To our Mater Dei Community, Advent …is a season that blends joy and repentance. … a time for renewal on our spirituality. Hence, in preparation, the Family Life Apostolate (FLA), headed by Ding Susan Mayor and the Spiritual Growth Apostolate (SGA) headed by Noy Gay Manalo led a Family Advent Recollection last Sunday, November 16, 2008 at the Sto. Niño de Violago Chapel. Bro. Obet Cabrillas from Kerygma and Fr. Domie Guzman , our spiritual adviser, served as speakers for the day. Interestingly, in attendance for the day were mostly our members from the earlier batch of ME Classes.

Part I - as handled by Bro. Obet Cabrillas , our invited guest from Kerygma

• Come Let Us Adore HIM
• O Come Let Us Adore HIM
• O Come Let Us Adore HIM

Ito ang pambungad na awiting pamasko ni Bro. Obet Cabrillas, ang panauhing tagapag salita na taga Kerygma. Sinabayan din ang pag kanta ng mga opisyales ng BOT sa pamumuno ni Sam Asia, Oggie Thelma Mercado, Pris Vicky Contreras,Rene Cherry Manuel, Demet Rose Araniego, Tom Marian Co, Loren Weng Tabilog. Sa masiglang pag awit, sumama na rin ang mga miyembro ng MDMEC at ang kanilang mga pamilya na dumalo.

Binigyan diin ni Bro. Obet ang pag-unawa ng bawat isa sa diwa ng Pasko. Kanya pang naalaala na naging bahagi at pintig sa kanyang puso ang sinulat ni Sis. Pat Rivera tungkol sa “Pan de Sal for Noche Buena”.

Sa pagtalakay niya tungkol sa diwa ng Pasko, isinabuo ni Bro. Obet ang salitang ito:

P- ansin
A-laala
S-erbisyo
K-alinga
O-ras

Ibinahagi ni Bro. Obet ang isang yugto sa kanyang buhay na nagpadama sa kanya ng tunay na diwa ng Pasko. Ang istorya ng kanyang pag dalaw sa kanyang Tatay sa may Toyota Balintawak sa kahabaan ng EDSA. Lulan siya at minamaneho nya ang kanyang bagong kotse.

Ipinagmalaki pa niya ang kanyang Tatay na isang Pangulo! Di pala Pangulo ng Kompanyang Toyota Balintawak, kundi Presidente ng Tricycle Drivers’ Association doon.

Sa pagkakataong iyon, ng sila’y magkita, niyakap niya ang kanyang ama ng pagka higpit-higpit, at punong puno ng pagmamalaki at umaapaw na pagmamahal.

Oo nga pala, sabi niya, “malapit na ang X’mas” …at muling umawit ng…

Pasko na sinta ko
Hanap hanap kita

Part II - as handled by Fr. Domie Guzman our Spiritual Adviser.

“Adventus Dominie” meaning The Coming of the Lord , signals the start of the Christmas Season. The count starts, according to Pope Gregory “The Great” who initiated a standardized celebration to commemorate the Advent , 2 weeks before the 9 days novena, novena proper (9days), the birth on December 25, then ends 1 week after the Birth of Jesus.

The celebration of Christmas started in the 300 AD with the occurrence of the Winter Soltice (a celestial phenomenon for the same time span for night and day) In earlier times, the occurrence was called “Feast of the Unconquerable Sun” or “Sol Impetus”.

Jesus Christ did not come for a long time. So, Christians saw it as a time for renewal of Spirituality. To the Filipinos, it is “Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay” .

Birthdays are considered significant to any person because it marks the start of one’s existence. However, we treat Jesus’ Birthday differently because as Fr. Domie explained , Jesus Christ’s birthday marks a mystery of Incarnation . (Incarnation means
manifestion, especially in human form; personified)

As Fr. Domie further explains, even before the world began, Jesus is already present as the second person in the Holy Trinity. Then the Holy Spirit gave him the “human body” and on December 25, was born as the child “Jesus”.

December 25, Jesus was made human. In taking the human form , the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1997 gave 4 reasons as follows:

a. Need for reconciliation with God
b. Need to express God’s love to the people
c. Need to have a Model of Righteousness
d. Need to partake of the Divine Nature

In 590 AD however the celebration was further symbolized through the colors of Violet and Pink. Violet is the symbol of repentance, a time to let go of the bitterness (2 weeks before) and Pink a symbol of Joy (during the 9 days masses till Birth) Violet again (1 week after) to symbolize reconciliation and joy in bringing in peace to mankind.

Part III - Fr. Domie celebrated the Holy Mass to remind our community that human nature needs healing. The challenge of Advent is Letting Go of the bitterness of the past and taking care of the self as a human. What is important, he said , is not the event but our attitude towards the event.