parishworks! 1Vol. 6 No. 22 August 28, 2010

Pastor’s MessageHumility and the Narrow Gateby: Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel Suñga

SuNday GoSpel

lk 14:1, 7-14

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Dear Parishioners:

The narrow door of last Sunday which we all have to pass, by carrying our cross daily, means the daily duties we have to do everyday. It implies that if you are a mother & father, be the best mother & father. If you are a teacher be the best teacher. If you are a student be the best student. In other words be the best in the task the good Lord has placed on your shoulders for you are building His kingdom here on earth. Today the opposite is

website: http://www.saaparish.com and http://www.facebook.com/saaparish

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Surprise Birthday Celebration for Fr. allan and Fr. Jeff(aug 20, 2010)

Greeter s Recommitment Rite (aug 21, 2010)

The parent of the altar servers prepared sumptuous meal and a surprise party for the two priests, Fr. Jeff and Fr. Allan, who celebrated their birthdays last 23rd

Last Saturday, August 21, 2010 the Ministry of Church Greeters and Collectors had their Recommitment Rites of which our beloved Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga was the celebrant. They recommitted themselves to another year of faithful service in the name of the church.

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Greeters and Collectors from page 1...

Birthday Celebration from page 1... St. augustineFeast day: aug. 28patron of the augustinian order

Augustine of Hippo (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430), also known as Augustine, St. Augustine,was Bishop of Hippo Regius. He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province. His writings were very influential in the development of Western Christianity.

Before he became a Christian, he lived the life of a sinner during those decadent times. In his “Confessions,” he describes his life steeped in sexual immorality and his conversion to Christianity. As a leader of the Church, he emulated the prophet, Jeremiah, in denouncing the immorality that pervaded society. “I say to myself, I will not mention him,/I will speak in his name no more./But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,/imprisoned in my bones;/I grow weary holding it in,/I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9)

After his conversion to Christianity and baptism, turn to page 4

September 8 is the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Triduum Masses in her honor will start at 6:00 p.m. on September 5 (Sunday) and at 6:30 p.m. on

September 6 and 7. Masses on September 8 are as follows: 6:30 a.m. , 11:00 a.m. , 12:15 p.m. , 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. , 7:00 p.m. , 8:00 p.m.

The evening masses will be followed by a cake distribution at the Old Parish Center. The evening masses will be followed by a cake distribution at the Old Parish Center. Donations of individually wrapped cakes or cash may be forwarded to the Parish Office. We request that cakes be brought on the feast day.

September 8

and 25th of August, respectively. Unknown to the two priests, a party was awaiting them at the roof top of the Old Parish Center last August 20. The senior altar servers serenaded the celebrants with a song from Josh Groban, titled, “You raise me up”, while the junior altar servers danced their way into the priest’s hearts.

Fr. Jeff Celebrated his Birthday with the Feeding program (august 23, 2010)

A simple reception was prepared by the greeters right after the mass. Some greeters and relatives were present to celebrate with them.

Ms. Wina de Vera, Head of Liturgical Affairs ministry (LAM), Ms. Christy Vasquez of the Lectors and Commentators and Ms. Claire Padilla of the Church Greeters and Collectors are in pensive mode while sharing opinion about the new regulations to be implemented during the Communion Rites at mass.

The Social Service Ministry, headed by Ope Lopez, prepared a birthday party for Fr. Jeffrey Jamias last August 23, 2010 together with their regular feeding program. The kids sang their popular “Ang mga Ibon” song. Balloons, party poppers and a birthday cake served by Fr. Jeff completed the party.

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pastor’s Messasge from page 1...

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being shown to us in the personhood of the Pharisees.

One of the leading Pharisees invited Jesus for a dinner. It could be seen at once that the Pharisees present were building their own refutations, powers and honors and not God’s kingdom in spite of being the religious leaders. It took place during a Sabbath meal. This meal was prepared the day before on the Parasceve or Day Preparation so as to keep holy the Sabbath’s law concerning rest. After the temple or synagogue rites that started at the sixth hour or noon time, guests were gathered in the host’s home for the dinner.

At this particular occasion, the evangelist showed Jesus as a teacher and nourisher of the people in building God’s kingdom. He was being carefully observed by everyone AS TO HIS PROPRIETY IN KEEPING THE SABBATH’S LAW CONCERNING REST. But at the same time Jesus was also a keen and a careful observer of the whole affair. He saw how these Pharisees were jockeying for the place of honor. He took this opportunity to give His teachings to them and to us. Though it was called a parable yet its real contents were a group of sayings called by some scholars a banquet discourse.

Seeing the dinner guests who were trying for the best place in the banquet, Jesus gave these words about seeking the lowest place:

“Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend move up to a higher position.’ ” (Lk.14:10)

This seemed like an echo of the Old Testament Proverb:

“Claim no honor in the king’s presence, nor occupy the place of great men; For it is better that you be told, “Come up closer!” than that you be humbled before the prince.” (Proverbs 25:6-7)

At the start, Christ’s words were only a form of etiquette, warning that embarrassment would come upon the person who kept on trying to get the prestigious seat. It would have been preferable that the host himself would honor him to come up higher.

But is Jesus merely concerned of the good manners and social graces? It is clear from the following

verses that He is trying to go from ETIQUETTE TO ESCHATOLOGY i.e. that the real praise comes from God whose mind sees things differently if not totally opposite to our own mind. Here Jesus, starts His lesson on the virtue of HUMILITY. The person who flaunts his or her importance has already been rewarded on this earth. But the person who recognizes the greatness of God as well as his lowliness before Him will someday share the honor of complete union with Him at the banquet that never ends.

A story can help us to be clear in this matter.

A Chinese mandarin held a big banquet to which he had invited many important people. Most of the guests arrived in very special carriages. Then the rain began to pour down and collected into a large puddle of water right in front of the main entrance to the mandarin’s house.

Along came a carriage and stopped right in front of the water. An elegantly dressed old man tried to get out, but slipped on the carriage step and fell headlong into the sea of mud. As he lifted himself up, he saw that he was a mess…and was in no condition to go into the banquet hall.

Several of the guests made fun of the unfortunate man. But a servant who saw what had happened ran off to tell the master of the house about it. He came running out just in time to keep the muddied guest from going back home. He tried to coax the man to stay despite his appearance. But the guest was afraid of the stares and remarks of the others, and wanted to disappear.

So the well-dressed mandarin then let himself fall face-first into the very same puddle of water. He too, was muddied from head to foot. Then he took his guest by the arm and the two of them together, mud men as they were, marched into the banquet hall…and no one dared to say a word.

- Willi Hoffsuemmer

Such is what the virtue of Humility can do. Due to this virtue God humbled Himself and became man. And through this same virtue man can become one with God

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Ria Salvaña Matthew LizaresParish Works StaffEllie Medina, Angelina Poe,Emilio Medina, Teresita CabralJohn David Ong, Gem MuncalAnnouncements CoordinatorRochelle PinedaBulletin Board EditorEJ CarlosPowerpoint CoordinatorGing Santos, JayR PaduaContributorsClaire Padilla

Spiritual AdvisorRev. Msgr. Emmanuel Suñga

PublisherSt. Andrew the Apostle ParishN. Garcia St. cor. Kalayaan Ave.Bel-Air II, Makati CityPhones: (632) 890-1796 / 890-1743 media@saaparish.com

Parish Works is the official weekly newsletter of Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish. Media and Communications Ministry Co-coordinators

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pastor’s Messasge from page 3...

Saint augustine from page 2...

Children’s Choir

Sept. 3 & 17

Sept. 09-12

in the heavenly banquet. How great then is this virtue! It brings God to man and so thus man to God. This indeed is the narrow door through which salvation can come to us and so thus as through the gate of pride, sin entered to us through our first parents. Jesus even goes further to ask us to invite beggars, the crippled and the blind rather than our friends, relatives and those with wealth to emphasize the extent of the greatness of this virtue.

Do you think we can do this?

Certainly, if we want to pass through the narrow gate.

Augustine developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and different perspectives. He believed that the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom and framed the concepts of original sin and just war.

In the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, he is a Saint and pre-eminent Doctor of the Church, and the patron of the Augustinian religious order; his memorial is celebrated 28 August, the same day as his death.

The Children’s Choir that sings on Sundays at 12:00 noon, is recruiting new members, ages 10 to 22. For more information, please contact Ria Yorro via (0915) 231-2965.

The Saint Andrew Renewal Community is inviting everyone to join them in a gathering called TGIF at SAAP every first and third Friday, 7:30p.m. at the Jubilee Hall. Come and be blessed with spirit-filled talks on How to Get Rid of Inner Garbage on September 3 and How to Grow in God’s Wisdom on September 17.

The image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is once again visiting us from September 9 (Thursday) to September 12 (Sunday). Following are the schedule of activities:

Sept 9, 5pm Welcome Ceremony Sept 9 to 11, 6:00 pm, Novena and Mass Sept 12, 12:00 noon High Mass Sept 12, 2:00 pm Farewell Ceremony