With Pope Benedict XVI for the Second Time

I attended this year's Papal Meeting with the Clergy of Rome which is held on Thursday after Ash Wednesday each year. I am elated to have been able to kiss the hands of Pope Benedict XVI for the second time in two years. This time, I asked the Pope to bless me and he gladly affixed the sign of the cross on my forehead. There were around 500 priests who attended the meeting at the Aula della Benedizione in the Apostolic Palace. Only those of us who were seated towards the aisle were able to kiss the Pope's hand (we were lucky to enter the hall earlier then the others). The Pope was in jovial mood during the meeting, he cracked jokes and addressed issues that were raised by Parish Priests. I will forever cherish my moments with him as I am on my last year in Rome.

No one can claim right over other’s life (even the unborn)

The recent directive of President Obama to restore funding by the US Government for clinics that perform abortion all over the world was welcomed by the pro-choice advocates but drew a flak from pro-life advocates and the Vatican. In a rally held by both parties in San Francisco last week, a Filipina pro-choice advocate said in an interview that she is happy with the directive because it upholds the human rights of women. She even asserted that although she is a Catholic, she believes that her Church should not meddle with the affairs of the state. People who use the same argument would cite the separation of Church and state enshrined in the constitution whenever the Church upholds morality. They missed the point. Abortion is a moral issue on which the Church claims competence.

The Church (not only the Catholic Church) believes that life begins at the moment of conception. It is her moral obligation to advocate this reality based on divine law. Women who say that abortion is a right are misguided or are simply ego-driven. While it is true that they have right over their bodies, it is an absolute truth that no one can ever claim a right over the life of others (even the unborn).

Pilgrimage to Padre Pio's Shrine

I celebrated the 11th Anniversary of my ordination to the Priesthood last December 5 (Friday) by going on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy together with fellow Tomasino Priests- Fr. Glenn Ruiz (my classmate) and Fr. Oscar Cadayona. Joining us were our former professor in UST, Fr. Vicente Cajilig, OP with his brother and sister-in-law who was cured of cancer by Padre Pio. She related to us the story of how Padre Pio appeared to her five years ago, telling her that she will be cured while she doesn’t even know who he was. It is only when she saw the picture of Padre Pio that she was able to identify the priest who appeared to her.
I am glad to have been able to celebrate my anniversary mass at the shrine of Padre Pio this time as his remains will be re-interred into the tomb on September next year. I remember watching the life of Padre Pio on tv when I was a little boy and my father explained to me about his stigmata. He was not yet a saint at that time as he was canonized only in 2002.


PRAYER OF PADRE PIO

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always be in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I wish it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgement, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but, the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for. Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.

Amen

10th Anniversary

(My Ordination Logo)

Today is the 10^th Anniversary of my Sacerdotal Ordination. I celebrated the Mass in joyful thanksgiving to God for the gift of Vocation at the Mother of Mercy Grotto beneath St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. My friends Fr. Gregory Gaston and Fr. Tony Ricarte concelebrated with me. I am sharing with you my mother’s speech after my ordination (my father died two years before I was ordained):

“My Only Son- Now A Priest”

Your Excellencies- Bishop Miguel Purugganan and Co-Adjutor Bishop Sergio Utleg, Rev. Monsignori, Rev. Fathers, Beloved Friends and Relatives, Good Morning.

Where should I begin…. I do not know how to start for I have diverse feelings as I stand before you this morning- a feeling of happiness and a feeling of pensiveness. On one hand, I am happy and full of eagerness because at long last, my son’s cherished dream of reaching the goal for which he has been called has been realized. On the other hand, I should say that contrasting this feeling of gladness is a lingering anxiety due to the conspicuous absence of my late husband on this momentous event in the life of our only son.

Twenty-seven years ago, my late husband and I were both very happy and filled with enthusiasm when I gave birth to a very healthy baby boy- our second child. Our old folks were then very exuberant- arguing among themselves whom the baby boy would be like. The first thing we did was to give him a name- we got his name from the calendar which was then customary at that time- interestingly, we gave him the name of a great Pope who became a saint- St. Gregory VII. Little did we know, he is going to live up literally closer to his name- Gregorio, which also comes from the Latin word grex- which means flock. As a priest, he will be tending and guiding a flock- the Lord’s flock.

Grevy, as he is fondly called, was brought up in an atmosphere wherein he was made aware of God’s presence and love as we opened his eyes into our faith. This, for us, is our greatest achievement as his parents. He grew up like any other normal boy- playful, active and full of excitement. At such an early age we already noticed in him the earlier manifestations of the seed of vocation. I do not know if Fr. Grevy could still remember- when he was barely five years old, there is one instance which has literally manifested such an inclination. As some of you could recall, my late Mother-in-law was then the one in-charge of the maintenance of the statues of santos and santas in this Church. There was a time when she brought home the garments of those statues for laundry. Little Grevy got a hand on one of them- a white one, and fitted it into himself like a small cassock. Then, he came out running- trying to steal everyone’s attention by saying “innadda bi- Fr. Uanan baddi nga(look at me I am little Fr. Uanan)- obviously inferring himself to his uncle, “Fr. Uanan dakal”- Fr. Pacoy. At that time, also another relative, his first cousin- Fr. Edwin Ramirez was still a seminarian.

What we have noticed were confirmed when, upon graduation from elementary, he intimated unto us that he wanted to study in the minor seminary- San Jacinto Seminary in Tuguegarao. He asked us something which we could not, in any way, refuse. Thus, my late husband and I agreed to send him in that school. Relatives and friends had mixed reactions upon learning that he is entering the seminary- some said that two priests in the clan is enough. Others were concerned that no one will propagate the family name, Grevy being the only son. Nevertheless, we allowed him to pursue what he desired. We did not, in any manner, force him into it. After all, who are we to force into him or to stand against- such a craving of the heart. After the minor seminary, he decided to continue. He entered the major seminary. Again, we did not stand on his way. Neither was his decision due to our propensity. It was his vocation, not ours. At that time we are sure about his conviction and we have accepted it. The least that we could do was to support and nurture his calling and pray for his success. This we did until he has reached his goal. We are, therefore, glad that he has reached this moment in his life.

My dear son, today marks the attainment of your aspiration. You are now standing by the altar of the Lord. We share in your blissfulness on this day. Allow me then to give you some parental advises before you are plunged into the real world. You must not be engrossed about having reached the top because the priesthood entails leading and serving at the same time. The priesthood is not a career where the success is gauged by fame, wealth and gain. Look at this moment as the beginning, not the fulfillment, for it is in how you will serve that your success will be seen. Moreover, you should not claim the success- for this belongs to God whom you shall serve all your life as his instrument. Be faithful to your vocation.

Finally, as I wind up my message I would like to take the opportunity to thank the bishop and the co-adjutor bishop with the clergy of the diocese of Ilagan in welcoming my son into their fold. I did not lost a son, rather we have gained a larger family in you. To Fr. Pacoy(Fr. Uanan “dakal”) who has untiringly supported Fr. Grevy(Fr. Uanan “baddi”- no longer small literally speaking). To the seminary formators here present, who have guided my son during his seminary formation and to those who have helped my son reach his goal in one way or another, my deepest gratitude. To all of you dear friends and relatives who have graced this most awaited moment in the life of my son, Thank You Very Much!

To my dear friends on the net, please pray for me....

9th Sacerdotal Anniversary

I was ordained to the priesthood 9 years ago today. I did a sort of self-evaluation on how far have I gone on my priesthood last night. I realized that a lot of things have happened in my life as a priest. There were triumphs and there were setbacks…. There were moments of motivation and there were moments of rejection. There were challenges solved but there were more left unsolved. Amidst these contrasting experiences I can only thank the Lord for the gift of vocation. Today, the words of my mother when she was given the chance to talk on the day of my ordination (as it was customary in our diocese) reverberates in my hearing: “My dear son, today marks the attainment of your aspirations. You are now standing by the altar of the Lord. We share in your blissfulness on this day. Allow me then to give you some parental advice before you are plunged into the real world. You must not be engrossed about having reached the top because the priesthood entails leading and serving at the same time. The priesthood is not a career where the success is gauged by fame, wealth and gain. Look at this moment as the beginning, not the fulfillment, for it is in how you will serve that your success will be seen. Moreover, you should not claim the success- for this belongs to God whom you shall serve all your life as his instrument. Be faithful to your vocation.”

n.b. I celebrated my 9th year in the Priesthood with a Eucharist in one of the Grotto Chapels at the Basilica of St. Peter early this morning. With me was my ever kind and thoughtful friend- Fr. Freddie Billanes.

Ministry in the USA

We, Filipino Priests studying in Rome and residing at the Pontificio Collegio FIllipino, go for Ministry in the parishes of the Archidiocese of Newark in New Jersey during summer months of the year. This is my third year of summer ministry at the Most Blessed Sacrament in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. I arrived last June 29. I will serve here till the end of October.





On my first summer on this parish, a lot of impressions about the American culture (seen in the movies) were proven wrong. Before going to the US, I thought that American Catholics are free spirited liberals and would not give much heart on that which pertains to faith. Such wrong notion changed as soon is I got to know most of the parishioners attending the daily masses. It surprised me to see more Americans going to daily masses than in the Philippines (at least in my Diocese). But of course there are more people in Sunday masses in the Philippines.



In this parish, I have the privilege of working with Most Rev. John W. Flesey, DD (the Pastor and District Bishop for North Bergen County) and Rev. Michael Donovan (the assistant pastor).

Franklin Lakes is a high-end residential area. There are about 10 Filipino families here. But there are Filipino parishioners who come from nearby cities such as Glen Rock, N. Haledon and Wayne.

G.C. UANAN
18 July 2006