A LADY CHAPEL IN THE PHILIPPINES
by Richard Kirby and Cirilo Cena
edited by Gordon Arthur
by Richard Kirby and Cirilo Cena
edited by Gordon Arthur
appeared in:
This week’s sermon is in two parts. The first part comprises a dialogue between the two authors about the setting up of a Lady Chapel in the Philippines. The second part is the first sermon to be deposited in the virtual library of this chapel, by Gootla Dorababu.
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Son,
It is time to begin laying the foundations of our first Filipino temple: a Church for all children,
beginning with the design of a Lady Chapel in Cebu. It is dedicated to all women and girls in the
Philippines, and its Patron will be St Maximilian Kolbe.
beginning with the design of a Lady Chapel in Cebu. It is dedicated to all women and girls in the
Philippines, and its Patron will be St Maximilian Kolbe.
The West End will be dedicated to the protection of Jerusalem, the Holy City, with designs by Dr.Yitzhaq Hayut-Man.
The North End will be dedicated to the Magdalene of Nagasaki.
The South End will be dedicated to the evangelization of Antarctica.
The East End will be dedicated to Father Damien. On February 21, 2009, the Vatican announced that Father Damien would be canonized on October 11, 2009 completing the process of canonization.
I want you to begin working together with Gootla Dorababu on sermons next week, and the results will be deposited in the virtual library of the Lady Chapel.
God bless this Work.
Father Richard
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Hello Father Richard,
It is a wonderful plan and design that you have decided to dedicate specific areas of the planned
Filipino Temple to the wonderful causes of specific saints.
Filipino Temple to the wonderful causes of specific saints.
St. Maximilian Kolbe is a very fit Patron Saint for the Filipino children and women. As you may
already know, some of our unlucky children and women here have been victims of human trafficking mostly for prostitution and Internet pornography. Their lives have been like a modern concentration camp. Some of our women go abroad as mail order brides or domestic helpers, hoping to alleviate their family’s poverty, only to go home in a box. The situation is really sad, and the numbers still go up.
already know, some of our unlucky children and women here have been victims of human trafficking mostly for prostitution and Internet pornography. Their lives have been like a modern concentration camp. Some of our women go abroad as mail order brides or domestic helpers, hoping to alleviate their family’s poverty, only to go home in a box. The situation is really sad, and the numbers still go up.
The west end of the Lady Chapel will be for the protection of Jerusalem: You know my email signature when I was with Dell used to have “In Hoc Signo Vinces”, the famous line of Knights Templar. It has the picture of a knights templar on a horse.
But I don’t know how to use graphics as a signature in a Yahoo e-mail. Besides, a free Yahoo account doesn’t work with outlook, and I don’t have outlook in my PC. Anyway, I’ve been fantasizing myself as a modern day sort of Knight – protecting the Faith. Ha ha
The Lady Chapel you planned is founded on very interesting Saints.
The Magdalene of Nagasaki is one interesting saint. Being a Christian in Japan during that time in her life must have been very tough. A Filipino saint (San Lorenzo Ruiz - sent to Japan in 1636) was hanged upside down while water was allowed to flow on his body from his feet. He underwent gruesome torture, including pulling of all his nails, in exchange for denouncing his faith.
Then there’s Father Damien. For me he is the most interesting, since he dedicated his life for the lepers, people who are unwanted and considered dirty. I am happy to learn about father Damien. This came as a good coincidence since my sister contracted what may eventually become leprosy. I hope it will not worsen. The entire left side of her face has large white reddish abnormality which used to give out a little puss. The doctor said it was leprosy in infancy stage. She took some government provided tablets. But the last time I saw her was 1999. I don’t know her condition now, and we haven’t heard from her since. She must have given up writing us, like she used to, due to poverty. She unfortunately fell in love and married a jobless, but good fellow. They now live in Isabel in the island of Leyte. It’s just 5 hours boat trip ($9 - one way). I have been missing my sister, and wanted to go there to know her condition, but the budget has been tight. Besides, my mother won’t allow me to go there if I don’t take her too. That’s going to be double the cost. And I can’t go there without some money to give my sister. I know their condition is hard. That last time I went there in 1999, to introduce her to my wife, I had to shell out some considerable money.
They are just depending on the dole outs of her husband’s family. She contracted the disease, because when we were kids, we both used to play in the house of a leprosy patient. We did not know that she had leprosy. My parents never had the education or knowledge to know that leprosy could travel by air.
That house was just beside our house, and our parents even used to leave us there when they went away. I have traces of leprosy too, since I have a large area on my left arm and my left cheek that has very little sensitivity. And I was the one always near the old lady with leprosy. I even wondered why my sister was hit hard by the virus. I was in high school, and taking a program of medication consisting mainly of Dapsone tablets when I first noticed this insensitivity in my left arm and left cheek. The doctor said I had nothing to worry after I finished the course of treatment. But now I’m still feeling the insensitivity in a large portion of my left arm and left cheek.
I pray Father Damien will totally remove the traces of the leprosy virus in my body and in my sister’s body. Not for my sake but for my family’s sake. And for my sister’s family too.
Antarctica is an interesting location to do missions, since there are no churches, synagogues, temples, or other “houses of worship” in Antarctica. I’ve read the people themselves have no interest in what is generally referred to as “organized religion”. Any missionary will find this interesting and challenging…
I pray for the success of your plan Father Richard...
Cirilo “Val” Cena
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REJECTED BY MAN, LOVED BY GOD
by Gootla Dorababu
Sermon for Sunday June 7, 2009
by Gootla Dorababu
Sermon for Sunday June 7, 2009
MATTHEW 8:1-4
When He came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed Him. A man
with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said “Lord if you are willing, you can
make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man, “I am willing,”
He said “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of leprosy. Then Jesus said to him
“See that you do not tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the
gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said “Lord if you are willing, you can
make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man, “I am willing,”
He said “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of leprosy. Then Jesus said to him
“See that you do not tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the
gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
It must be very sad to be excluded totally from society, but none of us are totally
rejected today. But the leper in Matthew: 8:1-4 knew what it was like: it was like living
outside of life, as if you did not exist. Let us look at the life of the leper.
Firstly, I must point out that the word leprosy covered many different skin diseases, so
many who were called lepers would stay away from those who really suffered from
leprosy. They could not go into the towns or villages, they could not work, they could
not touch or be touched by anyone, and they were mocked, stoned, and cast out of the
district, living in isolation. Can you imagine not feeling your parents holding you, or a
child, or wife or husband? Being refused the love of other people, and instead being
hated, not allowed to show love to anyone? Everywhere you went having to ring a bell,
calling out “unclean”, reaching the point where you even felt rejected by God?
There was no hope. You were totally lost. You were not even allowed to worship God
in the synagogue, because you were unclean. Then one day you follow a crowd, staying
at a distance, listening to a man talk about how God loves us, warts and all. How God
sent Him to save the sinner, to set captives free. Could He be telling the truth? Was there
a chance for him? As he watched, he saw the sick healed, the lame walk. What thoughts
must have raced through his mind? Then, waiting till everyone had left, creeping out of
his hiding place, falling before Jesus: this was his last bit of hope, asking “If you are
willing”. This man, broken in mind, body, and spirit, untouched for years, unloved. Then
Jesus touches him and speaks to him. Jesus spoke to him to heal his body but touched
him to heal his emotions.
in the synagogue, because you were unclean. Then one day you follow a crowd, staying
at a distance, listening to a man talk about how God loves us, warts and all. How God
sent Him to save the sinner, to set captives free. Could He be telling the truth? Was there
a chance for him? As he watched, he saw the sick healed, the lame walk. What thoughts
must have raced through his mind? Then, waiting till everyone had left, creeping out of
his hiding place, falling before Jesus: this was his last bit of hope, asking “If you are
willing”. This man, broken in mind, body, and spirit, untouched for years, unloved. Then
Jesus touches him and speaks to him. Jesus spoke to him to heal his body but touched
him to heal his emotions.
He was totally set free, knowing that even when all seems lost, God still loves and
cares for us. It does not matter how unclean we seem to the world, God still reaches out
to touch us.
cares for us. It does not matter how unclean we seem to the world, God still reaches out
to touch us.
I do not think we could ever imagine how this man felt as the love of God healed all
hurt in his life, being loved for the first time. When all seemed lost, God loved.
hurt in his life, being loved for the first time. When all seemed lost, God loved.
May God bless you abundantly
Pastor Gootla Dorababu.
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