ABC STARS Inspires

  On Ecclesiology After the Catechesis on the Sacraments of Initiation, it is now good to talk about the Church so that we will at least know what we have entered into. We remember, one of the effects of Baptism is that the baptized has become a member of the Church. And so let us do some Ecclesiology, meaning, a study of the Church. This finds importance especially when there is a proliferation of churches or when we find ourselves in a place where Catholics are a minority. To know what our Church really is, it is good to read the Vatican II Document on the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church known by its incipit “ Lumen Gentium ”, [Christ is] the Light of Nations. This document answers the question, “what constitutes the Church?”. Just like a country, school or organization, that is defined by a Constitution, it is best to know what defines us as a Church. What, where and who we are, what do we do, and how and why we do it. In short, Lumen Gentium  teaches us the Identity ...

 

  Ascension Press   and   Ascension Presents         in collaboration with  Inspires give you this riveting magnum opus.‎.. Condensed Reflection By James Z. Carpio Real friends...? Most definitely, make no mistake about it. Like our Lord Jesus Christ. The Angels, and Saints, and the souls in Purgatory. They are eternal. They give us life. A chance to be with them in eternal bliss in Heaven. Fake friends? No way. May you be inspired by the Holy Spirit and May God Bless us all... However, hope springs eternal though. So, anybody can swim in the Golden Pond should you, fervently, pray for it. Look at Saint Dimas, the thief on the side of our Lord Jesus Christ on His Crucifixion and Death in Calvary. He just said to Jesus, "They say You are the King of Jews, I believe, can I come with?". Something along those lines. Our Lord Jesus Christ replied, "Today, you will be with Me in Paradise!". Thy Will Be Done. Amen.

  On the Mystagogy of Confirmation Pope Francis speaks of one of the effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation that it fosters a sense of unity in the Church. He says “ the Sacrament of Confirmation is ordinarily conferred by the diocesan Bishop, who, as a successor of the Apostles, is charged with fostering the Church’s unity through the rich diversity of the Spirit’s gifts” . Even if a delegated Priest administers the Sacrament, the Chrism used to anoint, must have been blessed by the Bishop during the Mass of the Chrism on Holy Thursday. Unity with the Bishop demonstrates the effects of Confirmation that unites us to the Church, to her apostolic origins, and to her mission of bearing witness to Christ . Before the actual conferral of the Sacrament of Confirmation, there must first be a renewal of baptismal vows and profession of faith. In infant baptism, the parents and godparents answered for the child. In Confirmation, the confirmand now makes the vows and profession of faith...

 

        Ascension Press   and   Ascension Presents         in collaboration with  Inspires give you this riveting magnum opus.‎.. Condensed Reflection By James Z. Carpio The one phenomenon we all share in experiencing as of the present is the pandemic. It has a "Domino Effect". It has a "Snowball Effect". It has a "Boomerang Effect". And, that is just the tip of the iceberg, pun intended. Practically, the whole nine yards. After introspection, it has been written in the pages of History. Our ancestors had experienced pandemics. It is written in Sacred Scriptures as well i.e. the Bible. Remember, the 7 years of great famine and the 7 years of great harvest? How about the Black Plague? Or, how about the Spanish Influenza? Those were storms in the past. In the Bible, one illuminating story goes... when there was a storm at sea, the disciples were all panicking on the boat. And, Jesus said, "Keep Calm...". He even walked on water. He ...

  On the Sacrament of Confirmation In his Catechesis on the Sacrament of Confirmation, Pope Francis speaks on the effects of the sacrament received. Primarily, the Gift of the Holy Spirit “ enables us in turn to become a gift for others” . In this Jubilee of the 500 th  Year of Christianity in the Philippines when we are exhorted to do Mission as “Gifted to Give”, we remind ourselves of the Gift of the Holy Spirit we received in the Sacrament of Confirmation so that we in turn may give ourselves as a gift to others as we share and participate in the life and mission of the Church. More than just a requirement for the Sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders, the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation is a necessity for the completion of baptismal grace. The Sacrament, as it were,  “confirms” the baptismal anointing. In the Archdiocese of Caceres where most Catholics receive Infant Baptism then receive First Communion while in Grade III, the Sacrament of Confirmation...

 

  On Sponsors of Baptism We are always delighted when our Ninong or Ninang gives us a gift during Christmas. And so often, parents would choose Sponsors who are well-to-do and are known to be generous. They, the Ninong and Ninang, usually volunteer to “sponsor” or take care of the fees, give gifts, and even shoulder the expenses for the celebration. Sometimes too, parents would choose Sponsors as a reward for friendship. But more than that, the spiritual bond created should be given a priority. This is why, the Code of Canon Law devotes a whole chapter on the Sponsors of Baptism that specifies the qualifications, duties and obligations of a Sponsor, to guide the Parents, with the help of the Pastor, in choosing a Sponsor. It is good to review them here. The primary function of a Sponsor is to stand witness to the conferral of the Sacrament of Baptism. This finds special importance since Baptism is conferred only once and if records are lost, the testimony under oath by the sponso...

 

  On Adult Baptism Adult Baptism was the norm at the beginning of the Church. On the day the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, St. Luke reported that around three thousand were baptized. When whole households were accepting the Faith, children and infants, as members of a household, were being baptized too. As the Church grew, infant baptism became the norm because Christian parents obliged themselves to have their child baptized as soon as possible. In fact, the Code of Canon Law prescribes that infants must be baptized within the first few weeks after birth. In the Philippines, especially in barangays, it has been the custom to wait for the Patronal Feast of the Parish or the Barangay for the mass celebration of infant baptism. And so Adult Baptism was relegated to the background and was reserved to a very few who were not baptized as infants and those unbaptized who desire to receive the Catholic Faith. Still, it is good to know the principles of Adult Baptism. In the Can...