St. Paul University Manila Christian Formation

It has been St. Paul University Manila’s great pleasure to have served the community, streaming Weekly Sunday Masses in the virtual setting, abiding by safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. By the grace of God, we turn a new leaf, in the normal we now have, resuming our practices; hence,SPUM forgoes its viewing of the Holy Eucharist online.

For those who wish to attend face-to-face masses on campus, the university has its schedule in the Chapel of the Crucified Christ:

Daily Masses 6:30 AM

Sunday Masses: 7:00AM
(BTW, there will be no mass in the chapel on July 10)

Please be reminded to fill-out the e- triage the day before attending: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcqhc23OK7jYUYgxgEGmhQ93tFim2tVxosp8424GRIQA5S6Q/viewform?fbclid=IwAR3AziEu11eVgAkvFETjggckJc9ljNkAv8z3TA4oL3eDsQr0IOYdxdMwOkg

We thank, and appreciate the support that was given throughout this weekly remote gathering; We encourage everyone to be involved in the functions of our respective parishes, carrying the ardent zeal of St. Paul, our patron.

Caritas Christi Urget Nos!

STS. PETER & PAUL, Apostles 🔑⚔
29 June; Solemnity

A PRAYER TO BE LIKE ST. PETER
LORD JESUS, Your dear friend and APOSTLE PETER is a guiding light for us. Let St. Peter's way of following You help us to love You more dearly. Although he found it difficult at times and needed to struggle in order to be wholly focused on You, Lord, his willingness to follow You inspires us. When we find it difficult to follow You, we ask for a heart like St. Peter’s reflective heart, so we can always find our way back to You like he did.

Lord, guide us closer to the dream You have for us. As St. Peter bravely asked for forgiveness, may we also have the courage and open hearts needed to say sorry and to grieve because we have not loved You as much as we should.

Jesus, you appointed St. Peter as leader to care for Your flock. We ask You to bless us and show us how to lead others to You, as St. Peter did. We make this prayer in Your Most Holy Name. Amen!

PRAYER TO ST. PAUL FOR PATIENCE
O GLORIOUS ST. PAUL, who from a persecutor of Christianity, did become a most ardent apostle of zeal; and who to make known the Saviour Jesus Christ to the ends of the world did suffer with joy imprisonment, scourging, stoning’s, shipwrecks and persecutions of every kind, and in the end did shed your blood to the last drop, obtain for us the grace to receive, as favours of the Divine Mercy, infirmities, tribulations, and misfortunes of the present life, so that the vicissitudes of this our exile will not render us cold in the service of God, but will render us always more faithful and fervent. Amen!

ST. PETER, pray for us! 🙏🔑
ST. PAUL, pray for us! 🙏⚔

READ: Reflection for Good Friday

Good Friday is the most difficult day of Passion Week. Christ's journey turned treacherous and acutely painful in these final hours leading to his death.

According to Scripture, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who had betrayed Jesus, was overcome with remorse and hanged himself early Friday morning.

Meanwhile, before the third hour, Jesus endured the shame of false accusations, condemnation, mockery, beatings, and abandonment. After multiple unlawful trials, he was sentenced to death by crucifixion, one of the most horrible and disgraceful methods of capital punishment known at the time.

Before Christ was led away, soldiers spit on him, tormented and mocked him, and pierced him with a crown of thorns. Then Jesus carried his own cross to Calvary where, again, he was mocked and insulted as Roman soldiers nailed him to the wooden cross.

Jesus spoke seven final statements from the cross. His first words were, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." His last words were, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

Then, about the ninth hour, Jesus breathed his last breath and died.

By 6 p.m. Friday evening, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body down from the cross and lay it in a tomb.

Let us pray, dearest Paulinians:

Lord God,
Jesus cried out to you on the cross,
“Why have you forsaken me?”
You seemed so far from his cry
And from his distress.

Those who stood at the foot of the cross
Wondered where you were,
As they saw Jesus mocked and shamed and killed.
Where were you then?

Lord God,
We, too, ask where you are,
When there is trouble and suffering and death,
And we cry out to you for help.

Be near to us, and save us
So that we may praise you for your deliverance.

Lord God,
We wait, on Friday, for the resurrection of Sunday
And sometimes our lives seem a succession of Fridays
And we cannot see what is “Good.”

Teach us to call your name
As Jesus did.
Make us to trust in you like little children.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Credits to this artwork goes to: "The Elevation of the Cross" or sometimes called "The Raising of the Cross" by Peter Paul Rubens, triptych, oil-on-panel, 1610-1611.
References: www.learnreligions.com & www.ibelieve.com

Caritas Christi Urget Nos!

Jesus, who didn't have to suffer, CHOSE to suffer. Why? Because we suffer. ​​​​​​​​
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He was like us "in every respect, yet without sinning" (Hebrews 4:15). This means he suffered everything we suffer… ​​​​​​​​
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the heartache of losing friends,​​​​​​​​
the grief of loved ones dying;​​​​​​​​
being misunderstood, rejected, betrayed; ​​​​​​​​
loneliness in his hour of need; ​​​​​​​​
intense physical pain and exhaustion; ​​​​​​​​
false judgment, criticism, and being scapegoated...​​​​​​​​
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and then ultimately he allowed himself to go through the experience of suffering without the consolation of God's presence: “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?" ⁠⁠​​​​​​​​
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Why did Jesus go through all of that? ⁠​​​​​​​​
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Because we go through it. He knew he wasn't going to take away our suffering, so he joined us in it.​​​​​​​​
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God really is here for us. We can let go of our worries and trust him. ​​​​​​​​
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For more on this topic, I invite you to read our blog article “How Can God Be Good If He Allows Suffering?” 👉 https://www.catholicpsych.com/blog/how-can-god-be-good-if-he-allows-suffering​​​​​​​​
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"Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

This is the time where we take a pause with other responsibilities and remember what Jesus did for us 🍃

Stay safe and have a reflective Holy Week, Paulinians 🕊️

READ: Reflection for Holy Wednesday

Jesus and his disciples spent this day resting in Bethany in anticipation of Passover.

Holy Wednesday commemorates the Bargain of Judas by a clandestine spy among the disciples.

Just a short time previously, Jesus had revealed to the disciples, and the world, that he had power over death by raising Lazarus from the grave.

After seeing this incredible miracle, many people in Bethany believed that Jesus was the Son of God and put their faith in him. Also in Bethany just a few nights earlier, Lazarus' sister Mary had lovingly anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume.

Let us pray, dearest Paulinians:

Lord God,
We tremble to think
That it was one of Jesus’ own friends who betrayed him.
One who sat by him, who broke bread with him.

Give us strength, we pray,
To walk faithfully with Jesus,
Even when the road we walk is rocky
Even when the message of the cross seems like foolishness
And even when we feel betrayed.

You, Lord, are always faithful.
We stumble, we become lost,
But you are steady and sure.

Give us the grace to endure our troubles,
And reveal to us the glory of your kingdom,
Through your son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Credits to this artwork goes to: "The Ressurection of Lazarus", by Leon Bonnat, 1857.
References: www.learnreligions.com & www.ibelieve.com

Caritas Christi Urget Nos!

READ: Reflection for Holy Tuesday

On Tuesday morning, Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. They passed the withered fig tree on their way, and Jesus spoke to his companions about the importance of faith.

Back at the Temple, religious leaders were upset at Jesus for establishing himself as a spiritual authority. They organized an ambush with the intent to place him under arrest.

Later that afternoon, Jesus left the city and went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, which sits due east of the Temple and overlooks Jerusalem. Here Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse, an elaborate prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age. He speaks, as usual, in parables, using symbolic language about the end times events, including His Second Coming and the final judgment.

After a tiring day of confrontation and warnings about the future, once again, Jesus and the disciples returned to Bethany to stay the night.

Let us pray, dearest Paulinians:

Lord God,

The message of the cross is difficult to take.
How can death give way to life? How can weakness be strength?

Yet your word says that Jesus, being God,
Took on human flesh
And suffered the worst kind of death.
How can this be?

This message is indeed difficult to take.
But your foolishness is wiser than our wisdom.
Your weakness is greater than our strength.
Help us to know that none of us can boast before you.

It is only in Christ Jesus that we can boast.
In his name, we ask you to help our unbelief.
That we may love you, and walk in the way Jesus taught us.
In his name, Amen

Caritas Christi Urget Nos!

Credits to this artwork goes to: "Christ on the Mount of Olives" by Josef August Untersberger (1864-1933)
References: www.ibelieve.com & www.learnreligions.com

Today, we celebrate Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday recalls an event in the Christian Scripture (The New Testament) of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and being greeted by the people waving palm branches. For Christians, it is a reminder of the welcoming of Jesus into our hearts and of our willingness to follow him.

Let us pray, dearest Paulinians the Prayer for Illumination

"Merciful God, as we enter Holy week, turn our hearts again to Jerusalem, and to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Stir up within us the gift of faith that we may not only praise him with our lips, but may follow him in the way of the cross".

—written by John Paarlberg, retired minister of Word and sacrament

Credits to the artwork goes to: "Entry Into Jerusalem" is a painting by After Pedro Orrente

Caritas Christi Urget Nos

YES, you can eat meat on the feast of the Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary on Friday, March 25!

The Lenten obligation to abstain from meat is always lifted whenever a feast falls on Friday.

Abstinence or giving up meat on Fridays of Lent is our simple way to remember Jesus’ Passion and to offer a small sacrifice for God.

However, the feast of the Annunciation is a “solemnity,” the highest order of liturgical feast, thus Catholics are to observe it similar to a Sunday. It is a day of celebration, which means any type of fasting or abstinence from meat is temporarily lifted on that day.