Sunday, May 26, 2019, the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda and Surroundings held the first ever Flores de Mayo, Santacruzan and the Children’s Mass at the OLV Hemelvaartkerk in Gouda.
Flores de Mayo (flowers of May) and Santacruzan ( holy cross) are devotional native festivities of Filipinos to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the month of May. Flores de Mayo involves offering flowers to the image of the Virgin Mary. It is being done for the entire month of May. Santacruzan, which commemorates the alleged finding of the true cross by Helena of Constantinople, is done on the last day of the Flores de Mayo. It is a procession of people, mostly women, representing biblical characters and Marian titles. At the end of the procession is the Reyna Elena (in honor of Helena) carrying a cross.
The activity started at 1 o’clock in the afternoon with the Flores de Mayo, participated by the adult members of the church, each carrying a flower and offering at the altar bearing the image of Mama Mary.
It was immediately followed by the Santacruzan. Young members of the church took part in the procession, each carrying symbols from the bible and Mary titles. Three children each carried a figure of a cross, an anchor and a red heart, representing the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, respectively. Other participants were carrying symbols such as a star (Mary Queen of the Stars), flower boquet (Mary Queen of Flowers), dove (Mary Queen of Peace) and the cross in honor of Reyna Elena (Queen Helena who allegedly found the true cross).
By 2 o’clock, led by Fr. Charles Ajogi, CSSp, the Children’s mass follwed. It is a eucharistic celebration with texts and readings simplified for children to understand. The young members of the church did the liturgical readings, prayer of the faithful and joined in the choir singing. Towards the end of the mass, Fr. Charles summoned the children in front and blessed them.
On a joyous note, with the FCC Gouda members, parents and children working hand in hand as one community, the month of May was a victorious month!
Today is the second Sunday of Easter – the Octave of Easter. It is also the day that we celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday. The gospel narrates the appearance of Jesus to his disciples who were still grappling with the entire events of his death and resurrection. After the crucifixion and death of Jesus, his disciples were devastated; some of them scattered in the confusion that followed. Then came the news of his resurrection. They were still at a loss, especially given the manner the news of the resurrection was filtering in. The Jewish authorities that killed Jesus were still a big threat, and the resurrected Jesus was nowhere to be found. They felt harassed and intimidated, like sheep without a shepherd. All they could do was hide behind closed doors. On the one hand, they were afraid of the Jews that murdered their master. On the other hand, the guilt of having abandoned their master during his most difficult moment was in itself scaring.
In the midst of their confusion, doubt and fear, Jesus appeared to reassure them that he is indeed alive. How very awkward they must have felt as Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst. They must have been afraid too that the moment of reckoning has come; the moment of telling off and dressing down, not only for their cowardly behaviour but also for their lack of faith in him. But instead Jesus pronounced peace on them; they had been unsettled and needed that healing of their guilt and awkwardness. The risen Jesus shows his hands and his side lest they forget what they and the world did to him, but he did not follow with words of rebuke, only words of mercy. He goes further to empower them to become the agents of that healing mercy of God in the world; he breaths on them and says, receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you retain, they are retained.
Jesus’ visit to His disciples was vital to restore their courage and faith, assure them of the veracity of His teachings about His death and resurrection and empower them for the task he was entrusting to them. Doubt and fear can be great obstacles to effective Christian living, limiting the power and courage to engage oneself in Christian witnessing, works of mercy and reaching out to those in need. Jesus’ aversion to doubt could be seen in His somewhat reprimanding words to Thomas who was absent during his first visit, and thereafter had difficulties believing the report of his fellow disciples regarding the appearance of Jesus to them. The Christian faith is obviously not resistant to rational reflection; on the contrary, living faith can only be founded on sound reasoning. But in spite of human reasoning being the starting point to the Christian faith, faith goes further than human reason. Taking human reasoning to be the utmost and the only yardstick for measuring facts leads to denial of whatever that eludes human conception; and there are many of such phenomena such as the resurrection of Jesus from the death. They transcends the sphere of human conception that operates with the attributes of space and time.
During this visit, Jesus greeted his disciples with peace before entrusting to them the specific tasks to forgive every sins. In doing so he opens wide the door to the Father’s boundless heart of love and Mercy. Divine Mercy is manifested in the forgiveness of sins as clearly evident in the events of today’s Gospel. Love, mercy and forgiveness naturally lead to peace. When we learn to love, it becomes easy to have mercy, to forgive and to experience lasting peace. It is only then that we can take the extra steps to reach out to others. Today, Jesus reassures us of his living presence with us and invites us to approach his throne of mercy, experience his love and forgiving heart (also in the confessional), and to become agents of love, mercy and forgiveness.
One can then understand why the celebration of the Divine Mercy has been placed on the Octave of Easter. During the 30th April 2000 (Sunday after Easter) canonization of the Polish nun, Sr. Faustina Kowalska who died in 1938, Pope John Paul II designated Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. Sr. Faustina was gifted with extraordinary visions and experiences of the Lord Jesus. The most famous of these was the Lord revealing his sacred heart from which came rays of light, red and white which she interpreted as the radiating forth of the Divine Mercy. Following the revelations Our Lord gave to Sr. Faustina, Jesus promised to grant forgiveness of all sins and punishment, even to the most hardened sinners who turn to ask for God’s mercy, especially on the Feast of Divine Mercy.
The message of the resurrected Jesus finds expression among his disciples in the signs and wonders that were being done through them among the people. The first reading reports that there is something that can be seen and verified in the Christian community born of faith in the risen Lord. It is the completely new kind of life that is being led in these communities that testifies that Jesus is alive and that he has sent his Spirit into the world. In the early times of the Church, Christians needed no identification badges because the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23) were evident in their lives and the communities they formed. Acts 4:32 described the interpersonal relationship among them as being united in “one heart and one soul”.
As we celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday on this Second Sunday (Octave) of Easter, it is important to review to what extent we ourselves and our community mirror the merciful heart of Jesus: a heart of love, care and forgiveness. It is amazing to note that given the absence of Thomas during the first visit of Jesus to His disciples, Jesus had to repeat the visit to personally convince Thomas the he has indeed risen from the dead. That is in itself an invitation to imbibe the Good Shepherd’s attitude in reaching out to our brothers and sisters, even when they seem unwilling to cooperate. Jesus comes to us in a very special way during every Eucharistic celebration. We pray that as he comes today, he may find us -individually and collectively – as true agents of his love, mercy and forgiveness to the world around us.
As we celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday on this Second Sunday (Octave) of Easter, it is important to review to what extent we ourselves and our community mirror the merciful heart of Jesus: a heart of love, care and forgiveness. It is amazing to note that given the absence of Thomas during the first visit of Jesus to His disciples, Jesus had to repeat the visit to personally convince Thomas the he has indeed risen from the dead. That is in itself an invitation to imbibe the Good Shepherd’s attitude in reaching out to our brothers and sisters, even when they seem unwilling to cooperate. Jesus comes to us in a very special way during every Eucharistic celebration. We pray that as he comes today, he may find us -individually and collectively – as true agents of his love, mercy and forgiveness to the world around us.
(Image source and caption: Wikipedia– The Divine Mercy Shrine in El Salvador City Misamis Oriental, Philippines.)
On March 24, 2019, the Board of the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda (FCC-Gouda) and Surroundings headed by Amor van Os presented to the community a concise report for the year 2018 and the plans for 2019. Through this report, the FCC-Gouda Board aims to achieve transparency of all events and transactions for all its members.
FCC-Gouda 2018 Report of Finance & Activities
The Board Chairman, Amor van Os, began her report with the activities of the FCC-Gouda and surroundings in 2018.
Summary of FCC-Gouda Activities in 2018
Most importantly, Amor also reported the financial status for the year 2018, including sources of income and to where the money was spent. In 2018, FCC-Gouda had a lot of expenditures, including the fixed expenses for the monthly mass and church use. The Community also allotted financial support for its diaconal work and for all the other activities done last year. With the help of volunteers and generous donors, the activities in 2018 were realized.
FCC-Gouda 2019 Plans & Activities
The Chairman proceeded in reporting the activities and plans of FCC-Gouda and Surroundings to the Community for 2019. The monthly mass will continue every 4th Sunday.
In January 2019, the community has launched the Children´s Bible Corner (CBC). Its goal is to start the young members of the community to be actively involved in deepening their knowledge of God. Another service that started beginning of this year is the Detention Visitation, which is a part of the community’s diaconal work.
The Couple’s Blessing was initiated during the mass in February. FCC-Gouda plans to do this activity every year.
March marked the beginning of the annual Holy Retreat. On March 9, 2019, the FCC-Gouda and Surroundings sponsored and attended a Holy Retreat in Handel.
Some of the FCC-Gouda members are also doing a Pastoral Course on Initiation Sacraments with the modules on Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation (Initiatiesacrament: Module Doop, Eerste Communie en Vormsel als initiatie), for 5 consecutive Mondays starting from March 4 till April 1, 2019. This course will enable the members of FCCGouda and Surroundings to give information and hold seminars prior to the sacraments and to conduct these sacraments with the help of the priest during the FCC-Gouda Holy Mass.
Other planned activities for 2019 are presented below.
Aside from the above mentioned plans, Amor also announced that a Website Course for few members of FCC-Gouda and Surroundings is in the planning. This course will train interested participants in understanding at least the basics of website management, including the value of hosting and domain names. Furthermore, the Board is also busy with the application for ANBI (algemeen nut beogende instelling) status.
Members of the community expressed gratitude to all members of the FCC-Gouda Board after the reporting, which is the very first community report made. Community members were delighted to know the status of the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda and Surroundings, especially the activities and financial standing. Some made valuable suggestions and further support for the betterment of FCC-Gouda. Some even complimented the works done by the whole team. Everyone left with appreciation and a happy heart.
The meeting was adjourned with happy faces and contented hearts.
March 9, 2019 was not just a holy retreat. It was not only ‘a moment with the Lord,’ the theme of this day’s spiritual retreat. It was a full day divine encounter that has a lasting impact in the lives of those who came, who saw, and who went home victorious!
Early at 8AM, twenty-one of us from the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda (FCC-Gouda) and Surroundings made it on time for our one and a half hour bus ride to Handel in North Brabant where the FCC-Gouda Board made plans for a spiritual retreat— the very first for the community! The group arrived before 10AM and three other members from the Filipino Catholic Community in Dordrecht joined us there at the Onze Lieve Vrouw Kerk where the retreat is taking place. Warmly welcoming us upon arrival was Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, who then introduced us to our retreat master of the day, Fr. Charles Ajogi.
Getting started with introductions and cups of coffee and tea
“It’s easy to spend our time
shopping, working, visiting places, or chatting with friends. But it’s very
difficult to spend solitude with God,” uttered Fr. Ajogi as he wasted no time
getting us oriented of the day’s activity. “If having a solitude with God is
easy, then it would be one of our top things to do.” He went ahead and talked
about the importance of silence and that of prayer.
Prayer is simply a conversation
with God, our Heavenly Father and Creator. Just like speaking with our best
friend, such interaction is characterized by having full attention to the
person— especially when sharing secrets or our inner most thoughts and
aspirations in life. When conversing with a loved one, there’s that element of
listening, trust and respect; there’s no hiding and pretending. In the same manner,
we can tell exactly how we feel when we converse with God.
The week we went for a retreat was also timely for the first week of Lent. As we all know, Lent is a Christian penitential period that involves the disciplines of abstinence and fasting for the sole purpose of repentance. It is a time of the year that should be spent on preparing and strengthening our body and mind through prayers and reflections before Easter. Thus, we’re in the so-called 40-day period prior to Easter Sunday!
As Lent is the time of spiritual preparation before Easter, beginning this season with a spiritual retreat is like doing the right thing at the right time and at the right place with the right people. What could be more awesome than that, right?
But what is significant about these 40 days? What is it that we ought to be doing at this period before Easter? Why are we having this retreat in the first place? These were the questions that were thankfully answered during the first hour before we had our individual quiet times, group discussions and sharing, praying the Rosary, and the mass— all part of the well-planned program prepared for us by the Congregation Sancti Spiritus (CSSp) Community in Handel.
Retreat participants led by Fr. Charles Ajogi
“Numbers have meanings,” began
Fr. Charles as he explained the significance of what we were about to do that
day. “Just as number 1 signifies our unity with God and number 3 means
completeness and number 7 perfection, the number 40 often signifies a period of
growth. And before growth is manifested, there comes trials or challenges that
needed to be overcome.“
So what is it then that we should be doing during this 40-day period?
As we, the participants,
reflected on these questions on solitude, prayer and Lent, we came to realize
that we have been observing Lent for compliance sake; we haven’t really taken
it seriously as part of our personal spiritual growth. As Fr. Charles put it,
this is the best time to make resolutions and do something about it. For
instance, some people can make a pledge to do one act of kindness. For some
others who haven’t developed the habit of praying yet, they can tell themselves
to commit to prayer even for at least 5 minutes upon waking up in the morning
and another 5 minutes before going to bed. If say, for example, one managed to
get these done within the period of 40 days, then isn’t that something worth
celebrating as well in remembrance of the day our Lord Jesus Christ resurrected
from the dead?
To further equip us in our journey towards spiritual maturity, Fr. Charles also shared with us eight (8) steps to meet God in silence and in solitude.
1. Pay attention to what’s going on in your soul, in your life.
2. Overcome resistance or whatever it is that is pulling you back.
3. Seek rest for your body, mind and spirit.
4. Let your emptiness lead you to God’s fulfillment.
5. Face yourself as you really are, and allow God to help you.
6. Receive God’s guidance. It is a gift and it is up to you to receive it or reject it.
7. Let that love you receive in solitude helps you to reach out to others in life.
8. Make silence and solitude a part of your daily life.
Following lunchtime was a
fruitful and emotional group discussion; four teams were formed and were given
a set of three questions to talk about and reflect on…
Do you think it makes sense to take a step of faith, and why? How does hearing from God affect your daily life? Would you like to hear from God more? What is the importance of solitude in your life?
Could you share a personal story of a time when you experienced the value of solitude? Define prayer in your own words. What do you think it means to hear from God, and what are some of the ways you experience it personally?
Do you find solitude difficult or easy, and why? Could you talk about the importance of prayer in your life? Where do you look for guidance and inspiration when you need it, and why?
How do you balance solitude with your daily activities? Could you talk about a time when you’ve held unto your faith, or to a particular conviction, even when it was hard? What helped you to keep believing? What do you think about the value of prayer in your life?
To sum up what had transpired
during the group discussions, to be in solitude is a conscious effort. It’s
letting go of the nuisances in our hearts and minds, so we could enjoy that
special moment with God’s presence. It’s a time of silence, a time to speak to
God and also to listen.
Prayer is not an obligation; it
is a lifestyle. We can talk to God anywhere we are at any time of the day and
of about anything we have in our minds and in our hearts. In fact, prayer is
also something we could give as a gift to others, especially to those in our
community who are in utmost need.
In that afternoon, we did experience much more than expected. With thanksgiving in our hearts, below wordart shaped like a clover summed up all that every participant has shared as takeaways from this day’s holy retreat.
When participants were asked what their takeaways are from this one-day retreat, above clover-shaped wordart sums up the answers.
SPECIAL WORDS OF THANKSOnce again, we thank the members of the FCC-Gouda Board headed by Amor van Os for making this holy retreat happen. Thank you, Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe for coordinating all these with Martin van Moorsel and Callistus Offor at CSSp Community in Handel. Big thanks to our retreat master, Fr. Charles Ajogi, who did very well not only in facilitating the activity but also in addressing all posted questions. Above all, we give back all the glory to God, who made all these wonderful things possible.
(FCC-Gouda Board Secretary, Susan Horn-Perez, also contributed to this article.)
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. | Homily 3rd Sunday of Year Lent C
You may have experienced occasions when misfortune befalls those considered to be evil in the society and instead of being pitied, the dominant response you hear is something like, “that serves them right”, “good that they received what they deserve” or even “thank God for the evil that befell them”. We may have even said that one or more times. That is precisely the attitude displayed by the people who came to Jesus with the news of the slaughter of the Galileans by Pilate in this Sunday’s Gospel reading. We have witnessed a number of disasters and bloody killings in recent times: the Ethiopian flight disaster, the killing of Muslims in New-Zealand, the Mass killing of Christians by Muslims in Northern Nigeria, the horrible natural disaster of the Tropical Cyclone Idai in Mozambique and the Eastern borders of Zimbabwe and Malawi, etc. Could we say that the fate these victims met is a consequence of the sins they committed? No… not in any way. Any such condemnatory attitude embodies some level of self-justification and “better than thou” notion of self as against the victims of these disasters.
Jesus was clear with his rejection of such attitude in his response to the people who brought him the news of the disaster that befell the Galileans: “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way, they were worse sinners than others? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” Similarly, about the eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them Jesus queries: “Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”
The only good that misfortunes serve is the lesson we learn from them to ensure that such never repeats again. In the gospel, Jesus utilized the occasion to teach on the uncertainty of life; the necessity of being vigilant; of not being overly attached to that which we might easily lose at any moment. He noted that it could happen to anybody, and that if they don’t happen to us at this time, it is because of God’s mercy and love not because of what we deserve. It is the grace of God that keeps us alive and enables us to advance in our undertakings; and that grace must not be taken for granted or abused. Thus, the right attitude of living by the grace of God should rather help us to make the best of the opportunity God gives us everyday to make amends and become better human beings. Lent is a grace period to reflect on our lives and seek to understand the aspects of our life that God is calling each of us to pay closer attention to so as to become holy and ready for every good works He wishes to entrust into our hands. So, instead of wasting our limited time standing in judgment over those whom misfortune has befallen, such times should more wisely be invested in responding to the invitation from God to humble repentance and good works before our time on earth runs out.
Saint Paul echoes this warning in the second reading by calling on the Corinthians to learn from the misfortunes of their forefathers who were cherished by God but failed to utilize the opportunity given to them. His warning stems from the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt which we find in the first reading. God took the initiative, having seen the affliction the people suffered in the hands of the oppressors. He chose a man called Moses who himself was forced to run for his dear life when his personal attempt to save his people hit the rock. He had killed an Egyptian oppressing an Israelitan, who later betrayed him by not keeping the secret (Exodus 2: 11-22). He was uncertain what his return to Egypt would have in stock for him. Despite being betrayed by the very person he fought to save, he needed to put behind the past and focus on the new creation that God was making of him and undertake the unsavoury task of going to speak to the Israelites about God’s decision to set them free from the Egyptians. When God revealed his name “I AM WHO I AM”, Moses realized that what his human effort could not achieve is possible with the divine presence and support. He only needed to make himself available and God will do the rest through him. Saint Paul noted that the people failed to maintain faith in the God who liberated them out of slavery in Egypt, and therefore many of them died without reaching the promised land. We, therefore, need to be careful not to misuse the opportunity the grace of God offers us for repentance and reconciliation.
Dear Friends, the urgency for repentance, reconciliation and gratefulness to God for his graces are the themes that run through the entire readings of today. That is to be expected given that Lenten period encouraged reflection in this necessary direction to salvation which is a core value of Christ’s death on the cross. Repentance and reconciliation are intimately intertwined. Repentance is possible because God is offering us reconciliation, and being reconciled with God involves the commitment to a new style of life and building the new creation made available in Christ. The parable of the fig tree that follows Jesus’ rebuff to the idea of misfortune as punishment in the gospel of today brings out the fact that God continually offer us the possibility of repentance. Honest repentance goes beyond mere words or emotional acts of sorrow for offenses committed to include evaluating our lifestyles, actions and attitudes. The call to repent is the call to turn over a new leaf, to begin afresh; reconciliation is the fruit of this turning around and links the personal new beginning with the work of the whole body of Christ to establish the kingdom of peace and love.
Call to mission follows genuine repentance. What God has done for us, we seek to extend to others through various forms of ministry (service) to them. God would not allow Moses to remain with the new life he had found in Midian but sent him back to extend liberation to his own people. Moses returned to Egypt, no longer as the carnal man with natural powers to fight for the liberation of the Israelitans but in the power of God. We need not be afraid to make ourselves available for whatever God calls us to do that will bring His love to those around us. God’s grace is ever sufficient for us. St. Paul, who experienced the power of God in the midst of hardships he endured during his missionary engagements, wrote in Romans 8:37 that in all things we are more than conquerors through Him (Christ) who loves us, and Philippians 4:13 that he can do all things by the power of Christ who is his strength. This is sufficient assurance of what God can do in us when we repent and reconcile with Him and with one another. May His grace lead us to answer His call this Lenten session. Amen.
