Announcements Feb. 26-27, 2011

May we request for your old  palms  that  we  will  burn  in  order to produce ash that we will be needing for the imposition of ash on Ash Wednesday, March 09.  Please send or bring to the parish office on or before March 05.  Thank you.

Announcements Feb. 12-13, 2011

The four talks on MARITAL LIFE have just been concluded. The next six talks on Parenting will be scheduled every 2nd & 3rd Saturday of February, March and April, 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the Lingkod Center of the parish.

Please see posters for the succeeding talks. Everyone is invited to attend. Simple snacks will be served.

The Health Program Ministry of the parish will conduct a last quarter free clinic day on February 20, Sunday, at the Lingkod Center of the parish. Registration starts at 7:30 am and consultations follow immediately until 12:00 Noon.

This service is made possible through the kindness of our benefactors, and the doctors who have offered their services at no
cost.

Let us continue to support this program to be able to reach out to more of our less fortunate. The Divine Mercy Healing Ministry of our parish would like to invite you to a mass and healing rites, to be officiated by Fr. Mario Bije, a healing priest, on Friday, February 25, 2011, 2:00 to 5:00 pm. This will be held here in our parish church.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Inspired by the outpouring of support to give moral and financial assistance to Heidi Mendoza, star witness of the government to its plunder case against Gen. Garcia, we have opened our parish as one of the centers to receive donations from all patriotic supporters on her behalf. Heidi is now jobless after resigning from her work due to security problems and her commitment to continue testifying in the case. Aside from pressure and fear, she has to contend with sustaining her family, especially her 3 children, who are all studying. As true Filipinos and enlightened Catholics, let us all unite and stand up for truth and justice and demolish corruption in society. Those who are interested to help Heidi may contact Fr. Manny Sarez, our parish priest, or inquire at the parish office. Thank you.

Balik Alay Progress Report for January 2011

PROGRESS REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF January 2011

Today, being our Parish Stewardship Sunday, the following is the update on the Balik-Alay Program:
A. Summary of pledges and commitment by type of pledges as of month end.
Cumulative total as of January 31, 2011
Time & Talent
230
Treasure
494

B. Number of response offerors by area as of month end.
Area Total Offerors as of January 31, 2011
Pansol
145
Kaingin 1
85
Kaingin 2
48
La Vista
52
Loyola Grand Villas
58
Alta Vista
5
Other Areas
101

Total 494

C. Total amount of Balik-Alay offerings for Stewardship of Treasure
For the Month of December 2010
For the Month of
January 2011
P 199, 158.00
P 119,176.25

We Praise and thank the good Lord for your generosity.

“God loves a cheerful giver” 2 corinthians 9:7
The parish always welcomes generous response of new offerors to its Balik-alay Stewardship Program. We hope that you will respond to the invitation to live the spirituality of stewardship through the active participation in this program. Please see the parish office for inquiries

SMDS holds pastoral evaluation for 2010 and planning for 2011

Father Manny Sarez and twenty eight representatives of the Santa Maria Della Strada (SMDS) Pastoral Council gathered last January 8-9, 2011 at the Field of Faith, Calauan, Laguna to evaluate the parish programs for 2010. Insights gained from the process of determining the SMDS areas of strength and opportunities for improvement served as one of the bases for mapping out plans for 2011.

The Ministries tasked to address the spiritual needs of the Parish, such as Formation, Family and Life, Stewardship, Catechetical, BECs and Youth, will focus on formulating spiritual formation programs, standardizing the formation process and expansion of members. On the other hand, other ministries tasked to address the temporal needs of the Parish, the Social Service, is encouraged to firm up a more strategic livelihood generation program for SMDS parishes. Another ministry, the Public Affairs will co-lead in the implementation of waste management program in our communities.

The planning process ended with an inspiring mass conducted by Fr. Manny Sarez. The Ministry representatives left the Field of Faith, with a clearer direction and a stronger resolve to actualize programs and projects for 2011.

Click here to download the SMDS Plan for 2011.

_{You will be directed to a third party site and where you can download the files by clicking the blue Download Now button.}

Announcements Feb. 05-06, 2011

The four talks on MARITAL LIFE have just been concluded.  The next six talks on Parenting will be scheduled every 2nd & 3rd Saturday of February, March and April,   9:00 am to 11:00 am.

February 12 - Topic: Building a Positive Relationship with Your Child

February 19  - Topic: Communicating Effectively with Your Child

See posters for the succeeding talks.

Everyone is invited to attend.  Simple snacks will be served.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Inspired by the outpouring  of support to give moral and financial assistance to Heidi Mendoza, star witness of the government to its plunder case against Gen. Garcia, we have opened our parish as one of the centers to receive donations from all patriotic supporters on her behalf.  Heidi is now jobless after resigning from her work due to security problems and her commitment to continue testifying in the case.  Aside from pressure and fear, she has to contend with sustaining her family, especially her 3 children, who are all studying.  As true Filipinos and enlightened Catholics, let us all unite and stand up for truth and justice and demolish corruption in society.  Those who are interested to help Heidi may contact Fr. Manny Sarez, our parish priest, or inquire at the parish office.  Thank you.

Tributes to Ben Casino

We are featuring snapshots of the life of our brother, Ben Casino, who joined our Lord last December 2011, through the tribute given by some of his close friends, Kiko Josef and Dodie Reyes.  We would like to remember him as one who passionately dedicated his life as a true servant leader of the Church.

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TESTIMONIAL FOR Bro. Ben (Vicente A. Casino Jr.)

Good evening to all.

On behalf of the SMDS Pastoral Council, I would like to extend our condolences and greetings of peace and hope to the family of Bro. Ben, Sis. Chit, her children and her grandchildren.

If I may describe the life of Bro. Ben as a Servant leader, his servant hood is one of dedicated, persevering, and unselfish service to both the small church, which is his family and the larger church, which is our parish and our diocese.

Ang dakilang paglilingkod na ito ni Bro. Ben sa ubasan ng Panginoon ay tunay na masasabing katuparan ng dalawang awit na madalas nating awitin sa loob at labas ng simbahan. Ang unang awit ay ang “Pananagutan”.  Ganito ang mga diwa ng Pananagutan na nilikha ni Fr. Eduardo P Hontiveros, S. J.

PANANAGUTAN

Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay

Para sa sarili lamang

Walang sinuman ang namamatay

Para sa sarili lamang

Koro:

Tayong lahat ay may pananagutan sa isa’t-isa

Tayong lahat ay tinipon ng Diyos

na kapiling N’ya

Sa ating pagmamahalan

At paglilingkod kanino man

Tayo ay nagdadala ng balita ng kaligtasan.

Ako ay lubos na naniniwala na tayong lahat ay nagkakaisa sa isip at puso na ganito nga ang paglilingkod ni Bro. Ben. Isang paglilingkod na di makasarili at ang buhay niya ay nakaalay sa kapwa. Bilang isang “lay minister”, wala siyang pinipiling oras sa paglilingkod.  Maging ito ala - sais ng umaga, tanghaling tapat, o gabi, basta kailangan ang kanyang serbisyo,  si Bro, Ben ay naroroon upang tumulong sa pagbibigay nang komunyon. Bilang “founder/incorporator, past President, director, executive committee member, treasurer or auditor” ng SMDS Multi-Purpose Cooperative si Bro. Ben ay walang pinipiling posisyon at ang mahalaga ay maibahagi niya ang kanyang kaalaman sa mga kasapi nito na mula sa Kaingin 1, Kaingin  2, Pansol, Balara Filter,Marytown, Daang Tubo, LGV at La Vista. Siya rin ang isa sa mga naunang pamunuan ng SMDS Foundation, Inc. na naglingkod sa mahabang panahon  at nang buong puso. Sa simula nang taon ito 2010, inayos niya ang mga papeles nang Foundation at sa kalagitnaan ng taong ito siya ay nagpapaalam kay Fr. Manny Sarez bilang Pangulo ng Foundation upang magbigay daan sa bagong liderato.  Sa kabila ng kanyang karamdaman, nagsabi pa rin siya na kahit hindi na siya ang Presidente,  ay tutulong pa rin siya basta kailangan siya.

Ang pangalawang awit ay ang awit na “Sinong Makapaghihiwalay” na mula sa sulat ni Apostol San Pablo. Ganito ang mga titik ng awit na ito:

SINONG MAKAPAGHIHIWALAY?

Koro:

Sino’ng makapaghihiwalay

Sa atin sa pag-ibig ni Kristo?

Sino’ng makapaghihiwalay sa atin

Sa pag-ibig ng Diyos?

Paghihirap ba? Kapighatian?

Pag-uusig o gutom o tabak?

At kahit na ang kamatayan

Walang makapaghihiwalay sa atin

Sa pag-ibig ng Diyos.

Kung ang Diyos ay nasa panig natin

Ano pa nag dapat na ipangamba?

Kahit may karamdaman, kahit umuulan, kahit mainit at kahit anong panahon at hadlang, ang paglilingkod ni Bro. Ben ay di mapipigil lalo na nga kung para sa kapwa.

Tunay na kahanga- hanga ang iyong paglilingkod, Bro. Ben. Kami na iyong mga kasama sa SMDS Parish Council, SMDS Cooperative, SMDS Foundation ay nagpupugay sa iyo. Kami rin ay nananalig na ang iyong walang katapat na gantimpala mula sa Panginoon ay iyong makakamit sa kanyang piling at kaharian.

Mga kapatid kay Kristo at mga kaibigan, inaanyayahan ko kayong lahat na tumayo at ating palakpakan at pasalamatan ang ating Dakilang Diyos dahil kay Bro. Ben bilang kaloob niya sa atin at sa kanyang pamilya.

Maraming salamat po at magandang gabi muli sa inyong lahat.

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A Tribute to the late Bro. Ben Casino

Good evening brothers and sisters in Christ,

As I was pondering on my assigned task of paying a tribute to our late Bro. Ben Casino, I found initial difficulty in using the appropriate adjective that would sum and do justice to the life of Bro. Ben as a servant of the Lord. I believe that I now have that word: Passionate. In my close association with Bro. Ben both as a lay minister and as a servant leader, it was his passion in everything he did in life that stood out in my mind.

As a starter, Bro. Ben was a passionate husband to sister Chit. In the many instances that I had talked with the couple, it was not difficult to notice that Bro. Ben was still very much in love with sister Chit. The tender loving looks he gave her, the sweet tone of his voice towards her, his gentle touches and the way he kissed her all betrayed the fact that his love for her grew in direct proportion to their age. Of course, sister Chit reciprocated Bro. Ben’s attitude towards her in her own distinct way.

Bro. Ben was also very passionate towards his children and grandchildren. Whenever he related to me anything about them, his entire demeanor changed from being formal and dignified to one of childlike pleasure, with sparkling eyes and a permanent smile as he talked. He truly and intensely found delight and pride in them!

But the fire of Bro. Ben’s commitment was unmatched when it came to his love of and service to the Lord and his people!

I was very fortunate to have served with Bro. Ben in the initial period of my service to God as a lay minister, in the process able to closely observe the quality of his commitment to service and learn from it. I served with Bro. Ben in three weekday morning masses and in an afternoon Sunday mass. Then, we served both as Eucharistic ministers and lectors/commentators. One of our duties was to expose the Blessed Sacrament at 5 am for the early adorers. I could not recall a time when I was able to beat Bro. Ben in this regard. You see, Bro. Ben served not out of duty or right but out of a sense of love of God and the privilege to do so. Thus, he was never absent from his mass services unless sick or out of town. And when he served, his deep reverence and love of the Eucharist was very evident.

Bro Ben also silently extended generous assistance to others to the full extent of his gifts from God. His listening ear and wise advice were always available to those who were in need; he never withheld financial support to ministries that sorely lacked funds, even to individuals in financial straits. I wonder if sister Chit was even aware of these acts of Bro. Ben.

A couple that I texted to inform them of Bro. Ben’s passing away, texted back that they would never forget their “Tito Ben” who extended to them an unsecured loan for their first business venture. You might say that it was not a big deal since as a bigwig at United Coconut Planters Bank, he was in a position to do so. But the point is, had the couple defaulted on the loan, Bro. Ben would have been legally and morally bound to repay the loan personally. I believe that this consideration never entered his mind. He was only concerned how he could be of help to others. Again, I don’t think sister Chit had known of this fact for Bro. Ben was not wont to blare his trumpet or beat his chest.

All this reminds me of a passage in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 that states, “For I am bring poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is near. I have competed well, I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on, only the crown of righteousness awaits me which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who longed for his appearance.”  Bro. Ben could very well have said it to sum up his life.

Bro. Ben was aware that the end of his stay on earth was soon coming but he had no regrets, he had no fear because he knew that, with God’s grace, he had overcome all obstacles to become the person that God wanted him to be. Bro. Ben also always finished whatever he had started with the same fervor as when he began the task. You see, there were hardly any valleys in his pursuit of God’s work for him; he was almost always on the peak. By following the ways and teachings of the Lord until the end, he was confident that he would obtain his due rewards. This was not a boast from Bro. Ben. Rather, it was a way to remind and encourage us that, if we emulated his faithfulness to the Lord, He would also be faithful to His promise of eternal life.

Bro. Ben’s life makes me recall the words of Marc Antony in his funeral oration for Julius Caesar. To paraphrase him: “Here lies a true servant of the Lord, when comes such another?”