As Advent calls us to be faithful to the Lord – to stay awake, to be alert, to be watchful – so it calls us to remain in the Lord, to be ever faithful to Him. To be faithful to Him is to never leave Him. To be faithful to Him is to be fruitful in Him.
This relevant message was one of the exhortations that the people heard from Msgr. Romy Rañada, OLAP pastor, during the Advent Recollection and Blessing of the Advent Wreath on November 26, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. OLAP church was filled with parishioners, especially lay leaders and members of the various ministries of the parish. Fresh from his commitment from abroad and barely shaking off a jett lag, Monsi enhusiastically and passionately gave the talk to help prepare the people of God for the Advent Season with the theme: “Remain in me as branches to the vine.”
He explained that the Advent Season reminds us to be always prepared for the coming of Jesus. His coming and His presence in our life – as one of us – gives us reason to live in faith, hope and love because we are never alone nor abandoned. It also helps us to renew our faith, hope and love for the Lord, thus we become more alive and fruitful for Him.
He also emphasized that life is a constant Advent season. Thus, we ask the Lord to come to us in our day-to-day activities, no matter what we are doing – whether we are attending to our househould chores, taking a bath, working in the office, etc. Thus, whenever we are happy, sad, hurt or in need, let our mantra be, “Maranatha, Maranatha” (Come Lord, Jesus).
All throughout the evening, the people were all ears to his zealous urgings interspersed with his wit and humor.This time, they were given the opportunity to give their attention to the presence of God – and detach themselves from external and eartly affairs by listening intently to Monsi’s reflections on the readings of the day:
Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and you are the potter; we are all the works of your hands.
You, Lord, are our Father,
Our redeemer you are named forever
Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways,
And harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants
The tribes of your heritage. (Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7) and
He will keep you firm to the end,
Irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful and by Him you were called to fellowship with His son, Jesus
Christ our Lord.
(1Cor. 1:3-9)
Holy Mass and Blessing of Advent Wreath
During the Holy Mass that immediately followed after the recollection, Monsi blessed the Advent Wreath, and guided Barangay Captain Hector Geronimo and his wife, PPC Prime Servant Leader, Josie Geronimo in lighting the first of the four candles representing the four Sundays of Advent.
The Advent wreath is very symbolic. The light signifies Christ, the Light of the world. Three of the candles are purple, reminding the people that this should be a time of prayer and sacrifice to prepare them for the second coming of Christ. A pink candle is lit for the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. The name is taken from the entrance antiphon “Rejoice (gaudete) in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.” It is a reminder that the end of the Advent is almost here and the people can hardly contain their joy. With the lighting of that candle, the light has won out over the darkness (three candles lit vs. the one that remains unlit). The evergreens used for the wreath are a reminder of continuous life and its circular shape is a sign of everlasting life and the eternity of God.
Renewal and Commissioning of Servant Leaders
Another meaningful tradition that took place was the annual renewal and commisioning of the Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion, Lectors and Commentators, Altars Servers, Ministry of the Reception of Gifts, and Mother Butler Guild. It was also the oath-taking and commisioning of the officers of the Parish Pastoral Council and the coordinators of the various commitees.
Msgr. Romy blessed them with water, and after the sprinkling, he asked them to make the sign of the cross to recall their baptism. The solemn rite signified that the lay leaders are allowing God to renew the living spring of His life within them and that they may be free from sin and come into His presence to receive His gift of salvation. In response to God's tremendous love, the challenge for each of the servant leaders was how to live a life that matters – a life that fulfills God's mission as they renew their faith, hope and love.
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