Regnum Christi

Br Manuel is the Mexican Legionary member of our team. A few days ago he met a very humble, simple Philippine religious sister; her name is Sister Maria Goretti. They had a deep conversation about religious life, sharing each other’s lights and reflections. At one point, Br Manuel asked her “Sister, what is the main thing about religious life?” she look into his eyes and answered with a calm, meek voice saying “It`s very simple, religious life is about prayer and sacrifice, that`s what we consecrated people are supposed to do, pray and sacrifice, and then enjoy this life that God gave to us”.

Today we had Holy Mass in front of the Capitol Building of Cebu. I translated the homily to a group of pilgrims from Angola. Their first language is Portuguese, like mine. The Bishop of Dublin gave the homily and talked about the example of two priests who lived many years in prison, one in the concentration camp in Poland and the other in Vietnam. Their only hope came from the few occasions when they’re able to celebrate the Eucharist. Continue reading →

“The Eucharist builds the Church and the Church makes the Eucharist” said Saint John Paul II in his Encyclical letter “Ecclesia de Eucharistia”. It is amazing how the 15,000 pilgrims of the Eucharistic Congress are very much like a big family now. Everyone talks to everyone; there are so many gestures of charity and service. Sometimes we meet someone and feel that we’ve known each other for a long time. I think this bond of charity comes from the Eucharistic “overdose” we received throughout the past week.

Sr Anne-Bennedicte is from Taiwan. I met her on our way to the Youth Rally today. As we were talking, we found out that we entered religious life in the same year and that we professed our perpetual vows in the same year as well. When I told her that, she said, surprise, “Wow, we are twins!” So we exchanged prayer cards, and promised we would pray for each other. The card she gave me has the picture of the Blessed Mother and Baby Jesus with a Taiwanese look. This is the universality of the Church and the Congress. Continue reading →

I have reinforcements on the updates of the IEC 2016. If you want to follow it from the perspective of a consecrated woman, you can check the blog of Cathy Floro: https://cathyfloro.wordpress.com/

Yesterday, I had a very nice experience on how much the Philippine people appreciate their priests. In order to go to some of the talks you need to get a ticket. Yesterday I arrived late to the ticket booth and the person working there told me “Sorry, father, we do not have tickets anymore.” Before I could say anything, a very poor and old Philippine lady that was next to me said, “Do not worry father, you can use my ticket please!” That gesture of generosity deeply moved me, and right away I thanked her and told her that I was a seminarian and would try to get the ticket somewhere else. The people of this country really see Jesus in their priests with the eyes of faith. Continue reading →

“What is that?”

The German girl who sits next to me in my Spanish class pointed to the top of my paper where I had written a particularly pretty “TKC!”

“Oh. Well, you remember I’m a Catholic missionary, right?”  She nodded her head in agreement.

“Well, this is the abbreviation for ‘Thy Kingdom Come’; it’s the motto, the motivation for my Movement, my group. Our mission and desire is to extend the Kingdom of God in the hearts of people and in society. This phrase helps us keep that purpose in mind.” My classmate then mentions how her grandmother prayed but her parents (and she herself) felt that people had developed beyond that. Then we had to go back to speaking in Spanish and the conversation ended. Continue reading →

I happened to catch on NPR the other day an interesting program about measuring the impact of prenatal genetic testing.

They discussed whether there could be too much information for a mother and father.  Apparently, the knowledge dump given to parents can create an information overload. This in turn provokes fear-based decisions, which seeks to eliminate risk at all cost. This fear is particularly intense for parents who are dealing with the issue of having a baby with Down syndrome. Continue reading →

“Wow” these are the words that come to mind when I think about today’s experiences at the Congress.

The first conference in the morning was by Bishop Robert Barron. It was a very simple, straightforward talk, but it drove the point home. He basically talked about the Eucharist as Meal, Sacrifice, and Real Presence. This is exactly what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, and I think that is why it is so powerful. The 15,000 people attending the conference were mesmerized by the words of Bishop Barron, and that is the power of the Teaching of the Church. Continue reading →

soon-to-be Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio

I received an early birthday present: Pope Francis has approved the canonization of Blessed José Sánchez del Río, a 14 year-old Mexican martyr. Soon we can call him “Saint José”.

Now I’ve written one book in my life, “Blessed José”, and it was about this very same 14 year-old. So yesterday’s announcement got me thinking about how that all started…

It was 6^th grade, and I was 12. A little seminarian was substitute-teaching our religion class. He told us the story of a 14 year-old boy who had run off to join an army fighting for religious freedom. Captured and offered his freedom in exchange for denying his faith on numerous occasions, the boy refused, and in the end he was brutally tortured and martyred.

Hearing that story in all its detail was tantamount to lighting off fireworks in the heart of a certain little boy. “If a 14 year old can go and do that, then I can do something for God!” I remember thinking. After school that day, my mom instantly noticed something was different about me and she took me on a date to get the truth out of me. I poured out my story to her over spaghetti and meatballs, and I know she pondered much on what I told her. Months later, inspired in great part by Blessed José, I entered a school for boys who want to be priests, and even more amazing yet, my parents let me! Continue reading →

God´s grace is like vanilla pudding – we will never run out. That´s because we have a donation of ninety-six boxes of it in our fridge. (The pudding, I mean.) Yes, boxes…with sixteen individual-size desserts in each box. Funny thing is, during my January monthly retreat, I felt a similar sensation to when I opened the door of the fridge and saw those towers of pudding as tall as me.

Our time spent with the Lord during our retreat was centered on his encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 6. She comes to the well thirsty, looking for water, yet his response to her thirst is “Give me to drink.” Her desire for fulfillment was answered by her true Lover´s desire for her. During adoration that afternoon, I looked back through the memorable events of my life through the lens of God´s desire for me. In each and every one, whether it was painful, joyful, confusing, dark, exciting, or a bittersweet cocktail of everything, his desire for me answered my own desire for fulfillment. Through the specific circumstances of each and every one, he showed me how he had “opened the floodgates of heaven for me, and poured down upon me blessing without measure (Mal. 3:10)”…because of his desire to come to me, to possess me—because of his desire that I be his.

I guess it´s true that there are two things in life that will never change…God´s grace and vanilla pudding.

This year we are celebrating the Jubilee of Mercy. So Pope Francis invited us to practice the works of Mercy. One of the works of mercy is to visit the imprisoned.  I always wondered what a priest’s ministry of visiting the imprisoned is like. What should you say to them, what should you do? Here in the Eucharist Congress I met a diocesan priest who does full-time prison ministry. So, I asked him. He told me that his mission is to bring hope where despair reigns.

“It is actually very simple, and I wish more guys (priest) would do it. You just need to tell those folks that God loves them, and be available for the sacraments”. Continue reading →

“I’m sorry, I’m too tired to go…” I said this at 2pm yesterday to my daughter, who had invited me out for coffee, thinking as I said it, “…how many times have I said this to her, to my husband, to everyone I love…”

God alone knows the “whys” and “wherefores” of our lives.  That being said, we get so many glimmers of the divine pedagogy.  Both our Blessed Lord and our Lady (especially under her ancient title “Seat of Wisdom”) teach us best when our hearts are broken.  Much like diabetes, the adrenal insufficiency (aka “Addison’s disease”) that I live with is not just a family affair, as it also influences every aspect of my life and all those with whom I come into contact.

And, you know what, “Alleluia!”

Yes, I will say it again, “Alleluia!” Continue reading →