parishworks! 1Vol. 6 No. 30 October 23, 2010

Pastor’s MessagePrayer grows in Humilityby: Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel Suñga

Sunday GoSPel

lk 18:9-14

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Dear Parishioners:

Last Sunday we were instructed by the Lord that our prayers should be persistent as exemplified by that widow who continuously was banging at the door of the unjust judge. Prayer which is union with God is the result of a genuine faith that brings salvation like the faith of the Samaritan leper who returned to the Lord to give thanks (Eucharist ) i.e. to be one with Jesus in His Paschal Mystery.

website: http://www.saaparish.com and http://www.facebook.com/saaparish

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a Thought that can paint a thousand images in the Mind. . .

PPCRV-SaaP meets for Barangay elections

The PPCRV Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish group met to prepare for the incoming Barangay Elections this October 25, 2010. Mr. Noli Villafuerte led the team of volunteer pollwatchers. Schedules, assignments and things to watch out were discussed. (more photos on page 3)

What is genuine service in church? What are the qualities of being a disciple of Christ in church? These are just portions of the topic on “Renewing our Ministry”, a spiritual formation that was given to the members of the different choirs of the Music Ministry on October 12,

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Thoughts from page 1... St. anthony Mary Claret, Patron Saint of WeaversFeast day oct 24

Claretian archbishop and founder of the Claretian Order. Anthony was born in Salient in Catalonia, Spain, in 1807, the son of a weaver. He took up weaving but then studied for the priesthood, desiring to be a Jesuit. Ill health prevented his entering the Order, and he served as a secular priest. At the age of 28 he completed his studies and was ordained a priest for the diocese of Vic.

In 1849, at age of 42 he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as the Claretians, and the Apostolic Training Institute of the Immaculate Conception, Claretian nuns.

From 1850 to 1857, Anthony served as the archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. He returned to the court of Queen Isabella II as confessor, and went into exile with her in 1868. In 1869 and 1870,

Anthony participated in the First Vatican Council. He died in the Cistercian monastery of Fontfroide in southern France on October 24, 1870. Anthony Mary Claret had the gift of prophecy and his life nourished and transformed by the Eucharist. He was opposed by the liberal forces of Spain and Cuba and endured many trials. He founded a science laboratory, a museum of natural history, music and language schools, and an association of writers and artists. He was exiled from Spain and fled to France during the revolution of 1868 and died there two years later on October 24, 1870 at 62 years of age. He was declared a Saint by Pope Pius XII on May 7, 1950. The men who have followed in his way, the Claretians, now number over 3,000 strong and minister in over 60 countries worldwide.

2010, Tuesday at the Board room.

The inspiring and stirring ponderings were clearly shared by the ebullient and benevolent Rev. Fr. Godwin B. Tatlonghari, Assistant Minister of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission, Arzobispado de Manila and Procurator of Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary. Fr. Godwin is not new in the parish, he was a guest priest on the novena masses in 2005-2008, he also gave a 3-hour reflection on the Seven Last Words during Good Friday in 2006.

An estimated number of 70 attended the talk, with a few guest friends from the altar servers and sub-parishes. The highlight of the formation as stressed and expounded by Fr. Godwin was on the 9 Qualities of a Disciple of Christ in church:

1. A disciple’s love for God must be the greatest single consuming passion of one’s life;

2. A disciple must put Jesus before self;3. A disciple must put Jesus before all things;4. A disciple must be a person committed to unity;5. A disciple must be obedient;6. A disciple must share the Lord’s passion for the

world;7. A disciple loves God’s Word;8. A disciple has love for prayer; and9. A disciple is empowered by the Holy Spirit

The series of spiritual formation for the ministry will continue in the following months with: Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga, Rev. Fr. Joey Martin, Rev. Fr. Carlo Magno Marcelo, Fr. Carmelo “Jek-Jek” Arada, and Rev. Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite.

“As we gaze at Christ, the best complement one can receive is when people say that they see Christ in YOU! Jesus in us.” - (Fr. Godwin B. Tatlonghari)

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Pastor’s Messasge from page 1...

Now that same spirit of faith as expressed in prayer is being elaborated in another parable in today’s gospel namely about the Pharisee and the publican going to the temple to pray. The former did so proudly for self aggrandizement before God. While the latter stood at the back in all honesty and humility before God in full awareness of God’s goodness and his own sinfulness. His prayer was not an enumeration of his own virtues or a thanksgiving for his unique status before others like that of the Pharisee but a PRAYER OF PENITENCE AND PETITION FOR MERCY.

How can we apply it to our lives today?

A priest had given a moving sermon on the Gospel of today, about the proud Pharisee and the humble publican. Everybody was impressed, especially Juan dela Cruz, who developed a decided dislike for the Pharisee or anybody who would brag: “God, I thank thee that I am not like other men.” Right after Mass Juan shook hands with his pastor and told him: “Good sermon, Father.” Then he added: “Thank God, I’m not like that Pharisee.”

Juan did not realize it but he was committing the same sin of pride, the sin of considering himself if better than someone else.

Isn’t that how many of us react to this story? We congratulate ourselves that we do not brag like the Pharisee: we pat ourselves on the back that we are the sinner asking for mercy. That reaction is the very fault Christ is warning against.

Christ did not condemn the Pharisee for what he had done, but for boasting about it. Neither did Jesus say that the Pharisee had done no good at all. In the language Jesus spoke He meant: “This man (the publican) went

back to his house justified more than the other (the Pharisee).”

Is there something more in the sin of the Pharisee than just the sin of Pride?

Indeed the Pharisee was a good-living, generous man and the essence of Jewish respectability. As he stands in prayer, his mind is focused on how, as a loyal church member, he has kept the rules of fasting, alms-giving and worship. But His prayer of thanksgiving is exactly opposite that of the Samaritan leper. The Pharisees thanksgiving is tinged with the odiousness of comparison “I give you thanks O God, that I am not like the rest…. Or even like this tax collector”

By this the Pharisee did not only say and show that he had no knowledge of the true God nor understand Him but also that he did not have a correct concept of his own self. With this kind of prayer he presented himself to be the SOURCE OF ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS as he gave a list or a catalogue of his own merits and virtues. He did so instead of recognizing the Lord who actually was the SOURCE OF ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. By doing so he believed he had justified himself before God. And by judging himself this manner and the other the persons, Pharisee was GUILTY OF A SORT OF IDOLATRY.

Let us remember this most important lesson that one achieves uprightness before God not by one’s activities even though how noble and holy they seemingly are but by A CONTRITE RECOGNITION OF ONE’S OWN SINFULNESS BEFORE GOD. Forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption are gifts of God that only the humble will recognize and only the needy will receive.

PPCRV shirts were given out to pollwatchers together with their official identification cards.

in photo are Mr. Nesty Evangelista, Mr Emilio Medina, Mr Bing Misa, with Mr Noli Villafuerte during the PPCRV meeting.

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Ria Salvaña Matthew LizaresParish Works StaffEllie Medina, Angelina Poe,Emilio Medina, Teresita CabralJohn David Ong, Gem MuncalAnnouncements CoordinatorRochelle PinedaBulletin Board EditorEJ CarlosPowerpoint CoordinatorGing Santos, JayR PaduaContributors: Emma Entao

Spiritual AdvisorRev. Msgr. Emmanuel Suñga

PublisherSt. Andrew the Apostle ParishN. Garcia St. cor. Kalayaan Ave.Bel-Air II, Makati CityPhones: (632) 890-1796 / 890-1743 media@saaparish.com

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Beyond Tolerance from page 2...

announCeMenTSEveryone is invited to join the Living Rosary on Saturday October 30, 2010. Each decade will be led by members of the different parish organizations. Assembly will be at 5:30pm inside the church.

October 31 is Pondo ng Pinoy Sunday. Please don’t forget to bring your properly labeled cans and offer them during the Presentation of the Gifts or bring them to the Parish Office.

Deadline for registration and submission of the requirements for the Mass Wedding is on October 31. Requirement details are flashed on the screen. For further inquiries, visit or call the Parish Office.

Petition envelopes for the departed souls are available on your pews or the Parish Office. If you want your departed loved ones included in all Mass intentions for the whole month of November please fill out an envelope and drop it in the box in front of the altar.

PReX Class 24-10 (oct.22-24)

Fr. Jeffrey Jamias is the speaker for this class. They have 24 candidates and will graduate on October 24, 2010, Sunday. Its nice to see one big class.