heart or continuous conversion. We call this the purpose of amendment. For some, doing good and living an ordered life is a form of penance. Indeed, it is a good way of doing penance. It is also a way of amending one's life.

If you have not yet gone to Confession, you still have next week. Remember, the schedule for Confession at San Sebastian Cathedral is at 4;30 pm every Saturday.    

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday will be on April 13, 2014. That will be next week. Palm Sunday marks the end of Lent. It also marks the beginning of Holy Week.On Palm Sunday we commemorate Jesus' triumphal entrance to Jerusalem. People welcomed him bearing palm branches in their hands. They even put palm branches on the ground where his donkey walked. What a grand welcome! But the same people who welcomed him on Palm Sunday, were the same people who rejected him and shouted crucify him on Good Friday.

Human nature is such that we sometimes do things we don't fully understand. Don't get disheartened when you experience this. We experience acceptance and rejection on a daily basis. Don't take things personally. Usually, when people do not understand you, it is simply because they are going through something. That something is just temporary. Nothing is constant in this world. One day you are the best of friends, the next day, the exact opposite. We go through a process that only God understands. It's all up to us to cooperate.

I remembered how we used to celebrate Palm Sunday in the Formation House. We prepared special food on Palm Sunday. It was our way of telling Jesus, that if in Jerusalem they welcomed him without giving him food to eat, here in our community, Jesus can eat a hearty meal. Actually, the idea behind that practice was the reliving of the Bethany experience. Bethany is the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary where Jesus was always welcomed so hospitably. They were Jesus' best friends.

Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross is another good Holy Week practice. It can be done any day for those who'd want to meditate on the passion and death of Christ, but most appropriately for the Holy Week especially on Good Friday. It's a very good way of meditating upon the last few hours Jesus spent on earth. There are many versions, so far, for this devotion. Many still keep the Traditional Stations of the Cross. Pope John Paul II introduced changes by going back to what was written in the Gospels. He tried to do away with Stations not found in the Gospels like Veronica wipes the face of Jesus as is shown in the picture above. The Scriptural Version was introduced by Pope John Paul II in 1991 and approved by Pope Benedict XVI for public celebrations in 2007. 

What are the differences and similarities between the two Stations of the Cross? I've put them side by side for comparison. 

Traditional Form                                                       Scriptural Form

1. Jesus is condemned to death                                 1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

2. Jesus carries His cross                                          2. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and
                                                                                      arrested   

3. Jesus falls the first time                                          3. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin

4. Jesus meets his mother                                          4. Jesus is denied by Peter

5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His              5. Jesus is judged by Pilate

    Cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus                           6. Jesus is scourged and crowned with
                                                                                    thorns

7. Jesus falls the second time                                     7. Jesus takes up his cross

8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem                     8. Jesus is helped by Simon to carry his
                                                                                    cross

9. Jesus falls a third time                                        9. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem                       10. Jesus is stripped of His clothes                            10. Jesus is crucified

11. Jesus is nailed to the cross                                  11. Jesus promises his kingdom to the
                                                                                      repentant thief

12. Jesus dies on the cross                                       12. Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each
                                                                                      other.

13.. Jesus is taken down from the cross                    13. Jesus dies on the cross 

14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.                                     14. Jesus is laid in the tomb

Read more about the Stations of the Cross by clicking the link below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stations_of_the_cross

VISITA IGLESIA #KAKAIBA

St. Therese Shrine is located at Newport, Metro Manila. This was the first structure erected in the area before all the other world class buildings in the Resorts World and the Mega World Global in front of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal III. This is the seat of the Military Ordinary of the Philippines.

If this is where our Military Ordinary resides, you would ask why of all Saints, they have chosen a young woman and a contemplative nun for a Patroness. Why did they not choose a valiant soldier like Saint Sebastian, for example who was a martyr of the faith? Or may be Saint Ignatius of Loyola for that matter? There are many reasons running through my mind why they chose St. Therese as the Patron Saint of our Military. Unless we ask the very person or persons who made the choice, we would never know the exact reason. 

For now, let us just enjoy our Visita Iglesia to the Shrine of St. Therese. I'll try to show you around. How about entering the Adoration Chapel. Here, we can pray more fervently without much distractions. It's so quiet and peaceful in here.You may ask for a special grace that your heart so desires. You know that God listens to all our prayers. Remember, he grants only those things that will bring us closer to Him. He may answer our  prayers with a yes, a no, or wait. "Man proposes, God disposes," an old adage goes. 

Oh, Lord, you know what the human heart usually asks and desires for. I heard one priest say in his homily that instead of saying "Panginoon" the Tagalog word for Lord, what we usually utter in prayer is "pahingi noon" a phrase which means "give me that". We can be greedy most of the time. Just watch the news, and you'll know what I mean. Saint Therese, help us to be more childlike and simple in our needs. Help us to let go and let God. 

After praying in the Adoration Chapel, let us now go up to the Shrine.You need to climb a few steps before you can reach the Shrine where the Eucharist is celebrated. A relic of St. Therese is found at the side altar for veneration of the devotees. Don't worry, next time I'll visit St. Therese' Shrine, I will remember to take a photograph for you. For now, let me just show you these colorful stained glass windows all over the Shrine. They are artistic depictions of St. Therese' beautiful and holy life. 

If you find these pictures beautiful, how much more if you're looking up and marveling at their enormity as you move around the Church. Reminder, please move around reverently and quietly because you are inside the Lord's House. We need to put our hats and cell phones off as we go around. The glass doors are works of art, too. They are decorated with angels and flowers. You'd  think you're already in heaven.

A shuttle bus goes around the whole district. You can take a ride for free. Isn't it amazing? Now, let's go around some more. By the way, this is no longer part of our Visita Iglesia. This is already site seeing. Do you see the Mariott Hotel in the background? That's a 6 Star Hotel included in Resorts World Manila. A hotel can only qualify for 6 Star status if it has a shopping center, theater and casino all in one place. Maxims Hotel is also included in this Mega Compound. High rise condominiums are mushrooming in this area and you would marvel at the speed they multiply. Where do people get all the money to build all these? Surely, not from the taxes I paid? Lol!

Wohoho! What do you say of this chandelier? Everything in here is grandiose, including the price tags inside each branded shop. Oh, yes, many of us can not afford them. But do you need them to be happy? I don't! It is enough to see them and make my personal observations. Hilarious! 

VISITA IGLESIA DE ILOCANDIA #THROWBACK 2012

On my way down from the Belfry Tower of Bantay Church, Ilocos Sur

It's good to explore and learn from life itself. This summer, we have time for trips and exciting adventures outside of the classrooms. There is so much to learn, places to visit and knowledge to conquer. I remembered a quote, Ms Elvie shared with me on our trip to Boracay, "The wider the shoreline of knowledge, the greater the ocean of wonder." Can you tell who said that? Sorry guys, I still need to find out. Anyway, I find it really brilliant. Don't you?

Do you know that the brick walls of Bantay Belfry Tower was put together using egg whites. They must have eaten tons of eggs to collect egg whites as much as the amount they used to put this Belfry Tower together. And do you know that FPJ as in Fernando Poe Junior jumped from this Belfry? He did that in the blockbuster movie, "Panday". He got the magic sword from this belfry. So, as I went up the belfry and as I touched the old bell, I told myself, may I get that magic sword so I could be dauntless in fighting all the evils of this life.

Belfry Tower of  Paoay Church

On trips like this, we learn not only about belfries and how they were built. We also learn history such as: Who were the persons behind there construction and reconstruction? When they were constructed and reconstructed? The earthquakes that destroyed them. It made me think of Bohol. Will the Churches destroyed in the 2013 earthquake in  Bohol stand a chance to be reconstructed? Why not? If all of these Churches and Bell Towers were built and rebuilt, that shows that life is really a process of building and rebuilding. 

Facade of Paoay Church, Ilocos 

Katipuneros and Guerilleros used the Bell Towers as observation posts in the past. Today, we use them as tourist destinations where we take selfie pictures to make a statement: "Oh yes, I was here!" Above all, we learn from history. History repeats itself. How I wish I was Mr. Peabody who has a WABAC or simply the way back machine, a time machine so we can all go back to that time when they were constructed and how the people who constructed them struggled everyday. Ahah! and maybe there were love stories, too! How exciting! As I touched the walls, they seem to communicate that they are living stones and I seem to feel the pulse of the past.

Conversion of St. Paul Cathedral, Vigan

We visited so many places that Summer of 2012. It was really a LAKBAY- ARAL. For me, it was a VISITA IGLESIA, too. Our last stop was in the Cathedral of Vigan where we could barely understand the Mass because it was in ILOCANO. So different from our own HILIGAYNON or ILONGGO dialect. We're all Filipinos but we speak different dialects. We have a common past and we share the same present. We all look forward to a better and brighter tomorrow. 

As I look up to St. Paul riding his horse in the facade of the Vigan Cathedral, I asked for my personal conversion. It made me realize how much I still needed this reconstruction. We're all saints in the making. The process may be painful but always for our good. We're like sandpaper trying to refine and polish each other so that the end result will be all for God's greater glory.

For more Visita Iglesia sites this YEAR OF THE LAITY please click the links below:

http://www.claretianpublications.com/index.php/religious-women/310-oar-order-of-augustinian-recollect-contemplative-nuns

http://www.cityofpines.com/catholiccathedral.html

http://home.catholicweb.com/BacolodDiocese/index.cfm

http://wowbatangas.com/destinations/churches/basilica-of-st-martin-de-tours-taal-batangas/

http://wowbatangas.com/features/latest/visita-iglesia-a-religious-expedition-in-batangas/

Visita Iglesia in Bacolod

Let us begin our Visita Iglesia from the Cathedral of Saint Sebastian in the heart of Downtown Bacolod. It is located just in front of the Bacolod City Plaza. San Sebastian Cathedral is the Seat of our Diocesan Bishop, Bishop Vicente Navarra, DD. The Church was constructed by Recollect Priest, Fray Mauricio Ferrero, OAR on April 27, 1876. I learned that he got permission from the politico-military Governor at that time to use the prisoners to transport coral stones from Guimaras Island. As an exchange deal, Fray Ferrero was supposed to build the old Provincial Jail. Imagine, prisoners of war trying to build  San Sebastian Cathedral. Yes, in the eyes of the ruling Spaniards, those Filipinos were outlaws who needed to be incarcerated. Though in chains, their hands were kept busy building this holy temple so that the people of Bacolod could come together as a community of believers.

From San Sebastian Cathedral, let us proceed to Padre Pio Chapel, right side of  the Sacred Heart Shrine. This is the latest structure found inside the Sacred Heart Seminary Compound. This new edifice, gives balance to the other chapel built at the left side of the Sacred Heart Shrine intended for Eucharistic Adoration. Padre Pio Chapel was built basically for funeral wakes providing a comfortable chapel for bereaved families. Other Sacraments like Baptism are also celebrated in this Chapel, if other chapels are not available as in the case of a wedding in the Shrine, a Mass in the Seminary Chapel, and a Baptism at Padre Pio Chapel all done simultaneously. It's good to reflect at the process of how our diocesan seminarians are being formed in this same compound. We need to pray for more vocations to the Priesthood, for their perseverance and for a solid formation so that our diocese will have good shepherds of the flock.

From Sacred Heart Shrine, let us walk towards the Oratory of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos. In this Oratory, our pupils, students, teachers, staff and administrators take part in the Eucharistic Celebrations and other Liturgical Celebrations. This Oratory is a Quasi Parish which falls under the Parish of San Antonio Abad. Recollect Fathers administer the sacraments here, looking after the overall welfare of members of this academic community. Residents near the area prefer to come and attend daily or at least  Sunday Masses to celebrate the Lord's Day. In this Church, it is good to consider how children, youth and young adults are molded into becoming responsible Catholics, docile to the life of the spirit.

From the big Oratory, join me in walking through the Museum of Trees inside the Green Campus of UNO-Recoletos to the Earth Chapel, the first solar-powered Religiious Structure in the Philippines. This was constructed through the initiative of Recollect, Brother Jakosalem, OAR. In the Earth Chapel we can meditate on how we can best improve our stewardship of God's Creation. We make our pledge with St. Francis of Assisi who sung his hymn to Brother Sun and Sister Moon. We are aware of the effects of climate change. We know that we have contributed to the damage in one way or another. 

Our next stop is the Parish Church of St. Joseph the Worker at Dona Juliana Subdivision. This is a Church located in a residential area aptly named as St. Joseph the Worker. We pray that the fathers of families living in this residential community may work hard and provide for their families just as St. Joseph did for the Holy Family. We pray for mothers, too, that they may not tire to take care of their families. Like Mama Mary, may all mothers emulate the virtues of self-sacrifice and become good examples to their growing children. We pray for children and youth, that they may grow in wisdom and grace like the child Jesus.

St. Jude Thaddeus Parish Church is found in Alijis, Bacolod City. This Church was mainly a product of the generosity of former President, Joseph Ejercito Estrada and was constructed under the able leadership of former Parish Priest, Fr Felix Pasquin.St.Jude Thaddeus is a Parish Church located in an area near two major cemeteries in the City of Bacolod namely, Bacolod Memorial Park and Sanctuario de Bacolod. Due to the proximity of these two cemeteries, it is good to meditate on the end of our journey. After all is said and done, how do we face our God?

Our last and seventh Church is St. Ezekiel Moreno Moanstery Chapel. Sorry but I will still go to St Ezekiel to take a picture of our seventh Church.There are many Churches in the Diocese of Bacolod and I got photos of them. Why would I include a Monastery Church in this particular Visita Iglesia? My logic is simple, we need to include one of the power houses of prayer in this Diocese. There are actually two contemplative monasteries and community of nuns namely, the Carmelite Monastery of St. Joseph and that of the Recollect Monastery of St. Ezekiel: one at the northern part of the city and another at the southern portion. Prayer is a very important  component of our Christian Life. We join our prayers with those of the contemplative nuns, that we may truly accompany Jesus on the night of Holy Thursday in his Agony.

MAY HOLY WEEK 2014 BRING US PEACE AND GROWTH.