From the CBCP News

Pope condemns violence in Cotabato

MANILA, July 6, 2009—Pope Benedict XVI expressed grief over the bomb attack near the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Cotabato City and condemned it as unjustifiable act.

While Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo was delivering his homily yesterday, a big explosion rocked the ongoing Sunday service.

The incident immediately claimed at least five lives and injured over 30 civilians, most of them churchgoers.

When learning the incident, the Pope, after praying the Angelus, expressed his “deep rejection” of the attack and prayed for the victims.

The pontiff told the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square that the attack was being attributed to Muslim extremists by local police.

"While praying for the victims of this ignoble gesture, I raise my voice once again to condemn the use of violence, which is never a decent way to solve problems," he added. (CBCPNews)

From the CBCP News:

Church prays for Cory’s recovery

MANILA, July 2, 2009—The religious sector joined the family of former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino, who is suffering from cancer, in praying that everything turns fine for her.

Aquino is undergoing a difficult time in her illness and Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco said the church is one with the people in praying for her “full and quick recovery”.

“Let us remain hopeful and faithful to God. He will never ever leave us,” he said.

A church-based media organization also called on the faithful to offer prayers for Aquino’s complete recovery, amid reports that she was in serious condition.

The former president is a devout Catholic “in thoughts, words and deeds,” the Catholic Media Network (CMN) said in a statement.

“At this critical moment of her life fighting against cancer, we enjoin the Filipino people to offer prayers for her,” the Catholic Media Network (CMN) said.

“The CMN will offer prayers for her and also the members of her family as we journey with them in faith during this painful moment in their life,” it added.

The group described the 76-year-old Aquino as an icon in the history of Philippine democracy.

“She was the key to the restoration of democracy in our country. She stood through the years as a beacon of hope as we struggled to create a better Philippines,” CMN said.

Aquino was admitted to hospital last week and is being fed intravenously after reportedly showing signs of poor nutrition.

She had been hospitalized from March to May while undergoing chemotherapy. (Roy Lagarde)

Optical Illusion for the day

Do you see the hidden baby in this picture?

After Fiesta Thoughts

We had a grand celebration of our parish fiesta this year. I described it grand not just because of the activities that were done but also, though a bit subjective, because of some remarkable things that I noticed.

Our parish priest, Fr. Joseph Buslon, really worked hard to convince people and some local officials to support the renovation of our church which included partial replacement and repainting of the ceiling, painting of the inner walls, and improvements on the lighting. Granite tiles were also laid on the walls behind the altarpiece. Four beautiful chandeliers were installed. All of these were completed before the Fiesta. But the most important and special addition/renovation done was the "replacement" of the damaged stained glass icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help which was installed earlier than we expected. It came with two other stained glasses for the windows beside the Perpetual Help.

Although I still prefer the original icon that was more Byzantine than the new one, I am still happy that at last, after years of prayers, the icon was replaced!

Our parish secretary, Ate Angie, told us that the icon was a donation from our congressman Oscar Malapitan who was the Hermano Mayor for this year's fiesta. Well, thank you Mr. Congressman!

With this year's theme, parishioners are called to journey together towards unity - something that was lost for years, with Mary as our companion and guide.

As I have said in one of my previous posts, The icon has been a witness and a sign of what is happening within our community. The damage served as a reminder of the problems that really existed. The icon being replaced entirely is a sign that something within us has to be "replaced" too.

The road to unity is never easy and is never near yet, especially when the wounds caused by the division left a permanent scar. People still manifest their hatred against each other. Some in hidden and some in obvious ways. Unless we learn to accept that there are things we should "replace" within ourselves, take away our old self, and "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" there can never be unity among us.

I believe that this journey to unity will be a journey of a lifetime. But with God, and Mary on our side, the journey must begin now.

And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3.14

Did you know?

That the honor of conducting the first Perpetual Novena in the Philippines goes, not to Baclaran, but to the Iloilo community, in May, 1946 in the Redemptorist Church of St. Clement.

This is according to the Website of the well-loved and famous National Shrine of our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran.

I have added to this blog some links that would bring you to sites about the Mother of Perpetual Help. If you click the icon at the right side of my blog, just below my photo, you will be directed to the website of the Redemptorist Fathers (their General Province), who were the ones responsible in propagating the devotion to Mary, the Mother of Perpetual Help. Likewise, in My Catholic Links, there are also some useful links that I have provided about the same topic with special attention to the site of the National Shrine of our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, Philippines the site from which I got this trivia. Hope that this blog may help you be informed. Enjoy reading and spread the word.