Assumption of Mary

Assumption Mission at Bolul, City of Koronadal, celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary on 15 August 2011.

Mass presider and homilist was Bishop Dinualdo.  Eleven Passionist concelebrated.

His homily focused on the theme: “Mary’s Assumption: An Inspiration in Our Valuing Life and Respecting the Environment”.

Our situation is a struggle between God and Satan; between life and death. (cf. Rev. 12: 1-6).

Mary’s “Magnificat” (Lk. 1: 39-56) is a song of praise, thanksgiving and hope.

Mary proclaims the greatness of the Lord for the many good things received from God.

She has confused the proud and deposed the mighty from their thrones.  Sent the rich empty away.

But he raised the lowly to high places; gave food to the hungry.

Stewards of God’s creation (cf. Gen. 2:15) are today fighting the destroyers of God’s creatures through open-pit mining.

The proposed open-pit is 3 kms. long, 2.5 kms. wide and 800 meters deep. (7.5 sq. kms.).  Waste Rock Storage Facility (WRSF), 500 has., is 70-355 meters above ground.  Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) at Mal River Valley, 1,300 has., up to 280 meters high and 2.1 kms. long.  Fresh Water Dam (FWD) on Mal River has a storage capacity of 215,000 ML.

Impacts: (1) clearing on 3,985 has. (1,310 has. are rainforest) and agricultural land. (2) destruction of biodiversity: flora – 1,000 species; fauna – 280.  Most are endemic to Mindanao; (3) seepage of contaminated water from the open-pit mining to the entire Koronadal Valley Aquifers (Shallow – 50-100 meters deep); (4) climate change; (5) flashfloods.  Note: SMI will CONTROL distribution of safe drinking water!

As conclusion: Bishop asked the people: “Will you oppose open-pit mining?  Strong answer: “YES”.  Will you sign the statement opposing SMI’s open-pit mining? “YES!” was their answer.

Mirroring Holiness

Bishop Dinualdo’s main focus in his homily on the feast of St. Claire, Foundress of the Poor Ladies, later Poor Clares, on 11 August 2011 at the Poor Clares Monastery, Polomolok,South Cotabatois “mirroring holiness”.

St.Clare’s advice: “Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory!  And transform your entire being into the image of the God itself through contemplation.”

Everyday we look at the mirror.  Study our reflection.  Does it reflect Jesus’ humility, poverty, chastity, obedience and love, specially for the poor?

Chiara was born on 16 July 1194; died 11 August 1253; and canonized by Alexander IV on 15 August 1255.  Her father Favorino Scifi was Count of Sasso – Rosso; mother, Blessed Ortolana, came from the noble family at Fiumi.

Her mission: restoration of discipline in the Church, of morals and of civilization.

Eleven priests – Capuchins, Passionist and diocesan – concelebrated mass.

 Congratulations Poor Clare Nuns!

Blessed Trinity Sunday

June 19, 2011 was Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity.  Three distinct and equal persons/relations in one God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“God is love” writes St. John Evangelist (1 Jh. 4:8).  True love is other-oriented.  God loving generates the Beloved – God generating is Father.  Generated is God the Son.  The Bond of love between Father and Son is the Holy Spirit – the Spirit “sigh” of love.  These processes are eternal – no beginning and no end – always “now”.

 Love unites Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  They form Community.  When we love others we reflect in us this unity in community

June: Feast Of St. Anthony Of Padua

Bishop Dinualdo’s homily at the Cathedral was delivered in Hiligaynon.  Précis in English follows.

Theme of celebration: “Thanksgiving and Hope”.

Isaiah’s mission was one of freedom, healing and hope (Is. 61: 1-3).  Christ’s mission was to reconcile men and women to God ( 2 Cor. 5: 14-20). Jesus sent the 72 on a mission of healing and hope in the coming of the Kingdom (Lk. 10: 1-9).

St. Anthony of Padua was sent by St. Francis of Assisito do mission work in Northern Italy.

We thank God for giving us St.Anthony an outstanding preacher and healer of souls and bodies. We hope to follow his example in words and deeds.

We are grateful for the Executive Order 43 signed by President Aquino III on May 13, 2011 E.O. 43 will ensure efficiency,  effectiveness and focus in carrying out the programs and policies of the government.  E.O. 43 groups departments and offices into 5 clusters: (1) Good Governance and Anti-Corruption; (2) Human Development and Poverty Reduction; (3) Economic Development; (4) Security, Justice and Peace; (5) Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.  Our hope: speedy delivery of basic services; Peace Agreement supported by the people; moratorium on mining, among others.

Thank you, P-Noy, for what you said in Kawit, Cavite, 12 June 2011: “Kalayaan sa Kahirapan at Katiwalian”.  Our realistic hope: a) poverty reduction by 10%; and b) graft-free Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs; by 2016.

Grateful acknowledgement to the South Cotabato Provincial Board for passing the resolution on Environment Code which bans open pit mining, “inter alia”, and to former Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes for signing the EnviCode.  We are also grateful to incumbentGovernor Dr. Arthur “Dodo” Y. Pingoy for signing the “Implementing Rules and Regulations”.  Our hope is for the Department of environment and Natural Resources to have the necessary resources – personal, financial, technical – in order to implement the Environment Code.

Profound gratitude goes to the City of Koronadal government for designing the Integrated Character Building Program through the living out of these 8 core values: (1) love of God; (2) love of country; (3) respectfulness; (4) discipline; (5) integrity; (6) commitment; (7) stewardship; (8) competitiveness.  We earnestly hope that the City ofKoronadalwould become “a highly competitive city that sustain life through God-loving and law-abiding people that would bring about sustainable progress, long-lasting peace and prosperity” (Former City Mayor Fernando Q. Miguel).

Lastly, we gratefully recognize the thousands of competent, credible and committed lay leaders and supportive members of St. Anthony Parish, City of Koronadal.  Our ardent hope: (a) strong BECs, Christian Families; more catechists; (b) continue tree-growing program of the City supported by more NGOs and POs; (c) more extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.

St. Anthony of Padua, Pray for us.

Easter Sunday

Bishop Dinualdo celebrated mass on April 24 at the Chapel of the Diocesan Radio Station DXCP.  Participants spilled over to the ground around the chapel.

His homily.

“…they killed him…but God raised him to life” (Acts 10: 39-40).  “Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). “…he saw and he believed” (Jh. 20:8).

Message of Easter is renewal.  Renewal of self (personal) and transformation of sinful structures.

1)      Self-renewal.  Ezekiel quotes God: “I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead.  I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws…” (Ez. 36: 26-27).  A heart of flesh is an obedient heart.

We remove from ourselves pride and greed – two capital sins relevant to our times.  Replace them with humility and generosity/charity.

2)      Social transformation.

Corruption is replaced with honesty, transparency and accountability to God and people.

Secularism (this earth only) and materialism (only material things matter) are replaced with faith in God, in the after life and integral/holistic view of man and society.

Mining Act of 1995 to be replaced by HB 3753.  This Bill is based on the principles of environmental justice, integrated development, promotion of human rights, subsidiarity and nationalism.

How to change?

1. Religious/values formation and adequate mass education.
2. Strengthening of families and NGOs and POs.
3. Dialogue with concerned government agencies and officials.
4. Communal actions: prayer rallies, among other non-violent actions.

Our hope is a new heaven and a new earth.  Peter writes: “What we are waiting for is what he promised; the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home.  So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at place”. (3 Pet. 3: 13-15.  emphasis, Mine).