Matthew 25:21 His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!'
It was a drizzling morning of June 26, 2023, nature unite with the serene atmosphere at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Taktak, Antipolo City. Trees, hill, and shower of rain calmly joined our festive hearts in the joyful yet solemn celebration of the Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacons of our seminarians: Sem. Mark Louie Morillo Lazaro, and our very own Sem. Manjorey Ochabillo Padilla. Hailing from Antipolo, Sem. Manjorey Ochabillo Padilla, “Manjo” to his family and close friends, started serving our Lord at the age of 12 when he joined the Legion of Mary, Parish Youth Ministry, and Knights of the Altar of St. John Mary Vianney Parish Antipolo in 2007. He remains faithful to his calling as he stepped in to the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary in 2012. The seminary situated at Guiguinto, Bulacan is where he devoted the next 10 years of his life: acquired theological education, gained broad knowledge of the aspects of ordained ministry, and was equipped with practical training to obtain skills and deeper understanding that the was called to emulate Christ’s example of selfless service, compassion, and care for those in need. In 2017, he graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and this year, has completed Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, further, was granted with Certificate of Completion of Intensive Theological Studies, preparatory for Ordination. The year 2023 is a glorious year for Sem. Manjo. A year of fulfilment and achievements. The recent week was a significant milestone in the life his life and the Church as a whole: The Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacons. The ordination took place during the Holy Mass, presided by Most. Rev. Francisco M. De Leon D.D., Apostolic Administrator of Antipolo. Naming some who graced the sacred ceremony were the Auxiliary Bishop of Antipolo Most Rev. Nolly C. Buco, D.D, invited priests and members of the clergy. Sem. Manjo’s family present in full support: his mother - Mrs. Cornelia Padilla and three siblings - Manicor, Jessa and Clarish. After the proclamation of the Gospel, the rite started with the Election of the Candidates for the Order of the Diaconate: Sem. Mark Louie Morillo Lazaro from the University of Sto. Tomas and Sem. Manjorey Ochabillo Padilla from the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary. Shedding light on the importance of the Holy Sacrament, Bishop Francisco defined Deacon- “a man who is called to a ministry of service”. Thus emphasising a Deacon’s service in threefold: service of the word, service of the altar and service of practical charity. The succeeding rites: Promise of the Elect for the Diaconate, Commitment to Celibacy, Litany of Supplication, Laying of Hands, Prayer of Ordination, Investiture with Stole and Dalmatic, Handing of the Book of Gospels and Kiss of Peace, were joined by Bishop Noli and the designated priests in solemn prayers, joys in praise and euphonious hymns of the choir. After being ordained as deacon, everyone was so excited to hear the reading of the Letter of Appointment. Rev. Manjo Padilla is now ready to face the next chapter to fulfill the threefold diakonia in the following parishes:
Word of Thanks: Rev. Mark Louie expressed gratitude and appreciation on behalf of Rev. Manjo, to the following, who from the beginning until this very date has given them support, prayers and inspiration:
Following the first two ordained deacons: Fr. Raymart Barcobero and Rev. Michael Jay Paguyo, as you move to the next chapter of life in Christ, we echo these words from Bishop Francis: “you are a special gift to the diocese of Antipolo and to the Church, filled with the Spirit and wisdom”. Ordained on June 26, 2023, once again, our prayerful congratulations and blessings to the 3rd Deacon of St John Mary Vianney Parish, Rev. Manjo Padilla!
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This coming June 4, 2019, Antipolo auxiliary bishop Most Rev. Nolly C. Buco will visit our parish in the name of Most Rev. Francisco M. De Leon, Bishop of Antipolo, as part of the series of Pastoral Visits to the different parishes in the Diocese of Antipolo. The last Pastoral Visit was done in 2012 by Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, now Bishop-Emeritus of Antipolo. But what is a Pastoral Visit? According to Canon Law 396.1: "A bishop is obliged to visit the diocese annually either in whole or in part, so that he visits the entire diocese at least every five years either personally or, if he has been legitimately impeded, through the coadjutor bishop, an auxiliary, vicar general, episcopal vicar, or another presbyter." Pastoral Visits have been done so that the bishop will know the situation of the parish, its parish priest and the parish servants, the conditions of the temporal goods of the parish, which include financial goods and properties, and thus, he may give recommendations on how to serve the parish better in the future. In the Diocese of Antipolo, an advanced team consisting of curia officials visits the parish ahead of time to help prepare the necessary documents for the Pastoral Visit. On the day of the Visit, the Bishop or his delegate is welcomed at the doors of the church, after which he proceeds to the altar where the Blessed Sacrament is kept for a moment of prayer. He then goes to the sacristy to vest for Mass. The Mass is attended by the parish community, led by the Parish Pastoral Council and the different ministries and organizations of the parish. During the Mass, the ceremony of scrutiny of the tabernacle, baptistry and confessional is held. At an appropriate time after the Mass, the Bishop visits the Parish Office to personally check and sign the documents which were prepared beforehand. He also meets with the Parish Pastoral Council to discuss the different matters on situation of and on the governance of the parish. If time permits, he may also visit the different areas of the parish. Everybody is invited to take part in this event. The presence of a bishop is a blessing to the parish when he visits. Those who attend and participate in the liturgical celebrations during the Visit may gain indulgences as well. Write up by Kristoffer Balazuela "Rejoice and Be Glad!" A Pastoral Exhortation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines8/8/2018 “Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called sons and daughters of God.”(Mt 5:9) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, do we not all aspire for the grace to be called “sons and daughters of God?” If we do so, then we must constantly strive to be peacemakers in these troubled times in our country.
PEACE: OUR COMMON VOCATION AND MISSION In these times of darkness, when there’s so much hatred and violence, when murder has become an almost daily occurrence, when people have gotten so used to exchanging insults and hurting words in the social media, we admonish the faithful to remain steadfast in our common vocation and mission to actively work for peace. But make no mistake about it; even the master said, “Not as the world gives peace do I give you peace.” (Jn 14:27). His peace is never the peace of compromise or capitulation to evil; it is also not about the absence of conflict and turmoil. There is nothing that can calm us down in these turbulent times except the quiet recognition of him who assured us of his abiding presence — “Be not afraid; it is I!” (Mt 14:27) THE COST OF WITNESSING TO CHRIST What is new about priests being murdered for witnessing to Christ? What is new about modern prophets being silenced by the treacherous bullets of assassins? What is new about servant leaders who are maligned because they have carried out their duties as shepherds configured to the person of their Chief Shepherd? Have you forgotten that “the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians”? (Tertullian) It is what has kept the Church alive after two thousand years. Be not afraid! Did not our master say, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul into Gehenna” (Mt 10:28)? We are no strangers to ridicule and persecution. But what does the Lord tell his disciples when they are persecuted or humiliated for his sake? He tells them to “rejoice and be glad” (Mat 5:12). These are the very words with which Pope Francis opens his apostolic exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate”. They are the Lord’s words to those persecuted and humiliated for his sake. How have we been taught to deal with persecution? Listen to what the apostle, St Paul, says, “When we are insulted, we respond with a blessing; when we are persecuted, we bear it patiently; when slandered, we respond gently.” (1 Cor 4:12- 13). And how are we to deal with divisions among ourselves? How are we to deal with fellow “Christians” who see nothing wrong about the killings, who just laugh when our God is blasphemed, and who take part in passing on fake news? There will always be those among us who profess the faith in Christ but are so easily seduced by the empty promises of Satan. Remember him who once sold the master for 30 pieces of silver because he had allowed himself to be mastered by Satan? St. Paul is right in saying, “...there have to be divisions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may become known.” (ESV 1 Cor 11:19) THE SUFFERINGS OF THE POOR Our sufferings as Church leaders are nothing compared to the sufferings of the poor in our country. Do we not hear the cry of poor slum-dwellers being jailed for “loitering”? Do we not feel the sufferings of drug addicts who are labelled as “non-humans”, and are stigmatized as criminals when their names end up in the dreaded “drug watch lists”? Can we not see them also as sick people who are struggling with a disease? Should we not rather look at them also as victims who are crying out for help? Are we to remain as bystanders when we hear of people being killed in cold blood by ruthless murderers who dispose of human lives like trash? Do we not realize that for every drug suspect killed, there is a widowed wife and there are orphaned children left behind — who could hardly even afford a decent burial for their loved ones? Do we not care about the misery of people charged of drug-related offenses and packed like sardines in extremely congested jails? Can we even bear the thought of seeing most of them languishing in jail, knowing that rehabilitation is what many of them need? Do we not hear of the sufferings of indigenous peoples who are displaced from their ancestral lands in order to give way to mining companies and dams? And how do we feel about communities that are forced to leave their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire of conflicts between government troops and insurgents? How are we affected when our own troops die because of unceasing hostilities that have not been adequately addressed through peaceful dialogue? We have a saying in Tagalog, “Ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay ramdam ng buong katawan.” (The pain of one part of the body is felt by the whole body.) Alas, this is not always true! There is no way we can feel each other’s pains when some parts of the body are numbed by sheer indifference. To those in this world who boast of their own wisdom, those who blaspheme our God as stupid, St. Paul’s words are to the point: “For the stupidity of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor 1:25) THE WAY OF JESUS We wish to remind those who have been angered by the insulting statements of people in authority; remember what the Lord had taught his disciples. He said, “But to you who hear I say... bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Lk 6:27-29). Vengeance is never the way of Christ. It is not the way of Jesus to return evil for evil; no, we can conquer evil only with good (Rom 12:21). There are those who accuse us of getting involved in political moves to destabilize the government. Nothing can be farthest from the truth. Our concern is never the establishment of any earthly kingdoms. Worldly kingdoms come and go. We work only for God’s kingdom which is beyond this world — so that we can start learning to live life “on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). For the times in our history when we fell into the temptation of working for political power, we can only bow in shame and say, never again! We do not proclaim a false image of God, such as one who is just watching from heaven like a ruthless deity who threatens us of damnation in hell all the time. Ours is the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ — the God who saves, a God “rich in mercy and compassion”, a God involved in our history, a God who — for love of us — emptied himself totally, and “became poor, so that by his poverty we might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). CHURCH AND GOVERNMENT The Church respects the political authority, especially of democratically-elected government officials, as long as they do not contradict the basic spiritual and moral principles we hold dear, such as respect for the sacredness of life, the integrity of creation, and the inherent dignity of the human person. We are not political leaders, and certainly not political opponents of government. The Church has, throughout history, coexisted with countless forms of government. The Church has always been and will always be a partner of government (especially in the LGUs and barangays) in countless endeavours for the common good, especially in addressing the needs of the most disadvantaged sectors of society. Sometimes we qualify the collaboration as “critical”, mainly to distinguish our differences in terms of ultimate goals, even as we partner in some shared endeavours. We do recognize the constitutional provision of the separation of church and state, mainly in the sense of distinction of roles in society. When we speak out on certain issues, it is always from the perspective of faith and morals, especially the principles of social justice, never with any political or ideological agenda in mind. CHURCH OF SINNERS, CALLED TO HOLINESS We admit humbly that we are a Church of sinners, called to conversion and holiness at the same time. We bow in shame when we hear of abuses being committed by some of our fellow Church leaders — especially those ordained to “act in the person of Christ”. We hold ourselves accountable for their actions, and accept our duty to correct them — as duly mandated by our own higher authorities in the universal Church. We humbly admit that we have many weaknesses and shortcomings, human as we are. We have no reason to justify our weaknesses on the basis of our participation in the human condition, because we profess faith in the God who embraced the human condition, precisely to set a new template of humanity in his son Jesus Christ. We draw a lot of strength from St. Paul, who desperately begged the Lord to remove his weakness but only got these words as assurance, “My grace is enough for you; for in weakness power reaches perfection. It is when I am weak that I am strong” (2 Cor 12:9). CALL TO PRAYER AND FASTING On July 16, 2018 on the feast of the Blessed Mother of Mt. Carmel, the mountain associated with the bold challenge of the prophet Elijah in defense of God (2 Kings 18), let us spend a day of prayer and penance, invoking God’s mercy and justice on those who have blasphemed God’s Holy Name, those who slander and bear false witness, and those who commit murder or justify murder as a means for fighting criminality in our country. We invite you to join us, your bishops, in three days of fasting, prayer and almsgiving from July 17 to 19, 2018. We commend you, our dear people of God, to the maternal care of the woman to whom Jesus entrusted his “Beloved Disciple” and said, “Behold your son!” (Jn 19:26) We, for our part, behold her — our mother in faith — with filial love. Mary, mother of the Church, be near to us especially when we tend to despair and run out of the wine of faith, hope and charity (Jn 2:1-11). Teach us to do only what your Son asks of us. And when we lose heart in the face of persecution, may we stand by you at the foot of the cross and regain our strength from the blood and water that flowed from the wounded side of your Beloved Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN. For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, DD Archbishop of Davao President, CBCP July 9, 2018 Article from the National Catholic Register (ncregister.com). Register correspondent Anto Akkara is based in Bangalore, India. Clarist Sister Rani Maria Vattalil, whose family subsequently forgave the Hindu man who brutally murdered her, was beatified Nov. 4 in Indore, India. INDORE, India — More than 15,000 people, including hundreds of nuns and priests from far corners of India, witnessed the beatification of Franciscan Clarist Sister Rani Maria Vattalil at a Nov. 4 ceremony led by Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Sister Rani — who was brutally murdered aboard a bus in 1995 — was beatified with four cardinals of India and 50 bishops from across the country converging at Indore in the Hindu heartland of central India, which has only a nominal Christian presence, including Sister Rani’s former Clarist convent in the town of Udainagar. Also present was the Hindu man who murdered her: Samandar Singh, who shed tears at the ceremony when he was embraced by the martyred nun’s older brother. The ceremony began with a solemn procession of the bishops, being led into the temporary altar at the grounds of St. Paul’s School in Indore on the morning of Nov. 4. “Two beatitudes are realized in her: ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs,’” Cardinal Amato pointed out in his homily, referencing Matthew 5:6 and 5:10. “Sister Rani hungered and thirsted for justice. For this reason, she was killed Feb. 25, 1995, while she traveled on a bus to Indore. Her assassin inflicted on her body 54 blows of his knife. It was a true massacre. While she was being killed, Sister repeated the name of Jesus,” recalled Cardinal Amato. The martyrdom of Sister Rani, the Vatican prefect for the Causes of Saints reiterated, “is a blessing not just for the mission of Udainagar, but for the entire Catholic Church in India. Her sacrifice has become a beacon of light for the multitude of missionaries, who find in her inspiration and protection for their difficult work for the good. As always, martyrs have rendered the earth fertile for the generation of new Christians.” “Twenty-two years have gone. It is time to give thanks now. Lots of changes have taken place around Udainagar due to the prayers of Sister Rani Maria — more blessings to the whole world,” said Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal of Indore at the beginning of the service. Memorable Moments One of the most memorable moments in the three-hour beatification was the presentation of a relic of the nun — her rib, carrying a stab mark — borne in procession by Sister Anne Joseph, superior general of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation to which Sister Rani belonged. Accompanying Sister Joseph was Sister Rani’s younger sister Sister Selmy, who earned renown in India after she accepted Rani’s assassin as her brother during a visit in jail in 2002. Equally notable was the presence of Samandar Singh himself, who, 22 years earlier as a hired Hindu youth, brutally stabbed Sister Rani in front of 50-odd bus passengers along a remote jungle track in the bus the 41-year-old nun was traveling in on her way to catch a train home to Pulluvazhy, her native community located near Kochi in southern Kerala state. Sister Rani was a member of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, which, according to tradition, was founded by St. Thomas the Apostle in the first century. Tears rolled down the cheeks of Singh when Stephen Vattalil, elder brother of Sister Rani, embraced the man who stabbed his sister at the beginning of the public meeting to celebrate the beatification. “I wanted to be here. So I came,” Singh told the Register during the beatification. Singh walked more than 6 miles from his village of Semlia to catch a bus to reach Indore for the beatification ceremony. “What happened is very bad. I regret it. But now I am happy because the whole world is rejoicing over [the beatification],” said Singh, a school dropout who had carried out the murder at the age of 22 at the behest of moneylenders angered by the nun’s social work among village women. Sister Rani had set up self-help groups for women and others, liberating them from the moneylenders’ clutches. Initially sentenced to death for the murder, Singh’s sentence was commuted to life in prison by a higher court. The Path to Forgiveness “Didi [Sister Rani’s elder sister] gave me a new life with her forgiveness,” Singh explained about the consequences of Sister Selmy’s acceptance of him as her “brother” while he was serving his prison sentence. “I am a changed man.” Father Swami Sadanand, a member of the Carmelite of Mary Immaculate order who died in March 2016, had paved the way for her prison encounter with Singh, who at the time had been contemplating how to take revenge on those who made him commit the murder upon his release from prison. The priest visited Singh several times in prison since 2002 and took Sister Selmy to meet him at the prison, where she tied a rakhi (sacred thread) on his hand signifying that she accepted Singh as her brother. Eventually, the priest advocated for Singh’s release from prison. Court officials agreed in 2006, after mandatory declarations were signed by Selmy, her parents and Church officials. When Selmy was preparing to return home to southern Kerala state in January 2007 to visit her ailing 82-year-old father, Paul Vattalil, Singh accompanied the nun and apologized to her parents. Since then, Singh has been in regular contact with Sister Selmy, who was posted at the same convent at Udainagar where her sister is buried. Singh, who leads a solitary life as a farmer, as his wife left him with their son after he was convicted of the murder, says the incident has “changed my attitude to life.” “I am a new man, and I help others. Many have realized that the suspicion about the Christians is misplaced.” As the service ended, Singh asked this correspondent to introduce him to the assembled bishops in order to receive their blessings. Several of them blessed him, including Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. “More than 1,000 people have come from my diocese,” Bishop Antony Chirayath of the Diocese of Sagar, over 250 miles away from Indore, told the Register. Giving Thanks On Nov. 5, Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, the apostolic nuncio to India, celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at the tomb of Sister Rani at Udainagar with half a dozen bishops in the presence of 3,000 faithful. Aside from the nuns and priests and a couple hundred relatives and enthusiastic parishioners of Sister Rani, who had traveled more than 1,500 miles for the occasion, those gathered in Udainagar were Hindus beneficiaries of Sister Rani’s social work. Chamar Singh Nihwal, an illiterate Hindu farmer who lives in Hirapur village near Udainagar, told the Register about how Sister Rani’s efforts on their behalf had assisted them. “Why don’t you send your children to school?” Nihwal recounted the words of the Clarist sister 25 years ago that inspired him to send his four children to school. “One of my sons is a policeman due to Sister Rani only,” he added. “Sister Rani changed our lives. Today I have come here to remember her,” Nihwal said. “She helped the poor stand on their feet. We are thankful to her.” Below is an excerpt from a sermon of St. John Vianney on the 4th Sunday after Epiphany (Gospel: Mt. 13: 24-30 "The Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat") My dear brethren, I call that man bad company who is without religion, who does not concern himself with either the commandments of God or those of the Church, who does not recognise Lent or Easter, who seldom comes to church or, if he does come, then only to scandalise others by his irreligious ways. You ought to shun his company; otherwise you will not be long in becoming like him without your even noticing it. He will teach you, with his bad talk as much as by his bad example, to despise the holiest things and to neglect your own most sacred duties. He will begin to turn your devotion into ridicule, to make some jokes about religion and its ministers. He will speak to you at length, in scandalous terms, about the priests or about Confession to such effect that he will cause you to lose entirely your taste for the frequent reception of the Sacraments. He will discuss the instructions of your pastors only in order to turn them into ridicule, and you can be quite certain that if you keep company with him for any length of time, you will see that, without even realising it, you will begin to lose all taste for anything which is profitable towards the salvation of your soul. I call bad company, my dear brethren, this young or this old slanderer who has nothing but bad and foul words in his mouth. Take good care, my children, for this type of person has a poison of his own! If you frequent his company, you may be quite certain that you will imbibe it and that, without a miracle of grace, you will die spiritually. The Devil will make good use of this wretch to sully your imagination and to corrupt your heart. I would call that person bad company, my dear brethren, who is curious or restless or backbiting, who wants to know all that goes on in other people's houses, and who is always ready to form judgments about what he does not see at all. The Holy Ghosts tells us that these people are not only hateful to the whole world but are also accursed of God. Fly from them, my dear brethren; otherwise you will become like them. You yourselves will perish with them. Her image is enshrined at the right side of our parish church's sanctuary. We oftentimes hear her name being mentioned in the Mass after our patron St. John Vianney. Who is St. Philomena? How is she connected to the life of our patron St. John Mary Vianney? BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT ST. PHILOMENA Little is known about the life of St. Philomena. However, it is believed she was a Greek princess who became a virgin martyr and died at 13-years-old. Remains of a young lady were discovered in May 1802 at the Catacombs of Priscilla on the Via Salaria Nova with three tiles reading "Peace be to you, Philomena." All that is known about St. Philomena's life comes from a Neapolitan nun's vision. Sister Maria Luisa di Gesu claims St. Philomena came to her and told her she was the daughter of a Greek king who converted to Christianity. When Philomena was 13-years-old, she took a vow of consecrated virginity. After her father took his family to Rome to make peace, Emperor Diocletian fell in love with Philomena. When she refused to marry him, she was subjected to torture. St. Philomena was scourged, drowned with an anchor attached to her, and shot with arrows. Each time she was attacked angels took to her side and healed her through prayer. Finally, the Emperor had Philomena decapitated. According to the story, her death came on a Friday at three in the afternoon, the same as Jesus. Two anchors, three arrows, a palm symbol of martyrdom, and a flower were found on the tiles in her tomb, interpreted as symbols of her martyrdom. The nun's account states Philomena was born on January 10 and was killed on August 10. Devotion for Philomena began to spread once her bones were exhumed and miracles began to occur. Canon Francesco De Lucia of Mugnano del Cardinale received relics of St. Philomena and had them placed in the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Mugnano, Italy. Soon after her relics were enshrined, cancers were cured, wounds were healed and the Miracle of Mugnano, when Venerable Pauline Jaricot was cured of a severe heart issue overnight, were all attributed to St. Philomena. Other Saints began to venerate Philomena and attributing miracles in their lives to the young martyr, including St. John Marie Vianney and St. Peter Louis Marie Chanel. Although controversy sometimes surrounds the truth behind St. Philomena's life and sainthood, many believers all around the world continue to see her as a miraculous saint, canonized in 1837. St. Philomena is the patron saint of infants, babies, and youth. She is often depicted in her youth with a flower crown, a palm of martyrdom, arrows, or an anchor. Her feast day is celebrated on August 11. THE CURE' OF ARS AND ST. PHILOMENA The little town of Ars, France, has become famous through the holy life and labors of Saint John Vianney, its beloved Cure'. And he, perhaps more than any other single individual, has brought to the world's attention the power of his own favorite among the saints - Saint Philomena. He was wont to call upon her for every kind of favor, and made her, so to speak, his "miracle-proxy". He used to take refuge under Saint Philomena's cloak, "and throw the blame on her", as someone has said for the extraordinary miracles he himself worked. Saint Philomena solved his financial worries; she converted sinners; she healed malignant diseases; she worked numberless prodigies in answer to his simple prayers. Many are recorded in the biography of the saint, but the unrecorded ones alone would fill a volume. It is said that the Cure' did everything for her and Saint Philomena did everything for him. A person once approached the Cure' and said: "Is it true, Monsieur le Cure', that Saint Philomena obeys you?" To which the holy priest replied, "And why not, since every day God Himself obeys me at the altar?" A perfect understanding existed between the Cure' and his dear little saint, so that he constantly felt the closeness of her presence. He addressed her by the most familiar and tender names, and spared no efforts to induce others to invoke her intercession in their needs of body and soul. Often he would say in his soft penetrating voice which drew all hearts to him: "My children, Saint Philomena has great power with God, and she has, moreover, a kind heart; let us pray to her with confidence. Her virginity and generosity in embracing her heroic martyrdom have rendered her so agreeable to God that He will never refuse her anything that she asks for us." It is said that the Cure' did everything for her and Saint Philomena did everything for him. The Cure' first came to know of the wonderful power of Saint Philomena through a friend of his, Pauline Jaricot, the foundress of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the Living Rosary, who in 1835 had been miraculously cured of a hopeless malady through the intercession of Saint Philomena. Miss Jaricot offered him a part of the precious relics of the saint which she had obtained from the shrine at Mugnano, and the Cure' received them with intense joy. At once he set to work to have a chapel erected in his church at Ars to enshrine them. The spot soon became the scene of innumerable cures, conversions and miracles. Filled with intense love for the little saint, he chose her as his special heavenly patroness, and dedicated himself to her by vow. In season and out of season he spoke of her, and recommended novenas to her for the countless intentions of every kind which people referred to him. He earnestly admonished the sick to pray to Saint Philomena. He would bless them and join them in the novena he had instructed them to make, but always impressed on them that all cures were due to the little saint, and that, after God, it was to her that all gratitude was owing. Filled with intense love for the little saint, he chose her as his special heavenly patroness, and dedicated himself to her by vow. Thousands of people came to the chapel of Ars on pilgrimage, for the purpose of invoking the aid of Saint Philomena in their necessities and trials. Tangible evidence, of the favors obtained, the miracles worked, the conversions wrought, the prayers answered, was to be seen in the votive offerings of every type which the grateful recipients of the favors placed at Saint Philomena's shrine. Due to the fervor of the Cure's devotion to Saint Philomena, and the numerous cures and favors obtained through her intercession, all France soon rang with her name. Every diocese had altars and chapels or churches dedicated to her. But devotion to her was not confined to France. Kings, queens, cardinals, bishops, priests, and a vast multitude of religious and faithful throughout the world acclaim her as their heavenly patroness. (Articles and photos taken from catholic.org and saintphilomenaph.weebly.com) Report from the Catholic News Agency / EWTN Manila, Philippines, Aug 2, 2017 / 06:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Brother Richie Fernando was a 26 year-old Jesuit seminarian from the Philippines when in 1996 he died protecting his Cambodian students from a hand grenade.
He is now on the road to sainthood, thanks to a norm issued by Pope Francis this summer that opens the door to canonization for those who have “voluntarily and freely offered their lives for others and have persevered until death in this regard.” Father Antonio Moreno, head of the Jesuits in the Philippines, told Rappler July 30 that the order had received permission to begin the initial work of opening Brother Fernando’s cause for canonization. Brother Richard (Richie) Fernando, S.J., arrived in Cambodia in 1995 to serve at a Jesuit mission which served people who had been disabled by polio, landmines, or other accidents. According to the Jesuits of the Asia Pacific Conference, Richie quickly earned the trust of his young students as he learned their native language and took the time to listen to their stories of suffering. One of his students was an orphan named Sarom, who became a soldier at 16 and was maimed by a landmine. Even while some at the mission found Sarom’s attitude troublesome, Richie wrote in letters to friends that Sarom still had a place in his heart. On October 17, 1996, Sarom came to the mission school for a meeting with the school director and staff. While he had finished classes, he had asked to continue at the school, though his request was denied because school officials found him disruptive. Angered, Sarom suddenly reached into his bag and pulled out a grenade, and moved towards a classroom full of students. The windows of the classroom were barred, so the students were trapped. Brother Richie stepped behind Sarom and grabbed him to prevent him from throwing the grenade. “Let me go, teacher; I do not want to kill you,” Sarom pleaded. But he dropped the grenade, and it fell behind him and Brother Richie, exploding and killing the Jesuit, who fell over Sarom, protecting him and everyone else in the school from the blast. Just four days before he died, Riche had written a long letter to his friend and fellow Jesuit, Totet Banaynal SJ: “I know where my heart is. It is with Jesus Christ, who gave all for the poor, the sick, the orphan … I am confident that God never forgets his people: our disabled brothers and sisters. And I am glad that God has been using me to make sure that our brothers and sisters know this fact. I am convinced that this is my vocation.” He had also once written about death in a retreat diary, in which he said: "I wish, when I die, people remember not how great, powerful, or talented I was, but that I served and spoke for the truth, I gave witness to what is right, I was sincere in all my works and actions, in other words, I loved and followed Christ," In 1997, Richie’s parents wrote to King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, asking pardon for Sarom. Again, Sarom said he had never wanted to kill Richie, who he considered a friend. While the Philippines is a Catholic-majority country, the island nation only claims two canonized saints thus far, both of whom died in the 17th century: St. Lorenzo Ruiz, a martyr of Nagasaki, and St. Pedro Calungsod, a martyr of Guam. However, numerous causes have been opened in recent years, with many people in the various steps of the process of canonization. On July 31, the feast of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius of Loyola, Fr. Moreno said Richie is among many Jesuits who have imitated Saint Ignatius, "offering themselves in the self-sacrificing service of God and his people." In his memo to the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Moreno noted that "various expressions of devotion to Richie have sprung up and continued, not just in the Philippines and Cambodia but in other places as well." This includes a Facebook group in his honor, named: "Friends of Bro. Richie R. Fernando SJ." The next step for Brother Richie’s cause involves building a compelling case for his life of virtue through his writings, talks, and interviews with those who knew him, among other things. "I ask the prayers of all in the Province to beg the Lord's gracious assistance in this process that, if he so wills, it may prosper for the benefit of his people," Fr. Moreno said.
Report from cbcpnews.net / Hannah Broakhaus (Catholic News Agency) VATICAN— On Tuesday Pope Francis declared a new category of Christian life suitable for consideration of beatification called “offering of life” – in which a person has died prematurely through an offering of their life for love of God and neighbor.
Though similar to martyrdom, this definition fits those Servants of God who have in some way given up their life prematurely for charity, though the circumstances may fall outside the strict definition of martyrdom, which requires the presence of a persecutor. The changes were issued in a Motu proprio July 11, which formally added the particular case to the paths by which a person under investigation for beatification may be discerned to be worthy, in addition to the traditional three paths: martyrdom, a life of heroic virtue and the very rare “exceptional cases.” The change in norms was made with the support of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which studied the matter during a plenary session Sept. 27, 2016. In the apostolic letter, Pope Francis wrote that “They are worthy of special consideration and honor, those Christians who, following in the footsteps and teachings of the Lord Jesus, have voluntarily and freely offered their lives for others and have persevered until death in this regard.” “It is certain that the heroic offering of life, suggested and supported by charity, expresses a true, full and exemplary imitation of Christ, and therefore deserves the admiration that the community of the faithful usually reserves to those who have voluntarily accepted the martyrdom of blood or have exercised in a heroic degree the Christian virtues,” the Pope continued. The document is titled “maiorem hac dilectionem,” or “greater love than this,” after the verse from the Gospel of John which says: “No one has greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” There are six new articles, including the first making “the offering of life” a new particular case in the beatification and canonization process, as distinguished from the particular cases of martyrdom and heroic virtue. There are four criteria this case must meet in order to be “valid and efficacious” for the beatification of a Servant of God. The first, that it is a “free and voluntary offer of life and heroic acceptance” – for the sake of charity – of a certain and non-lengthy death, showing “a connection between the offering of life and premature death.” There also must have been the exercise, at least of an ordinary level, of the Christian virtues before the offering of life and up until the moment of death, as well as the existence of signs of and a reputation of holiness, at least after death. And finally, the usual requirement of a confirmed miracle springing from the intercession of the Servant of God for beatification, after his or her death, must be in place. The burden of responsibility for showing that an offering of life took place is on the diocese or eparchy submitting the positio – the collection of documents which give the evidence supporting the cause for sainthood – to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The remaining changes are largely an amendment of the pertinent norms from the 1983 documents “Divinus perfectionis Magister,” Official Acts of the Holy See Vol. LXXV, and “New Laws for Causes of Saints,” to include the term “offering of life” alongside that of “martyrdom” and “virtues.” Report from cbcpnews.net / Hannah Broakhaus (Catholic News Agency) On Thursday, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Francis said that we can’t just know about our faith, but we must live our faith, with Jesus as the center of our hearts and lives.
“The question of life demands a response of life. For it counts little to know the articles of faith if we do not confess Jesus as the Lord of our lives,” the Pope said June 29. “Today he looks straight at us and asks, ‘Who am I for you?’ As if to say: ‘Am I still the Lord of your life, the longing of your heart, the reason for your hope, the source of your unfailing trust?’ Jesus is asking us today the same questions he asked to his disciples: “Who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” Francis continued. In the end, only Peter answers that he is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” “Along with Saint Peter, we too renew today our life choice to be Jesus’ disciples and apostles. May we too pass from Jesus’ first question to his second, so as to be ‘his own’ not merely in words, but in our actions and our very lives,” he said. This is the “crucial question,” he continued, especially for pastors. “It is the decisive question. It does not allow for a non-committal answer, because it brings into play our entire life.” Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Mass celebrating the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of the city of Rome. During the ceremony, he blessed the pallia to be bestowed on the 32 new metropolitan archbishops who were present, all appointed throughout the previous year. The pallium is a white wool vestment, adorned with six black silk crosses. Dating back to at least the fifth century, the wearing of the pallium by the Pope and metropolitan archbishops symbolizes authority as well as unity with the Holy See. The title of “metropolitan bishop” refers to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis, namely, the primary city of an ecclesiastical province or regional capital. Traditionally the Pope bestows the stole to the new archbishops June 29 each year. The rite is a sign of communion with the See of Peter. It also serves as a symbol of the metropolitan archbishop’s jurisdiction in his own diocese as well as the other particular dioceses within his ecclesiastical province. However, as a sign of “synodality” with local Churches, Pope Francis decided in 2015 that new metropolitan archbishops will officially be imposed with the pallium in their home diocese, rather than the Vatican. So while the new archbishops still journey to Rome to receive the pallium during the liturgy with the Pope, the official imposition ceremony is in their home diocese, allowing more faithful and bishops in dioceses under the archbishop’s jurisdiction to attend the event. In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on three words from the liturgy that he said are “essential for the life of an apostle: confession, persecution and prayer.” For confession, the Pope spoke of the confession of faith, which means “to acknowledge in Jesus the long-awaited Messiah, the living God, the Lord of our lives.” We should ask ourselves, he said, if we are “parlor Christians,” who only love to sit and chat about how things are going in the Church and the world, or “apostles on the go,” people “who confess Jesus with their lives because they hold him in their hearts.” We can’t be half-hearted, he urged, but must be on fire with love for Christ, not looking for the easy way out, but daily risking ourselves to put out “into the deep.” “Those who confess their faith in Jesus do as Peter and Paul did: they follow him to the end – not just part of the way, but to the very end.” But doing so isn’t easy, and that’s when we come to the second word, he explained, because following the way of Christ, also means facing the cross and persecution. Peter and Paul shed their blood for Christ, as well as the early Christian community as a whole. Even today, he continued, a great number of Christians are persecuted. The Pope emphasized the words of the Apostle Paul, who said “to live was Christ, Christ crucified, who gave his life for him.” “Apart from the cross, there is no Christ, but apart from the cross, there can be no Christian either,” Francis stated. The Christian is called to “tolerate evil,” but tolerating evil doesn’t mean simply having patience and resignation, he explained, it means imitating Christ, accepting the cross with confidence, carrying the burden for Christ’s sake and for the sake of others – all the while knowing that we are not alone. “Tolerating evil,” he continued, “means overcoming it with Jesus, and in Jesus’ own way, which is not the way of the world.” This is why St. Paul writes: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” The essence of this “good fight,” the Pope emphasized, was living “for Jesus and for others,” giving your all. There is only one thing that Paul kept in his life, and that is his faith. “Out of love, he experienced trials, humiliations and suffering, which are never to be sought but always accepted. In the mystery of suffering offered up in love, in this mystery, embodied in our own day by so many of our brothers and sisters who are persecuted, impoverished and infirm, the saving power of Jesus’ cross shines forth.” Lastly, Pope Francis said that the life of an apostle must be a life of constant prayer. “Prayer is the water needed to nurture hope and increase fidelity. Prayer makes us feel loved and it enables us to love in turn. It makes us press forward in moments of darkness because it brings God’s light. In the Church, it is prayer that sustains us and helps us to overcome difficulties.” When St. Peter was in prison, it tell us in the Acts of the Apostles that “earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church.” “A Church that prays is watched over and cared for by the Lord. When we pray, we entrust our lives to him and to his loving care,” he said. Francis concluded by praying that the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, may “obtain for us a heart like theirs.” Hearts that are wearied because they are constantly asking, knocking, interceding, weighed down by the many needs of people and situations that need to be handed over to God, but also at peace, because the Holy Spirit brings consolation and strength through prayer, he said. “How urgent it is for the Church to have teachers of prayer, but even more so for us to be men and women of prayer, whose entire life is prayer!” “The Lord answers our prayers. He is faithful to the love we have professed for him, and he stands beside us at times of trial.” Just as the Lord accompanied the journey of the Apostles, “he will do the same for you, dear brother Cardinals,” he said. “He will remain close to you too, dear brother Archbishops who, in receiving the pallium, will be strengthened to spend your lives for the flock, imitating the Good Shepherd who bears you on his shoulders.” |
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