The Advent Wreath

The Church begins a new journey of faith with the start the Advent Season on Sunday, 2 December 2018. The Advent Season is the beginning of a new liturgical year for the Church. It is also our preparation for the big event that is Christmas. In Churches and chapels, including most homes and offices, we see a beautiful symbolism of Advent in the Advent Wreath.

The Advent Wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition, which is very much a part of our

spiritual preparation for Christmas. The symbolism of the advent wreath is beautiful. It is made up of various evergreens in circle, signifying continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, depicts the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the new everlasting life promised to us through our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death and resurrection.

The four candles in the Advent Wreath refer to the four weeks (or four Sundays) of Advent. According to tradition, each week represents one hundred years, to sum up to the four thousand years from the time of Adam and Eve until the birth of the Savior. Each candles is lit on each Sunday of Advent.

Three of the candles are color purple and one is color rose. In particular, the purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifice, and the good works the faithful undertake at this time in preparation for Christ's birth.

The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, which is also called "Gaudete Sunday", or the Sunday of rejoicing. It is so because the faithful are now at the midpoint of Advent journey by this time, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas Day.

The progressive lighting of the candles, one on each Sunday of the Advent Season, combined with the liturgical colors of the candles, helps to symbolize not only our expectation and hope in our Savior's first coming into the world, but also His second coming as Judge at the end of the world.

Prayers for the Advent Wreath: (usually at the start of Sunday Mass)

1st Sunday of Advent:

Father, as we begin our Advent pilgrimage, we light a candle of Hope.
Grant us the courage to hope: hope for your presence, hope for your peace, hope for your promise. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Advent:

Father, as we journey down the Advent road, we re-light the candle of Hope, and we light a candle of Peace.
Grant us the courage to make peace: peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, and peace in our communities. Amen.

3rd Sunday of Advent:

Father, at the height of our Advent walk, we re-light the candles of Hope and Peace, and we light a candle of Joy.
Grant us the courage to experience joy in the hope of the Savior's coming: joy in the face of apathy, joy in the face of sorrow, joy in the face of uncertainty. Amen.

4th Sunday of Advent:

Father, as our Advent pilgrimage draws to a close, we re-light the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy. And we light a candle of Love.
Grant us the courage to share your love: love for life and all creation, love for sinners and saints, love for the poor and the little ones. We thank you for the hope your Son gives us, for the peace he bestows, for the joy your Spirit pours into our hearts, and for your love that redeems us and shows us the way. Amen.

So then, let the Advent Wreath be our symbolic reminder about our need to prepare, not only for the Lord's birth this Christmas, but to make our hearts truly ready to receive Him through repentance of our sin.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

2 September 2018: Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8

Second Reading:   James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Love God from the heart!

It is true that traditions and customs are noble and admirable when observed and practiced with the sincerity of the heart. Because, as the great poet Helen Keller said, "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart."

In the Gospel incident for this Sunday, our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that what comes from within gives meaning and importance to our external actions.

According to St. Mark, the scribes and pharisees were upset with Jesus because He

allowed His disciples to break with their ritual traditions by eating with unclean hands. Now remember that washing of the hands before meal was an important religious ritual for the Jews. And in their zeal for holiness many elders developed many other elaborate traditions which become a burden for the people to carry out in their everyday lives.

Bear in mind that Jesus was not primarily concerned with justifying His disciples' omission of washing their hands before eating, but instead He used this incident to clarify what true holiness is in the very eyes of God. And so Jesus accused the scribes and pharisees of hypocrisy because they appear to obey God's word in their external practices while they inwardly harbor evil desires and intentions. So Jesus reminded them of Isaiah's prophesy: "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vein do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts."

Unfortunately, this attitude of "hypocrisy" in serving the Lord is still with us even in our generation. For example, many of those who profess their faith in Jesus are so much focused on external rituals and practices but forget the reason and meaning for observing them.

So then, the message of this Sunday's liturgy is a timely reminder that religious traditions are practices are good, but then they become meaningless without our personal intimacy with the Lord. In today's Gospel incident, our Lord Jesus is actually reminding us that external rituals of cleaning are really empty physical acts without inner purification from within us. Such "inner purification" is essentially the work of the Holy Spirit in a human heart that is open and receptive to divine intervention.

In sum, our Lord Jesus Christ reminds us that true holiness is first and foremost a matter of the heart, a personal intimacy with Jesus our Lord and God. And we become close to God primarily because of His grace rather than own merits.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

26 August 2018: Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time  

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Second Reading:   Ephesians 5:21-32

Gospel:Please Read  John 6:60-69

Are we Catholics by choice?

Are we Catholics by choice? Perhaps this is a timely question during these most challenging times in our national journey. It challenges us to witness and live our Catholic faith.

In one of his homilies, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle has expressed disappointment that many Christian Filipinos fail to draw inspiration from the Good News at Holy Mass. According to him, many parishioners often grab the opportunity to nap when the Gospel is being proclaimed at Mass. And he asks, "Why is it easier to spread gossip than the Good News?"

Our Lord Jesus was in the same predicament when He reveals to His listeners  and disciples  that He is the Bread of Life. This Sunday's Gospel proclamation is the conclusion of our Lord's discourse on the Eucharist. Jesus confronts His followers to make a choice. Either they believe Him and ask for this bread, or reject His claim on Himself as the Bread of Life. So it is decision time for His followers.

The religious leaders and many of Jesus' followers were scandalized by His claim. They find His teaching difficult to swallow, and so they no longer want to follow Him. They cease to be disciples and deserted Him.

So Jesus asks the twelve Apostles: "Do you also want to leave?"

It was Simon Peter who answered Him: "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the

words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that You are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:68-69)

Now Peter's profession of faith and loyalty was based on a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the gift of faith Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Holy One of God, and he believed in His words.

And so faith is our response to God's revelation. It is the key to seeing God work in our lives. But we have to make the difficult choice of accepting our Lord Jesus, or rejecting Him. We cannot be content with merely drifting through life.

Real faith seeks understanding. That is why God gives us the help of the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our mind to understand His truth and revelation.

In practical life, so many things are happening in our lives and in our world today that shock us. But the Lord invites us to receive Him as the Bread of Life. We can refuse Him, or like Peter we respond to our Lord's invitation, "Lord, to whom shall we go?"

In sum, our life is made up of many choices, big and small, human, spiritual and religious choices. But our choices must come from within us. And so we need our Lord Jesus Christ with us, if we are to follow Him in our earthly journey.

Let us pray. Lord Jesus, You have the words of everlasting life. Help me to cast aside doubts and fear and to embrace Your word with trust and joy. I surrender my life to You. May there be nothing which keeps me from You and Your love. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank You for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam! 

Today, August 15 is the solemnity of the Assumption.

In 1950, in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary a dogma of the Catholic Church in these words: "The Immaculate Motherhood of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heaven."

The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. (The other three... perpetual virginity, Mother of God, Immaculate Conception.)

In the Catholic Church, a dogma is a definitive article of faith that has been solemnly promulgated by the college of bishops at an ecumenical council, or by the Pope when speaking in a statement ex cathedra, in which the magisterium of the Church presents a particular doctrine as necessary for the belief of all Catholic faithful.

Prayer:

Almighty ever-living God, who assumed the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of your Son, body and soul into heavenly glory, grant we pray, that, always attentive to the things that are above, we may merit to be sharers of her glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

The Tabaco National High School Logo.....

In the 1980s and early 1990s.... during my watch as the leader of Batch 68..... we sponsored all the medal requirements of TNHS during their commencement exercises using this logo with Batch 68 at the back as the sponsoring batch.

Class 68 also had its own annual award as Outstanding Youth Award with certain criteria, but the choosing was done by THNS Faculty. Two of such class medals were given to a girl recipient and a boy recipient.

Funding for this annual project was from donations by generous members of Class 68, although the sponsorship was given in the name of the whole Class 68, and not any particular member. Thank you to those who had supported this worthy project.

At that time, our class coordinator with TNHS Faculty was Gene Asancha. When Gene passed on, we could not find a replacement for this particular role for Batch 68 and so the traditional sponsorship of TNHS medals died a natural death. Too bad. But the new leadership of Class 68 may want to pick it up again.

(By the way....Gene Asancha was also sponsoring his own medal awards in other public schools in Tabaco as his personal contribution to youth development. Class 68 salutes your generous heart, Gene and may you rest in peace.)

Just reminiscing the glory days..... since I came across this TNHS logo in the internet.....

1 July 2018:  To my best friend, classmate, and wife...

On this very special day

that is meant just for you,

here I am sending to you

my warmest wishes and love.

You are the best gift

that life gives me

and I am just happy

for this life we share.

For more than just a wife

in you I'm blessed to find

a true friend for life

giving my life a special touch.

And so may this beautiful day

and then every day that comes

be full of smiles and happiness

and joyful moments of love.

Happy Birthday, my Love!

29 June 2018: Solemnity of Peter and Paul, Apostles  

(Liturgical Color: Red)

Readings:

First Reading:        Acts 12:1-11

Second Reading:  2 Timothy 4:6-8

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 16:13-19

Saints Peter and Paul: Partners for the mission!

The Feast of the Apostles, Peter and Paul, the two pillars of the Christian faith, is celebrated jointly on June 29. The tradition of celebrating their solemnity on the same day dates back to the year 258. Together, these two saints are regarded as the founders of the See of Rome, through their teaching ministry and martyrdom there.

The liturgical color is red to honor their martyrdom for the Christian faith.

An overview of their important roles in our Christian faith:

Saint Peter, who was originally named Simon, was a fisherman of Galilee. He has a brother, Andrew, who was also among the first apostles. Jesus gave Simon the name Cephas (or Petrus in Latin), which means "rock" because he was to become the rock upon which Christ would build His Church. The Acts of the Apostles illustrates Peter's role as the head of the Church after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Thus, he is considered as the very first pope and assured that the disciples kept the true faith handed down by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

It was in Rome where Peter spent his last years, leading the Church through persecutions and eventually being martyred in the year 64. At his own request, he was crucified upside-down because he claimed he was not worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord Jesus.

On the other hand, Saint Paul was a late convert to Christianity, and regarded as the Apostles of the Gentiles (or non-Jews). He was a prolific writer and his letters are included in the writings of the New Testament, through which we hear much about his life and the faith of the early Church.

Before receiving the name Paul, he was called Saul, a Jewish-Pharisee who zealously persecuted the early Christians in Jerusalem. Saul's conversion to Christianity took place as he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christian community there. It was Jesus Himself who appeared to him to stop his persecution and become a disciple himself.

Saul took the name Paul upon his conversion and spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel tirelessly to the Gentiles of the Mediterranean world. Paul was imprisoned and taken to Rome, where he was beheaded in the year 67.

The Gospel reading on their feast day is from Matthew who wrote about the "confession of Peter".

Jesus tests His disciples with a critical question: "Who do people say that I am and who do you say that I am?"             

Peter, who was always quick to respond, exclaimed that he was "the Christ, the Son of the living God!" And Jesus said to him that no mortal being could have revealed this to Peter, but only God. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to recognize Jesus as the Anointed One (meaning, the Messiah and Christ), and the only begotten Son of God.

And so Jesus then confers on Peter the authority to lead and govern the Church that Jesus would build, a Church that no powers on earth could overcome.... not even in the Philippines.

In practical life, the Lord Jesus also tests each one of us personally with the same question He asked the first apostles: "Who do you say that I am?"  

Our personal answer to that test question defines our relationship with our Lord Jesus, and become the foundation of our Christian living.

As we celebrate their Solemnity made holy for us by the blood of the Apostles Peter and Paul, let us embrace what they believe, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

So let us pray: Lord Jesus, I profess  and believe that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, You are my Lord and Savior. Make my faith strong, like that of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and give me boldness to speak of  You to others that they may come to know You personally as Lord and Savior, and thus grow in the knowledge of Your Love. Amen.

Happy Feast Day bn Saints Peter and Paul!

Ad Jesum per Mariam!