SCJ Philippine District

Christ, as we begin this season of Lent, help us to open our hearts, minds and souls so we may transformed within. You have given us your teachings and your own life as a model of compassion, mercy and forgiveness; may we reflect on these more deeply as we prepare for the hope of Easter.

Help me to love you, Lord, and heed your voice as I listen intently to your scriptures and the social doctrine of your Chruch. Help me to always choose life and fulfillment by choosing the way of solidarity with everyone in the global community. May this Lent be a time when I move closer to understanding how I can live out your callings and challenges and how I can recognize myself as a part of your human family.


Thank you for the light you have given me, Creator, and guide me during this season of Lent, so I can reflect on your call and respond to your healing teachings. Help me to share my talents and gifts to build your Kingdom, where the hungry are fed and the oppressed are set free.


Lord, I trust in your promise to guide me and give me a rich inner life when I follow your call to share my bread with the hungry and help the afflicted. I delight in your goodness and the wisdom of our Church.


I give thanks for your unending love, Creator and Lord. You nourish my soul and I grow in knowledge, spirit and discernment as I listen to your teachings. I long to be ever more authentically human and to be open to the work of transforming structures and systems that prevent others from being fully human.


You invite us to follow you, Lord, and challenge us to love all your children, especially the poor, the marginalized, and even the sinners. Help us not to retreat in fear from them, but give us the courage to truly look at your least ones and to see you in them. We trust in your liberating mercy for all of us.


You nurture us as a loving parent, O God, and you delight in our creativity. Forgive us when we do not use this gift to build up your Kingdom; free us to work in joy and with our full powers to sow the seeds of truth, justice and peace.


Create in us a renewed and open heart, O Lord, and help us not remain indifferent to social injustice anywhere in your world. Help us shape the words "justice" and "peace" and teach us to use them daily so we can proclaim your goodness.


Dear God, your commandment to love our neighbor is so simple and so difficult. Guide us through the complexities of responding to this commandment and grow us in love.


Peace you offer us, Lord, but we so often turn away. Deepen our desire for peace every day, and help us be open to promoting peace every day.


You came to us in love, O Lord, and you offered yourself up to suffer and die out of love for us. Give us a love that is as wide as the whole world and let us rejoice in this love.

O Jesus, you place on my forehead
the sign of my sister Death:
"Remember you are dust,
and to dust you shall return."
How not hear her wise advice?
One day my life on earth will end;
the limits on my years are set,
though I know not the day or hour
Shall I be ready to go to meet you?
Let this holy season be a time of grace
for me and all this world.
"Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart."
O Jesus, you place on my forehead
the sign of your saving Cross:
"Turn from sin and be faithful
to the gospel."
How can I turn from sin
unless I turn to you?
You speak, you raise your hand,
you touch my mind and call my name,
"Turn to the Lord your God again."
These days of your favor
leave a blessing as you pass
on me and all your people.
Turn to us, Lord God,
and we shall turn to you.
Amen.

Lord,
you know your own,
those who love you,
those who walk in your footsteps,
those who call your name
with love and hope.

Be with those this day
in their beds of sickness,
those who you will take home,
those who you will give healing
those who will linger
in that twilight
until they are ready for the next step.

Tonight, I ask
especially that you watch over your servant
John Paul
who has worked until his body
has grown twisted and weary,
his heart, though, bright with your light.
And in this time of acute sickness,
hold his hand,
comfort him,
and be with him
and all others in such need of you.

Amen.

There are only 90 days left to the beatification of our Founder Fr. Leo John Dehon. The ceremony is going to take place in Rome on April 24, 2005. Below are the links to the english articles presenting the person of our Founder.



Fr. Heiner Wilmer scj: The Primacy of Character Leo Dehon’s Educational Maxims

Fr. John Czyzynski scj: Father Dehon a Man of Oblation through Love

Fr. Paul McGuire scj: The Role of Spiritual Direction in the unfolding of Leo Dehon’s Charism as a Founder

Fr. Paul McGuire scj: Freedom, Equality, Participation: how Leo Dehon Anticipated Changes in Official Catholic Social Teachings

Reading of the Decree of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints

We wish all the best to Fr. Giuseppe Pierantoni, who today celebrates his birthday. God bless you always!

Our best wishes to Deacon Arthur "Totong" Guevara, SCJ on his birthday! May God guide and bless you always!

Today, the SCJ District in the Philippines started its annual assembly. During four days the members of the District will evaluate their activities and plan new ones. The assembly is attended by the General Councillor Fr. Andreas Madya Srijanto, scj and is going to finish on January 14, 2005.

Today at 12:15, the father of Fr. Rino Venturin, Aurelio Venturin, peacefully passed away. According to the information, passed by Fr. Rino, the funeral is scheduled on Tuesday, January 11, 2005. Please, let us remember in our prayers his soul and his family.


Prayer for Deceased Person

O God, Whose property it is ever to have mercy and to spare, we beseech You on behalf of the soul of Your servant whom You have called out of this world; look upon him with pity and let him be conducted by the holy angels to paradise, his true country. Grant that he who believed in You and hoped in You may not be left to suffer the pains of the purgatorial fire, but may be admitted to eternal joys. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, Who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary.

V. Eternal rest give unto him, O Lord;
R. And let perpetual light shine upon him

Open the heavens, almighty Father,
and pour out your Spirit
upon your people.
Renew the power of our
baptismal cleansing and fill us with
zeal for good deeds.
Let us hear your voice once again,
that we may recognize in your
beloved Son our hope of inheriting
eternal life.
Grant this through Jesus
Christ, your Word made flesh,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
in the splendor od eternal light,
God for ever and ever. Amen.

God of the mountains and the seas, the awesome power of nature can be both a wonder as well as a source of tragedy. We cry out to you in this time of great need to the people affected by the earthquake and tsunamis in South Asia.

Almighty and everlasting God, comfort of the sad and strength to those who suffer: Let the prayers of your children who are in any trouble rise to you. We lift up to you the peoples of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania. For those who have lost loved ones, grant your peace; for those who seek shelter and food, grant your comfort; for those facing illness, grant your healing; for those whose lives have been shattered, grant your strength.

God of wisdom and strength, guide the hands of those who provide emergency relief. We entrust to you those who care for the bereaved, those with the gift of healing, those who carry the burdens of moving debris, and those who distribute much needed supplies. Hopeless as it may seem at times, their work is very important. Give them the endurance that is needed to continue in their good works.

God of all consolation, in the midst of things we do not understand, tragedy too great to comprehend, and grieving too heavy to bear, grant your peace. This is a time when we welcome your Word of hope born into our world. May that hope burn in our hearts.

Amen