“God Makes All Things New” (Rev 21:5)

ACIT N E W S LE TT E R
O C T O BE R -D E C E M BE R
2 0 13
“God Makes All Things New” (Rev 21:5)
By Antonio Lumactod
The Archdiocese of Manila,
led by Cardinal Luis Antonio
Tagle, organized the first Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE) held on October
16-18, 2013 at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, University of Santo
Tomas. With the theme, “God
Makes All Things New,” the conference was participated by five
thousand participants from different dioceses all over the country,
other bishops and lay missionaries from the United States of
America,
Japan,
Taiwan,
Hongkong, Indonesia and other
countries.
Day 1: “Come and See” (John 1:39) – A Personal Encounter with Jesus: The Beginning of all Evangelization
The PCNE provided the participants an experience of God’s
presence, an encounter with Him that impels all to bring back
this personal experience to their homes, workplaces, Christian
communities, and elsewhere; thus, becoming agents in the new
evangelization.
Activities: Misa ng Bayan
Heart to Heart with the Cardinal
Streams of Encounter with God: Prayer Experience
Eucharistic Adoration with Taize Prayer
Jesus asked the disciples,
“What are you looking for?” The
disciples answered, “Where do
you live?” Jesus replied, “Come
and see!” (John 1:39)
Coming to the Philippine NaGod Makes/page 18
Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas
By Christine Lim
The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas
(Council of the Laity of the Philippines)
held its 18th Biennial National Convention last October 18, 2013 at Bayview
Park Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. It's
theme was "Responding to the call of
Christ now: To do what is just, to show
constant love, and to live in humble fel-
lowship with our God". This convention
was attended by Amalia Ledesma, Rosa
Basas, Christine Lim and Edna Quinto.
What was unique about this recent
Laiko Convention, when compared to its
previous conventions, was that it immediately followed the three-day 1st Philippine Congress on New Evangelization
(PCNE), which gathered 7,200 people
from all over the Philippines and other
countries in ASIA. The renewed spirit of
those who were able to attend the PCNE
was felt strongly in this Laiko Convention.
The keynote address by Most Reverend Jesse Mercado, D.D., Chairman of
the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the
laity, was aptly entitled "Laiko Responding to the New Evangelization", taking
Laiko/page 20
ACLAIM organizes the 3rd Archdiocesan Council Congress of the Laity
By Antonio Lumactod
The Lay Associations and Integrated Movements (ACLAIM) of
Davao organized the 3rd Archdiocesan Council Congress of the Laity on November 30, 2013 at the
Davao City Recreation Center
(Almendras Gym), Quezon Boulevard With the theme “The Laity
in the New Evangelization” the
Congress was participated in by
the members of various lay associations and movements of the
Archdiocese of Davao.
The congress commenced with
the welcome address delivered by
Dr. Michael Manalaysay, President of the ACLAIM. In his welcome remarks, he mentioned the
new areas of evangelization for
the laity, clergy and the religious,
which are potent avenues for spiritual renewal and transformation.
After the welcome address,
Msgr. Paul Cuison, the Spiritual
Director of ACLAIM gave his
opening remarks. In his opening
remarks, he said “Let us open our
hearts to what the Lord wants us
to receive.”
This year’s Congress was
graced by the presence of Sr.
Mary Niere, OCD who gave a
conference on Prayer as an important factor in the life of an evangelizer. “Like the apostles, to be an
authentic evangelizer, one has to
know and must have a personal
relationship with Jesus. We are
not evangelizers if we are not persons of prayer,” she stressed.
Furthermore, she also challenged
the participants to raise their level
of consciousness of God through
Page 2
This is Davao’s way of incarnatthe contemplative way of praying.
Contemplative style of praying ing “inclusion of the poor” as one
of the key elements in
facilitates
Evangelii Gaudium “Gospel
deeper and
of Joy”, the new exhortaintimate
tion of Pope Francis adrelationship
dressed to the clergy, reliwith
the
gious and lay faithful.
triune God.
The said Congress was
In
the
participated in by the folafternoon,
lowing members of the
Belinda
Teresian
Association:
“Daylyn”
Villegas, a Archbishop Romulo Valles, DD Isidro Porras, Judith Lumactod, Liza Vallescas,
member of
Annerose Villarba, Rudylyn
the Teresian Association, facilitated the open forum. It was fol- Demerin, Ria Ruiz, Pilar Ferrer,
lowed by the Eucharistic celebra- Gigi Almario and Belinda Villegas.
tion, presided by the Most Reverend
Romulo
Valles,
DD, Insights:
Archbishop of Davao. In his homily, he highlighted the following
"The ACCLAIM Convention was
points:
like a recollection for me. It allowed me to re-examine the way I
“In the context of new
live my life and my relationship
evangelization, there is no
with God. One striking message
something new (in the sense
of Sr. Mary Niere, OCD, which
of the word), it is the same
really struck me, was her challenge
paschal mystery of Jesus that
for us to go deeper in our prayer.
we are evangelizing; it is the
To go deeper into our prayer life;
same message and the same
we are challenged to be contemgood news. He further said
plative because it is in the silence
“What is NEW? – the new
of our heart that God speaks and
vigor, new stamina, new apwe are able to listen clearly to His
proaches and new passion to
message and recognize His loving
announce and proclaim the
will for all of us. At this point in my
Gospel of Joy to all.”
life, I realize that God is inviting me
“In the institutional level,
to another level of prayer by
with regards to mission,
spending 30 minutes to an hour of
there is something new in the
silent prayer. It is a beautiful chalArchdiocese of Davao. The
lenge for me, and I believe it is a
establishment of the Archdichallenge for all.”
ocesan Nourishment Center
(Dr. Annerose V. Villarba )
(ANC) is a new way to cater
to the temporal and spiritual
needs of the poorest of the
poor,” he announced.
ACLAIM/page 3
ACIT Newsletter
First IT Youth Cebu Homecoming
By Geneveve Sy
The idea of a
homecoming for IT
youth Cebu was just a
random thought from
ate Kathy with some
of the former IT youth
members, who visited
Guadix during the
celebration of the feast
of Saint Poveda. What
started to be just a casual talk soon came to a reality…
December 15, 2013 was a memorable date for the former It youth
members and campers, who came to
Guadix Open Center and found a
home and a family. The first ever IT
youth Homecoming… The activity
started with a Eucharistic celebration
followed by Kumustahan of the different batches. Then after lunch, a
series of presentations were showcased by the different batches, reminiscing the IT youth days. It was
indeed nostalgic.
The highlight of the activity was
the inspirational message given by
Ms. Jean Japitana herself. She was
So continue to be God's instruments
one of the reasons why IT youth
wherever you are and in whatever you
Cebu is so
do. But, each one has to be an effialive. Most
cient, calibrated, and accurate instruof us came
ment!”
to know the
Indeed, we were like seeds before
IT
youth
and the Teresianas journeyed with us
and
the
and helped us unfold our potentials to
Teresianas
discover God’s perfect plan and that
because of
we may be instruments also to others.
her. She is
Thank you Lord for the gift of the
and always
Teresian
Association…for the perfect
will be our
time and the gift of people. Amen.
dearly beloved Ma’am Jean.
Inspiring us once again with her
words of wisdom...she told us
that she did not know then the
reason why she invited us at that
specific moment and that specific time; but now, seeing us,
she knows the answer—she was
just an instrument. In a way, she
challenged us to be instruments
as well to others, wherever we
are at present. To quote our
founder, Saint Pedro Poveda,
once said, "you are but instruments that the Lord uses so that
Some IT youth members with Jean Japitana
He may be known and loved."
and May Revecho
ACLAIM/from page 2
Some members of TA Davao with Sr. Mary Niere, OCD
N.B. I would like to thank Isidro “Sid” Porras for providing the
important information of the said Congress. Many thanks Sid.
October—December 2013
“In contemplation, we let go of our
inordinate tendencies; in loving and
intimate communication, we allow
God to penetrate in us. We listen to
Him in silence. We tap our five senses
to enter into a deeper level of consciousness in prayer. The impact of
contemplation is greater and significant in life. We let go of our ego tendencies and become more God centered. In effect, we become more reflective, loving, just, caring and othercentered. We become fully human and
fully belonging to God.”
(Judith Lumactod)
Page 3
Kilig Moments
By Joselita Bongcaron
Who knows what is kilig?
What most Filipinos know of is
that it is a feeling; or is it? What descriptions can you give it? “Yanig ?”
Kilabot? Nginig? I bet my bottom
dollar that you will not be able to tell
me an exact description. There is
simply no one-word equivalent. Am
I right?
Kilig is, what I could say, the
word for the day during that wonderful Advent celebration of ACIT Manila (with a few guests) last December 14, 2013. It was a Saturday, a
Marian day at Covadonga Hall of
Saint Pedro Poveda College. It
seemed that the Christmas rush of
the past weeks (not for shopping but
for beating work deadlines) bottled
up each one’s stresses & needed to
find release. That encounter served
the purpose of de-capping the bottle.
You could not imagine the intensity
of the bursts as the bottle got decapped. Bursts of laughter, stories,
wholesome bullying (uhhmm, can
bullying be wholesome? Only the
attendees could tell), eating (pot luck
lunch) and of course, praying.
Coincidentally, there was a literal
bottle that got de-capped: Novelino
sparklers 4.5%. Lest the reader
thinks of something else, let me reiterate that it was just one bottle for
less than 20 persons (Maricar, Edith,
Jelly, Edna Q, Edna A., Lolit, Lyn,
Merla, Alele, Jen & Edzel, Agnes &
Gigi, Lita & Ritche), enough to enjoy a toast. The alcohol percentage
was not even enough to cause jitters
to the brain cells, nothing compared
to the intoxication of the kilig moPage 4
ments. What was it that brought
about the kilig? I opt to hold you in
suspense, keep it secret, until further
notice. Only the attendees could tell.
I usually hear kilig as associated
with a spark of inspiration arising
from a romantic feeling (think of the
current screen idols, the KathNiel
tandem; for the young & old, who are
keen with Philippine show business,
you know what I mean; or Boots Anson-Roa, who may be about to drop
the name Roa as she now finds love
the second time around years after
her husband’s death). On a humorous note, ask ACIT Manila members,
whose names start with E about kilig.
Then those starting with J, M, A. &
on & on. Only they can tell. On a
serious note, I bet this is what they
would say: In a deeper sense than that
of romance, the word kilig is thought
of as an inspiring feeling; not necessarily romantic.
In that get-together, ACIT members experienced Advent as kilig moments, as sparks of inspiration while
waiting for the coming of the Ultimate Idol, the Divine Messiah. This
day was an invitation for us all to
keep the energy of inspiration, especially at a time when waiting can be
filled with temptations; temptations
to be bored, to be tired, to be stressed,
to be anxious, to be impatient. Life’s
stressors may really be hard to bear,
but faith in the lessons of the Manger
make us wait with a light heart. Lessons of the Manger comprise in reflective & prayerful waiting. As Fr.
Poveda strengthened our charism
through prayer & study, aside from
the Eucharist & Mary, we, too, affirm
this strength as we derive inspiration
this Advent Season from the Manger.
Our celebration last December 14
was capped by praying together at the
SPPC chapel. Exchanging gifts took
place within the prayer time; not material gifts, but exchange of prayers;
our names were written on pieces of
paper with our wishes to be prayed
for; all took turns in picking up one
paper, with a pledge to pray for the
person written on it. At the outset we
sang “ Oh come Divine Messiah, the
world in silence awaits the day, when
all shall sing in triumph & sadness
flee away”. After our country’s ordeals these recent days, we affirm that
sadness will flee away. Meanwhile,
we are keeping the kilig moments.
Much like the inspiration emanating
from the Manger, we, as ACIT Manila, derived inspiration from those
kilig moments, the light prayerful moments that energized us once more to
face the stressors of our lay life.
What a blessing this year that the
whole church celebrates the Year of
the Laity. We’ve got the inspiration;
we’ve got the prayer of the whole
church, we’ve got the source of our
kilig, the Savior in the Manger. What
else can we ask for? Rejoice! Let our
eyes sparkle, our hands interlocked,
our shoulders shaking, & with a grin,
show our kilig !
ACIT Newsletter
Josefa Segovia Day—A Celebration of Life
By May Revecho
Four days after the 7.2 magnitude
Earthquake, October 19, 2013, members of the Teresian AssociationCebu, together with the IT Youth and
some guests, gathered to celebrate
life in honor of Josefa Segovia.
The gathering started with
“kumustahans” with questions such
as: “Where were you during the
earthquake?”; “What did you do?”;
“How’s your house, family and
friends?”.
Several other similar
questions were asked and answered;
questions that simply meant “how
are you?”
Originally, the celebration was
planned to address the issue of the
RH bill and things that follow it,
such as abortion and divorce. However, due to the calamity that struck
Central Visayas, prayers for the victims of the earthquake and their
families were offered instead.
The celebration formally began
with a simple prayer, with the introduction taken from the comments
printed on page 9 of the book dedicated to Josefa Segovia - “A Woman
of Faith”, published in Manila in
1982.
One of the salient features
of Josefa Segovia is undoubtedly the spirit of prayer. But
her prayer, at the present moment, is an enclosed garden in
which it is not licit to enter. We
firmly affirm what we all well
know, ‘she was a woman of
prayer’.
“But her image, prayerful,
and recollected was more eloquent than her pen in manifesting the power of a mother’s
October—December 2013
prayer which in ‘itself is very
powerful.’ Before the Blessed
Sacrament she was the true
“Canaanite woman”, who
pleads, insists and humbles herself to wrest from the hands of
Christ the grace that leaps from
the heart of the mother to that
of the sick and afflicted child.”
It was quite fitting then that during these times of spiritual challenges, due to cultural innovations
and natural calamities, that we look
up and turn to one exemplary member of the Association who had
clearly shown her strength through
prayer.
A video of Josefa and the first
members was then translated by
Rolinda Jover. The video showed
how she spends her days with the
first members and gives us a glimpse
of her responsibilities.
A second movie was played afterwards, while members enjoyed a
simple snack of popcorn and pizza.
The movie entitled October Baby was
about Anna, an ordinary girl that discovered her physical condition was,
more or less, caused by a trauma due
to a failed abortion attempt by her
biological mother. She sets out on a
quest to find her biological parents.
Through this quest she discovers herself and the power of forgiveness.
The celebration ended with people smiling and sharing their wonderful experience of having this moment
of prayer and pause from the nervewracking earthquake. It helped us
realize that in any time and situation
we may be, prayer is absolutely a
source of strength and happiness.
Now, that Visayas was again hit
by a super typhoon in less than a
month after the earthquake, how vulnerable life truly is and we can only
lean on one thing-----prayer. I hope
that as you read this, you would
pause for a moment and offer a
prayer for every Filipino victim of
these natural disasters and a grateful
thanksgiving for everyone who extended their resources to help others.
Lord Jesus Christ
You enabled Josefa Segovia
to lead lay people
in new forms of Christian witness
by living the charism
of the Teresian Association.
Help us to share her strong faith
And her deep love of the Church.
Teach us, as you taught her,
To live in friendship with You
In our everyday activities and
commitments,
And to seek in Our Lady
Inspiration and example
For our Christian living
Through the intercession of
Josefa Segovia
We ask You to renew
the evangelizing spirit of the
Church
and to grant us the favours we
now ask
Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Let us not forget that in times
such as these, our vocation is of significance to help and educate others.
Page 5
Repleksyon kag Aksyon
By Rejie Palmos
Sa amon pagpaambitanay, kami naghangpanay,
experyensya kag kalipay sa
amon nag-ubay. Madamo
nga tinuig kami nag-upod :
PA, ACIT, Youth kag mga
abyan. Gani kami may
ginkaisahan upod sa pangamuyo,
pagtu-on kag aksyon! Ang pamilya may
hilikuton. Sa ini nga tuig,
kami nag-ugyon “Tuig
sang LAYKO pagapasanyugon!”
Page 6
ACIT Newsletter
Visiting ACIT and PA Members in Tokyo
By Agnes Garciano
Osashiburi.
This Japanese
expression means “it’s been a
long time”. That was precisely
how Gigi and I felt when we went
to Tokyo last September. We
were fortunate to be able to go
back to Japan in order to each
attend conferences related to our
fields – Civil Engineering and
Mathematics. It was a good
“excuse” to be able to visit our
good friends in the Teresian Association. We stayed in the residence of the TA members in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Adelfa Armentia and Cora Viado, members of
the Primary Association, welcomed us warmly to their place. On
the day I arrived, we met our old
Seated in the middle is Sayako
friends from the ACIT group as well.
Over sumptuous dinner, graciously
prepared by Adelfa and Cora, we
shared about our lives, our joys and
struggles, as well as our faith. There
we realized how much we miss both
ACIT and PA members, as they were
very much part of our family in Tokyo.
October—December 2013
At the TA residence in TokyoSeated from L to R: Lisa Yamaguchi, Maeda Tatsue,
Agnes Garciano; Standing from L to R: Cora Viado,
Adelfa Armentia, Gigi Garciano
She opted to go back
to Tokyo in order to
study and prepare for a
licenture examination
to teach Japanese to
foreigners.
Douglas
Martin is a Canadian,
who lives in Tokyo
and teaches English to
Japanese students. He
handles the faith sharing group and helps in
the formation of lectors and readers at the
St Ignatius church in
central Tokyo.
The ACIT members in Tokyo
Let’s meet some of the
contribute invaluably to the growth
ACIT members in Tokyo.
of the church in Tokyo. Although
Maeda Tatsue is a retired
still a very small group, each one
teacher who works every
knows the important role he or she
morning at a Montessori
must play in order to fulfill the TA
school near her parish
mission. The members are hopeful
church
in
Saginuma.
that their there will be more people
Maeda-san stayed in Cajoining the TA-ACIT in the future.
gayan de Oro for a year.
Let’s us pray that there will be more
Lisa Yamaguchi and Gloripeople who will join their group.
etta Ishizaki are both ACIT
members residing in
Omiya, a suburb of
Tokyo.
They both
belong to a committee in charge of the
formation of the parishioners
in
Omiya
church. They organize catechism classes with the parish
priest. Sometimes, they invite
speakers,
which
include
Teresians, on different topics
Douglas Martin with Therese and
related to formation. Sayako
Sophia Garciano – future TA members
Yoshida is a young lady who
used to teach in Nagano, Japan.
Page 7
A Gathering to Remember…
By Leila Magalona
This December, both the PA and
ACIT members gathered at the Poveda Center to get together and plan
for the next school year. After sharing our lunch, we started jotting
down our responses to the question:
“What are you so grateful of this
2013 and what do you look forward
to in the next years to come?” Below are the responses of the ACIT
members and guests:
Terry: As a retiree, generally, I
thank the Lord very much for allowing me to serve Him through
the profession, vocation, and mission He has called me for. I thank
God for sustaining me in the different challenges and difficulties
encountered, good health, and
many more. I served for 40 years
in the City of Smiles, Bacolod—
31 years in public service and 9
years in private schools. What I
desire and pray for 2014 are as
follows: good health, be of service to Him in the remaining
years of my life, to grow more in
holiness and in the knowledge of
TA.
Keking: I’m so thankful to the Lord
for making me a channel of His
blessings. I’m hoping the same
for the year 2014.
Deding: I am very thankful for the
blessings that God has given us.
After finishing the studies on the
Diocesan Lay Formation Center
as Kapilyan of our parish for six
months, it gave me additional
knowledge about the church and
spirituality in facing more challenging missions as church
worker. For 2014, I ask God to
give me good health to continue
our mission as Teresian Association of spreading good news for
all men. God bless and Merry
Page 8
Christmas and a Prosperous New
Year to all!!!
Yehlaine: I’m so grateful and blessed
all throughout because of the people who enriched and guided me
all the way. I felt blessed when I
accompanied my childhood friend
in a trip to Hongkong and Macau.
I felt great with God’s abundant
blessings. I am still hoping for the
fast recovery of my mom. I pray
for a prosperous New Year to all!
Sonia: The year 2013 is about to end
and I like to thank the Lord for the
harmonious family relationship
and for the good health of all my
family members. For the year
2014, with God’s help, I pray for a
successful business venture and a
continuous peaceful family relationship.
Annaliza Villaver: I really thank the
Lord for the year 2013, most especially to Ma’am Eres “Keking”,
Carmona Family, Go Family, and
Yehlaine Estores Family. They
were a great help to me and my
mother. I thank them for being
with me in celebrating my birthday most especially to Mama and
the Teresian Family. Thank you
so much for welcoming me. May
you all be blessed. More than
anything else, I thank God for giving me good health and a lot of
blessings. I wish that in this coming year, our togetherness and
bonding will be stronger. I wish
for more bonding time and happiness, long life, and good health. I
pray that my father would arrive
soon. May peace and forgiveness
reign in each one of us. I hope I
can buy a cell phone of my own.
God bless us all!
Leila: Reflecting on the year 2013, I
can’t help but be grateful to the
Lord for the many blessings I received. In our family, God has
granted us good health and harmo-
nious relationship. In school, He
sustained me despite my hectic
schedule attending to my school
responsibilities and my children as
well. In my vocation, He kept the
fire of faith burning. Despite my
limitations, I am certain that God is
using me as His instrument as a
member of the Teresian Association.
For the coming years, I pray
that God would make use of me in
anyway He wants. I am sure that
He will take good care of my own
concerns while I take care of His. I
don’t have big plans, I only have
dreams. I just allow God to take
the lead. I should worry less and
let God do all the worrying.
We also shared the reflections
given by Fr. Jimmy Carmona, SDB
about the 8 Steps to happiness which
include:
1) Think less, feel more.
2) Frown less, smile more.
3) Talk less, listen more.
4) Judge less, accept more.
5) Watch less, do more.
6) Complain less, appreciate more.
7) Fear less, love more.
8) Do good deeds always!
According to Fr. Carmona, we
tend to forget achievers but we cannot
forget those who were significant in
our life. We will die but memories
will live. He further added: “The people who make a difference in our life
are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, the most
awards … but the ones who really
care."
All of us felt good sharing our insights to these steps to happiness. We
hope that all those who are able to
read these steps would also feel the
same. ACIT Bacolod wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
ACIT Newsletter
Coming Home Retreat for Couples
“A Venue of Healing and Celebration”
By Antonio Lumactod
Scriptural Passage: Wedding Feast at
Cana (John 2:1-12) “They have more
wine.”
When the well runs dry. Grace
abounds when there is a desire “to
drink from the well of life”.
The two day retreat provided the
couples opportunities:
to be thankful and grateful for all
the blessings and gifts received and experienced for
the last 15 to 25 years;
to recognize God’s accompaniment in their married life for
the last 15 to 25 years;
to beg for the grace of sorrow and
forgiveness for the gaps,
shortcomings and limitations
experienced as a couple; and
to grow in faith in the context of
marriage for the next 10
years of their marital life.
I could not imagine how I lasted
traveling by land with my daughter
Jo Anne from Davao City to Cagayan de Oro City on November 15
and traveling back on the noon of
November 17, 2013. Perhaps for Jo
Anne, traveling for a total of 18
hours is enjoyable and full of excitement. As for me, traveling by land is
quite uncomfortable and very tedious. I am no longer young and I just
celebrated my 57th birthday last September 12.
What was in store for us at the
Covadonga Center for Culture and
Spirituality on November 16-17,
2013? I was invited to conduct a
“Coming Home Retreat for Couples”. These are couples who have
been married for the last 10 to 25
years with a desire to renew and
strengthen their marital relationships.
October—December 2013
The two-day retreat was part of the
ments were something very fulfilling.
Family Ministry Program of the
Helping the couples to renew and recCommon Mission of the Teresian
oncile due to gaps, shortcomings,
Association in Cagayan de Oro City.
limitations or state of sinfulness in
Cris Peroja, an ACIT member and intheir married life was to me the greatcharge of the Center, invited me as
est miracle of God’s love that happened during the retreat. God interthe Retreat Facilitator.
vened! I considered myself as an inI was quite apprehensive to accept
strument of God’s love, no more, no
the invitation when I received the
less. It was God’s power and unconupdate from Cris that there were only
ditional love that moved them to retwo couples, who have pre-registered
newal and reconciliation.
for the said retreat. I asked her:
“Cris, is it worth pursuing the proOn the last day, the couples were
gram considering that there are only
guided to formulate their family fivetwo couples who pre-registered?”
year development plan. They were
Her response:“Yes, sir, we will progiven the opportunities to discuss and
ceed despite the small number of parbrainstorm freely on matters that conticipants.” So Jo Anne and I travcern family, spiritual, financial, caelled on a Friday noon to Cagayan de
reer, professional and community life.
Oro City to facilitate the said Couples
With their five-year development
plan, the couples,
Retreat.
with new perspective
We
were
and dynamism, went
graced to have
home renewed and
two
couples,
reinvigorated to conwho long to
tinue the travelogue
savor,
relish
of loving, sacrificing,
and
deepen
caring, forgiving, and
their
marital
celebrating the pasrel at i o n s h ip s
chal
mystery
of
for the next five
Christ
in
their
marto ten years of
Tony with daughter Jo Anne and the
ried life in the years
their lives.
two couples
to come.
God’s Miracle
The closing ritual
of Love
was very significant and meaningful.
Fatigue, exhaustion and long
The couples’ five-year development
hours of travel…What was the replan written in a personalized prayer
ward after the two-day couple’s reculminated the two day retreat. Each
treat? The experience of traveling by
couple was given the opportunity to
land for about 18 hours was transpray and offer their prayer– the fiveformed to joy and enthusiasm. Lisyear development plan to God in a
tening to the couples’ stories on how
very solemn manner. It was a celethey have sustained their relationship
bration of life and love!
for the last 15 years and 25 years was
My Prayer for the two Couples
enough of a grace for me. MotivatWith renewed vision, God assures
ing the couples to beg for the grace of
them
with His words from the
openness and humility and facilitatProphet
Jeremiah:“I have prepared
ing them to dialogue on concerns,
issues, strengths and accomplishComing Home/page 17
Page 9
My Journey to Covadonga
By Cristina Peroja
It all began in Covadonga.
Every time I hear these words, it
really didn’t sink into me. Teresian
Association began in Covadonga.
But within 6 months of staying in
Covadonga Center for Culture and
Spirituality, I got a deeper understanding of the place called Covadonga and the story behind why it is
significant in the Teresian Association.
Covadonga means deep cave. It
is a Spanish Marian Cave Shrine in
Asturias, Spain. It is where Saint
Pedro Poveda found an inspiration to
form a group of people, who could
help solve the problems of the community especially in education. This
group was to help the people in the
living of their faith, to help transform
the world through education and culture. And it was there that the
Teresian Association was found.
March 2013, I was at home when
Miss Amalia Ledesma called me and
asked me if it’s okay with me to go
to Cagayan to work in Covadonga
Center for Culture and Spirituality.
My first reaction was to ask her if I
can handle the work, how about my
work in JSSC. She assured me that I
can. Before our conversation ended,
she advised me to pray and meditate
so I can decide well. Mixed emotions beset me after. Funny, but
there were times in my life that I
shared to my family & friends that I
don’t like to work in far places because I want the comfort of working
near home so that I can see my family often. I was a bit hesitant at first
because, for me, Cagayan is a far
place and it means working away
from home and the work entails big
responsibility. And yet, a part of me
was telling me to go and go out from
my comfort zone and explore. My
Page 10
faithfulness to my vocation as a lay
person, my experiences. that were enriched by my stay in JSSC, somehow
helped me to say “yes” to another new
and challenging responsibility -- another opportunity to grow emotionally
and spiritually.
After a week of prayer and sorting
things out, I decided to give it a try.
What really made me decide to go to
Cagayan is the fact that working in
Covadonga is sharing in the mission
of the Work. How can I say no to the
mission that, during my commitment
in ACIT, I promised to help and share
in the fulfilment of the dreams of Saint
Pedro Poveda for the Association?
There’s no turning back. Days before my flight to Cagayan I spent my
time praying, meditating, asking for
the grace, perseverance to continue
despite difficulties that I might encounter, strength from God to make
me strong as I am about to handle a
new responsibility. With all these I
turned to prayer as it gives me strength
as it always does to me.
After 10 years, I set foot again in
Covadonga Center for Culture and
Spirituality. The first time I was here
was when I attended summer seminar
10 years ago. This place is significant
to me because this is where I wrote
my Carta. I didn’t continue my formation in the Primary Association, but
I came back as a member of the ACIT
Association.
Never in my wildest dream had I
any plan to work far from home, and
not in Mindanao, which is so far for
me. But following God’s plan wholeheartedly, I am here. Unexpected
things happened. Indeed, no matter
how much you plan your life, the Lord
can have another plan for you. Lord,
your will be done. I learned to let God
decide for me since I know He has the
best plans for me.
When I was here last April 2003, I
didn’t have the chance to explore the
whole place. So when I arrived I
was so excited to get inside. I only
had a clear memory of the open
space beside the Center, where we
used to walked, but this time, it’s full
of houses already. The view of the
mountain at the back of the Center
gives me a feeling of serenity and
calmness.
I’m so happy with the people I’m
living with right now because they
really consider me as part of the
community. I really feel at home
with the love and care they’re showing me, which eases my longing for
my family. I’m comfortable with
them even if it was the first time I
met some of them in person. Some
of the things and experiences are
new to me but they bring out the best
in me. They make my stay in Cagayan comfortable and happy.
I’m learning some Bisaya words
that are really different from the dialect I grew up with. I enjoyed riding
in the motorela even though I’m
afraid of falling off especially if I ’m
seated at the back. Going to the
morning mass in the parish, walking
and meeting the same faces of the
parishioners, makes me appreciate
the life and culture of the place.
Dealing with clients ran smoothly
too. I learned to deal with people
without shyness. My work pushed
me to go out of my shell and meet
people. These things developed my
self-confidence and opened my
awareness to the things around me.
Things came out well and I thank the
Lord for another proof that when you
follow His plans, things will really
fall into the right places. All things
went well for my six months stay in
the Center.
My journey going to Covadonga
was full of apprehensions but God
My Journey/page 12
ACIT Newsletter
An Apple with a Bite
By Joselita Bongcaron
When I was a kid (probably like
most kids then), one of the fruits that
attracted me to Christmas was an
apple. Years passed; my Christmasses gained deeper meanings. The
apple also evolved in meaning. In
this cyber era, apple is no longer just
what I used to know. Steve Jobs
gave it a totally different concept. I
was browsing a bit about the life of
this man Steve Jobs. I was curious if
a sense of God got into his technology-filled life, a sense of Christmas,
so to speak. I came across this from
his biography by Walter Isaacson.
Walter says:
Jobs announced that he didn’t want to have anything to do
with worshipping such a God,
and he never went back to
church. Reflecting years later
on his spiritual feelings, he said
that religion was at its best
when it emphasized spiritual
experiences rather than received dogma. “The juice goes
out of Christianity when it becomes too based on faith rather
than on living like Jesus or seeing the world as Jesus saw it”,
he told me.
Steve’s stance is not far from that
of a pragmatic seeker, wanting to see
evidence of Christ’s presence in the
most practical of human situations.
At one time or another, we may have
sought Christ also this way. We want
to feel Christ visibly pulsating in
every man who hungers for love. So
one of my favorite song goes:
Hesus na aking kapatid, sa
lupa nami’y bumalik; Iyong
mukha’y ibang-iba, hindi kita
nakikilala; tulutan mong aking
October—December 2013
mata; mamulat sa katotohanan; Ikaw Poon makikilala
sa taong mapagkumbaba…
Hesus na aking kapatid…punit
-punit ang ‘yong damit; sa
bukid ka nagtatanim; o sa
palengke din naman, ikaw ay
naghahanap-buhay…
Although we may find some
sense in Steve’s search, which we
also experience to some degree, we
know the limitations of his tenets.
We know that our faith is not based
solely on a human Christ, but also on
the Divine Christ, one whom we can
no longer touch as human flesh, yet
still felt. The challenge of being incarnate in the world has been entrusted to us, His followers. If Steve
were alive, will he find Christ incarnate in us? He searched for relevance
in Christianity. I remember that our
spirituality as members of the
Teresian Association is spirituality of
the incarnation. This is so loaded
with serious demands of making
Christ truly felt through us by those
who seek His presence. At times, I
fear these demands. Many times, my
own human weakness puts me flat on
my face. The kind of work that I do
in molding young students to be
genuine healers often sucks out the
best of me. In Nursing, we get to deal
with the stark reality of dying &
death. The course I teach is Hospice
Care, journeying with patients who
are at the terminal stage of disease.
At times, as my students witness the
dwindling of breaths and they cry
with bereaved families, I feel my own
breath needing to be replenished as I
absorb the tension of the process.
When a patient at the morgue could
not be claimed due to financial constraints & families sign promissory
notes to release the body, my students would sometimes ask: Where is
Christ here in the hospital system?
Isn’t Christ the staunch defender &
supporter of the poor? I hold my
breath, say a prayer, debrief & guide
the students, and once satisfied with
some imperfect answers, I allow
them to their independent thinking,
and give them space to attend to the
spiritual needs of patients & families.
At dismissal time after they are gone,
I run to the Blessed Sacrament & in
utter silence stare at the cross & ask
like the gipsy in the animated movie
version of the Hunchback of Notre
Dame “ I don’t know if you can hear
me, or if You’re even there; I don’t
know if You would listen to a humble
prayer; though I know I’m just an
outcast, I shouldn’t speak to You;
still I ask myself and wonder, were
You once an outcast, too?”
Ikaw Poon makikilala sa taong
mapagkumbaba. Once an outcast,
You challenge me to tell people that
You walked in our midst, the Emmanuel. Take flesh in me, in all the
TA members & make us humble servants. There are still many Steve
Jobs in our midst seeking relevance
in Christianity. His Apple Co. left so
much impact even if he is already
gone. Make our Christianity leave an
impact as You made in Your earthly
existence until now & at the end of
forever. I personally interpret Steve
Jobs’ symbol of an apple with a bite
as a sign of incompleteness, a sign
that his genius was still limited, not
completely whole. His own humanity
left a space which God will fill in,
whether he felt that God in his life or
not. I bet he felt Him, somehow,
somewhere. Isaacson also wrote an
anecdote how Jobs somehow alluded
to God through some of his favorite
songs which were spiritual in nature.
An Apple/page 12
Page 11
Preparation In Contrast: The Old Testament and Saint Poveda’s Writings
By Mary Jennifer Juezan
The history of our faith speaks a
lot about Preparation. In the book of
Genesis Noah forewarned by God
about the great flood that will destroy everything on earth. Thus, he
abandoned his worldly attachments,
built the Ark and saved his family
and two of each kind of the animals.
In the story of Joseph, son of
Jacob, God gifted him the ability to
interpret dreams. When summoned
by the Egyptian Pharoah to interpret
his dream, Joseph was able to foretell
the seven years of abundance and
seven years of famine. He then was
appointed to manage the production
of food which includes the preparation for the next seven years to come.
The Messianic prophesies in the
Old Testament indicated of the coming of Christ. In Genesis 22:18, God
said to Abraham: “And in thy Seed
shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed; because thou hast obeyed
my voice” (Gen. 22:18). On the
death bed of Jacob, grandson of
Abraham, he spoke about the fate of
Judah, saying that it will live with its
own leaders until the Shiloh
(Councilor who is interpreted as the
Messiah), who will end the enmity
between man and God.
The preparation of the coming of
Christ was more pronounced starting
from the history of King David when
God, through Nathan, promised to
establish His kingdom in the personage of his Descendant: “I will establish his throne for ever. I will be his
Father, and he shall be my Son” (1
Chron. 17:12-13). Then as we all
know the prophets thereafter spoke of
this Promise as the history of Christ
began.
As it reverberates in the history
of Christianity as spoken in the Holy
Bible, “Preparation” is a very important word in writings of Fr. Pedro
Poveda as well. In his context he
spoke of Preparation in the task that
every Teresian Association member
will have to face in carrying out the
Work. He said, “Preparation is in-
An Apple/from page 11
Lord, as I stare at You each time I visit the
Blessed Sacrament, my sins throw me flat on my face.
Like an incomplete apple, fill in what is lacking in me,
let me be the extension of Your healing presence so
that the likes of Steve Jobs will find relevance in
Christianity. Steve may not have had a sense of You,
the Child born on Christmas day. But other Steve’s
still await…in hospital rooms, in rural communities, in
asylums, in operating tables, in intensive care units, in
hospice facilities, in disaster areas, in my locus of ministry: the young people’s souls seeking to heal other
souls.
I am an imperfect apple, not whole. Fill me. Use
me, so that other Steve’s will see new inventions of
apples that give deeper meaning to Christmas. After
all, apple is still one of the fruits that reminds me of a
beautiful Christmas…an apple with a bite.
Page 12
dispensable in order to be equal to the
task to be able to give a reason for
things, to fulfill our duty, and to carry
out the mission.” (Staunch Friends p.
125) He recognizes the complexity of
the world and that he requires the
members to be relevant in order to be
able to reach out.
Specifically in his writings he
emphasized to the members to pray,
evangelize and in everything prepare
intellectually. The intellectual preparation of those working in the different areas of knowledge and of profession especially in education.
However, Saint Poveda warned
that “under no pretext should we allow any human element into something founded in Christ, by Christ and
for Christ.”
While the Old Testament spoke of
the preparation for the coming of the
Son of God, Saint Poveda spoke of
our preparation to the evangelizing
work entrusted to us by Christ. Two
different times, yet consistent in foundation. Both founded in Jesus Christ.
My Journey/from page 10
guided me and showed me that coming to this place is indeed a good decision.
I have this feeling of happiness that somehow I become a
part in helping in the mission Saint Pedro Poveda has for the
Work.
With the significance of Covadonga in the TA, I am more
inspired to make Covadonga really meet the expectations
and the reasons why this was built. Of course, with the help
of St. Pedro Poveda and Our Lady of Covadonga.
As the realities of my work continue to unfold everyday,
my trust in God also soars because I believe that only God
can lighten our load and help us in our endeavors.
God is so good, indeed. And Covadonga made me realized that I can do more, that I can conquer my fears as long
as I offer to God everything that I do, doing my best and letting God do the rest. I learned to love the place. I am looking
forward for a fruitful stay and more beautiful experiences in
Covadonga.
ACIT Newsletter
TA President MAITE URIBE Visits Davao
By Ma. Trinidad Tonogbanua
TA President, Maite Uribe visited Davao last December 15, 2013
to meet with the local group and to
be present for Joni Alingalan’s
reception of the Crucifijo. The
private celebration of Joni’s reception was followed by a mass concelebrated by Digos (Davao del
Sur) Bishop Guillermo Afable, a
friend of the Association, and
Msgr. Paul Cuison, parish priest of
Sacred Heart Parish, to which the
Davao Sede belongs. The fact that
it was Gaudete Sunday added to
the joy and meaning of the celebrations.
The dinner that followed
was marked with much laughter
Seated L-R: Eloisa Maglana (Asesora), Judith Lumactod, Maite Uribe (TA Pres), Prima Hilot.
Standing L-R: Sid Porras, Elisa Gonzales, Cris
Buyan, Anne Villarba, Liza Lao, Tony Lumactod,
TrinaTonogbanua, Liza Vallescas.
and camaraderie.
After dinner, Maite devoted exclusive time with
the ACIT members who
shared with her and the
group, their life stories,
struggles, joys and experiences. It was an enriching
session as, once again, the
members’ stories brought to
the fore the same underlying life-force that moves in
them—the Spirit of a loving
God and the vision of Saint
Pedro Poveda of women
and men impelled to be
Christ’s witnesses in the
ordinary circumstances of
their lives.
Maite’s Visit to Other Localities
Visit to CDO: L-R: Felix la Victoria, EJ Innis, Zalina
Aboc (MIT), Maritess Laurilla (LDE participant),
Maite Uribe, Agnes Adviento, Cris Peroja, Isay
Tancinco (pre-ACIT), Norwin Duay (LDE participant)
October—December 2013
Visit to Cebu: L-R Seated: Kathy Lorenzo, Vilma Laranas,
Maite Uribe, Tony Laranas, Gigi Bartolo; Standing L-R:
Chuck Jugar, Glee de Pio, Geneveve Sy, Jessica Pulvera,
Christine Lim, Doris Sy, Linda Ehido, Elka Canete, Elsie
Cabahug, May Revecho, Kimberly Dizon, Rolinda Jover,
Cherie Mae Aunzo
Page 13
With Mary, our companion… Gratitude and thanksgiving,
With Teresa of Jesus… Trust and Faith in God,
With Josefa Segovia…Strength in the Lord,
With Saint Pedro Poveda, we are sent for a mission
By Antonio Lumactod
October is a month of celebrations for the members of the
Teresian Association all over world.
In Davao, both members of the Primary Association and ACIT Association gathered in prayer and fellowship on October 13, 2013 from
3:00 o ‘clock in the afternoon to
5:00 PM at Poveda Center at Generoso Street in barrio Obrero to celebrate the following feast days: October 10— birth anniversary of Venerable Josefa Segovia, the Beatification of Saint Pedro Poveda and
Blessed Victoria Diez and October
15— the feast day of Saint Teresa of
Avila.
With the theme: With Mary, our
companion…Gratitude and Thanksgiving, With Teresa of Jesus…Trust
and Faith in the Lord… With Josefa
Segovia…Strength in the Lord and
with Saint Pedro Poveda, we are
sent for a mission, the prayer and
fellowship provided a venue for reflection, sharing of experiences and
bonding among the members of the
Teresian Association.
I invite you to journey in prayer
with Mary, Sta.Teresa de Jesus,
Venerable Servant of God Josefa
Segovia and Saint Pedro Poveda.
Find your own sanctuary or sacred
space where you find most comfortable to commune with the Triune
God in prayer.
Introduction:
The letter of the year, 2013 by
Maite Uribe invites us to welcome
Mary as our companion throughout
the year. She said and I quote:
Page 14
Mary’s attitude, proclaimed
in the Magnificat, is what I
would like to have as our companion throughout the year
2013, so that we learn from
Mary that the God who works
marvels in her is the faithful
God who commits himself day
by day, year by year, to each
person and to each generation.
“As believers, it is an invitation
to believe and proclaim, as
Mary did, that God will work
marvels, for his mercy is from
age to age, from generation to
generation, thus, fulfilling the
promise made to our ancestors.
He is the merciful God who exalts the lowly and fill the hungry
with good things, the God of
tenderness and faithfulness who
enters history to prepare of
peace and justice. (Maite Uribe,
Letter of the Year 2013).
Praying our Spirituality
Song: Magnificat
First Moment
Grace to ask for:
(Picture of Mary) With Mary, we
ask for the grace of appreciation
and thanksgiving for the wondrous
deeds the Lord has done for us these
past months.
Praying with Scripture:
“My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in
God my Savior… God who is mighty
has done great things for me, holy is
his name.”
Leader:
We contemplate Mary’s words
and resonate her experiences. Imagine
the setting and listen to Mary expressing her words of appreciation and
thanks to the Lord. What do you see?
Hear? Smell? Touch? Taste? (pause)
I invite you to be calm and serene
with Mary. Allow her presence become more real to you now. Enjoy her
presence. With Mary’s accompaniment and her words of joy, I invite
you to recollect the wondrous deeds
that the Lord has done for us these
past months. Name and savor the experience. How did God reveal to us?
(pause)
Our Litany of Praise & Thanksgiving:
I invite you to express your prayer
of praise and thanksgiving for the
marvelous deeds that God has done
for you these past months.
Response:
My soul proclaims the greatness
of the Lord! The Almighty works
marvels for me! He raises the lowly!
He fills the hungry with good
things!
For the gift of faith that sustains us
in moments of emptiness, loneliness
and other struggles in life. ®
For the gift of associative unity
that binds us closer to work for the
common mission in the Teresian Association. ®
For the gift of persons who have
been Your instruments of peace and
personal care in our lives. ®
For the gift of collaborative effort
in formulating the TA 3 year developWith Mary/page 15
ACIT Newsletter
With Mary/from page 14
ment Plan in the local level. ®
For recognizing our struggles and
difficulties and for considering them
as challenges and opportunities to
make You known in our lives. ®
Song: Your Heart Today
Second Moment:
Grace to ask for:
(Picture of Saint Teresa) With
SaintTeresa de Jesus, we beg for the
graces of trust and faith in God.
Praying with Scripture:
“Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation. He
only is my rock and my salvation, my
stronghold; I shall not be disturbed
at all”(Psalm 62:2-3).
Leader:
I ask you to remember a particular
experience of worries, fears anxieties
these past days? How was it for
you? What was the prevailing feeling? How did these affect your temper, your feelings, your thinking,
your mode of doing and being?
When you are filled worries and
anxieties, “always remember that
your faith and hope should be in
God” (1 Pet 1, 21). How did God
show his saving and accompanying
presence to you during these moments? (pause)
As these memories of worries,
anxieties and fears become more
vivid in your memory, I now invite
you to offer these to the Lord begging for the grace of trust and faith.
Allow St. Teresa of Avila to be your
companion today as she assures you
“Let nothing disturb you, God alone
suffices.” (pause).
“Let nothing disturb you, God
October—December 2013
alone suffices.” (pause).
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and faith in
me” (John 14:1).
Song: Web of Life
Third Moment
Grace to ask for:
(Picture of Josefa Segovia) With
Josefa Segovia, we beg for the grace
of strength in the Lord
Leader:
Josefa Segovia journeys with us
today as we look back to the past
weeks, when we experienced worries, fears and anxieties in our families, in our place of work. Most especially, we were much affected by the
recent conflict in Zamboanga.
Scriptural Text for Meditation:
With Venerable Josefa Segovia,
we show our trust in the Lord. “In
Him who is the source of my
strength I have strength for everything (Philippians 4:13). (Pause)
May Josefa Segovia be our exemplar of strength and stronger faith as
we meditate her words, “Lord, be
my strength for the sake of others, If
you sustain me, I can do everything” (Josefa Segovia Inner Yearnings; 2000). (pause)
Venerable Josefa Segovia, the embodiment of the Spirit of the
Teresian Association
Today, we thank the Lord for her
gift of person and leadership as the
first President of the Teresian Association.
On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 10, 1922, Saint Pedro
Poveda declared and confessed:
“Josefa Segovia, You are the embodiment of the spirit of the Teresian Association.”
Our God, the Creator, Redeemer
and Sanctifier inspire us to imitate our
most admirable Josefa Segovia. In
prayer, I invite you to savor and relish
Poveda’s words declaration, affirmation and appreciation on her and I
quote:
“I praise your love of the Blessed
sacrament, your faithfulness
to prayer; You always reflect,
as if you had been born with
it.” (pause)
“Your fervent desire to receive
Jesus and your Eucharistic
life.” (pause)
“Your veneration for sacred
things and the esteem in which
you hold them are very evident,
as well as the lessons about divine worship that you spread
wherever you go.” (pause)
“Your humility and passion to
notice and live in the presence
of God to the highest degree.” (pause)
“Your prudence would be
enough even for someone who
had to govern a congregation.”(pause)
“You are most self-sacrificing,
without ever appearing to be a
victim, or giving signs of the
extent of your sacrifice.” (pause)
“All the gentleness you lavish on
others is turned into austerity
for yourself.” (pause)
With Mary/page 16
Page 15
With Mary/from page 15
“Regarding honesty, an excellent virtue.” (pause)
“Your orderliness is most admirable, and because you are
so orderly, by your presence
you bring order to everything
around you.” (pause)
“Your firmness, your equanimity, your fairness, your holy
freedom, free from the slightest favouritism, not appearing
to be impressionable or emotional because of your selfcontrol and the integrity of
your judgements.” (pause)
Reflection:
Choose one characteristic of
Josefa Segovia that best characterizes yourself. Unknowingly and unconsciously, you have lived and
practiced her core values. Which of
these core values have you lived and
practiced? Recall an experience on
how it happened? When? Where?
How was it for you? How did God
reveal to you? or How are you challenged to live the core value or characteristic that you have chosen?
(pause)
Sharing our stories of life
: Tell and narrate your story. We
share the fruit of our reflection:
Song: You are mine
Living Out our Spirituality
(Challenge to Action)
Fourth Moment:
Grace to ask for:
(Picture of Pedro Poveda) With St.
Pedro Poveda, we are sent for a mission; We must act with [your] our
whole heart (Crei Por Esto Hable,
p.27).
Page 16
Scriptural Text for Meditation:
Saint Paul reminds us “Whatever
you do, do it with your whole heart.
Do it for the Lord rather than for
your masters” (Colossians 3:23)
(pause)
With St. Paul, St. Pedro Poveda
also continuously reminds us,
“Everything that we do we should do
with our whole heart…To be everything, it must include thoughts, words
and deeds…Our apostolic mission is
founded not to offer human opportunities to young women, nor to teach
them and make them cultured, nor to
shine in the field of the sciences, but
to become holy and lead others to
holiness; to train holy teachers capable of saving towns; to educate as
Christians those who afterwards in
their teaching posts, in the exercise
of their respective professions, at
home, in society, must be models of
virtue, to form a legion of apostles of
Christ to extend the reign of Jesus”.
Amen (Crei Por Esto Hable).
The XVI General Assembly reaffirmed the writings of St. Pedro Poveda the importance of intervening in
situations...
(altogether)
… Where there is vulnerability, exclusion or marginalization, let us offer “our best academic qualifications, of thought,
reflection etc. to serve society;
… We firmly believe in the
healing power of faith-science
dialogue.
… We believe in Poveda’s
teaching,
… Where there is living faith,
we generate charity which is
united with outstanding knowledge, nourished by study and
the critical analysis of the destructive systems that threaten
millions of people,
… let us is offer our commitment work together in the process of social and cultural transformation.
…We continuously advocate
as agents of Faith-science dialogue who are believers who
dare to join forums of social debate and intellectual honestly
and competently.
Reflection:
Looking back to the past months...
What specific actions that expressed our commitment to [justice]
love and charity in 2013?(Letter of
the Year, 2013).(pause)
What specific actions have fulfilled
our desire to love in deed and truth in
2013? (Letter of the Year, 2013).
(pause)
Which signs that have accompanied our search for God, our longing
for God? (Letter of the Year 2013).
(pause)
We are sent for a Mission
As we go back to our homes, in
our place of profession and field of
apostolate, let us carry and ponder in
our hearts the words of Saint Pedro
Poveda which he wrote in 1917. He
emphasized to us as founder in the
process of developing his work:
Poveda’s reminders
“You must make a special effort to
know the life of Christ well, studying
the holy Gospel with love… It is there
that you will find the protoptype that
you should all imitate. Learn to be
humble like Jesus, like Jesus be prudent, strong, patient, kind-hearted,
compassionate, charitable. Pray like
him and with Him; prepare yourselves
for your apostolic mission as the Master prepared himself” (Letter of the
With Mary/page 17
ACIT Newsletter
With Mary/from page 16
Year 2013, [84] 1917, Selected
Writings, No 9, p 35).
With Mary, on our road fulfilling
Our Mission
Filled with passion, joy and enthusiasm, we entrust to the Lord all
our personal goals and apostolic
plans and dreams for the remaining
months. We beg for the grace of
becoming more and more conscious
of Mary’s presence in our life. Mary,
in her Magnificat who continues to
accompany us in our travelogue of
life as members of the Teresian Association as we say Hail Mary…
Hail Mary
“All our groups, and associations, families, groupings, projects
and every area where we gather and
are sent forth on mission, are theological spaces where we can experience God’s love of and the love of
our brothers and sisters.” (Maite
Uribe, Letter of t the Year, 2013)
Closing Prayer
As one community renewed by
each other’s presence and filled with
God’s presence, let us now invoke the
guidance and inspiration of the Holy
Spirit as we desire to live by the spirit
and to walk in the spirit. Let us be
inspired by the Holy Spirit to better
fulfill our mission.
To count once again on the Spirit’s
palpable energy and power, we pray
together recreating today our petitions
as an extended family throughout the
word.
(Altogether)
Come, Spirit that sustains our vocation
Come and [consolidate] inspire the
members of the Teresian Association
Come, strength of those who believe
Come and open our whole being to the
God of life
Come and animate our testimony
Come and lift us up to a life more in
accordance with the wishes of
God
Come and confess with our lips that
Coming Home/from page 9
for you a future full of hope, not of sadness or woe.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
And from the Book of Revelation, “New Heaven and New Earth. Behold God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).”
Back Home— A Joyful Arrival
Jo Anne and I arrived home at around 9 o’clock in the evening of
Sunday, November 17, 2013. Yes, we were physically tired from the
trip; however, the Spirit of God inflamed my heart to sing joyfully of
the goodness of the Lord as we have visited and touched the lives of
two couples in Covadonga.
With Mary in her Magnificat, I invite you to celebrate God’s goodness as we pray;
“My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my
spirit finds joy in God my savior
For He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness
All ages to come shall call me blessed
God who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is
his name.” (Luke 1:46-49).
October—December 2013
Jesus is Lord
Come to the structures of our world
and fill them with your light
Come to all of us, builders of human
society, so that it will be one of
fellowship
Come to the poor who await you
Come to those who can give more so
that others may live
Come and give movement to those
who are paralyzed
Come and help our hearts to give a
generous “yes”
Come and destroy fear and distrust
Come and convert us in loving consolation
Come, Spirit that came upon Mary
Come and make of us a house [and a
community] that welcomes
God’s plan
Come to our family which looks for
you and needs you
Come, Spirit of holiness
Come and carry forward the work
begun (Aguado, Aranzazu, To
the Ends of the Earth, 1998).
Closing Song: Send us your Spirit
Let us pray the Prayer for the
Families
O Mary,
Grant our families the grace of loving and respecting life from the first moment of its existence – from the moment of conception. May we
love with the same love, the love you had when
you bore your Son Jesus, the Son of God.
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Faith and Love,
protect our families and give us the grace of
unity, charity and of sound education of children.
Grant to each one in our family the desire for
sanctity. Raise up in our family sons and daughters, who will become true children of God.
Mary our hope, look with compassion on all
families.
(Blessed John Paul, Mexico, 1989)
Page 17
God Makes/from page 1
tional Conference on New Evangelization, I was filled with enthusiasm and joy to listen to the different
speakers, to meet new friends and
old acquaintances, to encounter the
Lord through the various activities
and rituals and, hopefully, to be set
afire with the gifts of the Holy Spirit
to become an agent in the new evangelization.
Indeed, the first day was a real
personal encounter with Jesus
through the various religious activities: The Misa ng Bayan, the Heart to
Heart Conversation with Cardinal
Tagle, Streams of Encounter with
God: Prayer Experience and the Eucharistic Adoration with Taize
Prayer.
The morning began with the joyful and meaningful celebration of the
Holy Eucharist using the Misa ng
Bayan. Integrating our Filipino customs and popular devotions into the
Misa ng Bayan made me appreciate
deeply our values and attitudes as
Filipinos and, most specially, our
Catholic faith and tradition. Truly,
faith and music are the Filipinos’
wealth!
The Veneration of the Cross at the
beginning of the Mass to me was
very meaningful. It is through the
Cross that we have been redeemed
by Jesus Christ. On that day also, the
Crucified Christ reminded me of the
sufferings of our brothers and sisters
in Bohol and Cebu, who were hit by
the earthquake with a 7.2 magnitude
on October 15. As a congregation,
we offered special prayers of hope
for the victims of the said earthquake.
The Heart to Heart Conversation
with Cardinal Tagle left a great impression on me since I was able to
listen to the invited guests, representing the media, non-government organizations, youth, Catechists and
Page 18
other lay people in civil society. Carto compose and recollect my experidinal Tagle asked the guests, “Ano
ence of the first day of the conference.
ang gusto n’yong ipaparating sa atIn these recollected moments, I aling mga Church leaders today?”
lowed myself to be embraced by Jesus
This question also made me reflect
who invited me to come and see… to
on how I can creatively respond to
dine with him in the Eucharist that
the challenge of new evangelization
morning, to listen to him during the
Heart to Heart Conversation with Caras a formator and catechist.
dinal and to be nourished by Him in
I was struck most with the experithe Streams of Encounter with God:
ence shared by the female catechist
Prayer Experience.
from Palawan. Her story was very
As I left the Quadricentennial hall
touching because, despite the limitations and other difficulties such as
that afternoon, I asked myself “Why
lack of books and catechetical materidid the first day of the Conference
als, she showed industry, perseverstart with Prayer?” I guess, it is very
ance, and passion in her work. This
important to consider that we can only
made me realize how blest I am as a
be a genuine and effective evangelizer
Catechist working in a private Cathoof faith if we have established first an
lic University.
intimate relationship with our Lord.
In the afternoon, Bishop Ted BaEverything we do springs from a real
cani led us into prayer-contemplation
of Mary’s Magnificat. It was an afencounter with the Lord in prayer.
ternoon of praying with Mary in her
God Makes/page 19
Magnificat that I allowed myself to
see, sense, feel and
rediscover
the
Day 2:
wondrous deeds
2nd Phase: “Stay with us” (Like 24:29)
that the Lord has
done
for
me
“We encounter Jesus in the Church
through
these
through the Word and the Eucharist”
years. Like Mary
accounting
the
The PCNE highlighted the Scriptures and the
goodness of God
Liturgy, provided the participants moments to
in her life, the
strengthen bonds of communion with each other
prayer experience
so that they can relive the experience of the disled me to recogciples of Emmaus in the context of new evangenize all the blesslization.
ings I received
Activities: Morning Praise
from the Lord.
Conference on Popular Devotions and
God indeed is so
the New Evangelization with Fr. Catagood and generlino Arevalo, SJ Testimonies: Hosts:
ous!
Boots Anson Roa and Fr. Nono AlThe day ended
fonso, SJ
well for all of us
Pathways of Communion and Rethrough the Eucharistic Adoranewal
tion with Taize
Eucharistic Celebration Archbishop
Prayer. Praising,
Jose S. Palma
singing and mediConcert of the Millennium
tating the Words
of God helped me
ACIT Newsletter
God Makes/from page 18
The first day of the PCNE prepared me very well for the second
day of conference. The second day
highlighted the theme “We encounter
Jesus in the Church through the
Word and the Eucharist. With the
Scriptural passage, “Stay with us,”
the experience of the two disciples
on the road to Emmaus from the
Gospel of Luke was the prevailing
story of the day.
The talk of Fr. Catalino Arevalo,
SJ on Popular Devotions and Evangelization was very comprehensive
and moving. He emphasized the importance of imagination as a means
to renewed evangelization. More
significant is the use of the five
senses (seeing, feeling, hearing,
smelling, tasting) when we pray to
connect with God whom we cannot
see physically. In Contemplative
prayer, we tap our five senses to
commune with God.
In context, he recalled that after
50 years of the Church’s renewal
through Vatican II, the faith of the
Filipino remains stable and steadfast
through popular devotions.
The
praying of the Rosary, our devotion
to the Saints through the statues and
novenas, our religious gestures and
other forms of popular devotions
make our faith more alive. Through
these practices, we Filipinos have
maintained our sense of connectedness with the Divine- with the Triune
God. Similarly, this holds true in
Latin America for the last fifty years.
The talk on popular devotions
was followed by spiritual conversations hosted by Boots Anson Roa
and Fr. Nono Alfonso, SJ. I was
evangelized by the faith testimonies
on popular devotions of the followOctober—December 2013
ing invited guests: Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi, OP to Ina, Our Lady
of Peñafrancia in Bicol; Msgr. Clemencio Ignacio and Coco Martin to
Black Nazarene in Baclaran; Judy
Ann Santos to Our Lady of Manaog
and Christopher de Leon to San
Lorenzo Ruiz.
The Pathways of Communion and
Renewal in the afternoon provided
food for the mind through the various
concurrent sessions in the areas of
spirituality, theology, politics, environmental care, laity’s involvement
in the parish, etc.
What were the challenges posed to
me at the end of the second day? As
Catechist and formator, I am most
challenged to prepare meaningful and
contextualized form of prayer materials. Better preparation of liturgies
and communal prayers are key elements to new evangelization. Sacred
spaces for individual and communal
prayer must be planned very well.
These preparations are important factors to provide people avenues to be
more imaginative in communing with
the Lord in prayer.
On the third day of the Conference,
the activities challenged us to go and
“put out into the deep.” This is a call
for every evangelizer!
The Assisi Revisited: Inter-faith
prayer for peace organized by the
Focolare Movement was very touching. Invited religious leaders from
other Faiths were asked to speak on
how we, as one people of God, can
work for unity, dialogue and communion. At the end of the prayer and
speeches, Cardinal Tagle’s gesture of
reconciliation and forgiveness with
other religious leaders was a genuine
expression of peace and dialogue. It
was another Assisi experience!
The second part of the third day
conference was the testimonies given
by Bishops and selected lay personparticipants
from
Taiwan,
Hongkong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and other countries. Again, we
were re-evangelized by the inspiring
testimonies of Bishops and lay missionaries—Catechists and evangelizers of faith. Faith becomes more
alive in countries where Catholics
are a minority.
The Holy Eucharist, presided by
God Makes/page 20
Day 3: “Duc in Altum” - “Go…And Preach the Gospel To
the Whole of Creation” (Mark 16:15) (Mission and Spirituality)
The PCNE provided the participants avenues of inspiration and
directions imbued with the spirit of mission so that they can hear
more clearly the words of Jesus: “Duc in altum” or “Put out into the
deep!’
Activities: Assisi Revisited: Interfaith Prayer for Peace
Missionary Dimension of Evangelization with Cardinal
Tagle
Testimonies: Bishops and selected lay persons from Taiwan, Hongkong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and other
countries
Wellsprings of Hope – Evaluation
Closing Eucharist
Message of Pope Francis
Mission Sending
Page 19
God Makes/from page 19
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, culminated the third day of the Conference.
Seemingly, it was an Eschatological
experience. Candles were lighted as
we sang the recessional hymn. We
were ignited and set afire with the
lighting of the candles. At the end of
the recessional hymn, Cardinal Tagle
Laiko/from page 1
into consideration that the year 2014
has been named as the Year of the
Laity. This is part of the Church's 9year preparation for the celebration
of the 500th Anniversary of the first
Mass and Baptism held in the Philippines. The Year of the Laity will
start on the first Sunday of Advent,
December 01, 2013 and will end on
the Solemnity of Christ the Kind on
November 23, 2014. The theme is:
Called to be holy… sent forth as
heroes. “The focus will not only be
on the universal call to holiness but
also on the universal call to restore
all things in Christ. Holiness must
lead to social engagement. The target
priorities are the hurting and disillusioned Christians, the marginalized
sectors of our society,” explained the
Bishop.
Since many of the participants of
this Laiko convention were not able
to attend the PCNE, Most Reverend
Mercado made a quick overview of
the three-day event as a prelude to his
talk. The first day of the PCNE focused on "Who is Jesus?", with the
biblical texts "Come and see" and
“We have seen the Lord” as it's binding theme. The day's activities aimed
to awaken the sensitivity of the participants to a God who has a face and
a human heart. "Stay with us, Lord"
Page 20
instructed us to encode in our cell
phone
the
Scriptural
passage
“Behold, God makes all things
new” (Rev 25:4) and to send it to our
families, friends and colleagues in
different parts of the globe. A new
method to evangelize others! What a
beautiful experience!
At the end of the three-day conference experience, I reflected: Were not
our hearts burning as Jesus invited us
to “Come and See”, as we invited Him
to “Stay with us” on the road to Emmaus and as He challenged us, with
vigor and renewed spirit, “Let us put
out our nets into the deep”?
Let us go back to our own Jerusalem and announce the Gospel of Joy,
“the Lord is Risen!”
and “God is with us” were the biblical
texts for the 2nd day. It's activities
showed the many ways people have
been touched by our Lord and how
they have been strengthened in faith
through their personal devotions. A
concert for the young was held in the
evening. For the 3rd day, "Go and
preach the Gospel" and "Here I am,
Lord, send me" were the Biblical
texts. Here, the universality of the
Church is revealed and how God
speaks even to non-Christians.
Challenging now the Laiko on how
to respond to the New Evangelization,
Most Reverend Mercado showed a
thought-provoking video that can be
found in this internet address
vimeo.com/24570032, showing the
4Ls needed for today's Disciples love, liberate, lead and launch; to love
especially the marginalized, to liberate
those who are in bondage, to lead by
humility in order to form disciples,
who can also be launched or sent to
spread the good news, sharing new
experiences with new methods, new
expression, new fervor. The Catholic
Bishops of the Philippines has mandated the Sangguniang Laiko ng
Pilipinas to prepare programs capable
of forming the laity to respond to the
call to holiness, ready to be sent forth
with the willingness to give up one's
life when asked for. The second chal-
lenge for the Sangguniang Laiko ng
Pilipinas is to finish making its Statutes so that it can be clear to all members the reason for the organization’s
existence, its identity and mission.
A workshop was facilitated in the
afternoon wherein everyone was asked
to answer three questions: What was
your strongest personal encounter with
God? How did you respond to the love
and how did it change your life? How
can you spread this love with new ardor, method and expression?
These were the answers gathered
on the first question: near death experience, bottom pit experience, meeting the destitute, meeting The Lord in
the Sacraments, miraculous experiences. For the second question: the
experience made them wounded healers, church volunteers, grow stronger
in faith and commitment, become
more humble, forgiving and tolerant,
realizing the importance of family
over profession. Answers to the third
question are as follows: using the social media, teaching livelihood,
spreading the PCNE learning to listen
more than preaching, evangelizing
through film showing and networking
with other organizations.
An election was held for 15 new
members of the Board of Trustees.
Rosa Basas was elected as a member
of the Board.
ACIT Newsletter