parishworks! 1Vol. 6 No. 49 March 12, 2011

Pastor’s MessageLENT: A Call to Piety and Graceby: Rev. Msgr. Dennis Odiver

SuNdAy GoSPEL

MT MT 4:1-11

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We began the season of Lent with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. With ashes imposed on our foreheads, we are reminded anew of our need for repentance and conversion. For sin has corrupted us. Sin has destroyed our relationships. Sin has denied us fullness of life.

As we gradually immerse ourselves in these grace-filled days, wanting to be forgiven, to be healed and to be restored, we commit ourselves to almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

“When you give alms... when you pray... and when you fast... do not be like the hypocrites!” (cf Mt. 6)

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Silab Sala, the Burning of Palms

On the Eve of Ash Wednesday, a para-liturgical rite of the burning of palms, or Silab sala was held after the 6:30pm mass. Presiding over the rite was Rev. Msgr. Dennis Odiver who explained to the people who assembled in the church grounds, that the Silab Sala is a

The heat of an afternoon sun plus the fact that the hour is usually a siesta for some did not deter parishioners and church goers alike from hearing mass. The first 3:30 pm mass was presided by our pastor, Msgr. Dennis Odiver in Tagalog. He mentioned in his homily that the parish will make this mass primarily for “mga bata at kabataan ng parokya” (children and youth of the parish). During the first part of his homily, he egged on the participation of the

A first for SAAPby: Ellie Medina

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Pastor’s Messasge from page 1...

Silab Sala from page 1...

Almsgiving is not merely the sharing of the material and the temporal goods. We do not check our stock rooms for surplus or our account balances to indicate excess. Then dole them all out to make us feel contented and fulfilled. There is more to the act of almsgiving. It is discovering and experiencing the love and compassion of Jesus that we long and desire for in life. Jesus who suffered, died and rose again for our salvation. It is this Jesus who urges us now to be a friend to the lonely and outcast; a hero to the weak and afraid; and an angel to the lost and confused. Through our giftedness as persons, we can give the best of ourselves to one another.

Prayer is not simply chanting hymns or uttering words of praise. It is living constantly in the presence of the Lord. We let Him be part of our day to day living. We allow Him to instruct us in our words, direct us in our actions, influence us in our decisions and inspire us in our work. Prayer is encountering the Lord more personally and intimately every moment in our lives.

Fasting is not denying our bodies and minds nourishment for strength and health alone. It is not only depriving oneself of the pleasure of food and drinks. Fasting disposes our passions to the way of Jesus - the life of self-giving and self-denial. It makes us understand and appreciate the meaning and value of sacrifice. It enhances our strength and courage amidst suffering. It renders us free and complete.

Lent hence is not only a call to pious observances or actions. It is a momentous outpouring of grace that effects a real conversion in each one of us.

St. Frances of RomeFeast day: 9 March

Frances was born Rome in 1384 to a wealthy, noble family. From her mother she inherited a pious devotion to God and strong will from her father. She decided at eleven that she was going to be a nun.

But her father betrothed her to another nobleman.

She gave in to the marriage -- reluctantly. It was difficult for people to understand her objection. Her future husband Lorenzo Ponziani was noble, wealthy, a good person and he really cared for her. She was introduced to a life of revelry, which she rejected. Frances collapsed from the strain. For months she lay close to death, unable to eat or move or speak.

She had a vision of St. Alexis. Jesus. St. Alexis told her God was giving her an important choice: Did she want to recover or not? She said yes..

But the two spiritual friends went to Mass together, visited prisons, served in hospitals and set up a secret chapel in an abandoned tower of their palace where they prayed together.

But it wasn’t fashionable for noblewomen to help the poor and people gossiped about two girls out alone on the streets. Cecilia suffered under the laughter of her friends

symbol of conversion and an invitation to repentance, as all of us Christians are called as we enter the Lenten season. After the Readings, Msgr. Odiver enjoined the people to take palm from the file of palms used in last year’s Palm Sunday, and throw them into the fire built at the center. The burned palms are to be used for the imposition of ashes the following day, Ash Wednesday. The rite was concluded with an appropriate Lenten song rendered by the Tones of Faith Choir, and a blessing from Msgr. Odiver.

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A First for SAAP from page 1...

Lenten Program of Sharingby Gene Alberto

Lent is now upon us , a time of penance, of sorrows for sin, of self-reform. We have heard again the call of the Lord Jesus “Reform your lives and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk. 1:15)

This season is the appropriate beginning for reform and conversion. The moral-spiritual reform begin with ourselves. We need conversion, real conversion, to put it in terms of our faith and for us to begin subordinating our own private interest to common good.

Let us come together and reflect. We want to look seriously at our part in the many evils of our day. Our country has endured again and again the experience of crisis and tough situations that endangered peace, unity and genuine development and progress. In our coming together, in our prayer and acting together will bring hope to our despairing land.

As a special project for this year’s Lenten observance, the existing movements and efforts of Pondo ng Pinoy has transformed the Filipino culture through little acts of kindness for neighbors, but these, however, must be intensified as essential to our Lenten

program of reform.

Pondo ng Pinoy is our Lenten Program of sharing time, treasure and talent for evangelization. This lent, without forgetting the treasure part, we zero in, in a very special way, on time and talent, asking what we can offer of these for the common effect towards the correction of our social ills. These would be evangelization of the most authentic kind. For it means a real acceptance of the Lord’s mandate to us to love and be concerned about one another. To go especially to those who are in need. It can be done through little but repeated act of compassion, solidarity and sharing.

Let us be awake and aware of the opportunities that comes our way to reach out and be of service to people around us especially in

our immediate environment even in the smallest way possible.

Remember always not to let a day pass without doing something good to others for the love of God. This is the concrete way to experience living life to the fullest.

children by asking them to raise their hands when he asked, “Sino ang gustong pumunta sa langit?” (Who here wants to go to heaven?). To which the children excitedly held their hands up and said “Ako!” (Me!). All throughout the mass, children were very active in saying reponses and singing songs such as the “Ama Namin” (Our Father). Though there were not as many people who attended compared with other usual Sunday mass, where people have to stand at the back, one can hear that even a small child with eager voice can equal an adult parishioner in his participation in the mass.

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Parish Office Hours

Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-Noon; 2:00-7:00 p.m.Sunday 7:00 a.m.-Noon; 2:00-7:00 p.m.

AnnouncementsSt. Frances of Rome from page 2...

Ria Salvaña Matthew LizaresParish Works StaffEllie Medina, Angelina Poe,Emilio Medina, Rochelle Pineda Announcements CoordinatorPia SanedrinBulletin Board EditorEJ CarlosPowerpoint CoordinatorGing Santos, JayR PaduaContributor: Wina de Vera, Gene Alberto

Spiritual AdvisorRev. Msgr. Dennis Odiver

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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Sunday Mass Schedule 6:30am - Filipino

8:00am - English 9:30am - English 11:00am - English 12:15n.n - English

3:30pm - Filipino 5:00pm - English 6:30pm - English 8:00pm - English

1. Sub-parish Stations of the Cross will be held starting Friday, March 11 at 8:00pm and every Friday thereafter during the Lenten season. Flyers will be distributed by your respective sub-parish head regarding the route of the weekly Stations of the Cross.

2. Second collections for the six Sundays of Lent will be for the Alay Kapwa. A church based program that supports victims of calamities and disasters, both natural and man-made.

3. Sponsorship and scholarship forms for Paeskwela ni San Andres are now available at the Parish Office.

4. Adults who wish to be incorporated to the Catholic faith through the reception of the Sacrament of Baptism may register at the parish office.

and yelled at her daughters-in-law to stop theirs spiritual practices.

The marriage brought forth 4 children. When famine struck the land, and she and Lorenze gave away most of their suppy of corn, leaving just a cask for the family. She sold her jewels and clothes and distributed money to needy. She started wearing a dress of coarse green cloth.

Civil war came to Rome -- this was a time of popes and antipopes and Rome became a battleground. At one point there were three men claiming to be pope. She almost lost her husband who was wounded in battle. With Lorenzo’s support and respect, Frances started a lay order of women attached to the Benedictines called the Oblates of Mary. Eventually they bought a house where the widowed members could live in community. Frances nursed Lorenzo until he died. His last words to her were, “I feel as if my whole life has been one beautiful dream of purest happiness. After Lorenzo’s death, Frances moved into the house with the other Oblates and was made superior. At 52 she had the life she dreamed of when she was 11. She had been right in discerning her original vocation -- she just had the timing wrong.

Frances died four years later. Her last words were “The angel has finished his task -- he beckons me to follow him.”