Corpus Christi Corpus Christi is a Christian observance that honors the Holy Eucharist. It is also known as the Feast of the Most Holy Body of Christ, as well as the Day of Wreaths. Bread and wine are usually offered during Communion, or Eucharist, on Corpus Christi.©iStockphoto.com/kryczka

What Do People Do? In commemoration of the Last Supper on the day before Jesus’ crucifixion, many Christians around the world receive Communion on this day. In some countries the consecrated bread (or host) is paraded throughout the streets. Priests carry the bread in a monstrance, which is a type of vessel in which the consecrated host is exposed. In Spain and Provence the processions can be elaborate, featuring saints and characters from the Bible, following a path decorated with wreaths and flowers. In Portugal the feast is known as Dia de Corpo de Deus and has been one of the major religious observances both on the mainland and in the Azores since medieval times. In the city of Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, the people make a flower-petal carpet almost three quarters of a mile in length. A procession of high-ranking clergy and red-robed priests who are followed by a group of first communicants (those who will receive communion for the first time), pass over this carpet. The climax of the ceremony comes when the bishop raises the silver monstrance and exposes the Blessed Sacrament, the “body of Christ”. In Germany Corpus Christi is celebrated with colorful processions where the sacrament and other holy symbols are carried throughout the villages. Small-town streets are decorated with flowers and greenery. Children dressed in white wear wreaths of flowers and accompany women in regional costume and local clergy. Sometimes people display pictures of Jesus Christ and spread carpets in front of their houses to honor the day.

(continued on page 4)

Jesus by his life and ministry set an example for all of his disciples to follow. This example is manifested throughout the pages of the gospel, and we see a particularly beautiful example from St John in chapter 16:5-11. Jesus is in prayer to his Father. His love and devotion to his Father are evident. The Father occupies his mind and absorbs his heart. But there is more. Jesus is praying to his Father for us, his followers. His love for his Father overflows into tender affection for us. St Paul followed this example of Jesus. If we reflect on the Acts of the Apostles and today I would suggest chapter 16, we find a sermon which Paul preached to the leaders of the Church he founded at Ephesus. He proclaimed to them how he served the Lord in humility and never shrunk from telling them what was for their own good. He summed up his dedication by saying, "life is not something to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out the mission that the Lord Jesus gave me." St Paul said all these things so that those coming after him would also follow the example of Jesus as he had done. In Jesus and St Paul we see two things: dedication to God and service of his people. This ideal is intended for all the people in the Church. It is a ‘fulfilling’ of the command to love God and to love our neighbour. No one can begin to count the millions of words which have been written about the meaning of Christianity, but in the final analysis the message comes down to a single word: love. Love God. Love your neighbour. Love yourself. This simple message takes on a great meaning when we realise what the measure of our love should be. And that measure is the love which Jesus himself has both for his Father and for his people. Paul knows that until his death he remains a missionary for Christ -- do we accept that we have the same vocation and that it is totally life embracing? We do this by humbly serving others, telling them about Christ, and by the way we live no matter what life tosses at us. Paul in telling others the story is reminding us of the importance of supporting each other in our faith journey. Jesus prays for us. This is true because the Father has given us to Jesus. Jesus prays that we may be brought safely home. The question is: Do we see our life with God as our home? It is a good challenge about our priorities in life. To be successful in life we need to know Christ Jesus -- we can learn to know him today through our Mass, through prayer and the Scriptures, and through our experience of life. It is up to us whether we are prepared to make the effort or not.

From the Desk of

Monsignor Ron Straight to The Hearts

June 2017. Issue 6. Vol 13

WAZZUP? HJM PRAYER MEETING, SAT, 10 JUNE 2017

PLACE: FR BYRNE CENTRE, MARAYONG TIME: 7.30 PM to 9.30 PM LEADER: BRO. RUBEN BABLES THEME: TALK ON PSALM 41

CORE MEETING, FRI, 16 JUNE 2017 PLACE: FR BYRNE CENTRE, MARAYONG TIME: 8.00 PM - 10.00 PM

HJM PRAYER MEETING, SAT, 24 JUNE 2017

PLACE: FR BYRNE CENTRE, MARAYONG TIME: 7.30 PM to 9.30 PM LEADER: SIS. MILA ALFORQUE THEME: TALK ON PSALM 92

1ST FRIDAY MASS, 07 JULY 2017 PLACE: ST ANDREW THE APOSTLE PARISH TIME: 7.00 PM HOLY MASS, HOLY HOUR, FOLLOWED BY CHURCH

CLEANING LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR (LSS), SAT/SUN, 29-30 JULY

2017 (SUNDAY MASS AND GRADUATION INCLUDED)

PLACE: ST ANDREW'S PRIMARY SCHOOL HALL

TIME: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (SAT)

9:30 AM – 4:30 PM (SUN)

RUBEN BABLES Bro Ruben and his family migrated to Australia in the early 90’s. He never had an inkling that his new life overseas would turn into a dimensional revolution. Diverse and formidable situations led him to a new path of faith journey. Back in the Philippines, being involved in any religious organisations did not appeal to Bro Ruben. His new life, however, in an unfamiliar territory, changed this perspective. Bro Ruben’s wife, Sis Zeni initially joined the Hearts of Jesus and Mary (HJM) prayer community as he had work commitments at the time but eventually followed suit. They joined the Healing and Intercessory Ministry with Bro Didong and wife Sis Henie Velasco. It was an apostolate that brought them closer to God as they prayed for sick people. Bro Ruben and Sis Zeni’s spiritual journey and ministry calling led them to serve in another community, the Living Word Servant Community (LWSC). They became the Couple Servants of the LWSC. Subsequently, Bro Ruben was elected as the Head Servant of LWSC. The couple’s spiritual journey took some interesting twists and turns. They left the LWSC and served at Mary, Queen of the Family Parish in Blacktown as members of the Shepherd’s Choir. God’s calling for community service further led them to Christi Fideles Servant Community of which Bro Ruben is the current Head Servant under the umbrella of PACEM – Pastoral Assistance for Community Education Mission with Fr Leonardo Polinar as the Head Servant. Bro Ruben serves as acolyte, reader and sacramental facilitator at St Andrew’s Parish in Marayong. He is also a member of St Vincent de

Paul, among other things.

PRAISE AND WORSHIP MINISTRY PROFILES

THIS MONTH'S PRAYER LEADERS

A LEADER’S PRAYER

Lord, I have been incredibly blessed for so many years now to serve You. It is in that recognition that I find myself amazed at how far I have come -- and over how many hills and valleys I have travelled. Along this path I have learned a great deal about perseverance -- as I have learned to trust You -- so You could use me to help others. It is here in the study of Your Word, and under the guiding light of Your Holy Spirit who helps me to go deeper in my understanding, that I will find the tools I need to lead. I remember someone once telling me that a leader must first be a follower – someone who knows how to follow You. This hasn’t always been easy because of my own human pride and selfishness – but it has certainly proven to be true. Jesus, You are my leader, You alone are worthy of the honour and glory, and You are THE LEADER.

MILA ALFORQUE

Sis Mila has been an active and committed member of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary (HJM) prayer community for many years now after attending the Life in Spirit Seminar (LSS) batch 13, together with her husband Bro Merlin. Sis Mila has been a strong force behind the long-running Fatima devotion within HJM. This involves moving the statue of our Blessed Mother from one home to another, giving devotees an opportunity to spend time and pray to the Holy Mother of God, Mary. Also, Sis Mila finds that the Fatima devotion is a good way to evangelise people to join our prayer community. Thus, we invite them to bring the Fatima statue to our prayer meeting and stay til the fellowship. Previously, Sis Mila served the Lord as Deputy Head of the Prayers and Intercessory Ministry. She’s also a committed member of the Music Ministry singing at masses and participating in major activities of HJM. Their marital union has been blessed with two daughters namely: Cindy and Honey, both of whom are also actively involved in the celebration of the Feast Day of Santo Nino, usually held at the beginning of the year. Having been installed as a Eucharistic Minister in 2001, she serves in that capacity at St Andrew the Apostle Parish in Marayong.

SERVANT LEADERS UNDER

THE SPIRITUAL

DIRECTION OF

MSGR RON MCFARLANE,

PARISH PRIEST OF ST

ANDREW THE APOSTLE

PARISH, MARAYONG

PASTORAL TEAM

Mirza Alata, Joseph Cacdac

Cezar Estrera, Nenette Gapud

Len Limguangco

MINISTRIES:

APOSTOLATE

Head Servant: Noel Tolentino Deputy: Ladybyrd Buan GROWTH Head Servant: Josie Durante

Deputy: Sam Singh

MUSIC

Head Servant: Myra Estrera

Deputy: Doris Barrios

PRAISE & WORSHIP

Head Servant: Shonee Attwood

Deputy: Marilyn Villa

PRAYERS & INTERCESSORY

Head Servant: Mercy Aquino

Deputy: Eva Velez

SERVICE

Head Servant: Paolo (Boy) Emperado

Deputies: Tony Villa

Edgar Reyes SERVICE FINANCE Deputy: Lorie Atienza

SERVICE SECRETARIAT

Deputies: Anna Nifas

Rose Ferrer

Hearts of Jesus and Mary (HJM) Prayer Community

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

To be a group of people who are journeying together in faith, guided by the Spirit of God, growing and learning from each other, and whose life, as a whole, follows the footsteps of the Master Himself...that is, a life of prayer and active, loving service to others.

John the Baptist was a contemporary of Christ who was known for evangelization and his baptizing of Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist was born through the intercession of God to Zachariah and Elizabeth, who was otherwise too old to bear children. According to scriptures, the Angel Gabriel visited Elizabeth and Zachariah to tell them they would have a son and that they should name him John. Zachariah was skeptical and for this he was rendered mute until the time his son was born and named John, in fulfillment of God's will.

When Elizabeth was pregnant with John, she was visited by Mary, and John leapt in her womb. This revealed to Elizabeth that the child Mary carried was to be the Son of God.

John began public ministry around 30 AD, and was known for attracting large crowds across the province of Judaea and around the Jordan River. When Jesus came to him to be baptized, John recognized him and said, "It is I who need baptism from you."

Jesus told John to baptize Him anyway, which he did, whereupon the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God was seen like a dove. The voice of God spoke, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

John instructed his followers to turn to Christ, calling Him the "Lamb of God" and these people were among the first Christians.

Following his baptism of Christ, John's popularity grew so much that he alarmed King Herod. Herod ordered him arrested and imprisoned.

John spoke with Herod on several occasions and condemned his marriage to his half-brother's wife.

This condemnation would be his downfall as King Herod promised to grant a wish to his daughter. In revenge for John the Baptist's condemnation of her mother's scandalous marriage to Herod, she asked for John's head. King Herod reluctantly obliged. John the Baptist died sometime between 33 and 36 AD.

John the Baptist's feast day is June 24, and the anniversary of his death is August 29 and is sometimes celebrated with a second feast. John the Baptist is the patron saint of Jordan, Puerto Rico, French Canada and many other places.

http://www.catholic.org/saints

SAINT

JOHN THE

BAPTIST

A Glimpse of This

Month’s Featured Saint

Corpus Christi ( from page 1) Some processions, for example in the region of Bavaria, are held on lakes rather than on the streets, with flower-decked boats carrying members of the procession and worshippers across the waters. In Switzerland this festival is usually observed with elaborate processions of clergy in their best robes, people in regional costumes, and soldiers in historic uniforms. The priest who leads the procession often walks on a carpet of flowers. In some areas it is customary to throw the church doors open and to decorate the altar and aisles with garlands and greens. In Mexico religious processions are common on this day, as is the reposiar, a small shrine or altar set up along the procession’s path, covered with a lace trimmed altar cloth and decorated with candles, flowers and garlands. In some parts of Mexico Corpus Christi is observed with symbolic battles between the Moors and the Christians, particularly in the Sierras of Puebla and Veracruz. Another spectacle that takes place on this day is the Danza de los Voladores, or Flying Pole Dance. The dance involves five men, each representing the five elements of the indigenous world, on a tall pole. One of the men plays a musical instrument at the top of the pole while the remaining four descend the pole with a rope tied by one of their feet. The rope unwraps itself 13 times for each of the four flyers, symbolizing the 52 weeks of the year. Public Life Corpus Christi is a public holiday in countries such as Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Poland, Portugal, and Trinidad and Tobago. It is not a federal holiday in countries, such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Background

Corpus Christi is a festival that has been celebrated by many Christians, particularly the Catholic Church, in honor of the Eucharist since 1246. The name “Corpus Christi” is a Latin phrase that refers to the body of Christ. It is a moveable feast that is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or on the Sunday after Holy Trinity in some countries such as the United States. This event commemorates the Last Supper on the day before Jesus’ crucifixion, as described in the Bible. Corpus Christi is primarily celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church but it is also included in the calendar of some Anglican churches.The feast was introduced from Belgium to England at some stage between 1318 and 1325, according to various sources. In England before the Reformation, there was a famous procession in London on the day. A group of clergymen would move down the street chanting the paternoster, or the Lord’s Prayer. Over the years, they perfected their timing so that just as they reached a certain corner, they sang “Amen”. Although the feast of Corpus Christi is no longer observed as a public holiday in England, there was a time when the city guilds were involved in processions on this day and often performed what was known as “Corpus Christi” plays.

Symbols that portray the event may include: an image of a host (consecrated bread) and chalice to depict the Holy Eucharist; an altar; and a ciborium, which is a chalice-like container used to store consecrated hosts of the sacrament of Eucharist, or the Holy Communion. https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/corpus-christi

MUSIC MINISTRY

FEATURES AN ARTICLE ON

'THE A-Z OF THE PIANO' – SERIES

A to Z of Piano series … (continued from last month’s

issue)

X is for eX-pianists The only pianist to have died on stage was the great Russian virtuoso Simon Barere, who collapsed from a cerebral haemorrhage in Carnegie Hall while playing the first movement of the Grieg Concerto on 2 April 1951. Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-69) had just finished playing his composition Morte!! when he was taken ill. He expired three weeks later from peritonitis. Y is for Yamaha and the growth of the Asian market Twenty years ago, any piano manufactured in the Far East was viewed with sniffy suspicion by the West, even those built by the long-established firm of Yamaha. How quickly all that has changed, with Yamaha, Kawai (both Japanese) and Young Chang of South Korea now producing quality instruments to rival the best European and American makes. Presently the largest manufacturer in the world is the Pearl River Group (China) producing a staggering 100,000 pianos a year and providing parts and/or economical models for other major brands.

Similarly, two decades ago few Asian pianists had made it on to the international stage. Now, stimulated by ‘the Lang Lang effect’, pianists from China, Japan, Korea dominate piano competitions and are routinely signed by major labels. Apart from Lang Lang himself, some of the best known are Yundi (formerly Yundi Li), Yuja Wang, Hong Xu, HJ Lim, Joyce Yang, Xiayin Wang and the blind Nobuyuki Tsujii. Z is for Zichy, Count Geza, and other one-armed pianists The first professional one-armed pianist was the remarkable Count Géza Zichy (1849-1924) who lost his right arm at the age of 15 after an unfortunate accident with a shotgun. He studied with Liszt and composed a number of pieces for the left-hand including a concerto published in 1895. The most famous one-armed pianist was the Austrian Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961; brother of the philosopher Ludwig), whose right arm was amputated after action in the First World War. His family wealth enabled him to commission about 40 works in all, among them concertos by such luminaries as Korngold, Richard Strauss, Prokofiev, Hindemith, Ravel and Britten. Those pianists who lose the use of a hand through illness, invariably lose the right: Leopold Godowsky, Solomon and Michael Ponti lost theirs after strokes; Leon Fleisher, Gary Graffman and Cor de Groot suffered from different right-hand muscular disorders. One notable exception was Cyril Smith who, in 1956, lost the use of his left arm. Over 4,000 works have been composed for the left hand, but only about 75 for the right.

http://www.classical-music.com/a-z-piano-13

.

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Apostles received, as we have seen, the grace of the Holy Ghost. In accordance with the injunction of their Divine Master, they will soon start on their mission of teaching all nations, and baptizing them in the Name of the Holy Trinity. It was but right, then, that the solemnity which is intended to honor the mystery of One God in Three Divine Persons should immediately follow that of Pentecost, with which it has a mysterious connection. And yet, it was not until after many centuries that it was inserted in the cycle of the Liturgical Year, whose completion is the work of successive ages. Every homage paid to God by the Church’s Liturgy has the Holy Trinity as its object. Time, as well as eternity, belongs to the Trinity. The Trinity is the scope of all religion. Every day, every hour, belongs to It. The feasts instituted in memory of the mysteries of our Redemption center in It. The feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints are but so many means for leading us to the praise of God, Who is One in essence, and Three in Persons. The Preface for most Sunday Masses, in a very special way, gives us, each week, a most explicit expression of adoration and worship of this mystery, which is the foundation of all others, and the source of all grace. This explains to us how it is that the Church was so long in instituting a special feast in honor of the Holy Trinity. The ordinary motive for the institution of feasts did not exist in this instance. A feast is the memorial of some fact which took place at a certain time, and of which it is well to perpetuate the memory and influence. How could this be applied to the mystery of the Trinity? From all eternity, before any created thing existed, God lives and reigns, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If a feast in honor of that mystery were to be instituted, it could only be by fixing some one day in the year, whereon the faithful would assemble for offering a more than usually solemn tribute of worship to the mystery of Unity and Trinity in the one same Divine Nature.

The Traditional Catholic Liturgy

Adapted from The Liturgical Year by

Abbot Gueranger

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity—1st Sunday after Pentecost

The idea of such a feast was first conceived by some

of those pious and recollected souls, who are favored

from on high with a sort of presentiment of the things

which the Holy Ghost will achieve, at a future period,

in the Church. So far back as the eighth century, the

learned monk Alcuin had the happy thought of

composing a Mass in honor of the mystery of the

Blessed Trinity. It would seem that he was prompted

to this by the apostle of Northern Germany, Saint

Boniface. That this composition is a beautiful one, no

one will doubt who knows, from Alcuin’s writings,

how full its author was of the spirit of the sacred

liturgy; but, after all, it was only a votive Mass, a

mere help to private devotion, which no one ever

thought would lead to the institution of a feast. This

Mass, however, became a great favorite, and was

gradually circulated through the several Churches; for

instance, it was approved of for Germany by the

Council of Seligenstadt, held in 1022.

In the previous century, however, a feast properly so-

called of the Holy Trinity had been introduced into

one of the Churches of Belgium—the very same that

was to have the honor, later on, of procuring to the

Church’s calendar, one of the richest of its

solemnities. Stephen, Bishop of Liege, solemnly

instituted the Feast of the Holy Trinity for his Church,

in 920, and had an entire Office composed in honor of

the mystery. Riquier, Stephen’s successor in the See

of Liege, kept up what his predecessor had begun.

The feast was gradually adopted. The Benedictine Order took it up from the very first. We find, for instance, in the early part of the 11th century, that Berno, the Abbot of Reichenau, was doing all he could to propagate it. At Cluny, also, the feast was established at the commencement of the same century, as we learn from the Ordinarium of that celebrated monastery, drawn up in 1091, in which we find mention of Holy Trinity Day as having been instituted long before. In England it was the glorious Martyr, St. Thomas a Becket, who established the Feast of the Holy Trinity. He introduced it into his archdiocese of Canterbury in the year 1162, in memory of his having been consecrated Bishop on the First Sunday after Pentecost. Some Churches celebrated this feast, not on the First, but on the Last Sunday after Pentecost; some on both the First and Last Sundays It was evident, from all this, that the Apostolic See would finally give its sanction to a practice, whose universal adoption was being prompted by Christian instinct. Pope John XXII, who sat in the Chair of St. Peter as early as the year 1334, completed the work by a decree, wherein the Church of Rome accepted the Feast of the Holy Trinity, and extended its observance to all Churches.

As to the motive which induced the Church, led as She is in all things by the Holy Ghost, to fix one special day in the year for the offering of a solemn homage to the Blessed Trinity, whereas all our adorations, all our acts of thanksgiving, all our petitions, are ever being presented to It: such motive is to be found in the change which was being introduced, at that period, into the liturgical calendar. Up to about the year 1000, the Feasts of the Saints, marked on the general calendar and universally kept, were very few. From that time, they began to be more numerous; and it was evident that their number would go on increasing. The time would come, when the Sunday’s Office, which is specially consecrated to the Blessed Trinity, must make way for that of the Saints, as often as one of their Feasts occurred on a Sunday. As a sort of compensation for this celebration of the memory of God’s servants on the very day which was sacred to the Holy Trinity, it was considered right that once, at least, in the course of the year, a Sunday should be set apart for the exclusive and direct expression of the worship which the Church pays to our great God, Who has vouchsafed to reveal Himself to mankind in His ineffable Unity and in His eternal Trinity. It was God’s good pleasure to make known to us His essence, in order to bring us into closer union with Himself, and to prepare us, in some way, for that face-to-face vision of Himself which He intends to give us in eternity. But His revelation is gradual: He takes mankind from brightness unto brightness, fitting it for the full knowledge and adoration of Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. During the period preceding the Incarnation of the Eternal Word, God seemed intent on inculcating the idea of His Unity, for polytheism was the infectious error of mankind; and every notion of there being a spiritual and sole cause of all things would have been effaced from the earth, had not the infinite goodness of God watched over its preservation. Not that the Old Testament Books were altogether silent on the Three Divine Persons, Whose ineffable relations are eternal; only, the mysterious passages, which spoke of them, were not understood by the people at large; whereas, in the Christian Church, a child of seven will answer those who ask him, that in God, the Three Divine Persons have but one and the same Nature, but one and the same Divinity. When the Book of Genesis tells us that God spoke in the plural, and said:

"Let Us make man to Our image and likeness" (Gen. 1: 26), the Jew bows down and believes, but he understands not the sacred text; the Christian, on the contrary, who has been enlightened by the complete revelation of God, sees under this expression, the Three Persons acting together in the formation of man. The light of Faith develops the great truth to him, and tells him that, within himself, there is a likeness to the Blessed Three in One. Power, understanding, and will, are three faculties within him, and yet he himself is but one being. In the Books of Wisdom, Solomon speaks, in sublime language, of Him Who is Eternal Wisdom; he tells us— and he uses every variety of grand expression to tell us—of the Divine Essence of this Wisdom, and of His being a distinct Person in the Godhead; but how few among the people of Israel could see through the veil! Isaias heard the voice of the Seraphim, as they stood around God’s throne; he heard them singing in alternate choirs, and with a joy intense because eternal, this hymn: "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord!" (Is. 6: 3) But who will explain to men this triple Sanctus, of which the echo is heard here below, when we mortals give praise to our Creator? So again, in the Psalms, and the prophetic Books, a flash of light will break suddenly upon us; a brightness of some mysterious Three will dazzle us; but it passes away, and obscurity returns seemingly all the more palpable; we have but the sentiment of the Divine Unity deeply impressed on our inmost soul, and we adore the Incomprehensible, the Sovereign Being. The world had to wait for the fullness of time to be completed; and then, God would send into this world His only Son, begotten of Him from all eternity. This His most merciful purpose has been carried out, and the Word made Flesh hath dwelt among us (John 1: 14). By seeing His glory, the glory of the only-begotten Son of the Father, we have come to know that, in God, there is Father and Son. The Son, Who had been sent by the Father, ascended into Heaven, with the human Nature which He had united to Himself for all future eternity; and lo, the Father and the Son send into this world the Spirit Who proceeds from Them both. It was a new Gift, and it taught man that the Lord God was in Three Persons. The mystery of the Trinity has become to us, not only a dogma made known to our mind by revelation, but, moreover, a practical truth given to us by the unheard-of munificence of the Three Divine Persons: the Father, Who adopted us; the Son, Whose brethren and joint-heirs we are; and the Holy Ghost, Who governs us, and dwells within us. Let us, then, begin this day, by giving glory to the one God in three Persons. For this end, Holy Mother Church in Her Office of Prime recites on this solemnity the magnificent Athanasian Creed. It gives us, in a summary of much majesty and precision, the doctrine of the Holy Doctor, St. Athanasius, regarding the mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation. We give here an excerpt:

Whosoever would be saved, before all things it is

necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith.

Which Faith, except everyone doth keep It entire and

inviolate,

without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

Now the Catholic Faith is this: that we worship One

God in Trinity,

and Trinity in Unity;

Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the

Substance.

And yet They are not three Lords, but One Lord.

For, as we are compelled by the Christian truth to

acknowledge each

Person, by Himself, to be God and Lord; so we are

forbidden, by the

Catholic Religion, to say there are three Gods or

three Lords.

The Father is made of no one, neither created nor

begotten.

The Son is from the Father alone; not made, nor

created, but begotten.

The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son; not

made, nor created,

nor begotten, but proceeding…

Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation,

that he also believe

rightly of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the right

Faith is, that we believe

and confess that Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of

God, is both God and Man.

He is God, of the Substance of His Father, begotten

before the world;

and He is Man, of the substance of His Mother,

born in the world…

At Whose coming, all men shall rise again with their

bodies; and shall

give an account of their own works.

And they that have done good, shall go into life

everlasting; and they

that have done evil into everlasting fire.

This is the Catholic Faith; which except every man

believe faithfully and

steadfastly, he cannot be saved.

Adoration, then, and love, be to Thee, O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, O perfect Trinity, Who hast vouchsafed to reveal Thyself to mankind; O eternal and infinite Unity, Who hast delivered our forefathers from the yoke of their false gods! Glory be to Thee, as it was in the beginning, before any creature existed; as it is now, at this very time, while we are living in the hope of that true life, which consists of seeing Thee face to face; and as it shall forever be, in those everlasting ages, when a blissful eternity shall have united us in the bosom of Thine infinite majesty. Amen.

http://www.salvemariaregina.info/SalveMariaRegina/SMR-164/Trinity%20Sunday.html

BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A SPECIAL GIFT

Some Christians who had been doing their basic religious duties claim to not have a personal relationship with Christ until they were Baptised in the Holy Spirit. Earlier in life when we were very young, our parents had ourselves christened by a Catholic priest. It is during this christening that we received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts, however, through the years became dormant within us. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit which will take place soon in our forthcoming Life in the Spirit Seminar will no doubt help activate the spiritual gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. The fire within us will be rekindled; and faith will become alive again. How do you think the Baptism of the Holy Spirit will affect us? a) It is through the Holy Spirit that we can cry out: “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15); (Gal. 4:6). b) We will proudly proclaim Jesus Christ as our Saviour (1Cor.12:3). c) The grace of the Holy Spirit gives us the courage to proclaim the love and greatness of the Lord through words and actions. d) We start to acknowledge our dependence on God as our faithful provider and help in all things. This ‘conversion in love’ takes us toward a deeper meaning of love for Christ and to share this love with others. We also share the Good News of hope that when something goes wrong in our lives, there is always hope in our God and Father. Jesus Christ’s resurrection should inspire us to believe that God conquers all! When we live our life in the Spirit, it makes us love others as Christ has loved them, especially the poor and the needy. As well, walking in the Spirit inspires us to understand and forgive others. It brings about transformation, dying to oneself and a change of heart which are the ways to a true Christian living. In a prayer community like ours, we learn to support each other, bear one another’s transgression and show kindness and mercy. Above all this, the instrument of peace is stated in the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace….

QUICK BITES FOR YOUR

THOUGHTS - by the Growth

Ministry

Excerpts from Catholic Doctrine on the Holy Trinity

FATHER JOHN A. HARDON, S.J The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the most fundamental of our faith. On it everything else depends and from it everything else derives. Hence the Church’s constant concern to safeguard the revealed truth that God is One in nature and Three in Persons. As we are learning today, faith in the Trinity is the basic test of our Catholic faith as Christians. This is not merely to say that objectively this doctrine is the most fundamental. It is. But subjectively, from our side, it is also the most crucial because it represents the hardest demand on our creedal assent. All natural knowledge leads us to see only specific unity among human beings. We have one human nature, indeed, but we are only specifically one as distinct persons. We are really distinct as persons but we are also separate realities. Not so with the Trinity. Each of the divine Persons is the infinite God, and no one Person has only a "share" in the divine nature, a part of it so to speak. Yet they are not three infinities, but only one infinite God. Relative to generation, all natural knowledge tells us that the parenthood and offspring imply a before and after generation, they imply a producer and a produced, a cause and effect. Not so in the eternal generation of the Son of God by the Father. All natural knowledge tells us that while love is "outgoing" it does not literally give rise to a third person who is at once distinct from the two who love and numerically one with them in nature. Yet this is the case with God, where the Holy Spirit is declared by the Church as "the Love or the Sanctity of both the Father and the Son." He proceeds from them without being another god. But the Trinity is more than a test of our faith. It is also the perfect model of our selfless love. As revelation tells us, within the Godhead is a plurality of Persons, so that God is defined as Love because He has within His own being, to use our language, the object of love which is an Other with whom each of the Persons can share the totality of their being.

We therefore see from reflection on this Triune Love that love by its essence is not self-centred, that love unites, that love gives, and that love shares perfectly within the Godhead. Love is therefore as perfect in us as it approximates the perfect sharing that constitutes the Trinity.

At the same time, we recall that, while perfectly selfless in their mutual sharing of the divine nature, the Persons in the Trinity do not thereby cease to be themselves. Again, this is a lesson for us. We are to give of ourselves generously and without stinting. Nevertheless we are also to give in such a way that we remain ourselves and not become, as it were, something else in the process of sharing. There is such a thing as calculating charity, when a person gives of himself but "not too much" because he fears that his love may be too costly. This is not the teaching of Christ, who told us to love others not only as much as we love ourselves but as much as He loves us.

Saying this, however, is not to say that charity should not be wise. It would be unwise if it deprived us of that which God wants us to be and made us less than we are expected to be. Charity must, therefore, be enlightened; it must be guided by the standard of the Trinity, where each of the divine Persons gives and shares perfectly, yet without ceasing to be what each Person is to be. The Father does not become less the Father in begetting the Son and thus totally sharing the divine nature; nor do Father and Son cease to be themselves although they completely share their divinity with the Holy Spirit.

We thus have a confluence of two mysteries, of the Trinity in heaven and of liberty on earth. The Trinity is the pattern for our liberty. If we use our freedom to love others as we should, modelled on the Triune God, we shall reach that God in eternity. This is our hope, based on our faith, and conditioned by our love.

http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/catholic-doctrine-on-the-holy-trinity.html

Heart of the Matter

Bible Cell: Blessed Trinity Facilitators: Bro Rod and Sis Len Limguangco Deputies: Rudy/Agnes Rupac Members: Martha Aquino/Ladybyrd Buan, Eden De Leon, Fe Hernandez, Freddie/Baby Lorenzo, Message: NIL Action: NIL Next Meeting: TBA Bible Cell: Our Lady of Fatima Facilitator: Bro Romy and Sis Josie Durante Deputy: Cheryl Dequina Members: Mercy Aquino, Iodine Carreno, Nenette/Romy Gapud, Elmer/Anna Nifas Message: NIL Action: NIL Next Meeting: TBA Bible Cell: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Facilitators: Bro Noel and Sis Jackie Tolentino Deputy: Gloria Ferrer Members: Pilarly Balgos, Valerian/Dora D’Lima, Rose Ferrer, Ding Rivera, Joe/Rita Vella Message: To love God is to do everything out of love. Action: Share an experience when you did something out of love. Next Meeting: June 18, 2017. Sunday @ Joe and Rita Vella’s place, 31 Osborne Road, Marayong Bible Cell: St. John Paul II Facilitators: Bro Cezar and Sis Myra Estrera Deputies: Sam/Siony Singh Members: Col/Shonee Attwood, Mary Bonavita, James Daas, Lalaine Dunuan, Jun/Vita Hurtado, Filomena Petroni, Message: NIL Action: NIL Next Meeting: TBA Bible Cell: St Joseph Facilitators: Bro David and Sis Mel Bustamante Deputies: TBA Members: Lia Banzuelo, Leighton Farrell, Analiza Limguangco, Nenette Motio, Edgar/Jeannie Reyes, Marilou Van Asten Message: NIL Action: NIL Next Meeting: TBA Bible Cell: St. Padre Pio Facilitators: Bro Tony and Sis Marilyn Villa Deputies: Nards/Doris Barrios Members: Danny/Linda Aguas, Mirza Alata, Boy/Ghie Emperado, , Message: Know that I am GOD who enlightens your path as I am with you always until the end of time. Action: Share your experience where you felt you were enlightened by the Lord. Next Meeting: June 18, 2017, Sunday, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Bible Cell: St. Paul Facilitators: Bro Marcial and Sis Tet Cacdac Deputy: Milabel Estrera Members: Soc Amos, Efren/Lorie Atienza, Lucy Dewi, Merlie/Nori Domingo, Erna Sow Message: Christ died for our sins so that with the help of the Holy Spirit we may rise with Him. Action: How did we make room for the Holy Spirit and make use of His gifts? Next Meeting: June 25, 2017, Sunday at 5 Burke St, Blacktown, 11:30 am - 4:00 pm

APOSTOLATE MINISTRY SEEKS TO

HAVE A WORD WITH GOD

FAST FOOD JOKES Q: Why don't they have any toilet paper in KFC? A: Because its finger licking good! Q: Why is your Mom like a Big Mac? A: Because she's full of fat and only worth a buck. Q: Where is Peter Pan’s favourite place to eat? A: I don’t know! WENDYS Q: Why don't Americans eat snails? A: Because they like "Fast Food". Q: Why did the rooster cross the road? A: He heard that the chickens at KFC were pretty hot Q: Why is it called "Fast Food"? A: It's called "fast" food because you're supposed to eat it really fast. Otherwise, you might actually taste it Q: How did the hamburger introduce his wife? A: Meet patty (meat patty) Q: What do you get when you cross a hamburger with a computer? A: A big mac!

http://www.jokes4us.com

COMIC CORNER

ACCOUNTANT JOKES What is the definition of a good tax accountant? Someone who has a loophole named after him. Why do accountants make good lovers? They're great with figures. What is the definition of "accountant"? Someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand. Why did God invent economists? So accountants could have someone to laugh at. Why accountants don't read novels? Because the only numbers in them are page numbers. Two accountants go to their credit union on their lunch break, when armed robbers burst in. While several of the robbers take the money from the tellers, others line the customers, including the accountants, up against a wall, and proceed to take their wallets, watches, and other valuables. While this is going on accountant number one jams something in accountant number two's hand. Without looking down, accountant number two whispers, "What is this?" to which accountant number one replies, "it's that $50 I owe you." A sickly patient went her doctor's office where she underwent a complete physical exam. The doctor said, "I have some very grave news for you. You only have six months to live." The patient asked, "Oh doctor, what should I do?" The doctor replied, "Marry an accountant." "Will that make me live longer?" asked the patient. "No," said the doctor, "but it will SEEM longer."

http://www.jokes4us.com

It’s Joke Time!

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SECRETARIAT (SERVICE MINISTRY) PRESENTS OUR

BIRTHDAY AND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRANTS

Many happy returns to the following brothers and sisters who celebrate their birthdays this month:

Mila Alforque 01 June

Eduardo Pineda 10 June

Bernadette Besterwitch 01 June

Efren Atienza 18 June

Sergio Rossi 02 June

Ligaya Nuguid 20 June

Gloria Ferrer-Gabriana 03 June

Alex Arguelles 24 June

Frank Basco 04 June

Pam Danao 24 June

Jeanette Diaz 07 June

Baby Lorenzo 27 June

Rita Vella 09 June

Prayers and Intercessory Ministry requests prayers for the following HEARTS:

HEARTS ASKING FOR PRAYERS:

HEARTS CALLED TO ETERNAL LIFE:

Best wishes to the following couples who celebrate their wedding anniversaries this month:

Elmer and Anna Nifas 05 June

Edgar and Jeannie Reyes 08 June

Ed and Nora Sayo 11 June

Romy and Nenette Gapud 16 June

Jun and Gloria Gabriana 20 June

Merlin and Mila Alforque 21 June

Sonny and Cheryl Dequina 27 June

Clarita BAGUISI (Nanay Marta's sister) Rosy GATT Thin Hong NGUYEN

Linda AGUAS Mercy AQUINO Doris BARRIOS Nards BARRIOS Brian/Ladybyrd BUAN Solomon CASSAR Digna V CLARK Yeye DELARA Romy DURANTE Keith EDMONSON Boy EMPERADO Danilo HERNANDEZ, Sr. Mariles HOLLERO Carmen INDOLOS Joshua (son of

Filomena's cousin)

Freddie LORENZO Mary MANALILI Nora MOLINA Armando NIFAS Emma PEREZ Boy RAMIREZ Paul SAMMUT Ernesto SAYO Marilou VAN ASTEN Eva VELEZ Romualdo VERDAN Maribel WASLOWICZ Alan YUEN ALL SENIORS