New Province Leadership Team Installed

HOMILY

by Rev
Fr Edward Cometa

Today,
we celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, two great apostles who
served as the pillars of the Church that we know today. We thank the Lord for
the gift of missionary zeal and enthusiasm to these two apostles, who
missionary journeys have resulted to great success.

Truly,
God is a god of surprise! Who am I to preside the installation of our dear Sr.
Susan? What a great grace from God that a young priest like me will get to
install a veterana in the mission and ministry? Sr. Sansu, it is God who willed
that this day will come. It inspires me really knowing you all and how our
lives are entangled is some way. I am a proud Waray from Manicani, Guiuan,
Eastern Samar—which fortunately, a beneficiary of your mission. And so, my dear
Sisters, in behalf of my kababayans in Guiuan, receive my sincerest gratitude
for all the good works you’ve done for us.

Ang
buhay ni San Pedro at San Pablo ay sumasalimin din sa ating buhay
pananampalataya. St. Peter has always been a devout follower of the Lord. He
was always present at the Lord's side everywhere they go. Even if it took St.
Peter some time to finally acknowledge Jesus as the true Son of God, he was
zealous in being a disciple of Christ.

Laging
nanatili si San Pedro sa tabi ni Jesus at saksi siya sa mga milagro at mga
dakilang gawa ng ating Panginoon. Nasaksihan niya mula sa umpisa hanggang sa
dulo ng pamumuhay dito sa lupa ng ating Panginoon.

Ngunit,
dumating ang panahon na nagawang talikuran ni Pedro ang Panginoon na minamahal
niya. St. Peter became a coward at some point, and had abandoned his love for
the Lord to save his own life. But it was not the end for Peter. God is so
great in love and generosity that he has given Peter another chance to renew
his love for God. And because of that great love, St. Peter was later on chosen
as the leader of our Church. God's love is redemptive and full of second
chances.

Sa
isang dako naman, siguro nakaka-relate din tayo sa buhay ni San Pablo. Noong
una'y masigasig na taga-usig ng mga Kristiyano. Matigas ang ulo, sarado ang
pag-iisip, at sariling opinyon niya lamang ang mahalaga. Ni minsan hindi niya
nakita o nakasama si Jesus, ngunit ang Panginoon na mismo ang nagpakita kay
Pablo sa daan patungong Damascus.

This
encounter tells us that God meets us where we are. It was Jesus himself who
came to meet Paul—he revealed his great love for any hardened sinner who thinks
who has no need for God. Nakita ni San Pablo ang maluwalhating Diyos—sa tagpong
ito, nakita niya ang tunay na Diyos, ang katotohanang ninanais niyang
masumpungan.

From
being an ardent persecutor of the Church, St. Paul would now become the
greatest missionary of all time. His encounter of the Risen Christ convinced
him that this is the truth that the world needs to know. He went as far as the
ends of the earth, to all the corners of the known world of his time, just to
preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The
life of St. Peter is a witness to the truth that the Church is founded upon,
and held together by, the forgiveness of God. The Church is never a community
of the perfect, but always a community of sinners who need forgiveness. Our
Lord’s example of forgiving St. Peter is also conferral of his authority to
forgive, an authority that through Peter is granted to the Church.

Mga
kapatid, pag-ibig lamang ang naging batayan ni Jesus para ipagkaloob kay Pedro
ang pagiging pinuno ng ating Simbahan. Hindi kayamanan, hindi talino, hindi
kakayahan, ang nagluklok sa kanya. Kundi, dahil si Pedro ay pinanamumunuan ng
pag-ibig—the presidency of love or charity is the sole criterion for the
primacy of Peter. In other words, ang taong tunay na nagmamahal ay ang taong
marunong magpatawad—ito ang halimbawang ipinakita ni Jesus kay Kristo. Tayo
nawa'y magmahal na katulad ni Kristo, nagpapatawad dahil sa lubos na pagmamahal
sa kapwa kagaya ng nangyari kay Pedro—pinatawad, nagmahal, at ngayo'y patuloy
na nagmamahal at nagpapawatad sa pamamagitan ng ating Simbahan.

 Sr.
Sansu, this is my prayer and my wish for you, that you may preside with love
this Province. Nawa’y mamuno ka ng may pagmamahal kagaya ni San Pedro, at
maging masigasig ka nawa sa misyon na ipinagkatiwala sayo ng Diyos kagaya ni
San Pablo. May you be inspired by the love and leadership of St. Peter, and may
St. Paul zeal and dedication in the mission of evangelization continue to overshadow
your being. Sr. Sansu, may you always be presided and motivated by love, so
that you can lead the Province with the presidency of love. This presidency of
love allows us to be perfect in charity. And should the time comes that you
commit an error, do it because of so much love, because of so much generosity,
and because of so much goodness.

My
dearest Sisters, simple lang ang nais iparating sa atin sa pagdiriwang ng
dalawang santong ito, magkaiba man ang background nila, kapag nakilala at
nakatagpo natin ang tunay na Diyos, nagiging masigasig tayo sa misyon na
ipinagkatiwala sa atin. The Gospel that we preach today is the same Gospel that
St. Peter and St. Paul preached. The truths of our faith that we believed today
are the same truths of faith that the apostles labored much to proclaim. And so
today, let us remember to thank St. Peter and St. Paul for their efforts in
making known Jesus Christ to all the ends of the world.

St.
Peter the Apostle, pray for us!

St.
Paul the Apostle, pray for us!

MESSAGE of SR SUSAN MONTANO

Good morning! Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat!

Dumating na po ang araw na lubha kong kinakabahan (Alam nyo pagkatapos ng ating chapter election last march 18,  maraming srs ang nagtanong sakin “kumusta ka na? nakatulog ka ba?  At ang sagot ko naman ay “opo masarap ang tulog ko” kasi noon ay matagal pa naman, 3months pa. Pero mamayang gabi, simula na siguro ng aking insomnia… joke lang po!) 

Today we are gathered here to praise and thank God for this great day of the solemnity of the two giants of the church- Sts Peter and Paul, and also our formal beginning as the new Province Leadership Team during the installation ceremony at this mass.

So as we, the new PLT begin the task of leadership in the Phil-Japan Province during this very challenging time in the global history and in our own country in particular, I would like to express our gratitude to  the following:

-          First, thank you Srs Gina,  Anya, Carme, Ludy, Rona and Ellen -  for your selfless giving of yourselves for our communities and  mission during the past 6 yrs as PLT; Salamat ng marami, Sr Gina, na sa kabila ng iyong pakikipaglaban sa cancer nanatili kang buo ang loob at masigasig na naglingkod sa Province;

-          Thanks to all of you, dear Sisters, who are here and also those who are in the diff communities both in the Phils and Japan,  for the trust you give us, your prayers and  expressions of support for the incoming PLT;   Thank you especially to our “more senior sisters” especially those are on wheelchairs and even those on their sickbeds, you who have spent your youth and energy in loving service of our Province, thank you po, dear sisters… even now we know and feel your prayers for us PLT and the Province;

-          Sa inyo po, ating mga lay partners (kayong naririto ngayon )  at lahat din ng mga kasama at mga katuwang  sa misyon sa ibat-ibang communities at mga ministries, maraming salamat po sa inyong dedikasyon at pagmamahal sa mga sisters at mga taong ating pinaglilingkuran,  salamat sa inyong pagpupunyagi na itaguyod ang kanilang dangal at karapatan, lalo na ng mga kababaihan at mga kabataan na nakararanas ng pagsasamantala at pagkawasak ng kinabukasan; Kabilang din sa ating mga lay partners ang ating mga pamilya, mga kaibigan, benefactors at lahat ng  mga sumusuporta ng ating misyon;

-          Salamat din sa lahat ng mga kababaihan, kabataan, mga bata at mga pamilya na ating pinaglilingkuran, sa pagbibigay inyo sa amin ng pagkakataon na maisabuhay namin ang aming misyon at karisma bilang mga Good Shepherd mission partners;

-          Thank you, Fr Edward Anthony Cometa, for presiding in this mass and thank you Rev Azam Mansha, representing our brother Eudists community, for being part of this celebration;

-          In a special way, I thank the Liturgy committee headed by Sr Lea Comia for the simple yet meaningful liturgy, and the nice music c/o Sr Marcia Mercado and our choir;

-          Sa punong abala para sa reception, salamat kay Sr Gemma and our faithful lay partner Tess Barzaga.

-          Last but not the least I want to say thank you Srs Abel, Alice, Gemma, Tingting, Joanne, Lilly and Ellen, for your generosity and courage to say “Yes” to be and to work together as the new Province Leadership team.

Some special words to the sisters:

As Good Shepherd Sisters, may we be inspired by the words of Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, former Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He was a very good friend of the GS Sisters and an important figure during our Province Chapter of Reconciliation in 1982.  His favorite habilin to his brother- Jesuits:

     *Be Happy!    *Be Free!       *Be Centered on God!

 So, in whatever community and ministry we may be, or even if we are no longer active in the ministries, I hope that we can always radiate joy to others, experience freedom and peace within us,  because we have centered our lives on God.

Similarly, we also recall the beautiful words of our Mother Foundress, St. Mary Euphrasia, and I quote,

“ If you always love another, if you always uphold one another, you will be capable of working wonders”.

Like Sts Peter and Paul who were radically Transformed by the Love and Mercy of Jesus, and became so Passionate for Mission even to the point of giving up their lives, we also pray that we too, as the new PLT and each one of you, our GS partners in mission, may truly be Transformed by Love, so we can be more Passionate for Mission.

Salamat po!