Benedict XVI Pope Reflects on Meaning of Priesthood Concludes Annual Lenten Retreat
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 28, 2010 (Zenit.org).- During his Lenten spiritual exercises, Benedict XVI reflected on the priesthood and what it means to be a priest. The Pope noted this Saturday at the end of the annual seven-day spiritual exercises for the Pontiff and the Roman Curia, preached by Salesian Father Enrico dal Covolo. This year’s retreat focused on “The Lessons of God and of the Church in the Priestly Vocation.” This theme was chosen to reflect the Year for Priests currently under way. “In the name of all of us present here,” the Holy Father said in a brief address, “I would like to say thank you with my whole heart to you, Father Enrico, for this retreat, for the impassioned and very personal way in which you guided our path toward Christ, on path of renewal of our priesthood.” Benedict XVI recounted how the Salesian preacher chose as his “starting point, as an always present background, as destination [...] Solomon’s prayer for ‘a heart that hears.’” “In truth, it seems to me that here the whole Christian vision of man is recapitulated,” the Pope said. “Man is not perfect in himself, man has need of relation — he is a being in relation. “It is not his ‘cogito’ that can ‘cogitare’ the whole of reality. He needs to listen, to listen to the other, above all the Other — with a capital ‘O’ — who is God. Only in this way does he know himself, only in this way does he become himself.” The Pontiff noted that during the spiritual exercises, he had full view of an image of the Mother of the Redeemer, “the ‘Sedes Sapietiae,’ the living seat of wisdom, with Wisdom incarnate in her womb.” “St. Luke presents Mary precisely as a woman who listens from the heart,” Benedict XVI explained, “who is immersed in the Word of God, who listens to the Word, who meditates (synballein) on it, composes and treasures it, who carries it in her heart.” “The Fathers of the Church say that in the moment of the conception of the eternal Word in the womb of the Virgin the Holy Spirit entered into Mary through her ear,” he said. “In listening she conceived the eternal Word, she gave her flesh to this Word. And thus she tells what it means to have a heart that listens. “Mary is surrounded here by the fathers and the mothers of the Church, by the communion of saints. “And so we see and we have understood during these days that we cannot truly hear the Word in the isolated ‘I’ but only in the ‘we’ of the Church, in the ‘we’ of the communion of saints.” “And you, dear Father Enrico, have shown us, have provided a voice for five exemplary figures of the priesthood, beginning with Ignatius of Antioch and continuing to the dear and venerable Pope John Paul II,” continued the Pope. “Thus we have truly again perceived what it means to be a priest, to become priests more and more. “You have also stressed that consecration is for mission, it is destined to become mission. During these days we have penetrated our consecration more deeply with God’s help. “Thus, with new courage, we would like now to take up our mission.”
Importance in Holy Mass & Confessions
Holy Mass
The importance of Holy Mass should be first than any other material blessings that you may receive in your day to day life. Just as you take food to nourish your body every day; in the same way you need to nourish your soul every day.
Why Should I Go To Mass Every Day?
“The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer! (Pope Paul VI)
For each Mass we hear with devotion, Our Lord sends a saint to comfort us at death. (Revelation of Christ to St. Gertrude the great)
Padre Pio, the stigmatic priest, said, the world could exist more easily without the sun than with out the Mass.
The Cure d’Ars, St. Jean Vianney said, if we knew the value of the Mass we would die of joy.
A great doctor of the Church, St, Anselm, declares that a single Mass offered for oneself during life may be worth more than a thousand celebrated for the same intention after death. St. Leonard of Port Maurice supports this statement by saying that one Mass before death may be more profitable than many after it.
“The Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of their souls after death.”(Pope Benedict XV)
Once, St. Teresa was overwhelmed with God’s Goodness and asked Our Lord, “How can I thank you?” Our Lord replied, “Attend one mass.”
The Blessed Virgin Mary once told her faithful servant Alain: “My Son so loves those who assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that, if it were necessary He would die for them as many times as they’ve heard Masses.”
Receiving of the Holy Eucharist in communion as according to St. Augustine ’s teaching is the means of reparation for our daily shortcoming.
St. Peter Julian commented that just as the angels in heaven need the divine vision of God to sustain their lives, in the same way the receiving of the Holy Eucharist in communion at every celebration we attend is essential for us to sustain the strength of our lives.
For Jesus had said” I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves.”
St. Thomas Aquinas said that celebration of Holy Mass is as equal to the death of Jesus suffered on the Holy Cross of Calvary .
According to St. Bernard (The contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi) to participate in a Holy Mass devotedly is more and rather very important than selling one’s whole possessions and giving to the poor or going on pilgrimage all over the world.
At each Holy Mass we are called to measure ourselves against the ideal of communion which the Acts of the Apostles paints as a model for the Church in every age. It is the Church gathered around the Apostles, called by the word of God, capable of sharing in spiritual goods, but in material goods as well. (John Paul II)
Because there is nothing in this world which is as really worth and valuable and precious as that of a Holy Mass.
Confession
Confession: The confession of one’s sins is a religious practice important to many faiths.
The intent of this sacrament is to provide healing for the soul as well as to regain the grace of God, lost by sin.
Luke. 7:47 “I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But, whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love”. This is the basic underlying secret of the forgiveness of sins, Isaiah 1: 18 “The Lord says” now, let us settle the matter, you once stained red with sin, but I will wash you as clean as snow. Although your sins are deep red, you will be as white as wool. Jeremiah 31: 34 “None of them will have to teach his fellow country men to know the Lord, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and I no longer remember their wrongs. I the Lord has spoken.” Through the pure and perfect sacrifice of God’s only Son, God forgives us our sins that we may love Him more. All your stains of sin will be wiped away, depending upon the depth of your love for your God.
Through the participation of the sacrament of Reconcialtion, you were trying to understand the Holy will of God. Your love for God should lead you for true reconciliation. Confession once a month. How should this love be? (Mathew 13: 44). To love God is to find and embrace Him as your greatest possession. Then, only then God will have the first place in your life. Hence when you focus your eyes on Jesus your obstacles will be removed, you can gain victory in your life.
EXAMINATION OF YOUR CONSCIENCE AND CATHOLIC DOCTRINE
The Ten Commandments
- I am the Lord Thy God. Thou shall not have strange gods before me.
- Thou shall not take the Name of the Lord thy God in Vain.
- Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
- Honor thy father and thy mother.
- Thou shall not kill.
- Thou shall not commit adultery.
- Thou shall not steal.
- Thou shall not bear false witness.
- Thou shall not covert thy neighbor’s wife.
- Thou shall not covert thy neighbor’s goods.
The Two Greatest Commandments of GOD; which leads to sin; when you dont:-
- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your heart.
- You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The Precepts of the church; which leads to sin; when you dont :-
- Attend Mass on Sundays (varies country to country – obligation masses can be shifted with the Approval from Vatican on country’s public holidays) – In Kuwait, it is on Fridays, Saturday Evenings & Sundays
- Holy Days of Obligation and rest from working days (servile) labor.
- Confess your sins at least once a year.
- Receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist atleast during the Easter Season.
- Observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church
- Help to provide for the needs of the church.
Prayer before Confession
Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind that I may clearly know my sins. Move my heart that I may be sincerely sorry for them, honestly confess them and firmly resolve to amend my life. Spirit of Wisdom, grant me to see the malice of sin and my ingratitude towards You, the all-loving God. Spirit of Fortitude, help me to make whatever sacrifice is needed to avoid sin in the future. Amen
A DEEPER AID TO YOUR EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE ON 10 Commandment of the Church
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
? Do I seek to love God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength (Dt 6:5)? Do I put anything or anyone above God? Do I pray daily?
? Have I had any involvement with the occult, witchcraft, wicca, ouija boards, seances, tarot cards, new age crystals, fortune telling, or the like? Have I put faith in horoscopes?
? Have I received Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin?
? Have I abused the Sacrament of Penance by lying to the priest or deliberately not confessing a mortal sin?
? Have I denied a truth of the faith out of concern for the respect or opinion of others?
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
? Have I used God’s holy name irreverently?
? Have I blasphemed God, the Church, Mary, the saints, or sacred places or things?
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
? Do I try to keep Sunday as a day of prayer, rest, and relaxation, avoiding unnecessary work?
? Have I deliberately come late or left early from Mass without a good reason?
4. Honor your father and your mother.
? Do I honor and respect my parents?
? Have I deliberately hurt my parents?
? Do I treat my children with love and respect?
? Do I support and care for the well-being of all family members?
? Have I neglected family duties?
? Do I honor and obey my lawful superiors?
5. You shall not kill.
? Have I deliberately harmed anyone?
? Have I had an abortion or encouraged an abortion?
? Have I attempted suicide or seriously considered it?
? Have I abused drugs or alcohol?
? Have I led anyone to sin through bad example or through direct encouragement?
6. You shall not commit adultery.
For the married
? Am I faithful to my spouse in thought and action?
? Have I used artificial contraception,? or been sterilized?
? Was I married outside the Church without proper permission of the Church?
For the unmarried
? Have I engaged in sexual activity with anyone of either sex?
For all
? Have I deliberately viewed pornographic magazines, videos or internet websites?
? Have I masturbated?
? Have I used impure language or told impure jokes?
? Do I dress modestly?
7. You shall not steal.
? Have I stolen or accepted stolen goods?
? Have I deliberately destroyed the property of others?
? Have I cheated anyone of what I owe?
? Do I gamble excessively?
? Do I share what I have with the poor and the Church according to my means?
? Have I pirated materials: videos, music, software?
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
? Have I lied? Have I sworn falsely?
? Have I plagiarized or been academically dishonest?
? Have I gossiped? Have I revealed secrets or confidential information without good reason?
? Have I ruined the good name of others by spreading lies or maliciously revealing their faults and sins?
9. You shall not desire your neighbor’s wife.
? Have I deliberately and consciously permitted sexual thoughts about anyone besides my spouse?
? Do I guard my imagination and senses?
? Have I watched shows, plays, pictures or movies that contain impure scenes with the deliberate intention of being aroused by them? Am I responsible about what I read?
10. You shall not desire your neighbor’s goods.
? Am I envious of the possessions, abilities, talents, beauty, or success of others? You shall love your neighbor as yourself.? Do I love my neighbor? Is there anyone whom I do not love or refuse to love? Have I wished harm or misfortune on anyone?
? Do I forgive from my heart those who have hurt me? Do I harbor hatred or grudges? Do I pray for my enemies?
? Have I ridiculed or humiliated others?
? Do I seek to help others in need?
? Do I love myself as God loves me? Do I care for my physical, emotional, and spiritual health?
? Do I forgive myself for my sins after bringing them to God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
Precepts of the Church
? Have I deliberately missed Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of obligation without a serious reason?
? Do I go to confession at least once a year when I have serious sins to confess?
? Do I receive Holy Communion, at least once during Eastertime?
? Do I take part in the major feasts celebrating Our Lord, the Virgin Mary, and the saints?
? Do I abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent (for ages 14 and over) and fast on one full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (for ages 18-59)? Do I fast for one hour before Holy Communion (water and medicine allowed)?
? Do I contribute to support the material needs of the Church
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE FURTHER
Did I deny or doubt God’s existence?
Did I refuse to believe God’s revelation?
Did I believe in horoscopes, fortune telling, dreams, good luck charms or reincarnation?
Did I deny I was a Catholic?
Did I abandon the Catholic Faith?
Did I despair of or presume of God’s mercy?
Did I neglect prayer for a long time?
Did I fail to pray daily?
Did I blaspheme God or take God’s Name in vain, curse or break an oath or vow?
Did I miss mass on a Sunday or on a Holy Day of Obligation through my own fault?
Am I always reverent in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament?
Was I inattentive at Mass?
Did I arrive at Mass late?
Did I leave Mass early?
Did I do unnecessary servile work on Sunday?
Did I disobey or disrespect my parents or legitimate superiors?
Did I neglect my duties to my Husband, Wife, children or parents?
Did I fail to actively take and interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
Have I failed to educate myself concerning the teachings of the church?
Did I give a full day’s work in return for a full day’s pay?
Did I give scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?
Was I the cause of anyone abandoning the Catholic Faith?
Did I give a fair wage to my employee(s)?
Was I impatient, angry, envious, unkind, proud, jealous, revengeful, hateful toward others or lazy?
Did I give bad example, abuse drugs, drink alcohol to excess, fight or quarrel?
Did I physically injure or kill anyone?
Have I had or advised anyone to have an abortion?
Did I participate in or approve of the grave evil known as “mercy killing” or euthanasia?
Did I attempt suicide?
Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts and desires?
Did I dress immodestly?
Did I use impure stories or listen to them?
Did I deliberately read impure material?
Did I perform impure acts by myself (masturbation) or with another (adultery, fornication or sodomy)?
Did I marry or advice another to marry outside of the church?
Did I abuse my marriage rights?
Was I unfaithful to my marriage vows?
Have I kept company with someone else’s spouse?
Did I practice artificial birth control or was I or my spouse permanently sterilized (tubal ligation or vasectomy)?
Did I steal, cheat, help of encourage others to steal or keep stolen goods?
Have I made restitution for stolen goods?
Did I fulfill my contracts, give or accept bribes, pay my bills, rashly gamble or speculate or deprive my family of the necessities of life?
Did I tell lies, deliberately in order to deceive or injure others?
Did I commit perjury?
Did I vote in accordance with a properly informed conscience, in a way consistence with the teachings of the church, in regard to the sanctity of human life and human life issues?
Was I uncharitable in word or deed?
Did I gossip or reveal the false and sins of others?
Did I fail to keep secrets that I should have kept?
Did I meat on the Fridays during lent or on Ash Wednesday?
Did I fast as required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday?
Did I fail to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season?
Did I fail to confess my sins at least once a year?
Did I go to Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin?
Did I go to Holy Communion without fasting for one hour or more from food and drink (water and medicine are permitted)?
Did I make a bad confession?
Did I deliberately not tell all the sins I committed during one of my confessions?
Did I fail to contribute to the support of the church?
Have God and the pursuit of sanctity in Christ been the goal of my life? Have I denied my faith? Have I placed my trust in false teachings or substitutes for God? Did I despair of God’s mercy?
Have I avoided the profane use of God’s name in my speech? Have I broken a solemn vow or promise?
Have I honored every Sunday by avoiding unnecessary work, celebrating the Mass (also holydays)? Was I inattentive at, or unnecessarily late for Mass, or did I leave early? Have I neglected prayer for a long time?
Have I shown Christlike respect to parents, spouse, and family members, legitimate authorities? Have I been attentive to the religious education and formation of my children?
Have I cared for the bodily health and safety of myself and all others? Did I abuse drugs or alcohol? Have I supported in any way abortion, “mercy killing,” or suicide?
Was I impatient, angry, envious, proud, jealous, revengeful, lazy? Have I forgiven others?
Have I been just in my responsibilities to employer and employees? Have I discriminated against others because of race or other reasons?
Have I been chaste in thought and word? Have I used sex only within marriage and while open to procreating life? Have I given myself sexual gratification? Did I deliberately look at impure TV, pictures, reading?
Have I stolen anything from another, from my employer, from government? If so, am I ready to repay it? Did I fulfill my contracts? Did I rashly gamble, depriving my family of necessities?
Have I spoken ill of any other person? Have I always told the truth? Have I kept secrets and confidences?
Have I permitted sexual thoughts about someone to whom I am not married?
Have I desired what belongs to other people? Have I wished ill on another?
Have I been faithful to sacramental living (Holy Communion and Penance)?
Have I helped make my parish community stronger and holier? Have I contributed to the support of the Church?
Have I done penance by abstaining and fasting on obligatory days? Have I fasted before receiving communion?
Have I been mindful of the poor? Do I accept God’s will for me?
How to go to Confession
The Priest will greet you
The penitent says: “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” You then say how long it has been since your last Confession.
The Penitent tells the priest his/her sins and answers any questions.
The priest will give you some advice and will assign you a penance.
The penitent will next pray the Act of Contrition (see prayer below)
The priest then gives the penitent absolution.
The priest will then say “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”
The penitent responds: “His mercy endures for ever.” The priest will then dismiss you
During Confession:
After examining your conscience and telling God of your sorrow, go into the confessional. You may kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with the priest.
Begin your confession with the sign of the cross, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was _________ weeks (months, years) ago.”
The priest may read a passage from holy Scripture.
Say the sins that you remember. Start with the one(s) that is most difficult to say. (In order to make a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins, according to kind and number.) After confessing all the sins you remember since your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, “I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life.”
Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. Doing the penance will diminish the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. When invited, express some prayer of sorrow or Act of Contrition such as:
ACT OF CONTRITION
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all, because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
At the End of Confession:
Listen to the words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the ordained priest.
As you listen to the words of forgiveness you may make the sign of the cross with the priest. If he closes by saying, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,” answer, “For His mercy endures forever.”
PRAYER AFTER CONFESSION
Almighty and Merciful God, Whose mercy is boundless and everlasting and of Whose goodness the riches are infinite, I thank You because You have so graciously pardoned all my sins and restored Your Heavenly favor. I am awed by Your divine compassion and the incomprehensible love of Your Son, which has led Him to institute so gentle and powerful a remedy for sins. In union with all the gratitude that has ever ascended to You from truly penitent hearts, I proclaim Your merciful praises on behalf of all Heaven, on earth and in purgatory, for ever and ever. Amen.
After Confession
Give thanks to God for forgiving you again. If you recall some serious sin you forgot to tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but be sure to confess it in your next Confession.
Do your assigned Penance, can even recite the above prayer “Prayer after confession”
Resolve to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often, even once a Month or every two months, or before your birthday or travel or family celebration or sorrow, its always nice to regain the grace of God as a Family. We Catholics are fortunate to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the ordinary way for us to have our sins forgiven.
This sacrament is a powerful help to get rid of our weaknesses, grow in holiness, and lead a balanced and virtuous life.
Bicol braces for the Grand Tercentenary Celebration
NAGA CITY, February 27, 2010—As the countdown of the Tercentenary of the devotion to Bikol’s Ina, Our Lady of Penafrancia, the Caceres Archdiocesan Tercentenary Committee, headed by the Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi, OP, DD, released the roster of activities for the remaining seven months before the grand novena week in September. According to Legaspi, “since 2007, the Church in the Bicol Region has been making efforts to worthily thank, renew and share the gift of our devotion to Ina for all her devotees in the country and the world over. These efforts themselves celebrate a religious milestone not to be repeated in our lifetime.” A number of activities, meeting the concern to drum up the Tercentenary, have been added to the ones implemented last year and were proven to have more impact on the devotees, such as a day or a two-day pagsungko (visit) of the pilgrim image in every parish, recruitment and formation of volunteers to the Cofradia de San Jose and Guardias de Maria, the holding of a penitential procession called perdon. The month-to-month roster of activities for the remaining 200 days of the Tercentenary: For the month of March: The movie project on the devotion of the Bikolanos to their Ina—the local word of endearment for “Mother”—written and directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya with Judy Ann Santos on the lead role, begins on March 3; the book “Little Stories of Faith” featuring miracle stories attributed by devotees to their Ina will be launched at the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary at 4:00 in the afternoon of March 6, later on March 10 in Metro Manila; likewise on this same day, Ina will commence her pagsungko (visit) in the Vicariate of St. John the Baptist in the Partido parishes. For the month of April: Ina will commence her pagsungko in the Vicariate of St. Michael, which covers the coastal parishes of Caramoan, Garchitorena and Balaton on April 7; simultaneous summer catechetical missions will kick off in the Parish of Divino Rostro in barangay Bahi, municipality of Garchitorena, in the Parish of St. Dominic Parish in barangay Tabgon, municipality of Caramoan and in the Parish of Our Lady of the Visitation in barangay Casuray in the municipality of Magarao, all in Camarines Sur on April 10; the new Parish of the Divino Rostro in barangay Bahi, municipality of Garchitorena will be canonically erected on March 26; and the Parish church of Our Lady of Penafrancia in Balaton, municipality of Lagonoy, will be blessed and consecrated on March 27 where the Caceres clergy will hold their assembly. For the month of May: The Regional Congress for Music Ministers and Animators, taking the song Gikan sa Dios (A gift from God) for their theme, will be held at the Universidad de Santa Isabel, Auditorium, Naga City, on May 1; the pilgrim image of Ina will visit the Vicariate of St. Paschal Baylon, comprising the towns of Manguiring, Tinambac and Siruma, from May 1 to May 24; the pagsungko of Ina will be at the parishes in the Vicariate of La Porteria in the municipality of Calabanga on May 31; Peñafrancia summer activities will be held in various venues from May 25 to May 29; the Archdiocesan Congress of the Cofradia de San Jose will be held at the Universidad de Santa Isabel and at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral on May 29; Marian Images from parishes in the Archdiocese will be brought to, in a procession through the main streets of, Naga City to end at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral on May 29. For the month of June: Formation activities volunteers to the Cofradia de San Jose and Guardias de Maria will be held in various parishes and at various venues from June 1 to June 30; the pilgrim image of Ina will visit the Vicariate of St. Ann in the parishes in Canaman, Magarao, and Bombon starting on June 15. For the month of July: The pilgrim image will make her pagsungko in the Vicariate of Our Lady of Penafrancia and its parishes in the City of Naga starting July 1; likewise the pilgrim image will be brought in caravan to schools, hold campus tours and activities in different schools in Naga City from July 1 to July 30; in different parishes and at different venues, formation activities of volunteers to the Cofradia de San Jose and Guardias de Maria will be held for the whole month. For the month of August: For the whole month, the pilgrim image of Ina will visit the parishes in the City of Naga which are under the Vicariate of St. John the Evangelist; likewise for the whole month Ina’s caravan will hold campus tours and activities in different schools in the City of Naga while in the parishes at their respective venues formation activities for volunteers to the Cofradia de San Jose and Guardias de Maria will be held; a month-long Tercentenary exhibit will be launched at the Naga Cathedral, SM City Naga and Mall of Asia in Paranaque City. For the month of September: The first day of the month will kick off with a caravan called Harubay para ki Jesus asin para ki Maria (Crying out for Jesus and Mary), to announce the start of the special month for Ina while plying around the street of the city of Naga and ending at the Basilica grounds; book-launching of Orgulyo (pride) and a Painting Exhibit on Ina by Pancho Piano will be held on September 8; the usual novena and Masses, dawn processions and pilgrimages in honor of the Divino Rostro will be held at the Basilica Minore, City of Naga, and outreach activities will be undertaken in selected community in the City, from September 1 to September 9; the Feast of the Divino Rostro will be held at the Penafrancia shrine on September 10 and in the afternoon the traslacion procession of the two images—that of Ina and that of the Divino Rostro—through the streets in the City will start the week-long novena in honor of Ina; After the traslacion a Pontifical Mass and the Grand Tercentenary Celebration will be held at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral at 5:00 p.m. with Most Rev. Leonardo Legaspi, O.P., D.D., Archbishop of Caceres, presider and preacher, in concelebration with other Bikol bishops, the Bishop from Coria-Caceres, Spain, to be graced by ecclesiastical dignitaries, clergy and devotees from the Philippines and other countries; in attendance to provide liturgical music are the Philippine Madrigal Singers, the UP symphony Orchestra and the Caceres Grand Choir; at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral Patio a concert as well as fireworks will be held featuring the Philippine Madrigal Singers, UP symphony Orchestra and premier Bikolano artists; From September 10 to September 18, novena, confessions and masses in honor of Our Lady of Penafrancia will be held at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral; outreach activities will be held in selected communities; from September 10 to September 19, nightly perdon and dawn processions will be held from the Metropolitan Cathedral along the streets in the City of Naga; on September 11, the Philippine Madrigal Singers will hold a concert at the Ateneo de Naga University; cultural events will be presented in different venues from September 11 to September 17, featuring among others Manto ni Ina Musical; on September 12, the Philippine Madrigal Singers will present A Tribute to Priests at the Basilica Minore at 7:00 in the evening; from September 13 to September 19, Pontifical Masses will be said at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral; The Union of Bikol Clergy (UBC) will gather at the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary from September 14 to September 16; the Voyadores Festival will have its street presentation on September 15; the International Penafrancia Associations will hold a congress at the Basilica Minore from 9:00 A.M. until 10:00 P.m. on September 17; the fluvial procession will be on September 18, capped by a Pontifical Mass at the Basilica Minore at 6:00 p.m. with Most Rev. Joseph Edward Adams, D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, its presider and preacher; after the Mass, the Bikol Artists will also present a concert for Ina at the Basilica Minore grounds, to be followed by fireworks. On September 19, the Grand Fiesta of Our Lady of Penafrancia will have continuous Pontifical Masses at the Basilica Minore. The following day, September 20, masses in honor of Our Lady of Penafrancia will also be said. (Mediacom, Fr. Andrew Recepcion, Jose Obias)
Tips and Support for Catholic Mothers Interview With Mom and Author Lisa Hendey By Genevieve Pollock
Lisa Hendey’s book, “The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul,” published this month, deals with the myriad topics of a mother’s life such as parenting, finances, prayer and health.
In this book she shares her experiences and insights from a decade of networking with other mothers through the CatholicMom.com Web site, which she founded in 1999. This site continues to offer columns, advice, humor and community to many people worldwide; last year alone, it drew 400,000 visitors.
In addition to writing for several publications, Hendey heads a Web design business and manages the Web page for her parish.
In this interview, she spoke with ZENIT about the importance of the mothering vocation, some of the things she has learned from her own experience and that of others, and her hope to encourage women in this role.
ZENIT: With all the obligations moms have these days, many may feel more need for an extra set of hands than a handbook that gives them other tasks to do. How does your book help moms to be more effective in their daily duties and responsibilities? What does it aim to add to their lives?
Hendey: I definitely recognize this challenge in my own life, so I was very cognizant during the writing process of the need to offer “real world,” practical solutions for moms.
In the book, we aimed to reach every type of mom, including those who work outside the home, those who parent large families, those with children who may have special needs and even single moms who face tremendous challenges. The book is filled with stories and suggestions from families around the world who have shared what works for them in their homes.
In the “mind” section of the book, we address employment — both within and outside of the home — and discuss the importance of treating our mothering vocation with great care and energy.
The book offers time management strategies, but more importantly encourages women to see motherhood as both a gift and a true vocation.
I honestly feel that we, as Catholic moms, must pay attention to self-care in our relationships, intellectually, physically and most important spiritually in order to best care for our families.
“The Handbook for Catholic Moms” aims to provide a comprehensive resource in each of these areas by sharing the stories, quotes, ideas and suggestions of literally hundreds of Catholic moms around the world.
My greatest hope for the book is that it will leave Catholic moms feeling supported and encouraged in the challenges they face each and every day.
ZENIT: Your book includes a section to help moms with finances, which is of particular interest in this economic recession. What do you suggest to moms who want so much for their children, and yet are discouraged by the reality of their bank account? Do you give any suggestions about how to “spin straw into gold?”
Hendey: So many families are suffering given today’s difficult economic climate, and yet I’m convicted that the greatest gifts we can give our children have nothing to do with our bank accounts.
In our domestic churches, we have the opportunity to raise up souls who value a tangible relationship with a God who loves each of us unconditionally, without regard to our economic status or even our personal merit.
Today’s recession also offers every mom the chance to teach her children about the importance of service, about stewardship to others, and about true compassion and the great joy of giving.
I have learned in my own life the true peace that comes with living within our means and with helping others both financially and emotionally through difficult and challenging times.
ZENIT: Your handbook focuses on different aspects of a mother’s life: mind, body, heart and soul. What kinds of things do you suggest for mothers to live their spiritual life in a deeper way? Do silent prayer and reflection have a place in a mom’s world, or is there a different way to pray when life is so busy?
Hendey: A busy mother’s prayer life will look different than that of her fellow Catholics whose lives are not so full of day-to-day, hands-on service.
I love the words of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who encouraged us to make every act a prayer, a tangible sign of our love for God.
This philosophy certainly relates in the life of a mom, whose days are filled with mundane tasks like laundry, cooking and cleaning. Done with devotion, these simple acts become a mother’s prayer.
However, I also believe the words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who said:
“God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees and flowers and grass — grow in silence. See the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence. The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.”
I encourage each of us — myself included — to carve out moments of silence in the craziness of our days. Shut off the iPod, silence the cell phone, create a small “sacred space” in your home — a corner chair or even a small pillow on the ground where you can retreat for a few moments each day.
If you have little ones in the home, invite them to rest quietly near you, even if only for a moment or two, and explain to them how precious these silent moments of prayer are to you.
Take them for a quick visit to your parish, pray together in the car on the way to school, and model for them the importance of an ongoing prayer life.
“The Handbook for Catholic Moms” has an entire section devoted to practical solutions for embracing our Catholic spiritual treasures in the midst of our busy days as mothers.
ZENIT: Parents realize that they only have a limited time to impart values on their children before they are launched into the world, a society that can be scary at times. How can mothers arm their children in a way that will help them keep their values and virtues? What would you suggest to moms who get discouraged or fearful for their children while watching the news or hearing about the ills of society?
Hendey: I am in the midst of this potentially fearful season in my own life, as the mother of two teens. My eldest son will depart for college in the fall, taking with him a lifetime of lessons we’ve tried to impart to him as he’s grown into manhood.
Honestly, I have great hope for the future of our Church when I see so many families who have diligently sought to live out the call to be “domestic church” in our homes.
I believe one of the best ways to arm our children to embrace moral choices is to have constant, ongoing discussions in the context of day-to-day life. When you watch a movie together, discuss it afterwards. If you see them struggling in a friendship at school, talk about it in the context of building loving and serving relationships.
As they grow into teens, we need to truly listen to our children, including the unspoken cues that every mother is trained to recognize. I hope my children will depart from my home with a fully informed sense of their Catholic faith at the core of their outlook on the world.
Rather than being fearful or closing out the outside world, let us train the future leaders of our Church and our world — now living in our homes — to embrace Gospel values in their life’s choices as they grow into adulthood. Knowing my own sons and their friends as I do, I am optimistic that our future is bright.
ZENIT: Essentially, parents want their children to be happy. How can they keep the spirit of joy alive in their kids, while teaching them necessary lessons, disciplining them, or letting them go through their own growing pains?
Hendey: Again, I feel that constant communication is a key to effective discipline and training.
I am not afraid to show vulnerability and sadness when it comes to correcting my children’s bad choices.
Their world today is far more complicated than the environment in which most of us parents grew up. With this changing world comes great complexities that sometimes involve parents needing to learn quickly about things we never could have anticipated.
Just as Jesus spoke with his disciples and taught them through parables, I often try to employ stories from my own life when disciplining my children.
It sometimes help for them to know that we weren’t always the way we are today — that sometimes in the past we too struggled and made poor choices, and that we want to help them avoid some of the negative outcomes that no doubt come with these poor choices.
I try to follow the example of my own parents, who have raised five children into successful marriages and families of their own.
I never had a doubt growing up that the thing my parents most wanted for me was happiness — a life of faith, love, and joy. They shared this with each of us all the time, including during moments of disappointment when we chose the wrong path. I try to emulate this same message with my children on a daily basis.
ZENIT: In your opinion, what does the ideal mom look like? If a woman follows this handbook, what can she hope to become?
Hendey: I think every home contains its own “ideal mom” and that no two will look exactly alike.
Despite that Proverbs 31 prescription for success, no two women have exactly the same set of life circumstances. In my own family, we have working moms, work at home moms, and stay at home moms.
In our Church, we embrace moms who are married, those who may be single and have made the valiant and often challenging decision to embrace life for their children, and mothers who parent as a part of blended families. Some moms parent gifted children and others minister to those with special needs.
We all wake up each day hoping and praying to give our very best to those we love most, and to the world around us.
I sincerely hope that mothers who read “The Handbook for Catholic Moms” will feel encouraged and supported in their mothering vocation.
I don’t look at the book as a prescription for perfection, but rather a recipe for a happy, holy and fulfilled life.
The ingredients in that recipe may vary from woman to woman, but the end goal is the same — that we will know with great certainty that we are loved unconditionally by God, that we will share this certainty with our families, and that we will one day have salvation with him together.
Benedict XVI Meditates on Penance
Roman Curia Is Midway Through Spiritual Exercises
The annual seven-day spiritual exercises for the Pontiff and the Roman Curia began Sunday afternoon.
This year’s retreat is focusing on “The Lessons of God and of the Church in the Priestly Vocation.” This theme was chosen to reflect the Year for Priests currently underway.
Salesian Father Enrico dal Covolo, who was chosen to preach the meditations, spoke on Monday about the example of St. Augustine. The Holy Father and the Curia prayed that day for priestly vocations.
Tuesday, they prayed for missionaries and meditated on St. John Vianney, the “Cure of Ars.”
Today, the penitential day, included meditations titled “The Biblical History of Vocation: Temptation, Doubt and Resistance Form Part of Our History” and “Always Sinners and Always Forgiven.”
Along with Biblical references regarding the vocation, the preacher cited examples from a book, “Diary of a Country Priest,” by Georges Bernanos.
Thursday, the Christological day, will center on the vocation of the first disciples. It will include a meditation on Venerable Giuseppe Quadrio.
On Friday Father dal Covolo will lead meditations on Mary, her Magnificat and her vocation. One is titled “God’s Approval: The Story of the Annunciation.” The evening’s meditation will focus on Venerable John Paul II.
Saturday morning the retreat will end with a meditation on the call of the first deacons.
Each day of the retreat includes the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, the preached meditations and adoration with Eucharistic benediction.
Prelates air best choices for presidency in May polls
MANILA, February 16, 2010—As the political campaign season shifts to high gear, Catholic bishops have underscored the need for good governance and rid the country of graft and corruption. In a random survey among Catholic bishops over the weekend, most of the bishops said they would like to know their specific programs to stop graft and corruption in government along with measures to mitigate poverty in both rural and urban areas. “I will ask them how they will stop corruption in government,” Jaro (Iloilo) Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, former CBCP President said. He added he would also ask presidential aspirants “not to become part of corrupt practices and commit one’s self to honesty and accountability should he or she wins the presidency.” CBCP Vice President and Palo (Leyte) Archbishop Jose Palma said presidential aspirants should make clear their strategies to end graft and corrupt practices and alleviate poverty. Both Kalookan Bishop Deogracias S. Iniguez, Jr. and Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro C. Bacani, Jr. agreed with Archbishop Palma’s views, emphasizing the need to stop graft and corrupt practices at all levels and branches of government. “I would like to know what these presidential aspirants plan to do with past graft and corrupt practices committed by previous government executives,” Bishop Iniguez said. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo would like to know of the presidential aspirants’ specific programs to guarantee transparency and accountability in government. Sorsogon Bishop Arturo M. Bastes, SVD said presidential aspirants should unveil their strategies to rid the country of graft and corruption “from top to bottom.” He added if and when the country’s next president successfully puts a stop to graft and corruption, he or she would rise to become the country’s greatest chief executive. Coming from the less developed portion of Quezon Province, Gumaca Bishop Buenaventura M. Famadico wants to know the presidential aspirants’ programs to reduce poverty and improve the poor people’s lot. Still from the country’s poorest province of Maguindanao, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin M. Bagaforo would like to be appraised of the candidates’ views on the rebellion and Muslim militancy in southern Philippines. “How would these presidential aspirants pursue the peace process?” he asked. He said the next president should sincerely address poverty, illegal drugs, lack of social services and corruption. Catarman (Northern Samar) Bishop Emmanuel C. Trance expressed concern on peace-building, environmental protection and human development. He would like to be told of the presidential candidates’ views on military presence in the countryside, unfinished and haphazard and slow infrastructure projects in Eastern Visayas. Batanes Bishop Camilo D. Gregorio wants to know what the country’s next president would do if anti-life and anti-family measures get enacted by both Houses of Congress. Legazpi Bishop Emeritus Jose C. Sorra wants to hear programs geared towards human development from the presidential aspirants. Sounding optimistic, Lipa Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles said he hopes the next president would be good, honest and truly loves the people and institute changes for the better. (Melo M. Acuña)
Prelate to voters: follow your conscience, study character of candidates
MANILA, February 13 2010—Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto urged the voters to examine very carefully the candidates that they are going to vote this coming May 2010 elections. “We need to follow our conscience and study the character of candidates,” he said. Aniceto said that the automated election system does not make certain a free, clean and honest election. “The transformation of the Philippines starts with values. Infrastructures are useless when concern for others is absent,” said the prelate. The bishop also reiterated his call to the voters not to sell their votes for this is the root of the country’s suffering once candidates who indulged in vote-buying assume office. In a related development, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) is intensifying its campaign against vote buying. Similarly the Social Action Centers of every diocese across the country that are under the network of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) will focus on voters education in their Lenten program known as “Alay Kapwa”. (Kate Laceda)
The Other Saint of the Sick Prelate Notes Bernadette’s Link to World Day
By Carmen Elena Villa
ROME, FEB. 11, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The World Day of the Sick has a special link to the Blessed Virgin, as it is celebrated on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, and as Mary has the devotion of the faithful with her title as “health of the sick.”
But another saint of Lourdes is also a key figure for today’s world day: St. Bernadette (1844-1879), the young visionary who received Our Lady’s message that she is the Immaculate Conception.
The relics of St. Bernadette are in Rome today, playing a role in the festivities for the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry.
Thousands of devotees have turned up to venerate the relics.
Tuesday and Wednesday, they were in the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Bernadette attracted thousand of pilgrims who filled the basilica, the largest church in the world dedicated to Mary.
Today, to commemorate the World Day of the Sick and the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, a procession with the relics was held along the Via della Conciliazione, from Castel Sant’Angelo to St. Peter’s Square.
After the procession, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in the Square.
Suffering without rebellion
However, Bishop Jacques Perrier of Lourdes affirmed that Bernadette is special not only because she was visited by Our Lady.
The prelate suggested the saint has much to say to health care ministry.
According to Bishop Perrier, Bernadette was the favorite patient of one of her doctors. She contracted cholera when she was a child and as a consequence suffered from asthma for the rest of her life. Moreover, while a religious, she suffered from a very painful tumor in her leg, which left her lame.
Bishop Perrier said the saint “assumed the condition of patient without complaint,” and added that humanly she “detested suffering,” but never rebelled. On the contrary, she “accepted suffering in union with Christ,” not with a sense of masochism but with a true vision of sacrifice.
In addition, Bernadette was an “exemplary nurse,” who took care of her community sisters in the convent of the Daughters of Charity of Nevers, France, where she entered in 1866, eight years after her visits from the Virgin Mary.
The Lourdes prelate highlighted the saint’s sense of humor as well as her charity with the sick sisters.
The phenomenon of Lourdes
Lourdes attracts thousands of ill people, who come to the spring of water that Our Lady showed to Bernadette.
The water has been analyzed by independent laboratories, which have verified its composition is normal. However, it has brought more than 2,500 reported cures inexplicable to science, 66 of which have been officially recognized as miracles by the Holy See.
Speaking of this, Bishop Perrier recalled how Jesus, before curing the paralytic, first said “Your sins are forgiven.” But he also cured him physically.
Bishop Perrier confirmed cures in Lourdes are “in communion with the evangelical perspective,” and with the faith that the sick have when approaching the springs. Even the patients who are not cured physically “do not return from Lourdes disappointed or desperate,” but accept the will of God, he said.
Popes in Lourdes
Bishop Perrier also noted the special devotion of the last two Pontiffs to the shrine of Lourdes.
He told ZENIT that when John Paul II spoke of Marian shrines, Lourdes was “always first on the list.”
The prelate encouraged those involved in health care ministry to reread the addresses John Paul II gave to the sick during his trip to Lourdes in 1983, two years after having suffered the assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square.
John Paul II spoke with experiential knowledge, not just saying idealistic words, the bishop reflected.
The Polish Pontiff would travel to Lourdes again in 2004. It was his last trip outside of Italy. This fact, said Bishop Perrier, “was a very great consolation for the handicapped and the sick.”
The prelate also recalled Benedict XVI’s trip in 2008 on the occasion of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions in Lourdes.
That Sept. 15, he administered anointing of the sick to 12 patients of different ages and conditions. Bishop Perrier observed that “Benedict will remain in history as the Pope who publicly anointed the sick.”
GOSPEL READING: FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD
FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD
5,542 priests and bishops attend clergy congress
MANILA, Jan. 29, 2010?The five-day 2nd national congress of the clergy (NCC II) which ended today drew some 5,542 priests and bishops representing 87 arch/dioceses nationwide and few priests abroad.
Organizers said the surge in the number of participants was unexpected that they ran out of kits and other materials.
Former Ambassador Henrietta de Villa, chairperson of the NCC II Central Coordinating Committee said they had only 5,300 prepared kits for participants.
“We added another hundred, for the rest we just gave plastic folders with handles,” she said.
De Villa said they also ran out of liturgy booklets used in the daily liturgy so they distributed risographed copies to those who had none.
“The priests are so very nice. They understood, nobody complained that one has not what the other got. I guess that’s also a gift of the spirit,” De Villa said.
The retreat-congress which started Monday, had Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, as preacher.
Cantalamessa spoke on the need for interior renewal and led the priests into meditation on the three important elements in the life of the priests—the Eucharist, the sacrament of reconciliation and celibacy.
Seeing such a big assembly of priests, Cantalamessa was heard to have remarked: “Only in the Philippines can these things happen, so many priests in one gathering.”
De Villa said NCC II surpassed the international gathering of priests in Ars, France August last year in terms of number of participants. That international retreat assembled only about 1,500 priests worldwide.
Cantalamessa also addressed the laity last January 28 on the topics “The Relationship between the Clergy and Laity” and “Marriage and Family according to the Bible.”
He also addressed the Franciscan family on January 29 after the clergy congress.
De Villa said the number of participants remained intact until Wednesday evening based on the food stubs they collected at meal time.
“On Thursday some of them started to leave because there was an ongoing celebration in Lucena for the 25th anniversary [of the Episcopal ordination] of Bishop Emilio Marquez. The Diocese of Gumaca is celebrating its silver jubilee also,” De Villa explained.
But according to De Villa some of the bishops who went to join the celebration in Lucena and Gumaca also came back to join the procession. (CBCPNews)
