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Prayer of oversees contract workers and their families.  We have talk much about the situations, plight and struggles of migrant workers for almost eternity. It is time to start something and I believe that the first step is to pray. Here is the prayer for such intention especially that we will celebrate the first Sunday of Lent which we dedicate for the migrants and their families. Surely, God will show us the way of other programs and activities that might transpire as we go on to assist the families of the migrant workers. This prayer was born through the coordinated effort of the following persons while I was assigned in St. Augustine Parish, Bay, Laguna, Philippines: Archie Santos, Rodolfo & Yollie Billate, Zena Bernardo, Milagros S. Castillo, Domeng & Aurea Balmes, Eliseo & Krischelle Naval, Favy & Janet Maghirang, Myla Marie S. Castillo,  and Rev. Fr Jessie G. Somosierra Jr.   Panalangin Ng Migranteng Mangagawa at Ng Kanilang Pamilya ...

On the Proper Celebration of the Paschal Triduum (P.No. DCL-006-11)   Christ the paschal victim is the center and end point of the celebration of the paschal Triduum. These three days that is preceded by the season of lent and holy week is the summit of the liturgical year. Knowing its importance we are therefore issuing these reminders and suggestions that will contribute for a meaningful celebration of the greatest feast in the liturgical year. Lent is the period of time when the church prepares for the journey towards the joy of Easter. In the past Ash Wednesday was preceded by practices that are incompatible to the demands of the Gospel. Mardigras and the celebration of carnivale festivals were held with so much excess immorality. Lenten practices and the celebration of Holy week are not only annual events, they are moments of spiritual transformation and rejuvenation for all the faithful. In order that our celebrations to be truly meaningful, much effort must...

An exegetical reflection on the Gospel of the Third Sunday of Lent B (John 2:13-25) March 11, 2012 By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD IN all world religions, there is a universal belief that God, however he is conceived, is far distant from all of us. He is transcendent and incomprehensible. He is the wholly Other. “For I am God, not man” (Hos 11:9b). But the discovery that God loves and cares for us, that we cannot exist without him makes all of us long for his presence. Whatever might be our reason, we seek him, we want to be with him. But where are we to find him? And how are we to encounter him? How are we to participate in the realm of the divinity? Of course, for some, God is thought to reside in the church. Accordingly, they spend hours praying in the church rather than under the tree. For others, he is encountered through intermediaries. This explains why devotion to the saints, often in the form of novena, litany, and celebrations of their feasts, is popular: one has a s...

(This is a repost from http://www.usccb.org entitled Six Ways To Evangelize During Lent. however I dropped out the sixth because it is not applicable to Philippine setting.) During Lent, when your friends or co-workers express curiosity about Catholic customs and symbolism, use those moments as opportunities to evangelize! Following are six common questions Catholics hear during Lent and some evangelizing answers. Ash Wednesday: What’s with that dirt on your head? Who hasn’t gotten that question on Ash Wednesday before? Do you feel silly when people ask you about your ashes? And is it hard to answer their questions? Having ashes on your forehead isn’t just some weird Catholic thing: it’s a tradition that finds its roots in the Old Testament. “I turned to the Lord God, to seek help, in prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). When the ashes are placed on our foreheads in the sign of the Cross, it is a reminder of several things. First, it is a call t...