Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Always Near St. Paul

It is the Year of St. Paul.

Last summer Pope Benedict XVI announced that the Church would observe a celebration in honor of St. Paul the Apostle, from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 29 2009.

Saints' feast days are usually associated with their deaths, since this marks their birth into eternal life. St. Paul's is the only feast in the Church calendar commemorating a saint's conversion.

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Somehow I always find myself close to St. Paul. I transferred from St. Scholastica's in Marikina to graduate elementary from St. Paul in Pasig. At Cebu Avenue, the old Fish Fun down the road became a disco house before getting "converted" into a church -- St. Paul the Apostle.

At Makati, where we live, there is a big compound nearby where the Society of St. Paul used to have their printing press. The compound is so big that it covers four blocks from St. Paul to Sampaloc Streets. They transferred the chapel from the St. Paul side and built a church nearer the Sampaloc entrance, making it even closer to our place.

It had been a long time since I passed by the St. Paul in Makati. When I attended mass there recently, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Sanctuary of St. Paul has been declared as a pilgrimage church. This means that one can obtain special graces* when visiting there during this year celebrating St. Paul.


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When I attended dawn mass at St. Paul the Apostle this morning, Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of the Diocese of Cubao celebrated the mass. I had been attending mass there for the past few days but had opted to stay outside due to the number of people inside the church. Today, I decided to sit inside, not only because the Bishop was going to celebrate the mass, but also because Z was in the choir. I was pleasantly surprised to watch the bishop so involved with the music to the point of acting as the conductor whenever songs were sung and 'signing' the Our Father. Though the Bishop's hair was thinning under his mitre, his spirit was full of youth and energy. He seemed to me like a breath of fresh air.

When he talked, it was not the voice of a 60-year old man. He reiterated how special St. Paul was to the Church. He mentioned that there were relics of St. Paul within the premises of the church that would be there for the duration of the rest of the year.

It made me think, God is constantly finding ways to shower us with graces and blessings, allowing us to cross paths with people meant to help us in our journey or teach us much needed lessons or maybe just to keep us company ... but we have to do our part as well.

I started that morning by joining the crowd and getting myself blessed by the Bishop after the mass.

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Perhaps all these are gentle reminder for me to return to St. Paul.

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(This is what is written in the poster found in the picture above.)

WHAT ARE INDULGENCES?

Eternal punishment of sin is remitted when the guilt of sin is forgiven, yet the temporal consequences remain. Indulgences are treasures from Christ's merits which the Church grantes to the penittent as remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, either all punishment (plenary indulgence) or part of it (partial).

CONDITIONS FOR GAINING PLENARY INDULGENCE:
  • Purification through the Sacrament of Penance (confession)
  • Reception of Holy Communion
  • Prayer for the Holy Father, the Pope
  • Pilgrimage to holy places named after St. Paul, approved by the Apostolic Penitentiary

ACTS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE VISIT TO THE HOLY PLACES:
  • Take part devotedly in a sacred function or in pious public exercise in honor of St. Paul
  • Pray before the Most Blessed Sacrament
  • Recite or sing the Lord's Prayer and the Creed
  • Make invocations in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Paul
  • Unite the devotion to the memory of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles

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