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I am honored serving my fellow students in Polytechnic University of the Philippines Campus Ministry and my fellow youth around Sta. Mesa area. Through encounters with Him, I’ve learned many things about friendship because friendship founded in service is part of the glue that holds life and faith together. I aspire to be a giver. A giver of love, a giver of hope, a giver of joy and a giver of joy. Having experienced God’s love and mercy, there is no doubt of wanting the same for others. Serving at PUP Campus Ministry (CM) helps me to serve God more, not just because I love Him but also because I want to imitate Him. As He died on the cross to save mankind, I also want to die to myself and live for Him. As a graduating student, PUP CM is my training ground also to pursue my mission in life. Missionary Discipleship shaped me to grow more and be prepared in mission as I wanted to share Jesus and His love to my fellow youth. Missionary Discipleship Missionary discipleship is following Jesus and bringing Him to others, by proclaiming the joy of His words through the way we live. Having experienced God’s love and mercy, there is no doubt wanting the same for others.

by Margaux Salcedo The Office for the Promotion of New Evangelization (OPNE) was created in 2015 by His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle as a response to the Vatican’s call for New Evangelization. What is New Evangelization? Pope Saint John Paul II, in his encyclical, Redemptoris Missio, enlightens us: ​ In section 33 of his encyclical, he describes three different situations for evangelization. First is the continuing evangelization of Christian communities. The Church has the ongoing and perpetual task of pastoral care, even for those who are already fervent in their faith. Second is evangelization where Christ and his Gospel are not known. Pope Saint John Paul II calls this mission ad gentes. Finally, there is New Evangelization. This is for those who have been baptized but “have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel”. The task here is re-evangelization or what we now call “new evangelization”. ​ On July 1, 2015, the Office for the Promotion of New Evangelization, an entity of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) directly accountable to the Archbishop of Manila was formed. Rev. Fr. Jason H. Laguerta was appointed as Director of the office. OPNE was declared by Cardinal Tagle to have the following objectives: To help generate an experience of God in the context of the challenges of evangelization in the new millennium; To strengthen bonds of communion-in-mission between the Archdiocese of Manila and the Church in the Philippines, the Church in Asia and the Universal Church. To provide avenues of inspiration and directions for evangelization in our contemporary world. Through this office, Cardinal Tagle hopes to respond to “the need for new and effective means of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in order to live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions.” Meanwhile, Father Jason sees the offices as assisting the Archbishop and the Archdiocese of Manila in providing directions for the Church in contemporary times. OPNE also seeks to provide, gather and research new approaches towards evangelization in different contexts and ministries; and also strives to animate the local, particular and regional churches through events and programs towards the new expressions of evangelization. Since its creation, OPNE has successfully launched 6 conferences entitled Philippine Conference on New Evangelization. This website, Dominus Est, is the latest project of OPNE to reach out, share the Gospel, and shine the light of Christ to all, especially to those who are lost. ​

Last July 13, Jesuit Communications presented a most inspiring concert celebrating 50 years of Jesuit music entitled “Ginintuan”. The concert, held at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City featured performers such as Bituin Escalante, soprano Lara Maigue and folk singer Noel Cabangon, Toto Sorioso and the Vespers Duo. It also featured choirs such as Hangad, Himig Heswita and Friends, Koro Ilustrado, Musica Chiesa, Pansol Choir, Tinig Barangka and Bukas Palad (video seen here). But the real stars of the show were “babies” of the great late Fr. Eduardo Hontiveros, lyricist and composer, who have followed in his footsteps of not only singing but creating great music for the Lord: Fr. Arnel Aquino, Fr. Manoling Francisco and no less than His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. (Did you know that Cardinal Tagle wrote a few Jesuit songs himself?! Yes he is a talented lyricist, too!) The concert, while a celebration of Jesuit music in general, was a tribute to Fr. Eduardo Hontiveros, who gave us such songs as ”Ama Namin,” “Papuri sa Diyos,” “Luwalhati,” “Santo,” “Kordero ng Diyos,” “Pananagutan,” and “Magnificat.” These are songs that he composed in response to the 1967 decision of the Second Vatican Council to allow new liturgical music to be written to suit the needs of a particular country. He was so prolific in making music that he was soon recognized as the “Father of Filipino Liturgical Music.” Although he passed away at 85 years of age in 2008, Father Honti, as he was fondly called, continues to live with us through his music. In this video, Bukas Palad once again keeps the spirit of Father Honti alive with their joyful and heartfelt interpretation of his songs.

I am now serving as the acting Campus Minister of Polytechnic University of the Philippines, under the Missionary Disciples of the Office of New Evangelization I have been part of this since I was a student. I joined the Campus Ministry Office in 2015 and I was touched. It helped deepen my faith through constant encounters with God. I also discovered who I am through encounters with the people around me. I chose to be a Missionary Disciple because I want to work for a bigger purpose, aside from my work. The students of PUP come from the peripheries around the country so we are able to help students discover themselves and deepen their faith while the school helps them in terms of academics. Being a missionary is not easy and will not be easy. There will be voices that will try to stop you but if you listen to the voice of the Shepherd you will not be lost. There will be joys and pains but God will always be there for you. Missionary Discipleship Missionary Discipleship is the face of the Church. The Catholic Church is bound by the love of God, through which we accompany each other, deepening our faith while getting to know ourselves in our encounters with our brothers and sisters.

by Margaux Salcedo After seeing how coronary heart disease and diabetes affect the poor, Fr. Anton Pascual, Exec. Director of Caritas Manila, has started advocating a lifestyle change to a plant-based diet. (Contributed photo) Many know Fr Anton Pascual as the Executive Director of Caritas Manila. But those who know him better know that he has another advocacy: converting people to a plant-based diet. If Pope Francis has an advocacy to save the environment, Fr. Anton has his advocacy to save our health. He tries to convince everyone he meets to shift to a diet that is more plant-based, in order to live a longer, healthier life. Fr. Anton’s own paradigm shift came only in 2017. He used to purchase balut (fermented duck eggs) weekly when he was a parish priest in Pateros and would also often partake of lechon (spit-roasted pig). Later, when he was already with Caritas, he noticed that the beneficiaries of the health cards of Caritas Manila were seeking not only paracetamols and pain relievers but also maintenance medicines for hypertension and diabetes. It was a curious revelation to him because usually the poor would complain of ulcers, due to having nothing to eat, or hepatitis, due to dirty food. This time, however, it seemed the ailments they were complaining about were due to appreciating too much food. So he tried to analyze: are the Filipino poor eating too much? He realized, after conducting research, that perhaps the problem is not that the poor are eating too much but that they are too often eating the wrong kinds of food such as processed food (burgers, hotdogs, canned goods) or commercial chicken, because these are all they can afford. “It’s the tasty, cheap, processed food that is the number one cause of chronic diseases,” Fr. Anton concludes. So he started looking for alternatives to the processed food diet. Documentaries on the benefits of converting to a plant-based diet enlightened him. He recommends watching Forks Over Knives, a 2011 American documentary that advocates a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet as a way to avoid or reverse several chronic diseases; and What the Health, a 2017 documentary that also advocates the plant-based diet while questioning the health impact of meat and dairy products consumption. These documentarirs may convince you to convert to a plant-based diet. Through these documentaries, Fr. Anton learned that 84 percent of our ailments nowadays, including chronic heart ailments, cancer, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, are not hereditary but are due to eating unhealthy food. How much unhealthy food are we eating? Generally speaking, the regular diet of the average person today consists of 60 percent processed food (junk food, fast food), 30 percent animal-based food and only 10 percent plant-based. “We need a paradigm shift,” Fr. Anton says, “because the healthiest food on the planet are vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and legumes.” Food, he emphasizes, should heal people, not hurt them. “It’s supposed to make you healthy, not sick; make you stronger, not weak.” He relates the story of Daniel in the Bible: “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8) To heal and to create a healthier generation, Fr. Anton shares the good news that “plants are full of micronutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants that help heal the body.” He shares stories of some individuals whose ailments have been reversed not due to medicine but by changing their diet alone. “This kind of diet, the plant-based diet, can prevent, arrest and reverse chronic lifestyle diseases,” he says. “That is why you must change your lifestyle,” he advises. “It begins with the mind. Because your mind controls your life.” He quotes Proverbs: “The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.” We must be wise about our diet, he preaches. To practice what he preaches, Fr Anton has now started farming. At the San Carlos Seminary, he has started planting eggplants and tomatoes. Caritas has also identified six areas where they will set up demo farms: Caritas Manila, Baseco, San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe Seminary and two sites in Tagaytay. Fr. Anton dreams of influencing communities to not only eat vegetables but also to plant them. Caritas has also partnered with farmers in Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite to supply vegetables for their beneficiary communities in Metro Manila. In line with Pope Francis’ own advocacy, Laudato Si, Fr. Anton says we should also stop the commercial production of animal-based food products to save the environment. Laudato Si is the second encyclical of Pope Francis where he critiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental degradation and global warming and calls on all people of the world to take “swift and unified global action” to save Mother Earth. Fr. Anton shares that, aside from the inhumane treatment of animals, the commercial production of animals for food is not natural and even harmful to the planet. He cites, for example, that some rainforests in Latin America are being converted into grazing farms for cattle for the commercial production of meat. We should instead grow trees and vegetables. This is more in touch with God’s plan as it emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between earth and man. Finally, he says processed foods that kill mankind may possibly be the work of the devil. (I confess I laughed so hard when he said this. “The hotdog is a creation of the devil?!” I asked him, laughing.) But Fr. Anton seriously argues that they could as well be given these foods are deceptively pleasurable yet they cause harm. He urges—and I join him in this plea—big corporations to take the lead in supplying affordable plant-based food and food products. Let’s hope restaurants also come up with a few dishes on their menu for vegans so that those who are on a plant-based diet would not have to miss out on the wonderful company of their animal-eating friends who would rather go hungry than eat at a purely vegan restaurant. Vegans are still the minority, after all. In Fr. Anton’s words, “We’ve only just vegan!” If we all come together and increase the demand for plant-based food and food products, we may just see a world where humans live longer and healthier … and, who knows, a world free of cancer. That would be an answered prayer, for sure!

by Margaux Salcedo Many know Fr Anton Pascual as the Executive Director of Caritas Manila. But those who know him better know that he has another advocacy: converting people to a plant-based diet. If Pope Francis has an advocacy to save the environment, Fr. Anton has his advocacy to save our health. He tries to convince everyone he meets to shift to a diet that is more plant-based, in order to live a longer, healthier life. Fr. Anton’s own paradigm shift came only in 2017. He used to purchase balut (fermented duck eggs) weekly when he was a parish priest in Pateros and would also often partake of lechon (spit-roasted pig). Later, when he was already with Caritas, he noticed that the beneficiaries of the health cards of Caritas Manila were seeking not only paracetamols and pain relievers but also maintenance medicines for hypertension and diabetes. It was a curious revelation to him because usually the poor would complain of ulcers, due to having nothing to eat, or hepatitis, due to dirty food. This time, however, it seemed the ailments they were complaining about were due to appreciating too much food. So he tried to analyze: are the Filipino poor eating too much? He realized, after conducting research, that perhaps the problem is not that the poor are eating too much but that they are too often eating the wrong kinds of food such as processed food (burgers, hotdogs, canned goods) or commercial chicken, because these are all they can afford. “It’s the tasty, cheap, processed food that is the number one cause of chronic diseases,” Fr. Anton concludes. After seeing how coronary heart disease and diabetes affect the poor, Fr. Anton Pascual, Exec. Director of Caritas Manila, has started advocating a lifestyle change to a plant-based diet. (Contributed photo) So he started looking for alternatives to the processed food diet. Documentaries on the benefits of converting to a plant-based diet enlightened him. He recommends watching Forks Over Knives, a 2011 American documentary that advocates a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet as a way to avoid or reverse several chronic diseases; and What the Health, a 2017 documentary that also advocates the plant-based diet while questioning the health impact of meat and dairy products consumption. These documentaries may convince you to convert to a plant-based diet. Through these documentaries, Fr. Anton learned that 84 percent of our ailments nowadays, including chronic heart ailments, cancer, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, are not hereditary but are due to eating unhealthy food. How much unhealthy food are we eating? Generally speaking, the regular diet of the average person today consists of 60 percent processed food (junk food, fast food), 30 percent animal-based food and only 10 percent plant-based. “We need a paradigm shift,” Fr. Anton says, “because the healthiest food on the planet are vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and legumes.” Food, he emphasizes, should heal people, not hurt them. “It’s supposed to make you healthy, not sick; make you stronger, not weak.” He relates the story of Daniel in the Bible: “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8) To heal and to create a healthier generation, Fr. Anton shares the good news that “plants are full of micronutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants that help heal the body.” He shares stories of some individuals whose ailments have been reversed not due to medicine but by changing their diet alone. “This kind of diet, the plant-based diet, can prevent, arrest and reverse chronic lifestyle diseases,” he says. “That is why you must change your lifestyle,” he advises. “It begins with the mind. Because your mind controls your life.” He quotes Proverbs: “The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.” We must be wise about our diet, he preaches. To practice what he preaches, Fr Anton has now started farming. At the San Carlos Seminary, he has started planting eggplants and tomatoes. Caritas has also identified six areas where they will set up demo farms: Caritas Manila, Baseco, San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe Seminary and two sites in Tagaytay. Fr. Anton dreams of influencing communities to not only eat vegetables but also to plant them. Caritas has also partnered with farmers in Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite to supply vegetables for their beneficiary communities in Metro Manila. In line with Pope Francis’ own advocacy, Laudato Si, Fr. Anton says we should also stop the commercial production of animal-based food products to save the environment. Laudato Si is the second encyclical of Pope Francis where he critiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental degradation and global warming and calls on all people of the world to take “swift and unified global action” to save Mother Earth. Fr. Anton shares that, aside from the inhumane treatment of animals, the commercial production of animals for food is not natural and even harmful to the planet. He cites, for example, that some rainforests in Latin America are being converted into grazing farms for cattle for the commercial production of meat. We should instead grow trees and vegetables. This is more in touch with God’s plan as it emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between earth and man. Finally, he says processed foods that kill mankind may possibly be the work of the devil. (I confess I laughed so hard when he said this. “The hotdog is a creation of the devil?!” I asked him, laughing.) But Fr. Anton seriously argues that they could as well be given these foods are deceptively pleasurable yet they cause harm. He urges—and I join him in this plea—big corporations to take the lead in supplying affordable plant-based food and food products. Let’s hope restaurants also come up with a few dishes on their menu for vegans so that those who are on a plant-based diet would not have to miss out on the wonderful company of their animal-eating friends who would rather go hungry than eat at a purely vegan restaurant. Vegans are still the minority, after all. In Fr. Anton’s words, “We’ve only just vegan!” If we all come together and increase the demand for plant-based food and food products, we may just see a world where humans live longer and healthier … and, who knows, a world free of cancer. That would be an answered prayer, for sure!

by Margaux Salcedo Hello from the Holy Land! I am currently in Jerusalem, my first time to visit this city of incomparable history. Writing my first column from the very town where Christ was crucified, I initially felt compelled to write something profound - a reflection on the passion of Christ, a comparison of Jewish and Christian traditions, an essay on the role of Mary or any other related thesis. But I just had an experience that made me realize that amidst all the complex if not complicated rituals that religions employ, the message of Christ that has resonated from the time that He preached around Galilee is not highfalutin at all. Holy Sepulchre ​I had the rare opportunity to hear mass inside Jesus' empty tomb at the 6 am mass on this day, the first day of our pilgrimage to Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The tomb can fit but five people. Our generous guide, Sister Rebecca of the Missionary Sisters of the Catechism arranged for us to assist in the mass. Inside the tomb with my mother and sister, I read the First Reading and Responsorial Psalm, as the mass was in English. The rest of the tourists hear mass facing but outside the tomb. As I kissed the bed of stone where Jesus was laid to rest, I said a little prayer: "Jesus, I want to see you." (I know, I'm a little cuckoo.) Rip Off That evening, after making the obligatory visit to the Western Wall, putting on my food writer's hat, I had dinner at the Jewish Quarter to have a taste of authentic Israeli cuisine. Instead, I had a taste of an authentic rip off. The waiter of the Friends restaurant welcomed my group with a charming smile, suggested to us what we should eat and took our orders but when I asked for the prices, he said he would give us a menu but that never came. When the bill arrived, we were shocked by an overcharge of over 100 Shekel (around P1500), as the waiter charged us for items that he placed on our table that we did not order but he insisted we pay for. Worse, we were not even that hungry so we had so much food left over. We wrapped the food for takeaway just so that it would not go to waste but had no idea what to do with it. Ruth As we walked back to our guest house, we came across a petite old lady with a shawl wrapped around her head. I first noticed her as we made our way to the Jaffa gate; she looked at me and smiled but she did not say anything and walked past us. Then as we made our way to another street, we saw her again, her back to us this time, as she looked at the window of a restaurant. I went up to her to offer our food. I was hesitant because I was uncertain how she would take it; I was afraid of offending her with my gesture as some take offense even when your intentions are sincere. But I gathered my courage and said, "Hi, would you like some food? We have so much." She smiled at me with so much joy in her eyes. Hungry The words that flowed from her mouth as she received the food were so beautiful.I realize now these were meant not to thank me but to thank the Lord. "Thank you so much. ... I am Christian. Are you Christian?" she asked after receiving the bag of food. "You know, I did not know how I was going to eat today. I was getting hungry and I said, Lord, how am I going to eat? I have no money. And He told me, someone is going to give you food. That is what He told me. He did! And now here it is. I'm not kidding, He said that -- 'someone is going to give you food'," she shared. Me! I'm the Someone! I replied in my characteristically chirpy way. "I am Ruth," she kindly introduced herself. Like in the Bible! I replied. "Yes. Have you read the Bible? I have read it 26 times, including Revelation. ... What is your name?" Margaux. "​Margaux, pray for me." And before I knew it, I hugged her, with a promise that I would pray for her. "God bless you!" she said. Then we parted ways. Walking away, I was so overwhelmed, I couldn't contain my tears. In the midst of all the Biblical and historical sites of this town - the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, and the million other churches and chapels that we visited - it was at this encounter, just on the street, where I truly felt Christ. Dominus Est! Like the Beloved Disciple, I started my day looking for Christ at his tomb. At the end of the day, I was reminded of the simple truth of the Resurrection: That He is Risen but He is now in each of us. That it is in the Least that you find the Lord. That, as the lyric goes, it is when you love another person that you see the face of God. ​On this day, I got what I asked for at the Holy Sepulchre: I saw Christ. In Ruth, I saw Christ. ​​I went home truly blessed. She wasn't just a hungry old lady. Dominus Est!

LIVE THE JOY OF THE MISSION AND SUPPORT OUR MISSIONARIES - Pope Francis Pope Francis proclaimed October 2019 an ‘Extraordinary Missionary Month’ to be marked and celebrated throughout the world. Pope Francis has entrusted with the mission of the Church in the world to our Dominus Est patron, Pope St John Paul II. Remember that October 22 is World Mission Sunday, So Pope Francis intends to celebrate the Extraordinary Missionary Month on this day, and will be praying the Angelus with pilgrims and tourists gathered in St Peter’s Square beneath the window of the Papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace at noon on this day. "I urge everyone to live the joy of mission by witnessing the Gospel in the environs where each one lives and works," Pope Francis said. "We are called upon to support with affection, concrete help, and prayer, the missionaries who have gone out to proclaim Christ to those who still do not know Him.’ On October 22, Pope Francis added, "in liturgical memory of Pope St. John Paul II (on his feast day), we entrust to his intercession the mission of the Church in the world." Source: Vatican News

A Disciple in Love with Christ and the Church by Margaux Salcedo “For me it was very clear. My childhood dream was to become a priest,” he says. Father Jason Laguerta is a relatively young (under 50), dynamic priest who heads the Office for the Promotion of New Evangelization (OPNE) of the Archdiocese of Manila. He is simultaneously the head of the Archdiocesan Institute for Research and Development (AIRD) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM). He is also the parish priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Sta. Mesa, Manila. 3 HATS “I wear three hats: evangelization, research, and parish priest,” Fr. Jason shares. Yet he is able to excel in each field. He attributes his ability to balance all three roles to his love for the Lord. “I confess I am not a devoted person but I am what is called an affective (with an a) disciple of Jesus. I have simply fallen in love with the person of Christ and that love never wanes,” he shares. BLESSED CHILD His love for Christ started at the tender age of 7. His parents, Pascual and Adelfa, were very active in church. Fr. Jason recalls that his mother was even the caretaker of their church, San Vicente Ferrer chapel in Brgy. Abuyog, Sorsogon, Sorsogon. “The church was practically my playground,” Fr. Jason recalls. That is why as young as 7 years old, he already knew he wanted to become a priest. “For me it was very clear. My childhood dream was to become a priest,” he says. So as early as high school, his parents, with the guidance of a priest, sent him to the seminary. At 12 years of age, he enrolled at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Makati. Then for college, at the San Carlos Seminary, also in Makati. FORMATOR He became a priest on September 8, 1999. After becoming a priest, Fr. Jason continued to call San Carlos Seminary his home. Instead of becoming a parish priest, he stayed on at San Carlos as professor and formator for 10 years. He taught Latin, homiletics, and Philippine church history. Later, he was urged to get a doctorate degree, and he enrolled at the University of the Philippines to study social psychology. He would later teach this subject as well at the San Carlos Seminary. On Cardinal Tagle: For me, he is a good example and model of a disciple of Jesus in our context today,” Fr. Jason shares. GOOD EXAMPLE With his doctorate degree, Cardinal Tagle appointed him as head of the Archdiocesan Institute for Research and Development (AIRD) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM). “Cardinal Tagle is very much interested in research,” he explained. “He wants all programs of the RCAM evidence-based. So the AIRD gathers data to make us more effective in our responses to the needs of the people today.” In 2013, Cardinal Tagle also invited Fr. Jason to be part of the Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE) that the Archdiocese had just organized and made him in charge of the exhibit portion of the event. Fr. Jason must have done an amazing job as the following year, His Eminence tapped him to head the newly-formed Office for the Proclamation of New Evangelization, which organized PCNE the following years. For his part, Fr. Jason considers the appointment an honor as he looks up to Cardinal Tagle. “I see in him a person who really loves Jesus and a person who wants to share the love of God to all. He always tries to find something good in every person and seeks the good news in every situation, trying to bridge the gaps between and among people and parties. For me, he is a good example and model of a disciple of Jesus in our context today,” Fr. Jason shares. NEW EVANGELIZATION Fr. Jason has taken his mission in New Evangelization seriously. “New Evangelization, in a nutshell, is the church proclaiming the Good News of Jesus today. It is the church wanting to be part of the lives of the people today; the church trying to make the memory of Jesus alive in today’s world by making the Gospel fresh and available for everyone to partake in,” he explains. “Jesus,” he emphasizes, “is still very much relevant. He is the way, the truth, the life; the past, present, and future; the alpha and the omega. But we, His disciples, have to find a way to become his mouth, his eyes, his hands, his feet today.” Through OPNE, Father Jason seeks to erase the disconnect between the church and the people, especially the youth. “There is no disconnect in the message,” he argues. “Because the message is the same: the love of God and the presence of Jesus. The disconnect is only in the way the Gospel is communicated; the language, the methods, even the images. Jesus used images that were familiar to the people of his time, like the mustard seed, the shepherd and the sheep. So we need to use images that are relevant today.” He expounds that this is because the Kingdom of God cannot be defined although it can be described. “The parables were stories that Jesus used to describe the Kingdom of God. So we have to find stories today about how the love of God operates in our time; stories and images that describe what the Kingdom is about.” ETERNAL FLAME It is clear that the spark of interest that Fr. Jason had as a 7-year old for the church has blossomed into an eternal flame of love for Christ and the Church. “That interest became love eventually,” he admits. “I learned to love the Church, even if there are things you don’t like, but you continue to love.” His personal patron saint, San Vicente Ferrer, the patron saint of his hometown parish in Sorsogon, whom he would ask to intercede for him, even as a child, would certainly be proud. “I learned to love the Church, even if there are things you don’t like, but you continue to love.”

by Bro. Jesus Madrid “The night, the light, and the flight” a reflection from the 21st chapter of the Gospel of John. “That night they caught nothing.” We all have experiences of darkness and emptiness. One night that is really dark and truly emptying was the night when my parents decided to separate. It was the summer of 2010, I will not forget that summer because it was the same summer before I entered the seminary. I was asking God then, “Why are you letting this happen? Where are you? Lord! Here I am. I would like to offer myself to you but why let this happen?” It was dark and painful. I had my doubts. I don’t know where to go and I don’t know what to do. I cannot see God in that moment. “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” From the vast water of darkness, of not knowing where to go and not knowing what to do there is an invitation to cast your net on the right side. What can I find on that side? A great catch. From the side of darkness towards the side of love where hope and new beginnings can be found. I believe during that summer God spoke through many people and the loudest I believe is through my uncle. He told me, “I know that you have doubts. I know that you are down. However, I know that you still believe in Him. I know that in your heart He whispers. Listen to His words. And if in your heart you still believe in His call and you want to pursue, we will support you in every way.” Had I not listen to His voice, I would not be here happy and filled and continuously being filled with that great catch of love. My eyes were opened, I know that it was the Lord. He has always been there guiding and directing my life. He gave me hope and I decided to begin anew. Eventually I realized that following the Lord does not mean a life free of difficulties. I tell you, this life is full of difficulties but with Him I have found peace in the midst of great difficulties. “Come, have breakfast.” God was there in my brokenness. He found me, fixed me, and lifted me up. He invited me to come and eat with Him. This invitation I believe is an invitation to continuously savor the love that has been found and experienced. This is an invitation to grow deeper into this life of love. This moment is a moment of preparation for a greater invitation, a greater call, a higher flight. “Do you love me?” God has filled me with much love. Now he is asking me, “Do you love me?” How can I not love this God who has given me everything. How can I not love Him who has helped me see the light in my darkest moment? How can I not love Him who has fixed the broken parts of me? Who made me who I am and continuously helping me become the best version of me? Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you. He then says, “Feed my lamb. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.” I believe this is now the mission, to feed His people with the same love that I have received, to be an instrument so that people may be directed towards the light and the source of all Love, Jesus. ​

by Clyde Ericson Nolasco If I have to tally and rank the words I use in a day, amen would have its place at the top along with "quiet" and "listen". As a Catholic and a teacher at a Benedictine institution, as soon as I rise from my bed, I would say a prayer. I leave our house whispering to God to keep me and my family safe. In our school, we would have daily morning offerings. In each of my class, we would say our opening and closing prayers (not to mention the grace before and after meals). Moreso, I would have my personal prayers in between my own time, especially when stress is taking its toll on me; and end a long day with pleads and thanksgivings. Like other major religions, denominations and groups, mentioning the word amen signals the end of our prayer. It's the most basic word a faithful would hear and learn. But we do not just hear this during prayers. Sometimes it would be automatic that we would unconsciously blurt it out in agreement on something that was just said, especially on religious situations and matters. According to Collins and Farrugia, amen is a Hebrew/Aramaic word that is used to call a peg dug in the ground to keep a tent erect, or religiously mean “so it is” or “so be it”. Old Testament stories like from Deuteronomy, Psalms and 1 Chronicles are but amens of praises while in the New Testament, Jesus stresses the other use of the word which is to express our trust in God. He himself closed the prayer he taught us, the The Lord’s Prayer, with amen. More than ending our prayers and agreeing to one’s statement, amen captures the depths of our person. Amen is a sign of life. Whenever we say it for whatever purpose is a proof of our beating heart, a heart that loves and a heart that longs. It is our hopes wrapped in prayers. It is like waiting for Jesus to make miracles. It is like being the blind man Bartimeus waiting to see; like Jairus waiting for his daughter to be brought to life; or like Paul to regain his eyesight. Waiting may not be easy but it is our amen that signifies our hope in God. Amen is our battle cry. Our life is a constant struggle, a battle we are in. Saying amen is believing Jesus will be with us, that God will be our constant ally. We will be like Joshua blowing the trumpet or David armed with only a slingshot. In every problem that we would encounter, we don’t easily surrender instead the harder life becomes, the louder our amens would be. Each amen is an affirmation of our hope, an expression of our trust, and the measure of our faith. After all, it’s not a matter of how many times I would say amen in a day, instead it’s a matter of how much I am convinced that God is with me always. As we journey together, we say amen. As we continue to proclaim the love of God online and offline, we say amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.