Forbes Park, Makati2015 Year of the Poor - Mercy and Compassion

Santuario de San Antonio Parish Office • Tel. nos. 8438830-31

We refer to Christmas as the season of giving and party celebrations. Most of us try hard to prepare party food that we often like to eat rather than the food friends and family would want to eat, say our Recollection Master, Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM Parish Priest during the OFS Advent Recollection held November 17 at Munting Kanlungan, the Prayer House of OFS professed member, Sis Lily Manalo in Tagaytay City. Fr. Reu summarized our Advent preparation for the coming of Christ in key words that allowed the Secular Franciscans to grasp its meaning: 1) Prayer – is being aware of God. Every creature

is a representation of God. We therefore must be authentic and sincere to where God assigned us to be to be Christ to others.

2) Listen – When we listen, we are not an empty space. The way we listen is normally picked up by who we are and the way we are. But rather we should listen to the way God wants His message to be conveyed to us in an atmosphere of prayer.

3) What is it that our Lord Jesus wants us to give – not necessarily material things but may be time, attention, forgiveness, visiting the sick, talent,

treasure, service, self. 4) Move out of our comfort zone where necessary

as our blessed Mother Mary set up herself serving Elizabeth.

In summary, prayer leads us to listen to God as He invites us to give the highest form of giving, the giving of self. The Theology of the Incarnation is the expression of God’s love for us in giving Himself to us through Jesus. God is the one who is at work in us. We open our head – heart – hand in preparation for Advent and welcome Jesus to do His project and work through us. Our life is a continuous preparation to receive Jesus using our head-heart-hand. There is an invitation for us to provide a home for Jesus. Jesus did not have a home and was born in a manger. Can we create a home for Jesus in our heart, Jesus’ home? How are we going to prepare our heart to be a home for Jesus? What’s in our heart to make it a most precious place? Our home needs hospitality that will include the hand. It is our hands who do the job. Work collectively to make the environment of our home hospitable and respectable in the spirit of friendship. Our code of conduct in the Parish should be a hand of hospitality to be a helping hand to others. Doing this gives hope to humanity. The Manger is our hope.

Christmas, the Giving of Self: OFS Advent RecollectionBy Cristina Teehankee

December 6, 2015www.ssaparish.com

2nd Sunday of Advent

If there is one outstanding trait that our parishioner Leo de Ocampo has, it is his great devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes. As of today, he has visited the Grotto of Lourdes in France 104 times! In this article, he shares with us his experiences.

My Little Corner of Paradiseby: Leo de Ocampo

Our Lady is venerated under hundreds of names. In the Philippines alone, we have Our Lady of Antipolo, Manaoag, Remedios, Del Pilar, etc. As far as I know, Our Lady named herself only once, at the apparitions in Lourdes, France where she said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” As we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I would like to tie together this feast with the Shrine of our Lady of Lourdes. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was promulgated in 1854 by Pope Pius IX. The definition of this dogma is “Mary conceived without sin by the merit of the Cross of Christ.” This was a little known dogma in 1858 when Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes eighteen times from Feb. 11, 1858 to July 16, 1958. During the 16th apparition, on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25, 1858), Bernadette asked Our Lady her name. It was then that Our Lady named herself the “Immaculate Conception.” I have been privileged to have visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes many times - 104 times to be exact, and counting. My first recorded visit was in 1978, with the most recent visit from July 9 to 14, 2015. Lourdes is like a magnet. The more I visit it, the more I am drawn to visit it again and again. Many of my friends have asked me why I keep going to Lourdes. My reply is simple. Lourdes in my mind is the place on earth that is closest to Paradise. Lourdes is my little corner of Paradise here on earth. The Bishop of Lourdes accurately described the Grotto as a corner of heaven that touched the earth

Parish Bulletin

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December 6, 2015

2

SAINT NICHOLAS: The Original Santa Claus; Bishop of Myra

Fourth CenturyDecember 6

The name Santa Claus is really a Dutch contraction of Saint Nicholas. He was born in the year 280 at Turkey. He was well brought up by his rich pious parents. Even at the early age of five he already began to study the sacred sciences. When his parents died while he was still a young man he distributed his wealth to the poor. Then he entered the monastery of Holy Sion near Myra in today’s Turkey. In time he first became abbot and subsequently in the 4th century Archbishop of the See of Myra, the metropolitan church of the capital of Lycia. He became bishop of Myra and was known for his extraordinary holiness and zeal, many astonishing miracles and devotion to the conversion of sinners. However it was his charity for the poor that appears to be his most characteristic virtue. Since this was during the time of Emperor Diocletian, notorious for his ill treatment of Christians, Nicholas was persecuted, tortured and imprisoned until he was finally released when Constantine became emperor. Thus he managed to have been present at the Council of Nicaea where he denounced Arianism. He even destroyed pagan temples. The popularity of Nicholas steadily grew when legends about his miracles and great acts of kindness,

RANDOM THOUGHTSVoices from yesterday and today…

By: Peachy Maramba

The ABC’s of Catholic Doctrine

by Lianne Tiu

turn to page 3

so that we may experience the closeness, tenderness, and joy of God and Mary. My most enduring experiences of Lourdes are the following:1. During my first visits to Lourdes, I would have long lists of petitions. These petitions, however, disappeared after I saw and felt for all the sick and handicapped people at the shrine. Instead of petitions, my prayers were for these sick and handicapped people. I also offered prayers of thanksgiving for gifting me and my family with normal lives.2. The Gospel used for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is the Gospel of St. Luke regarding the Annunciation. This is the same Gospel used in almost all the masses daily at the Grotto of Lourdes. In this Gospel, the parting words of the angel Gabriel to Mary was that “nothing will be impossible to God.” I have accepted that this message is directed not only to Mary but to me and all of us sons and daughters of Mary. It has become for me one of the most reassuring passages of the Bible.3. Over the years, I have learned that life must be a balance of work, play, family, and personal time. There is no better way to allocate your personal time than to pray and dialogue with Our Lady at the Grotto of Lourdes.4. One common aspect of the eighteen apparitions in Lourdes is the recitation of the Rosary. Aside from the Mass, the Rosary has become for me the most powerful of all prayers. I say the Rosary as often as I can especially when I am at the Grotto in Lourdes.5. There are many others sights and sounds of Lourdes that are etched in my mind. People lifting their head towards the statue of Our Lady in awe; a hospitalier gently raising the hand of a disabled child so she can touch the rock; an old woman laying a rose at the spring; a man bowing in front of the statue of Our Lady with an armful of candles - these are only a few of the things that have become part of my Grotto experience.6. I get my inspiration from the life of Bernadette. She was a frail and sickly 14-year-old girl with a slow learning capability. The Lady told her, “I do not promise you happiness in this world but in the next.” She said, “yes;” now, she is one of the most revered saints of the Church. The lesson of Bernadette is that God gives ordinary people like us the extraordinary opportunity to do more with our lives if only we say “Yes” to the good Lord. It is not necessary for us to visit Lourdes to benefit from the blessings of Our Lady. She dispenses her blessings worldwide. In our own Santuario de San Antonio, there are two statues of Our Lady of Lourdes. One at an obscure corner near the right entrance to the church (near the Baptistry) and the other at the Grotto just behind the Adoration Chapel. I invite you to visit these places and you will feel the presence of Our Lady.

mercy and generosity especially to the poor abounded. But how did Saint Nicholas become Santa Claus? It is to the Dutch Protestants living in New Amsterdam (now New York) in the 19th century that we owe the metamorphosis of his name from Sint Klaes into Santa Claus. His red suit trimmed with white fur was adapted from the bishop’s miter and cape. It is also due to them that Saint Nicholas was replaced by a kind of benevolent magician Santa Claus – the jolly and popular bringer of gifts at Christmastime. However in Holland it is still St. Nicholas himself who delivers presents to deserving children on December 6, his feast day. An interesting custom still prevails in certain parts of Europe such as Catholic Austria. There good children are given a gift while ill behaved ones only get a piece of coal and a switch in their stockings. The transformation of St. Nicholas into Father Christmas or Father January first took place in Germany. The devotion to Saint Nicholas extended to all parts of the world. His popularity grew till he became the most popular of the saints who are not martyrs in both Eastern and Western churches. His feast day December 6, the day he died, is celebrated ardently in many parts of the globe as he is said to be the only saint that is equally venerated by all Christian denominations. He died at Myra in 350. His relics are enshrined in the Church of St. Nicola, Bari. Ever since his tomb has become a very popular pilgrimage site especially as so many miracles and cures were wrought there through his intercession. He became not only the patron saint of Russia, but of Greece, Apulia, Sicily and Lorraine. He remains the special guardian of children, sailors, maidens, merchants, pawnbrokers, prostitutes, travelers and the innocent. It is said that he is even considered as the patron of robbers when he once compelled them to return some stolen goods. Thus thieves in the Middle Ages were called “clerks of St. Nicholas.” He is also the patron of bakers. Let us all remember Saint Nicholas not just as Santa Claus who was actually a non-Christian but as a saint who “symbolizes the true meaning of Christmas – that of love and generosity for all the poor of the world. He remains to this day one of the most loved saint in the world. The number of churches everywhere in the world dedicated to him are “testimonials to his holiness and of the glory which he enjoys with God.”

SOURCES of REFERENCE: Saints foe Everyday – pp 467 – 468; Lives of Saints – p 499; All Saints – p 532; and others.

Random Thoughts...from page 2

Introduction: There is something in the Christmas season that the church has difficulty dealing with: the preparatory character of Advent to Christmas. The ambiguity is seen here in the church as two contrasting colors signifying contrasting moods juxtaposed here. We have the bright colors of Christmas thus effectively glossing over Advent as a necessary prelude to Christmas. The market place has dictated the dizzying tempo of the season. John the Baptist was relegated to obscurity and Santa Claus was thrust into prominence as the symbol of the season - a symbol of abundance, fecundity and generosity, someone well fed (overeaten), well clothed (overdressed) and bubbling with joy.Gospel: Today the gospel gives us the figure of John the Baptist to help us prepare toward a meaningful, fruitful celebration of Christmas, not only joy brought about by material abundance but the joy of being reconciled with God and with one another. What Santa Claus is, John the Baptist is not. John appears eccentric when you look at his wardrobe and diet. He wears a garment of camel hair with a leather belt. His food is locust and wild honey. It is not the “eat all you can” burst of buffet meals in fashion nowadays. His ascetic dress and wild diet is associated with the wilderness. He breaks its silence with his unsettling call to repentance. His own life is his message. It is in the desert that they become God’s people. It was in the desert that they intimately experience the providence and nearness of God, something they did not realize when they were enjoying the comforts of Egyptian civilization. Gradually it dawned on them that they are one people, not 12 tribes of Jacob.Word: (1) Call to repentance. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia. It carries a double connotation of changing your

mind and behavior. It signals a need to go beyond your mindset and allow a new mindset to drive new action. Repentance begins by entering into the desert far from the madding crowd. Desert experience would lead us to the appreciation that if people survive it is not because of their own talents and efforts but because of God’s providence. Until we enter into solitude and do some inner work, we will always be a one-sided creation of other people. It is not a question of simple remorse but positive commitment to the way shown him by God. It does not mean simply going to confession. It is asking why I transgressed God’s commandments at all.(2) Bear fruits of repentance. One of the dangers of equating repentance or metanoia to simple confession and admission of guilt is the absence of change behavior. The same transgressions are repeated. True repentance means new behavior and a new way of living. If Christ were to come to us in a meaningful way, if Christ is to be more than “ho ho ho and a bottle of rum” we Christians have to change our minds with a corresponding change in behavior. The inner voice says we are children of Abraham and that is enough. No need for repentance for they claim physical descent. They are part of the 56 chosen people and the fact of their birth takes precedence over inner repentance.(3) New life in Jesus. Metanoia or repentance literally means a 180-degree turn. It is turning back to God from a life centered on self. A life centered on oneself loses its spiritual character and is reduced simply to its material dimension. Without being conscious of it, the materialistic orientation of one’s life makes us consumeristic, greedy and selfish. This is the root of our transgressions of God’s commands. In our consuming desire to satiate our material satisfaction we alienate ourselves from our true selves. No amount of material things can fully satisfy us – not the 12,000 Burberry shirt nor a hundred thousand Hermes bag nor a thirty thousand iPhone. Not even your Maserati sports car which can get you into trouble with traffic enforcers. It can only lead to compulsive addiction to branded products. Brothers and sisters, Santa Claus as a Christmas symbol of generosity, sharing and abundance becomes meaningful only as a result of our response to John the Baptist message of repentance. It is not abundance as such that makes this season joyful. Imagine you have all you wish for in your Christmas list from small gadgets and the latest accessories to more expensive amenities but you have no one to share it with. Imagine how pathetic it would be if you are alone for Noche Buena at Solaire

SUNDAYGOSPEL REFLECTIONby Fr. Baltazar Obico, OFM

Second Sunday of Advent (B): John the Baptist as Advent

Companion

or Resorts World. It is abundance shared with others that make this season joyful. We cannot luxuriate in the midst of want and misery. Santa Claus is no longer in the liturgical calendar.

Parish Bulletin December 6, 2015

MISCHKA’S BAKED PENNE CARBONARASIGNATURE BAKED PENNE PASTA W/ BOTH CHEESE & CARBONARA SAUCE TOPPED WITH BACON BITS & MELTED CHEESE SERVED W/ GARLIC CIABATTA

SEABASS INASALGRILLED SEABASS MARINATED IN INASAL NEGRENSE’S STYLE SERVED WITH RED EGG AND TOMATO SALSA

SALMON TERIYAKIFILLET WITH ROASTED SHALLOTS AND ORANGE LACED TERIYAKI TOPPED WITH MANDARIN ORANGE ANSD SESAME SEEDS

P1,450 P4,850 P2,650

MEDITTERRANEAN FISH FILLETSEARED FISH FILLETS MARINATED IN OREGANO WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, BLACK CALAMATA OLIVES, CAPERS AND BALSAMIC REDUCTION

BONELESS CRISPY PATA KAREKARE BRAISED BEEF IN PEANUT SAUCE SERVED WITH LOCAL VEGETABLES AND HOME MADE SWEET AND SPICY SHRIMP PASTE

STEAMED SCALLION CHICKENOUR VERSION OF STEAMED HAINANESE CHICKEN SERVED WITH SCALLION GINGER PASTE, SWEET SOY AND CHILI PASTE

BEEF BOURGUIGNONCLASSIC FRENCH BEEF STEW IN RED WINE, SHALLOTS, FRESH HERBS AND MIREPOIX SERVED WITH BUTTERED BABY CARROTS AND MARBLE POTATOES

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CRISPY CARNITAS RAVIOLIFRIED CRISP RAVIOLI FILLED WITH SPICY BEEF RAGU SERVED WITH TOMATO SALSA

TRUFFLE ORANGE BBQ RIBSTRUFFLE INFUSED BBQ GLAZED US RIBS SERVED WITH FRENCH BEANS, CORN KERNEL AND HOME MADE FRIES

LAMB BIRYANIGOURMET GARAGE’S VERSION OF SLOW COOKED LAMB STEW WITH INDIAN SPICES AND HERBS SERVED OVER BASMATI RICE

LUG LUG SPAGHETTINISPAGHETTINNI TOPPED WITH CLASSIC LUGLUG SAUCE, SAUTEED FRESH WATER SHRIMPS, SQUID AND CRISPY LECHON KAWALI

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CRISPY SHANGAI TRIANGLESFILLED WITH CLASSIC PORK SHANGHAI STYLE SERVED WITH SWEET VINEGAR

MEDITERRANEAN FISH FILLETSEARED FISH FILLETS MARINATED IN OREGANO WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, BLACK CALAMATA OLIVES, CAPERS AND BALSAMIC REDUCTION

BAKED SIDE OF SALMONWITH AIOLI AND CHEESEMARINATED BAKED SIDE OF SALMON TOPPED W/ CHEESE AIOLI & SERVED W/ SAUTEED CHERRY TOMATOES & ZUCHINNI

MONTE KRISTO SANDWICHTWO DECKER FRENCH TOAST SANDWICH FILLED WITH EGG, FLAKED CHICKEN SPREAD, MELTED CHEESE SERVED WITH HOME MADE FRIES & PETITE GREENS

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December 6, 2015Parish Bulletin

Our Latest Chapel, Crematorium and Columbaryin Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City

SUNDAY - DEC. 6* 8:00AM - Thrift Shop* 9:00AM - CCD Sunday Religion

Class* 4:00PM - CORO Practice

MONDAY - DEC. 7* 8:00AM - Thrift Shop* 3:00PM - OFS Formation

TUESDAY - DEC. 8* 8:00AM - Thrift Shop* 9:00AM - CWL FREE Breakfast and

Medical* 9:00AM - JPIC Hospital Ministry

PGH Visitation * 2:00PM - Health Care Ministry

Dancercise: Open to All Parishioners* 4:00PM - Marian Cenacle Group

Prayer Meeting

WEDNESAY - DEC.9* 8:00AM - Thrift Shop* 4:00PM - CCD Religion Class

THURSDAY - DEC. 10* 8:00AM - Thrift Shop* 9:00AM - Health Care Ministry

Visitation at Rizal Medical Center, Pasig City

* 7:00PM - SYA Prayer Meeting

FRIDAY - DEC. 11* 8:00AM - Thrift Shop* 2:00AM - Health Care Ministry

Dancercise: Open to All Parishioners* 7:00PM - Household Help

Charismatic Prayer Meeting* 9:00PM - Tig-Awit Choir Practice

SATURDAY - DEC. 12* 8:00AM - Thrift Shop* 4:00PM - VOSA Choir* 4:00PM - LUKE 18 Prayer Meeting

CALENDAR OF MINISTRIES FOR THE WEEKMeldy CojuangcoConnie GomezMarilou ArteficioMa. Pilar OledanIggy ClavecillaAfrica and Cecile ReynosoMaxima ‘Amah’ SyAurora GonzalezTommy Dy BuncioNaning BagabaldoRemedios Maceda BerrisCedric CastroPilar del GallegoNena JalandoniVictoriano ChungErlinda Miranda-Oledan

Zwei Lopez GadiShallouh Bancil SwinnertonFrancisco TankiangCynthia ArmsFelicisimo AlcantaraRosario de Leon TobiasGloria SyjucoRaffy ChanEdric CoPeter SooChito San JoseRon JacobsNancy ImperialJohnny LopezLisa AlvendiaLetty LigonNorma J. CarlosSony Lopez Gonzalez

Shaina BudhraniGia GonzalezOrlando BernardoRolando SotasoCecilio HidalgoVictorina LeusIya OcampoBernadette GozaliGuillermo ProfetaDra. Ofelia AdaponSoledad T. ConsingDavid LuLeonardo RodriguezFr. Hugh Zurat OFMIf you want a name added or deleted, contact Bernadette at the Parish office tel. nos. 8438830-32.

Please Pray for the SickLEASE / SALE

FORBES • DASMA • URDA • SAN LO • BEL AIR • MAGACONNIE PERIQUET GATMAITAN

CYNTHIA GATMAITAN MENCHACATELS.: 8130875 – 8672227 CELL (0917)81093793/F SEDCCO BLDG., RADA ST., LEGASPI VILL.,

MAKATI CITY

PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS

DATE ACTIVITY/EVENT SCHEDULE OF MASSES Main Church: 6:15 am, 7:30 am, 12:15 nn, 12:15 nn 6:00 pm

Main Church: 5:00 amDasmarinas Village Pavillion: 5:00 amNorth Forbes Pavillion: 5:00 amUrdaneta Village Hall: 5:00 am

NOTE: For duration of Misa de Gallo:1. No 6:15 am mass in the Main Church.2. No Anticipated Masses in Dasma Village.3. No Regular Sunday Masses in North Forbes.4. Urdaneta Village will retain their Regular 7:00 pm mass on Sundays aside from the 5:00 am Misa de Gallo masses.

NOTE: NO 6:00 pm mass at the Main Church.

Main Church - NO 6:30 am mass Masses in the Main Church will follow the Regular Sunday schedule: 7:45 am, 9:00 am 10:30 am, 12:00 nn, 4:30 pm, 6:00 pm

NO MASSES IN THE VILLAGES

Main Church: 8:00 pm & 10:00 pmDasmarinas Village Pavillion: 10:00 pmNorth Forbes Pavillion: 10:00 pmUrdaneta Village Hall: 10:00 pm

NOTE: NO 6:00 pm mass at the Main Church.

Main Church - NO 6:30 am mass Masses in the Main Church will follow the Regular Sunday schedule: 7:45 am, 9:00 am 10:30 am, 12:00 nn, 4:30 pm, 6:00 pm

NO MASSES IN THE VILLAGES

CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES - DECEMBER 2015Santuario de San Antonio Parish

Solemnity of the Immaculate Concepcion of the Blessed Virgin

Mary

Dec. 8, 2015 Tuesday

Dec 31, 2015 Thursday

New Year's Eve

Jan 1, 2016 Friday

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Dec. 16 - 24, 2015 Misa de Gallo

Dec 25, 2015 Friday

Christmas Day

Dec. 24, 2015 Thursday

Christmas EveMain Church: 8:00 pm & 10:00 pmUrdaneta Village Hall: 10:00 pm

Franciscan journal available at the parish office or parish shop for only P200. Proceeds go toward the Franciscan formation and mission.

The Ecumenical Thanksgiving service held November 2015 is an annual event led by a prayer service by Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, SSAP parish priest with Senior Rev. Charlie Pridmore and Rev. Noah Kennedy of the Union Church of Manila, Rt. Rev. Arthur L. Jones of the Holy Trinity Church of Manila and SSAP parishioner Deacon Luis Rivilla.

The service was accompanied by music by the three different church choirs led by our very own SSAP CORO De San Antonio conductress Ms. Amelita Guevara.

Guests were American Ambassador Philip Goldberg who gave a short thanksgiving message from US President Barack Obama, India Ambassador to the Philippines Lalduhthlana Ralte and Bangladesh Ambassador Maj. Gen. John Gomes, PSC.