With a Father's Heart

In his Apostolic Letter to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis described how St Joseph loved Jesus: patris corde, with a father's heart. The Holy Father then focused on four aspects of this great saint's fatherhood: 1) a beloved father, 2) a tender and loving father, 3) an obedient father, 4) an accepting father, and 5) a father in the shadows.
Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has given us the impression of his closeness to St Joseph. In his inaugural Mass (19 March 2013), he recognized St Joseph as a protector - first, of Jesus and Mary, and second, of the Church. He said, "Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power...Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important...Only those who serve with love are able to protect!"
On 1 May 2013, St Joseph's name was inserted in Eucharistic Prayers 2, 3, and 4. Before that, his name was only mentioned in Eucharistic Prayer 1 (a.k.a. Roman Canon) during the pontificate of Pope John XXIII. The decree Paternas Vices explains "(St Joseph) stands as an exemplary model of the kindness and humility that the Christian faith raises to a great destiny, and demonstrates the ordinary and simple virtues necessary for men to be good and genuine followers of Christ. Through these virtues, this Just man, caring most lovingly for the Mother of God and happily dedicating himself to the upbringing of Jesus Christ, was placed as guardian over God the Father's most precious treasures." 
On a more personal level, the Pope has a statue of the Sleeping St Joseph on his desk, a practice he has for decades. During his papal visit to the Philippines in 2015, he told people “Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the church! Yes! We know that he can do that. So when I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath St. Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words I tell him: Pray for this problem!...Do not forget St. Joseph who sleeps! Jesus slept with the protection of Joseph.”
Apart from these proclamations and devotion, Pope Francis has led a life of service inspired by the humble carpenter of Nazareth: he lives not in the papal apartment, but in the hostel of Santa Marta; he reaches out to all peoples regardless of race, culture, creed, etc; he has been instigating reforms in the Church. Of course, there are still issues and challenges that the Church has to face and the Pope cannot do this on his own. He needs our support through prayers and works of mercy and justice.
By proclaiming the Year of St Joseph, the Pope seems to be putting the Church into the direction of paternal care, humble service, wise discernment, and generous obedience - qualities of the Church's Universal Patron. By proclaiming this holy year, the Church - once exposed to the malaria of being judgmental, exclusive, and legalistic - is given a breath of fresh air from the gentleness of Joseph.
Pope Francis wrote in Patris Corde,  "[I]n every exercise of our fatherhood, we should always keep in mind that it has nothing to do with possession, but is rather a “sign” pointing to a greater fatherhood. In a way, we are all like Joseph: a shadow of the heavenly Father, who “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mt 5:45). And a shadow that follows his Son."
Indeed, we too are called to be another Joseph in our times. As we celebrate the Year of St Joseph, let us ask his help so that God would transform our hearts to be like that of St Joseph. Each one of us exercise a 'fatherhood' in our lives. This is the perfect time to be aware of and celebrate that - through how we care for our own families, our communities, our workplaces, our Church, our world.
A blessed Year of St Joseph!

What Did You Realize?

Covid-19 has been a life-changing experience. Homes had the privilege of becoming a school, an office, and a church. Someone in social media posted a question: "What did you realize this lockdown days?". Reactions from friends vary. Some expressed health concerns, while others mentioned their long-forgotten skills. Some wrote about how grateful they are in spite of the situation. Another wrote about more time being spent with family. Still some others shared how they come to realize and appreciate their parents' hard work in looking after them. This comment, in our view, stands out.

Covid-19 has brought the best out of parents and carers. In an instant, parents have become teachers, counsellors, and extraordinary ministers to their children. Indeed, churches may have closed, but the Church - God's People - has been deployed. Outside the home, other people from various walks of life have faced the challenges of Coronavirus: doctors, nurses, priests, nuns, police, barangay officials, and other key workers. It is heartwarming to witness how these people have gone out of their way, have taken the extra mile to serve others. Some have even lost their lives after being exposed to the virus.

The lock down has been some sort of the long retreat. Most of us stay at home to be safe and to look after our loved ones. We do not know yet when will this end, when will things be back to normal. Perhaps the word "normal" might have a new meaning when we do go back to where we left prior to the lock down.  

In his homily during Good Shepherd Sunday, Pope Francis said "Let us pay attention to the voices that reach our hearts. Let us ask ourselves where they come from. Let us ask for the grace to recognize and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd, who brings us out of the confines of selfishness and leads us to the pastures of true freedom". 

What sort of voices speak to our heart during these challenging times? Are they voices full hope or despair? Is it the voice of the Good Shepherd or the Father of Lies? During this lock down, let us keep on discerning God's will for us. Doing His will is our vocation regardless if we are married or single, ordained or lay. And if we have discerned what God wants us to do, let us be open to it. Openness to His call will surely bring "us out of the confines of selfishness and leads us to the pastures of true freedom". Openness to His will would help us become a holy parent, a holy child, a holy professional, a holy minister of the Church, a holy frontliner.  And for our young people and those of us who seem to be clueless, openness to His will would pave the way to discover in what vocation God is calling us.

United with Mary and Joseph, may we have the grace to listen to the Shepherd's voice, to revive our homes as seedbeds of vocations.

Merely His Servants

A missionary priest once told his fellow missionaries: "This is God's work. Full steam ahead!". Twenty-eight years ago, a group of young people from St Joseph de Gagalangin Parish came together. In their gathering, they produced what then were a novelty in the parish: a theater group and a newsletter.  The theater and newsletter were created in response to the parish's thrust of evangelization.

Commonly known as Anluwage, it became involved in the life of the parish. Theater productions were made, newsletter editions and volumes were published. It was full steam ahead, indeed.

However, not everything was rosy for the group. There was a moment when everything was put to a halt due to animosities in the parish. In spite of the setback, the group looked forward to recover. Indeed, that longing came into fruition when, in the early 2000s, anluwage.com was launched. From what was once a paper-based ministry, it has gone onto the worldwide web. 

Twenty-eight years have gone by. Through the efforts of group members and supporters, we have carried out what we believe is God's work. For indeed, He is the main mover and shaker in evangelizing all people. We are merely His servants (Luke 17:5-10). 

As we welcome another year, we thank the good Lord for calling us to share in His work. If there is one thing we would ask Him, it is the grace to keep on trusting in His love and providence. Like Joseph, the great Anluwage.