COMMUNITY NEWS

By Pinky Torres

 

I’M BACK, brothers and sisters, to documenting the events in and around the Community as Sis. Tintin Magbitang has accepted the challenging job of handling the Children’s Ministry. And why not, when I get to work with the admirable man behind the scenes, my dearest husband, to bring you the latest happenings…

 

MARCH 7, 2003

We had our first Friday Mass with Fr. Veeger as celebrant. We all know that the Holy Mass is the highest form of worship. We, therefore, are not surprised to see many people during first Fridays. Come share with us the joy of worshiping the Lord in the Eucharist every first Friday of the month at the hall of Gereja Santa Maria.

 

MARCH 14, 2003

Last February, we finished the series of talks on Holiness. To keep the virtue alive, let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the grace of God, and know His will, His commandments, as given to Moses in the desert during the exodus of God’s Chosen People from Egypt. Fr. Marto Sudjito, SJ, the parish priest of Gereja Santa Maria, accepted our invitation to enlighten the Community on the first three Commandments, which could be summarized into one: Love God, with all our heart, mind and soul. Fr. Marto has beautifully introduced a new meaning to the Cross in the light of our relationship with God and others. The vertical line depicts our relationship with God as this is pointed upward. The horizontal line signifies our relationship with others. These two lines being connected at the center signify our unity with Jesus Christ. The love for God embraces faith, hope and charity. By faith, we believe in the truth that there is God. By hope, we know that man cannot fully respond to divine love by his own power. And by charity, we love God above everything.

 

MARCH 21, 2003

Fr. Efendi, an Indonesian priest based in Texas, continued the talk on the Ten Commandments. To sum up, these Commandments pertain to our relationship with others, being part of the body of Christ. The Ten Commandments have been summarized by Jesus in the New Testament into the two greatest commandments: Loving God and Loving Neighbor.

 

MARCH 16, 2003

The St. Peter Canisius Expatriate Parish sponsored a recollection that was held at the Chapel of Atma Jaya University. Some Genesis members attended the recollection to enlighten and refresh themselves, especially during this Lenten Season. There were discussions and reflections on the meaning of the new mysteries of the Holy Rosary, the Mysteries of Light. Likewise, the result of the recently concluded Fourth World Meeting of Families held in the Philippines was also briefly discussed.

 

MARCH 23, 2003

A very dear friend and sister in the Community, Susana Suwandi, gave her vow to love and honor Edward O’ Rourke, a Scotish friend of the Community. Bro. Pete and I stood as witnesses to their matrimonial vows. Our Genesis Choir filled the whole church with love songs during the ceremony. At the reception, our very own Sis. Liza Caleda was the emcee for the night. She shared with the guests how the newly wedded couple met and how they became close to the Lord through their relationship. Sis. Ira and Bro. Armand Sol also serenaded the lovely couple with a beautiful love song. To Eddie and Susana, Congratulations and Best Wishes from your Genesis Family.  (more pictures below)

 

MARCH 28, 2003

Bro. Larry Escuban and Bro. Alfred Torres led us in the celebration of the Lord’s Day. This is the time when the Community gets together and share bread and wine. Inspired by the Holy Spirit during the powerful worship led by Bro. Pete Lapid, brothers and sisters shared and confirmed the Lord’s message of hope and reassurance that God is our refuge and protector. It was also a Sharing Night, which means that members share on how the Lord has blessed them. For “big” or “small” blessings, several members glorified the Lord. Our newly wedded couple thanked the Lord for their union and the Community for the love and support given to them. It was also inspiring to hear Sis. Liza share how the Lord has molded her through the years, that despite the illness she is afflicted with, she continues to have faith in the Lord and to believe that a miracle will happen. Magnificent! Gracious God! All Powerful God! Need I say more? We concluded the night with our prayers and adieu for Eddie and Susana who are leaving to start their new life in the UK.

 

APRIL 4, 2003

New as well as familiar faces again filled the hall of Gereja Santa Maria as we celebrated our first Friday Mass with Fr. Veeger as our officiating priest. Look forward to more interesting activities and stories in our Easter issue. God bless us all and let us continue to pray for peace.       

 

More Photos from EDWARD and SUSANA's Wedding Day