In this year 2012, "the Year of Faith", we are so much blessed as Filipinos and as Catholics. God, in His goodness, has again surprised us, for even before Christmas, He has already gifted us with a saint and a cardinal. Of course, I am referring to our second Filipino saint, St. Pedro Calungsod, who was canonized last October in Rome and Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, who was made cardinal in a consistory held in November also in Rome. Both became gifts of faith for all Catholics around the world. Both are now sources of pride and inspiration for us, Filipinos, to be models and missionaries of faith to the world. In this Christmas season, the call to share our faith to others is an urgent demand. Our modern society has already introduced us to a Christ-less Christmas, drowned us almost everyday with its materialistic spirit and even made us believe that in this season, Faith has no more role to play in our lives. Christmas has become only about frenzy and fun and has nothing to do with faith anymore. It has gradually lost its originality because of secularism and has watered down its simplicity because of too much commercialism. That is why today's Christmas trend focuses more on receiving than sharing. Our "merry Christmas" greetings have become plainly Season's Greetings or Happy Holidays, devoid of any Christian sense. Shopping and malling are prioritized, instead of family and church celebrations. Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer, is getting more famous than the Child in the manger. The world has forgotten now the "reason for this season". In our thinking and ways, we have clearly and sorely missed the point. We have failed to transmit the right Christmas story. We have slowly removed the Baby Jesus in the nativity event. So lest we totally forget, may I, therefore, remind everyone that over 2000 years ago, a child was born to us and dwelt among us. He is Jesus, the Emmanuel, the "God among us". He showed us the WAY, spoke to us the TRUTH, and eventually shared his LIFE, that we may all have the fullness of life. This is the reality. This is our faith. This is what Christmas is all about. To Remember, Believe, and Celebrate the birth of Jesus is now the call of faith for us. Let us make it happen again this December. Thanks be to God for sending us people of faith, like St. Pedro Calungsod and Cardinal Tagle. May their lives and example inspire us to also offer ourselves as gifts of faith for others, so that our Christmas be truly a celebration of faith in and for Jesus, the child in the manger. A blessed Christmas and a grace- filled New Year to everyone. Father Ely C. Dalanon Message from the Chaplain On Sunday, 21 October 2012, His Ho- liness Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the Formula of Canonization to declare and define Blessed Pedro Calungsod to be a Saint, enroll him among the Saints, and decree that he is to be ven- erated as such by the whole Church. The ceremonies were held at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, and at- tended by countless Filipinos who had travelled from the Philippines, or are based in Europe. Jacques Berthieu, Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Maria Carmen Salles y Barangueras, Marianne Cope, Kateri Tekakwitha and Anna Schaffer were also canonized at the ceremony. The first Filipino Saint is Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, canonized on 18 Oct. 1987. Read more on pages 2 and 3. A foretaste of heaven 2 St Calungsod and Filipinos in Austria 3 The canonization of the 7 new saints and homily of Pope Benedict 4 CBCP Pastoral letter 5 Cardinal Tagle 6 Advent recollection 6 bits & bites 7 Singularity 7 How I became a Legionary 8 Ode to the winter 8 Family values 9 Community news 10 From our calendar 12 Inside this issue: Dec. 2012 Vol. 8, No. 2 The Official Newsletter of the Filipino Catholic Chaplaincy, Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria St. Pedro Calungsod, pray for us!
Transcript
In this year 2012, "the Year of
Faith", we are so much blessed as
Filipinos and as Catholics. God,
in His goodness, has again
surprised us, for even before
Christmas, He has already gifted
us with a saint and a cardinal. Of
course, I am referring to our
second Filipino saint, St. Pedro
Calungsod, who was canonized
last October in Rome and
Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle,
who was made cardinal in a
consistory held in November also
in Rome. Both became gifts of
faith for all Catholics around the
world. Both are now sources of
pride and inspiration for us,
Filipinos, to be models and
missionaries of faith to the world.
In this Christmas season, the call
to share our faith to others is an
urgent demand. Our modern
society has already introduced us
to a Christ-less Christmas,
drowned us almost everyday with
its materialistic spirit and even
made us believe that in this
season, Faith has no more role to
play in our lives. Christmas has
become only about frenzy and
fun and has nothing to do with
faith anymore. It has gradually
lost its originality because of
secularism and has watered down
its simplicity because of too much
commercialism. That is why
today's Christmas trend focuses
more on receiving than sharing.
Our "merry Christmas" greetings
have become plainly Season's
Greetings or Happy Holidays,
devoid of any Christian sense.
Shopping and malling are
prioritized, instead of family and
church celebrations. Rudolph, the
red nosed reindeer, is getting
more famous than the Child in the
manger.
The world has forgotten now the
"reason for this season". In our
thinking and ways, we have
clearly and sorely missed the
point. We have failed to transmit
the right Christmas story. We
have slowly removed the Baby
Jesus in the nativity event.
So lest we totally forget, may I,
therefore, remind everyone that
over 2000 years ago, a child was
born to us and dwelt among us.
He is Jesus, the Emmanuel, the
"God among
u s " . H e
showed us the
WAY, spoke to us the TRUTH,
and eventually shared his LIFE,
that we may all have the fullness of
life. This is the reality. This is our
faith. This is what Christmas is all
about. To Remember, Believe,
and Celebrate the birth of Jesus is
now the call of faith for us. Let us
make it happen again this
December.
Thanks be to God for sending us
people of faith, like St. Pedro
Calungsod and Cardinal Tagle.
May their lives and example
inspire us to also offer ourselves as
gifts of faith for others, so that our
Christmas be truly a celebration of
faith in and for Jesus, the child in
the manger.
A blessed Christmas and a grace-
filled New Year to everyone.
Father Ely C. Dalanon
Message from the Chaplain
On Sunday, 21 October 2012, His Ho-
liness Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed
the Formula of Canonization to declare
and define Blessed Pedro Calungsod to
be a Saint, enroll him among the
Saints, and decree that he is to be ven-
erated as such by the whole Church.
The ceremonies were held at St. Peter’s
Square in the Vatican City, and at-
tended by countless Filipinos who had
travelled from the Philippines, or are
based in Europe.
Jacques Berthieu, Giovanni Battista
Piamarta, Maria Carmen Salles y
Barangueras, Marianne Cope, Kateri
Tekakwitha and Anna Schaffer were
also canonized at the ceremony.
The first Filipino Saint is Lorenzo
Ruiz de Manila, canonized on 18 Oct.
1987.
Read more on pages 2 and 3.
A foretaste of
heaven
2
St Calungsod and
Filipinos in Austria
3
The canonization of
the 7 new saints and
homily of Pope Benedict
4
CBCP Pastoral letter 5
Cardinal Tagle 6
Advent recollection 6
bits & bites 7
Singularity 7
How I became a
Legionary 8
Ode to the winter 8
Family values 9
Community news 10
From our calendar 12
Inside this issue:
Dec. 2012
Vol. 8, No. 2
The Official Newsletter of the Filipino Catholic Chaplaincy, Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria
St. Pedro Calungsod, pray for us!
Page 2 Pastulan Vol. 8, No. 2
Vigil, then-Archbishop Tagle met us outside of the church and,
despite his very tight schedule, found time to exchange pleasantries, fond and encouraging words. And in the end, as he
gave us his blessing, we were humbled by this simple yet great
servant of the Catholic Church.
And then it was the Big Day. Early in the morning, we boarded
our bus in fervent anticipation of
the glorious event that would be
happening later that day. We were
so eager to attend the Holy Mass
that not even the long waiting line
could dampen our spirits. As one,
our spirits soared when finally we were inside St. Peter’s Square amongst the throng of other
pilgrims from around the world. All those Philippine flags
waving in the air like angel wings gently prodding us to come
nearer! And there in front of us was the portrait of Blessed Pedro
Calungsod, soon to be the second Filipino saint.
No words could ever describe the way I felt all throughout the
Holy Mass with Pope Benedict XVI as the celebrant and the
canonization rite itself. It was so solemn that during that whole
time, nothing else existed. It was a foretaste of heaven: of having
this feeling that the saints came down from heaven, visited and
shared with us our joy!
After the Mass, standing in the middle of St. Peter’s Square, I
quietly savoured the sights and sounds around me. There was
peace in my soul and contentment in my heart. I had been moved
and touched by the Spirit. Reflecting on what I had just
experienced, I came to the realization that it is possible for us to
become saints ourselves, and that we, too, can achieve the
holiness of life through the example of St. Pedro Calungsod. I
have no doubt that with the grace and love of God, it is within
our reach. The experience deepened my faith even more. Truth
be told, I felt blessed to have witnessed what could only be
described as a miracle of faith.
On our way back to Vienna, though tired and sleepy, we found
the time to have a sharing session in the bus. Several pilgrims
shared their miraculous experiences through the intercession of
Saint Pedro Calungsod. It was indeed a fitting end to a moving
spiritual experience.
Father Bernie "Bong" Alejo
The hour has come. St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican is packed
with people from all around the world. The crowds are cheering. Flags and banners are being waved as, one by one, the
names of the 7 newly-canonized saints of the Catholic Church
are read. I am overwhelmed by the sheer display of faith and I
feel a deep sense of pride and joy on this very occasion as I
witness a kababayan, our Kuya
Pedro, being canonized and
elevated to the Sainthood by no
other than Pope Benedict XVI.
What a privilege! It makes me
proud to be a Filipino. I feel
humbled by such a grace from God to witness a heavenly event. And I am sure that this event
left a deep imprint in the very core of the hearts of those, like
me, who witnessed it. I cannot but be awed by such a grace.
Flash back to the previous two days when we left Vienna by
bus to begin our pilgrimage to the Vatican City. One could
really feel the excitement of the more than 50 pilgrims on
board, as if it was a physical thing. After praying the rosary, we
had a catechism on the life and martyrdom of Blessed Pedro
Calungsod: how, as a young man, he was able to reach out to
others and spread the word of God by becoming a missionary in
Guam. It is in this place that he became a martyr for his faith
and love of God.
Upon arriving in Rome, we, the pilgrims went on a guided tour
of the Eternal City’s most important landmarks: Vatican
Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Each one of us
was amazed by the grandeur which surrounded us but it was
nothing compared to the thrill that was yet to come: the thrill of
touching heaven by witnessing a fellow Filipino being declared
a saint of the Catholic Church.
On the evening of the canonization, bisperas as we would call it
in Tagalog, we had the chance to join the Solemn Vigil at
Chiesa di Santa Pudenziana at Via Urbana 160, Rome where hundreds of Filipinos from different parts of the world
converged. The Solemn Vigil consisted of the Exposition of the
Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Word, Examination of
Conscience, Confessions, Holy Rosary, and Benediction. It was
presided by none other than Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio
Tagle, who soon thereafter was appointed as the Cardinal of
Manila, while the Mandaue Children and Youth Chorus
provided the solemn music. To top it all, right after the Solemn
A foretaste of heaven
A reflection on the Pilgrimage to Rome on the occasion of the Canonization of Blessed
Pedro Calungsod
Doctrina Christiana to symbolize his having
been a catechist. To indicate his missionary status, he is depicted in mid-stride, occasionally
also bearing a rosary or crucifix. In some early
statues, St. Calungsod is sometimes shown with
a spear and catana (cutlass), the instruments of
his death.
Source: Wikipedia
In 1998, Ronald Tubid (Oton, Iloilo) was
chosen to model for what then became the official portrait of the saint by Rafael del Casal
fifty-four, in the Visayas region of the Philippines. His
love for Christ inspired him to train as a catechist with
the Jesuit missionaries there. In sixteen sixty-eight,
along with other young catechists, he accompanied
Father Diego Luís de San Vitores to the Marianas
Islands in order to evangelize the Chamorro people.
Life there was hard and the missionaries also faced
persecution arising from envy and slander. Pedro,
however, displayed deep faith and charity and
continued to catechize his many converts, giving
witness to Christ by a life of purity and dedication to
the Gospel. Uppermost was his desire to win souls for
Christ, and this made him resolute in accepting
martyrdom. He died on the second of April, sixteen
Excerpt from the Pope’s canonization homily
Dec. 2012 Page 5
LIVE CHRIST, SHARE CHRIST
Looking Forward to Our Five
Hundredth
Go and make disciples… (Mt. 28:19)
We look forward with gratitude and joy
to March 16, 2021, the fifth centenary of
the coming of Christianity to our
beloved land. We remember with
thanksgiving the first Mass celebrated in
Limasawa Island on Easter Sunday
March 31 that same blessed year. We
remember the baptism of Rajah
Humabon who was given his Christian
name Carlos and his wife Hara Amihan
who was baptized Juana in 1521. Our
eyes gaze on the Santo Niño de Cebu,
the oldest religious icon in the
Philippines, gift of Ferdinand Magellan
to the first Filipino Catholics that same
year. Indeed the year 2021 will be a year
of great jubilee for the Church in the
Philippines.
We shall therefore embark on a nine-
year spiritual journey that will culminate
with the great jubilee of 2021. It is a
grace-filled event of blessings for the
Church starting October 21, 2012 until
March 16, 2021.
How opportune indeed that on October
21 this year, the Holy Father Pope
Benedict XVI will add a n o t h e r
Filipino to the canon of saints
of the Church, our very
own Visayan proto-martyr
Pedro Calungsod who gave his life
for the faith on the morning
of April 2, 1672 in Guam.
The canonization of Pedro Calungsod
will take place under the brilliant light of
the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of
the Second Vatican Council, the
twentieth year of the publication of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, and
the declaration of the Year of Faith from
October 11, 2012 until November 24,
2013 by the Holy Father. The XIII
Ordinary General Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops with the theme “The
New Evangel iza t ion for the
Transmission of the Christian Faith” will
take place in Rome from October 7 to 28
this year.
FAITH AND EVANGELIZATION
All these events happening this year are
bound together by the themes of “faith”
and “evangelization”. Evangelization
indicates proclamation, transmission and
witnessing to the Gospel given to
humanity by our Lord Jesus Christ and
the opening up of people’s lives, society,
culture and history to the Person of Jesus
Christ and to His living community, the
Church.
This “New Evangelization” is primarily
addressed to those who have drifted from
the Faith and from the Church in
traditionally Catholic countries,
especially in the West.
What we are being called to do by this
task of “New Evangelization” in Asia is
to consider anew “the new methods and
means for transmitting the Good News”
more effectively to our people. We are
challenged anew to foster in the Church
in our country a renewed commitment
and enthusiasm in living out the Gospel
in all the diverse areas of our lives, in
“real-life practice”, challenged anew to
become more and more authentic
witnesses of our faith, especially to our
Asian neighbors as a fruit of our
intensified intimacy with the Lord.
WHAT WILL THIS ERA OF NEW
EVANGELIZATION FOR THE
PHILIPPINES CONSIST OF?
The task stands on four pillars:
First, fostering and fulfilling the “missio
ad gentes”, as a special vocation of the
Church in our
country, effectively involving our
laypeople, our “Christifideles” brothers
and sisters; our priests and seminarians;
men and women in consecrated life.
Secondly, “bringing Good News to the
poor.” Again and again, Filipino
Catholics coming together to discern
priorities, have seen that the Church here
must become genuinely “a Church for
and with the poor.”
Thirdly, reaching out to those among us
whose faith-life has been largely eroded
and even lost due to the surrounding
confusion, moral relativism, doubt,
agnosticism; reaching out to those who
have drifted from the Faith and the
Church, and have joined other
religious sects.
Lastly, awakening or reawakening in
faith, forming and animating in Christian
life our young people and youth sector
groups, in both urban and rural settings;
A nine-year journey for the New
Evangelization has already been charted
climaxing with the Jubilee Year 2021:
Integral Faith Formation (2013); the
Laity (2014); the Poor (2015); the
Eucharist and of the Family (2016); the
Parish as a Communion of Communities
(2017); the Clergy and Religious (2018);
the Youth (2019); Ecumenism and Inter-
Religious Dialogue (2020); Missio ad
gentes (2021). These are the nine pastoral
priorities of the Church in the
Philippines.
In the time before us, we will focus on
these dimensions of faith, evangelization
and discipleship, one by one. And it is
most propitious that as we received the
faith 500 years ago, so with the Year
2021we envision to become a truly
sending Church.
In the face of a secularism which in some
parts of our present world has itself
become a kind of a “dominant religion”,
in the face of the reality of billions who
live in our time and who have not truly
encountered Jesus Christ nor heard of His
Gospel, how challenged we are, how
challenged we must be, to enter into the
endeavor of t h e “ N e w
Evangelization”! We for
whom Jesus has been
and is truly the Way, the Truth
and the Life, — how can we
not want and long and share
Him with brothers and
sisters around us who are yet to know
and love Him, who are yet to receive the
fullness of Life for which we have all
been created, and without which their
hearts will be ever restless – until they
find Jesus and His heart which awaits
them?
May our Lady, Mary Mother of Our
Lord, lead us all in our longing and
labors to bring her son Jesus Christ into
our time and our world, our Emmanuel –
our God who remains with us now and
yet whose coming again in glory we
await.
Maranatha, AMEN.
For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines:
+ JOSE S. PALMA, D.D. Archbishop of Cebu
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
Pastoral Letter on the Era of New Evangelization
Page 6 Pastulan Vol. 8, No. 2
This year’s Advent Recollection, held on
24 November, was facilitated by Fr. Jose
Cecil Lobrigas, a priest who belongs to
the Diocese of Tagbilaran in Bohol,
Philippines. He is presently pursuing a
Licentiate in Sacred Theology at The
Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome,
Italy. Here is a short summary of the
input Fr. Cecil delivered during the said
recollection.
At the outset, Fr Cecil reminds us of
the meaning of Advent: it is
remembering/commemorating the
Incarnation and anticipating/
expecting the Parousia or the second
coming of Christ. Quoting from
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict
XVI, he says that “memory awakens
hope.” With good memories one can
bring back hope; or, that by recalling,
a door of hope will be opened. The
first coming reminds us of God’s
love. The second coming is the final
judgment. Here Fr. Cecil reflected on
Mt. 25:31-46. He further explains that
the very themes of Advent are the
following: Preparedness, Vigilance,
and Repentance. Christ warns us to
keep watch – to keep WATCH with
our W-ords, A-ctions, T-houghts, C-
haracter, and H-eart.
Advent, therefore, is our journey of
faith towards an encounter with
Christ. Reflecting further on the story
of Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10), Fr. Cecil
says that we are like Zacchaeus:
uneasy, discontented, not able to see
Christ because of the crowd (life’s
preoccupation/priorities, sad
memories/hurts/sufferings) and of
being short (our shortcomings and
weaknesses). The Sycamore Tree is a
symbolic tree of faith for us to climb
in order to see Christ amidst the
crowd of experiences. It is our way of
trying to look for Christ. Jesus wants
us to be with him. Like Zacchaeus,
our encounter with Jesus will change
our lives for the better.
In the afternoon session, Fr. Cecil’s
focus is on the building up of a
Christian community. He reflects on
Lk 12:13-34, pointing out, on the one
hand, three attitudes which destroy
community: Anxiety, Envy, and
Narcissism. On the other hand, the
following attitudes are necessary for
the building up of a Christian
community: Deeper Security,
Contentment, and Caring. Finally,
Fr. Cecil brings us to Henri
Nuoman’s reflection from his book
The Life of the Beloved. Abba’s
Beloved is Jesus. We are also
invited to listen to God’s voice
saying “You are my beloved.”
God’s voice is soft and intimate.
This voice speaks the truth. Spiritual
life then begins by claiming the
voice that calls us the beloved. How
to live the life of the beloved?
From these three gospel events
(Multiplication of the Bread, Last
Supper, on the Road to Emmaus)
and during the celebration of the
Holy Eucharist, one can read the
following words: Took, Blessed,
Broke, Gave. These words
summarize the life of Jesus. And as
followers of the Lord, these would
also summarize our very lives. We
are taken, meaning we are chosen.
We are blessed and broken, and then
we are given (an offering).
Father Jose Conrado Estafia PhD
FCC Advent recollection
Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle was among the six new
cardinals created by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at a consistory held on 24 November 2012. The 6 cardinals are from
4 different continents, representing the Latin rite of the Catholic
Church as well as two Eastern Catholic Churches.
Known in the Philippines for theology and humility "Cardinal
Chito", 55, is now the Cardinal of Manila, and is the current
Chairman for the Episcopal Commission on the Doctrine of the
Faith.
"I want to highlight in particular the fact that the church is the
church of all peoples, so she speaks in the various cultures of the
different continents," the pope said during the hour-long service
in St. Peter's Basilica. "Amid the polyphony of the various
voices, she raises a single harmonious song to the living God."
Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
"You must be ready to conduct yourselves with fortitude, even to the shedding of your blood, for the increase of the Christian faith, for the peace and well-being of the people of God. ... Know that with the love of the Prince of the Apostles your love for the Church is reinforced"
Dec. 2012 Page 7
the bits
Have you ever wondered why we give and receive gifts? Why is it that it is just as important that we give, as well as receive gifts? Depending on what the occasion is, the relationship between the giver and receiver, and status quo, the value of the gift varies. Even our emotion and what we feel affects the worth of the gift. Relative to the giver and receiver, the value of the present increases or decreases. Do we expect something in return if we give? Why is it that a gift can only be called a gift if it is free? Can we survive without giving and receiving gifts? Lastly, is there such thing as the economics of gift giving? Anyway these are just some points to ponder.
Bishop Desmond Tutu said, "You don't choose your family, they are God's gift to you as you are to them." Wow! I am God's gift to my wife and my children and they are God's gift to me. If, then, God, who is love, gave me to my family as a gift out of His perfect and
to His holy will, and avail all of the sacra-
ments offered. Emmanuel, the name given
to Jesus that means “God is with us,” is a
clear message from the Father that He will
never leave us alone. Salvation and relent-
ing hope is His present to us through His
Son, who was made man just for the re-
demption of mankind.
To make things sound crucial, advent is, in
fact, a red memo from God. Some of our
brothers and sisters tend to forget that He
is present all-year round in the sacraments,
the religious, the priests, in our family and
friends, and in the people we meet every
day. This is a retreat call, a spiritual re-
charge to the hopeless and those led astray
by sin, that indeed He saves and He thirsts
to pour out His love to humankind. He is
not only a divinity per se. Our Lord Jesus
Christ is God-human. He was once a hu-
man being. He understands our way of life.
He underwent the same emotions, distrac-
tions, and sufferings we encounter. And
what did we do that we are privileged
enough to have this? Well, He loves us and
He wants to be close to us. He is merciful.
Simple as that. And to think that this is
widely celebrated and recognized around
the world, we could not be happier that our
Savior is actually inviting individuals from
different religions to meet His love. Proba-
bly, this is the most universally anticipated
event around the globe before the year
ends. Nonetheless, we still see it as merry-
making. Admit it, we even thought of it at
least once in our life.
Now, we almost overlook that Christmas is
also a perfect time to emphasize the Catho-
lic spirit. This is a time to reach out, simi-
lar to what Christ did during His short min-
istry on earth. Among the things He did
As I was checking my archives in Tumblr,
a blogging interface, I came upon a quote
from an anonymous source that says,
“You laugh at me because I am different.
I laugh at you because you are all the
same.” I just smirked at first because I
found it so smug, but as the thought per-
meated my consciousness, I suddenly
remembered all the indifferences in my
environment that made sin a fad and right-
eousness a taboo. It’s the Christmas sea-
son but everyone’s busy filling up their
planners with parties and presents list.
That’s the irony that I am addressing here:
we are dangerously moving away from
the true meaning of Jesus Christ’s com-
ing.
Christmas is a spiritual event and not a
material one. We are not anticipating gifts
but, instead, Jesus. Our Lord is not of this
world but some minds are preoccupied
with things that are of this world. Lest we
forget, Jesus often reminded His disciples
that the kingdom of God is “not of this
world.” And here’s the world presenting
us with food, vacation, parties, and gifts;
but Jesus presents us hope, eventual con-
version, and renewed relationship with
Him. Which is long-lasting? Which is
superficial? You can definitely sort that
out. I already gave a clue.
The advent season is also a fine time for
preparation. We do not need to shed off
fat, instead we need to strip away all the
sins that have hindered us from establish-
ing a closer relationship with the Holy
Trinity. When the world burdens us with
extra pounds this season, God even frees
us, in fact, from all pain and grief by the
birth of His son. And that is really possi-
ble if we are humble to submit ourselves
was to cure the sick, serve His apostles,
forgive the sinners, raise the dead, uplift the
mourners, comfort the afflicted, give food
and drink to the hungry and thirsty, and
endless preaching of the good news. These
are basically the prototypes that we must
follow and these were all done out of love
and in accordance with the 10 command-
ments of the Father. And if you can notice,
if you might, these were done by Jesus to
complete strangers. Unusual, right? No. He
is a God of love, so He has the power and
capability to do so. Now it’s your turn since
you’re also a child of God. From now on,
give food to your boring officemate instead
to your close office buddy. Try giving your
unused or old clothes to the Humana box.
Try talking to your Mom, whom you have-
n’t seen for months. Say “I’m sorry” to the
people that you have caused pain or have
offended. Or heartily and sincerely say “I
love you” to Jesus. Certainly, this is the
time to be different. To prove to the doubt-
ing that miracles and good things happen
because of Christ’s working within us. That
we do not only talk but we walk by it. That
we do not only pray and pray, but we work
for it. That despite the horrible current of
indifference, the righteous stands unshaken
and is still alive for 2012 years amidst con-
stant opposition.
It is really an unusual paradox. We have
reached various destinations this season but
Jesus hasn’t even reached our hearts. We
have concluded to a point that we can dis-
tinctly know our needs and wants but we
haven’t even concluded that Jesus is all we
can ever need and have for us to be whole.
Can we say that? I bet we can, but some
aren’t willingly ready. That’s the harsh real-
ity that we can work on. But dare to be dif-
ferent like Jesus. Repent and believe in that
love which He freely gave for 2012 years of
Christmas.
Christine Marie M. Sia
unconditional love, I am and should be then the embodiment of His love. I should be precious in their eyes, no matter what my imperfections are as a husband and a father. My worth depends on Him who gave me to them as a gift, for He is perfect. The same is true for my wife and children.
the bites
Is the same true if we say, "We don't choose our priests, they are God's gift to us as we are to them?" How about our neighbor, friend, and even our enemy? Are they also God's gift to us? Yes, but only if we believe that forgiving is a gift and that a gift is given out of love, free and unconditional.
George Florendo
Singularity
bits and bites: GIFT
Page 8 Pastulan Vol. 8, No. 2
wintry breeze ushering a cold december in a whisper
plucking the once green leaves of trees of a warm summer
like butterflies, to the rhythm of the wind floating and drifting
red and gold of different shades autumn leaves are falling
fog and mist fill the air caressing the trees now all bare
morning comes and what a beautifull sight and a wonder
seemingly dead branches and twigs we hardly stare
adorned with glistening frost and dew by the touch of winter
snow flakes fall clothing trees on the hills and mountains
valleys and plains now all covered in an immaculate white mantle
as the early winter sun sets brushing the sky in crimson red
oh! what an awesome scenery mother nature has made
chilly dark night looms as the sun exits the beautiful sight
like a black curtain falling, end of the show I sighed
but wait, moonlight fades in and brightens the night
painting a picture just as beautiful with a different touch
myriad of tiny lights twinkling like stars from homes afar
snow covered rooftops, chimneys puffing smoke like a sign
soft heavenly music in the air serenade us in the still of the night
mixed emotions fill our hearts, as we rejoice for the coming of Christ.
George Florendo
reciting Tagalog poems. I used to be
the Internal Auditor of Legion of
Mary, but now, I’m the secretary of
our Praesidium III and treasurer of
Patrician Round.
A Legionary has a lot of apostolic
works (but only if you have time),
such as:
Bringing the statute of Mama
Mary to the Filipino families
Distributing miraculous medals,
rosaries and some religious
pamphlets
Home and hospital visitation
Altar decorating
Recruiting and encouraging others
to join the Legion of Mary and to
hear mass every Sunday
Fortuna Seniorenheim hospital –
every Friday to assist old and sick
patients to attend the gospel
reading and 4th Friday for mass.
As of now, we have three
Praesidia:
Praesidium I. President
Dina Gotz, Mondays 6:30
– 8:30 p.m.
Praesidium II. President Eva Wolf,
Sundays, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Praesidium III. President Charito
Mina, Saturdays 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Do come and visit us!
Mary Immaculate, pray for us!
Linda Bustonera
I would like to share how I became a
Legionary. Firstly, it was not easy
for me to be a Legionary because I
didn’t know how to pray and say the
rosary. Secondly, going from
gambling to church seemed to be
like turning from sinner to saint. But
there were miracle changes that were
brought about when
the statue of Mama
M a r y , t h e
Mediatrix of All
Graces, visited and
stayed with me for nine days. Since
then, I have learned and memorized
the rosary prayers and I believe in
God.
In the year 2006, I pledged the
LEGIONARY PROMISE with tears
and happiness for my new life.
I don’t know how it happened, but I
discovered my hidden talents and
assets, like painting, dancing and
How I became a Legionary
“...going from gambling to church was like turning from
sinner to saint”
Ode to the winter
Dec. 2012 Page 9
that your children grew up here. I
believe that values are taught by a
family and reinforced by a society. In
the Philippines, the family culture is a
very strong. It is so strong that the
family can actually affect such things as
who you will marry, or what your
career will be, or where you will live. I
think the European culture is a bit
different. Furthermore, since the society
is made up of families with this type of
ideals, then the society reinforces and
encourages this way of thinking.
On the other hand, the Europeans, like
the North Americans, value things like
independence and becoming a strong
individual and becoming the best you
can be so you can do whatever it is you
want to do. You are the most important
person in your life and all that matters
in the end is that you are happy. You
have to do what’s best for you. This
may be over-
generalizing, but not
by much. Do you
notice a trend here?
In short, I believe
Western society
values different
things than what the
Filipinos value. I’m
not saying the
Filipinos don’t value
this, (and I know more Filipinos that are
unfortunately following this trend) but I
do believe that a majority of the
Filipinos look out for more than just
themselves. If you question this, look at
the number of Filipinos who have gone
overseas for work. Ask them why they
do it and most of the time you will get
an answer that includes helping their
family back home.
I believe that these values that we get
from our families and our homeland are
a good thing. I also believe that a lot of
you also believe that these values are
good. The problem is that we may
experience difficulties transferring these
values to our children. I think that part
of the difficulty can be seen in two
parts. 1) We do not fully understand the
culture that our children are being
assimilated into. How are the family
values here in Austria? How are the
elderly viewed here? How are children
viewed? If you are unsure, look at how
many of the Austrians place their
parents into nursing homes, and then
look at the abortion clinic in the first
district. It’s a different culture. Not
convinced? Check out what is shown on
national television after midnight. Can
we honestly say that the Western
culture prizes Christian values and the
sacredness of family? 2) We do not
have the time to implant our values into
our children. This is a big deal,
considering the biggest gift we can give
our children is time. Most of the time
our school-aged children spend their
waking hours is away from us. This
may work in places like the Philippines
where a society fosters love for family
and Christian values. But can we say
the same for the European culture?
Many of us are slaving away at
hospitals, offices and restaurants well
into the night in order to make a better
life for our children. This means that
some of us have barely any time to
interact with our children when we get
home from work.
(And when we do
have time, are we
really spending it
with them or in front
of a TV or
computer?) Are we
really making a
better life for them
by all the hours we
spend away from
them? This is a double-edged sword.
On one hand we have to work very hard
in order to provide them with essentials.
On the other hand, this takes away from
our time raising them into Godly men
and women. How do we balance this?
In conclusion, I want to reiterate that
the society we live in is different from
our homeland, and if we expect our
children to come out having the same
values that we have, then I think we are
in store for a rude awakening. If we
want our children to value the same
things we value, then it will take our
time and our effort. I will end this with
a quote by author, Lisa Wingate:
“Your children are the greatest gift God
will give to you, and their souls the
heaviest responsibility He will place in
your hands. Take time with them, teach
them to have faith in God. Be a person
in whom they can have faith. When you
are old, nothing else you've done will
have mattered as much.”
Vince Granado
I am writing to follow up on my article
from earlier this year about how our
families are under attack and how
marriage, the centre of the family, is in
dire straits.
I would like to reflect on our Filipino
families in Austria. I believe that we,
Filipinos, are exposing our families to a
culture that is very different from our
own. I also believe that many of us are
expecting our children to embrace the
values that we cherish, and when they
don’t we are left disappointed and
wondering why they turned out the way
they did.
Before I go on, a quick question: How
many of you have seen the commercial
“Lumiliwanag ang Mundo sa Kwento
ng Pasko”. It’s a heartwarming carol by
ABS-CBN which touches on Christmas
messages like helping those in need,
family, recovering from devastation,
and God’s love for mankind. Beautiful
– I cried watching it. I am one that
believes that national media is a pretty
accurate depiction of a culture’s moral
state. One could say that if you want to
see what a country believes in, turn on
their national television. But before you
go and refute, I’m not trying to say that
our countrymen have it all figured out
when it comes to living good
wholesome lives. I’m sure a number of
those celebrities on that commercial are
having/have had premarital sex,
extramarital affairs, drug use, abortion,
etc. All I’m saying is that from this
commercial and other media outputs, a
few things can be assumed about the
Filipino culture in the Philippines: 1)
The importance of God and the
Christian values, 2) The sacredness of
the family, 3) Helping others in need,
etc. I mean seriously, how many
Austrian commercials have you seen
with the national celebrities singing
about God’s love to mankind?
And this is (although it is not perfect) a
beautiful thing.
For all of you who came from the
Philippines to this land, you probably
know what I’m talking about, and you
too may have cried when you watched
this video. If I were to ask you what are
the most important things to you, your
answer would probably have God and
family in the top two. High five. But I
wonder about our children. Do they
know about the values? Chances are
Family values
...the values that we get from
our families and our homeland
are a good thing ...
Page 10 Pastulan Vol. 8, No. 2
C o m m u n i t y n e w s
2000 members of the El
Shaddai Charismatic
Prayer Group from many
cities in Europe and from
as far away as Los
A n g e l e s ( U S A )
converged in Rome last
month. On Sunday, the
11th of November, they
a t t e n d e d t h e 1 s t
E u r o p e a n H e a l i n g
Crusade with Holy Mass
at the San Giovanni
Bosco church. And on
Monday, the 12th of
November they participated in a Discipleship
Seminar.
The Vienna Chapter was represented by 23
members, who are shown in the photo with their
El Shaddai's 1st European Healing Crusade in Rome
Servant Leader Bro. Mike Velarde and his wife Sis.
Belen Velarde. "It was spiritually very satisfying, and
there are no words to describe the experience," said
Julie Heredia, speaking of the event with a happy
glow obviously coming from the heart.
Day/date Maria vom Berge Karmel Church Donaucity Church
Sat., 15 Dec. El Shaddai CFC
Sun., 16 Dec. Caballa and Montales Families
Batangas Women’s Group
CFC-FFL
Mon., 17 Dec. Divine Mercy Devotees, Kacerovsky Family
Oandasan and Fronda Families
Lango Choir and Friends
Tue., 18 Dec. de Mata and de Guzman Families
Maricar Osila and Family
Sacluti Family, Lilian Zita and Friends
MS Holy Family Community Choir
Holy Family Community
Wed., 19 Dec. Bikol Society Kabayantel Group, Metrobank
Ilonggo Community in Austria
Cabatuananon in Austria
Thu., 20 Dec. Pagsinohin Family (Otto Probst) Kapulongan ng mga Bisaya sa Austria
Fri., 21 Dec. Legion of Mary, Salvador Family Circulo Caviteño
Sat., 22 Dec. Followers of the Good Shepherd
Association of Pangasinenses in Austria
Cadacio Family
Sun., 23 Dec. Mila Wanek and Manloloyo Family.
United Filipino Organization in Austria
United Travels
Langobarden and Friends
Volet Gerstl
Maraming salamat sa ating mga Simbang Gabi sponsors
Dec. 2012 Page 11
to the needy. It is heavy work
as the donations (including
tinned food, rice, noodles,
sugar, fresh fruits and
vegetables) need to be sorted
and laid out on the
distribution tables. But, it is
satisfying and fulfilling to
know that one has actively
done something for his less
fortunate brother.
And, working in a team with
the other volunteers is also
great fun!
Daday and the crew
Divine Mercy Devotees’ pilgrimage to Italy and LeO Project
C o m m u n i t y n e w s
which was being visited by so many
pilgrims, one of whom was from BBC-
Toronto, Canada. We took some photos
and the BBC cameraman asked us to sing
a Filipino song. Father Bong Alejo led the
Ama Namin (Our Father) while we were
being video-televised.
So, because we enjoyed so much going
around the Basilica of St. Francis, we had
another mass at the Basilica, a privilege
that we especially appreciated because
there were lots of English-speaking
Last Oct. 25-28, 2012 we undertook a
Pilgrimage to Assisi, Padua, Siena and
Florence. We had a Church Mass service
at the Basilica of St. Anthony de Padua at
7.30 am. Then we proceeded to Siena
where we visited the Church of St.
Catherine. The remains of
the head and face of St.
Catherine are still there.
Truly, she is the negotiator,
caring woman for the sick,
and for the poor people.
In Assisi, we saw the
remains of St. Claire and
also we prayed at the
original Cross, where St.
Claire talked to JESUS.
We also visited the St.
Mary of the Angels
Basilica at the foot of the
hill. There we saw the little
chapel of St. Francis when
he left his parents and
chose to be a friar and
preacher. Also we saw the
Rose Garden where St.
Francis rolled naked in the
bramble thorns in an
attempt to overcome doubt and
temptation, but in contact with his body,
the bramble bushes turned into dog roses
without thorns. The stone pillow of St.
Francis was still there, and also his sack
robe. We saw the tomb of St. Francis,
foreigners who also came to attend the mass.
Our three-star hotel was very cozy and
comfortable, and had a great view
overlooking the valley. The food was
excellent and bedrooms were spacious and
elegant. Finally, on our last day in Italy, we
went to Florence but
it rained so much
that we didn't enjoy
the tour. We made
up for the bad
weather by singing
and playing bingo
during the long bus-
ride home.
We would like to
especially thank our
pilgrims from Linz.
We would like to
announce our 1st
and last Friday of
the month Novena
of the Divine
Mercy, which starts
at 5.30pm and is
followed by Holy
Mass at 6.30 pm.
LeO is our twice-a-month apostolate, and we
can arrange a house-to-house novena upon
request.
Christie Aguirre
The Divine Mercy Devotees have expanded their apostolate work in
connection with Caritas Wien‘s Lebensmittel und Orientierung
(LeO) project at the Emmaus am Wienerberg parish on Otto Probst
Gasse. They now help out twice monthly in distributing foodstuffs
Page 12 Pastulan Vol. 8, No. 2
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PASTULAN—The Official Newsletter of the Filipino Catholic Chaplaincy (African, Asian and Latin American Catholic Communities, Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria)
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