Gospel Reflection

December 02, 2012

First Sunday of Advent – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Jose Timajo (San Juan Nepomuceno Parish, Malibay, Pasay City)

Anticipated Sunday Mass, Sto Nino de Paz Chapel, Greenbelt, Makati

Reading 1 Jer 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: "The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Reading 2 1 Thes 3:12-4:2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God and as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Gospel Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

HOMILY

Why is there Advent? What is the essence of the celebration of the season? There are a lot of questions from us, lalo na 'yong mga pilosopo. Ipinanganak na si Kristo, hihintayin na namang ipanganak, diba? We have already celebrated the birth of Jesus, so what is this Advent waiting about? That is exactly part of the answer. It has to do with Jesus's birth. Not physical birth anymore, but His birth in our hearts.

Advent also reminds us of our own forgetfulness. As the Gospel today tells us, our hearts sometimes get drowsy and lazy, tired out by the anxieties and stresses that we have in our life. Sometimes, we get so pre-occupied with our troubles, or perhaps get fascinated with many other things like gambling, shopping, or Facebook, e-mail, surfing the web, etc. 

Whatever reasons we have, the very message of Advent is simply for us to settle down. And hopefully, we can open the door of our hearts to let God come into our lives.

Our Liturgical celebration is so beautiful, especially the Advent readings we have for today. The First Reading reminds us of God's promise to His people - rightness, justice, security, peace in our day. These are beautiful things, lovely things that we can desire in our life and in our world. The Responsorial Psalm is also beautiful, as we are asking God to make known His ways to us, to guide us, to teach us. And we lift up our souls to God. In the Second Reading, God tells us to conduct ourselves properly and to live faithfully, to love others and to be loved. 

But then comes the Gospel that tries to wake us up, as it shows terrifying descriptions, scene by scene, of the end times. Will they happen? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe more worse things will happen. In fact, we can already judge by the things that are happening around us. There is disorder, there is war in some parts of the world. So many crimes happen in our country today. Heinous crimes. They are becoming bolder and bolder, and the perpetrators are getting younger and younger. The disorder is simply terrifying.

If amidst all these, we become afraid, we can go back to the Responsorial Psalm. As we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, let us pray and ask God that Christ be given birth in our souls, and also in the souls and hearts of everyone in this world, as this is what we need so badly. 

Welcome to Advent, my dear brothers and sisters. May God bless us.

Gospel Reflection

December 02, 2012

First Sunday of Advent – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Lito Ignacio

12:15 PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Jer 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: "The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Reading 2 1 Thes 3:12-4:2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God and as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Gospel Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

HOMILY

This First Sunday of Advent reminds us of our Lord, that He is to come. The word Advent is derived from the Latin word "Adventus", which means 'coming'. It is in Advent that we prepare for the coming of Jesus. It is in Advent when we recall the coming of Christ, when He was born in Bethlehem. 

The Advent Season has four weeks. The first two weeks of Advent invites us to direct our minds to Christ and prepare for His Second Coming, the Final Coming of Jesus Christ, at the end of the world, at the end of time. The third and fourth week tells us to prepare for Christmas, when the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is recalled. Yes - Jesus came in history, Jesus comes in mystery, and Jesus will come again in glory. Jesus came with love in Bethlehem. He comes with grace into our souls, and again, He will come with justice at the end of the world.

The Gospel for today speaks of the coming of Christ as Judge of all. And before He comes, the Gospel tells us that we will experience earthquakes, calamities, and so on. It describes how we should prepare ourselves for the great event on which depends our eternal destiny. It also tells us that if these terrifying things happen, we should raise up our heads, as our redemption is drawing near. The Gospel says that all things in this world will pass away - glory, fame, honor, possessions, position, prestige, power, wealth, riches, beauty. But only one thing will remain, and that is the love and mercy of God. God will never pass away; His Word will never pass away. Eternal life is a life awaiting us.

I was in Lourdes in September 15, and I came for the second time this October. And Cardinal Rosales was there for almost two months. He was giving confessions and did not want to be acknowledged as a cardinal. He wanted to be incognito and be a simple priest, just to sit at the confessional box. The Cardinal was moved and he said that he could see the tears in Lourdes, as the people cried during confession. All of them received the love and mercy of God. And in front of the Lamb of God, you cannot but cry, seeing the grace of God, seeing the goodness of God, thanking God for his everlasting mercy and love for us, leading us to conversion.

This is also what the Lord is inviting us in this first Sunday of Advent. He will come to judge us, but He is also showing us what it means to celebrate and prepare for His Second Coming. It is a joyful encounter with the Lord. This is what the Synod of Bishops (from October 7 to 26) is telling us. It all begins with a personal encounter with the Lord, our personal experience with God, to love Jesus, to follow Jesus, and to share our faith in Jesus. This is also what the Year Faith is telling us - to revive our faith in the Lord, and to renew our personal relationship with Jesus. Let us listen and allow the Words of Jesus to teach us and to transform us and our society in which we live.

I was telling you about Lourdes. On October 18, Cardinal Rosales left Lourdes. And on October 20, do you know what happened to Lourdes? There was a strong deluge. Lourdes became heavily flooded, and it was a great natural disaster. There was a super typhoon. October 20 it was Lourdes, and days later, that super typhoon hit New York, New Jersey and other parts of the United States. 

This is what the Gospel tells us. The earth will be in dismay, perplexed. God will allow the phenomenon of natural disasters to happen even in Lourdes, which is considered the spiritual capital of prayer. It can happen elsewhere. 

This is also what the Gospel reminds us. Let us be vigilant at all times through prayer. Our lives are in God's hands, and in God's mercy. The Gospel tells us that we should pray that we may have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man. We must fix our eyes above, and not in this world. Our lives here on earth is a preparation for an extraordinary world that is yet to come, a supernatural destiny.

Yes, there is such a thing as judgment, death, heaven and hell, and purgatory. Do you believe that there is eternal life? Yes. We will all die and be judged. There will be reward for the good, and punishment for the evil. There is such thing as heaven, for those who are worthy to be in heaven. There is such a thing as purgatory, for those who could not yet enter heaven. It is a place for cleansing. And there is such thing as hell, for people who have really turned away from God.

We must see beyond this world and consider a world without end. This we will understand in the mystery and truth of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Christ is the Living One, who is, who was, and who is to come. It is only through our encounter with Christ that we can understand the mystery of our life here on earth. 

Our life here on earth is like the Rosary. We have the joyful and luminous mysteries, diba? We also have our sorrowful mysteries, our suffering and death, and we have the glorious mysteries of our earthly life. And during this Advent Season, we are preparing for the coming of Christ, the coming of our Messiah. The Advent season reminds us that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything. Jesus is our Lord and King. Let us adore the Lord, the King who is to come. Jesus Christ is the fullness of God's revelation. 

Ito po ang hilingin natin this Advent Season. Hilingin po natin na lumago ang ating pakikipag-unayan kay Hesukristo. Lumago ang ating karanasan ng pag-ibig at awa ng Diyos sa ating buhay. It is only in our encounter with Jesus that we can understand the mystery of our life. Let us await and adore the Lord, the King who is to come. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

December 01, 2012

Saturday – Weekday – Year of Faith

First Saturday of the Month

by Rev. Fr. Benjo Fajota (Vice Rector of the EDSA Shrine)

Concelebrated by Rev. Fr. Rafael (Guest priest from Myanmar)

6:30 AM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Rv 22:1-7

John said: An angel showed me the river of life-giving water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the street, On either side of the river grew the tree of life that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month; the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations. Nothing accursed will be found anymore. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever.

And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true, and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits, sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon." "Behold, I am coming soon." Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab

R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all gods;
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains are his.
His is the sea, for he has made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Gospel Lk 21:34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

HOMILY

Several years ago, when I was still not a priest, I attended a seminar down in the South and we had sisters, religious and priests in the seminar. On the last day, which happened to be Valentine's Day, I saw one of the sisters, who happened to be in my group, carrying a big cut out heart. She approached me. Sabi ko, "Wow si Sister may heart para sa akin sa Valentine's". And then I noticed when she gave it to me, mayroong uka doon sa heart na card, it was not perfectly done. So ang sabi ko, "Ah, matanda na kasi si Sister, hindi na niya kayang gupitin ang card perfectly."

But I was mistaken when I read the note at the back of the heart which said, "Look at your heart, it is not perfect. Why? Because when God created the human heart, He saw that it is very beautiful. So He decided to keep a part of that heart for Himself. One day, when you say to another person, 'I love you with all my heart', you can never be able to do so unless you ask God that piece of heart which He kept for Himself."

My dear brothers and sisters, our longing, our hunger, our desire, our inmost desire in life, is to be with God, because we have been created in the image and likeness of God. We are so busy with a lot of things. We are so anxious about the so-called coming of the end of times. But what we do not realize is that our busy-ness, our trying to run so hard in this life, is what will keep us unhappy. If we really want to share and experience the fullness of life, we will not only desire for that piece of heart which God kept for himself. We will also be like Him - like God. And that is His ultimate desire for all of us, for us to be gods and goddesses, nothing less. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

November 30, 2012

Friday – Year of Faith

Memorial of Saint Andrew, Apostle

by Rev. Fr. Jerome R. Secillano

Parish Priest, Nuestra Senora del Perpetuo Socorro (NSPS) Parish, Sampaloc, Manila

Lunch Mass, Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel, Greenbelt, Makati

Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us? Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Gospel Mt 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

HOMILY

Magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat.

The Apostles of Jesus were dispersed all over the world to spread the faith, to preach the Gospel. St. Andrew, who was believed to be the first of the Apostles to be called, was credited for bringing the faith to Greece. Kaya nga po siya na-martir. Doon siya namatay. And he was nailed on an X-shaped cross.

I was reflecting on the life of St. Andrew and of the Apostles, at ito po ang tanong ko sa sarili ko. Bakit at paano kaya nakumbinsi nitong mga Apostles 'yong napakaraming tao para manampalataya sa Diyos? There were so many people who were converted to Jesus during that time when the Apostles preached the faith to them. Remember that these people did not have faith at all, and if ever they had faith during that time, it was a faith, not for Jesus, but on false gods. Usually, 'yong kanilang paniniwala ay sa mga diyos-diyosan. They were pagans or gentiles, and they had so many gods and goddesses. But when the Apostles came, they listened intently to the preachings, the explanations, the teachings of the Apostles. And so they were converted, and immediately embraced Jesus. 'Yon po ang magandang pangyayari noong mga panahon na iyon.

But fast forward to our own time, alam po ninyo, mukha yatang hindi na ganoong katindi ang reception ng mga tao pagdating sa proklamasyon ng Salita ng Diyos. There are even parishioners who would criticize, not only the Church as an institution, but the ministers of the Church, for that matter - the bishops and the priests. Even faithful parishioners, the lay people like you, would not just easily accept what the Church and the priests teach you. There are even parishioners who will stand up and walk away if he or she does not like what the priest is saying. Mayroon pong mga ganoong pangyayari.

When we listened perhaps to Archbishop Arguelles telling the media that he is going to campaign for the politicians who oppose the RH Bill, so many people reacted to his pronouncement. Sabi nila, ang Simbahan talaga laging nakikialam. Eh hindi na naman dapat sumasawsaw ang Simbahan. Nowadays, the preacher of the Word - the communicator or the agent of the Word - can just as easily be discredited, unlike during the time of the Apostles, when they were so credible in bringing and communicating the faith, that so many were converted to Jesus. Ano kaya ang problema?

We have so many credible communicators of the Church, one of which is our very own Cardinal Chito Tagle, who was elevated into the College of Cardinals last November 24. He is one of the many credible communicators of our faith. 'Yon nga lang, kung meron man ang mga taong nakikitang hindi credible na nagpapahayag ng Salita ng Diyos ay nilalahat na nila ang buong Simbahan bilang isang institusyon. Yes, we do not claim that all ministers of the Church are holy and so good that they are beyond sin, that they are sinless, we don't claim that. However, in the eyes of the people, the preacher, the minister, the priest of the Church, should be sinless, should be good, should be holy. Otherwise, people will not be believe that preacher to be credible enough to communicate the Gospel.

And so may I tell you, the Synod of Bishops which was held last October, precisely was looking for solutions at how to communicate the faith once more. Kasi nakita na ng Simbahan na mukha yatang kulang na ang paniniwala ng mga tao sa sinasabi ng Simbahan. And so the Church was now strategizing on what it can do so that the people will listen to the Church once more, so that the people may find relevance in Christ once more.

Although I was not a participant during the Synod - of course, I am not a bishop and I am not a lay expert, I will give you an idea on what transpired during the Synod. By researching on the interventions of the different bishops coming from the different dioceses and archdioceses all over the world, mayroon pong magandang sinabi ang ating Archbishop Tagle. If you read his statement, ano ang sabi ni Archbishop Tagle noon? "We need to have a listening Church. We should listen to the people." Binaligtad niya ngayon. Noong panahon ng mga Apostol, the people listened to the Church, listened to the Apostles, and they accepted whatever the Apostles preached to them. Ngayon po sa panahon ngayon, ang sabi ni ArchbishopTagle, dapat ang Simbahan ay matuto ring makinig sa tao. See the reversal?

What was the point? Ang sabi ni Archbishop Tagle, the Church does not have solutions to all the problems, the confusions na maaaring nararamdaman at nararanasan ng bawat isa sa inyo ngayon. The Church does not have to pretend that she can actually offer everything - explanations, solutions - because that is not true. Kaya ang sabi ni Archbishop, mas maganda na ang Simbahan ay marunong ring makinig. At sa kanyang pakikinig, baka sakaling ang mga tao ay muling matagpuan si Kristo sa pagkatao ng mga pari o sa Simbahan bilang isang institusyon. Ang mga tao ay mayroong mga concerns, mayroong mga tanong. 'Yon nga lang, may mga pagkakataon na ang ino-offer na explanation o solution ng Simbahan at ng kanyang mga minister, baka sakaling hindi na ito rooted sa Salita ng Diyos. You may wonder - why are there priests teaching about politics, about bureaucracy, about the government? Baka naman kasi taliwas na ang ginagawa din ng pari. Kaya ang sabi ni Archbishop, makinig naman tayo.

Well I think the solution or the strategy given by our own Cardinal is practical enough. Kasi kapag ikaw ay pinakikinggan, you feel that you are important. Nararamdaman mong mahalaga ka. Pero iba din 'yong feeling na pinagsasabihan ka na gawin mo ito, ito ang dapat sa iyo, mali 'yang ginagawa mo. Di ba iba din? We feel that somehow lahat na lang yata ng ginagawa ko ay mali. Ano pa ang silbi ko sa mundong ito? But it is a totally different matter when the institution, the priests, listen to you. By listening to you, you feel that you are one with them, that you are part of this Church.

Pero sabi ng ibang mga bishops, lalong lalo na sa Europa, that strategy is not given nowadays. For them, the Church has to be more aggressive. Kung nawawala na raw ang pananampalataya ng mga tao, mas lalo na raw dapat maging agresibo ang Simbahan. At 'yong pakikinig can be taken as indifference. 'Yon ang pananaw ng mga European fathers. Pero sabi ni Cardinal, "Ah. You should come to the Philippines. You should experience how it is conducted in the Philippines. When bishops and priests just say and say things, you will notice that people do not anymore listen to them. In fact the priests in the Church are being criticized". So sa kwento ni Cardinal Tagle, even in the Philippines, hindi na sapat na ang Simbahan ay daldal lang nang daldal. Matuto ring makinig.

At idagdag pa natin 'yong sinabi pa ng isang Archbishop. You know him very well. He is now the Archbishop of Lingayen, Dagupan, Archbishop Soc Villegas. During his intervention in the Synod, ito ang sinabi niya. "The Church's mission or obligation or duty is not to impose the Word of God proudly, but simply to propose humbly." How does the Church do that? Going back to the Apostles, I think it was very clear to them that they were not the ones speaking, but it was Christ speaking on their behalf. They were merely instruments, that is why they think that they were so credible in the eyes of the people.

Reflecting on all of these, really, napakaraming dapat gawin ng Simbahan. At napakarami ring dapat gawin ang isang pari na katulad ko. To be credible in the eyes of the faithful is a challenge. To be credible in the eyes of so many believers is a very, very daunting task. How do we do that? Dadasalan po namin 'yan kung papaano. And you pray also for us that somehow, we may be able to do our job well. Just like St. Andrew and all the Apostles, may we also preach the Word of God credibly, honestly and truthfully. Amen. 

Saint Andrew – Pray for us

You mat also want to see: A Holy Life - Saint Andrew