MATUNA SI YU’OSR O M A N C A T H O L I C N E W S P A P E R O F T H E A R C H D I O C E S E O F A G A Ñ A , G U A M

SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011 VOL.65 NO. 026

MATUNA SI YU’OS FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI

June 23, 2011 - In celebration of Pope Benedict’s 60th Sacerdotal Anniversary, Catholics world-wide have been asked to observe this momentous occasion with sixty hours of Eu-charistic prayer for vocations.

Because this is a special in-vitation and re-quest by the Holy Father, I am ask-ing all Catholics on Guam to begin this 60-hour journey by participating in the following Eucharistic Adoration schedule at the Cathedral-Basilica beginning on Saturday, June 25.

I am especially requesting that all pas-tors and administrators make every effort to invite parishioners and parish organizations to join in the closing Mass on June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and the actual observance of the pope’s sixtieth an-niversary to the priesthood. I likewise extend this request to our religious communities in the archdiocese. At this Mass, we will also be recognizing our young pilgrims who will be traveling to Madrid, Spain for the 2011 World Youth Day events.

As Disciples of Christ, this is an extraor-dinary opportunity to offer our prayers and sacrifice in thanksgiving to God for our Su-preme Pontiff. This is also a worthy inten-tion as we are called to “pray for the sancti-fication of the clergy and for the gift of new and holy priestly vocations.” I look forward to your participation and ask for your con-tinued prayers for our Church.

Servus tuus,Most Reverend Anthony Sablan

Apuron, O.F.M. Cap., D.D.Metropolitan Archbishop of Agaña

Following last week’s celebration of the Holy Trinity, the Church turns our at-tention in the liturgy to the Body and

Blood of Christ. On this day we give praise and thanks for the Blessed Sacrament. In this little host that is consecrated on the altar is the fullness of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Blessed Lord.

Feast ofCorpus Christi

Parishes Prepare for Processions

Exposition, Procession a Link with Faith of Past

As the Feast of Corpus Christi approaches, altar server Mia Padua of Talofofo

knows that preparation for the Cor-pus Christi procession and exposi-tion of the Blessed Sacrament has to begin early. With huts being built in the village that act as stations for the veneration of the faithful, Padua and the other altar servers at San Miguel Catholic Church know that the task of leading the transportation of the Eu-charist in the village is part of a long and honored Catholic tradition.

“We will be leading the procession, followed by the Knights of Columbus and others, and finally with Father Evo at the end with the monstrance,” explains Padua. “The people of the village come out to honor the Lord, especially at the stations. It’s really beautiful.”

As part of the preparation for the Corpus Christi procession, huts have been constructed in the village that act as stations, or places for venera-tion and worship of the Jesus in the Eucharist. Each station, or “Lanchon Kotpus,” was traditionally designed to “bring Jesus into the houses of the faithful” during this holy feast, says San Miguel Parish Council President Tom Diego.

“For this year’s celebrations, we

will visit three huts. The people ac-tually construct the huts, decorate and prepare them for the Saturday evening celebration,” he says of the devotion of the faithful in their own preparations. Diego also notes that the procession is inclusive of all of Talofofo, to include the Ipan commu-nity, who are erecting a station within the village as a sign of the faith of those who live down the hill from the main village.

Yet, Diego sees the procession as not just an act of faith and devotion, but also as an invaluable link to the traditions of the past .

“ The way we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi in Talofofo is very similar to the way it was celebrated when I was a boy, and even before that. It is very much a sacred thing, but we also want to make sure we keep the tradition alive for the next generation.”

He notes that as the years have gone by, the older generations have maintained the traditions and par-ticipate as fully as possible in the cel-ebration, but involvement by younger generation has proven to be some-thing of a challenge.

As with many other traditions, the

see FEAST Page 2

see procESSion Page 2

Photo courtesy of Audrey Rivera

AVISOHis Excellency, the Most Reverend Anthony Sablan Apu-ron, OFMCap., D.D., Metropolitan Arch-bishop of Agana, an-nounces the following appointment effective:

July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012Rev. Fr. Adrian L.F. Cristobal AdministratorOur Lady of Purification, Maina

Guam Catholics invited to observe Holy Father’s 60th Sacderdotal Anniversary with Eucharistic Adoration and Mass

Pope Benedict XVI

The Capuchin community on Guam thanks the generous donors who aided in the furnishing of the new Capuchin Postulant House in Yona.

“The good people of Guam responded so generously to our request. The house is now fully furnished” noted Fr. Eric Forbes, OFM Cap., Formation Director.

In thanksgiving, Fr. Eric and Fr. Andre Eduvala, OFM Cap. will be offering a Mass for the intentions of all the donors. In addi-tion, the postulants will pray five decades of the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament for the material and spiritual intentions of all donors and benefactors.

Postulancy is the first stage of admission to the Order. The four young men—Gavin Di-ego, Joseph Ogo, Emil Escalera, and Junee Valencia—officially begin their postulancy September 1 under the direction of Fr. Andre.

Capuchins Thank Benefactors with Masses, Prayers

June 25 5:45 a.m. Mass followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 6:00 p.m. Mass

June 28 5:45 a.m. Mass followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 6:00 p.m. Mass

June 29 5:45 a.m. Mass followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 6:00 p.m. Mass(Closing Mass highlighting the Pope’s 60th Anniversary)

June 26 5:45 a.m. Mass followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 7:00 p.m. Mass

June 27 5:45 a.m. Mass followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 6:00 p.m. Mass

Eucharistic Adoration Schedule

Emil Escalera Gavin Diego

Junee ValenciaJoseph Ogo

2 SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011GUAMMATUNA SI YU’OS

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Anthony Sablan ApuronO.F.M. Cap., D.D.

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Luz S. Oberiano

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Umatac ConfirmationPhoto credit belongs to Anika Sanchez

Sunday, JUne 12, 2011Vol. 65 No. 24

Page 5

Agat ConfirmationPhoto credited belongs to

Lawrence LucesSunday, June 19, 2011

Vol. 65 No. 25Page 3

ERRATA

younger generations seem less in-volved in the preparations of Cor-pus Christi. “As the older genera-tions get older and pass on, many of their children do not continue the traditions for a variety of rea-sons. Whatever these reasons are, we must work to keep it alive.”

“In the past, 200 worshippers or more would participate in the procession. Today, however, the number has declined to about 100, most of whom are ma’namko.

“In earlier generations we

used to have four or five Corpus Christi huts. After Mass we would have the procession in the village around the area of the church and visit the huts.

“Now as years have passed, the involvement has not been what it used to be.”

However, Diego is emphatic that the decline in the involve-ment of youth is not so much a dire circumstance as it is an op-portunity to educate the younger generations about this Catholic tradition and incorporate it as an expression of their own faith.

“The parish council of San

Miguel and the parish as a whole encourage young people to be a part of the procession. We an-nounce and invite the young at Mass, and we remind them that it is part of their Catholic heri-tage. The CCD and Confirmation students are also instructed in the tradition and invited to partici-pate in it more fully. This is a part of their Catholic education and their growth in faith as a whole.”

Diego says he understands that greater participation by youth in traditions such as the Corpus Christi procession is a work in progress, and young

people need to discover for them-selves the beauty of this link with the faith of the past. “This is a gradual, developing process. We want to strongly encourage the young people so that they want on their own to be part of the proces-sion and see the faith there.”

Even so, he says, the dignity of the occasion should not be super-seded by efforts to make the tra-dition more palatable or relevant to the culture of youth and young adults.

“We are very open to new ideas for helping to make the traditions more appealing to the younger generation, but at the same time, it must remembered that this is a solemn occasion. Ultimately, all the generations must want to make the procession their own and keep this ancient tradition alive.”

Procession: Expression of faithContinued from Page 1

This miracle of Transubstantia-tion seems to capture what we mean when we describe God’s saving acts as “ineffable.” They really do seem to be beyond words. We can try to describe them, but they always seem to fall short.

Yet, this great feast also cel-ebrates in a simpler and rather sublime way the fact of the In-carnation of the Second Person of the Trinity who truly and fully took on a human nature. The Lord Jesus was not God who ap-peared as man, nor a man who was adopted by God to be His Son, or raised up by Him to be called “Son” in a figurative sense. Instead, He is the God that fully took on human nature. He was one person with two natures, or as Archbishop Sheen used to say,

“He had two whats, and one who.”He became tired. He ate. He

got sick. He was restless. He got annoyed. He got his feelings hurt. He laughed, and He loved. If He didn’t, then how could God ever know what it is like to be us, to experience life as we experience it. If He didn’t take on our nature, it would be impossibility.

Theologians in the first cen-turies describe the necessity of Christ’s nature being fully and authentically human with the maxim, “That which was not as-sumed was not saved.” In other words, whatever in and of hu-man nature that God did not take unto Himself could not be saved or sanctified.

Such is the love of God.If He was never tired, then

weariness could not be sanctified and would have no value. If He was never hungry, then neither could hunger be sanctified, nor pain, nor illness, nor restless-ness, nor anything else that we—and He—suffer.

So be sure to celebrate this glorious feast of the love of Christ for His Church by coming to re-ceive Him who offered Himself—then and now—for our salvation.

Feast: Humanity of Christ

Continued from Page 1

3SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011 SUNDAY GOSPEL & REFLECTION

Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, O.F.M. Cap., D.D.Sisters and Brothers,

Seeing a great number of peo-ple hungry and tired, the apostles ask Jesus in the gospel of Luke to dismiss the crowd. The people must find food and shelter else-where. The apostles are just being realistic.

How can they afford to feed these people when they have so little for themselves? And yet they hear the Lord telling them, “Give them some food yourselves.” The apostles remind the Lord that they have only five loaves and two fish.

This is surely not enough. But Jesus, “taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.” This foreshadows what Jesus will do for his disciples in Jerusalem on the night before his death, when “he took the bread,

said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which will be given for you.’” Jesus takes what little they have and a grand sharing happens.

The “little” that one has is multiplied when one shares it with others. St. Luke does not say that Jesus multiplies the loaves and the fish. The miracle is that when the apostles share the little they have in the name of Jesus the crowd is able to eat their fill. There is no need after all, to look for food elsewhere. In fact, there is an abundance of leftover food fragments.

The celebration of the So-lemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ challenges us to believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life and challenges us to be generous with our resources--even when we know that hunger is rampant and our resources are limited and more than this to really believe

that Jesus is our Bread of Life.As the experience of the apos-

tles shows, our ministry is a shar-ing from poverty. We do not need to have hundreds of thousands of dollars before we can share our resources with others. Just as Je-sus in the Eucharist is broken and

shared, so we are challenged to be the body of Christ--bread to be broken and distributed to others.

May your day be filled with love and may Almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Refleksion Ibangeliu ginen Atsubispo

Annai mali’e’ un dangkolon linahyan tao-tao man-nalang yan manyayas, ma

faisen i manapostoles si Jesus gi ibangheliun San Lukas para u ritira i linahyan. Uma’espiha i taotao i na’-niha yan fanliheng-niha gi otro banda.

Mahahasso i manapos-toles hafa taimanu para umana’fanocho este siha na kantida ni siha ha mismo di-dide’ ha chinili’-niniha. Ya ma-hungok i Saina ha sangani siha,

“Hamyo na’i siha nengkanno’. Hana’hasso i manapostoles i Saina na guaha ha sinko na pida-son pan yan dos guihan.

Sen tinahhong ni este. Lao si Jesus, “ha chule’ i singko pida-son pan yan dos guihan, ya tum-alakhilu’ gi langet, ha sangan i bendision giya siha, ya hana’i i mandisipulu-na para u maplan-ta gi me’nan i linahyan.

Este ha a’atan mo’na hafa si Jesus para u cho’gue para i

mandisipulu-na giya Jerusalen gi pupuengge antes di uma-tai, annai “ha chule’ i pan, ha bendisi, ha ipe’ ya hana’i siha ilek-na ‘Este i tataotao-hu, ni para umachuda’naihon para hamyo.’”Ha chule’ si Jesus i dididde’ na guinahan-niha ya undangkolon manappatte ma-susedi.

I “didide’” ni iyo-na i unu ma muttiplika yanggen manappatte yan i pumalu. Ti ha sangan si San Lukas na ha muttiplika si Jesus i pan yan guihan. I mila-gru guiya ayu annai i manapos-toles ma patte i dinidide’-niha gi na’an Jesus ya sina i linahyan mano’cho manhaspok. Ti man-isisita manmanespiha neng-kanno’ gi otro lugat. Gi magahet, meggai sopblan-niha despues.

I silebrasion i Solemnen Gupot i Tataotao yan Haga’ Jesu Kristo ha u’uga hit para ta fangeftao yan i guinaha-ta--maseha ta tungo’ ha na i

ninalang famta’ ya i guinaha-ta didide’ ha, yan mas ki este para ta hongge na guiya si Jesu Kristo i pan i Lina’la’.

Taimanu i ekspiriensian i manapostoles ha fana’nu’i hit, i ministro-ta i para ta fanapatte ginen i pinepble-ta. Ti ta nisisita para ta fan gai’iyu sientos mit pesos antes di ta fanapatte ni guinaha-ta. Taimanu ha si Jesu Kristo gi Eukaristiha ha ufresi gue’ komu i Pan i Lina’la’ yan ha ipe’ yan ha patte, pues hita lok-kue manma’u’uga para ta hong-ge na guiya i Pan i Lina’la’ yan para ta fan tataotao yan haga’ Jesu Kristo--i pan ni para u ma ipe’ yan manmana’i pumalu.

Ohalara mohan ya u bula guinaiya i ha’anen-miyu ya i todu hana’sina na Yu’os infambi-nendisi gi na’an i Tata yan i Lahi-na yan i Espiritu Santo. Amen.

Gupot I Tataotao Yan Haga Jesu KristoiBangheliu (Juan 6:51-58)

Ilek-na si Jesus ni Manhu-dios, “Guahu mismo i lala’la’ na pan ni matto ginen i langet. Hayi i kumanno’ este na pan u taihinek-kok lina’la’-na; i pan ni para bai na’innaihon guiya ennao i sensen-hu, para I lina’la’ i tano’.” An-nai mahungok este i Manhudios manatgumento entre siha, ilek-niniha, “Taimanu para na’i’-na ni sensen-na para makanno’? Put ennao na ilek-na si Jesus nu siha:

“Maila’ ya bai asigura hamyo ni minagahet, yanggen ti in kanno’ i sensen i Lahen i Taotao ya ti in gimen i haga’-na, u taya’ lina’la’-miyu Ayu i chumocho ni sensen-hu yan gumimen I haga’-hu u la’la’ para siempre, ya guahu

bai na’kahulo’ gue’ gi uttimo na ha’ani. Sa’ i sensen-hu magahet na nengkanno’ yan I haga’-hu magahet na gimen. I taotao ni chumocho ni sensen-hu yan gu-mimen ni haga’-hu sumasaga giya guahu, yan guahu giya guiya.

Taimanu ha’ si Tata ni guaha lina’la’-na ha na’hanao yu’ ya gua-hu guaha ina’la’-hu sa’ put si Tata, taiguennao ha’ i taotao ni chumo-cho nu guahu u gailina’la’ gue’ sa’ put guahu.

Estague’ i pan ni matto papa’ ginen i langet. Ti parehu yan i manainan-miyu ni manocho lao manmatai ha’, i taotao ni chumo-cho guini na pan u la’la’ para todu i tiempo.

Catholic Charities Appeal

4 SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011

Many Catholics are under the impression that the Church as a matter of

doctrine favors, or to put it more bluntly “takes sides,” with the poor against the rich. In other words, the emphasis on social justice for the poor necessitates that the rich be held accountable for their poverty due to an injustice done to those who are not as fortunate.

This assumption, doctrinally or otherwise, is false. The Church has never--as a matter of theory or practice--attempted to demonize those who have succeeded in growing in wealth. That is the position of well-intentioned souls who mis-understand the reality of the situation. Such an approach is contrary to the Gospel’s understand-ing of the role of wealth for the Church or the in-dividual, and several of the Lord’s parables make use of the wealthy businessman or landowner as the protagonist of the story.

Instead, the Church always seeks what is known as “the common good.” The common good is by definition something intrinsically good in and of itself and is equally assessable to all. This means that if one segment of the popula-tion enjoys this good, then it does not diminish the overall good nor take away from the partici-pation of others in that good. In other words, if you have wealth, then your wealth should not lead to the diminishment of the wealth or the good of others.

This is precisely what Pope Benedict XVI means in his call for business leaders to aid in the bringing about of economic justice for work-ers and for the poor. It is not a statement that the

rich are evil or commit evil by the act of being or becoming wealthy.

Business is in itself a vocation, rather like the vocation of being a parent or a spouse. The argu-ment could be made that God has indeed “given” some people the vocation of business. This voca-tion, to include wealth generation, does not mean attaining economic gain for its own sake nor especially the love of wealth. Instead, it means building wealth for the sake of the adding to the overall good.

It is obvious that the poor benefit most when jobs are readily attainable and wages are not only just but sufficient for comfort. As it stands, these economic conditions exist best when business is not only profitable but flourishing. In that sense, the poor benefit when the business owner befits. When he or she acts justly, it is the business own-er who in effect provides the material means for the success of all.

The rich have the responsibility to use their wealth wisely as well as justly. To this end, the vast majority of charitable organizations—to in-clude Catholic organizations—receive the bulk of their funds from the wealthy. We must re-member, though, that their vocation as business leaders (as well as funders of corporal works of mercy) merits great respect for the fulfillment of that responsibility. They are not necessarily the enemy of economic justice; they are one of the means by which God provides for those most in need.

Please send comments or reaction to letters@umatuna.org.

“the Business Vocation”From the Editor’s Desk

Abortion Counseling Hotline: 777 – 5433The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Academy of Our Lady of Guam Academy of Our Lady of Guam is ac-cepting applications for School Year 2011-2012. Application fee must be paid upon submission of application: $30.00 for new students or $40.00 for returning students. Application forms are available at the school’s Business Office or can be downloaded online at www.aolg.edu.gu. Call 477-8203 for more information.

New Student Picnic, Tues., July 5, 2011, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the school garden. Games, fun, and food provided. Call 477-8203 for more information.

Cathedral-Basilica Learn more about your Catholic Faith. A Study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sponsored by the Catholic Evidence Guild of Guam, is held every Monday night, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Cathe-dral-Basilica Gift Shop. All are welcome. There is no charge or commitment.

Notre Dame High School is now accepting registration applications. Placement tests are available Tuesdays and Thursdays during the months of June and July, by appointment only. Please call 789-1676/77/1717/1745 for more information, or visit us online at ndhsguam.com.

Santa Barbara Catholic School Enrollment for K4-8th grade for School year 2011-2012 now on-going. Enrollment for Summer School Program at SBCS is ongoing. Summer School starts June 13-July 12, 2011. Courses offered: Incoming Kinder program, Remedial Math, Singaporean Math, Lan-guage Arts, Science, Art and Basketball Clinic. Call 632-5578 or visit www.santabarbaraschool.org for more details.

San Vicente Catholic School now accepting registration for School Year2011-2012 for Pre K 3 - 8th Grade. Registration forms are available at our school’s Business Office. Please contact 735-4240 for more information.

Workshop for Choir Directors and Music Leaders | Music in Liturgy and The New Roman Missal Saturday, July 23, 2011 9am - 12pm at the John Paul II the Great Center for Evangelization - Resource Center. Registration Fee: $5.00 Space is limited. To register and for more info, please call 472-6116. Music Subcommittee, Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.

TOP: The 2011 Confirmation Candidates of Niño Perdido y Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Catholic Church in Asan are pictured with Most. Rev. Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap. D. D., pastor of Asan Parish Fr. Antonino Caminiti and Deacon Larry Claros after the Confirmation Eucharistic Celebration on Friday, June 17, 2011. “This marks their belief that they really, truly want to be witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and follow the teachings of the Church,” said Asan confirmation teacher Pat Taitano.

RIGHT: Godparents participate in the “Laying of the Hands” as Most. Rev. Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap. D. D. leads the blessing of the candidates during the Eucharistic Celebra-tion at the Niño Perdido y Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Catholic Church in Asan on Friday, June 17, 2011. The “Laying of the Hands” blessing asks the Holy Spirit to be the confirma-tion candidates’ helper and guide to give them the spirit of wisdom, understanding, right judgement, courage, knowledge, and reverence.

Photo by Jennifer Louise Dulla

Photo by Gregory Chaco Rodriguez

ASANCELEBRATESCONFIRMATION

5SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011 GUAM

Yona, Guam - June 15, 2011 - Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., D.D., con-

ferred the Ministry of Acolyte to five seminarians during the cele-bration of Mass at the Chapel of the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary in Yona on Tuesday, June 14 at 6 PM. These five seminarians are being trained towards the Sacred Priesthood at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yona, and hail from several countries.

The installation of the five new acolytes for the Archdiocese of Agana was indeed a beautiful cel-ebration where the seminary com-munity, friends and benefactors were able to bless God for the gift of vocations to the ministerial Priest-hood. The ministry of acolyte for the seminarians is an important step in their formation towards the Sacred Priesthood.

The acolyte is one of the minis-tries – known in the past as “minor orders” – that precede the call to Holy Orders. Before the reform of Paul VI dated August 15, 1972, the acolytes were considered part of the clergy, even though they had not received the Holy Orders. Through this ministry, the candi-dates are mandated to assist priests and deacons at the altar, and serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion both at Holy Mass and as they visit the sick.

Acolytes are just few steps away from being admitted to Holy Or-ders (admissio) and then, if the Church deems them ready, they will receive the Ordination to the Diaconate and finally, when their intellectual and spiritual formation will be completed, they will be or-dained priests for the Archdiocese of Agana.

The five men who were in-stalled as acolytes are: César Javier Izaguirre González (Ni-caragua), Harold Colorado Pri-eto (Colombia), Juan José Santos Hernández Mejía (Mexico), Juan Alberto Gómez Franyutti (Mexico), and Wilmer Alexander Chirino González (Venezuela). During his homily Archbishop Apuron invited the candidates to take seriously the mission they are called to, as we live challenging times that demand from the clergy a higher sense of responsibility, willingness to serve and holiness of life.

The celebration closed with a fraternal meal with friends and benefactors at the Seminary’s re-fectory. Once again the joy and gratitude to God filled the atmo-sphere as the Seminary celebrated these five seminarians’ step closer to Holy Orders. May God continue to bless our Archdiocese of Agana with young men who say “yes” to God’s call of announcing the Good News of Jesus anywhere in the world.

Five seminarians closer on their journey towards Sacred PriesthoodOn Tuesday, June 14, 2011, five seminarians were installed as acolytes during the celebration of Mass at the Chapel of Redemtoris Mater Archdiocesan Mission-ary Seminary in Yona by Most Rev. Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., D.D. Pictured (L-R) are Harold Colorado Prieto (Colombia), Juan Alberto Gómez Franyutti (Mexico), Juan José Santos Hernández Mejía (Mex-ico), Wilmer Alexander Chirino González (Venezuela), and César Javier Izaguirre González (Nicara-gua).

Seminarian José Santos Hernández Mejía (Mexico) kneels before Most Rev. Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., D.D., Rector Fr. Pablo Ponce Rodri-guez, and formators of the Seminary during the confer-ral to the Ministry of Acolyte celebration on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary Chapel. The ministry of acolyte for the seminarians is an important step in their formation towards the Sacred Priesthood.

Photos by the Redemptoris Mater Seminary

6 SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011

It’s a common accusation leveled at some who seem to pay little heed to their faith outside of Sunday Mass. Certainly, only God can judge the heart, but the alle-gation still resonates.

There are many reasons why one might neglect his or her faith during the week, but perhaps one reason could be simply a trans-lation problem. At the end of the Mass, we are told “The Mass is ended, go in peace.” There’s something about that word “ended”, you know, like, “We’re done for this Sun-day...out a here...let’s go to brunch””, and so on.

Sometimes we hear “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” That’s perhaps a little more of an encouragement to con-tinue one’s faith life beyond the church doors (“serve the Lord”), but it still feels like “Have a good week and see you next Sunday”.

The Latin text from which these dis-missal phrases derive is “Ite, missa est”, which literally translates: “Go, sent is.” Hmmm. “Go, sent is”. What to make of this? The Catholic Dictionary tells us that

“Ite, missa est” is “one of the most ancient Roman formulae, as can be seen by its ar-chaic and difficult expression”, and notes that even medieval commentators were

“much exercised to explain the meaning of the strange expression.”

Modern translators seem to have been just as “much exercised” since they settled for a transliteration rather than a strict translation. But even as a transliteration,

or a paraphrase, it still must have missed the mark because a new translation of these words is forthcoming in the Roman Missal Third Edition (coming this Advent).

The word “missa” (sent) seems to be the key. A closer transliteration would be “Go, you are sent”, or “Go, this is your mission”. That the versicle doesn’t have the extra words to flesh out the instruction is prob-ably due to a very early and natural short-ening of the phrase - of which the rest of the words would have been known for anyone who heard it: a sort of “see ya then” instead of “I will see you tomorrow at ten o’clock in the morning”.

So why all the wrestling with the phrase? Because herein lies our marching orders for the rest of the week. Far from being ended, our mission, at Mass end, has just begun. We are sent, not just dismissed. At Mass we have been nourished and fortified by the Word of God proclaimed and the Word of God made flesh. You might say, we just had our breakfast of champions and now its time to go out there and score a few points for the team. It’s a sort of “GO, GET ‘EM!”

One might imagine how in the early days of Christianity, the words “Ite, missa est” meant a little more to those who were about to be dragged into an arena and eaten than for those of us today for whom those words mean only “We’re done, let’s eat.”

But of course, they don’t mean that. In the Mass, heaven is made manifest. And at the words “Go, sent is”, we are to go and make heaven manifest to the world, “sanc-tify the temporal order”, bring Christ to the public square, that sort of thing. Thus the title of this weekly column, which will focus on our responsibilities beyond the church doors, will be titled “ITE, MISSA EST”, for herein lies our command and our “mission possible”.

CHURCH & PUBLIC FORUM

In the past several weeks, we witnessed in the different parishes across our island several groups of 7-8 year olds receiving their First Holy Communion. It is such a sight to see these young children full of ex-citement receive the Body of Christ for the first time. With such innocence and purity of mind,we imagine as we once experienced ourselves their anxious feeling as they make their way before their parish Priest, possibly with beating hearts, as they come to receive their Lord in this Great Sacra-ment. What great faith God has given these children.

The feast of the Body and Blood of Christ that we celebrate today is one of the greatest public Eucharistic devotions to Christ’s real presence-- Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity--in the Blessed Sacrament. It is a feast whereby we publicly display our belief in Jesus’ real presence in the Sacra-ment of the Holy Eucharist. It is a unique Sacrament in that it is not only received by the faithful, but is also a Sacrament to be adored and venerated. It is the Sacrament of God Himself.

Although Jesus is veiled to our sense of sight in the accidents of bread and wine, He reveals himself to us in a much deeper sense. He reveals himself to our Faith, but at the same time, as someone physically present in our midst and not someone from a distant land who walked the earth some 2000 years ago. As Catholics we believe that at the Last Supper, and at each Mass where his priest carries out His command

to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we re-call the event when our Blessed Lord took bread and wine, gave thanks and blessed it , and said “This is my Body.”

“This is my Blood”, The very words of Jesus supernaturally transform bread and wine into the substance of His Body and Blood. Even when the accidents remain bread and wine, they are seen by the eyes of Faith to be Jesus’s Body and Blood, not just symbols of Them. As Catholics, we have to consider ourselves very fortunate

to receive such grace from God to have faith as little children and believe in Je-sus’s true Presence in this Sacrament--even when our sense of sight and taste deceive us. We place complete trust in Jesus’ very words. Jesus assured St. Thomas and the Apostles as he does all believers: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have be-lieved.” (Jn20:29)

As we process from one Lanchon Cor-pus to the other in our parishes, honoring our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we should remember that in these actions, we establish a deeper union, a closer presence and a fuller life with our Lord, who willed

as in the story of the “Emmaus Account” (Lk24:13-35) to be made known to those he loved in the breaking of the bread.

Blessed be Jesus in the most holy sacra-ment of the Altar.

By Roland MondiaFor the U Matuna si Yu’os

‘Sunday Catholics’By Tim RohrFor the U Matuna si Yu’os

Ite, Missa Est

Corpus et Sanguis Christi

“It is a feast whereby we publicly display our belief in Jesus’ real presence in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. “

7SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011 DEVOTION & SPIRITUALITY

In Guam and in Saipan, ba-sic food such as bread and water is no problem.

However, for many people in the outer islands and other isolated parts of the world, it still is. They can understand better than we can that it is a real sign of love and care when God intervenes to feed his people. For them, water and bread are a question of life and death.

But we are often hungry and thirsty for more than just water and bread. In much of today’s modern society, we suffer from hunger and thirst, not necessarily for food but for companionship, love, concern, mercy, and respect.

I stop by the Hagatna Post Office every weekday morning to pick up my mail (bills). Ev-ery once in a while, there will be a homeless person sitting at the entrance asking for money. Most people just ignore him or her and walk on by. You know the drill – look away and pretend that they’re not there. Last Wednesday, it was a middle-aged lady holding onto a small bag and her walking cane. I don’t know why I did it, but as I walked toward the entrance, I smiled her and wished her a good morning. She looked at me and asked me for a dollar, to which I responded that I don’t give people money, but that I could run to MacDonalds and get her breakfast if she wanted one. She said yes, so I made a U-turn and picked up a couple of Egg McMuffin breakfast meals, one for her and one for me later.

I returned to the Post Of-fice and dropped off her break-fast, showed her what it was, and learned that her name was “Toni” (not her real name, of course). I went in to check my box and found that I did not have any bills. Al-ready, it’s starting to be my lucky day.

On the way out, Toni was hap-pily eating her breakfast and sip-ping her coffee. I guess that’s why it’s called a “Happy Meal.” I said goodbye and told her to take care of herself. She mumbled some-thing that I couldn’t quite hear, so I asked her to repeat. She said,

“You’re a good man.” I just thanked her and told her I’d be praying for her that day. She looked like she was close to tearing. I felt good on my way to work that morning.

Then I started asking myself, what did Toni appreciate more? The Egg McMuffin and coffee or the few seconds I spent talking with her and showing her Chris-tian companionship, love, con-cern, mercy, and respect. Our First Reading (Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a) tells us that many people think that life is based on satisfying their appetites. If they can earn enough money to dress, eat, and play in high style, they think they

are living “the good life.” But such things do not satisfy our deepest longings and in the end they leave us empty and dissatisfied. A good life comes from a commitment to God and that requires discipline, sacrifice, and hard work. That’s why most people never find the good life that satisfies.

In the Second Reading (1 Cor 10:16-17), Paul suggests that the idea of unity and fellowship with God through eating a sacrifice was strong in Judaism and Christian-ity as well as in paganism. In Old Testament days, when a Jew of-fered a sacrifice, he ate a part of that sacrifice as a way of restoring his unity with God, against whom he had sinned. Similarly, Chris-tians participate in Christ’s sacri-fice when they eat His body and blood under the signs of bread and wine.

In the Gospel (Jn 6:51-58) , the Jews ask how can Jesus give his flesh as bread to eat? For us, to eat living bread means to accept Christ into our lives and become united with him. We are united with Christ in two ways: (1) by be-lieving in his death and resurrec-tion and (2) by devoting ourselves to living as he requires.

One of the signs of God’s love is his desire that his people be nourished. Nourishment speaks not just of eating, but of being fed in a way that builds us up and strengthens us. Food, after all, is about more than eating. You can eat junk food any time, but how much it will nourish you is an open question.

Christ comes to us in the Eu-charist, and afterwards in the tab-ernacle, He stays with us. Quite simply, He gives us his company. He is always there to hear us and to spend time quietly with us.

Corpus Christi is a wonderful chance for us to reflect on how Christ nourishes us. I would like to think, for example, that it was more important to Toni for me to say a few words to her. Or, for people who are in a hospital or in prison to have visitors, or how we all yearn at times for someone to visit us. My daughter Aulii and granddaughter Isla Rose are visit-ing from Walnut Creek for a week, and I’m just enjoying the emotion-al nourishment.

Have a nice week!

“The Food That Nourishes”

Gerald A.Taitano

Living The Scriptures

It is not money that makes the world go round, but love that makes the world even rounder. For wherever you go if you are a loving per-

son you have the world with you, you have friends to support you and you have your loving heart to recycle and purify dirty words and cold attitudes into praises and warm embrace. It’s easier said than done you may say, but not impossible to do with God’s help I would say.

What is there that bars us from getting together? What is there that creates distance among us when we are only some heartbeats away from each other? Is it jealousy, pride or selfishness? What actions and words that inflict lasting injury on some people’s hearts? Is it in-sult, embarrassment or humiliation? What is it that divides us? Is it discrimination, competition or in-difference? These are some of the endless questions many of us have been trying to figure out and resolve as they are perhaps currently happening in our fami-lies, groups and organizations be it religious or civil. It seems that there’s no illumination ahead, the only light is darkness and conflict goes on.

Perhaps some of the very sensible questions to ask are: Am I the cause of division because of my at-titude? Am I a barrier to peace and reconciliation be-cause of my pride and self-serving life style? Haven’t I done away with past heartaches and heartbreaks? It pays to remember that we are all loved by God, our many sins and ingratitudes do not diminish His love for us. This realization will help unburden our negative feelings, purify our minds and clear up our negative emotions.

Last June 17, 2011, Friday evening, I was invited to bless the table at a surprise party dinner tendered by friends, family, relatives, co-works and associates at Marriot Hotel for a person celebrating her 60th birthday. The atmosphere was suspenseful with ev-eryone gathered inside the thinly lighted room wait-ing for the celebrant to come in. She had no knowl-edge at all about the big party waiting for her, and when she came in and lights were turned on, she was mesmerized and awed by what was laid before her very eyes: the tremendous demonstration and out-pouring of love. The efforts, time and talents put up

together by friends for the occasion were edifying and electrifying. There was not a single dull moment but the whole period was lavished with laughter, cheers, pleasantries, songs, dances, sumptuous food, slide shows and many others. It was truly a moment to remember, a moment defines who she is, a lov-ing and generous person, whose love-investment is beginning to grow and bearing fruit. I still recall the beautiful dictum in our Spanish class that says; “ Amor con amor se paga “ ( love begets love).

What about you? Is your investment focused mainly on things that last only for a certain period such as legacy or monument? One of the best feel-ings we can ever have is to realize that we have loved and being loved. Let us remember too that love is not for sale nor not to be hoarded within but to be given out and shared. Whatever our hands touch, we leave fingerprints, as we touch, we leave our identity. May God help us leave heart prints of love and compas-sion, understanding, kindness and generosity. And may someone feel God’s touching love through you and me. Amen on that folks!!

In her Diary entry no. 532, St. Faustina wrote Je-sus’ words; “ I find pleasure not in large buildings and magnificent structures but in a pure and humble heart.”

Tune in to KOLG 90.9 FM for the Divine Mercy prayer at 3 p.m. daily. Recite the Chaplet of Mercy for peace in the world and conversion of sinners.

Thanks to Rita Reyes and family for the presenta-tion of the Divine Mercy and veneration of the sacred relic of St. Faustina in their home in Mongmong last Sunday afternoon, June 19,2011. Likewise, to the Di-vine Mercy prayer team for your faithfulness in our Sunday afternoon Divine Mercy Divine Mercy home apostolate. May the good Lord continue to bless you and your families with the abundance of His love and mercy.

To arrange for Divine Mercy home presentation, prayer and veneration of the sacred relic of St. Faus-tina, please contact Amy Borja at 472-7778. Thank you.

Pilgrimage

Due to the invitation from Cracow, Poland for the Second World Congress On Divine Mercy on October 1-5, 2011, we have moved our Divine Mer-cy Pilgrimage to September 19 . Join us to Lourdes, Paris, Miraculous Medal, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ei-ffel Tower, see the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette Souberous in Nevers, visit the house of St. Therese of Lisseux, Nice, Tolouse, Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne, Switzerland, Shrine of the Infant of Prague, Czecho-slovakia, Vienna, Austria, Divine Mercy Shrine, Cra-cow, Poland, house of Pope John Paul 11, Shrine of the Black Madonna, and more. For further informa-tion, please contact Lou Salas at 477-8079, Anne Marie at 649-3221, or Fr. Joel de los Reyes at 649-9464. Thank you.

InvestIn LoveBy Fr. Joel De Los ReyesFor the U Matuna si Yu’os

8 SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011LOOKING FORWARD

T his week, as we move out of the great Sunday feasts that are celebrated imme-diately after Pentecost and

into the cycle of Ordinary Time, we discover several memorials that draw our attention not only to great devotions of the Church, but also to early saints who of great importance for the Church.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (Egypt) was the patriarch of that city dur-ing the time of the Nestorian here-sy, which asserted in essence that Christ was not only of two natures but was two “persons” at the same time. He is one of the great Fa-thers of the Church who worked diligently to eliminate heresies from his patriarchate. Celebrated

particularly in the Eastern Church-es today, he is a rather recent ad-dition to the Latin Catholic calen-dar, being added only in the 19th Century.

St. Irenaeus was one of the great Apostolic Fathers of the Church. Originally from Asia Mi-nor (Turkey), he was a younger associate of St. Polycarp, a mar-tyr who was himself a disciple of St. John the Apostle. St. Irenaeus became active in Gaul (France), particularly in the region of Lyon, eventually becoming the bishop there after a persecution of Chris-tians martyred his predecessor. St. Irenaeus is most famous for his writings against the heresy of Gnosticism, which offered a false

version of Christianity that taught that material creation was evil in itself, among other false beliefs.

The Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul celebrates these two great “Princes of the Apostles” as the great foundational pillars of the Church. Although St. Peter is normally given greater emphasis on this day in the Latin Church, the celebration of these two saint in common reminds us of the great work they performed to-gether, including martyrdom of each in Rome.

Similarly, the memorial of the First Martyrs of the See of Rome recalls those Christians who suf-fers the initial persecutions in Rome, particularly during the reign of the Emperor Nero. After much of Rome was destroyed, many Roman citizens began to blame Nero for the fire. In an at-tempt to deflect the blame, the emperor (according to the pagan Roman writer Tacitus) arrested large groups of Christians. Upon sentencing, most were put to

death by crucifixion, as victims for bloodsport, or by being burned alive.

July 1 finds the Church cel-ebrating the mercy of Christ in the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This devotion, dating back to the Middle Ages and was pro-moted by such saints as St. Mar-garet Mary Alacoque and St. John Eudes, emphasizes a devotion to Christ in His human nature and His merciful sharing in our human life.

Similarly, we celebrate the Im-maculate Heart of Mary on July 2, which emphasizes the joys and sorrows of the Blessed Mother in her love for humanity and the fulfillment of the will of the Fa-ther. The image of the Immaculate Heart often includes her heart pierced with swords (in accor-dance with the prophesy of Sime-on as found in the Gospel of Luke).

The staff of Umatuna Si Yu’os wishes you a safe and blessed week.

LOOKINGforward...

June 27MONDAY

June 28TUESDAY

June 29WEDNESDAY

June 30THURSDAY

July 1FRIDAY

July 2SATURDAY

July 3SUNDAY

(Memorial)

(Memorial)

(Solemnity)

(Solemnity)

St. Cyril ofAlexandria

St. Irenaeus

Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles

The First Martyrs of the See of Rome

* Saint’s feast day but not a celebrated memorial on Guam.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Immaculate Heart of Mary

14th Sunday ofOrdinary Time

Memorials This Week

A few years ago a German di-rector by the name of Philip Groning went behind the

scenes of Grande Chartreuse, the great French monastery of the Carthusian Order. Off and on throughout an entire year, he documented the mode of life of this, the strictest form of Roman Catholic monasticism—so strict, in fact, that in the nearly 1000 years of Carthusian existence, there has never once been a re-form of the Order. One was never needed, and let’s face it: you can-not be more monastic than that.

The film, called “Into Great Silence” (“Die Grosse Stille” in German), is a 169 minute immer-sion into this radically monastic life. It is a life of stillness, of con-templation, and of abstinence from speaking (except for the few permitted times during the course of the year). The docu-mentary captures the sounds of this silence: the crackle and pop of a fire on the hearth, the sound of a pen scratching out its words on the page, the angelic chanting of the psalms that seems some-how to transfix its hearers.

“Into Great Silence” is, in short, as breathtaking as it is simple. It is also quite likely the most bor-ing film I have ever watched.

I admit it. Critics loved it, and the devout acclaim it as almost otherworldly. Yet, the fact re-mains that about 45 minutes into the film, I was already wandering into the kitchen in search of a snack, and I wasn’t even hungry.

I was fidgety. Yes, you can roll your eyes

at what appears to be my lack of spiritual depth, but that would be to miss the subtler point. Most of us today simply cannot be still for very long. It’s just that sim-ple. Besides, it’s one thing to be silent, but quite another to spend over two hours watching people being silent.

I of course recognize that we long for this silence, and we crave this ineffable stillness with which the Carthusians are so steeped. There is even a group (and I’m not making this up) who desire to form an organiza-tion that might best be called “lay Carthusians”—a group of secular laymen and women like you and me who desire to practice this stillness in their ordinary lives as husbands, wives, parents, and professionals.

I find this odd because being a Carthusian precisely means withdrawing completely from the world, and the vocation of the laity is quite the opposite. It seems to me then that the idea of a group of secular Carthusians makes about as much sense as starting a radio station for the deaf. It sounds noble, but it’s doomed to fail.

But this doesn’t change our desire for silence. So what makes the Carthusians so different, so appealing, besides their com-pletely unique vocational call? Is it simply a matter of adjustment to silence, like getting acclima-tized to humidity on Guam? Or is there something more there? Can we attain it with a weekend

retreat or just driving without the radio on?

No matter what, for the ma-jority of us, we are inundated with email, Facebook, Twitter, and all other manner of social media. We receive who-knows-how-many texts a day, and that little ding that alerts us practi-cally screams its demand to be checked. You never know if that status update might be really re-ally important this time.

And just when I think about lamenting the fact that in our modern situation we are inca-pable of practicing this lost art of silence, I am confronted by a curious happening that is, and has been, taking place on Guam, on the mainland, and throughout the world.

Its name? Eucharistic Adora-tion.

In light of the overall decline of our traditions since Vatican II, you would think that the Holy Hour would have ceased to be anything but a relic of the past that only older generations with their outdated piety prac-ticed. That, at least, is what many

“modern” Catholics like to think. Happily, it’s not a reflection of piety; it is perhaps the greatest gift given to the modern Church by past generations.

It’s interesting to note that in dioceses throughout the US, those who have implemented Perpetual Adoration in their par-ishes have found that those par-ishes have flourished. Vocations have increased (and in some cas-es, skyrocketed). Financial con-cerns for these parishes have all but disappeared. Daily Masses are crowded, and Sunday Mass has become a standing-room-only affair.

One obvious case of this is Ave Maria University in Florida (my alma mater). Every dorm has an Adoration Chapel that al-most always has someone there. The Perpetual Adoration Chapel established for that express pur-pose on campus has students vis-iting the Lord at 1:00 a.m. on a Friday night/Saturday morning. The same goes for the Oratory, the university’s very large church. Remember, this is a university, not a monastery or the com-

pound of a cult. And yet, in the midst of this university life with young adults doing young adult things, there is adoration going on. In silence.

I would say it’s miraculous, but it’s not. It’s Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Yes, that is a miracle in itself, of course, but my point is that we should not be surprised that where He is honored, loved, and adored, there is also an outpour-ing of graces. The Holy Spirit moves there in a particularly spe-cial way.

The irony of all of this is that these good people who “give an hour,” be it on Guam or else-where, do so in the quiet stillness of adoration. There is no monas-ticism here nor renunciation of the duties of family life or profes-sion. There are no vows of with-drawal nor even of silence.

There is just a human being keeping company with the Lord.

Even with myself and all the distractions and complications and the good-old-fashioned

“busy-ness” of everyday life, the art of silence is not really lost; it’s just not practiced a regularly as it should be. It’s common enough that even if we remember our need to be silent, we forget how to be silent. That includes me.

It’s a blessed thing to be Catholic. I have so many sisters and brothers right here on Guam showing me how every day in chapels all over the island. And the best part is that they teach me without ever saying a word.

Please send any comments to jeff@umatuna.org.

Parting Thoughts The Not-So-Lost Art of SilenceA parishioner keeps a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament at St. Dionisio Church, Umatac.

By Jeffrey L. FitzgeraldU Matuna si Yu’os