Evangelii Gaudium

Dear parishioners and friends on behalf the Fathers I wish you all:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon!

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo

Christmas for us assumes as specific color this year particularly after the catastrophic effects brought by super-typhoon Haiyan-Yolanda. However Christmas brings always a message of Hope and Love for all of us. ”God makes all things new” someone repeated during the Mass celebrated at the end of November by Cardinal Tagle in the Cathedral of Palo destroyed by the typhoon and without roof.   This is our faith. 

Christmas celebration reminds us of the greatest gift of the Father for us: Jesus and the Son of God brings true and lasting joy to us. Pope Francis in his latest document ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ says: “the joy of the Gospel fills the heart and lives of all who encounter Jesus. With Christ joy is constantly born anew…. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor… on the other hand being a Christian is the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction… For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others?”.   

 

We are called to live and share this love and hope brought by the Jesus here in the reality of Tondo even though at times we might be tempted to give up because we feel overwhelmed by the many problems, frustrated by our failures or lukewarm response.

Honestly I have already seen the love and joy of Jesus present among us in the good will and commitment of a lot of leaders - lay people working generously in the different ministries of the parish and I am grateful for this. On the other hand we are challenged by our Pope to go out, to be “evangelizers” among those who are far from the church, and here in Tondo we have a lot of people who are oftentimes not just materially poor but also spiritually hungry and the ‘food’ they find around is neither healthy nor giver of real joy.

We have started the ambitious project of the new church and, thanks to the Divine Providence and the endeavor of a lot of people we are making progress but we are still far from seeing our dream come true! So we ought to continue with our effort.  As we approach the New Year let’s renew our faith in Jesus and our commitment and surely we will progress together.

Thanks for your support and generous help; be sure of my prayer that the Lord might grant you good health, prosperity and serenity in the New Year. 

- Fr. Carlo