Ministry of Greeters and Ushers

Among the first people ROLP mass-goers see when they arrive in church for Sunday mass (and also for the Saturday evening anticipated mass) are men and women in blue with smiling faces and ID tags identifying them as members of the ROLP ministry of greeters and ushers.

The Ministry of Greeters and Ushers (MGU) is the newest ROLP ministry, organized on August 13, 2007. They are composed of volunteers coming from the different parish organizations and ministries.

The MGU is tasked to greet and welcome parishioners coming for the celebration of mass on Sundays and the anticipated mass on Saturday evenings. They direct the people to their seats, guide them to where they need to go (e.g. parish office, restrooms, sacristy, etc.), and assist the disabled and elderly.

They are also responsible for appointing offerors during the offertory, and they act as marshals during the distribution of Holy Communion for a smooth and orderly flow of the communion queue.

Last September 3, 2008, the MGU members made their Pledge of Commitment after the 6:15AM Mass presided over by Bishop Jesse Mercado.

Bro. Lino Pilao was the first MGU coordinator.

MGU officers for 2008-2009 are:

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MLC: A Job or a Ministry?

By May Corpuz, MLC

Is the work we do as lectors and commentators a job or a ministry?

Last November 14-15, 2008 at the Carmelite House of Spirituality in Tagaytay City, I and 20 other fellow lectors shared the privilege of learning from the wisdom of Fr. Edgar Pacete. It was the annual recollection for members of the ministry of lectors and commentators of the ROLP.

This two day pause from the cares of the world transported us into moments of deep reflection, honest self revelation, bonding with fellow lectors, and much needed prayer, prayer and prayer.

To summarize Fr. Ed's treatise, he said that our being in the ministry of lectors is a call from God for us to be holy. We said yes to God, expressed by our commitment to service.

Being holy means we are to be an icon of Christ. And so, the ministry becomes the fruit of a life of sanctity. But function is secondary to a life of holiness because the bigger challenge of being a lay minister is the life outside the church. And the dignity of our ministry is our humility in the face of criticism and difficulty. Since holiness is grace from God, He promises to continually transform us and be with us until the end of time---as long as we remain in HIM.

And so, what did I bring home with me? Treasures, indeed --- lessons in church service, courage to persevere, a deeper appreciation of my calling, and a love for my ministry.

Towards the end of our recollection, Fr. Ed shared inspiring thoughts on how, as lectors, we should approach our service in the church. Will it be as a job or as a ministry?

If you do it because no one else will, it's a job.
I f you do it to serve the Lord, it's a ministry.
If you do it just enough to get by, it's a job.
If you do it to the best of your ability, it's a ministry.
If you quit because someone criticized you, it's a job.
If you keep serving despite all the challenges, it's a ministry.
If you quit because no one praised you, it was a job.
If you do it because it needs to be done, it's a ministry.
It's hard to be excited about a job.
It's almost impossible not to be excited about a ministry.
Average churches are filled with many people doing jobs.
Great churches are filled with people involved in different ministries.
If your concern is just success, it's a job.
If your concern is faithfulness to God ,it's a ministry.
People may say "well done" when you do your job.
When you complete your ministry, God will say, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Lectors and commentators during their recollection in Tagaytay City.

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EMHC

At presentation of Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, September 21, 2008

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Mother Butler Guild Marks 23rd Year

By: Marilou Pangilinan

It has been 23 years since the Mother Butler Guild was organized by then ROLP Parish Priest Fr. Ceferino Sanchez with Conchita P. Heushkle as the MBG President.

To celebrate its 23rd anniversary, MBG President Baby Frias lined up several activities. The MBG had a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Paul in Makati last September 5 , 2008, as part of the celebration of the year 2008 which is dedicated to St. Paul.

Another activity was a flower arrangement demonstration held at Immaculata Hall last October 7, after the MBG monthly meeting. This activity enhanced the flower arranging skills of the MBG girls.

An orientation on altar vestments was also conducted by Beth Vinalon, MBG Vestments Custodian, so that other members would be familiarized with the altar vestments and other liturgical paraphernalia. New chasubles, hoods, purificators, etc. were also purchased for the use of the priests and lay ministers of the Holy Eucharist.

And on its anniversary day on October 10, the MBG members attended the 6:15AM Mass followed by a breakfast at Tropical Hut. Afterwards, the MBG members trooped to the house of Julie Roxas, where they had fun singing their hearts out in the videoke, while lunch was being prepared.

The sumptuous lunch was served consisting of pesang tilapia with a dip of tahuri sautéed in fresh and luscious tomatoes, ginisang mongo, pork and chicken adobo, and paksiw na boneless bangus. Lulu Florentino brought her specialty: rellenong bangus. For desert, Letty Lopez brought her ginataang mongo, while Pearl Littaua brought the sweetest and juiciest suha from Davao.

Singing, dancing, fun and games lasted till dusk... then it was time to go back to their respective homes and cook dinner for the family.

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KC Council 7147 Elects New Officers

The Knights of Columbus Council 7147 elected their new officers for Columbian Year 2008-2009.

Elected were:

Appointed Service Program Directors were:

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New DMI Unity Circle Officers Installed

The new officers of DMI-Our Lady of Unity Circle of Resurrection of Our Lord Parish for Marian Year 2009 were installed last November 3, 2008.

The new officers are as follows:

Meanwhile, the DMIs participated in a gift giving affair in observance of Prisoners' Month at the Paranaque City Jail last October 28, 2008.

Regent Dr. Chit Lariosa, committee chair Cristy Ligot, and committee members Baby Dellosa, Ciony Teruel, and Lita Wong prepared 800 gift bags consisting of toothpaste and soap donated by parishioners and from ROLP funds.

The DMII Our Lady of Unity Circle meets every first Saturday of the month. Activities start off with the 6:15 a.m. Mass, immediately followed by a Reparation Hour. Then breakfast and business meeting at the Immaculata Hall.

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Sis Dede Clemente Is New LOM Curia President

Sis Mercedes (Dede) Clemente, president of Mary Ark of the Covenant praesidium, was elected as the fourth president of Legion of Mary Curia Mother of Divine Grace during the curia meeting last Oct. 18, 2008.

MDG curia is composed of 12 praesidia from ROLP, one praesidium from Jesus the Divine Healer parish in Tahanan Village, and one junior curia.

MDG curia was born on Sept. 26, 1998, when Curia Mother of the Church was split into two. In 2002, MDG was further split, giving birth to Curia Our Lady of Candelaria of PCJ parish.

The first three presidents of MDG curia were Sis Rose Padre, Sis Mila Berbano and Sis Zeny Veloso.

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Do Catholics Worship and Adore the

Blessed Virgin Mary?

By Rose P. Padre, ROLP

Once I watched an Iglesia ni Kristo channel on TV. The featured program was about an interview being conducted by an INK roving reporter among the Baclaran devotees after a Wednesday novena to our Mother of Perpetual Help

The question asked of many men and women trooping out of the Baclaran Church was, "Sinasamba mo ba si Maria?" Eight out of 10 respondents said, "Opo, sinasamba ko si Maria."

I myself was aghast at the prevalent ignorance of the Catholic faith even among so-called Marian devotees.

Of course, "Sinasamba mo ba si Maria" (Do you worship/adore Mary?) is a cleverly crafted trick question calculated to catch the unwary offguard and lead them to answer, "Opo," when what they really mean is, "Opo, mahal ko si Maria" (Yes, I love/venerate Mama Mary).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1581) states:

"Only God is to be adored and worshipped. The Blessed Virgin Mary is not worshipped, but venerated within the Church's liturgy and in innumerable devotions. These devotions express profound veneration, intense love, trust in invocation, loving service, wonder and study of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God".

Adoration and worship is due only to the Creator of Heaven and earth and Lord and Giver of Life - to God alone.

Veneration is respect and reverence given to creatures of the Creator - exemplary men and women who during their earthly life have attained a very high degree of sanctity through a life of prayer, penance, and heroic service of God and His Church. Thus, they have heroically united and surrendered their will to the Will of God.

CCC (1580) further states:

"The basis for Marian devotion is solidly grounded on Mary's perfect fulfillment of her unique God-given vocation as the Mother of God, involved in the mysteries of Christ. Authentic Marian piety leads directly to Christ and the Blessed Trinity."

Mama Mary plays a very important role in the lives of many Filipinos. We show special devotion to her through the Rosary, novenas and processions. We seek her guidance and intercession in all our needs.

One popular, traditional and very Filipino Marian devotion is the Flores de Mayo or the Flores de Maria held every month of May. Out of love for Mary and in appreciation of her dignity as Mother of our Savior, in most churches both in urban and rural Philippines, children pray the rosary and offer flowers to Mary, our Mother, too. Assorted flowers like gumamela, calachuchi, bougainvilla, rosal which the children gather from sidewalks and gardens in their neighborhood.

In several parish churches like in Resurrection of Our Lord Parish , BF Paranaque, before the Offertory of the Mass, young and old alike line up to offer their flowers to Mary.

The Philippine Bishops had earlier pointed to the need for "reform and renewal" in terms of doctrinal, biblical, and liturgical instruction on the role of Mary in the history of salvation in order to combat the prevalent secular tendencies. These secular tendencies often are true in the "Santacruzan."

Originally, the "Santacruzan" was a purely religious procession depicting the finding of the true Cross of Christ by St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, in Jerusalem. Lately, however, in many places, the Santacruzan has degenerated into a fashion show, as a tourist attraction even participated in by "gays". The Santacruzan of this kind takes away its spiritual meaning as a religious manifestation of our Catholic Faith.

In his encyclical Marialis Cultus (1974), Pope Paul VI stated that "Authentic Marian piety is possible only if the devotions are firmly grounded in Sacred Scripture and the liturgy of the Church."

As active members of the Catholic Church, everyone must do his part to seriously study and share his Catholic Faith with as many as he can evangelize. This is the only way folk religiosity among Filipino Catholics can deepen into a solid Faith that they can live out in spirit and in truth.

Saint of the Month

St. James the Apostle

In obedience to the command of Jesus to preach the Gospel till the ends of the earth, the Apostle St. James the Great travelled through the Roman empire as far as the village of Zaragoza, in northern Spain. However, he became discouraged because people paid no attention to his preaching.

On January 2, 40 AD, while he was at prayer, the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus in her arms appeared to him standing on a six-foot-tall pillar of jasper carried by angels. Mary gave him a wooden statue of herself and instructed him to build a church in her honor. She said: "This place is to be my home, and this image and column shall be the title and altar of the temple that you shall build."

Accordingly, St. James built a small chapel in that place in Zaragoza, Spain, to preserve the original jasper column and the wooden statue of Mary. It was the first church in history ever dedicated to the honor of the Virgin Mary, which is now the majestic Basilica of Nuestra Senora del Pilar. The message of Our Lady of the Pillar is that our faith must be steadfast and enduring like a column.

In 44 AD, after returning to Jerusalem, St. James was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I, and became the first apostle to be martyred for his faith (Acts 12:1-2). His disciples took his body and returned it for final burial in Spain. In the 9th Century, a cathedral was erected over his tomb, and was called "Santiago de Compostella" (St. James of the Starry Field), because of a particular star formation above the site.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Psalms 139:13-16 "You created every part of me; You put me together in my mother's womb. You know me inside out, You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in Your Books."

• Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it.

• Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born, where you would be born and how long you would live. Your race and nationality are no accident. God left no detail to chance. He planned it all for His PURPOSE.

• Why did God do all this? Why did he bother to go to all the trouble of creating us and a universe for us? Because God is LOVE.

• If there were no God, we would all be "accidents." Life would have no purpose or meaning. There would be no right or wrong, and no hope beyond the brief years here on earth.