MMHC Herald of Hope July 2022

The Official Publication of Mary, Mother of Hope - Landmark Chapel

2022 Fiesta – Pandemic Edition

JOURNEYING TOGETHER AS A CHURCH

PHOTO BY HESTER QIANG ON UNSPLASH

WHAT’S INSIDE:

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MMHC LOGO AND JULY 9 FIESTA

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STEADFAST SERVICE IN THE NEW NORMAL

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REMEMBERING FR. JAMES FERRY, M.M

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ARCHBISHOP JOSE F. CARDINAL ADVINCULA’S HOMILY ON THE LAUNCHING OF RCAM’S SYNODAL JOURNEY

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LIFE AS A SENIOR CITIZEN DURING THE PANDEMIC

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MMHC SERVANTS REMEMBER FR. JIM

The Official Publication of Mary, Mother of Hope - Landmark Chapel

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2022 Fiesta – Pandemic Edition

MMHC LOGO AND JULY 9 FIESTA The Mary Mother of Hope Chapel Logo The chapel logo is actually composed of Three basic motifs: 1. Cross - The cross of Jesus Christ is the foremost symbol of our faith. Its message, St. Paul says, “is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18). We cannot be followers of the Lord without the cross. Jesus himself said, “If you want to be my disciple, take up your cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). The cross is at the heart of Christian life. Just as crosses lead our processions and marches, we find our way in life if we fix our gaze on and follow the cross of Jesus, where revealed to us the sacrificial, selfless and saving merciful love of God. When we use the cross as our standard, we proclaim that like Jesus, we commit ourselves to the Father’s will till the end. It may be difficult and the world may even threaten, reject or harm us. But we are confident, for Christ has transformed the cross from being a symbol of death, cruelty and damnation into a symbol of life, love and salvation.

The red cross used in our logo (with a more pronounced upper bar) is taken from the shape and color of the cross held by our Lady of Hope when she appeared to the children in Pontmain, France in January 17, 1871.

2. M - In Christian heraldry and tradition, the letter “M” and the color of blue stand for the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the patroness of our chapel. The letter “M” below the cross indicates Mary’s presence at the foot of the cross (John 19:25). She was faithful to Jesus till the end even if many others have already deserted him. This depiction further shows the close connection of Mary with the redemptive mission of Jesus. Like the Blessed Mother, may we also remain steadfast in hope and loving till the end.

3. Anchor - In the ancient world, an anchor is a symbol of safety, security and stability, especially during violent weather. An anchor also looks like a cross which made it all the more popular for the early Christians. They

adapted this symbol for the hope they have in Jesus Christ: “We have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the place behind the curtain where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf ” (Hebrews 6:19-20). Jesus Christ is our anchor, our hope especially during turbulent moments of life. We hope in Him because we know He is faithful and powerful. When we are anchored in Him, we are at peace. He is our refuge and our strength (Psalm 46:1).

“Hope in the Lord!” (Psalm 31:25) - this is our motto and message.

And we carry and share this gift as we bear the cross of Jesus Christ with the Blessed Mother as our inspiration and intercessor.

Mary as Mother of Hope and Why July 9 is our Fiesta The Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin shines upon our world, until the day of the Lord shall come as a sign of sure hope and comfort for your people on their pilgrim way.

In the liturgy, Mary is also described in this manner: “she brought the dawn of hope and salvation to the world” (Sept. 8, birthday); “O gate of everlasting life, with loving heart our prayer receive: Through you our hope of

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life was born! (Aug. 22, Queenship); Mary is “the sure hope of salvation shining on all the faithful through life’s sharp thorns.” (August 15, Assumption); she is “the mother of hope” (Nov. 21, Presentation of our Lady).

And of course, in the popular prayer, Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen), we invoke her as “our life, our sweetness and our hope.”

In the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of Divine Hope, she is venerated: because in her life on earth she constantly practiced the virtue of hope; “she placed all her trust in the Lord, “she awaited in hope and conceived in faith the Son of Man, whom the prophets had foretold”; because in her assumption into heaven she became the “hope of God’s people”, for she comes to the aid of all who have no hope and looks with love on all who seek her help, giving them strength and comfort; and finally because she is a “beacon of unfailing hope” and solace for all the children of Adam until the day of the Lord dawns in glory.”

When the chapel opened on June 30, 2013, the date for the fiesta was not defined yet. In choosing the fiesta of Mary, Mother of Hope-Landmark Chapel, Cardinal Tagle and Fr. Jun were in agreement not to put it in conflict with the fiesta of Greenbelt Chapel since both chapels are very near to each other. The fiesta of Greenbelt is the 3rd Sunday of January in honor of the Sto. Nino. The apparition of Our Lady of Hope in Pontmain, France took place on January 17, 1871. To adopt the said date may coincide or run in conflict with that of the Sto. Nino’s feast. So Fr. Jun did further research and he found out that in some particular churches and tradition and even among the Passionists, there is a liturgical celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Hope every July 9.

And when he computed the days of novena, it turned out that the first day would be June 30 - which providentially was the date chosen

by Cardinal Tagle to open and bless the chapel three years ago. The first day of the novena then commemorates the anniversary of the chapel’s inauguration. Thus, in the process we observe a double blessing and celebration!

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2021 Fiesta – Pandemic Edition

ARCHBISHOP JOSE F. CARDINAL ADVINCULA’S HOMILY ON THE LAUNCHING OF RCAM’S SYNODAL JOURNEY ...On the evening of that first day of the week, these are the opening words of our gospel today. St. John brings us back to that first Easter Sunday when Jesus entered the darkness of his disciples’ fear and brought them peace, “As the father has sent me, so, I send you.” A few days before that, they abandoned him. A few hours before that, they could not believe he was risen. And yet, Jesus did not hesitate to entrust a mission to them. Receive the Holy Spirit – the spirit of forgiveness, the spirit of adoption as children of God, the spirit of the many gifts that build up the body of Christ – the Church. In the second reading, St. Paul enumerates the fruits of the spirit. We will lead them for our synodal journey.

Last Sunday, Pope Francis inaugurated the path that will lead to the 26th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023. In a synodal assembly, the Holy Father confers with bishops chosen from different regions in the world to assist the Roman Pontiff with their counsel in safeguarding and increasing faith and morals and in preserving and strengthening ecclesiastical discipline and to consider questions concerning the churches activity in the world (Canon 342). It is an imminent exercise of ecclesial communion and episcopal collegiality. The synodal assembly is usually a three or four-week event in the Vatican. There are three phases: preparation, celebration and implementation.

In addition to the bishops, there are always some priests, religious and laypersons involved. There are even delegates from other churches and Christian communities. This time, however, the Holy Father wants to engage the whole church in the process of consultation and discernment. He wants the widest participation possible. I, therefore, call on all of you, the baptized in the Archdiocese of Manila to take part in this consultation no matter what your social, political, economic, cultural, intellectual, or spiritual affiliation or status is. Your perspective as well as your experience of God can be part of the synodal journey of the whole archdiocese. In God’s family, you have a voice and your voice counts.

Our consultations will involve not only those we call church people, those who are active in the different church groups, or those who are close to the church.

We will listen to as many people as possible: to women, men, children, young people and elderly people in various contexts, those in the business sector and laborers especially the daily wage earners, government officials, the members of the LGBTQ+ community and the social media influencers to name a few.

We will also reach out to the people in the peripheries – ang mga kapatid nating mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan especially our poor and marginalized brothers and sisters. We will listen even to those who belong to other faith based communities and those who left the church. No matter how far you feel you are from the church or even from God, you have something to contribute. We want to listen to you. We want to journey with you. We want to discern God’s will with you. All these in keeping the theme of the synod, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, participation, mission.”

Yes, an essential part of the synodal process is listening. This strikes a chord in my heart. As you very well know, my episcopal motto is “Audiam” (I will listen). When I was installed as archbishop of Manila, I told you that I have really nothing new to bring to the archdiocese, but my commitment to be a listening shepherd to you, the flock entrusted to my care. I want to listen because it is only by listening that I can serve you well. It is only in listening that I could be a true shepherd who journeys with you and leads you to Jesus, our good shepherd.

As we embark on this synodal journey, I invite each one of you, each one to give value and time to listen.

Our consultations will be no other than listening to each other’s stories of faith and experiences in life.

For us in the Archdiocese of Manila, we translate the synod on synodality as Audiam sa RCAM. Let this be our tagline. Let this be the name of our journey.

Halina at sama sama tayong mag-Audiam sa RCAM. In this synodal path, we may feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or cynical. We know how difficult, tiring, and even…listening and discerning can be. It would be good, therefore, to consider that synodality may not be new to us. The Archdiocese of Manila has celebrated has four synods, each responding to the pressing concerns of each era. The first synod was convened in 1582, by the first bishop of Manila, Fray Domingo de Salazar, OP. It emphasized that the church’s commitment to evangelization included the defenseof therightof thenativeIndios–ourancestors.

The Archdiocese of Manila also hosted the First Plenary Council of Manila in 1953 which was held in San Agustin Church here in Intramuros as well as the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines in 1991, in which we, the church in the Philippines put ourselves in a more active state of mission. New evangelization and conversion according to the image of Christian life and church model as a community of disciples.

We committed to be a church of the poor where the

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poor equal to all others in Christian dignity, are not only evangelized but become evangelizers themselves where no one is so poor as to have nothing to get. And no one is rich is so rich as to have nothing to receive.

Let us not forget the Manila Archdiocesan General Pastoral Assembly or MAGPAS initiated by Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, which led to the formulation of our Archdiocesan vision and the succeeding monthly gatherings to deepen our understanding of it. Those were also experiences of synodality.

From the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 onwards, the church has manifested itself as synodal, journeying together as one communion gathering in liturgical assembly and taking an active part in evangelization.

The Holy Spirit who walks in great councils and synods, is the same spirit in parish assemblies and BEC meetings. He is the same spirit who inspires us to promote the human family to humanize the social order and to care for our common home.

Finally, we recognize the church as synodal because God’s loving relationship with us is synodal. Jesus walked with his discouraged disciples to Emmaus until they recognize him in the breaking of the bread. Having heard the cry of these people, the Lord journeyed with them after they escaped slavery in Egypt until they reached the promised land. Even after Adam and Eve sinned, God walked in his garden and called out to them.

Synodality is not only ecclesial but also theological.

We launched the synodal path in the Archdiocese of Manila in the year we marked the 500th anniversary of the first Easter Eucharist and the first Baptism in the Philippines. Let us entrust ourselves to our Blessed Mother and to St. Joseph. The path of synodality is one of encounter – listening and discernment that finds its seed and its first fruit in the incarnation of the word. When our Lady replied to our angel, “Behold the handmade of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word.” Like St. Joseph, let us humbly listen to what the Holy Spirit wishes to tell us and bravely go where the spirit leads us. Amen. as delivered on 17 October 2021 *Full text of above homily as originally retrieved, may be found on this link: https://rcam.org/full-text-homily-deliveredby-manila-archbishop-jose-f-cardinal-advincula-during-theclosing-of-pcne-8-series-1-and-the-launching-of-the-archdiocese-of-manila-synodal-journey-on-october-17-2021-a/

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2022 Fiesta – Pandemic Edition

STEADFAST SERVICE IN THE NEW NORMAL

BY SALLY ENARIO

Transition was never truly an easy process. Even God Himself experienced this when He decided to join our human race as a fragile child. And even our own Mother Mary transitioned from a young lady to a nurturing mother when she gave birth to our Lord Jesus Christ. And now it is our turn, from the old familiar world we knew, we needed to adapt into the “New Normal” because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Various aspects have been greatly impacted– from our work set up, lifestyle, and even our service to the Catholic church. We were so accustomed to going to our beloved sanctuary, Mary Mother of Hope Chapel, during the days when we were supposed to render our service, and suddenly, all of it drastically changed and our churches were closed indefinitely.

With God’s grace, we are now back at our chapel to continue our calling as God’s servants. But just like everyone, we maybe having one or more of the following: 1. Fear - we have seen millions of lives lost around the world due to the pandemic which makes it understandable for us to fear

for our own safety.

2. Anxiety - we seem to carry this sense of uneasiness each time we leave the comfort of our homes.

3. Restlessness - there is a nagging nervousness of being out again in the world particularly in public places.

Although we feel all these, we remain steadfast in our commitment and devotion to God and our service to Him. Not just because we want to but moreso because of the possibility of God’s abundant providences, such as: 1. Protection - “Fear Not!” such simple words but used 365 times in the Bible.

God knows so well indeed that fear can be crippling that is why He gave these powerfully reassuring words which is absolutely perfect in this time of the pandemic.

2. Assurance - God never said that life will be a bed of roses. But rather, He constantly reminded us that He will be with us when we go through deep waters (Isaiah 43:2). And our God being so generous

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and amazing did not stop at giving such comforting reassurance, He gifted us with the Holy Spirit as well to empower us everyday in our mission.

3. Resilience - It is not the first time that our human race faced a dangerous pandemic.

We also experienced the deadly Black Death and Spanish flu pandemic, to name a few. But we have always survived it all because God was our constant light and strength in those dark times.

Now more than ever we need to emulate the apostles. When Jesus sent them out to the world they too faced many uncertainties which is exactly what we are all feeling. We are now in a world full of anxieties but just like Jesus and His apostles, we will not live in fear but we will be brave souls in the “New Normal” unshaken in our faith and service.

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2021 Fiesta – Pandemic Edition

LIFE AS A SENIOR CITIZEN DURING THE PANDEMIC

BY MYRNA SY Two years and 3 months of the Pandemic have passed. This created a combination of feelings like uncertainties of outcomes, anxieties, fear of contracting illness, as well as financial deficit due to loss of job and declining economy, and also isolation and depression due to the absence of face to face contact with relatives, friends, co-servants and co-workers.

For the retired seniors most especially, we were faced with several challenging issues: First is the deprived spiritual nourishment, when we could no longer go to churches to hear mass, confess, or to receive Holy Communion, or spend an hour of quiet meditation and prayer at the adoration chapel that has given us a comforting sense of inner peace with the Lord.

Even that was taken away.

Second, aging health issues like body aches, joint pains, or the need for regular blood tests, X-rays, and check-ups were ignored due to hesitancy in going to the doctor’s clinics or the hospital because of fear of COVID contamination. In our minds, we just thought of bearing with the aches and pains, or postponing regular check-ups than getting the more scary and deadly virus.

Third is isolation from friends or “amigas”, relatives, and for some, even visits of grandchildren were prevented.

Fourth is the loss of opportunity to travel and spending time and leisure activities outside.

And so on and so forth.

All of these led to extreme sadness and sometimes, depression.

Now, as the majority of people are getting vaccinated and COVID cases continue to decline, face to face dealings are coming back, Church masses and people capacity are increasing, with people returning to offices and the markets reopening. We thank God for being

in our midst to help us surpass all of these scary and sad scenarios.

Though speaking about the bright side of this pandemic, God is still so wonderful in allowing us to learn how to cope with these negative effects of isolation: 1. One is that, families spent more time together such as, helping in the house and cooking, eating together and praying; 2. Next is, some seniors who are not well versed with technology, sought ways to learn Zoom, Youtube, Viber, Messenger calls, and the like, just so they could still get in touch with people virtually, and even to hear online masses, and attend regular prayer meetings. This hunger for continuing spiritual nourishment was satisfied; 3. Third, with the recent launch of the Synodal Church, under the guidance of bishops, parish priests or chaplains, some servant communities like MMHC and Greenbelt, started implememnting this program. Belonging to this community gave us the chance to do some virtual activities.

We interviewed some friends, or relatives to answer vital questions in relation to our faith.

This allowed us servants to have valuable and interesting conversations with people close to us and even shared this verbally and in writing to our co-servants and chaplain. The boredom of staying home doing the same routines, missing out on church activities, as well as the eagerness to look for more possible interesting activities, were somehow compensated. It gave us the chance to talk and learn from others; and 4. Lastly, with the Archdiocese of Manila’s launching of “Audiam sa RCAM” this 2022, we now have this opportunity to reconnect with co-servants via Zoom, and are able to “listen to one another”, and to share our learnings and thoughts about Christ’s message from the Homilies of priests. We, especially the

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seniors who are still afraid to go out, are being given the chance to “talk and be listened to,” and at the same time, to “learn to listen to others” and to “learn from others’ sharing of thoughts and experiences”. Likewise, it is a good feeling to see the faces of co-servants whom we have not seen for a long time.

Two years of the Pandemic had its own various negative effects, sad moments, difficulties, and anxieties. However, on the positive side, God taught us so many life lessons which we tend to neglect in the past due to the busy world we live in, such as: the importance of home and family versus the busy time we devote to other selfish passions and personal desires, the value of living a simple life and learning prudence in spending versus the uncontrollable desire for leisure and extravagant way of living of the past, and most of all, the forgotten priority of devoting a quiet time with God in prayer, reciting with love and contemplation every bead of the Rosary, begging for Mama Mary’s intercession for our own petitions and that of others, experiencing the tiny room in our own home as a sanctuary, and turning it into a small adoration chapel, where we can savor a peaceful and restful moment with the Lord.

In my advancing age as a senior citizen, I may have some physical limitations, or lesser knowledge and skills in technology than what the young ones can do. But I can honestly say that, whether it is pandemic or not, I somehow found wisdom and knowledge from my past experiences which helped me grow wisely, learned that time has a limit, and anything can suddenly stop (which actually happened when the deadly virus set in). This taught me the values of Prudence, Fortitude, Charity or Love for Others, and total Dependence on God.

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2022 Fiesta – Pandemic Edition

REMEMBERING FR. JAMES FERRY, M.M

BY FRED CAGAYAT (SIR GAWAIN OF THE ORIGINAL KNIGHTS) Our hometown Paete, Laguna was Fr. James (fondly called Jim) Ferry’s first assignment as a missioner in 1956. People in Paete probably barely remember him because as the parochial vicar to Fr. Joseph Regan, he was always in the background. His first assignment was to recruit young boys to serve during the Latin masses. We learned a lot from Fr. Jim. A strict disciplinarian who valued solemn duties, he also instilled compassion for other people. There were also fun with Bingos, outings, movies at the nearby town, and friendly basketball games with minor seminaries. As a proud Irish descendant, he taught us about St. Patrick and the green shamrock. Fr. Jim just stayed in Paete for only three years before moving to Davao where missionary works were much needed. Yet, the impact of his friendship and spiritual mentorship remained with us for all those 65 years! We believe that the feeling was mutual because he had fond memories of our town, even visiting our parish of St. James a few times and donating priest vestments in 2016.

After his outstanding 30 years of missionary work in Davao, he was assigned back to Manila which rekindled and strengthened the bond of friendship with his first altar boys. The Knights frequently gathered during Fr. Jim’s birthdays and whenever one of the Knights from faraway countries like the USA and Canada was in town. Every time spent with him was fun and memorable, especially with his one-liner wit and humor.

NY. I remember at the end of his 40th anniversary, he was restless and confided: “I can’t wait to go home.” Meaning, to the Philippines, his new home. Borrowing the words from the RVM sisters’ obituary, “Fr. Jim has the body of an American, of Irish heritage, and a heart of a Filipino.”

When Fr. Jim Ferry died on May 28, 2021 many people who knew him overwhelmingly expressed their sympathies and gratitude for his past pastoral works. But of all the people he left behind, we, the Knights of the Altar (first altar boys) were probably the most deeply saddened and extremely affected. The only consolation was one of us, Dr. Bien Saniano, was able to attend the Memorial Mass Services after pleading his case with the RVM Sisters. Probably the magic words “first altar boys of Fr. Jim” rang a bell. Bien Saniano, our scholarly leader and King Arthur of the Knights was probably the rightful representative because he taught for a few years at St. Patrick’s High School in Lupon, Davao. Bien said that it was to give the favor back for having received assistance from Fr. Jim when he was enrolled at the Ateneo University.

To commemorate Fr. Jim’s missionary roots, the Knights offered a towering Poster Bulletin Board at the church entrance of St. James Parish in our hometown. Thank you Fr. Jim for all the wonderful memories we shared during those years.

Our family also became close to Fr. Jim and he became our confidant. We attended his Jubilee Ordinations– his 25th, 40th, and 50th at his hometown Holy Family Parish in New Rochelle, NY. My wife Cora and I even attended his 50th and 60th presbyteral anniversaries at Maryknoll Center at Ossining,

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The Official Publication of Mary, Mother of Hope - Landmark Chapel

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2021 Fiesta – Pandemic Edition

MMHC SERVANTS REMEMBER FR. JIM

Acknowledgements: The Herald of Hope would like to thank the writers and creative individuals who contributed their talents to complete this labor of love. We are greatly humbled by the outpouring of support for the Mary Mother of Hope Community whose prayers had made this issue come into fruition. We thank all of you from our hearts and offer our prayers for you to our Merciful Heavenly Father who knows your noble intentions. May He abundantly bless your generous hearts.

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