BLD St. Catharines, District in Process

Bukas Loob sa Diyos Open in Spirit to God

Dec.ember 2009 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4

6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.”]

O Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light

The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary

And gathered all above While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wondering love O morning stars together

Proclaim the holy birth And praises sing to God the King

And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven. No ear may his His coming,

But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him still,

The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem Descend to us, we pray

Cast out our sin and enter in Be born to us today

We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell

O come to us, abide with us Our Lord Emmanuel

Christmas is one if not the busiest time of the year for travelers. It is a time when family travel from afar to join their love ones for a joyous reunion. It is a time when people visit all the big malls in the city and across the border to hunt for bargains to be found only during the Christmas season. It is also the time when people

fly to some tropical paradise to escape the harsh and cold winters in North Amer-ica, or get away from drudgery of every day life. But is this the reason why we are celebrating Christmas? Christmas should be the season for journeying back in time with the Christ-child, from the moment of his conception, the quest for a birthing place for Jesus, the birth of our Lord, the flight to Egypt, and Jesus’ presentation in the temple. It is a journey we must all take each year, so we will not lose sight of the real meaning and purpose for our celebration, and the person whose birthday we are celebrating. Christmas according to the Gospel of Luke is “good news of great joy for all peo-ple”. Jesus, “Emmanuel” has come to the world to be “God with us” today, to-morrow and everyday. Let this knowledge nourish and bring joy to our hearts, our mind and spirit that we might celebrate Jesus eternal presence in us 24/7. When we are at the manger, standing at the foot of the Baby Jesus, we are re-minded that at the end of our dark and difficult journey here on earth, light to be found, there is reason to rejoice, and there is peace and good-will to look forward to. The Christ-child knows it all inside out and has gone through the diffi-cult lives we live. Though born as the Messiah, he came from humble begin-nings – poor and ordinary. Yet, he was feted like a king, adored by the angels with heavenly praises, served by the shepherds and gifted by the Magi with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. He was threatened with possible death from the hands of the jealous Herod, but escaped to Egypt with the intervention of God through the Magi. In our most trying moments, faith in the Divine child is all that we need. Let us bring to his feet everything that is broken in our lives, and for sure Christ will fix it as promised. As a community of believers, God calls us to reflect on the life of this helpless, innocent baby lying in the manger, who became Lord and Savior of all. We are reminded that Jesus came to this world for all men – even for sinners like us. When we feel unworthy of our calling as disciples and when we feel we have nothing to contribute, Christ calls us to look up at the person of the Baby Jesus - helpless yet carried the world’s destiny in his hands - healing with his touch, ran-soming us with his love and life and completing the very work he has began in us.

Christmas Message

“good news of great joy for all people”

So brothers and sisters in Christ, let us proclaim the true meaning of Christmas each day in our personal lives and in community. Let us inspire others to cele-brate Christmas as the heavenly angels do. Let the Christ child woo us in every way as we allow him to walk with us in our journey of faith. May you have a Blessed and Joyful Christmas and a Bright New Year Ahead. In Christ, Jess & Marilen Angeles (on behalf of DCS Toronto)

We thank all of you for allowing us to serve but most of all ……. “We Thank God For You.” Thessalonians 1:2 May the love that came that Holy Night fill your days with Love and Joy. Merry Christmas District Leaders Conference (DLC) BLD St. Catharines (DIP)

hat are we doing to get ready for the Lord’s coming? Are we caught up in the hurry and scurry of planning

Christmas parties, putting up Christmas decorations or weaving in and out of shopping malls trying to get our Christmas shopping done? And, once again, did we cave in to our children’s “wish list” into getting them that latest technical gizmo or electronic toy or brand clothes, so they won’t feel “deprived” because their friends will surely have them? Or, are we totally lacking in the spirit of Christmas because of a painful personal situation? Brothers and sisters, let us not miss out on what Christmas is all about. It is first and foremost about God’s love and His plan for our salvation. And if only for that reason, Christmas should become for us a time of hope and spiritual joy. And Christian joy does not just come from having “stuff” or the absence of sorrow, pain or trouble, but from a deep awareness of the presence of Christ within us. Let us be grounded in the peace and joy of Christ as we accept His presence every moment of our life. Like the angels who shook heaven and earth on that first Christmas with their joyful praises of “Glory to God in the Highest and peace to His people on earth!” to-day, we are called to make known to all the world that it is only in Him can true peace be found. As we await His coming, let our preparation be a source of great blessing and gift for us all. May our Christmas preparations bring us to a powerful transformation in the way we live each day. We wish you all and your families a Merry and Blessed Christmas. Come, Lord Jesus, Maranatha! In Jesus, through Mary Olie and Menchu Ealdama DIP Shepherds

Getting Ready

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ADVENT CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

“... and the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only-begotten son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, For the past fifteen years, we have faithfully gathered together for our regular community praise and worship, and for the Eucharistic celebration. With God’s grace, we have experienced a changed life. Looking back, we are amazed at the way the Lord has taken our small efforts and expanded them so dramatically. Over the years, as we witnessed our community grow, reaching more and more people through our various encounter programs, we have become convinced that God is blessing us far beyond any of our expectations. Clearly, we have planted seeds and watered the soil, but it is God who has given the growth (1 Corinthians 4:7). We praise and thank God for all of you, dear brothers and sisters who, over the years have re-mained faithful and continued the generous giving of your time, tal-ent and resources, to make ours the welcoming and loving Christian community that it is today. We thank God for all that He helped us to accomplish, and we ask for His continuing blessings. During this Advent-Christmas season, we are reminded that the Christ Child wants to reveal Himself to everyone of us; that we might see His glory. As we go to confession, we are encountering Jesus Himself, who is mercy and love incarnate. When we receive Communion at Mass, we are coming into the presence of Christ as He transforms the bread and wine into His own body and blood. We have the blessings of Scriptures that describe Christ’s glory as it was made manifest before the very eyes of the apostles over and over again. Cont’d pg4

Poch & Avic Robles Roy & Carmen

MITRA Romy & Minda

Panday  

Cip & Emmy Tabios

 

Cont’d from p.3 ...DCS message Every time we gather in His Name for our regular praise and worship and fellowship, we experience His presence among us. O that we would allow the power of God’s love to transform us - our inner and outer selves, and will eventually allow us to live in God’s glory. As we approach Christmas, let us treasure and draw strength from the most comforting of His promises, that God is Emmanuel, “God with us.” His Spirit is with us, and in us, always open to us and loving us. Let us then open our hearts and minds and yield ourselves to God that we may become a sign of JOY and PEACE for those whom we encounter. May the Spirit of Christmas be truly in our hearts always. Merry Christmas to all of you and your families. From the District Council of Stewards, Cip & Emmy Tabios (Pastoral) Romy & Minda Panday (Evangelization) Poch & Avic Robles (Management)Roy & Carmen Mitra (Formation)

“and the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only-begotten son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 This is the reason for the season.

When I imagine how a king would look, the image of Jesus as a King portrayed in the scriptures seems to be completely contrary . He associated with ordinary people like you and me, sinners, full of doubt, ambition, and trying to make a living. In contrast, royalties of our day seem so distant and out of reach. I will never get near one in my lifetime. So, I am grateful that Jesus, Our King, is ever close at hand. He is right beside me, knocking on my hardened heart, inviting me to follow Him and live life according to His plan. By His grace, He called me to serve Him through the BLD commu-nity and with my renewed spirit, I found joy in serving Him. At times, I get distracted with events in my life and I give excuses and limitations to my service to Him. Yet in His goodness, our Lord patiently waits and accepts whatever I can offer. I wonder if I can get away with the same attitude if I am called to serve the King of Saudi Arabia or Queen Elizabeth. I am sure that just learning all the protocol on how to behave around them will take me ages to learn and I will be expected to do as I am told. Af-ter the teachings I went through in our community, I cannot help but be convicted by my past attitude towards our Lord when I met with Him only on the occasional Sunday when I l felt like going to church. It is with shame that I admit that during those times I did hear mass, I failed to honour Him , by how late I was, how I was dressed and how I left right after receiving the Eucharist.

CHRIST THE KING Reflection by: Danny Zapata

Now I wonder how I would respond if I have an audience with the Pope or, being a golf enthusiast, asked to play with Tiger Woods. I am sure that my preparation and planning will be at fever pitch and I will be constantly wondering what to wear. If I am late for my ap-pointment, will they give me another chance to make up for it? Why don't I have the same enthusiasm when I have an invitation to come to a perfect banquet to meet the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Why is it that I do not give my best to the Lord and yet spend lots of time to deciding what to give to my boss or a loved one? I am cer-tain that if a golf expert teaches me to change my old swing to this or that, I will try my best to do it, yet I find it difficult to follow God’s commandment of Love of neighbour and love of God. I know for sure that I will try not to repeat the same mistake when playing a round of golf with Tiger Woods yet have no qualms about repeatedly committing the sins that separate me from my God. Being a citizen of this country, I am expected to follow a lot of rules, pay taxes and be law abiding and in return, enjoy all the benefits the government has to offer. In His compassion, God sent His only Son to die on the cross as a ransom for my sins. He gave me the greatest gift I can ever receive in my lifetime, the gift of salvation and a sure place in His heavenly kingdom. I have not done nor will be able to do anything to deserve this wonderful gift so I can only say a humble prayer : Lord Jesus, You love me in my brokenness, pick me up when I fall, comforted me when I was sick, lifted me up when I was discour-aged, strengthened me when I was weary and provided for all my needs generously. For these, I am forever grateful. Come into my heart and fill me with your mercy and love as I become your wit-ness to the ends of the earth. Teach me to live according to your purpose, to love you, honour you and worship you with all my be-ing the way the King of King deserves. Amen. Danny Z.

Behind the Scenes, the Spirit is with Me by Lani S.Lirio (ME # 7/LSS # 9)

hen we watch a show, we are often amazed by how good the performers are. We talk about how well they danced, sang, or how well they made us laugh or cry. More often than not, we

don’t really pay attention to what’s happening behind the scenes. I have been in a lot of behind the scenes production work. As a student leader in high school, we often organize programs and activities for the student body. It meant long hours in school, and weekend meetings to ensure that the work we did was executed well. We were accountable to our club mod-erator, the principal, and the student body. As a school teacher back home, I often headed committees for several academic and non-academic programs. which was never an easy task. It required extra hours outside of my normal work hours. It entailed a lot of meetings, brainstorming sessions, delegation, and headaches! It was a lot of stress, as I was held accountable to the students, parents, and adminis-trators. Though it was hard work, it was very rewarding. However, I told myself I would never get into this kind of work anymore. It’s too much of a responsibility – high demands with no extra pay! I was wrong for the Lord had other plans. The Holy Spirit has led me back to work behind the scenes again. I was “volun-told” to do tasks for LSS # 11. Initially, I felt trapped. I felt that saying NO was not an option. But I knew that if I said “yes”,there will be no way out. I didn't want to be im-mersed in this kind of work. But then again, how can I say no to God’s call-ing? Preparing for LSS # 11 was indeed like coming up with a production num-ber. You deal with preparations, schedules, demands, requests, and differ-ent personalities in the community. But the only difference is, instead of being accountable to a boss or supervisor; I realized that I was account-able to the Lord Himself. I have to do a good job, not to please anyone, but doing the task assigned to me with all my heart can be my humble of-fering to the Lord. I admit that it’s not easy to juggle the BLD Community work, and my regular job and motherly responsibilities. But through the Holy Spirit who worked with me behind the scenes, I was able to fulfill these duties. It is the Holy Spirit who gave me the strength and drive to complete my LSS tasks in spite of the other things that were going on in my life.

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As in any production work, the reward can be fulfilling! During the bap-tism of the Holy Spirit, I felt the lambs’ pain, sorrow, joy and healing. See-ing all our new lambs embrace God’s love and healing mercy, is more than enough reward for the small task that I have done. Looking back, my tasks during the LSS were not as big, as the other members in the com-munity. They had bigger responsibilities than I had, but they never com-plained. I was humbled by it. Now that we have new members in the community who were blessed and baptized by the Spirit, our “Production Crew” has gotten bigger. Some may stay with the community, some may leave, but it is our hope that they find serving the Lord a fulfilling and rewarding journey. It is not easy for the bumps ahead are many. But with the Spirit working with us behind the scenes, every thing will run smoothly. We are creating a production not only for the BLD members, but more importantly, we are doing a production for God’s greater glory. And it is through these activities, that we are able to serve God and continue being the Salt and Light of the Earth.

Oct. 26-Nov.5 Ten members of St Catharines BLD Com-munity went on a Pilgrimage to Rome and Holy Land. Among shown in the photo gallery are Paz Diaz, Paz Mon-tenegro, Roy and Carmen Mitra; Gerry and Zeny Ong-cango; Rene and Thelma Ongcanco ; Rey and Mabel Per-las. Far right is “Abuna” (priest) Fr.Joe from OLA. Among the highlights of the pilgrimage are the papal au-dience ( Pope Benedict was arms length from the group ) and Renewal of Marriage Vows at Cana. Guess who is the “Mudman” of the Dead Sea.

Mudman!

Fr, Joe Wedding at Cana

Arabian Night

St. Peter’s Basilica

Temple Mount

"Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the king-dom of God like a child, will not enter it." Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them. Mark 10 “14-16

Children from our Mark 10 Ministry led by Grace Gumolda wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!!

R.J. Mateo

Remembering the Joy of Christmas Past

By: Irene Gumolda  

She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger. Luke 2:7

It was Christmas Eve 2008 and I was one of the “Singles” who had come together at the Pandays’ residence. Kuya Romy and Ate Minda had invited us to have our Noche Buena with them. We sang and danced together, ex-changing gifts and love for all…. We took a lot of pictures, trying to outdo one another with our most striking poses. At the stroke of midnight, each of the Singles was asked to make a wish. And one by one, each of us made our wishes known: “to have world peace”, “to have a house. . . a car”, “good living. . . good health”, “to get married”, “to have more blessings. . . .” And as we wished one another a “Merry Christmas”, each of us was grateful for the blessing of being together, like a true family. Yes, Christmas 2008 was truly one beautiful Christmas. Seeing the Singles’ smiling faces that Christ-mas is one I will always remember. . Now that Christmas 2009 is almost here, I wonder what new wishes the Sin-gles will have. No matter what it is, as long as it is for our good, we can trust our Lord Jesus to grant it. And our gift to Jesus this Christmas is to continue to serve Him, in whom “ we live and move and have our be-ing” (Acts 17:28).

God bless us everyone!

Living the Word “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing you will re-ceive.’’ Matthew 21:22

“Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me and I will listen to you.” Jer.29:12 Trusting in the Lord’s promise, Nardo and Ronnie have been praying unceasingly for a new Kidney for Ronnie. They have full trust in the Lord that in His time their prayers will be an-swered. They prayed to the Infant Jesus (POGI) and not long after Ronnie received her New Kidney and the transplant was successful. Shown in picture is the Infant Jesus (Pogi) and group picture with Ronnie and Nardo, Father Manny and friends after the Thanksgiving Mass.

“Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did it for me.” Matthew 25:40

BLD Members of St. Catharines raised $1300 to help the flood victims in the Philippines. This was followed by abun-dant donation of canned goods and clothes.

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life.” Luke 21 : 34

Quotable Quotes for:

“Behold, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation : the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced to see. This is the season that the church has always cele-brated with special solemnity. We should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for mercy and love He has shown us in this mys-

tery.” St. Charles Borromeo

“Each person’s life, each person’s history, is the meet-ing place God comes to. How satisfying to know one need not go to the desert to meet Him, need not go to some particular spot in the world. God is in your hearts.” Archbishop Oscar Romero

“Hail Mary Full of Grace, the Lord is with you” December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This dogma was proclaimed in 1854 by Pope Pius IX and it teaches us that Mary was preserved not only from the stain of the original sin that we all inherit from Adam and Eve but also from the commission of any other sin during her entire life. Mary was preserved from all sin by God the Father in preparation for her bearing His Son Jesus. God created Mary without blemish and kept pure during her lifetime. The fullness of grace was in Mary from the very first moment of her existence, being the future mother of God. She was ever pure, ever holy and ever immaculate. How fitting it is that this mystery of Mary’s virgin birth is cele-brated during the Holy Season of Advent. This is in harmony with the spirit of the church in the season of expectation . As Mary pre-pared for the birth of Jesus, we too prepare for His coming. The feast of the Immaculate Conception tells us that the birth of Jesus is near. Mabel Perlas-Word Ministry

The Immaculate Conception

This advent, let us imitate our Mother Mary in her preparation of the coming of the Messiah. Let us turn down, the frenzy, the hustle and bustle of Christmas parties and shopping. Instead, let us replace it with Mary’s contemplation. Even though we are busy with our preparation for the Christmas festivities, let us try our best to imitate Mary’s spirit of humility - staying quiet and behind the scenes, keeping thoughts to Him , while Jesus was growing in her womb. Let us convey to our family and friends the messages of advent : 1. Charity for neighbor - practicing corporal and spiritual works

of mercy. Note that it is in the giving, not the receiving. 2. Humility is the basis of all virtues. Let us observe and con-

template it from the incarnation, imitating the humility of Mary and Joseph.

3. Advent is the preparation of the coming of Christ. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord , let us always stay “Awake” and prepare for His second coming. Mabel Perlas—Word Ministry

“Blessed Mother, as you carry our Saviour , you were gifted with intense love. As Jesus was within your womb, may He be within my heart so that I too may have intense love for God and His peo-ple. Blessed Mother may your sentiments toward your Son be my sentiments. ” (excerpt from a prayer by Father J. Pasquini)

ANG PASKO AY SUMAPIT

Ang Pasko ay sumapit Tayo ay mangagsi-awit Ng magagandang himig Dahil sa ang Diyos ay pag-ibig Nang si Kristo ay isilang May tatlong haring nagsidalaw At ang bawat isa Ay nagsipaghandog ng tanging alay Bagong taon ay magbagong-buhay Nang lumigaya ang ating bayan Tayo'y magsikap upang makamtan Natin ang kasaganaan Tayo'y mangagsi-awit Habang ang mundo'y tahimik Ang araw ay sumapit Ng Sanggol na dulot ng langit Tayo ay magmahalan Ating sundin ang gintong aral At magbuhat ngayon Kahit hindi Pasko ay magbigayan

Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Prospero Ano y Felicidad. Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Prospero Ano y Felicidad. I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas From the bottom- of my heart.

I'll be home for Christmas; You can count on me. Please have snow and mistle-toe And presents on the tree. Christmas Eve will find me Where the love-light gleams. I'll be home for Christmas If only in my dreams.

I'll be home for Christmas; You can count on me. Please have snow and mistletoe And presents on the tree. Christmas Eve will find me Where the love-light gleams. I'll be home for Christmas If only in my dreams.

I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

O Come All Ye Faithful

O Come All Ye Faithful Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Beth-lehem.

Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels; O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

O Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation,

Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.

Give to our Father glory in the Highest;

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning,

O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Go Tell It On The Mountain

Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere,

Go tell it on the mountain, Our Jesus Christ is born.

When I was a seeker I sought both night and day, I asked the Lord to help me, And he showed me the way.

Go tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere, Go tell it on the mountain, Our Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman

Upon a city wall, And if I am a Christian,

I am the least of all.

Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere,

Go tell it on the mountain, Our Jesus Christ is born. Go tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere, Go tell it on the mountain,

BLD St. Catharines, District in Process

Bukas Loob sa Diyos Open in Spirit to God

Silent Night

Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright

round yon virgin mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild,

sleep in Heavenly peace! sleep in Heavenly peace!

Silent night! Holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight; glories stream from Heaven afar,

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia, Christ, the Saviour, is born! Christ, the Saviour, is born!

Silent night! Holy night!

Son of God, Love's pure light radiant beams from Thy Holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.

Joy To the World Joy to the world! The Lord is

come: let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare him room,

and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Saviour reigns:

let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks,

hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.

. He rules the earth with truth and

grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousnes

and wonders of his love.