EYMARD: IN THE YEAR OF THE POOR AND THE YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE:

We can weave in our celebration today of the 147^th death anniversary of Fr. Eymard and his Feast Day tomorrow two very important celebrations in the Church: the Year of the Poor (as part of the year-by-year celebration towards the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines) and the Year of Consecrated Life. In this light, I propose that we consider this icon: Eymard – A Poor Religious! However, since Eymard became a religious when he entered the Society of Mary in 1839 and stayed a Marist for 17 years – 5 years longer than his time in the Congregation, we need to qualify more the icon presented above. Besides, his longer stay as a Marist gave him the opportunity to occupy pertinent roles and positions – Master of Novices, Provincial Superior, Visitator General, Superior in a college and Director of the Third Order of Mary, which will entail a great deal of presentation. Thus, I propose that we concentrate on Eymard – A Poor SSS Religious.

1. He lived poorly. His own desire to live a very simple life often led to dire situations. But he persevered and truly embraced a life of poverty. The first residence of the infant community was dilapidated and the members even sold their personal books to keep them from starving.
2. He opted to serve the poor. Although his ultimate desire was to adore the Lord before the Blessed Sacrament, this did not prevent him from concretely responding to the needs of those in the peripheries – the ragpickers, the laborers and the children (street children). He and his followers responded to these poor people not only spiritually but also intellectually and materially.
3. He was a channel of grace for the poor. Knowing that he could not sustain his project for the poor, he involved a good number of women in Paris and gave them the opportunity to assist the poor by sharing their time and material blessings.

Our celebration of the death anniversary of our Founder and his Feast Day should give us the opportunity to evaluate our own style of life, formation and apostolate. Are we really living the evangelical poverty? Do our options include those in the margins or peripheries?  Do the resources that God provides, through our friends and benefactors, assist our ministry to the poor?

HAPPY 47^TH

PROFESSION ANNIVERSARY

BRO. HENRY (AUGUST 1, 2015)

 

 

FOUR VIETNAMESE SCHOLSATICS MADE RENEWAL OF VOWS AT EFC:

On the occasion of the 147^th Death Anniversary of Fr. Eymard (August 1), four Vietnamese scholastics residing at Eymard Formation Center (EFC) made their renewal of religious vows before Fr. Provincial during the morning Eucharist of the community. The four are the following: Bros. Joseph TRAN BA THIEN, Joseph NGUYEN HUY KIET, Ignatius NGUYEN QUOC HUNG and Joseph PHAM TUAN KHOI.

ON-GOING FORMATION, RENEWAL AND UPDATING:

Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, OFM, the secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, was the keynote speaker during the AMRSP Joint Biennial Convention last July 13-17, 2015. During the Question and Answer segment, the Archbishop said that over the past five years 2,500 men and women religious leave the consecrated life each year.  He then proceeded to give this profile of them:  A majority of them are relatively young.  Major reasons for leaving are “absence of spiritual life,” “loss of a sense of community,” “loss of sense of belonging to the Church” – a loss manifest in dissent from Catholic teaching on “women priests and sexual morality,” “affective problems,” including heterosexual relationships that continue into marriage and homosexual relationships, which are “most obvious in men, but also present, more often than you think, between women.”

The archbishop spoke of the present state of the world which is going through many changes that has resulted to uncertainty, doubt, and insecurity. He lamented that in this postmodern world, “there is no place for sacrifice, nor for renunciation” and “the individual is the measure of everything.” “Modern man talks a lot” but “cannot communicate in depth,” he added.

According to the archbishop, there is hope for religious life if only focus on the Triune God is brought to the fore because it is only through a renewed attention to love and devotion to God will religious men and women be true bearers of the Good News to others.

It is in this light that we would like to focus on ongoing formation, renewal and updating. I therefore encourage each religious to express your need for this and not hesitate to suggest ways and means of accomplishing it.

GOING TO THE PERIPHERIES:

Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, OFM, DD, indicated that to secure the future of Religious Life, there is a need to go to the peripheries. Thus, immediately the Provincial met with those who are involved in the task of formation to bring to their attention this important hint. The formators took the hint seriously and would be sending our formands to reach out to people in the peripheries.

However, there are people who are not physically marginalized yet are also in need of help. They could be some of the members of our community. Thus, Local Superiors should be reaching out to all the members of the community.

EMPOWERING THE PASTORS:

In his meeting with the new Council, our Fr. General says, “In order to help you in developing further the SSS identity of our parishes/shrines, I suggest that you draw up a vademecum (directory) of what ought to characterize a truly SSS parish/shrine. We already have some precisions in Canon Law but we can make it even more specifically SSS. This will help us avoid the dangers of personality cults and individualism in our SSS projects.”

The fifth POLA Chapter (January 2007) also mentioned about the vademecum for superiors and pastors. It  supposed the inclusion of the following concerns: “1) approved form for the turnover of assignments; 2) the requirement for religious priests assigned to a particular Arch/diocese to attend the presbyterium meeting and other important Diocesan gatherings; 3) the reminder to superiors to make a courtesy visit to the local ordinary to present the religious assigned to work in the archdiocese for them to be introduced during the presbyteral meeting and for the archbishop to give them faculties.”

Lastly, the fourth POLA Chapter (January 2003) approved this proposal of Tacloban community: “To come up with the official “Handbooks or Guidelines” for LITES, Social Action and specific Eucharistic Ministries.”

Thus, the two days of meeting with pastors was devoted to fulfilling the following tasks:

1. To look at the numbers in our Rule of Life, General Statutes and Provincial Statutes that deal with the Apostolate especially Parochial Ministry. This will be the starting point of the proposed vademecum.
2. To incorporate the previously approved proposals from the past different Provincial Chapters (including those from the 7^th) into the proposed vademecum.
3. To incorporate the results of the survey to our religious into the proposed vademecum.
4. To further make proposals that can be included in the proposed vademecum.
5. To listen and interact with Bishop Ronnie Bancud, who gave some input on pastoral matters.
6. To summarize and discuss a number of pastoral issues for the needed stance and guidance of the pastors.

 

It is hoped that this initiative will be an important step in making clear what truly is an SSS parish/shrine for the guidance of our own religious, the diocese that invites/accepts us and the parishioners entrusted to us.

REFLECTION – PERPETUALIST RONEL FULO, SSS:

Malapit na!

            Brother/ Kapatid Malapit na ha! Excited ka na ba? Ito ang kadalasan kong naririnig sa mga taong nakakasalamuha ko lalo’t alam nila na padating na ang araw ng aming Pagtatalaga sa buhay relihiyoso, o sa Ingles, ang aming Perpetual Profession. Marahil tinutukoy nila ang mga natitirang araw bago namin tuluyang ialay ang aming buhay sa Diyos at sa simbahan kasapi ng Kongregasyon ng Banal na Santisimo Sakramento. Oo nga, malapit na! Ngunit para sa akin ito ay nangangahulugan ng maraming bagay. Mga bagay na nagdadala sa akin ng saya, takot, pagkabagabag at katiwasayan sa aking kaluluwa.

            Alin nga ba ang malapit na? Una, para sa akin malapit nang matapos ang araw nang aming pagiging seminarista. Malapit nang matapos ang mahabang araw ng pagsusunog ng kilay, upang makapasa sa mga pagsusulit. Habang kami ay naririto at inihahanda ang aming mga sarili para sa natatanging araw, ‘di ko maiwasan ang malungkot, sapagkat tapos na ang araw ng kabaliwan at kasiyahan ng pagiging isang seminarista. Totoo nga naman, tapos na ang araw ng kulitan, tawanan at minsan ay iyakan na nangyayari sa iba’t-ibang dahilan. Tapos na rin ang araw ng mga kaba na dulot ng taunang evaluation. Hindi na kami seminarista, kami na ngayon ay relihiyoso ng Kongregasyon ng Banal na Santisimo Sakramento.

            Malapit na! Malapit na rin ang araw na yayakapin namin nang buong-buo ang lahat ng mayroon ang buhay relihiyoso. Lahat ng sakit, hirap, saya at responsibilidad. Ito ang aking napagtanto sa mga araw na aming nakasama ang ibang kasapi ng aming komunidad. Kami ay papasok sa isang buhay na nangangailangan ng buong pagtatalaga ng sarili hanggang sa wala ni anuman na matira para sa amin o para sa mga iniwan naming pamilya. Ngayon ang aming buhay ay nakatuon na lamang sa Diyos at para sa kanyang bayan.

            Malapit na at dapat na kaming mamatay sa aming mga sarili at mabuhay ng buong-buo para sa Panginoong aming pagsisilbihan habang buhay. Minsan ang ganitong isipin ay nakakatakot sapagkat alam ko na ako ay maraming kahinaan, kahinaan na minsan ay nagpapahina ng aking pananampalataya at pagtitiwala sa Panginoon. Sa buhay na aming yayakapin, kami ay tinatawagan at inaasahan na maging isang matabang lupa, upang mamunga ng naaayon sa kagustuhan ng Poong Maykapal.

            Totoo nga naman malapit na. Ngunit para sa akin, ito ay ‘di lamang tumutukoy sa mga araw na aming binibilang bago ang aming Pagtatalaga o Ordinasyon. Malapit na ang araw na dapat naming matanto sa aming mga sarili kung anong klase ng buhay ang aming kakaharapin at yayakapin. Ito na ang araw na aming pinaghandaan sa mahabang panahon ng paghuhubog sa loob ng seminaryo, ang mga araw na aming pinakahihintay, inaasam at magbibigay katuparan sa binitawan naming pangako nang kami ay unang kapanayamin bago kami pumasok sa kongregasyon. Malapit na ang araw na lubusan na naming mapaglilingkuran ang Diyos at simbahan ng walang pasubali at pag-aalinlangan. Panalangin ang aming  sandata upang marating namin ang araw na ito, at panalangin din ang aming magiging sandigan upang maisakatuparan ang anumang pangako na aming bibitawan sa araw ng aming pagtatalaga bilang relihiyoso ng Kongregasyon ng Santisimo Sakramento. Malapit na! Totoo nga naman. Malapit na!

PRAYERS FOR:

• Repose of the soul of Alfonsa Tipones (mother of Fr. Mandy).
• SSS Brothers who are sick.

Fr. Joseph Matitu, SSS