OUR PARISH PRIEST

ANG GUEST PRIEST (PANAUHING PARI) Malaking bagay sa mga parokya lalo na sa mga siyudad ang pagkakaroon ng tinatawag na mga Guest Priests.   Sino ba sila?   Ang isang Guest Priest ay isang pari na nakikituloy pansamantala sa isang diocese kung saan siya ay may tanging misyon.   Maraming Guest Priests ang nasa Maynila, halimbawa, dahil ipinadala sila ng kanilang Obispo upang mag-aral o magpaka-dalubhasa sa mga university doon.   Mayroon ding ilan na nandito upang magpagamot. Ang iba ay retirado na sa kanilang orihinal na diocese at nais naman maglingkod sa ibang kapaligiran. Habang narito sila sa siyudad, nais nilang tumulong sa gawain sa mga parokya at iba pang uri ng paglilingkod.   Kailangan ng bawat Guest Priest ang pahintulot ng kanilang sariling Obispo.   Kailangan din ng pahintulot ng diocese na kanilang magiging tirahan sa loob ng ilang panahon.   Halos lahat ng mga diocese sa Kalakhang Maynila ay mga samahan ng Guest Priest na nakikipag-ugnayan

ANG ASSISTANT PARISH PRIEST (KATUWANG NA PARI) Dahil sa kakulangan ng mga pari sa ating bansa, bihira tayong makakilala ng tinatawag na Assistant Parish Priest. Pero kung maging mapalad na mayroon man, madalas ang itinatalagang Assistant Parish Priest ay isang bagong hirang (newly-ordained) na pari na pagdating ng ilang buwan o ilang maikling taon ay siya namang magiging Parish Priest sa kanyang sariling assignment na parokya.   Ang Assistant Parish Priest ay para bang nasa “training period” para maging isang ganap na Parish Priest pagdating ng tamang panahon. Bihira ang maliit na parokya na may Assistant Parish Priest.   Normal lang na ipadala ng Obispo ang isang pari upang maging assistant sa isang malaking parokya na maraming gawain o malawak ang sakop na lugar.   Normal din na ang kasama ng assistant ay isang medyo matanda na o beterano nang pari. Para bang inaasahan na ang Parish Priest ay matanda at ang kanyang Assistant ay bata.   Hindi naman ito sa lahat

EASTER IS A CHALLENGE TO EXPLORE LOVE Mention the word “love" and you are transported into the realm of the romantic. How can we resist such an impulse when we rely on the media to teach us about love?   And the media satisfies us with titillating, steamy and shocking love affairs. Remember Maya, the maid and Sir Chief, her boss, who are now drawn emotionally closer, in the drama series “Be Careful with my Heart?”   How can we forget the recent box office hit movie “It Takes a Man and a Woman” with John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo inspiring a whole nation to swoon in love? Today Jesus’ words reverberate throughout the world’s pulpits. These words were spoken on the night before his arrest, torture and death. It was his last will, the mandate he wanted to bestow on his band of disciples. “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Jesus certainly had deep respect for committed and marrie

ANG PARISH PRIEST (KURA PAROKO) Lahat ng parokya, may Parish Priest, ang tumatayong siyang ama ng pamayanan ng Diyos sa isang munting lugar. Ang Parish Priest ang karaniwang kaisa-isang pari para sa buong parokya.   Dito sa pilipinas bihira ang parokya na may dalawa o higit pang pari.   Normal na ang mayroong isa, ang Parish Priest o Kura Paroko. Iba’t-iba ang pananaw ng mga tao sa kanilang Parish Priest.   Kapag bago pa lang ang pari, at lalo pa at ito’y bata pa, kinagigiliwan siya ng mga tao.   Laging may nakamasid at nakikinig sa kanyang mga kilos at salita.   Kapag magaling ang karisma niya, tiyak madali niyang mahahatak ang mga tao patungong simbahan. Gusto ng mga taong ang Parish Priest nila ay mahusay magsalita, magaling makisama, mabait at maunawain sa kanila at malapit ang puso sa mga mahihirap.   Merong mga lugar na gusto nila ang pari ay magaling kumanta, maganang kumain o kaya naman sanay mag-ballroom dancing o modern dance. Minsan naman, ang

LEADERS IN NEED OF A LEADER Summer time is not complete without leadership training seminars.    There’s always one for students, for parish workers, for parish youth… for everybody.   Leadership seminars are the most famous summer activities in town. What happens in a leadership seminar?   The goal of such training programs is to convince you that there is a leader in you.   “You are a leader!” You have the potential.   Now, get the confidence to go out in the world and blaze a trail. It seems the world is in constant need of leaders. And it is true that God has made each of us capable of becoming leaders in our own right.   We are leaders of one another, whether we like it or not. The Gospel today speaks of Jesus’ own style of leadership.   More than just a leader, Jesus is above all a shepherd.   This image is very close to the heart of biblical religion.   This image is one of Jesus’ favorite self-descriptions. A shepherd is both a strong and

RENEW YOUR LOVE Love is an intoxicating word. It has a natural power to give you a lift, an experience of a “high.”   Look how love makes people excited.   It makes teenagers blush and scream.   It makes adults romantic and sweet.   Love is the key that makes movies earn millions in their first showing day. But love has another side.   It can be intoxicating, but it can also be toxic!   For love can be manipulated.   Love can be twisted. Love can lead to betrayal.   Love can result in tremendous pain. Need we cite the many instances people cried, gone mad, did wrong or died because of love, or rather of wrong experiences in love? If love were only a word or a feeling, it would be pristine.   But love is more than text messages or Facebook or Twitter entries. Love flows through concrete actions. Jesus showed immense love for his disciples and his disciples also professed their love and devotion to him.   Remember Peter telling Jesus how he would join him to the

LOVE IN ACTION: MERCY Easter - 2nd Sunday Divine Mercy Sunday The whole world today is fascinated with this new pope, the Jesuit named Francis. Whether we see in him a grandfather figure, or an adroit pastor, or the church leader we are waiting for, all of us are entranced with him in this honeymoon period of his ministry. Surely Pope Francis has many things to say to us today. But more than intelligent words, what surprise us are the gestures coming from him.   He celebrated Mass in a small parish church in his first Sunday in office.   He took a simple black car as he visited various sites in the city.   He patrolled the crowds on his installation day, kissing babies and hugging a handicapped man. He washed the feet of youth prisoners, including women and Muslims.   One of his earliest messages was that of the mercy of Jesus!   And the message was most forcefully delivered because he illustrated it with his own actions of love and humility. The p