The Secret is Silent Prayer

A Meditation for Priests

Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD

8 April 2011

‘And the fire on the altar shall always burn, and the priest shall feed it, putting wood on it every day in the morning...This is the perpetual fire which shall never go out on the altar. (Lev 6:12-13)

When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him ...  They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us ...?” (Luke 24, 30-32)

Every now and then, a younger brother priest would come up to me with these words, “How can we keep the fire of our priesthood alive? After only a few months after ordination, I already feel bored. I feel dry. I am not excited anymore. I might not last.” A priest who is not at peace with himself will not be able to inspire peace in another soul. O priests, you bright candles enlightening human souls, let your brightness never be dimmed. (Divine Mercy in my Soul, Diary of St. Faustina, 75).

Lost Fire

Every priest knows that feeling of the well drying up and the fire dying. The ordination honeymoon seems to end so quickly and monotony soon sets in. Burning out, running on empty —the feeling is all too familiar

The onslaught of all these feelings boils down to prayer, or more specifically, the lack or neglect of it. Indeed, pastoral action is attractive and so emotionally rewarding, and priests tend to be consumed by it. But when we sacrifice personal prayer for the sake of pastoral action, burn out, boredom and monotony will set in fast.

Unfortunately, the first victim in this boredom and burn out phenomenon is the Mass. We offer the Mass haphazardly without noticing it because we no longer examine our consciences anymore. We rush the prayers and omit the songs forgetting that the face of God is more important than the face of our wristwatch. We rehash old homilies ad nauseam. We put on the Mass vestments like we put on our ordinary shirts and pants and after we unvest, we just throw them on the table of the sacristy, in a rush to go to another appointment. The source and summit of our Christian life has become just a duty to do and a source of revenue. Sad! Why? How can we reverse the path?

In our desire to invigorate our seemingly humdrum life we begin to indulge in “other pursuits”. We explore hobbies and sports – photography, golf, tennis … We pursue further studies. We join more socials. Buy more gadgets. Take longer and farther vacations.

But the happiness continues to evade us. “In our age, as in every age, people are longing for happiness, not realizing that what they are looking for is holiness”. (Jerry Walls). The fire cannot be ignited again. We become mediocre and lukewarm and get accustomed to bland, tasteless water. We just submit to the reality that the wine of the Lord is no more.

Find Him where You Lost Him

It need not be so. You will find God where you lost Him. You lost Him at Mass? You will find Him again there. “... The whole Church draws life from the Eucharist, all the more then must the life of a priest be "shaped" by the Eucharist. So for us, the words of institution must be more than a formula of consecration: they must be a "formula of life". (Letter of John Paul II to priests on Holy Thursday 2005, n.1).

Where in the Mass can we recover the Lord? As a brother to a brother, I encourage you to look at the silent prayers at Mass that we tend to gloss over or even totally ignore or forget because of haste or lack of concentration. “Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.”(GIRM, 45)

The priest’s silent prayers in various parts of the Mass are personal prayers that will help us to see ourselves not just as ministers for the validity of the sacraments but as fellow worshipers of the priestly people. The silent prayers prescribed for the priests during the Mass are not for the people but for us. These silent prayers remind us that we are not only there to bless; we also need to be blessed. We are not just at the ambo to teach; we are there to be taught also. We are not just there by the altar to minister; we also need to be ministered to. We are not just functionaries. We are not just tools. The Lord has calls us His friends.

The silent prayers of the priest at Mass, if properly prayed, will open for us that sense of awe and amazement as we perform our holy duty. “This amazement should always fill the Church assembled for the celebration of the Eucharist. But in a special way it should fill the minister of the Eucharist.” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 5).

Say Manangasikaso na Liwawa tan Bilay

Inagew-agew, kabangon tayo, amta tayo ya no onlimata tayo, tampol ya naneng-neng tayo so kaliber-liber tayo. Agtayo la asasikasoen ta parte laya na bilay tayo. Say pakanengneng tayo lapud say mata ya walad sikatayo et sakey labat tan ya regalao para sikatayo. Sayan regalo ed nanlapud Dios. Inter ya Dios ya ed sikatayo – mabolos ya inter, anggapoy bayar, anggapoy kasalat. Kanian, saya et tatawagen ya regalo!

Amtak asali yo la so manakar-akar ed gilig na dayat tayo diad San Fabian. Sakey ed saray sankarakepan ya beaches ed interon bansa tayo. Laut la no manakar kayo no kabkabwasan odino no mansironget la. Nanengneng yo so sankarakepan ya sunrise o sunset. Onlokso so puso. Tan makaliliket kayo. Saman ya marekep ya secenery, anggapoy bayar to iman. Agtayo babayaran na anggan anton kantidad so Katawan pian naneneng tayo so sunset, saray kolor na rainbow. Anggapo so ticket ya kekerewen na Dios ed sikayo pian nanengneng yo so lupa na naka yo, apo yo, tan say kagangana na asawa yo odino say kumanet na lupay masiken yo. Amin ya naneneng-neng na mata tayo et regalo na Dios. Anggaman say mata na pananisia, regalo na Dios.

Say pananisia ya mangibabangat ed sikayo ya sanaagi tayo lapud sikatayo so nagmaliw ya anak na Dios. Amta na Dios ingen ya diad ag mabayag, sikayo so mabetbet ya mankasalanan ed Sikara. Balet, anggaman ontan, bibirbiren itayo na Dios ya anak Da ni. Agayla so Dios! Masyado yan Dios tayo! Akin et onya? Duma so pakanengneng na Dios ed sikayo; tan duma so panagnengneng tayo ran totoo ed Dios tayo.

Nen abinyagan tayo, inawat tayo so kandila. Sayan kandila et sinelselan. Saya et simbolo na “liwawa nen Kristo”. Diad panamegley na sayan binyag, sikatayo so nagmaliw ya anak na liwawa. Tan sirin, nepeg labat ya sikatayo so manbibilay a walad liwawa – aliwan diad kabilongetan na kaugsan, say kabilongetan na takot, odino kabilongetan na agom, imon tan bosol.

Say silew nen Kristo et regalo na Dios met ed sikatayo. Saya et asikasoen. Aliwan para sikatayo labat yan silew. Say liwawa a manlalapud sayan silew na pananisia so nepeg ya ipikabiangan tayo ed arum. Ed sarayan panaon, nakaukoklan iray teachers – saray managbangat. Managbangat na liwawa. Sarag tayon manbangat lapud diad balang dili tayo,  walay liwawa nen Kristo ya mandarlang. Tan si Kristo so nepeg ya isinag na sayan liwawa ya walad sikayo.

Say katekista et say ibabangat to ed si Kristo. Say katekista so toon nabet to si Kristo, kabat to si Kristo, inaro to si Kristo tan aaroen to si Kristo diad pangaro tod arum. No say liwawa nen Kristo ya walad sikatayo et onsisinag ed arum lapud say pan-istorya tayo nipaakar ed say panangaro nen Kristo, saray kimey nen Kristo ed bilay tayo, no panon ya inaro tan kakasian itayo nen Kristo, tan saya et ibabangat tayo ed saray anak, apo, asawa, kakaaro – sikatayo so katekista na Katawan. Aasikasoen tayo so liwawa ya inregalo na Dios ed sikatayo.

Naawat tayon sakey ya regalo, inter tayon anggapoy saew ed arum so sayan liwawa. Ipawil ya mabolbolos ed Dios ya mandarlang iyan silew. Onya so twan kabaliksan na say steward na Dios. Say manangasikaso na Dios – say manangasikaso na liwawa tan bilay. No manbolag-bolagan, tan manelek-telekan tayo ed saray akis tan pankaukolan na saray anak yo tan saray walad kairapan na bilay, sikatayo so husgaan na Dios ya anggapoy kakanaan ya manangasikaso to.

Ontan pa komon. Amen.

(Based on the “Meditation on the Fourth Sunday of Lent: Stewards of Light and Life” by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD)

3rd Sunday of Lent (A): Pangasinan Reflection

Say Inkaoyamo na Steward/say Managasikaso

Diad sayan Ibanghilyo, nangelan tayo so inpan-abetan na Katawan tan sakey ya biin Samaritano. Tan diad sayan inpan-nengnengan da, si Jesus so kinmerew na danum. Sayan kerew et nanlapud sakey ya mapa-abeba tan maoyamo ya Dios ya nagmaliw ya too. Onkekerew na danum, tan mapaabeban sinminger ed sayan biin Samaritano so Katawan.

Unong ed si San Augustine nen sikato so tinepetan:”Anto ra so pamaakaran na Dios?” Say kuanto: Unaan, say inkaoyamo na Dios odino Humility. Second is humility. Third is humility.

Lapud say Dios ya makapanyari tan sankaatageyan na amin et pinili to so magmaliw a sakey ya too, a singa aripen, pian nilaban to so too ed kasalanan. Onya so humility na Dios ya awit da para sikatayo.

Say inkaoyamo et  katwaan. Say inkaoyamo et katwaan ed panangaro. Sikato so inpitongtong na Katawan ed samay Samaritana. Inbaga nen Jesus so katwaan nipaakar ed say bilay tod kasalanan. Tan sayan bii, inawat to so katwaan. Tan diad sayan inpangawat toy katwaan, sikato so nilaban ed kasalanan. Saya so nagawaan na katwaan ed panangaro: sikatayo so nilaban. Say peteg ya humility et aliwan mantelek-telekan tan manbulag-bulagan ed kaugsan. Ta lapud say inkaoyamo o humility et birbiren to so kasalanan tan tawagen toy kasalanan ed twan kipapasen to: say kaugsan. Say humility met awiten to itayo ed ilalo tan balon bilay, kasumpal ya abirbir tayo so katwaan nipaakar ed say kasalanan ed bilay tayo.

Say inkaoyamo o humility so nepeg ya walad say steward na Dios. Ta lapud diad humility, bibirbiren tayo so twan kipapasen tayod Dios: Say Dios et pinalsa ton amin, nanlapud amin ed Dios, kayaryan na amin na Dios. Tan sikatayo et stewards labat na Dios. Manangasikaso tayo labat na Dios. Balet lapud say pangawat tayod katwaan, sikatayo so manbibilay ed inkaoyamo/humility.

Say maoyamon too et bibirbiren to so greatness/ say inkatalongaring na arum, aliwan panpagaan to, no ingen saya et rason pian misalamat ed say Dios ya manangiter na amin ed amin. Say humble steward et aliwan maimon; no ingen sikato so manbibilay ed pisasalamat.

Say twan humble ya steward et maaro tan mapangasi. Say humble steward et maliket ya misasalamat; say humble steward so ontatawag ed panag-pasimbalo tan pangiter na ilalo.

Sikatayo et steward na Dios. Manangasikaso tayo na Dios. Say unaan sirin ya responsibilidad tayo et aliwa labat ya mangiter tan man-share ed arum unong ed say generosity na Dios ed sikatayo.  Say unaan ya responsibiliad tayon steward na Dios et say manpaaabeba, say maoyamo pian ontan et nabirbir na totoo so maoyamon Katawan tayo ed sikatayo.

Sirin itilan manpikasi para sayan virtudes ya humility:

O Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, Hear me!
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus!

From the desire of being loved…
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others…
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised…
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it!

That others may be esteemed more than I …
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be chosen and I set aside …
That others may be praised and I unnoticed …
That others may be preferred to me in everything…
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Based on the meditation for the Third Sunday of Lent by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD.

2nd Sunday of Lent (A): Pangasinan Reflection

Agaylay taken la nen Abraham nen tinawag ya Dios ya sikato so onpikal ed baley to tan onlad pasen ya agto amta no antoy nasabian tod man. Say ilaloan nen Abraham et diad itaken to sikato la so man-retire: manpainawa la, anggapo la so baleg tan ambelat ya gawaen tod bilay. Baet, diad sayan inpan-onor nen Abraham ed say Dios, binirbir to so pakayari na Dios ed amin: say Dios so Dios na amin a pinalsa. Siopa sirin si Abraham ya akoen ton kayaryan to so mundo?

Diad sayan inpan-onor nen Abraham ed Dios, agamoran to so sipan na Dios ed sikato: say bendision na dalin tan agnabilang ya ilalak!

Ontan met so kabaliksan na say Transfiguration nen Jesus. Say transfiguration et sipan na gloria na Dios ed say Anak ton maonor ed say Ama to. Sayan inpan-onor nen Jesus ed say Ama et sikato so angiter na gloria na inkiolid bilay.

Saya met so kekerewen na Dios ed sikatayo ed sarayan panaon na kuaresma: obedience ed say Dios. Say pan-onor ed say Dios. Sayan obedience et bibirbiren to ya say Dios et kayaryan ton amin; tan walad sikatayo labat so panangasikaso na mundo tan amin ya wadia.

Sikatayo labat so manangasikaso na Dios. We are God’s stewards. Tan lapud agtayo kayaryan so mundo, no ingen et inpabayes tan papa-asikaso na Dios irayan amin ed sikatayo, sikatayo so tatawagen ya STEWARDS labat.

Panon tayon nipanengneng iyan panangasikaso ed sarayan kayaryan na Dios? Anto ra so inter na Dios ya asikasoen tayo, anggaman usaren tayo ra?

Say Dios tayo so aliwan masiblet. Amin tayo walay kayaman tayon nanlapud say Dios. Kayamanan ya mabolos ya inter na Dios ed sikatayo ya usaren, asikasoen, pabolaslasen: say Time, Talents tan Treasure.

Unaan, say PANAON. Time. Say panaon et aliwan usaren parad dili labat. Say panaon ya iter ed arum et aliling toy iter tayon kayaman ed arum. No mabolos tayon iter so oras tan panaon tayo ed sakey, panangaron iiter met iman. Ta say twa: agtayo sarag ya aroen so sakey no agtayo itdan na panaon man ya too. No ibaga tayon anggapo so panaon tayo ed sakey ya too, anggan saya et asawa, anak, ateng o kaaro, say kabaliksan to et wala ni so mas importante nen sikara. No agtayo mangiter na oras tan panaon, panon tayon aroen iraya sirin? Agkayo natatakot ya mangiter na panaon ed sarayan totoon importante ed bilay yo. Say panaon ya iter yo, panangaro man ya nipanengneng yo. Daiset odino maganat ya panaon, say kabalikasan to: daiset tan melmelag ya panangaro.

Kumadwa, saray TALENTO tayo. Nanlapud Dios iraya. Nanlapud inkianak odino naaralan tayo ra. Diad sarayan talento tayo: panagluto, panangansion, say maong a panag-salita, say maong ya panag-galaw, panag-tanem, tan arum nira: saraya et iner na Dios aliwan para sikatayo dili. Wala iraya para napanlingkuran iray arum. Anggapo so kakanaan na bosis ya agay lay dakep no anggapo met lamlamang so makakarengel tan say dilim labat so kakansionan mo. Anto so kakanaan ya masamit ya luto no anggapo so mangan? Diad sarayan talento tayo, si Kristo so manga-aro diad panamegley ed sikatayo. Agkayo natatakot ya i-share irayan talento ya nanlapud say Dios para say arum.

Kumatlo, saray KAYAMANAN tayo. Treasure. Lapud say Dios so akan-kayaryan na amin tan nanlapuan na amin ya walad sikatayo, anggapo sikatayo so tatawagen ya exclusive ownership na kayamanan tan say kuarta tayo. Lapud sikatayo so naitdan na panangasikaso na Dios, say Dios sirin so manunaan ed bilay tayo. Aliwan makana tan makabaliksan no say ibabagat tayo ed say Dios et saray kakera-kera. Mabetbet ya say ipawil tayod say Dios et saramay kera-kera tayo: sinsilyo para say Dios; papel para say load. Mikol para say Simbaan, dolyares para say kawes.

Tangay kayod tagey tan nengneng yoy krus: diad sayan krus, inter na Dios ya amin para sikatayo. Anggapo so intilak to! Amin inter na Katawan para sikatayo. Panon tayon nakontento ya mangipawil ed say Dios na saray kera-kera tayo labat? Anto so kabaliksan na sayan bilay ya inbagat na amin na Katawan ed say Ama to para sikatayo? Agkayo natatakot ya mangiter ed arum, tan aliwan kera-kera.

Diad sayan pamirbir tayo ya sarayan Panaon, Talento tan Kayamanan tayo et agtayo ya kayaryan, no ingen pabayes na Dios ed sikatayo, naawat tayo so sipan ya bendision ya agnasabsabaan. Ta say Dios ya nanlapuan na amin et aliwan masiblet ya Dios! Inter tan iter ton amin irayan nakaukolan tayo. Ontan pa komon. Amen.

Based on the Meditation for the Second Sunday of Lent, “Renunciation and Fruitfulness” by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan

St. Joseph, Husband of Mary

St. Joseph had so many plans for Mary. He would have wanted to have a grand wedding. Instead, he found out that Mary was already with child!

He planned to divorce her quietly. But his plans had to take another turn. God, through an angel told him to marry Mary because she was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit! What? So, he married Mary.

He would have wanted Mary to give birth in his house: safe and secure. But, there was another change of plan. They had to go to Bethlehem because the Emperor from far away Rome wanted a census for all the Jews. And Joseph was from the tribe of David. And David was from Bethlehem. While they were in Bethlehem, it was time for Mary to give birth. Another change of plan: she gave birth to Jesus in a stable!

Joseph, through all these changes of plans, followed God’s guiding hands. He allowed God to direct him to places and situations he was not familiar with. He allowed God to surprise him! Would be like St. Joseph?

After all, God knows what is best for us. His ways may not be according to our plan, but his ways in the end will lead us to what is best for us!

How do we know that what we are following is God’s plan and ways, and not our plan and our ways?

Many times, we compromise what we believe in, tell a lie, follow an advice which we know is against truth or honest just to have our plan accomplished.

We were able to accomplish the plan, but at what expense? We suffer the anxieties and sleepless nights. There is no peace of mind. This is not then God’s plan and His ways.