International Choir Festival in the Netherlands

Last April 23, 2005 the International Choir Festival was successfully held at the St. Dominicus Church in city center of Rotterdam. Some 15 choir-participants and their communities jampacked the church. The varied tunes echoed in all four walls of the big church.

The choir of the Filipino Catholic Community of Rotterdam (FCCR,) with Ms. Irma Galias on the piano, sang Let there be Peace, Ikaw ang Mahal, Pobreng Alindahaw and Power to all our friends! This is the second choir festival organized by the Catholic Migrant Parishes in Rotterdam. More than 15 years earlier, a joint International Mass was held annually. In 2004 it was decided that a choir festival would be held instead, for a change. Each year, a parish or a community takes the lead in organizing the common activity. This year, the FCCR had the leading role in organizing the international choir festival.

Life in the Philippines

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CANDLE VENDORS
Old women vendors selling candles in the streets leading to the parochial church.

FISH MARKET
Pinoys prefer to go to fish markets early in the morning when the fish are still fresh.

BARBECUE
The ultimate fastfood in the Philippines.

SORBETERO
It's summer in the Philippines. One of the best ways to cool down is to buy mouthwatering ice cream from mobile ice cream vendors.

TRAYSIKAD
A pedal-powered tricycle typical in Philippine suburbs.

SMILE NO MATTER WHAT
Filipinos smile a lot, even in difficult situations. That is why they can survive anything, for they are always full of hope and faith.

TAHO
Taho is a very fine, silky, creamy, custard-like gel made of "steamed" silken tofu. In the Philippines taho is eaten "as is," warm, as a snack, or for breakfast.

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Beautiful Moments With Mom

by Sr. Melanie Grace Illana

My Mother

A total self commitment And now I'm older, wiser
Not fame nor fortune need I understand much more
She gave herself completely And look with admiration
In thought, in word, in deed. Her presence I adore.

She never stopped to wonder Mother gave me everything
On blessings she might earn A debt I can't repay
But tried instead to teach me So help me God to show her
And prayed that I might learn. My love in every way.

Rosemary Wynings

Mother’s day is a moment of a serene reflection of a filial loving relationship. Every mother speaks of the life of her child who is her treasure and her living hope. The inspiring poem of Rosemary Wynings, have moved me and kept me in touch with myself with the sweet memories of my loved mother. My reflections of the life of my mother have connected to my views to all the mothers especially those who are far from their children and from their mothers. I was not so close to my mother and so our mother-daughter relationship was not that visible as other children have. I knew that both of us have shared our love in many ways that only the two of us could understand. When I entered the convent, my mom was not in favour of my decision and gave me invalid reasons to divert my attention. The truth that I have discovered was that she would not want me to leave her and that she would miss my presence. That is the beauty of the revelation that I have received from the beautiful persons whom my mom shared them of her sentiments on me.

Now that I am miles away from my mom, I feel that I am nearer to her unlike before and could always picture her smiling at me. Of course I do miss her. Now I understand her feelings being a mother who continuously desires to see her children and to be them. My other four siblings are still in my place in Cagayan de Oro and they used to see her now and then. I told them that they are lucky enough to have mom with them on Mother’s day. It seems that my mom’s day is not complete since one of her dear children is missing and she kept telling my sister that she is praying for me. Though I communicate with her often and share some of my stories here in Rome. In the convent, we also celebrate the Mother’s day with our superiors as our mother figures in solidarity with all the mothers in the world.

I remember a priest who told my superior that “distance makes a difference”. In a positive view, I agree with this difference of a distance. Yes, the difference is that I and my mom became closer to each other. This distance has made us aware of our feelings and our desire of reconciliation and love. This distance made our filial bond stronger. We have gained the courage to express our sentiments to each other through letters and cards. My older sister, a mother of two beautiful children, used to chat with me via net and talk to me on the phone without missing the words about our dear mom. It is the goodness of a mom that is keeping us in touch with each other. The goodness of a mom cannot be exchanged with gold or money. I am proud of my mom and for me her goodness inside continues to flourish in her life with me and my siblings. I know that she is also proud of me.

This pride of mine to a precious mother is also addressed to all the mothers who are miles away from their children and from their mothers, too especially the migrants. I have encountered many old and young mothers here in Italy who shared with me their lives that are always intact with the lives of their children. I appreciated their stories which show their faith, courage, and willingness to sacrifice themselves for their children and their families. When mothers encounter on the streets, in the church, buses or trains, they always mention in their stories their children and their own mothers as well. Their eyes glow as they flawlessly talk about their families and their gentle smiles manifest their love to them no matter how much weight of problems that they are carrying. Sometimes I reflect on the mystery of the life of a mother who gives her total self for her family. My thoughts and reflections of my mother and the rest of the mothers continue to move my heart and give me tears, too. It is a special feeling that I could not plainly explain. All I could share is that God who is love gave us mothers to spread His intimate love and His feminine touch His dear children.

When God sent His only begotten Son, He chose a woman to be His Son’s precious mother. The Blessed Virgin Mary whom we call “Mama Mary” as our way of expressing our filial love to her became part of our lives as children. My mom is a Marian devotee and she’s the first person to teach us to pray to Mama Mary when we were still small. She taught us to be near to our Mama Mary. She used to include also her stories with her beloved mom who had left her thirty years ago. She had learned to love Mama Mary from her mom who was also a Marian devotee. Each moment that I think of Mama Mary, I remember my beautiful mom who never misses a day to talk to Mama Mary. I believe that most mothers who are far from their children and from their mothers are also keeping in touch with Mama Mary. I am proud of the migrant mothers who bear their faith to Mama Mary as the Mother of the Church. Mama, mommy, nanay, inay, or whatever name we call to our mothers, gives joy to our hearts and gives music to our ears as we continue to hear them in our thoughts, and memories. On this day, I wish all the mothers, especially the migrants, a wonderful grace-filled celebration with their loved that are near and far. I am one with the children and the mothers who walk with faith, love and hope and who never give up the life that we owe from our mothers. A Blessed Mother’s Day!

Journeying Towards Eternal Life

By. Sr. Melanie Grace D. Illana, mscs

Christian belief of eternal life bears a beautiful picture of life after death in heaven. Thus, it is also the centre of discussions of the Christian hope when loved ones or others come to their ends on earth. When Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II passed away, the word was in mourn for his lost. President George Bush, Jr., had commented that “we Catholics, have lost the Good Shepherd”. Yes, the late, Pope John Paul II had accomplished his mission as a Good Shepherd who led his flock to the right path.

On the Saturday night when the Pope was on his way on his way to his way to his final fulfilment, I was reciting the rosary together with the thousands of his flock. I was in tears on the moment of his death where he commended his life and his spirit to the Heavenly Father. Those tears were of grief since we have lost a Good Shepherd and of joy, too, since he had already accomplished his mission on earth and now he went back to the arms of God with the saints. On that same moment, the image of my late professor, Fr. Gianne Bugin, OCD, came to my mind. He was one of our good professors in the Code of Canon Law at Teresianum, Roma, who passed away a day before the Holy Week. Both faces continued to appear in my mind with their pretty smiles. My memories of them made me cry and smile, too. I had been thinking if they are now seeing each other with the other souls. Their time had come and they are now living the life eternal which has no time like ours on earth. Theirs is an endless time.

They are present with us in spirit and are alive and smiling. I believe that they are still united with us prayers. I am reflecting on their lives and their deaths and their participation in the Resurrection of Christ. One of my favourite authors, Jürgen Moltman (Nella Fine – Nell’Inizio, 2004), says, “We, Christians, are hoping for eternal life, where the Kingdom of God is present.” However, Moltman insists that the Kingdom of is already here on earth where are living with, where the cross of Christ has been planted, and where we experience the redemption from evil.

I believe that our earthly life will be transformed according to our faith, love and reconciliation that we are now living with the others since salvation does not only speak of the individual, rather a salvation with the renewed community and with the recreation of the earth. The Book of Apocalypse 21:5 speaks of the “new heaven and new earth”. This is already a promise of salvation that is realized here on earth. We are all part of this new creation of all things since we are together with the whole creation.

The late Pope John Paul II and my professor, Fr. Gianne Bugin and the others, had lived with us, their communities and shared their paschal experiences with the Risen Lord through the outpouring love of the Holy Spirit. They have devoted their time and space to us and even offered their lives for us with their loving communion with the Father. They have never been separated from us and will never be separated since they will remain with us in spirit and in prayers.

According to Moltman, in our resurrection, we will be transformed and be transfigured, however, we remain of who we are and what we are since we will bring with us our whole self together with our whole life story. Christian hope views Christ’s death and resurrection as our journey from each moment of our life towards the future. It opens one’s vision of life and love in the fullness which brings us to eternal life. I am convinced that in the future, we may also participate in the transformation and resurrection of Christ.

Medard Kehl, another good author in E Cosa Viene Dopo la Morte?, 2001, affirms that “God gives us the resurrection of a pneumatic body, completely transformed through the action of the Holy Spirit”. Here on earth , we are already partaking Christ’ pneumatic body in the Eucharist itself when Christ’ proclaims, “This is my Body…” The late Pope John Paul II and my professor Fr. Bugin and those who had gone together with them had also lived the Eucharist in communion with the whole Church. The have offered their bodies to God without reserved. Their bodies had experienced sufferings and joys and glorification. They have journeyed the paschal life of Christ.

I appreciated their apostolic lives and their living witnesses of love, peace, and hope that bore fruits. My reflection on this journey does not end since Christian hope is realized each moment of our lives and as Moltman says, each moment that has passed has already been consecrated to death that we bring with us to eternal life. Our journey to eternal life starts from where we are now until the day of our resurrection with Christ.

Karol Wojtyla had left us his last book entitled, “Rise, Let us be on Our Way”. It speaks of his fresh memoir when he was still a Bishop of Krakow. It was a drama of struggles, sufferings, hopes, and prayers in his life with the Church. The Pope had played a good role in his mission to his flock and that his invitation to us in prayers and in vigilance continues to embrace the whole humanity in journeying towards eternal life. This beautiful journey calls us to respond, too, and by participating in that journey with love and courage.