Tag: Giving to the Jesuits

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Easter Sunday 2021

17th Sunday of the Year

The Empty Tomb — Peter and John

1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. 

2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”

3 So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

4 They both ran,but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;

5 he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

6 When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths* there,

7 and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths
but rolled up in a separate placed

8 Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.

9 For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

A REFLECTION

The Resurrection stories in the Gospels are all wonderful! Read and reread them this week. Here are two of my favorites – and a most beautiful Philippine tradition – read all the stories.

Easter-2021-pic1 Easter Sunday 2021
Risen Jesus with Mary at the tomb. John 20. 10 – 18
Easter-2021-pic2 Easter Sunday 2021
Risen Jesus joins two followers on the road to Emmaus and eat with them
Luke 24. 13 – 35
Easter-2021-pic3 Easter Sunday 2021
Risen Jesus appears to his Mother Mary
Salubong – Traditional Philippine celebration as the two statues carried in procession meet in the front of the church very early Easter morning.

(The first meditation for the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius)

MY PRAYER

A time to be there at the tomb with the others – up to this point no one has experienced the risen Lord – they just see the empty tomb –
it was only later, after all had gone, as Mary Magdalene sat sobbing the Jesus showed himself to her. She was overjoyed – she grabbed him! I wonder what he felt, what she felt? GREAT JOY!

And now, my time to be with the Risen Jesus –
There are many Easter stories – today’s Gospel and two of my favorites above –

  • as much as possible, put yourself in a quiet disposition a quiet and comfortable place
  • know that God is with you and you wi
  • we ask for the grace of the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises –

Father, give to us the joy and the peace that your Risen Son gave to his followers –

  • Imagine yourself there with the group discussing what happened to the body of Jesus
  • What would you hear? What would you say?
  • And if you stay behind with Mary –

Jesus, please give me a portion of that happiness that you gave to Mary

  • Imagine yourself at that table with Jesus and the two followers in Emmaus
  • It was their invitation “Stay with us . . . “ that brought Jesus to the table

Jesus, stay with me, stay with me

Lastly, consider how I can bring joy and peace – and blessings – to others

How do I accomplish this? By what I think, by what I say, and by what I do –

  • Jesus, by my faith that you are raised from the dead –
  • Give to me the grace to bring joy and peace and blessings to others –

Our mantra

Alleluia! Jesus is risen from the dead –
He is our life and resurrection! Alleluia!

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Baptism of Jesus

The  Word  And  A  Reflection  and  Prayer

January 10, 2021

Baptism-of-Jesus1 Baptism of Jesus
From Google Images.

The Gospel according to Mark 1. 7 – 11

The  Word

7 And this is what he [John the Baptizer] proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.

8 I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.”

9 It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

10 On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.

10 On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.

11 And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Take some time and imagine yourself to be one of the spectators in the picture.

What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? This is the Beloved Son of God – filled with the Spirit.

A  REFLECTION  and  PRAYER

Ritual cleansing of one sin in a flowing stream or river is not uncommon. For sure, John the Baptizer was one of the many who is continually, like the prophets, calling the people back to God. Quite significant in this gospel reading today is that Jesus enters fully into the human situation, he will be baptized although he is without sin. John understood this, but Jesus said it is to fulfill all that has been written.

Our reflection today will focus on the gift of the Spirit as symbolized by the dove coming down upon Jesus. What did this mean for Jesus – and, in the same way, what does it mean for you and me?

Can I take a few moments for some important observation? This week – the last week of the Christmas Season – the Gospels at Holy Mass are focused on the early activities of Jesus – preaching and healing. But there is one special gospel story this week that set the tone for a good part of the gospel story. It concerned the visit to his own town of Nazareth and his activity in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Please be patient to read this carefully – Luke’s Gospel Chapter 4, verses 16-22

Jesus visits Nazareth  after his baptism and ministry in Galilee

16 He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read

17 and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.  He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed, go free,

19 and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

20 Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.

21 He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”

Can we ask for this same gift of the Holy Spirit? Do we want this gift – healing and comfort for others sharing with those in need

forgiveness given that those who have hurt us – much to ask for – we are believers, we want the same Holy Spirit that Jesus received.

Father, give to us the Spirit of Jesus – that we may help renew the face of the earth.

Pray this prayer often today and every day of this week

Father Bill Kreutz, SJ, Loyola House of Studies, Scripture from the New American Bible                  

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Fund for Apostolic Works

Helping the Bukidnon Mission District

Francis of Assisi, Pangian

BMD-JRH-PJAA-Profile-8-19-page-2-1-300x401 Helping the Bukidnon Mission District

Please support the mission works of the Jesuits in Mindanao.  To learn more, click the link below.  Donations in the Philippines can be coursed through the Philippine Jesuit Aid Association (PJAA).

Helping the Bukidnon Mission District

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Fund for Apostolic Works

Our Lady of Mediatrix of All Grace Parish, Bukidnon

Nativity of Mary, Purok 6 Silae

There are 5 chapels under the Our Lady of Mediatrix of All Grace Parish , Bukidnon, which need help in repair and improvement:

 Jesus Nazareno, Nabag-o
 San Lorenzo Ruiz, Nalumusan
 Santo Nino, Mahawan
 St. Francis of Assisi, Pangian
 The Nativity of Mary, Purok 6 Silae

The chapels in Purok 6 Silae and Nabag-o  all need renovations which consist of making parts of the chapel concrete.
The communities of Nalumusan and Nabag-o are among the least accessible (cannot be reached by four wheel vehicle) and the poorest of the 29 chapels we serve.
To donate, click here
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Features Fund for Apostolic Works

The Jesuit mission in Culion, Palawan: Helping the Tagbanuas

Tagbanua children

Introduction

The Literacy Program  in Culion, Palawan aims to develop the reading and writing skills of both the adults and children in selected Tagbanua  communities.   The program also aims to preserve the Tagbanua’s local culture and develop stronger and more confident communities.

 Jesuit presence in CulionCulion-map-138x150 The Jesuit mission in Culion, Palawan: Helping the Tagbanuas

In 1904, Gov. Wright of  the American Commonwealth, established  Culion  as  a leper colony paving the way for the first batch of 370 lepers from all over the archipelago to settle in 1906.   In the same year,  American Jesuits were sent to Culion to start chaplaincy work for the lepers and employees of the Philippine Health Service.  Over the years, the  Loyola College of Culion was established and has seen the chaplaincy to La Inmaculada Concepcion Parish grow and flourish.

tagbanua_photo-taken-from-ADMU-website-225x150 The Jesuit mission in Culion, Palawan: Helping the TagbanuasFr. Bok Arandia SJ, during his stay in Culion wrote, “after the establishment of the leper colony, the indigenous Tagbanua communities who were the original inhabitants of the Culion peninsula were  forced to settle in remote islands, with limited access to basic social services and education. They manage to survive through fishing, food gathering, and primitive agriculture. However, because of their inability to read, write and count, certain devious individuals have taken advantage of their ignorance, cheating them to sell their produce and catch at scandalously low prices.  Politicians have likewise used them to secure victory during elections, gathering and containing them in undisclosed holding areas distant from the influence and access of their political rivals.”

In 2006,  the Philippine province  re-examined its mission in Culion. Since there was no need for chaplaincy work due to the fewer number of lepers in the island, the Province decided to help the Tagbanuas, an Indigenous People community, through a literacy program.

In 2008, through the help of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, a literacy program  was began with some teachers from the parish. In 2011, Cartwheel Foundation brought their expertise and modules to help aid and systematize the program.  Since then, the parish, SPC and Cartwheel have been partners in this endeavor.

The program

Before 2011, literacy programs that were introduced had no sustainability mechanisms in place.  Hence,  there was a crucial and urgent need  to establish  one that will remain a fixture in order to equip members of the  communities with essential literacy and life skills.

The first six-month cycle of the new program began at the end of August, 2011 with forty (40) adult learners from two (2)Tagbanua communities – Alulad and Marabal.

In June 2013, the adult capability-building program ran its third cycle, further expanding operations to four (4) indigenous communities from the original two (2) pilot areas.  They have also instituted an early childhood education program for the Tagbanua communities in Culion.

Currently, the Adult Literacy Program is run by  the Cartwheel Foundation, Our Lady  of  the  Immaculate Concepcion Parish and the St. Paul of Chartres Sisters.  Fr. Arthur Nebrao, SJ is currently Parish priest of La Inmaculada Concepcion.

Culion after Typhoon Yolanda

Typhoon Yolanda hit Culion with devastating effects. These photos were taken during the visit of the Ateneo Disaster Response and Management (DReaM) Team and the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan in Culion, Palawan last December 5 to 9. The team visited the different areas and islands devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Why help?

Indigenous Peoples, like the Tagbanuas are generally discriminated not only because of their physical appearance but because many of them have low self esteem due to the lack of reading and writing skills.

Please donate to support the Literacy program and help build their lives  in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda!  The Literacy program’s next steps are:

  1. Collaborate with the Loyola College of Culion to house an IP school that would receive students who are ready for formal education through the Literacy Program.
  2. Bring the Literacy Program  to other far-flung communities.
  3. Conduct Train the Trainors workshops among previous beneficiaries to ensure continuous execution of the literacy program.

Click the Blue box above to make an on-line donation.  Or else, click here.

 

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Fund for Apostolic Works

The Bukidnon Mission District: St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish

St. Therese School of Miarayon
Fr. Noel "Weng" Bava, SJ with Talaandig youth, Miarayon, Bukidnon

St. Therese of the Child Jesus was established by Jesuit missionaries thirty (30) years ago.  It subsists largely due to the generosity of the foreign and local benefactors, mostly friends and relatives of missionaries assigned in Miarayon, who see the wisdom in educating the youth of the mission area alongside delivering spiritual nourishment of the people.

When the pioneer missionaries get transferred to other assignments, benefactors and donors of the school stop supporting the school or transfer their support to other projects of the previous missionaries.  Often, the school is left operating on a shoe-string budget and on many occasions,  borrows funds from the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus for the needed upgrade and upkeep of its facilities.

The passage of  The  Enhanced Basic Education Act (R.A. 10533) in 2013, which seeks to increase and improve compulsory education from 11 to 12 years, adds to the burden because of the need to accommodate a greater number of students.

Miarayon is a barangay of the fourth class municipality of Talakag, Bukidnon. It is a community of tribal minorities: Talaandigs (80%),  Dumagats (15%), Maranaw Moslems (4%) and Igorots (1%) comprising about 5,000 families. The local dialect is Binukid but most could speak the Visayan language.  The area has limited access to water and electricity and the roads may be accessed mainly by motorcycle (habal-habal), horse-riding or walking. There is no reliable signal for telecommunication yet.

Map-289x150 The Bukidnon Mission District: St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish

Miarayon-_old-woman_FB-232x150 The Bukidnon Mission District: St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish

 THE TALAANDIGS

The Talaandigs are friendly people.  They are deeply religious and value family and social kinship.  They are reliable    and industrious.  Despite these traits, many remain poor because of the lack of opportunity to get proper education.  To know more about the Talaandigs, view the full video made by Symantec Tooth and Gum Care here.

ST. THERESE SCHOOL OF MIARAYON

St. Therese School of Miarayon is the only High School operating in the area covering about five (5) barangays or villages with about seven (7) or so public elementary schools.  The next available High Schools are some sixty  (60) or so kilometers away from the centro.  In 2015,  there are approximately 320 students. However, this figure dips radically due to  students who drop out within the first quarter of the school year.  Of the students who continued, approximately 500 students have graduated and a good number have gone on to college and earned their degrees.

Fr.-Weng-Bava-225x150 The Bukidnon Mission District: St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish
Fr. Noel “Weng” Bava, SJ Parish Priest

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The mission continues

The only school in Miarayon region with no covered hall to keep children safe from rains and the heat during out of class activities. But the kids don't complain."

The Jesuit Formation

Jesuits in the Philippines are prepared for ministry through a long and rigorous process of formation.  The formation of Jesuits for priesthood takes 11-12 years, indeed a considerable period of time.  For quality service requires quality preparation.  The costs of formation over so many years are very high.  For many years, the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus has managed to cover the cost.  But with rising costs, the Philippine Province is beginning to feel heavily the financial responsibilities of its mission.

The impact of the Jesuits in the Philippines is extraordinary and unparalleled.  They are probably best known as caring and gifted educators, but they are also deeply committed to community service, apostolic missions and religious vocations.0004-372x150 The mission continues

Over the years, so many Jesuits have lived, worked and died in the Philippines.  This is what they do – give their all, no matter what the cost.  Today there less than 300 Jesuits in the Philippine Province, of which 100 are over 70 years old, and so many of them are infirm in one way or another.  Their health and medical care have taken its toll on the finances of the Jesuits.

We appeal to our lay partners to honor and support these deserving men with your kindness, thoughtful prayers, and with your generous donations.

Jesuit Mission

Our Jesuit priests are called to bring hope, reconciliation and peace into situations of hopelessness, strife and enmity.  They are missioned to Bukidnon to serve the people in Zamboanguita and especially the indigenous people in the surrounding mountains, to the poor people and former lepers of Culion, to the prisoners of Muntinlupa, to the sick at Philippine General Hospital, to direct the Emmaus Center to provide counselling for religious and priests, and even to Myanmar, Cambodia and East Timor.

Wherever they are assigned, our Jesuit priests cannot do the work alone.  In most places where they serve, the people have very little money to put in the collection box.

tinaytayan-Elementary-School-Childrens-Mass-444x150 The mission continues
Tinaytayan Elementary School Children’s Mass     

We appeal to our friends to join our priests in their mission with prayers and through generous contributions to their apostolic works.

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Celebrating Life: March celebrants

Birthday Celebrants , Jesuits
April Birthday Celebrants Jesuits

Elderly and Infirm Jesuits

This month of March we celebrate birthdays of three (3) elderly Jesuits; namely, Fr. Simplicio sunpayco, SJ, born March 2, 1929; Fr. Robert Suchan, SJ born March 17 1926; and, Fr. Deogracias Trinidad – Birthday March 17 1926.  Love and Light!

lentendrive1-222x150 Celebrating Life: March celebrants