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“For men, this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Homily delivered by Fr. Adrian Danker, SJ on the occasion of Sr Christine Lam’s Perpetual Vows and the 25th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Cenacle Mission in Singapore “For men, this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26) These words make so much sense as we gather this morning. We hear in Jesus’s words the wondrous love of God labouring in our lives to make possible the impossible. And we do believe what we hear. Thanks be to God! God who makes possible the dreams of old men come alive and true. Makes possible the visions of young men taking on flesh and form in the world. Make possible the prophecies of our sons and daughters embodied in words we hear and deeds we experience. These are not words of Scripture to hear and know. Today, we witness the truth of these words in Sr Kris making her perpetual vows and the Cenacle mission celebrating 25 years in Singapore. Truly these express God’s good, faithful and generous labour bearing fruit. Individually and together, these two celebrations are the one story of God making possible the impossible. We gather to witness this. We give thanks and celebrate with you, dear Sisters. More than this, we are here to pray that God “who gas began this good work in you may bring it to fulfilment before the day of Christ Jesus.” A perpetual profession Sr Kris makes. This 25th anniversary the Sisters of the Cenacle celebrate. These are not just outcomes of formation and mission. Rather, they are milestones in God’s long walk with each of these good, generous, and holy women. God has set them apart for us and the Church. Their work is not done yet. It continues for the promise of God’s glory is still unfolding through their loving words, their generous hands, and their big-hearted lives offered for everyone. Today God makes possible Sr Kris’s perpetual vows. God has prepared her for this over many years of formation. It began when she encountered God in a Cenacle retreat in Chiangmai many years ago. This is how, you, Sr Kris, described this encounter in your vocation story: “God met me in my brokenness, healed me and drew me into the life and community of the Cenacle.” You added: “My vocation is a response to the healing love and gentle touch of God, and because of personally meeting Jesus, I desire to give myself fully to his mission: to go and tell everyone this is Good News.” Sr Kris, we marvel how God has taken the hope-filled desire of a young woman and today brings it to fruition as you make your perpetual vows. How good God is to you! But Sr Kris can only do this because of the greater good God has made possible – the establishment and unfolding of the Cenacle mission in Singapore. Her story is woven into the richer, larger and more colourful tapestry of the Cenacle presence here. It began humbly 25 years ago when two Cenacle Sisters joined 2 Jesuits to begin spiritual direction training at the Singapore Pastoral Institute. On 2 July 1997, the then Regional Superior of the Cenacle Sisters established the first Cenacle community in Singapore. Today that superior, Sr Linda, with Sr Mel serve us so selflessly and so well. Many Sisters came and went, everyone of them serving so generously to build the Mission. Over the years, God has even made possible 3 Singaporean vocations – Sr Fran, Sr Xiaowei and Sr Kris. The works of the Cenacle today are varied and rich, all of them focussed on the care and salvation of the souls in the Ignatian tradition. How could God have made all this possible? Peter’s example in today’s Gospel passage helps us understand. He, with the other disciples, have given up everything to follow Jesus. “What will there be for us?” He asks Jesus. No one follows Jesus without first encountering him, then surrendering all to follow, and as they follow, to find themselves challenged repeatedly to ask – in the most human, humbled and graced manner – “What will there be?” This is the necessary question facing every disciple. It demands more listening, more surrendering, more trust, even more faith, especially, when the possible no longer seems possible. Such must have been your journey, Sr Kris as you yearned to make these perpetual vows. Such must also have been the trials and tensions of the Cenacle Sisters as they began and grew in Singapore. Sheltered at their first home with the Good Shepherd Sisters at Marymount. Then, sharing space with the Daughters of St Paul at Jurong West. Now at their new home at Jalan Angin Laut in the East. What helped? Not what but who – God. Paul writing to the Philippians reminds us of this. In choosing Christ, Paul proclaimed the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus as Lord; everything else pales in comparison. And they should because to know Christ Jesus is to know that has made us his own, This truth helps Paul to press on because God alone was perfecting him for mission. You and I are called to let Jesus do the same for us. Do we? Will we? Sr Kris and the Cenacle Sisters heard and still hear this same invitation from Jesus. It moved them to say “yes, Lord!” I believe they did then and do now to know Jesus more intimately, love him more intensely and follow him more closely. Their “yes” makes possible today’s celebrations. This is why Sr Kris writes, “This passage describes my formation and growth journey. Difficult as it may have been, like all religious communities and life, there were abundant graces…At the start of my juniorate, I begged the Lord to show me that his grace is ever present.” The grace Sr Kris asked for is the same grace her Sisters echo, I believe. Not for themselves but for everyone they serve. After all, isn’t

Features, General, Homilies, Soul Food, Vocation

“Remain in my love.”

Homily delivered by Fr. Adrian Danker, SJ on Sr. Xiaowei Li, rc’s Perpetual Profession of Vows on September 10, 2022 These are words parents might say when children depart for overseas studies. They might be what lovers say when committing to each other for life. You and I know these are really Jesus’s words to you and me as lover or parent, as friend and saviour. Today, they are especially meant for you, Sr Xiaowei. Jesus expresses his love in deeds, not words. He himself is Love alive and Love in action. This is why He is God – because God is love. For you, Sr Xiaowei, Jesus expresses His love to you in the most intimate of ways. It began when he gathered you to Himself to discern and live the vowed life. Today he gives you a deeper love to profess your perpetual vows. Indeed, your years of religious formation and life have been a time of cleansing you to be his completely. He has given you a new heart and a new spirit as a religious of the Cenacle. He has removed that heart of stone and led you to the new land of religious life. He has given himself to you who he calls, “My beloved.” In turn, you learned to love Him more intimately as “my God.” We also hear these truths from the Prophet Ezekiel who reminds us that God has always loved you as his own since ancient times. At the heart of all this is God’s desire for relationship with everyone. This is also God’s desire for you. So, root yourself in His love and enflesh your trust in God. Entrust yourself completely to him as you make your perpetual vows. With these vows, you express to all of us your total self-giving to God in deeds, not words. Yes, every word of the vow you will make come together as your sacrifice of love to God. Your vows then are really your self-sacrificing deed of love; it speaks louder than all the words said. Indeed, your ‘yes’ to remaining in Jesus’s love with perpetual vows are total, faithful and free. They are made in the hope of becoming Christ to all. Your ’yes,’ Sr Xiaowei is that very selfless sacrifice of love Jesus commands us to live – to lay down our lives for your friends that include you RC sisters, your family and friends and for the many God will place into your care. This is why we gather here. We want to tell you that we will remain with you in friendship. We do to support you as you deepen your ‘yes’ to live fully this love you and God share all the days of your life as a fully professed religious of the Sisters of the Cenacle. Today we celebrate with you. However, we recognize a dying to ourselves we must make. To a lesser degree, we too are laying down our lives for you. We know we must die to our wants of hoping you will have more time for us, of you staying with us in Singapore when God may call you on mission elsewhere, of our relationship as family and friends because now God has chosen you as his beloved. Yet, we rejoice as you surrender yourself to Jesus with your vows to follow Him wherever He leads you. We rejoice because we know this is possible because you and Sisters have co- discern over many years of your formation, growing and maturing in your vocation to be ready for today. Now, your Sisters affirm you are ready. Now, we witness your readiness for God and his mission. Today, all of us want to assure you that we will pray and support you as you readily and forever surrender yourself to the Lord. These vows are not an end in themselves. A member of Courage, the ministry I work for, wrote that “love is a process, not an outcome.” So, it is too with these vows. They invite you and God to continue sharing love. This is why the Lord pours his Spirit into you. This Spirit that will continue to convert you more and more into the image of Jesus for the world. We pray we will witness how you will become more Christ-like over time, and others seeing Christ in you, will sing out loud, “See how Sr Xiaowei lives; she is indeed a Christian!” Each time this happens, we will know, as many will too, the joyful truth we sang in today’s Psalm – God indeed “sends forth his Spirit and the face of the earth is renewed.” This is the mission ahead for you. You can only give what you have. So, share God’s Spirit with all. Sr Xiaowei, today you have every right to delight and sing that song of joy, “O bless the Lord my soul, bless your name for gentle is the love of the Lord.” Make this your daily song of praise – praising God for all that has been, for all that is happening today but more so for all that will come to be. We will sing this praise too. Indeed, it is right and good that delight and praise are the feelings we have today. They must be for as St Therese Couderc, your Foundress, once wrote, “The love of God desires to delight in all of us always.” And God’s delights in you, Sr Xiaowei, because today you enflesh what Mother Therese also wrote: “that surrendering oneself to God is more than to devote oneself, more than to give oneself, it is even something more than to abandon oneself to God. In a word, to surrender oneself is to die to everything and to self, to be no longer concern with self, except to keep continually turned toward God.” Thank you for your “yes” to Jesus, Sr Xiaowei. You witness to us how the love of God leads us ultimately to love

Features, General, Homilies, Soul Food

Homily | 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time | 2022

Over dinner in Davao last week, kuya, an RTC judge, asked an interesting question. “’Nel, I’m about to rule on a separation of a married couple. I have the report from the Church tribunal. They ruled nullity of marriage. It’s persuasive. One problem, though,” he said. “The wife is schizophrenic & she needs hospitalization. But the tribunal doesn’t stipulate if she will be financially looked after. Does canon law stipulate support for the ex after annulment?” I said I didn’t remember there being such a provision. There’s provision for child support. But none ordering support for the ex who couldn’t support him/herself after separation. “Are you going to approve the separation, kuys?” I asked. “Well,” he said, “I asked the guy & his lawyer who was going to support the woman. And both of them said they didn’t know. So, until I’m sure she’ll be financially supported, I’m going to take it slow before I rule on anything.” Then kuya shook his head. “It gets really nasty, these marriage cases. Lalo na pag pinag-awayan na ang ari-arian,” he said. “Worst, when it comes to the children.” That’s why his ruling, whatever it is, he said, must benefit all who are involved, not just the petitioner.” The Sadducees were a religious sect of Jewish aristocrats. They were major movers in Israel’s socio-political life. Their most important preoccupation was maintenance of the Temple, the beating heart of it all. So, they knew the law well, esp. Levirate marriage law, from levir, husband’s brother, or brother-in-law. Per this law, if your husband died, his single brother was required to marry you. As long as it was possible, widows were not allowed to remarry outside the clan. It was quite practical. One, whatever property the dead left behind would stay within the family. Two, the widow would be looked after & cared for by the same family. But Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. So, their question about marriage “in the resurrection,” was suspect. It was really a reductio ad absurdum, reduction to absurdity. They took issue with something they didn’t believe in, then, they jostled it & pressed it towards the cliff’s edge or logic, in order to prove Jesus wrong & mock him on the side. But ever the gentleman, Jesus answered them, anyway. We Catholics believe in “till death do us part” because in the afterlife, the very presence of Jesus, the Sacrament of sacraments, already fulfills what earthly sacraments celebrate: the saving presence & mission of Christ. In matrimony, spouses make visible to each other & to community the love Christ bears for the Church. But in the afterlife, all love is fulfilled & perfected by the very presence of the Triune God. So, there’s no need to symbolize “invisible grace” through “visible realities,” which is how we often define sacrament. In the afterlife, we share in the divine life immediately & directly. So, union with God over there excels & transcends any marriage, friendship, partnership on earth—in the superabundance of grace. Based on Jesus’ whole disposition towards the Sadducees, though, I wouldn’t put it past him to have thought: “Alam n’yo, bago n’yo problemahin ‘yang issue ng kasal sa langit, atupagin muna kaya natin ang maraming issue sa buhay may-asawa dito sa lupa?” At the time, Jewish men divorced their wives for the flimsiest reasons, like, she talked too much, or didn’t cook very well, or her face had become wearisome. Plus, this whole thing about wives being merely pushers of children out into the world, to assure their husbands’ lineage. They weren’t tutored beyond the rudiments. You didn’t need much education to fire up a stove, or squeeze oil out of olives, or knead dough, or suckle a baby. So, the Sadducees’ question about marriage in the afterlife was typical of their blindness. Sitting high on their aristocratic, pious, male perch, they were sightless of the real distress & drudgery that Jewish wives had to pull themselves through every darn day. For many years, to this day, much debate swirls around marriage, still: indissolubility vs. solubility; who should get married vs. who shouldn’t; what to call a marriage (i.e., only between male & female) vs. what to not call it (i.e. between same gender); what’s within boundaries in procreation (i.e. natural contraception) vs. what’s immoral (i.e. artificial contraception), etc. Very often, we, Churchmen, are asked for our “ruling.” And we do make a ruling, but often from high on our perch, off & away from what’s really happening to married couples & their families. When in truth, marami pa kaming kailangang atupagin, kailangan aralin, saliksikin; marami pa kaming kailangang pakinggan muna, damayan, intindihin, before we make any statements or preach any morals on marriages. I guess, I could learn from kuya. Unless he’s sure that his ruling will benefit all of who are involved, not just the complainant, all—he will not let that gavel fall easily on the sounding block. In other words, rule from down on the ground, on the earth. Not from the “heavenly” perch.   Homily of Fr. Arnel Aquino, SJ on the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 5 November 2022 Cenacle Retreat House

General, Homilies, Soul Food

Surrender

          There were several things I asked dad for as a child that he never bought me. He either said no, or not react, or said, “Sisirain mo lang ‘yan.” I wanted a toy robot for the longest time. “No.” There was a time I loved having smooth, shiny things in my pocket, like a stone, a small tile, a sigay from sungka. One time, I was drawn to my uncle’s mini-Zippo lighter, small & shiny. So, I asked dad to buy me one. I promised I’d never light it. I just wanted it. He glared his disbelief & his no. When cousins loaned us their Atari, kuya & I asked for one of our own. “Sisirain n’yo lang ‘yan.” There was a whole stretch in my life when I begrudged dad his many no’s to what I believed I needed from him, both visible & invisible, especially because I earned it by behaving well, doing well in school, bringing back medals. But without being aware of it, I actually developed a transactional notion of my relationship w/ dad: make dad more & more proud, he’d say less no’s & more yeses.           It’s not entirely our fault, sisters & brothers, that many of us have unwittingly transmuted this transactionality to our relationship w/ God. Doing that, if unintentionally, we’ve started believing that God is a meritocratic God, & the modus he operates on is meritocracy. Remember how we sometimes joke & say, “We’re doing this to earn pogi points in heaven”? Or say, “Swerte n’yo naman, may pari kayo sa pamilya. May tiket na kayo sa langit.” Or when we tell children, “’Wag malikot sa church. Papa Jesus will get enggri!” Or, “If you’re good boy/girl, happy si Papa God. If bad boy/girl, sad si Papa God.” The more rosaries, the more Mary will intercede for us. The longer we pray, the faster we get the delivery from heaven’s Lazada. It has even leaked into our works of mercy. “Help the poor & you will ‘go to heaven.’” A meritocratic God is one whose goodness towards us depends on our prior meritorious acts. Na para bang God’s default is neutral. We do a meritorious act first, & only then does our merit switch God on, whereupon he bestows grace, favor, blessings, accordingly. Even better: we put ourselves deliberately through hardship & difficulty, all the more we poise God towards signing our request!           Today, Jesus’ friends ask him to increase their faith. Luke doesn’t mention why. But in Matthew, this happens after they failed to exorcise a boy. So, they believe their failure was due to a shortfall of faith. These are very good people, by the way, very sincere & desirous to save a boy from a demon. Then again, doesn’t a boy’s healing depend more on God’s Providence rather than the amount of fire-power that the disciples believe they lack due to their faith deficit? Kasi gano’n ba ‘yon? Lakasan n’yo faith n’yo, lalakasan din ng Diyos kapangyarihan n’yo. There’s something a little off in there. Kaya siguro sinabi ni Hesus, “Huh? Even if your faith is infinitesimal, you could uproot this huge tree,” which I perceive is another way of saying kahit na kakaunti lang faith mo, that’s not going to stop God from doing even greater things than this for someone he loves who is sick.           Eh, bakit pa tayo magdadasal sa Diyos, kung alam na naman niya kung ibibigay niya sa atin o hindi ang hiling natin? Well, first of all, prayer is not just petition, right? It’s part of our relating to & with God, both as individuals & as a community, along with good works, acts of charity, compassion, etc. But secondly, we should not stop asking God for what we need just because, as we say, God already knows what we need before we ask. No.           When we keep praying for the grace we need (key phrase, “keep praying”), we realize more & more deeply how totally, desperately, endlessly dependent we are on God. And you know what, sisters & brothers, as many of you have already discovered by now, the more we realize in prayer how deeply, desperately, & endlessly dependent we are on God—it’s such a mysterious, miraculous thing—that we also increasingly sense how deeply, desperately, & endlessly kind-hearted & loving, generous & caring God has always been to us, all this time. Kaya tuloy, lumalalim ang ating pananampalataya. Allow me to repeat that. When we keep praying for the grace we need (key phrase, “keep praying”), God takes us to that place where we realize how totally, desperately, endlessly dependent we are on his goodness. But the longer we’re there, the clearer we see how loving & generous God has always been to us, anyway, more than we deserve or ask for. So, our faith deepens. We want more faith not so much to merit his reward. Rather, we want more faith because it makes us surrender to God, who has, nevertheless, been unfailing & relentless in goodness & providence, much more than we even deserve. That’s what’s behind Jesus’ parable in the 2nd part of today’s Gospel. We will always be only servants to the Master. We do what the Master obliges us to do. But it’s his will that will bring everything to a good end. Faith is not so much to earn or buy or finagle the Master’s prize. Faith means surrender to the Master’s goodness. So, dad never gave me a robot, a Zippo, an Atari, & then some, despite my most importunate begging. Only years after I left home did I progressively realize, hey, my dad started me off on Peanuts comics, then, Hardy Boys, then, a whole set of Collier’s Encyclopedia, w/ a 4-volume set of Medical Encyclopedia; then, signed me up for piano school even as it took away

General, Homilies, Soul Food

A Revenge of God’s Infinite Goodness

The story of St Thérése Couderc which the Cenacle sisters know by heart is a revenge in the end of God’s infinite goodness. She went through so many humiliations in life often caused by ecclesiastical authorities and her companions in the congregation – people who invoke the name of Jesus!  After a rather rosy start of her religious life, one thing led to another: the death of Fr Terme, her co-founder of the congregation; the split between the Sisters of Saint Regis and the Religious of the Cenacle; the financial woes following the failed promise of a lady to cover the built chapel after her family opposed the donation; then a law suit ensued but the sisters lost the case, and Thérèse as the Superior General was blamed by her companions for all the mess. The tragedies did not end here.  A string of bad calls followed.  The Bishop appointed a novice who was a wealthy widow to replace her.  This was a disaster, and thank God, it was short-lived, and the new superior had to be replaced.  It is said the Jesuit advisers replaced her “with a succession of wealthy women.” A Jesuit provincial was involved in the appointment of Mother Contenet as Superior General.  She made bad decisions like sending away experienced sisters from the community for unknown reasons so that only Thérèse and another older nun were left in the convent.  She was restricted from giving retreats, a ministry she so loved doing.  The novices were made to believe that Mother Contenet was the foundress of the congregation, and not Thérèse.  It all seemed like an attempt to isolate her and get rid of her influence in the congregation.  In the meantime, Thérèse continued her labors in obscurity, but at some point, she was made superior for a short time in Paris and Tournon.  It would have been tempting for her to fight back and resist the marginalization, but she took the path of Jesus to Calvary.  After the superiors who were against her had died, her true place in the congregation was restored as her life, writings and reflections showed the depth of her spirituality and holiness. In the Gospel, Jesus says: “unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”  This is the life of Thérèse, a progressive dying to self so that others, her congregation, and those she accompanied may live.  It is a complete and prophetic participation in the paschal mystery of Christ.  In her well-known writing, she says: “To surrender oneself is to die to everything and to self, to be no longer concerned with self except to keep it continually turned towards God.” This is not just an ideal for her.  She lived it to the full. Fr Adolfo Nicolás says that classic saints have something in common, that is, they all have a capacity to give themselves totally and absolutely to God.  Saints like Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier and so many others are so focused and centered on God and the mission entrusted to them.  Thérèse likewise belongs to the list of classic saints mentioned by Fr Nico.  She had a singleness of vision. She was completely focused on God and the mission of leading people to the goodness of Lord through spiritual accompaniment and retreat giving.  There is no trace of egoism in her even amid humiliations. The grace that sustained her is not sheer will power nor human effort.  It is the infinite goodness of God that kept her going. It is the same graciousness of God that the Lord speaks to Moses in the first reading: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” Thérèse speaks of the same goodness of God: “without which there would be no goodness, neither in people nor in other creatures.”  We encounter the goodness of God in everything and in everywhere. In our world where distractions, disappointments and distressing moments abound and at times triggered by companions and well-meaning people, St Thérèse could be our inspiration and courage.  The goodness of God may seem absent or defeated, but it is there.  It surfaces and resurfaces, not always in our own terms, but in God’s. St Thérèse Couderc, pray for us. Homily of Fr. Antonio (Tony) Moreno, SJ on the Feast Day Mass of Saint Thérèse Couderc 26 September 2022 Cenacle Retreat House

General, Homilies, Jubilee, Soul Food

Sr. Mari’s Jubilee

Homily delivered by Fr. Roger Champoux, SJ on the occasion of Sr Mari’s Golden Jubilee Celebration It seems to be the Jubilee Season! I got curious and tried to find out about this word “jubilee” when we “jubilate” and celebrate.  When did we learn to “jubilate”? The term comes from Hebrew and refers to the horn of a ram, which was used like a trumpet to mark important Jewish celebrations. And if you are also curious, you will find the word “jubilee” in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 25), yes, Leviticus, not the most interesting book of the Bible! The Jubilee was actually an amazing invention of Israel. It was first of all related to creation: it came after “seven times seven years,” which makes 49 years, something like the fullness of time. It was meant as a feast for the people, especially the poor. The people were to blow the trumpet in the whole country on that Day of the Great Forgiveness and proclaim “liberation for all the inhabitants.” They were to recall not only the gift of Creation but also the liberation from slavery in Egypt and do various things to restore peace and justice in their Land. This is what Jesus is alluding to during his opening SONA in the Temple of Nazareth: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (the Spirit of Creation and Re-Creation evidently), he has anointed me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, (…) to proclaim a year of favor (grace) from the Lord.” This is the Jubilee Year, the Good News, the Year of Grace and Freedom, the time of the Kingdom… Even if in reality, that famous “Jubilee Year” may not have been really celebrated as it was intended, it is important to remember that it was a reminder not only of the gift of Creation but also of the gift of freedom granted by Yahweh to His people—freedom from oppression, from poverty, from injustice, from all forms of evil. It is a celebration of God’s active presence in the life of His people and a reminder that we have to live accordingly, in gratitude and in service. And this liberation, from Egypt and slavery, brought along the gift of the Promised Land. The Jubilee brings with it a grandiose vision of God’s Love for us and of his Dream for us. How far are we from Sr. Mari’s Jubilee? Her jubilee, all our silver and gold and platinum and sometimes diamond jubilees, are small and simple, but they belong to a much bigger story, the presence of God in our lives and history. And today, we honor the gift of Mary, a simple girl in her family and culture but a great gift for us and for our human family. It is her birthday today: one more child born into the world… simple and poor and unknown… But she was to have a major role in God’s dream for us: to let him be even more the “Emmanuel,” the God with us, the God like us who spoke our human language. Every little jubilee re-opens our minds not only to our own stories, simple as they are, but to the presence and action of a loving God who is always finding ways to bring us to Him and to one another. It happened to Mary, it happened to Mari, it happens to each of us. Each one of us has a little part to play in this Great Drama of Holy History, and we “jubilate” with gratitude when we remember this. So our jubilees belong to a much bigger story, from the gift of creation to the gift of Jesus and the Kingdom, and of course, of his Mother, our Mother too. No wonder we “jubilate” in a Jubilee: we remember, and we are filled with gratitude. And we renew our desire to be of the Great Dream of God for each ad everyone of us.   Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roger Champoux SJ Cenacle Retreat House 8 Sep 2022  

Features, General, Homilies, Jubilee, Soul Food

Filomena

Homily delivered by Fr. Jett Villarin, SJ on the occasion of Sr Meny’s Golden Jubilee Celebration I do not know if Meny entered the Cenacle 50 years ago in mini skirt. Minis were in vogue back then. What I heard though was Sr Angie, her novice mistress, chiding her (gently I can imagine) if she could please lengthen her skirt a few more inches. Can you imagine Meny in a mini?  When I first met her, it was in the college chapel, early 80s. I do not remember what she was wearing (wala na yung mini skirt) but something about her exuded feminine elegance. Ay madre, sabi ko sa loob. Madre pala. As the colegiala Bubbles would realize some years later, may ganoon palang madre. Walang belo, eleganteng simple, magandang sapatos.  Meny is probably cringing inside now. Meny will be the first person here to insist that she does not want to be the center of attention today. Yes it is her golden jubilee but today also celebrates the queenship of our Lady. Si Maria, hindi sya ang reyna. Meny would rather recede so we can remember to honor Mary the unpretentious mother of our Lord, who wanted nothing more than to be God’s humble servant offering only her fiat of love.  And so honor Mary we shall. Today’s jubilee is also our thanksgiving to Mary mother of our Lord, queen of heaven and earth. We celebrate her queenship that is unlike any other. Quiet, hidden, maternal, vigilant, as it was in the upper room with the disciples, the first cenacle. We give thanks for such a queenship that is not over us but one marked with deep faith, unassuming service, loving devotion. Mary’s queenship inspires us to offer our own fiat of love. Like mother, like child. Like Mary, like sisters of the Cenacle. Like Mary, like Meny.  And like Meny, we will move off-center. After all, we are not the center of our lives. We will heed her when she tells us, please look, look instead at the One I love. Look to the One who has loved me all these years. Look at the One to whom I have promised all of my life. Turn your heart to the One who has my heart.  This is not to say we are not in Meny’s heart. All of us here today know that we are in hers as she is in ours. Meny will be the first to confess that one of her most cherished gifts in life is our friendship with her. The love of friends, she says, is love that is free. There is no coercion in the giving or receiving, no quid pro quo or entitled exchange when friends love.  Look to the One who has loved me all these years.  The love of Christ has meant all the world to Meny. Her name is Filomena, rooted perhaps in the Greek philoumene, “the loved one”, “beloved”. Beloved of us, beloved of Christ, Meny would dearly want us to believe that this too is our name. We are beloved of each other. We too are God’s beloved. And so, however long it might take us, we will let the love of Christ mean all the world to us.  Look at the One I love, the One to whom I have promised all of my life.  Surely, promising her love has not been without loss or sorrow. Some of us here have been privileged to have caught some of her tears. And yet here she stands, for all her worries and feelings of inadequacy. Despite her anxious and nerviosa self, still she risks her love in return for love. Today once more she professes: here but for the grace of God I am, for the One I love. I am here only because of Him who has my heart.  And so turn we shall to the One who has Meny’s heart. Then might we realize we are here only by the grace of God. Then might we confess how we lose our way, walking the darkness were it not for the light of our Lord. Gladly, generously by the grace of God we live. Faithfully, forever but for the grace of God we love.  In the Gospel today, we hear once more Mary’s fiat of love: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”  After all these years, what has God done to you, Meny? Ano ang ginawa ng Diyos sa iyo, Meny?  Knowing her, most probably she would say, of all the things he has done to me, the only thing that matters really is that he has loved me.  Thank you Meny. Gratefully but for the grace of God, we will turn to the One who has your heart.  Queenship of Mary Jose Ramon T VIllarin SJ Pentecost Church 22 Aug 2022   

General, Homilies, Jubilee, Soul Food

“Stay CALM… and know He is God!”

  What a perfect gospel story as we come together today. Even ever-composed Mary panics and gets anxious as Jesus is not found “with the group/caravan.” 3 days of search, must have been unnerving. But Jesus is calm, oblivious even, at His parents’ anxiety. “Why the worry, didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” And for today, as we gather, amidst so much uncertainty and doubt and fear around, maybe to tell us, “why the worry, I am here, before the Father – for you! If only… you learn to settle down and trust.” So, Sr Susay, as we celebrate this milestone with you, in this time so uncertain, as you move to an unfamiliar new assignment, I’d say, be like Jesus, our model and goal, stay CALM!!! Stay Consistent, Appreciative, Loving, Merciful. C-A-L-M. C – Stay Consistent As you look back to a vocation journey so mysterious, so difficult to explain yet so beautiful, a story with different twists and turns – we are here primarily because of God’s faithfulness beyond our own. And so, the only return we can offer is also to try to live a life of fidelity and consistency to and with Him. Far from perfect yet what we offer, we offer wholeheartedly. Holding close to heart always that which is beautiful, steady – God’s very presence Himself. We are able to live faithfully, consistently when we fix our gaze upon Him and Him alone. Then everything else becomes relative. A- Stay Appreciative In a world that has become more and more toxic, frustrating – there is always the temptation to give in to the negativity, suck life out of people, complain about almost everything. But not in our vocation. We are always invited to bear witness to the joy of faith, the joy of our believing. Our faith is a joyful faith, after all we are children of Easter morn. It is a joy that emanates from grateful hearts, appreciative hearts. And when we begin to see the world with eyes of gratitude, we begin to forge hearts of hope, hopeful hearts – because we can claim nothing as our own – our achievements, our gifts as much as our shadows, everything become but possibilities… because of love. And in gratitude, we go forth, trusting! L – Stay Loving Ster, please don’t lose that gentle heart of yours – always ready to respond, to care, to risk. Eternally grateful I am for your assistance and support those years at APS. How, in your simple ways, you have accompanied students struggling, lost, tired, how you accompanied us. I am sure you will be missed. (teka, alam na ba nila hehe). Yet, isn’t our vocation precisely rooted in love – being loved first of all by the great lover Himself who brought us all here. Undeserved but lovingly conceded to us, for us.. inviting us. And this is the loving we are called to, our keeping others from shattering. Our loving is hopefully to be that pillar of hope and faith for our hurting world today. To allow ourselves to be that presence that keeps others from crumbling, from feeling lost when all else have become so dark and cold and lonely. M – Be Merciful Mercy is the bedrock of our faith. It is what allows us a glimpse of the Divine. We are here today, Sister, witnessing the very mercy of God. Beyond our woundedness, our personal dramas, here we are… And so we are gently invited to allow our hearts that mercy too. That we mirror in our lives the compassion who is Jesus. Our commitments, our yeses, define the persons we become and are. Imperfect, struggling, yet confident in the love and mercy of this God of ours who invites us to His ministry of loving and keeping His people steady, hopeful and true. Sister, yes, be merciful to others but, knowing you, I pray more especially, be merciful, gentler and kinder to yourself. Sr Susay, as you renew your vows, know we are here with & for you. May our united yes to God’s invitation fuel us to a more inspired ministry & mission! And during those dark moments of disappointments & doubt, just remember, ‘ter – “Stay CALM… and know He is God!” In this mass, we pray. May our gathering this morning be a gathering of love, of hope. May we pray for the gift of fidelity in and for our mission that together, we be God’s very heart in today’s daunting times. Amen. Homily of Fr. IJ  Chan-Gonzaga, SJ  on the thanksgiving celebration of 25 years in Religious Life for Sr. Susay Valdez, RC at  Our Lady of Pentecost Parish | 25 June 2022

General, Homilies, Soul Food

Solidarity

Homily on Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ | 18 June 2022 by Fr Tony Moreno, SJ “You Filipinos eat five times a day” – a Jesuit tertian from overseas tells me. I was struck to hear this. But actually, at times, it is six times a day we eat if we include the midnight snacks. Eating is a human activity not only to satisfy one’s hunger. It is an expression of fellowship or solidarity. Eating alone is fine, now and then, but if one eats alone all the time, one begins to wonder what is happening. In the eyes of the self-righteous, one unacceptable deed of Jesus is eating with sinners and tax collectors. He breaks the barrier that separates the sinners from the rest of the community by having meals with the unclean and ostracized. Note also the parable of the loving father, after the father and son reconcile, there is a celebration. There is a grand party, much to the dismay of the elder brother. The meal becomes a gesture of solidarity. It is the same spirit behind the Gospel today. The feeding of the multitude is important for Jesus because it is a perfect ending after healing the sick. While his disciples were quick to dismiss them, Jesus finds a way to feed them and celebrate. There is fellowship and solidarity. In Jewish custom, the passover meal is a celebration of God’s liberating power. The night before exodus is a solemn one for God shows the saving power never before the Jewish people have experienced. God enters their world to accompany them. This is a great expression of solidarity. As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we likewise call to mind the greatest act of solidarity for all time, God’s unbreakable love for all of us. Jesus uses the meal as an eternal symbol of God’s indwelling in our midst. It is no longer the lamb that we partake but Jesus himself. It is no longer simply a nation (such as the Jewish people) that God commits to love but the whole of humanity and creation including you and me. Jesus becomes food and drink for the nourishment of our life and mission. He commands us: “Do this in memory of me.” He asks us to bring to life the message of God’s unbreakable love. Forgetfulness of God’s enduring love is a great sin. It is an act of ingratitude. Our continuing fragmentation and division as a people is an indication that the wounds of hatred and sin are still there. We partake of Jesus’ body and blood, he lives on in us, but at times, our lives are so marked by hatred and intolerance. Sadly this is still happening in our society after the elections. Ironically, last April, after celebrating 500 years of Christianity in our country it was a moment of grace, but in no time, we showed to the whole world how much we hated those who did not share our political preference. I see good friends who are no longer on speaking terms. I see siblings and relatives who have become enemies. Pardon becomes difficult to ask and equally difficult to give. This runs counter to the spirit of our celebration today. Our celebration of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ such as this Eucharist we are celebrating cannot be simply a personal or private act without anything to do with building our community. It can bring us closer as a community. It can heal our brokenness as a people as we call to mind God’s unbreakable solidarity and love for us. May our celebration of the meal of Jesus be a summit and source of healing and reconciliation. It is the highest form of solidarity which can heal hatred and division.

General, Homilies, Soul Food

Pentecost Sunday

Homily on The Feast of Pentecost by Fr Arnel Aquino, SJ Cenacle Retreat House | 4 June 2022 I had a tooth extracted two days ago. I know. Sad. In the past, dentists were bunot-happy, remember? Konteng sakit, bunot. Konteng bulok, bunot. These days, extraction is the last resort of good dentists. They try to save a toot as much as they, even if it’s dead. They root canal it, fill it, cap it, anything to keep it just where it is. But alas, my dentist saw a fracture on my tooth, top to bottom. When a tooth fissures top to bottom, it cannot be saved. It has to come off. It’s hopeless. It’s irredeemable. Buti na lang, hindi bunot-happy ang Diyos natin, ‘no? Imagine if he were? When we’ve become such a pain to others, when we start infecting them, corrupting them, a bunot-happy God would extract us from the face of the earth. People are better off without us being such a burden. The space we leave behind? God could always fill that up with much better people, people who are more faithful, to him, kinder to others, steadfast in their love & service. But you & I, we’re often unfaithful, unkind, unloving, & uncharitable. So, thank God, he’s not bunot-happy. Kahit gaano tayo kasama, sa kaila-ilaliman ng ating pagktao, gusto pa rin nating mabuhay, lalo na para sa mga mahal natin sa buhay. And you know, God honors that. For good or for ill, he honors that. Secondly, such good news that no matter how fractured we are—top to bottom, sideways, inside out—to God, we’re still savable. To be fair, not all our cracks are our fault, no. The sins of family, community, the world have split & torn us apart. Nonetheless, we fissure also because of our own immoral, self-serving, & self-aggrandizing choices, both as individuals & as a community, as a country, even. Alam na alam na natin kung ano, sino, at saan anag makakasama sa atin, sige pa rin tayo nang sige. D’un pa rin tungo natin. Ang tigas ng ulo natin. ‘Di tayo matuto-tuto. But even then, we never forfeit our redeemability. Not to God, anyway. Sometimes, to be franck with you, I wish God didn’t give bad people such long lives, especially bad politicians. Sometimes, I wonder why politicians who are obviously bulok are still around & thriving. But just as divine benevolence is a mystery, human redeemability is also a mystery only God understands. If there’s one thing God is “incapable” of doing, maybe it’s to restrain himself from saving us. Kung sa bagay, ‘yun naman ang pangalan niya dito sa lupa, ‘di ba? Jesus. Yeshua. God saves. Many, many Catholics believe that when Jesus ascended to the Father, he has since been saving us by remote control…from heaven. The remot control is the Holy Spirit. I often ask the graduating class in LST: “What does the Holy Spirit look like? What does he do? How does he behave?” They stare at me like a I have three heads! But there’d always be one brave soul who’d answer: “Father, dove? Father, the Spirit hovers over us, enlightens us & empowers us?” So, the Holy Spirit is some bird-like avatar of God & has only two missions: light & power. Meralco? First of all, the Holy Spirit has a face, a human face. And this is the face of Jesus. The Holy Spirit in fact isJesus; not bird, not just “light” or “wind” or “energy.” Secondly, Holy Spirit does more than light & power. If the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Father & Son, then, the Holy Spirit also saves! Whatever Jesus did in his earthly life over 2000 years ago, he still does today as the Holy Spirit. The Spirit heals our illness, fills our hunger, consoles our grief, reconciles us, unites our family & community—the very same way Jesus did back in his day. When Jesus “sends” us the Spirit, it is Jesus’ very Self who comes down to us, to be with us, yes, but also to dwell within us—regardless of our biyak, bitak, putok, baho, tigas ng ulo, katangahan, kasakiman. The Holy Spirit has a name after all. His name is Jesus. Yeshua. God saves. Hindi pa po tapos ang Diyos sa atin, sisters & brothers. We should never despair & think that we’re irredeemable, both as individuals & as a country. In God’s eyes, the world always needs saving because we always need saving, & very often from ourselves. Kung dumating man ang panahon when we finally make the right choices, whether in moral acts, correct behavior, or during elections—our right choices do not end the Spirit’s redemptive mission. We know ourselves only too well. Despite making right choices, we will eventually hurt each other. We will become cynical. We will resort to unkind behavior. And yes, we will try to extract people we reckon are irredeemable. So, all the more reason we need a constant Pentecost—a yearly Pentecost, a monthly Pentecost, a daily Pentecost: that divine outpouring of God’s very self on all of us, in spite of ourselves. And so, we prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful & kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit & we shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.” Amen.

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