8th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

Rommel Jacinto Dantes Silverio is a male transsexual. He is a biological male who feels trapped in a male body. Being that, he sought gender re-assignment in Bangkok, Thailand. This procedure was successful –he now has a female body. Thereafter, in 2002, he filed a petition for the change of his first name (from Rommel to Mely) and his sex (male to female) in his birth certificate. He wanted to make these changes, among others, so that he can marry his American fiancé. The Manila Regional Trial  Court granted his petition stating that Silverio’s misfortune to be trapped in a man’s body is not his own doing and should be in any way taken against him. To grant the petition would bring the much-awaited happiness on the part of Silverio and his fiancé and the realization of their dreams. But this decision of the RTC was reversed by the Court of Appeals, and thus it was submitted before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that the change of such entries finds no support in existing legislation. A change of name is a privilege and not a right. It may be allowed in cases where the name is ridiculous, tainted with dishonor, or difficult to pronounce or write; a nickname is habitually used; or if the change will avoid confusion. The petitioner’s basis of the change of his name is that he intends his first name compatible with the sex he thought he transformed himself thru surgery. The Court says that his true name does not prejudice him at all, and no law allows the change of entry in the birth certificate as to sex on the ground of sex reassignment. Thus, the Court denied the petition.

In the said case, we learn that a name is not just a name. It brings with it some serious legal and public policy consequences. Just like when one asks for an NBI clearance, instead of approaching the Releasing Window with a smile, he or she starts to frown as an NBI personnel tells him or her that he or she has just been HIT! It means he or she has a namesake and probably with a criminal record or he himself or she herself has a criminal record. So a name is important for any person.

In our Gospel (Luke 1: 57-66), the name-giving of the child is important to consider. It also shows how important to choose the name of the child. For others, they wanted to name the child Zechariah, but for both parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah wanted to name the child John. So people asked, “What then will this child be?” They could not understand the reason behind the parents’ decision as they were not privy to the instruction of the angel to Zechariah himself to name the child John. Why the name John? What is in the name? Well, the name of a child is like a title in a story which introduces his or her character, his or her being special and his or her mission in life. In the Talmud–Brachot 7b; Arizal – Sha’ar HaGilgulim 24b, it is said, “For at the beginning of life we give a name, and at the end of life a “good name” is all we take with us.” So if a child is important to both parents, they must give him a name that will have a positive effect to him or her. If ever the child is lost in the journey of life, his or her name may remind him or her of what he or she must become. For example, the name Jude or Judah or Judas comes from the same root as the word “thanks.” In reference to Judas Iscariot, he abandoned his mission in life to give thanks to God by betraying Jesus. He did not live up to the ideals connected to his name, thus his name even until now is tainted with bad reputation affecting also those who carry such a name. Thanks to Judas Thaddeus! Because he lived up to the ideals carried by his name, many people give thanks to God as they receive many miracles through his intercession. Going back to the Gospel, the name John means “God is gracious”. So in naming the child John, the parents expect that their son’s mission is to proclaim the graciousness of God to people. He has to prepare the way for the Lord by creating a welcoming heart among the people. People shall see the graciousness of God as John leads them to the direction towards Jesus. John shall live and die proclaiming that God is gracious.

To end, we have some names to consider implying one’s life mission. We have Joshua (Yehoshu’a) which means “Yahweh saves or God is salvation”. We also have Joseph (Ioseph or Yosef) which means “May God add or increase,” just like a good father who is blessed by God with long life and abundant posterity. The name Andrew means manly while James was derived from Iakobos or Jacob which means “he grasps the heel.” Nowadays, there are names given to children being the result of many combinations such as combining the names of the parents. Usually they produce good sounds once they are pronounced but they do not make any sense at all as they do not convey any meaning to one’s life. For example, if we try to create a name by combining the names of Peter and Malou , we get Petmalu! From the names of Jasmine and Louie, we have Jas-Lo! From the names of Catherine and Terry, we have Cathe-Ter! From the names of Segunda and Benedict, we have Seg-Ben! Well, it is up to the parents how they want to call their children and what names they want to give them. Hopefully, they are fully aware of this: “For at the beginning of life we give a name, and at the end of life a good name”. Amen. 

7th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

There’s a woman who’s a senior student. She is quiet and doesn’t keep company with anyone in the class. When the class is over, she always rushes back home. Rumor has it, she had a baby since she was 18. Some say she has a child with her sugar daddy. The woman gets a tutor for her kid and she visits her daughter one day. The tutor tells her that her daughter has a drawing of a mother and child referring to them. The woman is happy about it. In fact, she always accompanies her child in school and picks her after she’s done with her class. And when they’re at home, they eat, play, laugh and sleep together. She is an ordinary woman. Not so beautiful nor outstanding but the smile she has for the kid makes me think that she is the most beautiful woman. One day when the tutor visits them, she says to the woman to tell the people about the truth. The woman asks, “What truth?” The tutor answers, “The truth about your kid.” The woman tells her, “It is not necessary.” But the tutor insists, “I’m just concerned because people are talking behind your back.” She remains quiet as she remembers how she got her daughter in a garbage place. Finally she says to the tutor, “I’d rather let them talk about me than talk about my child.” At that time, graduation day of her child in a nursery school, her tears fell for having a loving kid even it’s not her own blood.

My dear friends, the woman in the story welcomed the little child with a big heart. Though the child was considered “nothing” by her biological mother as she threw her in a trash, the woman in the story greatly loved her as if she were her own daughter. She gave her the value which the child as a human being deserves. We can say this is a kind of “magnificat” which literally means magnifies in a sense that what others give some little importance; one gives it an utmost importance for that is what it truly deserves. In our Gospel (Luke 1: 46-56), Mary’s soul magnifies the Lord. The magnificat is not an act of exaggeration on the part of Mary. Though how ordinary it seems for others to see a woman being pregnant, for Mary, being pregnant is so important that she glorifies God. She considers it as a great thing God has done for her. Then she continues to cite some events which others may consider ordinary but she regards them as God’s great works.


“Magnificat” is an expression of people who give importance even to little things given to them. This Christmas, we may receive gifts, some are valuable while others may not be the kind we like to keep. Some of us may only receive a mere Christmas card or greeting. But if we have the heart of Mary, we can express our magnificat, thanking and glorifying God not so much because of the gifts we receive but because of the people who remember us during this season. It is the love behind their gifts that matters, whether the gift is priceless or not. When someone gives us something this Christmas, we have to remember that it is the thought that counts. With this, we have the reason to magnify the Lord. Amen. 

6th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

There was a son who decided to leave his mother at old age home. He used to visit her there once in a week. One day he came to know his mother was seriously ill and she was left only with few hours of her life. He asked her mother if he could do something in her last time that would make her happy. Upon which his mother replied that, “son, please install some fans in the rooms here, as there isn’t any fan in any of the rooms of this home. And also buy a fridge for the old people living here because I myself had to sleep without food for many days.” The son questioned her why she asked him for all of these when she knew she had only a little time left to live. The mother replied, “Son, I am worried that you will not be able to live here comfortably when your children will one day send you here. So, I want that everything before you come here gets mended.”

This story reminds us how great a mother’s love is for her children. It is called mother’s instinct to love her children. It is in her nature to nurture her children. We can say that any child does not need to earn a mother’s love because being a mother, her power is to love. Her love is unconditional. She can sacrifice her life by giving birth to her children. She can give up her time for herself just to teach her children how to walk and talk. Her happiness is in her children. Still, there is a lot for us to know about a mother. Our Gospel (Luke 1:39-45) tells us about two women who were chosen by God to become mothers; Elizabeth as the mother of John the Baptist and Mary as the mother of Jesus. When Mary visited Elizabeth and greeted her, Elizabeth’s babe leaped in her womb. Here, we may realize that what affects the mother affects her babe. Recent studies also confirm that the state of the mother affects her child. Some researchers even explained that people who are more prone to suffering from stress compared with others shared their mother’s stress while they were still in the womb. As babes, they did not possibly know what was happening to their mother, yet they felt that it was something painful. They could feel the feeling of their mother who was going through a major upheaval.

Therefore, a mother should keep herself calm and her soul joyful as her state affects her child. Just like Mary and Elizabeth, a mother should be grateful to God and ask from Him the gift of the Holy Spirit. Instead of listening only to her favorite music in which the unborn baby responds, she better tries to read the bible or spends more time in prayer. A mother should be aware that her children are gifts from God and there is no greater happiness for a mother than to see her children grow loving God. If every mother does this, we can say, “Blessed are all women and blessed are their fruits.” Amen. 

5th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

There was this story about a Japanese troop waging war against a fierce enemy which outnumbered them. So their leader made a strategy and he planned it well that they could win the fight. But the troop doubted it. The leader then led them to pray. After praying, he told them that he would toss a coin. If the head would come out, it would mean they shall win. If not, then they will lose. Then he tossed a coin in front of his troop. The heads appeared. The troop gained confidence upon seeing it and were eager to go to war. After they won the war, they said , “No one can change the hand of destiny.” But they were dumbfounded when their leader showed the coin for it was a two headed coin.

My dear friends, this short story reminds us of those who depend their lives on destiny, luck or fate. There are people who believe that an event will surely happen to a particular person in the future and no matter what he or she will do, he or she cannot escape it. They believe that success or failure depends on chances and not on one’s own action. Even if a person does everything in order to succeed, he or she cannot make it unless he or she has given the chance. Thus, everything seemed to be beyond one’s control and everything is already determined by a certain natural power. But this is not how we Christians think. We believe as Christians that everything is grace. But grace builds on nature. Conversely, even if God pours out His graces, man may choose to reject or accept them. He or she is free to choose. We are not robots which are programmed to do something and are left no choice.

In our Gospel according to Luke 1: 26-38, we can learn about how God’s grace and man’s free will interplay. Mary never asked or prayed to be the mother of God. Yet God chose her. Others may say this is called destiny, luck or chance given to Mary. But as Christians we understand it is called God’s grace –“for you have found favor with God.”  To affirm that this is not a matter of destiny, luck or chance, the Gospel tells us that Mary questioned the angel how would it happen for she knew no man. It means that if this is a matter of destiny, luck or chance, then Mary could not question it but would rather be forced to accept it. Yet, she showed she had the freedom to accept it or not. When the angel explained to her how the grace of God shall work in her, Mary expressed her “Fiat.” She said yes to the angel; it was a yes to God’s grace. Here we learn that God never forces anyone just to obey His will. Rather, God sends His graces and it is up for us whether we reject it or accept it, and face the consequences of our choices. Let us therefore recognize every grace God has bestowed on us and do everything for His glory. Amen.

PASAEAMAT by Genevir P. Patron

Sa rayang gabie atong napatunayan

Nga kung kita gali hay hay nagabueuligan

Bisan anong problema pa ro atong mataeopangdan

Ro kada isaea atong saeandigan

Unang pasaeamat hay para sa atong kura paroko

Maaeam, mabuot Rev. Fr. Jude Rebaldo

Sa gintao nimong hangkat kami nagatuo

Owa't imposible basta halin kimu

Saeamat gid ay ro mga Chapel Pres. hay naghiliugyon

Agud rondayang search hay mapatigayon

Programa it parokya o anumang okasyon

Sa kada kapilya abong mabinuligon

Saeamat sa atong mga ginikanan

Sa pagpalangga nga owa it katapusan

Ro andang mga onga tanan ginsuportahan

Ginpagwapo ag ginpagwapa para katon tanan

Saeamat sir Cendrix sa mahabang pasensya

Bisan salikwaot ro siki, sa tunog it sonata

Tanan nag-antiguhan,mga kandidato/kandidata

Owa't gapapirde sa andang kakontra

Sa mga litrato it atong kandidata

Si Ma'am Ronalie, hay masaligan ta

Bisan owa it filter,tanan gwapo ag gwapa

Talented,dedicated,huwarang maestra

Indi ko gid malipatan imaw si Ma'am Maicah

Solicitation letter,certificates ag program,imaw ro nag-obra

Pati sa pag-emcee owa imaw gabalibad ra

Thank you gid Ma'am kabay indi ka mamadla ha

Ro mga intermission numbers sa youth nakatoka

Imaw paeang namon nakita gasaot pati mga KOA

MUG, Youth Ministry, Angels ag Junior CWL hay nag-intra

Sa pagsaot ag pagkanta tanan sanda hay masadya

Mabahoe gid ro among pagpasaeamat

Sa atong sponsors, donors ag table buyers

Sa andang pagsuporta nga indi masukat

Ro inyong gintao kamon hay naamat

Abo ro pagpasaeamat sa rondayang eskuylahan

Tanan nga andang gamit katon hay ginpahueam

Sir Larry J. Justo indi ka gid namon malipatan

DepEd CAMACA saeamat sa inyong pagbueoligan

Indi ko eon tanan pagtigsambilogon

Sayud eon ninyo kung sanday sin-o run

Libreng serbisyo inyong ginabaton

Mabahoe nga pagpasaeamat nagahalin kamon

Rondayang programa bago pa matapos

Sa iba't-ibang isyu kami nanghilam-os

Pero ok lang, owa kami gabaeos

Basta sayud namon,mas abo ro nagpanipueos.

Kennard Jerric and Jonna's Wedding 12-19-17

One of the best quotes on love is found among the decided cases of the Supreme Court particularly in the case of Padilla-Rumbaua v. Rumbaua, G.R. No. 166738, August 14, 2009. The highest court of the land said, "Love happens to everyone. It is dubbed to be boundless as it goes beyond the expectations people tagged with it. In love, “age does matter.” People love in order to be secure that one will share his/her life with another and that he/she will not die alone. Individuals who are in love had the power to let love grow or let love die."

My dear friends, this quotation reminds us that love visits everyone and it comes in surprises. Sometimes we cannot expect that love is possible even between two people when one has not shown any sign of love to the other. Just like what happened to this young couple Jonna and Kennard. Though they were together for their school project, Jonna had many reasons to be uncomfortable with Kennard. I believe she never thought that she would be married to Kennard at that time. It was not even part of her wildest dream to fall in love with Kennard. But as I mentioned earlier, love comes beyond one's expectation. They both learned to love each other and until now they remain in loving each other. After seven years in their relationshop, finally they decided to get married. In love, truly, age does matter. I believe Kennard and Jonna you have learned a lot in your seven years of relationship especially on how you deal with your loneliness, your doubts, your likes and dislike which affect your love towards each other. It is a good reason for you to say you love each other that is why you are getting married. But marriage is not just about love. It is about making each other secure in the relationship. Jonna you are blessed that you have the man who is willing to bring you to the altar of God as his wife. Nowadays, most men hesitate to make a commitment for there are many women compared to men in this world and so it is difficult for any men to choose the right one to marry. Therefore be a good wife. Do not just love Kennard without loving those who love him. You can only be a good wife if you learn how to listen to your husband. Remember, there are wives who have been abandoned by their husbands because they talk too much as they forget to listen. Kennard, plan your future together with your wife. Do not think that love is enough. Love as an emotion may give you a happy feeling but married life is not just about feelings. Be a man! Put direction to your married life. You know as a seaman that a ship without a captain is a lost ship. It brings you anywhere and it ends in nowhere. Be thankful to God that He directs you to have Jonna as your co-journeyer. 

Let me end this homily Kennard and Jonna by saying to you, love each other as God loves you (John 13:34-35). This is the reason why you marry here in this Church: you present yourselves before God. God is love and when God has joined you in love together then no man should put you asunder. God loves you that is why you find each other, so love each other for the glory of God. Separation or divorce is not an option if you remain in the love of God. So both of you must pray. As Fr. Patrick Peyton used to say, "The family that prays together, stays together," I say to you Kennard and Jonna, you better pray together if you want your love to have a forever. Amen.

4th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

In a small town, there was a meeting at the local church. Their greatest problem was that there had been no rain in their place. The priest invited everyone to pray to the Lord for rain. So, young and old alike prayed to the Lord for rain. At this moment, the priest saw a little girl who brought an open umbrella to the venue. When he asked the girl why she had brought an umbrella there, she replied, “Father, do we not pray to God for rain? It will rain so I bring with me my umbrella.” Then, it indeed rained.

My dear friends, from the said story we can say that prayer is simply defined as a communication with God. It is a communication sent by man to God. God as He is, He hears all our prayers. Yet, God as He is, He can also refuse to hear our prayers (Jeremiah 7:16).  If we try to analyse everything, our prayers to God are answered according to His will. Our prayer does not depend on us thinking that we can change the mind of God. Rather, our prayer depends on God and how He wants us to change. We can understand this when Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13 or/and Luke 11: 2-4) we can observe from the said prayer that before asking God for bread, we are led to dispose ourselves to welcome God’s will first. A similar lesson may be learned by reading the Gospel (Luke 1: 5-25), when an angel appeared to Zechariah. The angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard…” But Zechariah refused to believe that God answered his prayer because for him, it was too late for God to answer His prayer. He said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Zechariah thought that his prayer depended on him. He wanted it to be answered on the time he wanted an answer from God. But this was not how God worked. God willed to answer his prayer in His own time. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife better understood this as she said, “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.” Thus, when we pray we need to submit our will to God. Let God answer our prayers according to how He wills it and when He wills it. This is why it is called prayer because we can never impose our own will on God. Rather, we accept whatever He wills for us because God knows best. Amen.