NEW NOTES TawagAwit Newsletter z
May 2013
INAUGURAL LIGHT.SOUL.BREAKFAST Bro Mel B Libre, Lead Servant of TawagAwit, convened the inaugural session of Light.Soul.Breakfast on 27 April 2013 in Pinoy Grill, Henderson, Auckland. Twenty-seven (27) attendees participated in the activity dubbed as “Deliciously Uplifting”. The program was divided into two parts, namely the Inspired Talks and Contemporary Briefing. Bro Elmer Cerna delivered an intense sharing about Roderick Catuday, whom he came to know from the time of the latter’s arrival in Auckland until his death. “He was like family to me,” Bro Elmer spoke, as he held back his tears.
We Need You TawagAwit invites you to help in spreading God’s Word through music and other acts of love. You can be a: (1) member; (2) supporter or (3) organizer A member is one who can attend to the regular activities of the Ministry. The minimum participation are: attendance during practice sessions of songs, usually once a week or once every two weeks AND singing with the group during the assigned mass usually once a month or once every two months. A supporter is one who can donate services or resources to the Ministry. There are special events that TawagAwit organizes and the events need finances or helping hands. An organizer is one who initiates the formation of a PHOTO chapter in a parish. The PLACE HERE, Ministry will provide all the assistance within OTHERWISE its means to help in theDELETE vital task. BOX
Bro Mel B Libre expounded on his belief in miracles, narrating the account on the miraculous Host in Buenos Aires in 1996. He said that “Miracles are badges of God’s love for His people. Hence, miracles are meant to be told, to be narrated, to be testified, to create awareness of God’s holiness, goodness and justice. If we are to limit our testimonies to people who already believe, we have failed to accomplish the purpose of God’s miracles.” Asked to share on miracles they’ve experienced during their lifetime, Bro Sammy Sia told on how he was left unharmed in a head-on collision; while Bro Oscar shared on witnessing the dancing sun outside St Patrick’s Cathedral in Auckland during the visit of visionaries a few years ago. In the contemporary briefing, Mr Robert Sedano, International Property Specialist of AyalaLand Philippines, reported about the positive economic outlook of the Philippines saying that “Today is the perfect time to invest especially in property.” He showed a comparative study that revealed properties in the Philippines are undervalued compared to its neighbours like Hongkong and Singapore. Bro Darrow Benito succeeded in getting people to laugh in Smilines, while Sis Tess Baclay perked up the audience with intriguing questions in BQQ (Bible Quotient Quiz). TawagAwit members from Our Lady of Lourdes and Pope John Paull II Chapters joined the event. Most of the participants said that they liked the program and looked forward to another session in the future. Sponsors of the activity were AyalaLand and Pinoy Grill
NEW NOTES Page 2
Our Vision: Harmony in the World
Our Mission: To spread God’s Word through music and other acts of love.
Our Values: Godliness We believe in God and live His Word. Offering We share our talents, time and resources for God’s greater glory. Devotion We commit ourselves to the mission of the Ministry. Love We love God with all of our heart will all our soul, with all our minds and with all our strength. Originality We promote artistry and creativity to express our faith. Victory over Sin We fight Satan in each and every moment of our lives. Evangelization We bring the Light of God to those who are in the dark. Sustainability We contribute and manage our resources effectively. Unity We are one with the Lord, one with the Church, one with the community, and one with the Ministry.
I Believe in Miracles (Excerpts taken from the Inspired Talk of Bro Mel B Libre delivered during the inaugural Light Soul Breakfast on April 27, 2013 in Henderson, Auckland)
God does not make miracles simply to heal a defect. God does not make miracles to dazzle people. God does not make miracles to showoff that He is great and powerful. No. I read this very long article about miracles, and one of the points highlighted was that “A miracle is a factor in the Providence of God over men. Hence the glory of God and the good of men are the primary or supreme ends of every miracle.” Therefore the miracle must be worthy the holiness, goodness, and justice of God, and conducive to the true good of men. Miracles are badges of God’s love for His people. Hence, miracles are meant to be told, to be narrated, to be testified, to create awareness of God’s holiness, goodness and justice. If we are to limit our testimonies to people who already believe, we have failed to accomplish the purpose of God’s miracles. Such was the fault of the Jews who believed that they were the Chosen People, believing that the miracles of God were meant only for them. In Mark 5 Jesus healed a non-Jew possessed by a demon called Legion in Gadarenes. The message Jesus was telling his disciples: miracles like the gospel are meant for all, not just for a select race or people. Thus St Paul wrote “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)
For more information about TawagAwit, please contact Bro Mel Libre sl at librelaw@yahoo.com
In the Gospel of Matthew, he says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) For believers, it is our duty, our responsibility, our mission to bear witness to the Word of God, to tell unbelievers of God’s teachings, of God’s love, of God’s miracles.
NEW NOTES Page 3
PLACE PHOTO HERE, OTHERWISE DELETE BOX
Papal Intentions May 2013: General. That administrators of justice may act always with integrity and right conscience. Missionary: That seminaries, especially those of mission churches, may form pastors after the Heart of Christ, fully dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel‌Going to confession isn't like heading off to be tortured or punished, nor is it like going to the dry cleaners to get out a stain, Pope Francis said in a morning Mass homily. "It's an encounter with Jesus" who is patiently waiting "and takes us as we are," offering penitents his tender mercy and forgiveness, he said April 29. "God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all," the pope said, quoting from the First Letter of John. While everyone experiences moments of darkness in life, the verse refers to the darkness of living in error, "being satisfied with oneself, being convinced of not needing salvation," he said. As John continues, the pope said, "If we say, 'We are without sin,' we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." People have to start out with the humility of realizing "we are all sinners, all of us," he said‌In his homily April 18 at an early morning Mass in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Pope Francis said many people say they believe in God, but what kind of God do they believe in exactly? God is a real person -- a father -- and faith springs forth from a tangible experience of an encounter with him, the pope told his listeners. "We believe in God who is Father, who is Son, who is Holy Spirit," Pope Francis said. "We believe in persons and when we talk to God we speak with persons" who are concrete and tangible, not some misty, diffused god-like "'god-spray,' that's a little bit everywhere but who knows what it is." This faith in the real presence of Jesus is a gift from God himself, the pope said, and when he gives this gift of faith "we must continue on this path," rejoicing...A Christian isn't a person who simply follows some commandments, but is a person who tries to think like Christ, "act like him, love like him," Pope Francis said at his weekly general audience. More than 30,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square for the audience April 10; the crowd included a group whose presence Pope Francis described -- with a smile -- as "very important": directors of Argentina's San Lorenzo de Almagro soccer team, which has been his favorite team since he was a child‌When hundreds of thousands of young Catholics gather with Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro in the summer, reflections on safeguarding the environment will be part of the program. "From the beginning of planning -- under Pope Benedict XVI -- we thought that a major theme in Brazil, known as 'the lungs of the world,' would have to be the environment," said Marcello Bedeschi, president of the John Paul II Foundation for Youth, a Rome-based organization that assists with World Youth Day planning. "We did not know that there would be a new pope and that in his first three major addresses, he would speak about safeguarding creation, not in political or ideological terms, but as a Christian obligation," Bedeschi said. (Catholic News Service)
NEW NOTES Page 4 So Laff :-) “Heed your parents they may have been in a worst situation than you’re in.”
Invitation: +TawagAwit invites everyone to join the ministry: (1) St Mary’s Church, Northcote (2) St Thomas More Church, Glenfield (3) Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Glen Eden (4) St Mark’s Church, Pakuranga (5) St Patrick’s Church, Taupo (6) Blessed John Paul II Mass Centre, Albany (7) Mount Saint Mary Church Titirangi +Should you be in another area in New Zealand or other parts of the world, TawagAwit will help organize a chapter. Existing music groups or choirs can also affiliate as a chapter. Email: librelaw@yahoo.com Photo at right: Fr Sam Pulanco, supporter of TawagAwit, had a catch up with parishioners of Pope John Paul II on 28 April 2013.
TAWAGAWIT
PLACE LOGO OR http://www.tawagawit.host56.com PHOT O HERE email: tawagawit@gmail.com
Also read:
CORD
http://issuu.com/magazinecord/docs/cord_jan_2013