1FEBRUARY 2016

Archdiocesan Lenten Pilgrimage,Sinimulan na

YEAR XII NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2016OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA

PAPAL INTENTIONFOR MARCH 2016

For Families in Difficultyand Persecuted Christians

ETHELIZA ROBLES

(Taysan, Batangas) - Sinimulan na ang itinakdangArchdiocesan Lenten Pilgrimages of Mercy na siyangnatatangging pagsunod sa mga iminungkahi ni PapaFrancisco bilang gawaing kaugnay ng Extra-ordinaryJubilee Year of Mercy. Ayon sa Lubhang Kgg.Arsobispo Ramon Arguelles, ang Pilgrimage ofMercy ay gagawin tuwing Biyernes ng Kuwaresmaat tatagal hanggang Biyernes Santo. Tanging angkauna-unahan pilgrimage ang isinagawa sa araw ngSabado dahil sa di maiiwasang kadahilanan.

ARCHDIOCESAN LENTEN... P. 2

Hanggang Biyernes Santo...

VATICAN - For the month ofMarch 2016, His Holiness,Pope Francis, for his universalprayer intention, will pray forfamilies in difficulty “that fami-lies in need may receive thenecessary support and thatchildren may grow up in healthyand peaceful environments.”

The Apostleship of Prayerannounced also that for hisevangelization/mission inten-tion for this same month, theHoly Father will pray for perse-cuted Christians “that thoseChristians who, on account oftheir faith, are discriminatedagainst or are being perse-cuted, may remain strong andfaithful to the Gospel, thanks tothe incessant prayer of theChurch.” #UB

Basilika Minoreni San Martin,

Nagkaroon ng Relikya

The Parish of the Immaculate Conception Parish led by the Rev. Fr. FedMagboo and the Parochial Vicar Rev. Fr. Romy Mendoza with the ParishCouncil welcomed our Lady into her new home by way of the Inaugurationof the Monumento of the Grupo da Imaculada and the communitarian conse-cration of the towns of Bauan and San Pascual, Batangas to the ImmaculateHeart of Mary. Also shown in the photo is Most Rev. Ramon C. Arguelles,who led the blessing. (text from Mr. Henry Ocier, photo courtesy of Ms. Sally Mendoza)

(Taal, Batangas) -Napagkalooban ng first classrelic ni San Martin ng Tours angTaal Basilica. Ang relikiya namula sa Roma ay bahagi ng

ETHEL ROBLES

Alay Kapwa Regional Launching sa Taal,Matagumpay ONOFRE TENORIO

Tuwing ika-2 ng Pebreroipinagdiriwang ng SimbahangKatolika ang kapistahan ngPaghahandog kay Hesus saTemplo. Sa pagdiriwang na ito ayinaalala kung paanong ang Banalna Pamilya ay sumunod satradisyon ng mga Hudyo ng

FR. JOEL VILLANUEVA, OSJ

Religious Day, Ipinagdiwang Ang Awa Ng Diyos

Paglilinis matapos makapanganakang isang babae at pag-aalay ngpanganay na anak para sa Diyos.Sa Banal na Misa ay ginaganap dinang pagbabasbas ng mga kandilana sumisimbolo sa liwanag na dalani Kristo. Dahil ito ay araw ng

CEBU City (Feb. 1, 2016) - Pope Francis’ representative to a glo-bal Catholic congress here called on Filipino families to re-popu-late and re-Christianize Europe and North America as well as coun-tries where Christians are a minority, declaring Filipino families andyouth as the future of the Church.

Papal legate calls on Filipino familiesto evangelize the world

PAPAL LEGATE CALLS... P. 3

BASILIKA MINORE... P. 2

RELIGIOUS DAY... P. 2

ALAY KAPWA... P. 2

(Taal, Batangas) - Mga panayamhinggil sa gawain ng Alay Kapwa,orientation para sa mga pari atmga layko na dumalo sa okasyon,mga gawain ng Simbahan para sanalalapit na halalan sa Mayo 9,2016, pagdiriwang ng Banal naEukaristiya at naiibang car show

sa hapon - mga mahalagangnaganap sa matagumpay na LuzonRegional Launching ng AlayKapwa na ginanap noong ika-25ng buwang kasalukuyan samakasaysayang bayan at parokyang Taal, Batangas.

2 FEBRUARY 2016

BASILIKA MINORE... P. 1

NEWS & EVENTS

ALAY KAPWA... P. 1

ARCHDIOCESAN LENTEN... P. 1

RELIGIOUS DAY... P. 1

Nagsilbing host ng una sa 7 ba-nal na paglalakbay sa loob ngpanahon ng kwaresma (lenten pil-grimage) ang Parokya ng NuestraSeñora dela Merced noong ika-13ng Pebrero. Nakatakdang gawin salahat ng araw ng Biyernes ngayonglenten season ang ArchdiocesanLenten Pilgrimage of Mercy sabawat bikariya kung saan pumili ngisang parokya na pagdarausan ngaktibidad. Itinampok samaghapong gawain na idinaos saTaysan Municipal Gymnasium ang2 panayam partikular ang“Kahulugan ng Awa Ayon sa Lumaat Bagong Tipan” na ibinahagi niRdo. P. Darwin de Leon at“Debosyon sa Mabathalang Awa”na ibinigay naman ni Rdo. P.Joeden Tenorio, direktor ng LipaArchdiocesan Divine MercyApostolate (LADMA).

Bahagi rin ng pilgrimage angisang pagtatanghal ng istoryatungkol sa Alibughang Anak naginampanan ng mga kabataangmisyonero at misyonera.Nagsagawa rin ng Banal na Orasat pagpapakumpisal. Bago namanidaos ang Banal na Eukaristiyabilang culminating activity,nagsagawa muna ng prusisyonmula sa gymnasium paikot saPoblacion at paligid ng simbahankung saan tampok ang Banal naSakramento. Sumama sa prusisyonang mga pilgrims - layko atreliheyoso at reliheyosa, sapangunguna ni ArsobispoRamon kasama ang mga kaparianbuhat sa mga parokya sa ikatlongbikariya sa pangunguna ni Rdo. P.Dondon Beredo, Bikaryo Poranyo.

“Maramdaman at makapilingang awa ng Diyos na galing sa

langit. Masayang magdiwang ngawa ng Diyos sa unang linggo ngkwaresma.” Ito ang binigyang diinni Lubhang Kgg. ArsobispoRamon Arguelles sa kanyanghomiliya. Ipinaalala ng ama ngarsidyosesis na ang buhay ng taohabang nasa lupa ay isangpaglalakbay na patungo sa langitna ating tahanang tunay kung saannaroon ang Ama at kung saan dapattayo manahan. Nagpaabot namanng lubos na pasasalamat si Rdo. P.Manny Lucero, kura paroko ngTaysan sa mga pari, seminarista atbumubuo ng MisionerosServedores Dela Palabras nanakatulong nila para sa aktibidadgayundin sa mga lider layko ngparokya at lahat ng mga dumalo.Halos 1,300 pilgrims angnakadalo, ayon sa tala ng registra-tion committee.

Sa Parokya ni San Isidro Lab-rador idinaos ang ikalawangArchdiocesan Lenten Pilgrimageof Mercy noong ikalawangBiyernes ng Kwaresma, February19. Sa loob ng simbahanisinagawa ang mga gawain nasinimulan sa pamamagitan ngopening program - isangdoksolohiya na ginampanan ngmga mag-aaral mula sa St. IsidoreCatholic School, animation danceng mga kabataan at ang pagbati niRdo. P. Benny Aguila, parish priestat Bikaryo Poranyo ng ikalawangBikariya.

Sinundan ito ng pagdarasal ngChaplet of the Divine Mercy. SiRdo. P. Marco Paulo Lajara angunang panauhing tagapagsalita nanagpaliwanag tungkol sapagkakaugnay ng Banal na Misaat sakramento ng kasal sa temang“Eucharist and of the Family”.

Kabilang naman sa mga sharers onagbahagi tungkol sa kanilang mgakaranasan sa Banal na Awa sina Sr.Eugene Berro, MCSH, Gng. PacitaMagtibay, tagapagpalaganap ngDivine Mercy sa Parokya ni SanMaguel Arkanghel sa Lobo atMsgr. Emeterio Chavez.

Samantala, sa ikalawang bahaging mga palatuntunan, isinagawaang pagpapakumpisal ng mga parisa loob ng St. Isidore CatholicSchool, mula 1:00 ng hapon. Angikalawang paksa na may kinalamansa “Let the Church be always aplace of Mercy” ay tinalakay niRdo. P. Darwin De Leon atsinundan rin ng isang pagbahagi niSis. Divine Padilla, lay coordina-tor ng LADMA.

Ganap na 3:15 ng hapon,idinaos ang Banal na Misa napinamunuan rin ni Lubhang Kgg.Arsobispo Ramon Arguelleskasama ang 15 mga pari. Bahaging banal na pagdiriwang angpagpaparangal sa imahen ng Ba-nal na Awa sa pamamagitan ngpag-aalay ng mga kandila naginampanan ng mga kinatawanmula sa mga bikariya, parokya atiba’t ibang samahangpansimbahan. Umabot naman sa1200 ang bilang ng mga pilgrimsna dumalo.

Kaugnay nito, ang mga susunodna Lenten pilgrimage aynakatakdang ganapin sa Parokya atDambana ni San Rafael Arkanghelsa Calaca (February 26), Parokyaat Dambana ng Patriyarkang SanJose sa San Jose (March 4), Sta.Teresa College sa Bauan (March11), Pambanasang Dambana niSanto Padre Pio sa Sto. Tomas(March 18) at San Sebastian Ca-thedral sa Lipa (March 25). #UB

buto ng santo. Sang- ayon kay Msgr. Fred Madlangbayan, kuraparoko, naipagkaloob ang relikiya sa pamamagitan ni Kgg. MercyTuazon, Ambassador ng Pilipinas sa Vatican. Ang pagkakaloob ngrelic ay bahagi rin ng paghahanda sa pagdiriwang ng ika-1,700anibersaryo ng kapanganakan ni San Martin sa November 11, 2016.Inihatid ni Lubhang Kgg. Arsobispo Ramon Arguelles ang relic saTaal noong ika-21 ng Pebrero, ganap na ika-9:30 n.u. kung saansumalubong ang daan- daang mga deboto at mananampalataya mulasa Brgy. Tawilisan. Iminotorcade ang relikiya hanggang sa Brgy.Tierra at mula doon ay ipinursisyon na ito patungong Taal Basilica.Kapwa pinangunahann nina Archbishop Arguelles at Msgr. Fred angpagpuprusisyon kung saan tampok ang exposition o pagtatanghal ngrelikiya habang nagdarasal ng Santo Rosaryo ang mgamananampalataya. Ganap na ika-11 ng umaga idinaos ang Banal naMisa na pinamunuan rin ng Arsobispo kasama sina Bishop SalvadorQuizon at Msgr. Fred. Nabigyan naman ng pagkakataon makahaliksa relikiya ang mga deboto sa pamamagitan ng veneration naisinagawa pagkatapos ng Misa. #UB

Dinaluhan ng mgakinatawan ng iba’t ibang mgaSocial Action Centers saLuzon, ang taunang gawaingito tuwing panahon ngKwaresma, ang buwan ngAlay Kapwa, dinaluhan din itong mga lokal na kinatawangaling sa lahat ng mgaparokya ng Arsidiyosesis,

Ang mga panayam ayginawa sa Our Lady ofCaysasay Academy gym.Nauna rito nagdaos ng openingliturgy na pinamunuan ni Msgr.Alfredo Madlangbayan, kuraparoko ng nasabing parokya.Ang unang nagbigay ngpanayam ay si Bb. RachliezMay “Sweet” Cruz ng CBCPNational Secretariate for SocialAction (NASSA). Ipinaliwanagniya ang layunin ngkampanyang Alay Kapwa. Ayonsa kanya, ang mga dukha angpangunahing target group nggawaing Alay Kapwa. Sinabidin niya na ang NASSA ay ditulad ng ibang mga non-govern-ment organization (NGO) natumutulong din sa mga dukha,bagamat ito ay kinikilala ngpamahalaan bilang isang NGO.

“Ang kaibhan ng ating mgaSocial Action Centers sa mgaNGO ay ang pinaghuhugutannito ng kanyang pag-iral,”paliwanag ni Bb. Cruz. Aniya,bagmat ang mga ito, tulad ngmaraming NGO, aynagbibigay ng atensyon sapagtulong sa mga dukha, angkaibhan ng Social Action ng

Simbahan ay angpinagbabasehan at sandigannito: ang mga aral panlipunan(social teachings) ngsimbahan naka-ugat sa Salitang Diyos. Kaya ito ay “faith-based and love-driven”, ayonpa arin kay Bb. Cruz.

Sa kanya namangpanayam, tinalakay ni Rdo. P.Jazz Siapco ang lakas at mgahamon na kinakaharap sapagpapalaganap ngispirituwalidad ng Alay Kapwa.Binanggit niya ang karanasanng Lipa Archdiocesan Socialaction Commission (LASAC)sa pagpapalaganap ng AlayKapwa, ang mga iba't ibangpamamaraan upang ito aytumatak sa kamalayan ng mgamananampalataya.

“Ang Alay Kapwa ay hindipangangalap ng pera lamangpara makatulong samahihirap. Ito’y pagpapa-laganap ng pag-ibig sa Diyosat sa kapwa,” an I P. Jazz.

Ang iba’t ibang gawain ngSocial Action sa buong bansaang siya namang nagingpaksa ng panayam ni Rdo. P.Edu Gariguez, Executive Sec-retary ng CBCP NASSA.Matapos ang orientation aynagsagawa rin ng pagtalakaysa magiging pakikilahok ngSimbahan sa darating nahalalan. Binigyan pansin angvoters’ education, angpaggabay sa mga boboto sakanilang matalino pagpili ngkanilang iboboto sa mgakandidato. Kaugnay din nito,

ibinahagi sa madlang dumaloang adbokasiya ng “Huwagkang magnakaw”. Layunin nitoang impluwensyahan ang mgakandidato na umuwas sapagnanakaw sa kaban ngbayan, at pati na rin ang mgabotante na huwag pumili ngmga kandidatong mayganitong gawaing paglabag saika-7 utos ng Diyos.

Sa kanya namang homiliya,inilahad ng Lubhang Kgg.Arsobispo Ramon Arguellesang kasaysayan atpinagmulan ng kampanyangAlay Kapwa sa bansa. Sinabiniya ito ay bunga na rin ngmagandang halimbawa ngmga Katolikong Aleman nanagbibigay ng kanilang mgatulong pananalapi tuwingKwaresma. Ang mga naiiponay siyang itinutulong sa mgabansang humihingi ng tulongpinansyal sa iba’t ibang mgafunding agencies saAlemanya.

Sa loob ng Banal na Misa,kinilala ang mga parokya saArsidiyosesis na aktibo sa AlayKapwa at sa Club Cuarenta nainilunsad ng LASAC. (Basahinang kahiwalay na ulat. -Patnugot) At nang sumapitang hapon, nagkaroon ngkakaibang motor at car show.Ito ay nilahukan ng iba't ibangmga mahil ig sa ganitongaktibidad. Naging isangbehikulo din ito ang pag-aalaykapwa dahil sa aito ay nagingisa ring “fund-raising event”.#UB

Pagtatalaga ng sarili sa Diyos, itorin ang araw ng mga Relihiyoso atRelihiyosa.

Ang pagdiriwang na ito aypinangunahan ng Association ofthe Religious in the Archdiocese ofLipa (ARAL) na ginanap saseminaryo ng Oblates of SaintJoseph College Seminary,Marawoy, Lipa City. Layunin ngpagtitipon na ito na ipagdiwangang araw ng mga Relihiyosos atRelihiyosa sa pamamagitan ngisang sama-samang pagkilos upanggawing konkreto ang awa ng Diyossa mga taong higit nanangangailangan ng pagdamay ngDiyos. Ang naging tema ng buongpagdiriwang ay “ARAL: Witness-ing the Face of God’s Mercy.”

Pinasimulan ang pagdiriwang sapamamagitan ng pagbabasbas ngmga kandila, pagkatapos ayprusisyon patungo sa kapilya ngseminaryo na pinangunahan ngKgg. Ramon C. Arguelles, DD. Sa

kanyang homiliya pinaalalahananniya ang mga pari at madre nahuwag kalimutan ang dahilan ngkanilang pag-aalay ng sarili. Sinabipa ng Obispo “You are consecratedfor the World! You have to pray forthe World”.

Pagkatapos ng Banal na Misa,nagkaroon ng pagbabahagi anghealing priest na si Reb. P. NelsonOsorio, OSJ. Isinalaysay niya angkanyang mga pastoral na karanasansa pagpapa-abot ng awa atkagalingang dulot ng Diyos. Sinabiniya na bukod sa kagalingan, angmga may-sakit at mahihirap aynangangailangan ng pagdamaylalo’t higit ng mga relihiyoso atrelihiyosa. Dito nagiging konkretoang mukha ng Awa ng Diyos.

Pagkatapos ng munting salo-salo humayo ang mga madre at parisa iba’t-ibang ospital sa Lipa upangdumalaw sa mga may sakit atnagdala ng mga panalangin atmaipakita ang konkretong mukhang awa ng Diyos. #UB

(Taal, Batangas) - Ang Club Cuarenta ay ang isang paraang inilunsadnoong nakaraang taon ng LASAC upang maipakilala ang Alay Kapwa.Hinikayat ang mga mananampalataya na magpatala sa kani-kanilangmga parokya sa kilusang ito. Bahagi ng kanilang tungkulin bilangkasapi sa Club Cuarenta, bukod sa panalangin at pagpasok sa diwa ngAlay Kapwa, ay ang pagbibigay ng kwarenta pesos, simbolo ngapatnapung araw ng Kwaresma.

Nanguna ang Parokya ng Inmakulada Konsepsyon, Batangas Cityna nakalikom ng P51,512, samantalang ang Parokya ni San Sebastian,Lipa City ay nag-remita ng halagang P28,160. Pumangatlo ang MostHoly Rosary Parish, Padre Garcia na nagsulong nga halagang P24,730.Ang Parokya ng Inmakulada Konsepsyon, Balayan ay pumang-apat;ito ay nag-remita ng halagang P21,861. Ang panlima ay ang Parokyang Nuestra Señora Dela Soledad, Darasa, Tanauan City na mayhalagang P19,960. Sa pag-uulat ni Rdo. P. Jason “Jazz” Siapco,nakalikom ang Club Cuarenta noong isang taon ng may kabuuangP370,221.

Samantala, hinati sa tatlong kategoriya ang mga parokya ngArsidiyosesis ng Lipa, ayon sa kanilang laki, at ang tatlong maypinakamataas ang remittance sa Alay Kapwa collection ay kinilala ngLASAC sa okasyon din ng paglulunsad ng Alay Kapwa sa Luzon Re-gion noong nagdaang ika-25 ng Pebrero sa Banal na Misa na ginanapsa Basilica Menor ni San Martin ng Tours.

Sa Category A, nanguna muli ang Parokya ng InmakuladaKonsepsyon, Batangas City (P158,547.03), sinundan ng Parokya niSan Juan Evangelista (P62,332.87) at nasa ikatlong puwesto angParokya ng Santisima Trinidad, Pallocan, Batangas City (P52,502.25).

Nanguna ang Parokya ni San Isidro Labrador, Cuenca sa CategoryB. Nagremita ito ng halagang P24,469.50, samantalang pumangalwaang Parokya ni Santa Clara, Sta. Clara, Sto. Tomas (P13,853) atsumunod ang Parokya ng Queen of All Saints, Balele, Tanauan City(P13,792).

Sa huling kategoriya, Category C, ang Parokya ng Ina ng LagingSaklolo, Agoncillo ang nanguna. Nakapagsulong ito sa Alay Kapwang halagang P25,827.45. Pumangalawa ang Parokya ng San IsidroLabrador, San Isidro, Lipa City (P19,491) at ang nasa ikatlong puwestoay ang Parokya ng Our Lady of Mercy, Taysan (P14,936). Ayon kay P.Jazz ang kabuuang Alay Kapwa collection noong isang taon ayP876,864.08. Target ng LASAC na mapabilang muli ang Arsidiyosesisng Lipa sa Top 3 sa Alay Kapwa sa buong bansa. #UB

Mga Parokyang Nanguna sa Remittance sa Alay Kapwaat Club Cuarenta, Kinilala ng LASAC

ONOFRE TENORIO

3FEBRUARY 2016 NEWS & EVENTSBalitang Bikariya Dos

ETHELIZA ROBLES, Chief, UB News Bureau

(San Juan, Batangas) -Ipinagdiwang ang unanganibersaryo ng pagkatalaga ngParokya ni San JuanNepomuceno kasama na angbuong bayan ng San Juan noongnagdaang Araw ng mga Puso,Pebrero 14, araw ng Linggo.Kaugnay ito ng pagpapatayo ngMonumento ng Kalinis-linisangPuso ni Maria na nilalayongmaipatayo pa sa iba’t ibang mgaparokya sa Arsidiyosesis nglipa. Ang nasa sa parokyang itoang kauna-unahang naitayo.

Maalala na noong petsa dingito, pinangunahan ng LubhangKgg. Arsobispo RamonArguelles ang pagbabasbas ngnasabing monumento nanaipatayo sa kagandahang loobnina Konsehal Meynard at Gng.Evelyn Maalihan at ng iba pangmga donors.

Pinangunahan ni Rdo. P.John de Castro, OSJ, kuraparoko ang Misa Pasasalamat,kasama si Rdo. P. Edsel Silva,OSJ, spiritual director at paro-chial vicar . Dumalo ang

Sta. Teresita, Batangas - Nakapagtala ng 465 na mga participantssa isinagawang Fun Run for a Cause para sa St. Therese CatholicSchool - Batangas Inc. (STCS-B), paaralang katoliko sa Sta. Teresita.“One Love, One Run for St. Therese” ang nagsilbing tema ng takbopara sa paaralan noong ika-13 ng Pebrero. Nagsimula ganap na 5:30ng umaga ang pagtakbo mula sa school campus sa Poblacionpatungong Brgy. Cuta hanggang Muzon pabalik sa campus. Sahalagang 250.00 na registration fee, may ipinagkaloob na souvenirshirt at bottled water sa bawat isang nag-register at nakatulong papara sa pagpapatayo ng gusaling pampaaralan.

Cuenca, Batangas - Nagdiwang ng ika- 24 na anibersaryo ngpagkatatag ang St. Isidore Catholic School, paaralang Katoliko sabayang ito. May temang “Strengthening the Isidorean Characterand Spirit” ang selebrasyon. Idinaos ang Thanksgiving Mass noongika- 20 ng Pebrero na dinaluhan ng mga mag-aaral, guro at staff ngpaaralan. Sinundan ito ng variety show na idinaos sa basketball courtng paaralan kung saan nagpakitang gilas ang mga estudyante at gurosa iba’t ibang talento. Samantala, bahagi rin ng foundation celebra-tion ang Alumni Homecoming na may temang “Meet and Greet @24”kung lahat saan nagkatipon tipon ang mga estudyantengnagsipagtapaos sa parochial school.

Subic, Agoncillo - Lingguhang gagawin ang pag-iistasyon ng krussa mga barangay na sakop ng Parokya ng Mahal na Birhen ng MedalyaMilagrosa sa bayang ito. Idaraos sa lahat ng mga araw ng Biyernessa loob ng panahon ng kwaresma ang pagninilay sa Daan ng Krus.Sinimulan noong ika-12 ng Pebrero ang pag-iistasyon sa bawatbarangay kabilang ang Adia, Bagong Sikat, Panhulan, Santo Tomas,Pansipit, Subic Ibaba, Subic Ilaya, Banyaga, Bilibinwang at SanTeodoro. Pinangangasiwaan ng mga chapel/ barangay coordinatorskatulong ang mga lider layko sa pagsasagawa ng station of the crosssa bawat barangay. Ayon kay Mark Gil Alteza, pumipili ng mahihirapna mga pamilya na pinagdadalhan ng istasyon. Pinagkakalooban dinng parokya ng tulong ang mga indigent families sa pamamagitan ngpagbibigay ng groceries. Bukod sa pananalangin, paraan din ito ngsimbahan upang ipadama ang pagkalinga at pagpapahalaga sa mgamahihirap o nangangailangang pamilya. Nakatakdang isagawa angistasyon sa February 19, February 26, March 4, March 11, March 18at March 25. #UB

Unang Anibersaryo ng Pagtatalaga sa Kalinis-linisangPuso ni Maria, Isinagawa sa Araw ng mga Puso

REV. FR. JOHN DE CASTRO, OSJ VF

sambayanan ng San Juan sapangunguna ng Kgg. MayorRodolfo Manalo, kasama angmga pinuno at kasapi ng iba’tibang mga samahang pang-simbahan tulad ng WorldApostolate of Fatima, Legion ofMary, Knights of Columbus,LCCG, IlM, at mga mag-aaralng Joseph Marello Institute.

Matapos ang Banal na Misa,nagdaos ng prusisyon palibot ngbayan upang ipaalam at ipakita

ang pamimintuho sa Mahal naIna, na siyang nagdadalapatungo sa pagsamba sakanyang Anak na si Hesus.Tampok pagkatapos gnprusisyon ang pagpapanibago opagsasariwa ng Pagtatalaga(Consecration) sa Mahal na Ina.Matapos nito, ibinalik angimahen ng Mahal na Ina samonumento upang doonisagawa ang palagiangpamimintuho ng mga tao. #UB

(Cebu City) - Ang Interna-tional Eucharistic CongressYouth Day ay ginanap noongEnero 27-31, 2016 sa Cebu,City na dinaluhan ng 39delegado mula sa Arsidiyosesisng Lipa na pinamunuan ni JuanPaulo Semaña mula sa Parokyang Santa Teresita, Batangas.

Ang IEC Youth Day aypagsasama-sama ng mgakabataan sa loob at labas ngPilipinas na ginaganap habangnangyayari ang isang linggongpagdiriwang ng IEC mula Enero24 hanggang 31. Itinuturingitong isa sa pinakamalakingpagtitipon ng mga kabataan nanaka-sentro sa Banal naEukaristiya. Ang pagdiriwangna ito ay naglalayongmaitaguyod ang kamalayan sabanal na Eukaristiya sa buhay atmisyon ng Simbahang Katolika,mapalawak ang kaalaman saselebrasyon ng banal naliturhiya at mailapit ang mgakabataan sa Eukaristiya bilangisang panlipunang dimensyon.

Enero 27, Unang Araw.Itinalaga ang tema para sa arawna ito na pinamagatang “Wel-come to Cebu: seat of Christi-anity in Asia and in the FarEast.” Ang mga delegado aymainit na tinanggap sa parokyang Mahal na Ina ng LagingSaklolo sa Babag, Lapu-LapuCity, Cebu sa pangunguna niRdo. P. Reynaldo P. Semeros,MSC. Sa kabila ng dimagandang panahon, maluwagang ngiti sa mga labi nang angbawat delegado ay sunduin ngkanilang mga foster parentspara umuwi at kumain nangsabay sabay. Nang makabalik saparokya ng Mahal na Ina ngLaging Saklolo ay nagkaroon ng

programa na sinimulan sa isangmisa sa pangunguna ni Rdo. P.Benito Tomol, MSC.

Ani niya “Young people, youare part of the Church, you arepart of the Body of Christ.”Bilang ang mga nakikinig aymay mga kabataang buonglugod na naglilingkod sa InangSimbahan, sinabi din niya nakapag nagmamahal ka mayhanda kang gawin para sa taongmahal mo, na nagpapakita ngsakripisyo ng isang kabataanupang maglingkod saSimbahan.

Enero 28, Ikalawang Araw.Muling nagtipon-tipon ang mgakabataan sa parokya ng Mahalna Ina ng Laging Saklolo bilangpaghahanda sa pagpunta saHoopsdome, Lapu Lapu, Citykung saan ipagpapatuloy angpagsasabuhay sa tema ng arawna ito ang “Bread that isTAKEN, BLESSED, BROKENand SHARED.” Sinimulan muliang programa sa pamamagitanng misa kung saan nakasentroang mensahe sa kahalagahan ngmga kabataan sa InangSimbahan. Binigyang diin ditoang importansya ng kaisipan ngmga kabataan kung kaya't isasila sa dapat inaalagaan atpatuloy na ginagabayan saparokya. Nadagdagan ngpagpapalalim ang kahulugan ngEukaristiya nang magbigay ngkatesismo ang Lubhang Kgg.Obispo Robert Barron, DDtungkol sa patuloy napagbibigay ng pagpapahalaga saBanal na Misa at sa paanongparaan nito unti-untingbinabago ang buhay ng isangtao.

Matapos ang pagbabahagi niBsp. Barron, nagkaroon ng Pil-

grim Walk sa paligid ng HoopsDome na sinundan ng isangYouth Festival. Nagtapos angaraw na ito sa pamamagitan ngpagdadasal at pagninilayhanggang ala-una ng madalingaraw. Lahat ng mga kabataan ayminabuting manatili na saHoops Dome upang hintayinang misa sa alas-kwatro ngumaga na siyang closing masspara sa IEC Youth Day.

Enero 29, Huling Araw.“With Mary sharing the Eucha-ristic Spirituality to the Youth”ang itinalagang tema para sahuling araw na ito. Sinimulan sapagdarasal ng Banal na SantoRosaryo at sinundan ng banal namisa. Sa puntong ito, angmensahe ay naka-pokus satatlong mahahalagang bagay naitinuturo ng banal naEukaristiya sa mga kabataan:Una, ang kahalagahan ngpresensya sa pagdiriwang ngmisa. Ikalawa, ang kahalagahanng pasasalamat sa lahat ngbiyaya na ibinibigay ngPanginoon at Ikatlo, ang patuloyna pagbibigay ng serbisyo atsakripisyo upangmakapaglingkod sa InangSimbahan.

Isang umaapaw napagmamahal ang pinaramdam ngDiyos para sa mga kabataangnagkaroon ng oportunidad namakabilang sa isang historikal atespesyal na araw na ito. Dulotnito, nagkaroon ng mas malawakat malalim na pagpapahalaga angmga kabataan sa mensahe ngEukaristiya. Isa na din sa dapathindi kaligtaan ng mga kabataanay ang patuloy napagpaparamdam ng Diyos ngkaniyang pagmamahal para salahat. #UB

“Christ in YOUth, Our HOPE of Glory” MICA PAULINE GAMMAD

In his homily for the Statio Orbis or Closing Mass of the 51st Interna-tional Eucharistic Congress (IEC) on Sunday, Jan. 31, Papal Legate Car-dinal Charles Maung Bo of Myanmar said Christianity is in a “twilightzone” in the West and Filipinos, where 52 percent of the population arebelow 25 years old, could usher in a “new dawn” for the religion.

The Philippines is the “favorite daughter of the Church in Asia,” saidthe Yangon archbishop, as he noted that in 2021 it would mark the 500thanniversary of the arrival of Christianity. The Philippine Church is asource of hope for the Church in many ways, Cardinal Bo said. "Theyouth of the Philippines is the hope of the Church,” he said.

“This nation will become light not only to Asia, but to the wholeworld,” Bo added in the homily for the “Mass of the World.”

Cardinal Bo, who spoke in Filipino, Cebuano and English, encour-aged Filipinos to revitalize the Church by “multiplying” the number offamilies and missionaries. He said: “Paramihin ninyo ang inyong mgaanak. Paramihin ninyo ang inyong mga misyonero … Pumunta kayo saEuropa at Amerika, doon ay mas marami silang aso at pusa!” (Multiplyyour children. Multiply you missionaries. Go to Europe and America,there they have more cats and dogs than children!)

Echoing the Holy Father who condemned “ideological colonization”during his apostolic visit to the Philippines last year, Cardinal Bo warnedagainst efforts by international organizations to push distorted conceptsor new forms of the family. He also criticized coercive laws passed toredefine marriage in some countries.

“The destruction of the family is the greatest danger … Mortal dan-ger awaits humanity because some countries have started the path ofdestroying families through laws,” Bo said. “The future of the Churchdepends on Catholic families.”

Bo called young people a “blessing” and urged the Church not toneglect the youth, who “deserve understanding, not judgment.” Thegovernment should also invest more on the youth, he said.

Moral power, he said, is the greatest power, citing the Church-backed1986 Edsa Revolution that toppled one-man rule. This time, however, therevolution should be against poverty. “You need a new Edsa Revolution,a revolution for human development,” the Myanmar prelate said. #UB

PAPAL LEGATE CALLS... P. 1

4 FEBRUARY 2016

E D I T O R I A L S T A F FOFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA

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Photographers

Niño BalitaCartoonist

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Archdiocese of LipaPublisher

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Contributors:Msgr. Ruben Dimaculagan

Mrs. Norma AbratigueFr. Bimbo PantojaFr. Manny Guazon

Fr. Oscar AndalEmma D. Bauan

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Printer: Pater Putativus Publishing House

OPINION

Most Rev. Ramón Argüelles, DD, STL

Straightfrom the Heart

Msgr. Fred Madlangbayan

GUEST EDITORIAL

NON-ENDORSEMENT DIRECTIVE

We the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, gathered tocelebrate the 51st International Eucharistic Congress inCebu City, Philippines (January 24-31, 2016), now relivethe beautiful experience of the two disciples of Emmaus.

We are convinced that the Holy Spirit sends us forth inorder to proclaim the story of Jesus. This Congress islike the gathering of the early disciples when they joy-fully shared stories of how each of them encountered theRisen Lord in the Scripture and in the Breaking of theBread.

Bread of Hope. The Eucharist, being a living and life-giving encounter with Christ in the totality of his PaschalMystery, is truly the source of and impetus for hope.Through the Eucharist, we come to feel that we are pos-sessed by the love of God and with this conviction, con-version of the heart begins. When our worship is donethrough Christ, with him and in him, then the Eucharistbecomes source of healing and our hope of glory. TheEucharist is our bread of hope for it challenges us to livethankfully and joyfully, notwithstanding all the difficultrealities of life. Only those who have endured a lot or havefaced various crises in life, those who suffer almost on adaily basis, can know and possess spiritual resilienceand truly celebrate life’s joys and remain hopeful.

Bread for the Poor. The Eucharist commits us to thepoor, to love and come to their help. We are challengedto reach out to the poor and help uplift them materiallyand spiritually as a concrete way of living out the Eucha-rist. The Eucharist compels us to act and give them some-thing to eat. The example of Jesus, particularly the mealstories, teaches us what every Eucharist should be, break-ing bread with the poor and marginalized. The presenceof our brothers and sisters who have less in life is a con-stant reminder that the poor is the privileged place ofencounter with Jesus outside the Eucharist.

Bread of Dialogue. The Eucharist which is the sacra-ment of the bread of life fills our spirit and strengthensour resolve as we take the tortuous path of dialogue withreligions, cultures, youth and the poor. We are empow-ered by the Holy Spirit for mutual understanding, open-ness, and conversion of hearts and minds. The Eucha-rist - the Real Presence of Jesus - sustains our heartsand nourishes our souls as we journey towards the con-vocation where God gathers us all in inclusive commun-ion, banishing distinctions that alienate and celebratingthe gift each one brings.

Bread for Mission. Energized and renewed by theEucharist, Christ's missionary disciples are sent into theworld to be broken bread for a broken world. They movefrom Eucharistic celebration to Eucharistic commitment.The Eucharist is not just a gift but also a task and mis-sion that can change the world. Indeed, Eucharist ena-bles us to effectively respond to the cry of the poor, thecry of the earth, and the cry of Jesus Christ. Missionarydynamism springs from an encounter with Jesus throughdeep prayer because the lungs of evangelization is prayer.We are a people on a mission; truly, IEC 2016 is a clarioncall to mission for all of us. Our Eucharist is the sourceand goal of the Church’s mission.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Incar-nate Word and the Eucharistic Lord, accompany us, mis-sionary disciples, in order to share Jesus Christ in us,our hope of glory. Amen. (CBCP News)

51st IEC Final Statement

Isang napakadakila atnatatanging biyaya para saParokya ni San Martin at saBayan ng Taal ang kaloob ngPanginoong Diyos - ang RELICo RELIKHIYA mula sa Roma ngating MAHAL NA PATRONGSAN MARTIN.

Tunay na ito ay isangHIMALANG maituturingsapagkat naganap ito saPAGDIRIWANG NG IKA - 1,700KAARAWAN ng ating Patron, saNATATANGING TAON NGJUBILEYO NG AWA (Extra - Or-dinary Jubilee of Mercy) at saIKA - 50 TAON ng PAGKAPARI(Golden Sacerdotal Anniver-sary) ng ating minamahal naKURA PAROKO, MSGR,ALFREDO AGUILAMADLANGBAYAN.

Nakamtan natin angRELIKHIYANG ito sa tulong ngAmbassador sa Vaticano, Gng.Mercy Tuazon, at kanyang mgakasama.

Nag-uumapaw sa lubos nakagalakan ang aming mga pusoat walang hanggang pagpupuriat pagpapasalamat ang aminglaging dasal sa pambihirangBIYAYANG ito ng Mapagmahalna Diyos sa Bayan ng Taal.Kapiling na naming lagi si SanMartin, hindi lamang sakanyang rebulto at larawan,kundi sa kayang RELIKHIYA,isang maliit na bahagi ngkanyang buto. Kaya, ito po aytinatawag na “FIRST CLASSRELIC.”

Kaya, halina, mga kapatid ngTaaleño, at lahat ng maynatatanging debosyon kay SANMARTIN NG TOURS. Patuloynatin siyang parangalan atpasalamatan sa REGALONGhandog sa Bayan ng Taal.Buong pagmamahal at taimtimtayong manalangin na nawa’ypatuloy niya tayong alagaan,patnubayan at iligtas sa lahatng kapahamakan. Lalo’t higit,ipagdasal nating matularan angkanyang halimbawa ngKABANALAN atPAGKAMAAWAIN, siya naitinuturing na merciful Bishopof Tours.

MABUHAY SI SAN MARTIN!MABUHAY ANG BAYAN NG

TAAL! #UB

Relikya ni San Martinde Porres

During the 112th CBCP Plenary Assembly in Cebu the bishops wereenjoined not to endorse any candidate during the elections. Years agothe archbishops of Manila, specifically Rufino Cardinal Santos, backedMacapagal while later, Jaime Cardinal Sin favored Ramon Mitra. Sev-eral local bishops and priests in their own localities have openly fa-voured, for whatever reason, their preferred candidates. Most of thetime the laity asked directly or indirectly their parish priests or bishopswhom they must vote for. Several lay leaders expect bishops to revealtheir choices pledging to follow the directives of their church leaders.In the past two elections I myself have openly expressed my bias infavour of the Kapatiran party not because of the persons behind it butmore so because of their platforms. This group of concerned citizensopenly declare their intention in entering public service: to implementCatholic social teachings in the formulation of government policies.

I certainly will abide by the injunction not to endorse any candidatein the national and local levels. In the present situation in fact, I am inconscience unable to endorse any of those desiring to become chief ex-ecutive of the land. Looking at the roster of candidates in the provincialand city/municipal levels, I realized that to the great majority I cannotmake any endorsement since they represent interests that will not ben-efit the great majority of the poor and neglected and they stand for mat-ters opposed to church teachings. Endorsing them to be leaders of ourpeople is tantamount to promoting their evil intentions injurious to thecitizenry and offensive to God whom we serve. In truth, I and otherleaders of the church and even ordinary Christians who support would-be-leaders who violate the will of God and exploit other people areguilty also of the sins that nefarious leaders are guilty of.

There is, however, no ban on endorsing or publicly opposing evildeeds that our elections probably from the very beginning have advanced.For instance, as shepherd of God's people, I will warn the faithful againstvoting for those who favour the destruction of the environment in thename of progress which benefits only a very few oftentimes self-centeredportions of the community and impoverish the great majority. It is myduty to warn people against choosing leaders who lead immoral livesincluding infidelity to their spouses, neglect of right formation of chil-dren, promoting the culture of gambling, engaging in the traffic of drugs,alcohol, and sexual aberrations, guilty of stealing from public coffers,pocketing or misusing them to enrich themselves, candidates who areinvolve in all sorts of crimes especially murder, embezzlement, injus-tice, and so on. It is my duty as priest and leader of the Christian com-munity to warn people against supporting leaders who accept moneyfrom interest groups to bribe the voters to sell their votes and promotefuture policies detrimental to the total well-being of the citizens.

Bishops and all other church leaders even lay leaders of our Chris-tian community can endorse the correct purpose of elections. I wouldlike to endorse candidates who do not use money to buy people's votesor non-votes thereby violating their dignity and right to true democraticprocess. There are candidates who will not steal from public funds toreimburse many times over what they immorally spent to get into theposition they don't deserve. I openly endorse and support candidateswho pledge to bring true and speedy development to our province andcities/municipalities by refusing bribery that fills the pocket of officialsand deprive the citizens of employment and true service. I will endorsecandidates who tell the truth and pledge to give the citizenry full ben-efits and never claiming that the help they gave was from their own. Iendorse candidates who protect the unborn, strengthen the family bystriving to remove the dangers to it like vices and gambling. I will en-dorse candidates who while taking care of their own children will havein their hearts the care of the future of young men and women and eventhose generations still to come. I will endorse candidates who will in-spire all citizenry to plant trees, clean rivers and seas, to segregate ourgarbage, to keep safe our streets, to give proper education to our chil-dren, to organize livelihood projects especially for the poor. I will en-dorse candidates who show true selflessness and dedication based ondeep faith in God, love for our country and people, respect for life, andprotection of nature. I will endorse candidates who will make our prov-ince, cities and municipalities places of religious, scenic, and culturalupliftment.

I will never say vote for candidate A or candidate B or candidate C. Itell every voter of our province, cities, municipalities to vote for a trulybeautiful province, to vote for the future of our young people and thosestill to be born. Vote for one that promises progress for every citizenespecially the marginalized, the poor. Vote for true health and a govern-ment that serves the total well-being of all Batangueños. Vote for amore beautiful and scenic province where every open area is filled withtrees and creatures that give happiness to our eyes and hearts. Vote forclean water around us rich with all marine life like what the Verde IslandPassage offers. Vote for a province that is rooted in the love of God andits creations populated by happy Batangueños, educated young men andwomen and diligent and working population. Vote for Batangas thatcan show the rest of the country and the world that if men and womenare prayerfully united for a good cause our whole nation and even therest of the world can follow the true path to total progress and happinessfor all. #UB

5FEBRUARY 2016 OPINION

Msgr. Ruben Dimaculangan

1. TUNGKOL KAY KUYA MANNY. Napakasimple at nakakatuwaang kanyang argumento. Oo nga naman. Sa halip na humugot siya ngkung saan-saang libro ng theology o psychology, ang binanggit lang niyaay yaong dikta ng batas ng kalikasan. Kung yun mismong mga hayop ayhindi ginagawa ang pumatol ng lalaki sa lalaki, o babae sa babae, aba,walang duda kung sino kaya ang mali. Kulang na lang sabihin niya naayon sa Bibliya ang nilalang ng Diyos ay sina “Adam and Eve”, hindi sina“Adam and Steve”. Ha ha ha ha. At di ga mas maraming natuwa nanghumingi siya ng paumanhin pero di niya inurungan o binawi ang kanyangsinabi. Kasi naman, kung siya ay umurong, aba, siya ang pwedeng hatulanng paglabag sa human rights. Yung tao lang naman ang nagpauso ng ideana ang “pag-violate sa kalikasan ay isang karapatan.” “Human rights” panga ang tawag nila dito. Syanga naman.

2. PINADALI NGA BA NG PAPA ANG ANNULMENT? Pinadali poang processo. Pero hindi po ibig sabihin nito na “niluwagan” ng SantoPapa ang annulment. Ang pinadali po ng Papa ay ang “procedure”, hindiang grounds ng annulment. Ganon pa rin pong kahigpit ang grounds ngannulment. Ang ibig sabihin ng pinadali ang procedure ay hindi nakailangan ngayong ipadala ang kaso sa Court of Appeals ng Maynila parasa isang conforming affirmative decision. Sapat na ang desisyon dito saTribunal ng Diyosesis ng Lipa. “Pinadali”, dahil may mga kaso namismong ang Obispo na lang ang pwedeng humatol sa kaso bilangpinakamataas na taga-ugit ng batas (legislator) sa Diyosesis. “Pinadali”,dahil noon 3 ang paring (usually canon lawyers) bumubuo ng panel ngtribunal. Ngayon, pwedeng isang pari ng lang na kanonista at dalawanglayko. Inuulit ko, “pinadali” hindi “niluwagan”. Simple lang, kung walangdiborsyo sa civil eh di lalo nang walang ganon sa Simbahan. Wala pongdiborsyo sa Pilipinas at hindi dapat isipin na ang tribunal ng Simbahanang backdoor sa diborsyo. Syanga naman.

3. STYLE NG GOUT. Ang gout, sa aking karanasan, ay parang sakit sapuso o stroke kung umatake. Hindi porke tatlong buwan ka nang hindinagkaka-gout ay hindi ka na sasagpangin nito. Nagkakamali ka, Pare ko.Para lang siyang halimaw na nakatago sa sulok at kapag di ka maingat,kapag kumain ka ng mga ipinagbabawal, hala ka, sasagpangin ka nito atpipilayan. Di ba ganyan ang style ng Diyablo? Sasabihin niyang huwagkang mangamba at siya ang bahala sa iyo. Ha ha ha ha. At kapagnapahamak ka na, sasabihin ng Diyablo, “Nahingi ka ng saklolo? Ano ka,sinuswerte?” Syanga naman.

4. MATANDA KA NA KAPAG NAAALA-ALA MO ITO! Minsannag-text sa akin si Angie ng Katedral: “MAAALA-ALA MO PA KAYA:noong wala pang halagang piso ang pamasahe; girl lang at tenga ang mayhikaw; preso lang ang may tattoo; Escolta at Cubao lang ang shoppingan;Luneta ang paboritong pasyalan; pomada at spraynet ang gamit sa buhok;typewriter pa ang gamit sa term paper; doble ang palabas sa sine; plakaang pinatutunog sa turntable na may karayom; ang radyo ay de tubo at dekoryente? Kung natatandaan mo pa, may edad ka na. Kung hindi na,pasensya tayong dalawa.” Heto ang isinagot kong text kay Angie: “Atleast naman, sigurado na akong makakarating sa edad na 60 dahil seniorcitizen na ako.” Kasi naman ang iba diyan, dahil sa kutsara ay nakukultofinish kaagad sa edad na 40 lang. Syanga naman.

5. CONTRACTUALIZATION AT JOB ORDER. Hanggang ngayon,wala pang kandidato na ang plataforma ay ang pagsugpo sa“contractualization” at “job order” samantalang ang mga ito ang malinawna dyablo ng buhay ng mga kabataan. Walandyo, sampung taon ka nangnagtatrabaho, wala ka pa ring masasabing may direksyon na ang iyongbuhay. Walang pag-asa. Sino kayang presidentiable ang magagawangtotoo ang kasabihang, “Life begins at forty” dahil bossing ka na sa isangkompanya o pwede ka nang mamasyal sa abroad dahil well-establishedka na? Hmmmm. Syanga naman.

6. LEKSYON NG MGA PABO AT ITIK. Dito po sa amin sa Lemery,ang lumilimlim sa itlog ng mga pabo at itik ay inahing manok. Kayanaman, ang kanilang mga sisiw ay kumakain at lumalaking magkakasamasa loob ng tangkal. Nakakatuwa dahil kahit malaki na sila ay walangpuyukan o nambu-bully sa pagkain. Di katulad sa pulitika, basta maypatuka ay nag-aaway-away. Syanga naman.

7. PATER PUTATIVUS. Ito ang printing press natin. Sa maikling salita,tawag natin dito kapag nagpapahatid sa tricycle ay “Pater”. Sana naman,para huwag maging parang extra-terrestial ang Pater ay magawan ng paraanna sa ilalim ng malaking letra ng “Pater Putativus” ay merong translationnito sa maliliit na titik. Kasi, ewan ko lang kung sa mga dumadaan doonay alam nila na ang ibig sabihin ng Pater Putativus ay “Foster Father”(Ama-amahan) na tumutukoy kay San Jose. Syanga Naman.

8. SOUNDS SA KASALAN AT MAYUHAN. Sa dami ng atingkomentarista sa pahayagan at radyo, di ko pa natataunang makapakinig sakomentaryo tungkol sa volume ng sounds sa mga handaan gaya ngbinyagan, kasalan, at Mayuhan. Nakakarindi. Sobra! Ang buwenas

syempre ay yun lang pumunta doonpara kumain lang. “Eat and run”,wika nga. Siyempre, buwenas rinang mga suplado-suplada na dikailanman trip ang makipag-usap.Ha ha ha ha. Syanga Naman.

9. BINABATO ANG PUNODAHIL MABUNGA. Isa itongsalawikain galing Tsina. At totoonaman siya. Kaya naman isa ito samga dahilan kung bakit ipinapakong mga eskriba at Pariseo angPanginoon. Hindi sapagkat mayatraso si Hesus sa kanila kundi sasimpleng dahilan na gumawa siyang mabuti sa kapwa. Ito ang back-ground ng bilin ni Hesus bago siyayumao: yun bang kahit sa gitna ngkaranasan ng pangungutya sa kanyang mga naiinggit sa kanya mula saiba’t-ibang panig, nakukuha paniyang magturo ng, “Ibigin ninyoang inyong mga kaaway.” Kaydakila. Syanga naman.

10. BAKIT KAYA ANG JUBI-LEE YEAR OF MERCY AYTINAWAG NA EXTRAORDI-NARY? Kasi nangyari ito ngayong2016 hindi ayon sa fixed intervalkung kailan tinatawag ang jubilee,i.e., tuwing ika-25 taon.Samakatuwid kung ito ay ginawa sa2025, ang tawag dito ay simpleng“jubilee year” lang, hindi “extraor-dinary jubilee year”. Ang practicena ito ay hiniram sa pagdaraos ngSinodo. Ang ordinary synod aymay fixed interval at mas universalang topic na pinag-uusapan.Tuwing ika-4 na taon. Kung minsanay tatlong taon. Samantala, ang ex-traordinary synod ay tinatawaghindi ayon sa fixed interval na ika-4 at kung minsan ay ika-apat nataon. Extraordinary, dahil din mayurgency at may espesyal na dahilankung bakit ito idinadaos. Maslimitado o focused pati tema ng ex-traordinary synod, ang partici-pants, ang coverage ng region atkung minsan ay pinipili angdelegasyon (canon 345-346).Samakatuwid, hindi ito tinawag naextraordinary jubilee dahil lang saextraordinary ang kanyang topic,i.e., tungkol sa “awa”. Ang “awa”o “habag” ay hindi extraordinary saisang disipulo ni Kristo. Siguro,mas swak na swak kung sasabihinna ang kristiyanong puno ng awa ay“kakaiba” lang sa mga tao ngayon,hindi “extraordinaryo”, salamat saliwanag at inspirasyon ng EspirituSanto. Syanga naman.

11. “SINO ANG TUNAY NABALIW?” Natatandaan pa po baninyo ang sumikat na kantang itonoon na inawit nina Kuya Basil atAte Kuh Ledesma? Pero iba na yatangayon. Parang ang umuusbong nakanta mula sa kampo ni SenadorGrace Poe ay “Sino ang Alien?”, naang source ng idea kong ito ay mulasa columnist ng Manila Standard nasi Tony Lopez. Ang alien ba ayyung “pinoy” na kulang sa Resi-dence o yaong pinoy na walangalam at pakiramdam tungkol saidinadaing ni Juan de la Cruz? Yunbang “pinoy” na itinatwa angpagiging Pilipino o ang pinoy naisinusuka ng mga Pilipino? Yunbang nagpalit ng citizenship dahil“wala lang” - dahil sa di agadnakitang may pag-asa pa sapagiging pinoy o yaong pinoy to thebones na nakakahiyang ibilang sahanay ng authentic na pinoy?Syanga naman. #UB

I greet all of you gathered in Cebu for the Fifty-first Interna-tional Eucharistic Congress. I thank Cardinal Bo, who is my rep-resentative among you, and I offer a special greeting to CardinalVidal, Archbishop Palma and the bishops, priests and faithful inCebu. I also greet Cardinal Tagle and all the Catholics of the Phil-ippines. I am particularly happy that this Congress has broughttogether so many people from the vast continent of Asia and fromthroughout the world.

Just one year ago, I visited the Philippines in the wake of Ty-phoon Yolanda. I was able to witness at first hand the deep faithand resilience of its people. Under the protection of Santo Niño,the Filipino people received the Gospel of Jesus Christ some fivehundred years ago. Ever since, they have given the world an ex-ample of fidelity and deep devotion to the Lord and his Church.They have also been a people of missionaries, speading the lightof the Gospel in Asia and to the ends of the earth.

The theme of the Eucharistic Congress - Christ in You, OurHope of Glory - is very timely. It reminds us that the risen Jesus isalways alive and present in his Church, above all in the Eucharist,the sacrament of his Body and Blood. Christ's presence among usis not only a consolation, but also a promise and a summons. It isa promise that everlasting joy and peace will one day be ours inthe fullness of his Kingdom. But it is also a summons to go forth,as missionaries, to bring the message of the Father's tenderness,forgiveness and mercy to every man, woman and child.

How much our world needs this message! When we think of theconflicts, the injustices and the urgent humanitarian crises whichmark our time, we realize how important it is for every Christianto be a true missionary disciple, bringing the good news of Christ'sredemptive love to a world in such need of reconciliation, justiceand peace.

So it is fitting that this Congress has been celebrated in theYear of Mercy, in which the whole Church is invited to concen-trate on the heart of the Gospel: Mercy. We are called to bringthe balm of God's merciful love to the whole human family, bind-ing up wounds, bringing hope where despair so often seems tohave the upper hand.

As you now prepare to "go forth" at the end of this EucharisticCongress, there are two gestures of Jesus at the Last Supper whichI would ask you to reflect on. Both have to do with the missionarydimension of the Eucharist. They are table fellowship and the wash-ing of feet.

We know how important it was for Jesus to share meals with hisdisciples, but also, and especially, with sinners and the outcast.Sitting at table, Jesus was able to listen to others, to hear theirstories, to appreciate their hopes and aspirations, and to speak tothem of the Father's love. At each Eucharist, the table of the Lord'sSupper, we should be inspired to follow his example, by reachingout to others, in a spirit of respect and openness, in order to sharewith them the gift we ourselves have received.

In Asia, where the Church is committed to respectful dialoguewith the followers of other religions, this prophetic witness mostoften takes place, as we know, through the dialogue of life. Throughthe testimony of lives transformed by God's love, we best pro-claim the Kingdom's promise of reconciliation, justice and unityfor the human family. Our example can open hearts to the grace ofthe Holy Spirit, who leads them to Christ the Savior.

The other image which the Lord offers us at the Last Supper isthe washing of feet. On the eve of his passion, Jesus washed thefeet of his disciples as a sign of humble service, of the uncondi-tional love with which he gave his life on the Cross for the salva-tion of the world. The Eucharist is a school of humble service. Itteaches us readiness to be there for others. This too is at the heartof missionary discipleship.

Here I think of the aftermath of the typhoon. It brought im-mense devastation to the Philippines, yet it also brought in its wakean immense outpouring of solidarity, generosity and goodness.People set about rebuilding not just homes, but lives. The Eucha-rist speaks to us of that power, which flows from the Cross andconstantly brings new life. It changes hearts. It enables us to becaring, to protect the poor and the vulnerable, and to be sensitiveto the cry of our brothers and sisters in need. It teaches us to actwith integrity and to reject the injustice and corruption which poi-son the roots of society.

Dear friends, may this Eucharistic Congress strengthen you inyour love of Christ present in the Eucharist. May it enable you, asmissionary disciples, to bring this great experience of ecclesialcommunion and missionary outreach to your families, your par-ishes and communities, and your local Churches. May it be a leavenof reconciliation and peace for the entire world.

Now, at the end of the Congress, I am happy to announce thatthe next International Eucharistic Congress will take place in 2020in Budapest, Hungary. I ask all of you to join me in praying for itsspiritual fruitfulness and for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit uponall engaged in its preparation. As you return to your homes re-newed in faith, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing to you andyour families as a pledge of abiding joy and peace in the Lord.

God Bless you: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. #UB

Message of Pope Francis to the 51rst IECDear Brothers and Sisters,

6 FEBRUARY 2016(IN)FORMATION

In 2021, we will celebrate the500th anniversary of the firstEucharist and first Baptism in thePhilippines. To prepare for thismilestone and beyond, we startedan "Era of New Evangelization" in2012. After years devoted to inte-gral faith formation, the laity andthe poor, 2016 is the Year of the51st International Eucharistic Con-gress and Year of the Family. Itwill also be the Extraordinary Ju-bilee of Mercy and the year whenwe start to implement PopeFrancis' Encyclical Laudato Si " onCare of Our Common Home.Since "the future of humanitypasses by way of the Family" (St.John Paul, Familiaris Consortio, n.86), the theme chosen for 2016 is"The Filipino Family: MissionaryDisciples of the Eucharist".

The GREEN FRAME SYM-BOLIZES The world in which welive. The WAVES IN THE BACK-GROUND recall the countlessgenerations and diverse cultures ofthe human family, all of whom arecalled to "an integral ecology livedout joyfully and authentically"(Laudato Si), n. 1). GREEN ISTHE COLOR OF LIFE. In andfrom the family we nurture andpromote life and love. With everynew life, the springtime of hopeemerges.

THE PEOPLE SYMBOLIZETHE FAMILY as designed by Godto reflect His own creative love: amana and a woman united by love,open to become father and motherto the children that God wouldgrant them. This is the foundationof human society and civilization:the natural experience of belong-ing to a loving family in which welearn faithfulness in the midst ofbetrayal, forgiveness in response toconversion, courage born out ofhope.

That the MEMBERS OF THEFAMILY ARE FIVE also repre-sents the Filipino way of respond-ing to being Catholic: family ori-ented, meal -oriented, kundiman-oriented, bayani-oriented, spirit-oriented ( Cathechism for FilipinoCatholics, nn. 34-44) Specifically,"The anak-magulang relationshipis of primary importance to us Fili-pinos. Ama, ina, and anak are cul-turally and emotionally significantto us Filipino who cherish our filial

attachment not only to our imme-diate family, but also to our ex-tended family (ninongs, ninang,etc). This family-centerednesssupplies a basic sense of belong-ing, stability and security. It isfrom our families that we Filipinosnaturally draw our sense of self-identity. Jesus as both the Son ofGod (Anak ng Amang Diyos) andthe Son of Man (Anak ng Tao) en-dears himself naturally to us fam-ily-oriented Filipinos. As Son ofMan, Jesus leads us to his MotherMary (Ina ng Diyos) whom heshares with us. (cf. Jn 19:26-27).He thus welcomes us into his ownhousehold, offers himself as ourbrother (kapatid) and draws usthrough the Sacrament of Baptismto a new identity and into the fam-ily life of his heavenly Father (cf.Jn3:5-7) what can better remind usFilipinos of our early childhood, orrespond more directly to our tradi-tional love for children, than Jesus,the Sto. Niño? At twelve, Jesus wasa discerning and daring child, whononetheless remained obedient tohis parents (cf. Lk 2:41-51). In hispublic life, Jesus embraced littlechildren and admonished his dis-ciples to become child-like inopenness and simplicity (cf. Mt12:2-4). In our family-orientedness, then, we Filipinos arenaturally attracted to Jesus ofNazareth, Son of God and Son ofMan. Thus, PCP11 46-48 stressthe exceptional importance of ourFilipinos family as both subjectand object of evangelization"(CFC nn. 34-36)

The CROSS represents Jesuswho grants us salvation through hisredemptive suffering, death andresurrection. Jesus incorporates usinto his Body through Baptism bywater and the Spirit. BLUE is thecolor of the innermost and hottestpart of the flame. This is Jesus,who is at the center, and innermostcore of the human family fromwhom which the family becomesthe missionary disciples of theEucharist. The RADIANT HOSTAND GOLDEN CHALICE WITHIHS symbolizes the Eucharist asthe sacrament in which" Christ isreceived, the memory of his Pas-sion is renewed, the mind is filledwith grace, and a pledge of futureglory to us is given" (O SacrumConvivum).

Jesus' Paschal Mystery is espe-cially mirrored by family virtuesand values: red father. Sacrificededication, willingness to die forthe family (Priest, provider andprotector); Orange mother: endur-ance and strength, passion, tem-pered by wisdom: the femininegenius (St. John Paul II, Mulierisdignitatem, n. 30): brown child:humility, docility, industriousness,perseverance, patience, BlueChild: Marian (CFC 45-47),prayer, piety and service to God'speople; white baby: purity, inno-cence, baptismal grace, springtimeof hope.

LIPA ARCHDIOCESAN COMMISSION ON FAMILY AND LIFE MINISTRYLACFALIM

Summary report of The Post Synodal Conference on Family and LifeDiocese of Bacolod

February 15-19, 2016

REFLECTION ON THE LOGO OF THE 2016 YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST AND THE FAMILYThe three rays that emanate

from the Cross and Eucharist re-fers to the three-fold kneeling re-quired by renewal: repentance andmercy, adoration and prayer, loveand service. We also recall thethree words that Pope Franciswants every family member, espe-cially spouses, to say everyday toeach other: "please", "thanks","sorry" (address to participants inthe pilgrimage of families in theYear of Faith, 26 October 2013).To live the Gospel of Mercy, toproclaim and become witnesses ofGod's love, the great gift of familyand life, and to care for our com-mon home, is every family’s callto be missionary disciples of theEucharist.

4 Pillars of the Year of theEucharist and the Family

• Prayer• Formation• Vigilance and advocacy• Organization and community

life

Episcopal Commissionon Family and Life470 General Luna Street,IntramurousManila 1002 PhilippinesPhone: +63 (2) 527 9385Fax: + 63 (2) 527 0632E-mail:ecflcbcp@gmail.com;es,ecfl@gmail.comChairman: Bp. Gilbert A.GarceraExec. Sec. : Fr. EnricoEmmanuel A. AyoAssistant to the ExecutiveSecretaryMaria Isabel Fara L. Descallar(for internal affairs)Jaime M. Ilagan (for pastoralaffairs)

Northern Luzon Familyand Life SecretariatBP. Renato P. MayugbaFr. Allan Maris Abuan (secretary)Atty. & Mrs. Ramon Bayan (coor-dinators)

Central Luzon and Metro Ma-nila Family and Life SecretariatBp. Jesse E. MercadoFr. Ric Eguia (coordinator)Rene & Lily Perez (coordinators)Fr. Lamberto Legaspino (secre-tary)

Southern Luzon and BicolFamily and Life SecretariatBp. Marcelino Antonio M. MaralitBrenda Locsin ( coordinator)Cecille de Villa (secretary)

Visayas Region Familyand Life SecretariatBp. Precioso D. Cantillas, SDBFr. Eligio M. Suico (coordinator)

Mindanao Region Familyand Life SecretariatBp. Nereo P. OdchimarImelda G. Ibarra (secretary)

National Consultation Pastoral to theResponses XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the

Synod of Bishops (Post -Synodal Conference on theFamily)

Bacolod Business Inn, Bacolod City15-19, February 2016

DRAFT RESOLUTION

Heavenly Father, in the spirit of the Year of the Eucharistand Family and the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy we thankyou for gathering us (252 Men and women, couples and con-secrated, priest and bishops), to discern the signs of time¹ andto listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church² in the Philip-pines with regards to our families, the first school of humanityand, for most of us, missionary disciples of the Eucharist³.

Responding to the results on the Synod on the Families, wecommit:

- To promote pastoral accompaniment, discernment and in-tegration4, and,

- To build pastoral networks that will equip all those you callto promote your will for marriage and family?

So that we may bring the Gospel of the Family to all levelsof society and of the church, especially those in the existentialperipheries.

Invoking the intercession of the Holy Family of Jesus, Maryand Joseph, and looking up to them as the model of everyhuman family- vulnerable and wounded yet called to becomehealers, broken yet called to mercy and reconciliation - wemake this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen.

________________________1Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes,n. 4² revelation 3:13.³Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, n.24.4XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Relatio finalis, nn,69-86.5Mark 10: 1-32; St. John Paul II,Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris consortio,nn 11-166Evangelii gaudium, n. 20

NATIONAL EVENTS2016

February 02: Launching of the Year of the Family in the Dioceses(end of the International Year of Consecrated Life)

February: Pro-life monthFebruary 15-19: National Orientation & Pastoral Responses to the

XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the synod ofBishop(on the Family) Bacolod

April 14-15: National Congress on Family and Devotion andPrayer, Cebu

May 16-20: FABC seminar on “Shepherding Families in Asia.”Thailand

May 25-27: National Convention “CANA 101” Our Lady of An-gels Hills, Tagaytay City

June 16-18: National Conference on Advocacy and Life, DavaoAugust 11-13, National Congress of Catholic Grandparents Asso-

ciation, LipaSeptember 16-17: Culture of Identity: Dialogue ad Accompaniment for

Persons with Same Sex Attraction, UST, ManilaOctober 15: Festival of Families (Awarding of Outstanding Fili-

pino Families)November: National Convention of Diocesan Family and Life

Directors(Theology of the Body and Integral Ecology:A Pastoral Journey towards the 2017 year of theParish)

November 20: Solemnity of Christ the King:“Closing of the Year of the Family”

Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines

Episcopal Commission on Family and Life

7FEBRUARY 2016 (IN)FORMATION

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The twenty-fourth WorldDay of the Sick offers me an op-portunity to draw particularlyclose to you, dear friends whoare ill, and to those who carefor you.

This year, since the Day ofthe Sick will be solemnly cel-ebrated in the Holy Land, I wishto propose a meditation on theGospel account of the weddingfeast of Cana (Jn 2: 1-11),where Jesus performed his firstmiracle through the interven-tion of his Mother. The themechosen - Entrusting Oneself tothe Merciful Jesus like Mary:"Do whatever he tells you" (Jn2:5) is quite fitting in light of theExtraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.The main Eucharistic celebra-tion of the Day will take placeon 11 February 2016, the litur-gical memorial of Our Lady ofLourdes, in Nazareth itself,where "the Word became fleshand made his dwelling amongus" (Jn 1:14). In Nazareth, Je-sus began his salvific mission,applying to himself the wordsof the Prophet Isaiah, as we aretold by the Evangelist Luke:"The Spirit of the Lord is uponme, because he has anointedme to bring glad tidings to thepoor. He has sent me to pro-claim liberty to captives andrecovery of sight to the blind,to let the oppressed go free,and to proclaim a year accept-able to the Lord" (Lk 4:18-19).

Illness, above all grave ill-ness, always places human ex-istence in crisis and brings withit questions that dig deep. Ourfirst response may at times beone of rebellion: Why has thishappened to me? We can feeldesperate, thinking that all islost, that things no longer havemeaning…

In these situations, faith inGod is on the one hand tested,yet at the same time can revealall of its positive resources. Notbecause faith makes illness,pain, or the questions whichthey raise, disappear, but be-cause it offers a key by whichwe can discover the deepestmeaning of what we are expe-riencing; a key that helps us tosee how illness can be the wayto draw nearer to Jesus whowalks at our side, weigheddown by the Cross. And this keyis given to us by Mary, ourMother, who has known thisway at first hand.

At the wedding feast ofCana, Mary is the thoughtfulwoman who sees a seriousproblem for the spouses: thewine, the symbol of the joy ofthe feast, has run out. Maryrecognizes the difficulty, insome way makes it her own,

and acts swiftly and discreetly.She does not simply look on,much less spend time in find-ing fault, but rather, she turnsto Jesus and presents him withthe concrete problem: "Theyhave no wine" (Jn 2:3). Andwhen Jesus tells her that it isnot yet the time for him to re-veal himself (cf. v. 4), she saysto the servants: "Do whateverhe tells you" (v. 5). Jesus thenperforms the miracle, turningwater into wine, a wine thatimmediately appears to be thebest of the whole celebration.What teaching can we drawfrom this mystery of the wed-ding feast of Cana for theWorld Day of the Sick?

The wedding feast of Cana isan image of the Church: at thecentre there is Jesus who in hismercy performs a sign; aroundhim are the disciples, the firstfruits of the new community;and beside Jesus and the disci-ples is Mary, the provident andprayerful Mother. Mary par-takes of the joy of ordinarypeople and helps it to increase;she intercedes with her Son onbehalf of the spouses and allthe invited guests. Nor doesJesus refuse the request of hisMother. How much hope thereis in that event for all of us! Wehave a Mother with benevo-lent and watchful eyes, like herSon; a heart that is maternaland full of mercy, like him;hands that want to help, likethe hands of Jesus who brokebread for those who were hun-gry, touched the sick andhealed them. All this fills uswith trust and opens our heartsto the grace and mercy ofChrist. Mary's intercessionmakes us experience the con-solation for which the apostlePaul blesses God: "Blessed bethe God and Father of our LordJesus Christ, the Father of com-passion and God of all encour-agement, who encourages usin our affliction, so that we maybe able to encourage thosewho are in any affliction withthe encouragement with whichwe ourselves are encouragedby God. For as Christ'ssufferings overflow to us, sothrough Christ does our en-couragement also overflow" (2Cor 1:3-5). Mary is the "com-forted" Mother who comfortsher children.

At Cana the distinctive fea-tures of Jesus and his missionare clearly seen: he comes tothe help of those in difficultyand need. Indeed, in the courseof his messianic ministry hewould heal many people of ill-nesses, infirmities and evil spir-its, give sight to the blind, makethe lame walk, restore healthand dignity to lepers, raise the

dead, and proclaim the goodnews to the poor (cf. Lk 7:21-22). Mary's request at the wed-ding feast, suggested by theHoly Spirit to her maternalheart, clearly shows not onlyJesus' messianic power butalso his mercy.

In Mary's concern we see re-flected the tenderness of God.This same tenderness ispresent in the lives of all thosepersons who attend the sickand understand their needs,even the most imperceptibleones, because they look uponthem with eyes full of love.How many times has a motherat the bedside of her sick child,or a child caring for an elderlyparent, or a grandchild con-cerned for a grandparent,placed his or her prayer in thehands of Our Lady! For ourloved ones who suffer becauseof illness we ask first for theirhealth. Jesus himself showedthe presence of the Kingdom ofGod specifically through hishealings: "Go and tell Johnwhat you hear and see: theblind regain their sight, thelame walk, lepers are cleansed,the deaf hear, the dead areraised, and the poor have thegood news proclaimed tothem" (Mt 11:4-5). But loveanimated by faith makes us askfor them something greaterthan physical health: we ask forpeace, a serenity in life thatcomes from the heart and isGod's gift, the fruit of the HolySpirit, a gift which the Fathernever denies to those who askhim for it with trust.

In the scene of Cana, in ad-dition to Jesus and his Mother,there are the "servants",whom she tells: "Do whateverhe tells you" (Jn 2:5). Naturally,the miracle takes place as thework of Christ; however, hewants to employ human assist-ance in performing this mira-cle. He could have made thewine appear directly in the jars.But he wants to rely upon hu-man cooperation, and so heasks the servants to fill themwith water. How wonderfuland pleasing to God it is to beservants of others! This morethan anything else makes uslike Jesus, who "did not cometo be served but to serve" (Mk10:45). These unnamed peoplein the Gospel teach us a greatdeal. Not only do they obey,but they obey generously: theyfill the jars to the brim (cf. Jn2:7). They trust the Motherand carry out immediately andwell what they are asked to do,without complaining, withoutsecond thoughts.

On this World Day of the Sicklet us ask Jesus in his mercy,through the intercession of

Mary, his Mother and ours, togrant to all of us this samereadiness to be serve those inneed, and, in particular, our in-firm brothers and sisters. Attimes this service can be tiringand burdensome, yet we arecertain that the Lord will surelyturn our human efforts intosomething divine. We too canbe hands, arms and heartswhich help God to perform hismiracles, so often hidden. Wetoo, whether healthy or sick,can offer up our toil andsufferings like the water whichfilled the jars at the weddingfeast of Cana and was turnedinto the finest wine. By quietlyhelping those who suffer, as inillness itself, we take our dailycross upon our shoulders andfollow the Master (cf. Lk 9:23).Even though the experience ofsuffering will always remain amystery, Jesus helps us to re-veal its meaning.

If we can learn to obey thewords of Mary, who says: "Dowhatever he tells you", Jesuswill always change the water ofour lives into precious wine.Thus this World Day of the Sick,solemnly celebrated in theHoly Land, will help fulfil thehope which I expressed in theBull of Indiction of the Extraor-dinary Jubilee of Mercy: 'I trustthat this Jubilee year celebrat-ing the mercy of God will fos-ter an encounter with [Judaismand Islam] and with other no-ble religious traditions; may itopen us to even more ferventdialogue so that we mightknow and understand one an-other better; may it eliminateevery form of closed-mindedness and disrespect,and drive out every form of vio-lence and discrimination'(Misericordiae Vultus, 23).Every hospital and nursinghome can be a visible sign andsetting in which to promote theculture of encounter and

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCISFOR THE 24TH WORLD DAY OF THE SICK 2016

Entrusting Oneself to the Merciful Jesus like Mary:“Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5)

peace, where the experienceof illness and suffering, alongwith professional and fraternalassistance, helps to overcomeevery limitation and division.

For this we are set an exam-ple by the two Religious Sisterswho were canonized last May:Saint Marie-Alphonsine DanilGhattas and Saint Mary of Je-sus Crucified Baouardy, bothdaughters of the Holy Land.The first was a witness tomeekness and unity, who boreclear witness to the impor-tance of being responsible forone another other, living inservice to one another. Thesecond, a humble and illiteratewoman, was docile to the HolySpirit and became an instru-ment of encounter with theMuslim world.

To all those who assist thesick and the suffering I expressmy confident hope that theywill draw inspiration fromMary, the Mother of Mercy."May the sweetness of hercountenance watch over us inthis Holy Year, so that all of usmay rediscover the joy of God'stenderness" (ibid., 24), allow itto dwell in our hearts and ex-press it in our actions! Let usentrust to the Virgin Mary ourtrials and tribulations, togetherwith our joys and consolations.Let us beg her to turn her eyesof mercy towards us, especiallyin times of pain, and make usworthy of beholding, todayand always, the merciful faceof her Son Jesus!

With this prayer for all ofyou, I send my Apostolic Bless-ing.

From the Vatican,15 September 2015

Memorial of Our Ladyof Sorrows

FRANCIS

8 FEBRUARY 2016NEWS & (IN)FORMATION

Rev. Fr. Manuel Luis R. Guazon

FR. MANNY GUAZONPB NEWS

Pakikipaglakbay kay Hesus sa Daan ngPagpapakasakit tungo sa Kaganapan ng Buhay

Ang Kuwaresma ay nagsimula nitong Miercoles de Cenizao Ash Wednesday o Miyerkules ng Abo, Pebrero 8, 2016. Angpanahong ito ay lubhang napakamakahulugan sa mgaKristiyanong Pilipino. Maraming nakaaalam ng iba’t ibangtradisyon sa panahong ito. (Lalo na nga sa Mahal na Araw.)Subalit ang mahalaga ay ang pagninilay at pagbibigay halagasa pagpapakasakit na pinagdaanan ni Hesus.

Lalo namang alam natin na ang lahat ay dinanas o tinanggapni Hesus sa pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos Ama para sakaligtasan ng tao. Sa paghihirap Niya na nagtapos sa Kanyangkamatayan sa Krus nakamit Niya ang pangakong kaganapanng buhay para sa tao.

Kaganapan ng Buhay para sa Tao ang Ipinaritoni Hesus, Kaganapan ng Buhay ang Alay niHesus sa Kanyang Pag-aalay ng Buhay sa Krus

“Naparito ako upang sila ay mabigyan ng buhay, isang buhayna ganap at kasiya-siya.” (Jn. 10:10) - ito ang nakalulugod atnakapagpapasayang pangako ni Hesus. Ito rin naman anginangkin nating pangarap o adhikain sa Pananaw ng atingArsidiyosesis ng Lipa/Simbahang Lokal sa Batangas.Magandang balikan ito kahit na nga ngayon ay panahon ngKuwaresma. Totoong ito ay panahon ng pag-alaala sa mgahirap at sakit ni Hesus at sana naman ay maunawaan natin nahindi nagtatapos dito si Hesus. Totoo rin na Siya aynagpakasakit at namatay sa krus subalit hindi rito nagtatapossi Hesus. Siya ay muling nabuhay at hangad Niya na ang taoay makaisa Niya sa muling pagkabuhay.

“Kaganapan ng buhay” ang pangako ni Hesus, “kaganapanng buhay” ang alay Niya sa makikiisa sa Kanyang daan ngpagpapakasakit at pag-aalay ng sarili para sa kapwa. Sapanahon ng Kuwaresma ay inaanyayahan ng Simbahan angmga tao sa pag-aayuno at pagdarasal at pagsasakripisyo.Subalit sa dakong huli ang mahalaga pa rin ay makaisa niHesus ang bawat isa sa pag-aalay ng sarili para sa kapwa,ang paggawa ng mabuti sa kapwa, lalo na sa nangangailangan.

Ang Pangarap na Kaganapan ng Buhayang Nagsilang sa Pondong Batangan

Kung sa panahon ng Kuwaresma ay naipapaalaala sa atinang Pananaw ng Arsidiyosesis, sa bahaging nababanggit, angmga salitang “kaganapan ng buhay”. Ito naman ay dapatmagpaalaala sa atin sa Pondong Batangan. Dito nag-uugatang buhay ng Pondong Batangan.

Para sa katuparan ng pangarap na “kaganapan ng buhay”itinatag at inilunsad ang Pondong Batangan. Sa nabanggit saitaas, mauunawaan na ang Pondong Batangan ay hindi basta-basta pagbibigay o paglilimos para sa mga dukha. Ito ay naka-ugnay sa buhay at aral at pangako ni Hesus. Ito ay pakikiisasa pag-ibig ni Hesus na nagbunsod sa Kanya na magpakasakitat mag-alay ng buhay sa krus.

Pondong Batangan naka-ugnay sa Kuwaresma, sapagpapakasakit at pag-aalay ng buhay ni Hesus - Sa banal napanahong ito lalo sanang maging masigla ang atingpakikibahagi sa Pondong Batangan. #UB

Mahigit isang taon nang umiiralang CMMOAG-Lipa Chaptersimula nang magsagawa ng TotalConsecration to Jesus thru Maryang Core Group nito noong ika-7ng Oktubre, 2014, sa pangungunani Dr. Robert “Bobby” Magsino,nahalal ding unang Pangulo ngsamahan. Samantala ang TotalConsecration ng mahigit 100 ibapang kasapi ay ginanap noong ika-13 ng Mayo, 2015, Kapistahan ngMahal na Birhen ng Fatima. Angmga nagtalaga ng sarili ay mula saiba’t-ibang bayan sa Arsidiyosesisng Lipa. Ang malalaking grupo aygaling sa Lungsod ng Lipa, SanPascual, San Jose, Alitagtag, at 17mula sa Lungsod ng Las Piñas.

Maraming programa anginihahanda ng Core Group para sasamahan. Simula sa buwan ngMayo, ang Core Group aymagpupulong tuwing ikatlongMartes, ika-4:30 ng hapon saMarian Center for Peace, malapitsa Monasteryo ng Carmel,Lungsod ng Lipa. Ang regular napagpupulong ay magsisimula saMayo sapagkat may mganakatakdang gawain angCMMOAG sa mga susunod nabuwan. Mag-aanyaya ng mga Par-ing magbibigay ng Pananalita.Samantala, ang pangkalahatangpagpupulong ay gaganapin tuwingikatlong buwan, simula sa ika-17ng Mayo. Aanyayahan si Rdo. P.Melvin Castro, ang MakadiwangPatnugot (Spiritual Director) ngNational Confraternity of MaryMediatrix of All Grace. AngMakadiwang Patnugot ng LipaChapter ay si Rdo. P. Wilfredo “Fr.

Ang Annual Board Meeting ngPondong Batangan CommunityFoundation, Inc. o PondongBatangan sa karaniwang tawag ayginanap nitong Pebrero 15, 2016.Lubhang mahalaga ito sapagkatito ay itinatakda ng kautusan ngSecurities and Exchange Com-mission (SEC). Dito nagkakaroonng taunang pag-uulat tungkol samga kaganapan at pananalapinitong Pondong Batangan at ditorin panibagong binubuo angpamunuan at mga kaanib nitongBoard of Trustees.

Para sa taong 2016, ito angnaitakdang pamunuan: Chairman- Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles,D.D.; Vice Chairman - Rev. Fr.

Pondong Batangan, Muling Ipinahayag sa Parokya ni San Jose(San Jose, Batangas) - Isang“parish animation” ng PondongBatangan (PB) ang isinagawa saParokya ni San Jose nitongnagdaang Pebrero 22, 2016.Naganap ito sa pagkukusa na rinng PB Board member na si G.Manny Munda at sapakikipagtulungan ng kuraparoko na si Fr. DelbertJardinaso, OSJ.

Ang English Mass ng parokyasa ganap na alas 10:00 ng umagaay pinangunahan ni Fr. MannyGuazon. Nang araw na iyon ayIkalawang Linggo sa panahon ngKuwaresma at ang Mabuting

Balita ay tungkol sa pagbabagonganyo ni Hesus. Sa kanyanghomiliya sinabi ni Fr. Manny naang pagbabagong anyo ni Hesusay nag-aanyaya o humahamon saatin na tulungang magbagonganyo rin ang mga kababayangnabubuhay sa karukhaan. Kung sapagbabagong anyo ni Hesus ayipinakita Niya ang pagtatagumpaysa kasalanan at kasamaan, ngayonnaman kailangangpagtagumpayan rin ang pang-aalipin ng karukhaan. At ito aymagagawa sa pamamagitan nitongPondong Batangan. Ipinakita itong mga natulungan ng iba’t ibang

programang sinusuportahan nito.Pagkatapos ng misa ay

ginanap naman angpakikipagpulong sa Parish Pas-toral Council ng naturangparokya. Sa pagkakataong ito aynakaharap nila ang PB officestaff. Sa maikling panahon aynagkaroon ng pagbabalik tanawsa pasimula ng PondongBatangan at nakapagbigay-ulat sakasalukuyang mga kaganapannito. Sa ganitong paraaninaasahan na mas lalongmagiging masigla angpakikibahagi ng Parokya ni SanJose sa Pondong Batangan. #UB

Mahalagang Annual Meeting ng Board of Trustees ng PondongBatangan Community Foundation, Inc., Ginanap nitong Pebrero 15, 2016

Eriberto Cabrera, Treasurer - Mrs.Bernardita Maralit at Secretary -Rev. Fr. Manuel Guazon. Ang ibapang bumubuo o kaanib sa Boarday ang mga sumusunod: Ms.Lourdes Mendoza, Ms. MelbaMendoza, Ms. Gloria Delizo, Mr.Emmanuel Munda, Ms. AgapitaNery, Ms. Ma. Divina GraciaSaguid, Rev. Fr. Edilberto Ramos,Jr., Rev. Fr. Milo Malabuyoc, Rev.Fr. Jonathan Tamayo, Rev. Fr.Edgardo Bayani, OSJ, Rev. Fr.Mateo Orario, Rev. Fr. LauroAbante at ang mga ex-officiomembers na sina Msgr. RubenDimaculangan at Rev. Fr. JaysonSiapco.

Sa nabanggit na Board meeting

ay iniharap ang plano para sataong 2016 at ito naman aytinanggap ng Board. Pinag-usapandin at binigyan ng approval ang 2project proposals: “PasalubongCenter” ng Sama-sama saKaunlaran CLA ng Brgy. Laiya,San Juan at “YAKAPCommmunity Store” ng Yaman ngKababaihan Ating Pakaingatan ngBrgy. Centro Calantas, Rosario.Bukod dito, binigyang pahintulotdin ang pagtanggap ng mgabagong Dunong Batangan schol-ars para sa SY 2016-2017. Mayilan pang munting kapasiyahan sanaturang pulong, kaya’t sakabuuan ito ay tunay na nagingmabunga at matagumpay. #UB

Confraternity of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace,Patuloy ang mga gawain maging para sa Halalan

ROSE PERCE

Ang mga orihinal na kasapi ng Confraternity of Mary Mediatrix of All Gracena nagtalaga ng sarili noong ika-7 ng Oktubre, 2014 sa pangunguna ni Dr.Bobby Magsino. Nasa gitna sina Fr. Melvin Castro at Fr. Dong Rosales.

Dong” Rosales.Muling mangangalap ng mga

bagong magtatalaga ng sarili saPoong JesuKristo sa pamamagitanng Mahal na Birheng Maria sa ika-7 ng Oktubre, Kapistahan ngMahal na Birhen ng Sto. Rosario,ang taunan ding pagpapanibago ngpagtatalaga ng mga dating kasapi.

Bilang pagpapatuloy ngespiritwal na paghuhubog ngCMMOAG, dadalo ang mgakasapi sa Marian Conferencesngayong taon na gaganapin satahanan ng Arsobispo ng Lipatuwing unang Sabado ng buwansimula sa ika-5 ng Marso 2016,ika-1:00 ng hapon. Ito na rin angmagsisilbing rekoleksyon ngsamahan para sa Kuwaresma.

Gayundin, makikiisa sila sa2016 Pilgrimage of Mercy ngArsidiyosesis sa pitong araw ngBiyernes ngayong Kuwaresma(maliban sa unang araw, ika-13 ngPebrero, Sabado sapagkat maymahalagang gawain ang tagapag-ugit ng Banal na Paglalakbay,Lubhang Kgg. Ramón C.Argüelles, Arsobispo ng Lipa).

Ang pagiging mabuting

mamamayan ay bahagi ng pagigingmabuting Kristiyano. At ang isangmabuting mamamayan aynaghahangad ng isang maayos,tapat, at dedikadong pamahalaanpara sa kapakanan ng sambayanan.Sa diwang ito, maglulunsad angCMMOAG ng ‘Prayer Vigil forHonest, Clean, Peaceful andMeaningful Elections’. Isasagawaito nang tatlong beses, sa ika-31 ngMarso, ika-14 at ika-28 ng Abril,ika- 4:00 ng hapon hanggang ika-7:00 ng gabi, sa iba’t-ibangsimbahan. Bukas ito sa publiko nananiniwalang ang panalangin,lalo’t sama-sama, ay napakabisangpamaraan upang makamit anghangarin para sa kaayusan atkaunlaran ng bansang Pilipinas atpagbabago ng kabuhayan ngmamamayan. (Magkakaroon ngtanging pagpupulong ang CoreGroup bilang paghahanda sanapakahalagang gawaing ito.)Gaganapin ang unang Prayer Vigilsa ika-31 ng Marso, Huwebes, saSimbahan ng Parokya ng MaryMediatrix of All Grace, Brgy.Antipolo del Norte, Lungsod ngLipa. #UB

9FEBRUARY 2016 NEWS & (IN)FORMATION

Pebrero - Buwan ng mga Puso

Kamanyang sa Mahal na Birhen

LAMBERTO B. CABUAL

Buwan ng Pebrero'y tila panaginipNa kung taludturi'y nakangiting langit;

Gandang umiinog sa ligid ng isipNg sangkatauhang may lamyos na awit;

Huni man ng ibo'y napauulinigSa nimpang marilag ng ulilang batis;O! Birhen Mariang Ina ng pag-ibig,

Birang ang Pebrero sa luha at hapis.

Dahil sa Pebrero, ay napamukadkadAng sutil na bukong ayaw mamulaklak;

Sa ilog, ang agos ay napalagaslasNg Pebrerong daloy ng nasang pagliyag;May katotohanang sa diwa ma'y salat,

Nagpapatotoong hindi nagwawakasAng mithing pag-ibig na nilikhang wagas;

Ina, ang Pebrero'y talang umaandap.

Pagka't ang Pebrero'y buwan ng pagsuyo,At buwang may galak na laging kasuno;Takda ang Pebrero sa pagsusumamoNg kiming binatang puso'y narahuyo

Sa mutyang dalagang kanyang inaamo;Nasasa-Pebrero ang araw ng pusoAt mga pangarap na di maglalaho,

Kahi't pa dumanas ng pagkasiphayo.

Sa gayon, ay dapat na pakaingatanAng pusong marupok at lubhang maselang;

Tibukin ng puso ay pangalagaangAng ipinipintig nito'y kabutihan;

Pusong walang turing yaong salawahan,Ang butihing puso'y may paninindigan;Bawa't puso, Ina, iyong patnubayang

Manunton sa landas ng payapang buhay.

Dapat pamarisa'y ang puso ni HesusNa taglay tuwina ang pagsintang lubos;Pusong darakilang walang pag-iimbot

Na sa bawa't tao'y tapat kung maglingkod;Sa Kaniyang puso'y kusang ibinuklod,

Sakupin ang sala ng mundong balakyot;Sagisag ang Kanyang nakadipang kurus

Ng puso at buhay Niyang inihandog.

At ikaw man, Ina, puso mo'y huwaran,Sapul sa simulang ikaw ay isilang;Ipinaglihi kang walang kasalanan,

Puso mo'y nilikhang tigib-kabanalan;Ang angkin mong puso ay may pakundangang

Walang bahid-dungis...walang kapintasan;Ina ka ni Hesus na namamatnubay,At Ina ka naming walang alinlangan.

Di ba't Pebrero rin nang ikaw'y makitaNi Santa Bernadett sa pamamanata?Doon din sa Lourdes ay napagkilala

Ang iyong himalang buhay at pag-asa;Puso ni Bernadett, naging maligaya,

Nang sa iyong utos, siya'y tumalima...(Sa araw ng puso, O! Inang Maria,

Dalisay mong puso'y aming Valentina!)

Sa hangaring tuluyangmaipakilala ang mga Seminaryo niSan Francisco ng Sales saArsidiyosesis ng Lipa kaalinsabayng pagpapalaganap ng bokasyon sapagpapari, taunan ang pagtatalagang araw para sa Altar Knights’ (AK)Sportsfest. Ang palarong ito namay temang Awakening Vocationthrough Sports ay inorganisa ngCommission on Vocation(ComVoc) sa pangunguna ni Reb.P. Julius C. Lacaran ay para samga lehitimong katulong ng parisa altar.

Para sa taong ito, ginanap angAK Junior Division (para sa mgamay edad na 13 taon pababa)noong ika-20 ng Pebrero sa St.Francis de Sales Minor Seminary,Lungsod ng Lipa. Ito ay dinaluhanng dalawampu at isang parokyamula sa anim na bikariya Angmga parokya na nagpadala ngkanilang mga altar servers ay angmga sumusunod: Bikariya I – SanFrancisco Javier (Nasugbu) at SanVicente Ferrer (Tuy); Bikariya II– Sta. Teresita ng Batang si Hesus(Sta. Teresita), Banal na Krus(Matinggain, Lemery), San Roque(Poblacion, Lemery), San Martinng Tours (Taal) at Ina ng LagingSaklolo (Agoncillo); Bikariya III- Most Holy Trinity (PallocanWest, Lungsod ng Batangas), SanIsidro Labrador (San Isidro,Lungsod ng Batangas), San PabloApostol (Isla Verde, Lungsod ngBatangas) at InmaculadaConcepcion (Poblacion, Lungsodng Batangas); Bikariya V - Sto.Niño (Marawoy), Our Lady ofPeace and Good Voyage (Lodlod,

Emma D. Bauan

Sportsfest, punlaan ng bokasyonLungsod ng Lipa), San Isidro Lab-rador (San Isidro, Lungsod ngLipa) at Inmaculada Concepcion(Mataas na Kahoy); Bikariya VI -San Guillermo (Talisay), Sto.Tomas ng Aquino (Sto. Tomas),San Juan Ebanghelista (Lungsodng Tanauan), Nstra. Sra. De laSoledad (Darasa, Lungsod ngTanauan); Bikariya VII – Banal naPamilya (Bolo, Bauan) atInmaculada Concepcion (Bauan).

Pagkatapos ng maghapongpalaro, itinanghal na champion angkinatawan ng mga sumusunod naparokya: Para sa basketball – SanGuillermo (Talisay); Pool –Inmaculada Concepcion (Mataasna Kahoy); Dama – San PabloApostol (Isla Verde, Lungsod ngBatangas); Table Tennis - SanPablo Apostol (Isla Verde,Lungsod ng Batangas) at Chess –San Guillermo (Talisay).Nagkaloob din ang ComVoc ngmga special awards para sa Earli-est to Arrive - San Pablo Apostol(Isla Verde, Lungsod ng Batangas);Largest Delegation – San VicenteFerrer (Tuy) at Best in Uniform –Most Holy Trinity (Pallocan West,Lungsod ng Batangas). Angmapalad na nag-uwi ng 5-ft-Over-all Trophy ay ang grupo ng SanGuillermo (Talisay).

Samantala, nagtakda din ngisang araw para naman sa mga al-tar knights na may edad na 13hanggang 17 taong gulang, angAltar Knights’ Senior Division. Itonaman ay ginanap sa St. Francisde Sales Major Seminary saMarawoy, Lipa City. Angdalawampu’t dalawang parokya

na sumali sa palaro ay ang mgasumusunod: Bikariya I - SanVicente Ferrer (Tuy); Bikariya II– San Isidro Labrador (Cuenca),San Martin ng Tours (Taal), Sta.Teresita ng Batang si Hesus (Sta.Teresita) at San Roque (Lemery);Bikariya III – San Pablo Apostol(Isla Verde, Lungsod ngBatangas), Sta. Rita ng Cascia(Bolbok, Lungsod ng Batangas),Sta. Maria Eufrasia (KumintangIlaya, Lungsod ng Batangas)atInmaculada Concepcion(Poblacion, Lungsod ngBatangas); Bikariya V – Sto. Niño(P, Ulan, Lungsod ng Lipa), OurLady of Peace and Good Voyage(Lodlod, Lungsod ng Lipa), Sto.Niño (Marawoy), San VicenteFerrer (Banaybanay), Bikariya VI– San Guillermo (Talisay), Queenof All Saints (Balele, Lungsod ngTanauan), San Agustin (Santor,Lungsod ng Tanauan), Sto. Tomasng Aquino (Sto. Tomas), San JuanEbanghelista (Lungsod ngTanauan), Nstra. Sra. De laSoledad (Darasa, Lungsod ngTanauan); Bikariya VII – SanFrancisco ng Paola (Mabini),Inmaculada Concepcion (Bauan)at San Pascual Baylon (SanPascual). (Habang sinusulat angartikulong ito, ginaganap pa rinang paglalaro para sa Senior Di-vision. Ang talaan ng mga nanaloay ilalathala sa susunod na isyu.)

Ang palarong ito na maytemang Awakening VocationThrough Sports ay inorganisa ngCommission on Vocation(ComVoc) sa ilalim ngpangangasiwa ni Reb. P. Julius C.Lacaran para sa mga lehitimongkatulong ng pari sa altar. Isangmagandang punlaan ng bokasyonang ganitong mga pagtitipon, ayonkay P. Julius.

Sa parehong pagtitipon, nagingpinakatampok ang pagdiriwangng Banal na Misa bagopinasimulan ang mga palaro napinangunahan ni Reb. P. Julius C.Lacaran. #UB

Ngayong taon ng EXTRAORDI-NARY JUBILLEE OF MERCY, anglahat na pamilya ay tinatawagupang maging tunay naMUNTING SIMBAHAN.Madama ng bawat kasapi ngpamilya ang pagmamahal mula saPanginoon na maipadama ngbawat magulang sa mga anak at ngmga anak sa mga magulang. Atupang madama ito ng mga anak,ang mga magulang ay nararapat namagturo sa mga anak ng katapatan,tulad ng isinasaad sa Banal naAklat: “ituro sa bata ang daangdapat nilang lakaran, at hanggangpaglaki’y di niya ito malilimutan”(Kaw. 22:6). Matututo ang mgaanak na munawaan na angpagkakamali ay normal, subalitdapat na matuto sa pagkakamaliupang mahubog ang buhay. Sagayon ay mauunawaan nila na angkatapatan ay nangangailangan ngpagkilala sa pagkakamali atpagtanggap sa mga bunga ngnagawa nilang ito.

Sa pagiging tapat matututo angmga bata na maging responsable.Kapag sila ay nagkamali ay tiyakna ang bunga nito ay sakit at hirap.Ang karanasan nila sa bunga ngpagkakamali ang magdadala sa

SERAPIO AT GAVINA HUELGAS

Pamilya: Munting Simbahan

kanila upang maging maingat atresponsable sa kanilang salita ogawa. Tayong lahat ay maaaringmagkamali, ang mahalaga,tanggapin ang pagkakamali atgawin kung ano ang tama. Sabi ngasa Awit 51:5-7 “Ako ay masama nabuhat ng isilang, makasalanan nanang ako’y iluwal. Nais mo sa aki’yisang pusong tapat; puspusin moako ng dunong mong wagas. Akoay linisin, sala ko’y hugasan at akoypuputi nang lubus-lubusan.” Angkatapatan ay nagtuturo din sa mgabata at sa ating lahat na magingmahabagin. Basahin natin ang Awit130:3 “Kung ikaw ay may talaannitong aming kasalanan, lahat kamiay tatanggap ng hatol mongnakalaan”. Ang batang lumaki sapagkaunawa na kailangangtanggapin ang pagkakamali aynagkakaroon ng tiwala sa sarili.Ang bunga nito ay ang pagigingmaawain sa lahat at palaging handamagpatawad, dahan dahannaisasabuhay ang turo sa atin ngPanginoon na maging MAAWAINAT MAPAGMAHAL.

Sa pamilya, tunay na dapatumiral ang katapatan. Sa mgamagulang unang mararanasan ngmga anak ang pagiging tapat. Ang

mga magulang ang halimbawa ngmga anak. Sabi nga, Values arecaught, not taught. Laging nasapaligid natin ang ating kalaban, naisna tayo ay maging masama atiwasan ang katapatan. Kapagnararamdaman natin na tayo ayinaaalihan ng masama, agad hinginnatin ang Espiritu ng Panginoon,ang Banal na Espiritu upang angkabutihan ang manatili sa atin. Atmararamdaman natin na angpamilya ay tunay na muntingsimbahan, kung saan madarama angAwa ng Panginoon. Ang Pamilyaang Bukal ng Awa ng Panginoon.Sa bawat pagkakamali ng mga anak,ang pamilya ang dapat natumanggap at magpadama ngpagmamahal upang ang lahat aymaging daluyan ng biyaya ng Diyosat tayong lahat ay mamuhay ngmapayapa, at kasunod na nito angisang komunidad, isang bansa nanagpapadama ng katapatan,pagpapatawad, at pagmamahalan.Ang sarap nanamnamin na tayo aymabubuhay sa kapaligirang angumiiral ay pagmamahalan. KAYAHALINA AT SIKAPIN NATINGMAGING ISANG MUNTINGSIMBAHAN ANG BAWATTAHANAN. #UB

10 FEBRUARY 2016NEWS & (IN)FORMATION

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am happy to meet withyou at the end of this Yeardedicated to Consecrated Life.

In His infinite mercy, oneday Jesus turned to each oneof us and asked, personally:“Come! Follow Me! (Mark10:21). If we are here, it is be-cause we answered Him “yes.”Sometimes it was an adher-ence full of enthusiasm andjoy, at others a reluctant one,perhaps uncertain. Neverthe-less, we followed Him withgenerosity, letting ourselvesbe led on ways that we neverimagined. We shared with Himmoments of intimacy: "Comeaway […] and rest a while"(Mark 6:31); moments of serv-ice and of mission; "You givethem something to eat" (Luke9:13); even His cross: "If anyman would come after me […]let him take up his cross" (Luke9:23). He introduced us in Hisown relationship with the Fa-ther, He gave us His Spirit, Hedilated our heart to the meas-ure of his own, teaching us tolove the poor and sinners. Wefollowed Him together, learn-ing from Him service, hospital-ity, forgiveness, fraternal char-ity. Our consecrated life hasmeaning because remainingwith Him and going on theroads of the world taking Him,conforms us to Him, makes usbe Church, gift for humanity.

The Year we are concludinghas contributed to make shinemore in the Church the beautyand holiness of consecratedlife, intensifying in the conse-crated gratitude for the calland the joy of the response.Every consecrated man andwoman has had the possibil-ity of having a clearer percep-tion of his/her identity, andthus project him/herself in thefuture with renewed apostolicardor to write new pages ofgoodness, in the wake of thecharism of the Founders. Weare grateful to the Lord for allthat He has given us to live inthis Year so rich in initiatives.And I thank the Congregationfor Institutes of ConsecratedLife and the Societies for Ap-ostolic Life, which prepared

Pope Francis’ Address to Religious

and carried out the greatevents here at Rome and inthe world.

The Year ends, but our com-mitment continues to remainfaithful to the call receivedand to grow in love, in gift andin creativity. Therefore, Iwould like to leave threewords with you. The first isprophecy. It is your specific<call>. But what prophecydoes the Church and the worldawait from you? You are calledfirst of all to proclaim, withyour life even before yourwords, the reality of God: tospeak of God. If sometimes Heis rejected and marginalized orignored, we must ask our-selves if perhaps we haven'tbeen sufficiently transparentto His Face, showing insteadour own. God's face is that ofa Father, "merciful and gra-cious, slow to anger andabounding in steadfast love"(Psalm 103:8). One must havea personal relation with Himto make Him known, andtherefore one needs the ca-pacity to adore Him, to culti-vate friendship with him dayafter day, through heart toheart conversation in prayer,especially in silent adoration.

The second word that I con-sign to you is proximity. In Je-sus, God make Himself closeto every man and everywoman: He shared the joy ofthe spouses at Cana of Galileeand the anguish of the widowof Nain; He entered Jairus'house touched by death andthe house of Bethany per-fumed with nard; He tookupon Himself the sicknessesand sufferings, giving His lifein ransom for all. To followChrist means to go where Hewent, to take charge, as theGood Samaritan, of thewounded we meet on theway; to go in search of the lostsheep. Like Jesus, to be closeto the people, to share theirjoys and sorrows; to show,with our love, the paternalface of God and the maternalcaress of the Church. May noone ever feel distant, de-tached, closed and hence ster-ile. Each one of you is calledto serve the brothers, follow-ing one’s charism: one with

prayer, one with catechesis,one with teaching, one withthe care of the sick or of thepoor, one proclaiming theGospel, one carrying out thedifferent works of mercy.What is important is not to livefor oneself, as Jesus did notlive for Himself, but for theFather and for us.

Thus we come to the thirdword: hope. Witnessing Godand His merciful love, with thegrace of Christ you can infusehope in this our humanitymarked by different motivesof anxiety and fear andtempted sometimes to dis-couragement. You can makefelt the renewing strength ofthe Beatitudes, of honesty, ofcompassion; the value ofgoodness, of a simple life, es-sential, full of meaning. Andyou can nourish hope also inthe Church. I am thinking, forinstance, of the ecumenicaldialogue. The meeting a yearago between the consecratedof the different Christian con-fessions was a beautiful nov-elty, which merits being car-ried forward. The charismaticand prophetic witness of thelife of the consecrated, in thevariety of its forms, can helpall to recognize themselvesmore united and foster fullcommunion.

Dear brothers and sisters, inyour daily apostolate, do notlet yourselves be conditionedby ages and numbers. Whatcounts most is the capacity torepeat the initial "yes" to Je-sus' call, which continues to befelt, in a new way, in everystage of life. May His call andour answer keep our hopealive. - prophecy, proximity,hope. Living thus, you willhave joy in your heart, distinc-tive sign of Jesus' followersand, for greater reason, in theconsecrated. And your life willbe attractive for so manywomen and men, to the gloryof God and the beauty ofChrist's Bride, the Church.

Dear brothers and sisters, Ithank the Lord for what youare and do in the Church andin the world. I bless you andentrust you to our Mother.And please, do not forget topray for me. #UB

“Upang Ipahayag ang Kadakilaan ng Panginoon” (1Pedro 2:9),ang napiling tema ng Pontifical Council for Promoting ChristianUnity at ng Commission on Faith and Order of World Council ofChurches. Naihanda rin ang mga materyal na magagamit para sawalong araw ng pagninilay at mga kahilingang nakaugnay sa temasa mga iba’t ibang simbahan para sa mga samasamang pananlanginsa taong 2016.

Ang Bibiliya, nasindihang kandila at isang mangkok na asin,ang tatlong mahalagang simbolo ng pagdiriwang. Sinabi ni SanPedro sa naunang simbahang ang paghahanap ng kahulugan bilangsambayanan ay sa pamamagitan ng Ebanghelyo at katotohanannaipahayag sa binyag sa pamamagitan ng tubig at ng Banal naEspiritu. Ibinangon ni Kristo sa bagong buhay sa Diyos, kaya angtatak ng binyag- ang bagong katauhan ay hamon sa araw-araw,manatili rito upang maipahayag ang Kanyang kadakilaan.

Hinango sa karanasan ng Latvia, isang estado sa Europa kungsaan ang pinakamatandang bautisteryo ay nagpapahayag ng ugnayanng nito at pagpapahayag na pagtawag sa lahat ng nakikibahagi sabinyag na ipahayag ang kadakilaan ng Panginoon.

Pangwalong taon noong ika-23 ng Enero 2016, 9:00n.u. para saBatangas City Ecumenical Council ang pagdiriwang ngpananalangin sa ikapagkakaisa ng mga Kristiyano . Tagapangunasa pagdiriwang si Reb.Pdre. George Ricafort (ICCEC), samantalangang nagbigay ng homiliya ay si Reb.Pdre. Emiliano Magsino (RCC).Ang 122 na mga nadakadalo sa walong simbahang mga kasapi aytinanggap ni Reb.Pdre. Aurelio Dimaapi . Ang tanghalian-kamayanay nakatulong na mabuklod sa iisang mesang nagsalo ang mgakomunidad. Nasundan ito ng “fellowship program” na pinangunahanng Batangas Presbyterian Church.

Isang daan at pitumpu’t walong mananampalataya ang nakadalosa pagdiriwang ng STREAM (Southern Tagalog Region Ecumeni-cal Affairs Movement) sa Ikapagkakaisa ng mga Kristiyano noongika-02 ng Pebrero sa Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol, Lungsod ngTagaytay.

Naghatid ng mga mensahe sina Bp. Joel Tendero (UCCP), Bp.Paul Villavicencio (ICCEC), Bp. Roel Arevalo (IFI), Msgr. GerryBitoon (RCC), kinatawan ng CBCP at NCCP at Migrante Interna-tional. Nakadalo rin ang mga nakatira sa FOCOLARE centers.Inihanda ang “boodle-fight” para sa tanghalian ng mga nakadalo.

Nasundan ito ng pagpupulong para sa ikalawang PangkalahatangPagpupulong. Nag-ulat ang mga Provincial Ecumenical Movement:Quezon Ecumenical Movement, Cavite Ecumenical Movement,Laguna Ecumenical Movement at Batangas Ecumenical Movementganoon din ang ROBEA (Rosario Batangas Ecumenical Affairs),BCEC (Batangas City Ecumenical Council. Napili ang mgasumusunod na pamunuan: Pangulo: Ptr. Junwel Bueno (UCCP);Pang. Pangulo: Reb.Pdre Nepo Fruto(RCC); Kalihim: Matilde dela Cruz (Focolare); Ingat-Yaman: Evelyn de Asis (IFI); Tagasuri:Ada Estudillo(IFI).

Itinataguyod ng PEACE (Parish Ecumenical Affairs Com-mittee) ng Basilica ng Inmakulada Concepcion, Lungsod ngBatangas ang Formation on Ecumenism: Enero 30, Pebrero 27,at Abril 30 sa Training Hall. Ang Tagadaloy ay si Reb.Pdre.Mel Magsino (RCC). #UB

BALITANG EKUMENIKAL VIOLETA ECHAGUE

Pananalangin sa Ikapagkakaisang mga Kristiyano, Ipinagdiwang

CONGRATULATIONS!Lipa Diocesan Catholic Schools Association (LIDICSA)

celebrated its 60th Founding Anniversary

11FEBRUARY 2016 (IN)FORMATION

Rev. Fr. Oscar Andal

* * * * * * * * * * * *Coffee Table Book of the Archdiocese of Lipa entitled

“A CENTURY OF FAITH”is still available at the Archdiocesan Chancery

for Php 3,300.00.To order, please call 043.756.2572 / 043.981.3023.

1. Mary, the image of a Church which evangelizes because she is evangelizedIn the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, I asked that “the season of Lent in this

Jubilee Year be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God's mercy”(Misericordiae Vultus, 17). By calling for an attentive listening to the word of God and encouraging theinitiative “24 Hours for the Lord”, I sought to stress the primacy of prayerful listening to God’s word, espe-cially his prophetic word. The mercy of God is a proclamation made to the world, a proclamation which eachChristian is called to experience at first hand. For this reason, during the season of Lent I will send outMissionaries of Mercy as a concrete sign to everyone of God’s closeness and forgiveness.

After receiving the Good News told to her by the Archangel Gabriel, Mary, in her Magnificat, propheti-cally sings of the mercy whereby God chose her. The Virgin of Nazareth, betrothed to Joseph, thus becomesthe perfect icon of the Church which evangelizes, for she was, and continues to be, evangelized by the HolySpirit, who made her virginal womb fruitful. In the prophetic tradition, mercy is strictly related - even on theetymological level - to the maternal womb (rahamim) and to a generous, faithful and compassionate goodness(hesed) shown within marriage and family relationships.

2. God’s covenant with humanity: a history of mercyThe mystery of divine mercy is revealed in the history of the covenant between God and his people Israel.

God shows himself ever rich in mercy, ever ready to treat his people with deep tenderness and compassion,especially at those tragic moments when infidelity ruptures the bond of the covenant, which then needs to beratified more firmly in justice and truth. Here is a true love story, in which God plays the role of the betrayedfather and husband, while Israel plays the unfaithful child and bride. These domestic images - as in the case ofHosea (cf. Hos 1-2) - show to what extent God wishes to bind himself to his people.

This love story culminates in the incarnation of God’s Son. In Christ, the Father pours forth his boundlessmercy even to making him “mercy incarnate” (Misericordiae Vultus, 8). As a man, Jesus of Nazareth is a trueson of Israel; he embodies that perfect hearing required of every Jew by the Shema, which today too is the heartof God’s covenant with Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord yourGod with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Dt6:4-5). As the Son of God, he is theBridegroom who does everything to win over the love of his bride, to whom he is bound by an unconditionallove which becomes visible in the eternal wedding feast.

This is the very heart of the apostolic kerygma, in which divine mercy holds a central and fundamental place.It is “the beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead”(Evangelii Gaudium, 36), that first proclamation which “we must hear again and again in different ways, the onewhich we must announce one way or another throughout the process of catechesis, at every level and moment”(ibid., 164). Mercy “expresses God’s way of reaching out to the sinner, offering him a new chance to look athimself, convert, and believe” (Misericordiae Vultus, 21), thus restoring his relationship with him. In Jesuscrucified, God shows his desire to draw near to sinners, however far they may have strayed from him. In this wayhe hopes to soften the hardened heart of his Bride.

3. The works of mercyGod’s mercy transforms human hearts; it enables us, through the experience of a faithful love, to become

merciful in turn. In an ever new miracle, divine mercy shines forth in our lives, inspiring each of us to love ourneighbour and to devote ourselves to what the Church’s tradition calls the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.These works remind us that faith finds expression in concrete everyday actions meant to help our neighbours inbody and spirit: by feeding, visiting, comforting and instructing them. On such things will we be judged. For thisreason, I expressed my hope that “the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy;this will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty, and to enter moredeeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy” (ibid., 15). For inthe poor, the flesh of Christ “becomes visible in the flesh of the tortured, the crushed, the scourged, the malnour-ished, and the exiled… to be acknowledged, touched, and cared for by us” (ibid.). It is the unprecedented andscandalous mystery of the extension in time of the suffering of the Innocent Lamb, the burning bush of gratuitouslove. Before this love, we can, like Moses, take off our sandals (cf. Ex 3:5), especially when the poor are ourbrothers or sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith.

In the light of this love, which is strong as death (cf. Song 8:6), the real poor are revealed as those who refuseto see themselves as such. They consider themselves rich, but they are actually the poorest of the poor. This isbecause they are slaves to sin, which leads them to use wealth and power not for the service of God and others,but to stifle within their hearts the profound sense that they too are only poor beggars. The greater their powerand wealth, the more this blindness and deception can grow. It can even reach the point of being blind to Lazarusbegging at their doorstep (cf. Lk 16:20-21). Lazarus, the poor man, is a figure of Christ, who through the poorpleads for our conversion. As such, he represents the possibility of conversion which God offers us and whichwe may well fail to see. Such blindness is often accompanied by the proud illusion of our own omnipotence,which reflects in a sinister way the diabolical “you will be like God” (Gen 3:5) which is the root of all sin. Thisillusion can likewise take social and political forms, as shown by the totalitarian systems of the twentieth cen-tury, and, in our own day, by the ideologies of monopolizing thought and technoscience, which would make Godirrelevant and reduce man to raw material to be exploited. This illusion can also be seen in the sinful structureslinked to a model of false development based on the idolatry of money, which leads to lack of concern for thefate of the poor on the part of wealthier individuals and societies; they close their doors, refusing even to see thepoor.

For all of us, then, the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year is a favourable time to overcome our existentialalienation by listening to God’s word and by practising the works of mercy. In the corporal works of mercy wetouch the flesh of Christ in our brothers and sisters who need to be fed, clothed, sheltered, visited; in the spiritualworks of mercy - counsel, instruction, forgiveness, admonishment and prayer - we touch more directly our ownsinfulness. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy must never be separated. By touching the flesh of thecrucified Jesus in the suffering, sinners can receive the gift of realizing that they too are poor and in need. Bytaking this path, the “proud”, the “powerful” and the “wealthy” spoken of in the Magnificat can also be em-braced and undeservedly loved by the crucified Lord who died and rose for them. This love alone is the answerto that yearning for infinite happiness and love that we think we can satisfy with the idols of knowledge, powerand riches. Yet the danger always remains that by a constant refusal to open the doors of their hearts to Christwho knocks on them in the poor, the proud, rich and powerful will end up condemning themselves and plunginginto the eternal abyss of solitude which is Hell. The pointed words of Abraham apply to them and to all of us:“They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Lk 16:29). Such attentive listening will best prepareus to celebrate the final victory over sin and death of the Bridegroom, now risen, who desires to purify hisBetrothed in expectation of his coming.

Let us not waste this season of Lent, so favourable a time for conversion! We ask this through the maternalintercession of the Virgin Mary, who, encountering the greatness of God's mercy freely bestowed upon her, wasthe first to acknowledge her lowliness (cf. Lk 1:48) and to call herself the Lord's humble servant (cf. Lk 1:38).

From the Vatican, 4 October 2015Feast of Saint Francis of AssisiFRANCIS

BIRTHDAYS:• Fr. Godofredo Palines, Fr. Joseph Mendoza and Msgr.

Emeterio Chavez (March 3)• Fr. Gerard Jonas Palmares (March 5)• Fr. Ricardo Echague (March 10)• Fr. Eriberto Cabrera (March 16)• Fr. Jumy de Claro (March 17)• Fr. Gabriel Gonzales (March 24)• Fr. Pete Literal (March 25)• Fr. Donaldo Dimaandal (March 26)• Fr. Anthony Carlo Esteron (March 29)

SACERDOTAL ANNIVERSARIES:• Fr. Marcelino Antonio Maralit, Jr. and Fr. Jose Ilagan (March

13)• Fr. Deogracias Lingao (March 21)• Fr. Ariel Gonzales (March 25)• Msgr. Emeterio Chavez (March 29)• Fr. Emiliano Magsino (March 31)

FIESTAS:• St. Thomas Acquinas Parish, Sto. Tomas (March 7)• St. Joseph the Patriarch Parish, San Jose (March 19)

DEATH ANNIVERSARIES:• Fr. Vicente Catapang (March 1)• Msgr. Roman Baes (March 5)• Msgr. Godofredo Mariño (March 9)• Msgr. Orlando Balatibat (March 10)• Fr. Pio Bagamano (March 12)• Msgr. Isabelo Acero (March 16)• Fr. Damaso Panganiban, Jr. and Msgr. Cornelio Magmanlac

(March 26)• Msgr. Elias May, OSJ (March 30)

NEW APPOINTEES:• Fr. Luis Manuel R. Lucero , the new Parish Priest of the Par-

ish of Nuestra Senora de la Merced, Taysan, Batangas ef-fective 13 February 2016. He was the Administrator then fora month before he appointed Parish Priest.

• Fr. Nemer D. Chua, former Parochial Vicar at the Basilica ofthe Immaculate Conception , Batangas City is now in Bolbok,Lipa City as Parish Priest of the Parish of St. Anthony dePadua, effective 17 February 2016.

CONGRATULATIONS!Here are the newly ordained deacons and the place of assign-ment where they will practice diaconal ministry, effective April 5,2016:

• Rev. Bladimir Mayo Calingasan(Parish of Nuestra senora de la Paz Y Buen Viaje, Balete,Batangas)

• Rev. Renz Julius Alday Goce(Parish of Nuestra Senora de la Merced, Taysan, Batangas)

• Rev. Nathaniel de Guzman Pamplona(Parish of San Guillermo, Talisay, Batangas)

• Rev. Jessie Abag Pentinio(Parish of San Sebastian, Lipa City)They were ordained on 16 February 2016.

UPCOMING:• Clergy Updating with Mr. Gus Lagman, Former COMELEC

Commissioner as guest speaker on 03 March 2016 atLAFORCE, Marawoy, Lipa City, 9am-12nn

• Chrism Mass on 22 March 2016 (Holy Tuesday) at he Ca-thedral of San Sebastian, Lipa City, 9am

• Clergy Easter Gathering on 28 March 2016Schedule : Pilgrimage of Mercy:

- 26 Feb. (Vicariate 1) at St. Raphael the Archangel Parish,Calaca, Batangas

- 04 March (Vicariate 4) at St. Joseph Parish, San Jose,Batangas

(with 24 Hours with the Lord)- 11 March (Vicariate 7) at Sta. Teresa College (STC), Bauan,

Batangas- 18 March (Vicariate 6) at San Padre Pio Parish, Sto. Tomas,

Batangas- 25 March - Good Friday (Vicariate 5) at the Cathedral of San

Sebastian, Lipa City

PRAYERFUL CONDOLENCES:Please pray for the eternal repose of the soul of:

• PABLITO L. ANDAL, brother of Fr. Oca, passed away last13 February

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCISFOR LENT 2016

“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13).The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee