Go Issue

VOL. IX NO. II

Go. Do not

HINULUGAN TAKTAK ROAD, FAIRMOUNT HILLS SUBD. ANTIPOLO CITY

S E PTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013

be afraid

written by Quet Rafallo

Nangarap ka na rin ba?

Serve.

Ang lahat ng iku-kuwento ko sa inyo ay sadyang pangarap lang na nauwi sa katotohanan. Pinangarap ko lang ang makasama sa World Youth Day (WYD) at dahil sa pagkakataon na ibinigay sa akin ngayong taon, ako ay mapalad na mapabilang sa mga delegado na kumatawan sa Pilipinas. Hayaan ninyong ibahagi ko ang aking paglalakbay sa Napawi WYD 2013 sa Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ang pagod namin sa mahigit isang araw na pagbabyahe dahil sa mainit na pagtanggap sa amin ng Parokya We always fear ng Nossa Senhora Aparecida de Piabeta, para sa aming Semana Missionaria (Missionary Week). Mas the unknown.

The fear to climb lalo kong naramdaman ang presensya ni Lord sa mga Brazillian na nag silbing maguthe mountain. lang ko, sina Flabio at Cleide Souza de Rocha, habang kami The fear to ride ay nasa Piabeta. that rollercoaster.”I

From the Editor:

might fall”. “I might break my back”.

“I might not make it to the top.” But to know the mountain (the terrain,the risks, what to bring and how to get there) gives one courage to overcome the fear. The reward is incomparable. You get to the top and the view is exhilarating. Such is our faith. Go study your faith and climb its mountain of challenges. Go and practice it like you don’t care what others think. The view will never want to make you leave. So go! Go and be free from the shackles of fear.

In this issue: PULSO NG PIHM The Antipolo Diocese at 30!

Church Construction Updates Proudly PIHM 9 fun facts, 9 Blessed years!

101 Ways (Part 2) The Marikina Watershed (Part 2) Time for Creation

Ask Padz San Bartolome Nurturing and Developing your Faith Archangels As the Deer Gullible no more!

TechTime

Kami rin ay sumayaw gabi-gabi ng “samba”, nag-laro ng “football”, at naki-isa sa kanilang “lively Mass” araw-araw.

Ibinahagi din nila sa amin ang kasaysayan ng Brazil, ang kanilang Capoeira, native Brazilian martial arts, at ang kanilang national dish , ang Feijoada (Brazilian black beans). Ang makulay nilang kultura ay hindi malilimutan ng aking pusong Pinoy.

“Faith is when you encounter God in your life”, ika nila sa katekismong aming nadaluhan sa Petropolis. Kami cont. on page 5

Pulso ng PIHM

by Angela Paguio Carina Salvador

The Antipolo Diocese at Thirty

One in Prayer with our Pope!

• Last June 2, PIHM celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi together with the Catholic Churches all over the world.

• The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is a celebration of the Real Presence of Christ in the consecrated bread and wine. The Catholic Faith teaches that the bread and wine become the real body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

• The ceremony was synchronized with the 5 o’clock afternoon Eucharistic Adoration led by Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City.

• The Feast started at 11 o’clock in the evening with the Eucharistic Adoration. Our parish joined Pope Francis and the rest of the Catholic congregation in a holy hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

• It was the first time in history that the Churches worldwide joined the Holy Father in a Eucharistic Adoration.

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The Diocese of Antipolo celebrated its 30th anniversary with a thanksgiving mass led by the Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Cardinal G. Tagle, on the morning of June 25, 2013 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City. His Most Reverend Cardinal Tagle officiated the mass with the Bishop of Antipolo Most Reverend Gabriel V.

Reyes, Auxiliary Bishop Most Reverend Francis de Leon, the bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Manila, priests, religious men and women, and the lay faithful of the Diocese. The theme of the event was “The Diocese of Antipolo: Celebrating 30 Years of Journeying in Faith with Mary.”

Church Construction Updates

by Jose Montes

When our community grows, our church follows. Our journey as a church continues as we build our home as one community. Let us take these steps together by keeping ourselves informed with our church construction updates!

In just 4 months, since April, we have already finished the following: • Center glass roofing of Archbishop’s walk • Etched glass stations of the cross • Trellis for the archway While the following are our tasks in progress: • Irrigation system for garden (only needs storage tanks and pumping system) • Way of Mary walkway located around our church (around 50% done)

Although we have already accomplished so much, and continue to do

Construction Financial Report

SEPTEMBER 2013

so with our ongoing projects, there is still much to be done for the development of our church: • Sides glass roofing of Archbishop’s walk • Ceramic tiling for the Archbishop’s walk • Construction of the Sacristy • Construction of restrooms • Tree planting at the back of the parish church.

• Construction of Convent • Construction of Parish Ministry offices, clinics and classrooms.

Again, we continue to ask for your generosity. In any way you can, join us hand in hand, in building our church.

Please call 696-4387 for more details or drop by our parish office.

from brazil to manila!

JULY 27-28

Members of our Parish Youth Ministry joined in the overnight local celebration of the World Youth Day at Don Bosco Makati last July 27-28- simultaneous with World Youth Day at Rio de Janeiro Brazil. :) Cardinal Tagle was a special guest of the local youth celebration that brought together around 4,000 Pinoy youth. The event was truly a festival of faith, fun and worship!

Our Parish Youth delega tes for the local World Youth Day celebra tion photo credit: Angela Michelle Paguio and Sarah Mendoza

FIESTA FlashBACK! JUNE 8

Last June 8, the parish fiesta weekend started with the special mass for the National Consecration of the Philippines to the Immaculate Heart of Mary followed by Palarong Pinoy. Fiesta activities continued the next day with a procession that started at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, from Franciscan Missionaries of the Infant Jesus convent (FMIJ) to the PIHM grounds. It was attended by the members of the communities of the parish. After the evening mass, a salu-salo dinner was prepared, with parishioners eating “kamayan” style as the food served was the traditional”binalot” (food wrapped and served in banana leaves).The highlights

Our community hall (lower level) gets packed with people and activities!

The image of the Blessed Virgin Mother during the Fiesta Procession

The parish fiesta ended with a closing prayer led by our parish priest, Fr. Sandy Enhaynes

of the fiesta activities included a “Year of Faith” exhibit wherein the different communities under the parish depicted the lives of their respective patron saints through illustrations, videos, and various other media. Another popular event was

Proudly PIHM!

by Karina Mendoza-Rosal

Our parish is very proud that two of the original song entries by instrumentalist and composer, Roi Cervania, from the HANDOG ng Beverly Hills Choir, and a member of our Parish Sacred Music Ministry, made it to the top 18 finalists in the very first “Awit sa Diyos New Mass Hymns Competition”.

Out of a total of 118 entries submitted from all over the country, “Tayong Lahat”, dedicated to our Blessed Mother, is vying for the top spot under the Recessional Hymn sub-category. The lyrics of the song was written by Tugon contributor, Bing Montes. Meanwhile, our

photo credit: Charlotte Rafallo

More than 4,000 youth delegates attended!

the Dance Contest held the evening of June 9th, during which the members of the parish communities showed off their dancing skills in two categories: Modern Dance and Folk Dance.

Tug o n wa s once riso just printed on ed ld fo e g a a 1-p d n long bo pa p e r

Tugon was formed by former Parish priest, Fr. Joel Victorino one

it takes 3 rounds of proofreadin g & more tha na month to c ome up with an issue

of our new version of “The Lord’s 36 issu writers is a cool, es Prayer”, regularly have b “marvel”/action2004 een sung every 1st and publish Tugon suspense movieed since t is a 2-time 2nd Sunday during loving octogenarh beginn e ist at the ing o ian grandmom. the 5:30pm mass, is finalatholic C Tugon f We one out of two final- Mass Media T h e re have 2004 was once Awards ists under the Pater approx. a se g m e n The t in spent a total 20 08 Noster sub-category. nam o u r n e w sl e e tt “Tug

The Grand Finals 2 0 1 1 of P224,000 all e n ti tl e d “S a e r o rd in a s these years for sugg n” was a t Te n d e rl es Night concert and awardby p o in” printing arish ted w ri tt e n b y i J o jo ing ceremony is scheduled Mon oner, Pa ta li n ju g a V alen on October 25, 2013 at cia Christ the King Parish, Quezon City. Ticket price is P100. For more info, please call (02) 531-1182 and 4776318.

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fun facts Blessed years!

H A P P Y A N N I V E R SARY TUGON !

SEPTEMBER 2013

3

Pulso ng PIHM s y a W 1 0 0 ontes

By Gabz M Solomon and Maki

1

f 2 P a r t 2 o aith alo ear f F

ey is rs into th te r a u q pose for th r e u p re r th o t g s o in We’re alm ou found your call astoral council min y p ve C) Parish eir minisready. Ha of the (PP estions on how th e m o S ned year? their plan r sked qu a d n re a e h w it s a ear of F be just fo istry head rate the y e ministries might b le e c l il an De s try w year. The cial & Hum A) : o e S th f r o y fo tr ts L is projec ut the Min ily Life Apostolate (F o b a n o d e Fam you. Rea HD) and th (S t n e m p velo “ Our main focus this year of Faith is promoting the Live Christ, Share Christ Seminar(LCSC) at our parish. LCSC offers new evangelization to Catholics whose faith is lost due to secularism, doubt and confusion. The spiritual journey is toward the great Jubilee of our faith this 2021 Thelma Cheng, head, Family & Life apostolate “ SHD celebrates the ongoingYear of Faith by conducting our SHD Annual Recollection and our Social Action activities with love and devotion. We plan to continue to observe God’s presence as we join hand in hand with our benefactors in sharing our time, effort and all our blessings through our various social action programs and projects.” ” philip du, head, Social & human devt. ministry

PIHM DEKADA UPDATE

faith. fellowship. arts & music. worship.

Watch out for details on our 10th year celebration as a parish this November 2013!

Abangan!

10

years as a Parish!

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SEPTEMBER 2013

This could be a call for you to join any one of these ministries during

this Year of Faith!

Main Ministry Projects

Live Christ, Share Christ seminar Kasalang Bayan Pre-Cana seminar Natural Family Planning seminar

Main Ministry Projects

Health Services Programs: Bloodletting Parish Medical & Dental Clinic

FAMILY & LIFE APOSTOLATE 0906-2230305

SOCIAL & HUMAN DEVT. MINISTRY 0920-9242140

Operation Tuli Community Immersions Education Programs: Batang Parokya Parish Education Scholarship Saturday Tutorials for Grantees Livelihood Program: Unan Making, Massage

Sub-Ministries: Education Livelihood

Salamat ng Marami!

The Social and Human Development Ministry would like to thank Dr. Malvar and his medical and dental staff for supporting the Medical and Dental outreach project of our parish last August 10, 2013 for our brothers and sisters in Singkalan, Masangkay, Mabato, and other parish communities. The team was able to serve 70 dental patients and 65 EENT patients. Mabuhay po kayo!

Go. Do not

se D ay s in th e D io ce

Semana Missionaria

be afraid

Serve.

Kami ay nakapaglaro ng football kasama ang mga kabataan na taga Venezuela at Brazil

(mula page 1)

ay pinaalahanan na hindi dapat ikahiya si Lord sapagkat hindi N’ya tayo ikinahiya at nararapat lamang na atin S’yang ipagmalaki.Ito ay mas lalo pang napaintig ng hamong iniwan nila sa amin: “God is waiting for you”.

Kabilang na sa mga pagsubok na naranasan namin sa Rio de Janeiro ay ang paglakad ng matagal, ang pagkaranas ng gutom dahil sa hindi tamang oras ng pagkain, ang pigilan ang antok, at ang hirap dulot ng pagkakaiba ng mga wika. Pero lahat nang ito ay napawi ng mga masasayang karanasan namin kasama si Lord at ang kanyang simbahan. Isa sa mga hindi ko makakalimutang karanasan ay ang makahawak sa WYD Cross at ang imahe ng Virgin Mary, hindi lahat ng kabataan ay naranasan ito. Ang makalapit sa krus ay “suntok sa buwan” ika nga nila, ngunit sobrang bait ni Lord dahil ito ay naranasan ko at ng ibang pilgrim mula sa Diocese of Antipolo.

Hindi ko rin malilimutan ang pagkakita ko kay Santo Papa Francisco.

Unang pagtanaw pa lamang sa Santo Papa, kahit na malayo pa s’ya, sobrang saya ko na--’yung pakiramdam na natupad ang isang

si Charm at ako kasama ang nagging pamilya nila sa Brazil na sina Flabio at Cleide Souza de Rocha

pangarap na akala ko sa panaginip ko lang mararanasan! Hinding hindi maiaalis sa aking gunita ang ikalawang pagkakataong makita ko si Santo Papa nang malapitan, na halos abot-kamay ko na ang Papal Mobile. Hindi nga kami binigo ni Lord at tama nga ang sabi ni Fr. Sandy Enhaynes, “The best wine is sometimes served last!”

“Go, do not be afraid, and serve” ang mga katagang tumatak sa aking isipan sa pagkabanggit ng Santo Papa. Ang salitang “Go” para sa akin ay isang hamon na ituloy ko kung ano ang meron ako ngayon sa ating Parokya, pag-igtingin pa at manghikayat pa ng kabataan na mapalapit kay Lord.

“Do not be afraid”, bilang mga disipulo ni Lord, huwag tayo matakot sapagkat hindi tayo ang pumili na maging disipulo Niya kundi Siya ang pumili sa atin. Ito ang dahilan kung kaya’t ang loob natin ay panatag sa lahat ng Kanyang mga plano para sa atin.

“Serve”, ang pagsilbi sa ating kapwa. Hindi basta tao lang ang pinagsisilbihan natin, kundi ay si Lord. Sa

Isang tradisyon sa Brazil tuwing may prusisyon ng Nuestra Señora de Aparecida. Nasa gitna ang imahen tapos sumasayaw habang naglalakad at nagdadasal.

Catedral de Sao Pedro de Alcantara

u th World Yo r pe D a y P ro

cabana t sa Copa u o p m a C il. ra sa Vig beach pa

si Charm at isang madre ng taga-Brazil

pag uwi namin sa aming mga parokya, isang malaking responsibilidad ang aming pinanghahawakan at nais rin naming ihamon sa ating lahat: “Go and make disciples of all the nations.” Mat 28:19.

Lahat ng kabataan ay nagtipon sa Amen!

Copacabana Beach para sa closing mass ng World Youth Day SEPTEMBER 2013

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By Tito Mapa

(Part 2 of 2)

The Marikina Wa tershed

Alida Lejano

This is the 2nd part of an article that focuses on the need of the community to respond to the continued destruction of the Marikina Watershed. This part makes us aware of the causes of the destruction and ways by which we can save the watershed.See Tugon’s Arise issue last Mar-Apr 2013 to review PART I. So what can we do to

What is causing the preserve the watershed, destruction of the Wathe source of our watershed and reducing its ter? area?

One way is to join the

First and foremost is various environment groups the “slash and burn” of trees that are planting trees along method which is used by irthe slopes of the Sierra Madre responsible farmers to produce Mountains. One such group charcoal or to clear land filled who is at the forefront of this with trees. effort is the Kalingap Marikina

Next is illegal logging.

Watershed Natural Farming Systems, This terrible practice has two situated in the St. Joseph community in effects. Firstly, it denudes forBoso-Boso. This center’s goal is to propagate ests, thus causing an imbalance a community-based organic farming system, in the ecosystem. The second, including vegetable farming, compost-making, as we are already familiar with, hedgegrowing of leguminous (nitrogen-fixing) wide-scale cutting of trees that shrubs and trees, and training and formation causes flooding in the lowland (natural farming training). Their long-term goal is to widen areas. The forests absorb the water from the rain, thereby the scope of their farming system as large as they can to preventing the flow of water downhill. cover the Sierra Madre Mountains. They accept individual

Last but not least is the indiscriminate leveling of and volunteer groups. forested areas to be converted to housing projects.

Another way is to learn the ways of organic gardening even in the backyard. An organic garden is the first phase next to tree-planting of preserving the soil because is more than a popular childhood the garden can retain moisture and thus contribute to song. It actually is a local term for the native tree, keeping the water in the soil, just like in a forest. Antipolo Bauhinia Malabarica or Orchid Tree, commonly is a part of the Sierra Madre Mountains. What we do to found in wooded areas of the Tagalog. It is used our land affects the watershed protection effort. as pampaasim for sinigang. It is said that in WWII, the Death March prisoners lived off plants they

A corollary activity and an important process in could find along the way, Alibangbang tree helped gardening is our waste management practice in the home. nourish them. It can be used as buffer in urban Ideally, we need to learn how to segregate our biodegradareas able and non-biodegradable waste. The biodegradable TIP! Plant NATIVE trees like the Tipolo materials (kitchen waste, accumulated leaves that fall tree and Alibangbang instead of from our trees, plant cuttings) can be forked back to our alien flora (plants that origigardens. The non-biodegradable stuff can be sold (e.g. nate from other countries) plastics, bottles, cans, etc.) or be set aside and picked up Native trees blend by the local government’s garbage collection truck. naturally with the local

In the end, what are we doing when we take part environment- the soil, in the above practices? We begin to reorient our thinkother organisms, and ing and hopefully, our habits regarding the environment. microbial life. :) We need to look at what we do to the environment and

Alibangbang

TREE-via!

RESOURCE:Patrick Andrew E. Gozon w w w.pinoy trees.blogspot.com

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SEPTEMBER 2013

cont. on page 12

SEPT.

1 -OC T.

Our World Today

4

for Time Creation

There are countless planets in our galaxy, but there is only one Earth – the only planet, by far, where human life is known to thrive. But why does it seem like we are taking great pain to destroy it?

As of early 2013, there have been numerous articles written about environmental issues that warrant our attention. These issues range from deforestations, to waste treatment to air, land, and water pollution. These issues have long been haunting us, and with the passage of time, they have only gotten worse.

Many are unaware or apathetic of the grim state our planet is in and how it will affect us and the future generations. While there is a small portion of our global population who are concerned enough to have undertaken efforts to address the problem, nothing substantial can really happen unless a worldwide –or at least, a community-wide, movement be enacted. This need for a concerted and unified effort is what Time for Creation (TFC) is all about.

By Abigail Mae Lee & Josefina Marie Medina

What is TFC?

More than simply being created by and in the image of God, we must also remember that we have been entrusted to be the stewards of the Earth and that, in spite of this, we have been the catalysts to its deterioration. In light of this, we should encourage one another and join in the promotion of the TFC movement, inspired by Christ, who restores all things.

According to Let All Creation Praise (Letallcreationpraise.org), an online site dedicated to news and information about Time for Creation, the season was inaugurated in the mid-nineties in the Episcopal Church of the United States. As time went by, TFC has also been observed mostly among Episcopal congregations.

Last September 1, 2003, the CBCP (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines) issued a Pastoral Statement with the theme of “Celebrating Creation Day and Creation Time” which introduced and encouraged the Filipino Catholics to celebrate Creation Day and Creation Time from

September 1 to October 10 in order to give praise to God’s creation.

While TFC is an optional season and can be celebrated almost any time in the year, it is typically celebrated between September 1 and October 4, Creation Day and the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, respectively.

St. Francis of Assisi is of particular importance because his acts inspired the beginnings of the TFC.

The Call “Today I offer you a choice of life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life and then you and your descendants will live.” (Dt. 30:19-20)

God has commanded us to be stewards of His creation. We are all inhabitants of this one planet, and we all share the responsibility of caring for it. In the destruction of the Earth, we also destroy ourselves. Now is the time to step up and start saving and healing what we have destroyed. We must all do our part in making this movement successful, and encourage others to do so as well.

Give Mother Earth some lovin’’

Disconnect to connect with Nature!

Stay WIFI or INTERNET-free for a day.

Jog around your neighborhood, go on a family picnic; read a book under a tree, do some backyard gardening-plant a seed!

Walk or bike to the parish for Sunday Mass! Enjoy strolling through one of Antipolo’s most scenic roads!

Get CRAFTY! Once and for all

designate a container for your paper trash-transform an old box into your bin for your used paper trash!Support our USED PAPER DRIVE!

Avoid fastfood drive thru-s!

Park your car and order at the counter. Reduce your gas consumption!

Reduce your Carbon Footprint.

Eat less meat!

If you’re already a vegetarian, you save at least 3,000 pounds of CO2 per year compared to meat eaters.

Don’t waste food!

Much time and effort goes into getting food on your plate. Get only what you can finish. Appreciate it, and enjoy this gift from Mother nature!

SEPTEMBER 2013

7

By Aix Montes Guest Priest: Fr. Joel Victorino

How do we safeguard our faith from the influence of other beliefs?

Fr. Joel: It’s not about safe guarding.

Because in the first place, Catholics should live up to the faith that we profess. You profess your faith and that calls for deepening it so nothing would be able to rock it. Di ba?

Secondly, mahalaga ‘yung relationship natin with others, even those without faith. Not only with those who have other doctrines but also with people with other sets of belief—respect them, even to those who don’t believe in God. So it’s not about safe guarding your faith against them. Kasi may tendency na lalayo

san

n i B i n g M o nte s

bartolome

Ang kapistahan ni San Bartolome ay ipinagdiriwang tuwing ika-24 ng Agosto. Si San Bartolome o Nathaniel ay inanyayahan ni San Felipe upang sumama kay Hesus. Nagdalawang isip siya dahil ayon sa kanyang pagsisiyasat, walang mabuting guro ang nagmumula sa Nazaret. Ngunit nang siya’s makita ni Hesus, siya ay kinilala nito bilang isang Israelita na tapat at walang pag-iimbot.

Tinanong ni Nathaniel si Kristo, “Kailan niyo po ako nakilala?”

Sinasabi ko sa iyo, “bago ka pa tinawag ni Felipe ay nakita na kita sa

8

‘Di pu-puwedeng you presume na since nabinyagan kang Catholic, hanggang sa end okay na yan, wala nang problem. you have received. ‘Di pu-puwedeng you presume na since nabinyagan ka, kasi you want to protect your faith, kang Catholic, hanggang sa end okay na yan, wala nang problem. Kinakiand you don’t want them to influence you in any way. Pero I think that’s alangan talaga that Catholics study their faith para mas lumalim sila dun. wrong kung ganun kasi parang di ka na nagrerelate with them. It’s more of Secondly, live it [Faith] out well and having a deep profession of faith so you also to live it out with joy, di yung parang napilitan ka lang. Live out your may be able to witness also to them.

You remain strong in your faith, and at faith with joy. Yun bang tipong “I will the same time, you give witness to that hold on to my faith because I know that it is what is right, and it is a gift faith you have received. that was given to me by God.” So what are the sure ways to Illustration source (APA): make your faith stronger?

Abeln, K. Dec, 2012. Give me something I can believe Fr. Joel: First, study your faith. Deepen in [Illustration]. Retrieved on Aug 2, 2013, from http://rookiemag.com/2012/12/ it. See the meaning of the faith that

A

ng bawat komunidad sa PIHM ay ipinangalan sa mga apostol. Ang komunidad ng San Bartolome ay nasasakop ng Ashford, Singkalan 1-5, PACOMA at BLCA. Sila ang isa sa mga Hermana para sa taong ito.

Ngayon ay ating silipin ang buhay ni San Bartolome.

ilalim ng puno ng igos”, tugon ni Kristo.

Ang sagot ni Nathaniel dito ay malaking pagbabago sa una niyang sinabi sa mga taga-Nazaret: “Guro, ikaw ang Anak ng Diyos, ikaw ang hari ng Israel!”

Si San Bartolome ay nagdala ng Kristianismo sa India at Armeny. Dahil sa pagpapalaganap niya ng mga turo ni Kristo, siya ay pinahirapan sa pamamagitan ng pag-lapnos ng kanyang balat bago ipako sa Krus. Natunghayan natin sa buhay ni Nathaniel ang kahalagahan ng pagtuklas at pag-aaral tungkol sa ating kaligtasan, upang

SEPTEMBER 2013

pag-dumating ang panahon na makaharap natin ang Panginoon, siya ay makilala natin.

Abangan sa susunod na isyu ang isa pang Hermana sa taong ito, ang St. John community na binubuo ng Franciscan Missionaries of the Infant Jesus, Benzonan, upper & lower Pantayanin, upper & lower Pinagmisahan, Flores de Mayo, Summerville Blk.1&2, White Cross at upper Tak- A l i d a L e j a n o tak.

By Min Arellano

In

our April issue, we said that knowledge of the content of our faith is essential to develop and nurture it. We need to realize that second-hand or stock knowledge about our faith in God is not enough. Learning more of Jesus, His way, truths and life, we strive to follow Him to build and keep a deepening relationship with Him. This is what we need to face life’s challenges. The more we live and practice our faith, the stronger and firmer it becomes. Prayer is one of the ways faith can grow and be protected.

Q- I know prayer is good; but can you deny that in spite of prayer, people continue to suffer & to stray?

Faith and prayer are inseparable – for faith to mature and stay robust, we pray with sincere confidence in God’s love, mercy and power. Half-hearted, careless prayer cannot please Him. Jesus has said, “Go. Your faith has healed/saved you.” Blind Bartimaeus, the hemorrhaging woman, the leprous Samaritan and many others were made whole because they truly believed.

The prayers of the righteous

Nurturing

are most welcome to God. (Pr 15:8) No matter how much we pray, if we continue in our sin, we insult God; and we plead in vain.

Faith is sustained when we pray persistently, unceasingly, in good times and bad times, daily and as often as possible, not only when disaster strikes. Boldness and constancy are proper dispositions in good prayer, which in turn enlivens faith.

and

Developing your

FAITH

Q- I know of a woman who prayed almost non-stop many rounds of the rosary every day. It seemed to me like a monologue.

One-sided prayer is far from ideal. We speak to God in prayer; in the Bible, God speaks to us. It is quite important that we read scriptures every day to know God and what He wants of us. When we listen to Him attentively, we become more aware of the things that waylay us. Being always full of ourselves and our troubles, we are likely to miss God’s guidance and loving ministry. Listening also means reading and obeying His teachings regularly;which draws us closer to God.

Q- So if faith can move mountains, it seems that with prayer, they can be made to swing and dance!

Nothing is impossible with God; however, let me hasten to add: God feeds the birds but does not throw worms and seeds into their nests. “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” (2 Th 3:10) We are not to extend our arms in begging and wait; we must also act and not allow ourselves to be paralyzed by fear, pain, or self-pity in our affliction.

If temptation to sin is strong in our workplace, for example, we ought to seek a better environment. We cannot just pray for some miracle in cont. on page 12

TECHtime Daily Bible (Android OS) by Joansoft (FREE)

By Luigi Lejano

Tech reviews for the contemporary Catholic

expectation It’s a portable Bible application that can be used to quickly search bible verses and passages on any Bible version.

REALITY It’s a portable Bible application and more. It has a widget for Daily Verses and Daily Prayer Plans. It also has an option to share the material over linked social networking accounts on your phone. My personal favorite feature of this application is the Devotions feature- it has a

collection of links to various devotional podcasts from known inspirational speakers such as Chuck Swindoll , Joyce Meyer, and Rick Warren, to name a few, which can be easily accessed through your device via the internet.

RATING: Outstanding (4/5) This one is yet another great and free app. You can have easy access to any Bible verse, the ability to share it online or via SMS to your beloved ones, and easy access to popular devotional

talks via the internet. The only thing that could have made this better would have APP screen shots been offline access for the devotional talks so that you can access it without Internet connection.

SEPTEMBER 2013

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No. 35

Written by Bing Montes Illustration by Alida Lejano

September 2013

W

atching how the media brings to us our father, Pope Francis, can help make our own faith grow in this Year of Faith.

Take for example this headline that went around the social media last May 2013: ‘Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics’ Many who would seldom share news about the Pope quickly shared this one to all their contacts. It seemed ‘juicy’ enough to fit the spaces of social media. From the primary sources, here are excerpts from the homily of Pope Francis: “The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot

Gullible no

J

acky Chan dead? Nancy Binay defeated by her 8-year old son in a debate? Various (sms)short messaging service or emails informing you that you’ve won some prize when you don’t remember joining? At some point in our digital lives, we’ve all had our share of a few of those; and those are just a few samples of news that stir our emotions and cause us to act out of our usual selves. We end up sharing them within our network impulsively. We fail to validate the truth in the statements somehow.

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“Lord has created us in His image and likeness, and has given us this commandment in the depths of our heart: do good and do not do evil” do good.’ Yes, he can. He must. Not can: must! Because he has this commandment within him. Instead, this ‘closing off’ that imagines that those outside cannot do good is a wall that leads to war and also to what some people throughout history have conceived of: that we can kill in the name of God. And to say that you can kill in the name of God is blasphemy.”

mandment in the depths of our heart: do good and do not do evil… The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this blood makes us children of God of the first class! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all! And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another in doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ (That may be so), but (still) do good: we will meet one another there.”

Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/ news/2013/05/22/pope_at_mass:_culture_ of_encounter_is_the_foundation_of_peace/ en1-694445 of the Vatican Radio website

“Instead,” the Pope continued, “the Lord has created us in His image and likeness, and has given us this com-

FAITH will make us understand.

more!

by Luigi Lejano

Here are three simple tips to help you determine which one is fact and which one is fiction.

IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY ISN’T Internet rumors are spread quickly through social media sites most of the time.

So before you let your emotions do the deciding over the internet, think; if this thing really is plausible, maybe it won’t hurt to do more sniffing around before spreading the word.

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SEPTEMBER 2013

THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK With the ease of sharing data through social media via the internet, most of the time, we just click “Share” without even thinking of the damage it could possibly do. So before you click that “Share” or “Send” button, it would

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continued on page 12

By Tess Mapa

Archangels

Michael, Gabriel and Raphael Sept. 29, 2012 - Four years ago, I was escorted by a celestial host of angels back to my house following the Mass celebrating the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. That was in October 2008 when I was still wallowing in the throes of depression. During the Mass, I asked the Lord to help me get out of the hole. I implored Him to help me not to go back to bed and face the wall which was my wont whenever I entered the house.

When I opened the door and entered, I noticed that I had amassed a collection of angel figurines and I saw how dusty and abandoned they looked. I took pity on them, went down the kitchen and got a palanggana (basin) and filled it with water and detergent. I started picking up the figurines, mostly gifts, giving them a scented bath. That morning, I was suffused with so much energy that carried me through the day. It was the beginning of a New Life for me. I had finally resurrected from the Living Dead.

As the days and weeks went by, I began noticing images of angels more everywhere I went – materializing in cards, even in the lining of my closet. I realized I had an affinity with angels but this was forgotten, completely ignored as I became catatonic – reduced to a petrified motorhead stricken with insomnia.

Angels Everywhere Fr. Butz, OAR, mentioned once in his homily that San Miguel was the angel who fought Satan (Diablo) in the heavens and kicked him out into hell. He shared how he was still mystified that our local beer is called San Miguel, stating that this is an irony because when people drink beer and get intoxicated, families are broken by conflicts created and misdeeds are committed. He also mentioned that there is a town called San Miguel in Bulacan, and that San Miguel is the patron of seafarers.

And then there is St. Raphael. He was the one who aided Tobit in the Old Testament when Tobit was turning blind. St. Raphael accompanied him as he traveled distances. I have an image of him, this patron of the blind and

of nurses, holding up a fish that Gracia (bless her dearly departed soul) gave each one of us last year.

Then there is the angel we all know, St. Gabriel, who Fr. Butz says is the most popular since it was he who appeared to Mary and announced that she would be the mother of God. He said, “Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus!”

St. Gabriel is also the patron of the media.

Fr. Butz even wondered amusingly if he could also be the patron of the Internet! It gave me an idea when he said that. I shall appeal to St. Gabriel about a recurring problem in my life connected to cyber space.

Even now, as I sit here by my window with a soft wind wafting through my curtains, I feel the glorious prescont. on page 12

Solemnities

A Solemnity is the highest rank of celebrations. These observe an event in the life of Jesus, Mary and the Saints such as Nov. 24

Feast

Feasts are of second importance in our liturgical calendar.

They honor a mystery or title of Jesus or our Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as Saints such as Sept. 14

Memorials

*Particular countries may also celebrate the memorials of other saints of “special significance “ with their special devotions.

A memorial is a simple remembrance of a Saint on his or her spiritual birthday such as Oct. 4 S O U R C E S : l i t u r g y. s y d n e y c a t h o l i c . o r g

catholicstraightanswers.com

Ordo Planner 2013 of the DOA

Design by: Michelle Garcia R e s e ar c h b y : L a l e e M e n d o z a

SEPTEMBER 2013

11

The Marikina Wa tershed

Gullible no more!

(from page 6)

(from page 10)

be good if you ask yourself; “is this information I’m about to release beneficial for the ones who could probably read it?” If the answer is yes, then by all means, share it for the world to see. Maybe it’ll even garner the hard-to-earn “Like”.

review our harmful habits. This selfreorientation is an investment to saving the environment, ensuring the future of the coming generation. And we need to do that NOW. Nurturing

(from page 6)

and

Developing the face of financial your

VERIFY

difficulty; we must check our lifestyle, set our priorities right, simplify. We continue to trust God and His promise: “All things come together for the good of those who love Him…” (Ro 8:28)

FAITH

?

There are various credible sites online where you can check the eligibility of the news like Google and Snopes.com. For google, just type in the title or subject of the information you wish to check and for sure, the collective knowledgebase of the Internet will show you related reading material about what you’ve entered. Snopes.com, a personal favorite, would be an online repository of urban legends, rumors, and misinformation. Ignorance is no longer an accepted excuse now that the internet is within the reach of almost anyone. www.

Q- One must really treasure this gift of faith to do all these things…

We can also do spiritual reading to help monitor what enters our minds. If we fill our thoughts with Godly things, honorable and noble ideas, for only 15-20 minutes every day, what a difference it could make in the direction we want: towards a steadfast and deepening faith.

The devout who spend time to pray and do vigil feel renewed, knowing in their hearts that God delights in their growing, unshakeable faith. Pope John Paul II attests to this, and so have other countless men and women who flock to the churches on novena days.

So with those three simple steps I’ve shared, you can now say that you are better prepared to dive into the Internet and be able to sift through the lies to see the truth.

And with that, I greet you a warm welcome and hope you enjoy your stay on the Internet.

Feast of the

ence of God’s angelic messengers. I’m so glad that I went to Mass despite the strong rains as a tempest is in our midst, greatly affecting the northern part of the region.

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MASS SCHEDULE M O N D AY - S AT U R D AY 7:00AM Tagalog/English Mass S U N D AY 10:30AM Tagalog Mass 11:30AM Baptism 5:30PM English Mass

DATES TO REMEMBER SEPT 8 Birthday of Mother Mary SEPT 14 Exaltation of the Cross SEPT 14-15 Basic Bible Seminar 2 SEPT 1- OCT 4 Time for Creation SEPT 28 Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz SEPT 29 Affordable Medical Diagnostic

and Lab Exam Services at PIHM OCT 4 Feast of St. Francis of Assisi OCT 17 Blessing of the Rosary Garden OCT (date TBA) Immersion of SHD, Worship

and Evangelization Ministries OCT 23 Sacerdotal Anniversary of our

parish priest, Fr. Sandy Enhaynes OCT 24 Birthday of our parish priest,

Fr. Sandy Enhaynes

696-4387 Get regular updates!

PIHMantipolo

N D E SwIG ho fo r

DESIGN

I celebrate this day for the archangels lifted me out of my mental, emotional and physical stupor back in 2008. Now I am whole and functioning once more.

Blessed be the Lord. Blessed be the Lord God forever!

SEPTEMBER 2013

ED

you

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S O U RC ES : C atechism of the Catholic Church T h e O n l y Necessar y Thing , Henri Nouwen Wo rd Among Us, July-August Issues October, 2012

Archangels (from page 11)

PARISH CHURCH

MEDIA MINISTRY 0917.845.8957 THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARISH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY Hinulugan Taktak, Fairmount Hills subd.

Antipolo City Tel. no. 696-4387

PIHMTugon Publisher Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Editor in Chief Gabriel D. Montes Asst. Editors Delarie S. Almanzor

Joey P. Cuayo Layout & Design Natz V. Mendoza Illustrators Alida D.P. Lejano

Michelle R. Garcia

Joao P. Mapa Contributors Min C. Arellano Tito F. Mapa Tess P. Mapa Aix D. Montes Jose D. Montes Bing F. Montes Advisers

Luigi D.P. Lejano Angela A. Paguio Carina P. Salvador Maki E. Solomon Abigail Mae L. Lee Josefina Marie P. Medina

Rev. Fr. Alexander V. Enhaynes Parish Priest Jess F. Pampellona PPC President