Fr. Robert Prevost on the New Evangelization

Interview of the Vatican Radio to Fr. Robert Prevost, OSA on new evangelization on the occasion of the 3rd Augustinian Lay Congress in Rome. 

“As we prepare for the year of faith, there needs to be a new evangelization. A new evangelization that really is not so much documents, so much people talking from podiums, but people talking with one another, hearing the faith, experiencing that God loves them and that again as people together in unity with the love of God people experiencing that I think then can come easily to the truth of faith.”

After the 1st Catholic Social Media Summit what then?

1st Catholic Social Media Summit, Renaissance Convention Center, Marikina City, April 14-15, 2012 - Before we left the venue, we were asked by the organizers to tweet or shout out in twitter and Facebook about our learnings in the 1^st Catholic Social Media Summit. As I thought over it, a one-line tweet won’t describe enough the things I’ve learned from the summit.

Me together with Fray Waway and Asp. Keith.

The three of us with one of the speakers of the summit, Fr. Stephen Cuyos, MSC.

First and foremost, I am grateful and thankful to our community (San Agustin Center of Studies – Formation house of the Order of St. Augustine – Philippines) for a allowing us to participate in the summit (1^st Catholic Social Media Summit). I, as the head servant, personally approached and proposed to our community to participate in this summit. With a positive outlook from our formators, they strongly supported us with this endeavor. (We were actually three who attended the summit representing our community and the Order of St. Augustine in general). For without them, we won’t experience the many wonderful things we encountered and nourished, particularly, the thoughts, the ideas, the information, the trends, the workshops, the variety of sharing, the stories and the people as well. Above all else, a new frontier for mission has been opened to us as young servants of God. With the gift of technology in our generation, we were able to discover our purpose not only as mere active users of the social media but as emphatically as an active Christian Catholic user.

Secondly, as a religious, I am grateful to the challenge that was given to us. For my interests and passions for social media (the safest way to saying an addict to social networking hehehe) won’t be put in vain. A new transformation of the self is called from being plainly a human vanity to a more godly and holistic vanity.

Thirdly, the means were already provided but we lack content and goal. Now, a goal has been readied or rather has been long given to us since God’s time, but what we then should act appropriately is to pass through the path that will eventually bring me, you and us, to a more meaningful and great end, which is to be with God.

So, I then adhere to the 5 points shared to us by Fr. Stephen Cuyos, MSC to be as principles to observe in the social media.

1. I will pray then before I click.

2. I will share photos to proclaim and inspire.

3. I will foster meaningful friendships.

4. I will post uplifting videos.

5. I leave a digital footprint (of God).

For I need these principles so that I could respond well to the call of Arch. Luis Antonio Tagle on the digital world not only as a means to evangelize but also as a platform, field needed to be evangelized. In this way, we may have a process of communicating people not only from P2P (Pulpit to People) way but also to the E2E way (Evangelizer to an Evangelizer).

Let us do then our mission as OMGs (Online Missionaries of God) for the service of God (ad servos Dei!) with one mind and one heart (anima una et cor unum) intent upon Him, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let Him then be our content and end at the same time as we fulfill our mission even though we are in our own homes. 

So see then next year! More fun and more learning!

Commissioning of the Twelve (Matthew 10:7-15)

As the apostles were sent or commissioned by Jesus to go to mission, he gave many tips and reminders to them on what to do while in a mission. However, the most significant reminder to think of is the sacrifice they made for the mission. They were given authority and power to cure the sick and cast out demons.
In our class today in Bioethics, our professor shared to us the gift of power as a steward. In the principle of stewardship and creativity, we are to protect, preserve, take care and administer nature or even to our fellow human beings. In the language of bioethics, we are given the power to be responsible since we are the only creature capable of doing those tasks.
In relation to the movie of the 4th sequel of Spiderman, the main character was given a power to take responsibility. When he got tired of being a crime buster, she was indirectly and knowingly not told by her aunt that without spiderman social order is chaotic.
Just like the apostles and spiderman, we need gallant people to make sacrifices in order to bring peace and order to the world. We need gallant people like the apostles, who forgot who they are as human beings so that the word of God may spread to the whole world. We need gallant people, like spiderman, who gave up popularity and fame in order to save the city from criminals. We need gallant people to make sacrifices not for personal intentions but for the common good of all.

From a Sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop

The Apostle tells us to rejoice, but in the Lord, not in the world. Whoever wishes to be a friend of this world, says Scripture, will be reckoned an enemy of God. As a man cannot serve two masters, so one cannot rejoice both in the world and in the Lord.

Let joy in the Lord prevail, then, until joy in the world is no more. Let joy in the Lord go on increasing; let joy in the world go on decreasing until it is no more. This is said, not because we are not to rejoice while we are in this world, but in order that, even while we are still in this world, we may already rejoice in the Lord.

You may not object: I am in the world; if I rejoice I certainly rejoice where I am. What is this? Do you mean that because you are in the world you are not in the Lord? Listen again to the Apostle, speaking now to the Athenians: in the Acts of the Apostles he says this of God and the Lord our creator: In him we live and move and have our being. If he is everywhere, where is he not? Surely this was what he was exhorting us to realize. The Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.

            This is a great truth, that he ascended above all the heavens, yet is near to those on earth. Who is this stranger and neighbor if not the one who became our neighbor out of compassion?

            The man lying on the road, left half-dead by robbers, the man treated with contempt by the priest and the levite who passed by, the man approached by the passing Samaritan to take care of him and help him, that man is the whole human race. When the immortal one, the holy one, was far removed from us because we were mortal and sinners, he came down to us, so that he, the stranger, might become our neighbor.

            He did not treat us as our sins deserved. For we are now sons of God. How do we show this? The only Son of God died for us, so that he might not remain alone. He who died as the only Son did not want to remain as the only Son. For the only Son of God made many sons of God. He bought brothers for himself by his blood; he made them welcome by being rejected; he ransomed them by being sold; he honored them by being dishonored; he gave them life by being put to death.

            So, brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not in the world. That is, rejoice in the truth, not in wickedness; rejoice in the hope of eternity, not in the fading flower of vanity. That is the way to rejoice. Wherever you are on earth, however long you remain earth, the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.

Pre-MAT Comprehensive exam

OMG! 34 days to go before the D-day of our comprehensive examination comes. With this allotted time frame, will I be able to give acceptable answer for our MAT comprehensive examination on August 10? The choice deeply depends on me. As early as I now, should I be busy then and spend the entire month for study? I'm the only one who can give an exact answer about it. 

Right now, I'm not in good disposition to study that's why I am writing this random rants from my mind into this blog. What do I need so that I can have the enthusiasm to at least open and read my notes and reviewers? How will I motivate my unmotivated ego? Will I give incentives to my self? Will I look for inspiration? or Will I pray so that God will enlighten me? I think I should do all these things. I have to realize and think of my community or at least the province or the order, who spent thousands to send us to school. So that, we will be equipped with skills, knowledge and power when time comes that we become priest someday. 

I have pay it forward since they had also paid forward. Their hope is our hope and our hope is their hope. My hope is everyone's hope. I should do good then. Good luck to myself. Good luck Gen. God will always be in our midst. We only participate in his will, our choice matters. Everything lies on us either e participate by following his will or not and be like passive rational humanoid, who is always dependent to others. 

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 6:1-6)

"A Prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." (Mark 6:4)

For this Sunday's gospel reading, I can relate very well to the message what Jesus tried to tell his people and even to us people of the 21st century. I am a religious seminarian, who aspires to become a religious priest. I am here on earth to preach the gospel of God to his people. I believe God chose me for a reason and I think my purpose is this one. Part of our life as a priest and also as a seminarian is to preach. What Jesus did at his hometown was unimaginable. To preach in once hometown where everyone doesn't want to believe is like us. Although I haven't tried but I believe I can feel the same with Jesus. There's this inquiry, who am I to teach them about God, where in fact I can't even live with it especially with my family. How can I say to them that we need to hear the word of God every Sunday, wherein my parents don't do. How can I say that gambling is a sin, wherein my father loves to bet in lotto or even in Bingo. How can I say to them about good values when I myself doesn't even show it. (not all the time).
They too well know me. It's a question of hope. Will they believe in me, when I try?

The Future of Marriage?

The Future of Marriage?

            “Technology is changing everything.” By 2200, the world seems to have shifted to a new age of thinking and living in contrast from the year of 2012. It is because of technology. Technology has defined everything that human beings wanted and needed for themselves. Almost all of the people are under the influence of technology. Through technology, basic needs like food, water, clothing and shelter are easily engineered.