parishworks! 1Vol. 6 No. 35 November 27, 2010

Pastor’s MessageThe Matthean Gospel by: Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel Suñga

Sunday GoSpel

MT 24:37-44

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Dear Parishioners:

Last liturgical year, we all had undergone our spiritual development and formation done by Christ under the guidance of the gospel of St. Luke. This year it will be under St. Matthew. We now therefore had finished a chapter of our life in our earthly pilgrimage.

Ordinarily we understand that Matthew the Apostle is the writer of this first gospel, the tax collector mentioned in chapter 9:9-13. But closer

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The Solemnity of Christ the King is celebrated at the end of the liturgical year. In keeping with the tradition of the parish community, a mass was held at San Miguel Village, this year’s host in honoring the Christ the King, celebrated by Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga at 5:00pm on Saturday November 20, 2010. The mass was immediately followed by the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in a beautifully prepared area of the covered court. Vigil in honor of Christ the King held by the different ministries, subparishes, organizations with their respective schedules

St. andrew Celebrates Christ the King

Season of advent Starts

November 28, is first Sunday of Advent. Everyone is invited to attend the Advent Recollection this December 3, 2010.

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St. ColumbanFeast day: 25 november

Columban was the greatest of the Irish missionaries , was born 543, in Leinster,Ireland. As a young man he was greatly tormented by temptations of the flesh, and sought the advice of a religious woman who had lived a hermit’s life for years. He saw in her answer a call to leave the world. He went first to a monk on an island in Lake Lough Erne, then to the great monastic seat of learning at Bangor founded by St. Comgall, a great founder of the monastic movement.

At Bangor, sanctity and scholarship were prized, and St. Columban became a teacher in the monastic school there. After thirty years at Bangor, he received Comgall’s permission to spread the Gospel on the continent of Europe, and taking twelve companions with him he settled in Gaul where the devastation of the barbarian invasions had completely disrupted civil and religious life. Invited by the Merovingian King Childebert, he founded a monastic center in Burgundy at Annegray and two others at Luxeuil and Fontaines. From these three monasteries over two hundred foundations were made, and Columban composed for these monasteries two monastic rules.

Like all saints, he met opposition. Ultimately he had to appeal to the Pope against complaints of Frankish bishops, for vindication of his orthodoxy and approval of Irish customs. He reproved the king for his licentious life, insisting that he marry. Since this threatened the power of the queen mother, Columban was ordered deported back to Ireland. His ship ran aground in a storm, and he continued his work in Europe, ultimately arriving in Italy, where he found favor with the king of the Lombards. In his last years he established the famous monastery of Bobbio, where he died. His writings include a treatise on penance and against Arianism, sermons, poetry and his monastic rule.

He impressed his contemporaries as a giant of a man in mind and spirit, who revived religion on the continent and prepared the way for the Carolingian renaissance. He died at Bobbio on November 23, 615, and is buried in the crypt of St. Columban’s Church there.

The St. Columban’s Missionary Society took its name from him, recognizing in him a missionary genius with a uniquely Irish spirit.

started at 6:00pm continuing throughout the night until 3:00 in the afternoon of the next day, Sunday November 21, 2010.

At 3:15pm, all assembled at the San Miguel Village park for the start of the procession. With Msgr. Sunga holding up the Blessed Sacrament under a canopy, surrounded by the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and the Knights of the Colombus, the procession commenced. The Ministry of Altar Servers walked in front of the procession followed by the Youth Choir and Lectors who led the songs and prayers in honor of Christ the King. The rest of the participants followed behind while the procession passed through the streets of Rizal Village, Santiago Village, Bel-Air Village and ended up at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish at about 4:45pm. Fr. Jeffrey Jamias led the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Christ the King before Repositioning the Blessed Sacrament.

November 28 is Pondo ng Pinoy Sunday. Please don’t forget to bring your properly labeled cans and offer them during the Presentation of the Gifts or bring them to the Parish Office.

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pastor’s Messasge from page 1...

examination through form criticism and exegesis, the real person behind it, is a learned Christian who may have been active in founding the community in which the gospel originated. He may, in that way, have given an inspirational influence on the gospel. This author exhibits a theological out-look, a command of Greek and world view which St. Matthew the Apostle who belongs to the first generation of Christians, could never have had. Therefore we conclude that the real writer belongs to a second- generation of Christians.

Where was this gospel written?

Due to the social conditions being described in the gospel, Antioch in Syria seems to be the right place.

Why?

Antioch was a large, prosperous city, home to a large population of both Jews and gentiles. Christianity was introduced there around 40 A. D. In this city, Hellenist Christians mostly from Cyprus and Cyrene made the radical decision of accepting gentiles into their community. This they did without following the Jewish practice of circumcision of which St. Paul fought so bravely in the first council of Jerusalem in 49 A.D. against the Judaizers. In Antioch, believers in Jesus were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). As this new Christian community developed, it became more distinct from its Jewish origins and from other teachings that rejected Jesus as the Messiah. In the late 80 A.D. the Jewish Christians were ousted from the synagogue. It meant they were no more considered part of Judaism and therefore opened now to increased persecutions. The reason for this was that the Jews were given a special privilege by the Roman law to worship their God licitly without being persecuted unlike the other religions under the Roman empire.

Because of this situation, the author of Matthew’s gospel, inspired by the Holy Spirit undertook the task of reinterpreting the older treasured traditions of Judaism according to the new outlook necessitated by faith in Jesus. He expressed this so beautifully this way.

“People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Mt. 9:17)

New wine here meant the faith in Jesus as the end-result or the fruit of Judaism and hope for the world. He

even gave a description of himself and his task in this way

“Every Scribe who is learned in the reign of God is like the head of a household who can bring from his storeroom both the new and the old” (Mt. 13:52)

Matthew therefore was that Christian scribe who tried in his gospel to give to each member of his community, Jews as well as gentiles a new way of looking at

the old traditions, at

the Old Testament writings

morality and

their religious system.

These he did so that they and us today would accept Jesus Christ and the salvation He was offering to all of us.

This Sunday he gave three short parables borrowed from Jewish apocalyptic tradition to exhort and prepare them and us for Jesus’ second coming

Noah’ story - the people were not cited here for their wickedness but for their preoccupation with the affairs of everyday living due to which they were caught by surprise by the blood. So they all died and perished.

Two pairs of workers – all these workers were indistinguishable. But at Jesus’ second coming, one will be taken and the other left. On earth people are perceived and judged from their outside appearances. The finial judgement will bring to the light the differences between persons heretofore hidden. One will go to heaven the other to perdition.

Night burglar – this is a recurrent image in Christian eschatological literature ( 1 Thessalonians 5: 2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3). We all should be always on guard. Thieves do not telephone ahead to give us warnings. In the same way the Son of Man will come so suddenly. Therefore be prepared. As this new season of Advent begins, believers are reminded of the certainty of Jesus’ return and warned to be prepared for the uncertainties as to the time and or means of his arrival.

A good example is our own Ms. Guia Echiverri who was so suddenly taken from us right in our own church after she fulfilled her task as a lector by doing the first reading. As I was reading the gospel, all of sudden the Lord took her away from us on March 2006.

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FAST DELIVERY

Ria Salvaña Matthew LizaresParish Works StaffEllie Medina, Angelina Poe,Emilio Medina, Teresita CabralJohn David OngAnnouncements CoordinatorsPia Sanedrin, Rochelle Pineda Bulletin Board EditorEJ CarlosPowerpoint CoordinatorGing Santos, JayR PaduaContributor: Wina de VeraMagda Gana

Spiritual AdvisorRev. Msgr. Emmanuel Suñga

PublisherSt. Andrew the Apostle ParishN. Garcia St. cor. Kalayaan Ave.Bel-Air II, Makati CityPhones: (632) 890-1796 / 890-1743 media@saaparish.com

Parish Works is the official weekly newsletter of Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish. Media and Communications Ministry Co-coordinators

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First ChoiCe

Novena masses in honor of our patron, St. Andrew the Apostle will be held starting November 21 through November 29 at 6:00pm on Sundays and at 6:30pm on weekdays. On his feast day, November 30 (Tuesday) masses will be held at 6:30am, 12:15pm, and at 6:30pm. The last mass will be celebrated by Bishop Francis de Leon. A procession in honor of St. Andrew the Apostle will start from the church grounds at 4:00pm.

ecology Tip-Bits: (a continuation of the Are you Green-Minded?)

• Turn off unneeded lights and appliances even when leaving a room for a short time. This can help save up energy and reduce the heat and carbon emission. (Carbon dioxide contributes to the green house effect which causes global warming).

• Buying organic goods, fruits and vegetables, using eco-friendly bags instead of plastics when going to the market and practicing the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, And Recycle help promote GREEN acts for the environment.

• We can join and support advocacies, learn useful and practical tips on how we can preserve the environment, spread awareness and teach our children, neighbor and friends these GREEN acts for the environment. It is in the spirit of unity as mankind where we can successfully do our mission of stewardship.

• And of course we can pray. In doing our mission, we should seek guidance to the Lord through Jesus Christ.

We can do so many things in keeping our planet from annihilation. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big or small act as long as we do our part in saving mother earth, in making a difference.

Let us all be “Green Minded” individuals, yes! being Green-Minded means thinking GREEN, thinking of the environment, for the sake of all creations, taking care of our only home that was given to us by the Lord our Creator the planet Earth.

Sources: “Ecological Crisis, Our Responsibility: Let us Amend Our Lives!” Dr. and Mrs. Romulo Arsenio,

http://www.globalwarming.org/ & http://www.environment.nationalgeographic.com/

A Celebration of Life and Love

St Andrew the Protoclete:

The Education Ministry is inviting everyone to an Advent Recollection December 3 (Friday) at 8:00pm at the Parish Jubilee Hall. Rev. Fr, Yolito “Itoy” Ignacio, the Spiritual Director of the Philosophy Department of San Carlos Seminary will be the Recollection Master.