ATE MILA GALINATO is a potent prayer warrior in that she successfully mobilized the entire PREX community in storming heaven to pour down its blessing last Saturday on the 4th General Assembly of the Novaliches Diocesan Association of Parish PREX Secretariats (NDAPPS). One thousand fifty-six warm bodies trooped to San Bartolome de Novaliches Parish in response to her call.
As early as 6 am, the registration counters teemed with Weekenders. Electric was the church atmosphere with the gathering songs of Ate Joji Isidoro and the Our Father Parish Music Ministry. People milling about took to their designated pews when the band dropped the joyful singing and shifted to the strains of the enthronement hymn. The processional had all the chair couples/tandems with the concelebrating priests with Monsignor Rañada and Bishop Tobias bringing up the rear. Once the bible was enthroned, the bishop positioned himself to celebrate Mass.
His homily understandably highlighted the reason why we were all there. Let me preempt the bishop by giving a brief background of the movement. PREX is a product of a foreign mind, thankfully received by Catholic mindsets, and has magnetized a marvelous number of converts, this addict blissfully included. It first started at the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey in the early 70s, conceived by Jesuit Fr. Charles Gallagher, supported by a group of priests and lay people, as a reflection of Pope Pius VI’s encyclical Evangelium Nuntiandi, which translates to Magpahayag ng Mabuting Balita. From the USA, PREX easily spread to Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Fiji, Indonesia and Singapore until it reached Philippine shores in 1980. Warmly welcomed by then Good Shepherd Parish (now Cathedral Shrine) Priest Fr. (now retired Monsignor) Fidelis Limcaco, the rest is spiritual history as numerous PREX Weekends have sprouted in parishes throughout the country, reaching as far as Baguio, Manaoag and Cotabato.
Bishop Tobias prayed that God wills the movement be transplanted further in Asia and other countries to sustain Monsignor Fidelis’ legacy. Spreading the Good News is a constant task, as renewal should be continuing, so he sought prayers that parish leaders be given fortitude and strength to let PREX go greater grounds than it has already gained.
He recalled that the first reading spoke of anointing for the sick as a means of healing. Our problem, he said, is that the anointing process is not practiced because, when a priest does the task, superstition sets in that the sick is being prepared for departure. Quite the contrary, he stressed, this sacrament serves as a source of strength both for the prayed-for and the pray-er. He then urged the PREX population to help in the propagation of this ceremony as leaders of Christian living, not superstitious dying.
Before the final blessing, Monsignor Romy addressed the congregation, thanked NDAPPS for another accomplishment and expressed ardent hope for renewed leadership evangelization.
Then it was Kuya Gelo and Ate Matet Reyes’ turn to emerge as hosts. After a grand greeting to and appreciation for the energetic congregation, Kuya Gelo called on Ate Mila for a few words. Suddenly spare but visibly suffused with elation, she blessed the crowd a jubilant morning welcome and attributed the increase in attendance to the congregation’s compliance with the bishop’s homily. When she said she loved the audience, the acceptance was palpable in their applause.
NDAPPS President Ate Abel Gaite apologized that Kuya Manny could not be with her and admitted to thankfulness for outreach programs because Tungkong Mangga, Bulacan, where they hail from, is a recipient of one such stride. She enjoined families to keep enriching the church by being absentee parents to children who are regular goers and led everyone to pray with her the little prayer that she prepared. Then she said that not only millennials but “feelenials” are also all called to know, love and proclaim Jesus, the enfleshed Word.
Rev. Fr. John Paolo Bautista, SHMI, spoke next on how to foster Life of Joy in Service and Worship in the Parish Community. A fan of St. Paul’s, this preacher didn’t need a square-star-circle energizer to hammer home his “homily.” Only seven years in the priesthood, he visibly unearthed his wisdom before his enamoured audience who lapped up the kabuluhan, kahulugan and katuturan of life’s purpose. Amare et servire are the keys, he intoned, to a determined turn-around of our life’s garbage if we know how to recycle it from God to man to God. Sharing his experience at an exorcism rite, he counseled us to cast our burdens to God, whom evil hates, by resting well and sleeping tight because it is when we are in slumber that He does His job. He cited two biblical Josephs who dreamed in their sleep and became noble, holy men because they believed. He poo-poohed our many passwords, pincodes and keys because all we ever need is prayer. I filed away his tip of making a note before going to bed and slipping it under the pillow as a prayer. I planned to one-up his idea by slipping my prayer in the groove of my sleeping St. Joseph’s bed.
Using visuals and film clips in turns, Fr. Pao made his salient points very clearly. First was the Nestle ad on giving which featured the ironic rich-kid-poor-kid relationship as a lesson in learning. Then the Voice, Italy nun Cristina, who used the contest to wake up those who do not go to church anymore (she sang Alicia Keys’ “Holy Water” which made all four juror chairs turn). Confirming that no one – poor, rich, religious, lay – is excluded from the joy of the Lord. He capped this lesson with a curious fact: incense is used to rid the church of human scent (which aptly came across as its sound-alike sin). Making me wonder if incense might also work to entice the lukewarm to “live” again.
Speaking of church, he enumerated the four types that inhabit it. The insider (who is full of self or, because of it, an empty vessel); the observer (who comes and goes and should not be begrudged because Pope Paul II promotes to open wide the doors to Christ); the neighbour (so near yet so far); and the camper (who drops by to ask for a blessing of possessions, against loss thereof, theft or waste but not for the blessing that blesses
).
After lunch, the music ministries of several secretariats figured in a vigorous show of their interpretation of PREX joyful songs which had everybody dancing and singing in jubilant animation. Afterwards, the Reyes couple made a roll call of all the vicariate parishes in attendance. It was another exhibition of vitality as the parishes made an effort to signify their strength in number through cheers and shouts of solidarity. No parish was put at a competitive edge because, where the number was less (or dismal, at one point), the response was cheerfully consistent.
Taking after Ate Abel’s lead, Ate Ruby Ramores, Chair of the 15th National Association of Parish PREX Secretariat (NAPPS) Convention presented a video that aimed to expound on why we should embrace millennials and feelenials as instrumental to rationalizing whatever inconsistencies and lack of firmness perceived in the church. Then she opened an invitation to the upcoming three-day PREX convention in Baguio in February next year which has millennials for its theme.
She was followed by the medical couple Ate Cris and Kuya Alex Garcia. If the topic “The Lay in the Church: Rising to the Challenge of New Evangelization” seemed daunting, Ate Cris deemed it only apparent. Because her initial humility slowly shed its layers to bring forth the knowledge she spoke of. True to her PPC Chairship, Ate Cris ushered the Gospel as the instrument of conversion, the vessel by which souls are redeemed. She understood that many among us have grown cold and tired and that is exactly why we are brought together by PREX. For the inactive, passive cradle Catholics to bring back the vibrant 80s, the height of our spiritual zeal, to align with current challenges and development. That is how we can cope, she counseled, with the digital world, multitasking, a 24/7 borderlessness, corruption, economic inequalities and imbalance in education and society. She rued an SWS survey which reported that only 41% of Catholics are churched. I could not help but smile as she counted off the reasons: church scandal, boring irrelevant homilies, indifferent, unenthusiastic priests, unwelcoming attitude of those inside, open conflicts, no transparency in finances; because she had the cure: selfless service, knowing and understanding the clergy to work and relate well with them, respecting their privacy, not comparing them, not being judgmental. Her topper, which I liked best, was seeing Christ in them. Which made me remember two gems I learned from the Legion of Mary and Totus Tuus Journey: Frank Duff’s respect for priests (or it is senseless going through the legion motions) and that priests wear white because it is Christ’s cleansing mantle.
It was impossible to continue my note-taking because of the uber limited capacity of my ipad. As if that were not enough, my power bank conked out as well. But I rest assured that the clerical and lay speakers that I heard imparted substantial, significant teachings the thousand-strong congregation will take home and share with brethren. Like I did. Enough, I mused, to say Amen.
ABRAHAM DE LA TORRE
