parishworks! 1Vol. 6 No. 27 October 02, 2010

Pastor’s MessageFaith of Jesus’ Servantsby: Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel Suñga

Sunday GoSpel

lk 17:5-10

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Dear Parishioners:

In the past Sundays, the Lord had been giving formation for us to be His humble disciples in the true spirit of stewardship. Lazarus, the poor beggar at the door step of the rich man’s mansion, went to the bosom of Abraham. I am sure many of us will ask ourselves, that after fulfilling all these demands of the Lord “How far or how very far am I from reaching the bosom of Abraham? The answer is given in this Sunday’s gospel.

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

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San Miguel Village Celebrates Feast of St. Michael, the archangel

a Touch of MusicThere is nothing in the world so much like prayer as

music is. ~ William P. Merrill

SAAP’s Music Ministry continues with their spiritual formation assemblies and developmental activities for 2010 as it leads its members to a journey. Choir members will have the opportunity to work with the members from the different choirs composed of a community of friends as they attend team-building workshops and listen to and reflect on the talks by vivacious and charismatic guest speakers. The members have a great deal of fun together while they work hard and regularly learn and perform a variety of choral works. They will learn to sharpen their sight-reading skills. It is not compulsory that one needs to be a member of our church to sing in the choir.

The San Miguel Village Community honored its patron saint, St. Michael the Archangel on its feast on September 29, with a procession around the village and a Eucharistic Celebration at the SMV Park. Msgr Emmanuel V. Sunga, parish priest, was the mass presider.

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San Miguel Village from page 1... St. JeromeFeast day: Sept 30patron Saint of librarians.

St. Jerome, who was born Eusebius Hieronymous Sophronius, was the most learned of the Fathers of the Western Church. He was born about the year 342 at Stridonius, a small town, near the episcopal city of Aquileia.

He spent some years in scholarly studies in Aquileia, then, in search of more perfect solitude, he turned towards the East. With his friends, Innocent, Heliodorus, and Hylas, he started overland for Syria. He went to Rome with Paulinus of Antioch to attend a council which Pope Damasus was holding to deal with the Antioch schism.

While serving Damasus, Jerome had impressed all by his personal holiness, learning, and integrity. While serving as the Pope’s secretary he revised the Latin New Testament and the Latin Psalter.

He was fostering a new movement of Christian asceticism among a group of noble Roman ladies. Several of them were to be canonized, including Albina and her daughters Marcella and Asella, Melania the Elder. One widow, Paula, financed the construction of a monastery for men near the basilica of the Nativity at Bethlehem. St. Jerome opened a free school there and also a hospice for pilgrims.

The Church regards him as the greatest of all the doctors in clarifying the Divine Word. He had the best available aids for such an undertaking, living where the remains of Biblical places, names, and customs all combined to give him a more vivid view than he could have had at a greater distance.

He studied Hebrew to translate the Old Testament directly from Hebrew into Latin. As a man of prayer and purity of heart, Jerome was prepared to be a sensitive interpreter of spiritual matters.

He died peacefully on September 30, 420, and was buried under the church of the Nativity at Bethlehem. He is the patron Saint of librarians.

Before the actual day of celebration , Triduum Masses were celebrated from September 26-28 in the church.

Mrgr. Sunga’s homily centered on the meanings and roles of angels. He said “The names of angels denote functions rather than natures. If one does ministry he/she is an angel. So try to be angels to one another.

The three archangels receive names corresponding to their functions: Gabriel means strength of God, Raphael , true cure of God; Michael, who is like God?

St. Michael symbolizes the hope for people who are suffering; who are in pain etc. If we give hope to others we become ‘Michaels’.

Evilness is all around us. We fail to teach our yourth to do battles with evilness. This is a challenge for us. The book of Revelation 12:7 tells us that ”War roke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled against the dragon and his angels. They (dragon and his angels) were overpowered and lost their place in heaven.” The good triumphed over evil, was his concluding statement.

The Jewish Community in biblical times was entrusted to St. Michael, the leader of all the archangels. We want to believe that San Miguel Village in modern times is also entrusted to the archangel “who is like God?”

In conclusion Mrsgr. Sunga counceled the residents to be St. Michaels to the community.

A simple fellowship capped the celebration.- Glo Pineda

Saap basketball team playsThe St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Basketball team

plays in the Sanggunihang Kabataan ng Makati Sports. Here are some snapshots from one of their winning games.

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pastor’s Messasge from page 1...

When St. Francis de Sales was nineteen years old he fell seriously sick. At that time, 1587, medical students practiced on cadavers, corpses which were generally stolen from graves. Thinking he was dying, Francis told his favourite teacher: “Sir, arrange my funeral as you see fit. I ask only that after my funeral you give my body to medical students.” “But that would be a disgrace to your family,” objected the tutor. The young saint insisted: “It is very consoling to me, as I lie dying, to think that if I have been a useless servant during life, I will at least be of some good after death.”

Here was a learned and holy young man who felt he had accomplished nothing. All the saints were like that. They called themselves, in the words of today’s Good News: “Unworthy servants.”

How do you and I fit in today’s Gospel? All of us are servants of God. We do what we are told – out of obedience. But if we really love God, as the saints did we will go beyond duty, we will make heroic efforts to do what pleases God.

Indeed in our search for our God there is no time or space for rest even though how weary we are. At the end we cannot even expect reward or even any recognition. After all, the parable teaches, we just did our duties as God’s servants, in fulfilling His demands.

But what are His demands?

If we look at the beginning of chapter 17 of St. Luke, we will see Jesus talking how we are to avoid giving scandals to our fellowmen, the necessity of fraternal correction and constant willingness to forgive others. When the disciples heard these stringent demands which were the very minimum to be expected of them as followers, then the apostles asked the Lord “Increase our Faith.” This request therefore came about after the moral demands of discipleship ( avoidance scandal and the obligation of continual forgiveness.) Jesus answered by using the metaphor of the sycamore true being uprooted and transplanted into the sea. The first was very hard for this kind of tree has extensive root system and the second a total impossibility. Such are the demands of discipleship. From the outlooks a total impossibility

if not a total craziness. But faith is the answer. With it nothing is impossible.

But what is faith?

a. Faith is not a means by which we control God. It is as if we can use it to put God back into a corner and force Him to produce a sensational show which will make us instant celebrities and heroes.

b. Faith is a response to God’s initiative in the context of a personal relationship. Faith is willing cooperation with God’s action which will end up in a complete union with Him. This will enable the man or woman of faith to reprove and forgive readily any of his or her offenders and persecutors, thereby making his or her life a model and not a scandal for others.

With this faith, the servant in the parable was able to do a double duty i.e. working all day in the fields and then after, serving his master as a domestic servant. After doing so faithfully, the servant should he not expect a reward or even the expressed gratitude of his master for he was doing no more than his duty?

This is quite startling when it is applied to our quest for our salvation. IT MEANS THAT NO AMOUNT OF SERVICE HOWEVER WELL PERFORMED CAN MERIT THE GIFT THAT IS GOD’S ALONE TO GIVE. Therefore even our most perfect human actions cannot give rise to boasting. Rather we should always consider and see ourselves as a “useless servant” (v.10) The point here is not that God does not want our services. He does, but we cannot make any just claim after having done more than what was due to be done by us. No matter how much we do God’s service, there is still that sense in which we still remain an unprofitable servant. Even in keeping every precept of the law, we have not satisfied the requirements of discipleship.

Do we have this truth at the back of our mind every time we do an act of charity or a good deed? Do we have the humility to accept this truth?

“There are crown no wearers in heaven who were not cross bearers on earth” - C.H. Spurgeon

Faith is a response to God’s initiative in the context of a personal relationship

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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: Glo PinedaEmma 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

Parish Works is the official weekly newsletter of Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish. Media and Communications Ministry Co-coordinators

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announCeMenTS• The Family Rosary Crusade invites you all to

join the rosary in church together with our parish community every 6:00pm before the 6:30pm mass, to be led weekly by the different Sub-Parishes of St. Andrew.

• October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, there will be a distribution of rosaries after each mass

• PPCRV is in need of volunteers for the upcoming Barangay Elections on October 24, 2010. Please your contact details at the pairsh office or you may call Noli Villafuerte at 7885385.

Bible HumorTouch of Music from page 1...

In November 2009, Rev. Fr. Mario S. Sobrejuanite, SSP gave a 2-hour talk on “Personal Growth”, then on June 14, 2010 a workshop on “Dynamics of Voice Communication” was conducted by Music Minister, Emma I. Entao, come, September 3, 2010, Immaculate Conception Parish’s (Tayuman, Tondo) Pastor Rev. Fr. Claro “Matt” M. Garcia gave an inspirational talk on “Human Relation with God, Others and Yourself” at 8PM, SAP’s Board Room. Attendees of the later were from the Fresenian , Apostle of Prayer (AP), Community, Santiago, Dies Dominae, Prex, and Lakbay-Himig choirs.

Upcoming activities to follow: Spiritual Formation Talk by Rev. Fr. Godwin B. Tatlonghari, Assistant Minister of the Archdiocese on Liturgical Commission, Archdiocese of Manila, Intramuros Manila on October 12, 2010 at 8PM, Board Room; Team-Building Workshop to be facilitated by Mr. Armin Demetillo (an active lector in the parish) on October 19 at 8PM, two more spiritual formation talks, a team building / group dynamics , personality development and a Communications Skills workshops in November and December are all on queue.

If you have an interest in participating with the choir, singing solos, playing a keyboard instrument or the guitar , please contact the Music Ministry at silvermoon316@yahoo.com. Indicating your name, contact number, day and time of mass you would like sing. A representative from the ministry will get back to you the soonest time.

We would like to give you every opportunity to lead us in worship by being a part of our musical community!

1. The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

2. The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit (commit) adultery.

3. When Mary heard she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta (Magnificat)

4. Solomon, one of David’s sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines (concubines)