On Christian Stewardship

photo by jay fonacier

A short talk delivered to the staff of Social Action Center of the Diocese of Legazpi

I know this is not the first time you have heard the word "stewardship." This is one of the catch phrases often used and sometimes misued or even abused in the Church. Various leaders like the Pope, bishops, priests, lay leaders, charismatic speakers, and the like use this to describe Christian service. Even leaders from other sectors like in the government use this term. There are many shades of meaning to the word "stewardship" and "steward" and let us try to examine them.

Stewardship is often defined as "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care." Hence, a steward is a person whose responsibility is to take care of all that has been entrusted to him or her.

A steward can be a caretaker, i.e. entrusted with something to take care of. A steward can also be a manager, who is tasked to ensure the proper functioning of a group or a system. It can also refer to a custodian or someone who has direct care and management of material things. It can also mean an agent, an ambassador, even a warden for prisoners or a guardian for minors.

In all these, we see the richness of meaning to what a steward is but these words cannot fully grasp what it means to be a steward. A caretaker can run away from responsibility. A manager can be impersonal to its subjects. A custodian can perceive what is entrusted to him as merely an object of duty or responsibility. Other terms can be too self-serving, too political, or even too personal.

One of the renowned gospel passages often associated with stewardship is the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). We all know the story: a master, before leaving to travel, entrusted his property to his servants in varying amounts of talents - the first received five talents, the second had two, while the last had just one. Upon his return, the master asks for an accounting of the talents entrusted to them: the first and second doubled the talents entrusted to them while the third one didn't gain any as he dug a hole in the ground to keep his master's money. The master invited the first two to "come and share in your master's joy" while the third one was called a "wicked and lazy servant", the talent entrusted to him was taken away and given to the one with ten, and was punished for his lack of care to the talent. One of the concluding lines of the parable presents its core lesson: "For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." (Matthew 25:29)

photo by jay fonacier

From this parable, we can see three essential elements of Christian Stewardship: God's ownership, an invitation to the steward to be a partner or co-creator, and the spirit of trust that prevails in the relationship between the owner and the steward. 

God's ownership. Stewards are entrusted to care or manage the resources that do not belong to the steward. Faithful stewards manage the resources not for themselves, but for the purposes of the one who has entrusted them. Hence, Christian Stewardship respects the purpose for which things were made. Christian stewardship is a way of living in which we recognize that everything belongs to God. Part of our stewardship struggle is that we think we "own" all those things that surround us when, in truth, we are simply stewards of the things entrusted to us.All resources must be used for His glory and the common good.

Invitation to be a partner or co-creator. In Christian stewardship, God entrusts the creation to the people. God did not expect only one person to be the steward of all creation. Rather, He blessed Adam and Eve and made them fruitful. Every person contributes to the well-being of society. Collectively, we are stewards of the earth. Such requires us to find ways in which we can collaborate with others to make the resources, talents, gifts in our possession work for the good of all as intended by God. We are then invited to be partners of God's work, to continue his creative action as a co-creator in ensuring the good of every human person.

Trust. The essential idea of stewardship is trust. As stewards, we are the servants of the Lord, entrusted to manage God’s resources for God’s purposes. The owner trusts the steward to carry on the task he asked him to fulfill. As such, Christian stewardship is our faithful response to the generosity of Almighty God’s love towards us, by way of us committing out time, talent, resources, abilities, care and treasure/money to the mission and ministry entrusted to us. We are created and called, not to be served but to serve, to give ourselves to the world, for the glory of God, just as Jesus gave himself.

 photo by jay fonacier

We may think that stewardship is just about money, time and talents. But Christian stewardship is more than these. It involves our whole life: everything that God has entrusted to us to manage as faithful stewards. As stewards, we give everything and not just a part of us. We do not only give the surplus but we give "our all" for God's greater glory. Stewardship is not limited to talents, abilities and caring. It is even beyond keeping or caring and nurturing, it is first of all "living." Stewardship is not just part of life; rather it is a way of life! Stewardship is not what we have or what we give, but who we are!

photo by jay fonacier

One of the catchphrases we had in our Social Action Internship program is "May kuwento ang kuwenta." In his input to our group, Fr. Jovic Lobrigo explained to us the importance of transparency and accountability even in the smallest of things. "May kuwento ang kuwenta. Nagkakaroon lang ng kuwenta ang kinukuwenta kung kinekuwento ito." In a way that catchphrase capsulizes what stewardship is for us who are pursuing the vocation to the priesthood. We are given much and much is expected from us, and we keep in mind that what is given to us is merely entrusted to us, not for ourselves but to the people whom we are called to love and serve.

FIRST 5: While I was away (again)

while i was away due to the social action internship program of the diocese of legazpi, here are five things that i missed in the basketball world: 

1. college basketball season's "soft" opening

(photo source)

it's the time of the year when rivalries are rekindled and rookies are introduced as college basketball holds its "soft opening" with summer leagues such as filoil flying v preseason tournament and the fr. martin's cup. the former opened on the day i was about to leave for legazpi, with two games to boot: ateneo blue eagles vs. letran knights and de la salle green archers vs. san beda red lions. interestingly, both games involved teams who have rivalries in their respective collegiate leagues. what was expected to be a walk in the park for ateneo almost ended as an upset for the muralla-based dribblers, but the defending pre-season tournament champions held on to win, 55-51. the second game served as the "debut" of highly-touted jeron teng for la salle against the defending ncaa champions. the red lions survived a late game push by the green archers to pick up the win, 69-63. with recruits out to find their niches and teams determined to climb to the top, the plot will surely thicken as the games go by. and of course, this is the time to calibrate and rev-up ateneo's engines for its "drive for five" in uaap season 75.

2. road to the pba finals

(photo source)

i have been a fan of the pba especially during the mid til late 90's, but somehow lost interest on it because of college basketball. but because college basketball was on hiatus and i don't have basketball tv or nba premium on tv, and pba is still basketball after all, i tried keeping track of pba games again. the first professional basketball league in asia has witnessed some sort of renaissance lately, as fans seemed to have new-found interest on the rivalries, players, and the games themselves. carrying over the intensity from the previous conference, the commissioner's cup has been interesting so far, as fan favorites ginebra and b-meg (i still prefer to call them purefoods), powerhouse talk n' text, and unlikely contender barako bull are jockeying for position towards the finals. what makes it more interesting is how fans begin comparing players to anime characters, naming monikers, and using social media to turn on some heat to the games. this should be good.


3. phoenix suns lose the eighth seed


one of the teams i adored the most is the phoenix suns - from the days when kevin johnson was point guard, "thunder" dan majerlie was rattling the rim, and sir charles barkley was not yet a basketball analyst to d'antoni's high octane "basket in seven seconds or less" system anchored on steve nash, amare stoudamire, shawn marion, joe johnson, and leandro barbosa, and even until now even with superstars walking on the twilight of their careers. what kept me believing in the suns is the way nash brings the team together and makes individuals better with unselfish play. everyone was counting them out of the playoffs but the improved play of grant hill, jared dudley, and rookie markieff morris through nash's leadership has given them a shot to go to the postseason and take things from there. unfortunately, the suns lost what was the biggest game of their season to the utah jazz, who unseated them from the eighth seed of the western conference with a gutsy win at home. well, that is truly disappointing for any suns fan, but nothing to be ashamed of as they virtually overachieved this season. but where would nash go after this? as much as i want him to stay in the desert, he might have to go somewhere else to taste what former suns have yet to achieve: an nba championship.


4. ron artest is back?!



ron artest, now known as metta world peace, is back. what? in his "celebration" over a dunk, he "inadvertently" elbowed james harden, sending him down to the hardwood and eventually to the hospital for a concussion. the celebration has obviously gone overboard and even if he did not intend to hit harden with an elbow at the back of his head, who in the right mind would swing an elbow outward for a celebration? i know and saw how fists can fly on a celebration to the point of hitting someone else (that's "the truth"!) but the elbow is one of the hardest parts of the human body, and hitting someone with an elbow could just be aggravated assault. oh well, welcome back to the pack, ron artest!

p.s. here's "the truth" and the foiled-basket-celebration-gone-wrong



5. second is not a winner

for the third time in four seasons, team kevin durante will receive a bridesmaid's finish in the annual xavier school faculty and staff fantasy basketball league as i failed to defend my title to a very worthy opponent, adrian dy (aka "the best armchair coach in san juan"). what was a sizable lead dissipated as i tried saving games and my best players got injured one by one. i think my team peaked too early while adrian got his making the stats when in mattered the most. it has been a tough fantasy season for me as i did not do well in the student head-to-head leagues (picking derrick rose this year should be the biggest fantasy mistake). well, october is around the corner (after college basketball season, that is), but in the end, second is not a winner.

My 2012 NBA Playoffs and Season Awards Predictions

(photo source)

Here are the 2012 NBA playoffs and season awards predictions of your resident NBA fantasy league commissioner and liga de barangay commentator:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1ST ROUND
CHICAGO BULLS (1) vs. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (8)
- Chicago in 5

BOSTON CELTICS (4) vs. ATLANTA HAWKS (5)
- Boston in 6

INDIANA PACERS (3) vs. ORLANDO MAGIC (6)
- Indiana in 6

MIAMI HEAT (2) vs. NEW YORK KNICKS (7)
- Miami in 6
 
2ND ROUND
CHICAGO BULLS (1) vs. BOSTON CELTICS (4)
- Boston in 6

MIAMI HEAT (2) vs. INDIANA PACERS (3)
- Miami in 6

CONFERENCE FINALS
CHICAGO BULLS (1) vs. MIAMI HEAT (2)
- Miami in 6


WESTERN CONFERENCE
 
1ST ROUND
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1) vs. UTAH JAZZ (8)
- San Antonio in 5

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (4) vs. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (5)
- Memphis in 6

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (3) vs. DENVER NUGGETS (6)
- Los Angeles in 6

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (2) vs. DALLAS MAVERICKS (7)
- Oklahoma City in 7

2ND ROUND
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1) vs. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (4)
- San Antonio in 7

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (2) vs. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (3)
- Oklahoma City in 7

CONFERENCE FINALS
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1) vs. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (2)
- Oklahoma City in 6


NBA FINALS
MIAMI HEAT (2) vs. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (2)
- Miami in 6
 

SEASON AWARDS
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Serge Ibaka (OKC)
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Jeremy Lin (NYK)
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: James Harden (OKC)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kyrie Irving (CLE)
SEASON MVP: Kevin Durant (OKC)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Greg Popovich (SAS)
FINALS MVP: Dwayne Wade (MIA)

Looks like it's the time for the King to finally have a ring and KD to be MVP!

Air Jordan 12 Playoffs

(photo source)

after all the frenzy that made air jordan xi the hottest kicks last december, another jordan favorite hits the shelves with the air jordan xii playoffs. he wore these kicks during the playoffs of the 96-97 nba season, leading the chicago bulls to their second consecutive (and fifth of six from the two three-peats) championship.





released for the first time since 2004, this is one of the "original" colorways of the j12, together with the taxis (white-black), cherrys (white-red), obsidians (french blue-white), and breds (black-red, also known as "flu games"). "the greatest of all time" wore these joints most memorably during the first game of the 1997 nba finals where he made the buzzer beater over byron russell (yes, the same guy he swiped in making the "last shot" a season later). i can still remember watching that game on our way to subic for a field trip way back second year high school!

the 12's are my first pair of jordans. i got the cherrys and used them way back second year high school. it was durable, i even used it until fourth year high school! my classmates owned other colorways mentioned above, but my favorite of the colorways was the playoffs. i like the balance of the black and white in the shoe. and of course, it's a jordan... who wouldn't want to wear jordans in a basketball-crazy minor seminary?

unfortunately, because of prior commitments (read: social action internship in legazpi), i missed the release of one of my anticipated kicks for the year. with price ranges from resellers zooming up to php 9495 (that's + php 2000 from the srp of php 7495), looks like i will have to wait for the next release of the same model (obsidians are coming in july, i think) or wait for a kind-hearted reseller who will sell it to me on srp. i can treat him to a meal in kfc as a plus. haha!

UPDATE (may 10, 2012): i finally copped my pair... in malaysia! thank god for countries where basketball is not much of a hit. next up: air jordan 11 breds! i have until christmas to save for them!

Basketball: More fun in the Philippines

(photo source)

"In the Philippines, I found a nation of people who love hoops as passionately as I do. At first, it was hard to believe. How did a tall man's game become a cultural force of nature in a Southeast Asian country full of fairly short people? But Filipinos have a basketball history that stretches back to the early 1900s, and over the past century the sport has become ingrained in nearly every aspect of Philippine society. On the sides of jeepneys, in every town square, on billboards and commercials for a dizzying range of products that includes sneakers, vitamin syrup, tires and margarine, you see basketball. Almost everywhere in the Philippines, you see basketball."

- Rafe Bartholomew, on his book "Pacific Rims"

Yesterday afternoon, I had my own "Pacific Rims" experience in the quiet and peaceful barrio of Badian in the coastal town on Oas, Albay.

I was sent here to have an impromptu rural immersion as part of our Social Action Internship in the Diocese of Legazpi. I was sent here with my classmates to look into the Coastal Resource Management program of the Social Action Center. We looked at how natives helped together to rehabilitate the corals in the sea, prevent big fishing ships from fishing in their waters through illegal means, and come up with programs to increase the population of fishes in their shores that would eventually equate to a better catch in the near future.

Now where did basketball come into the picture?

The barangay captain of Badian invited us to play basketball with the natives. We accepted the invitation out of courtesy to the host. We then decided to look for the basketball court, check out how it looks like (how tall the ring was, how was the flooring, etc), and perhaps catch a glimpse of the people we were about to play with. And upon seeing the court, I was shocked. Players seem to have 0% body fat, the court was high, there was no net, the ring was solid, the floor was made of rough cement, games were physical and involved a lot of running, and they played barefoot! I mean, for someone who played ball in Manila on covered courts (preferably a wooden court at that), with snapback rings and fiberglass boards, and with a pair of Nikes on foot... I was in for an awkward gaming night.

We played a couple of games and we were fortunate to keep the games close. With the high ring, uncooperative board, uncushioned feet, and an oblong ball, there was no chance of winning. And yes, we might not have won, but playing in such an environment was an experience to behold. Imagine how the natives just kept playing the game with the resources they have. They just kept playing, I guess. And imagine the playing scenario back in the metropolis. I have to say I'm blessed with a lot yet most of the time make excuses for losses. Now who has the passion for the game? Your answer is as good as mine.

It's not every day that I get to experience this kind of game and scenario. But the next time I have an immersion in some place, whether it is in the far flung areas of the Philippines or one of those slums in the metro, the first thing I will look for is a basketball court. I will observe the players, the court, how they play, and what drives them to play. And who knows, I might be shooting on that court in the next few minutes.

Holy Week Apostolate 2012 @ St. Joseph Parish, Tambo

i was assigned at st. joseph parish in tambo, paranaque for my holy week apostolate this year. with the formation modules of san jose seminary (i.e. spiritual direction/retreat giving modules and social action apostolate in legazpi) taking up most of my time for pards' parish-based summer apostolate (aka BANAT), i'm still quite fortunate to have a parish assignment for the holy week... at least the entire easter triduum.

this marked the first time i was assigned in an urban parish setting, as i have been in village parishes for the past few years. and luckily, i was assigned to the same pastor i also worked with last summer for the holy week: fr. jeff manlapig!

here are some pictures from the following celebrations:

chrism mass, diocese of paranaque

holy thursday mass of the lord's supper

kalbaryo 2012 (aka senakulo sa tambo)

good friday celebration of the lord's passion, veneration of the cross, and procession

easter vigil

thanks a lot to the st. joseph parish community, headed by fr. jeff manlapig, for a solemn and moving holy week!

special thanks to ate cindy and kuya ronnie for the pictures! galing ng mga kuha!

Liwanag sa Dilim (Isang pagninilay sa Pagtatanod sa Muling Pagkabuhay ng Panginoon)

Isang bahagi ng homiliya na ibinigay noong Pagtatanod sa Muling Pagkabuhay ng Panginoon sa Saint Joseph Parish, Tambo

Liwanag. Kailangan natin ng liwanag sa buhay natin. Ang liwanag ng sikat ng araw ang siyang gumagabay sa ating mga araw at siya ring nagbibigay ng init at ilaw. Pagsapit ng gabi, kailangan din natin ng liwanag upang makita ang paligid ng kadiliman. Maraming nayayamot kapag brownout hindi lamang dahil walang kuryente kundi mahirap mamuhay ng walang liwanag. Kaya nga kapag brownout, ang una nating hinahanap ay kandila na sisindihan, o di naman kaya ay emergency light, o generator para sa may mga kaya. Bukod pa rito, mas madaling makahanap ng mga bagay na nawawala kapag maliwanag. Ika nga ng palatastas ng Meralco, "may liwanag ang buhay." Bukod sa ilaw at init na dala ng liwanag, ito rin ay nagbibigay ng kapanatagan at kapayapaan. Kapag malabo, kailangang liwanagin upang maging klaro. Kaya tinatanong ng guro, "Maliwanag ba?" upang malaman kung naiintindihan at mauunawaan ang paksa na tinatalakay sa klase.

Sinasabi nga na ang gabing ito ay iba o higit pa sa ibang mga gabi, hindi lamang dahil ang ating pagdiriwang ay maituturing na isa sa mga pinakamahabang "misa" ng taon, kundi dahil inaalala natin ang liwanag na pumaram sa dilim. Sa simula ng misa, nababalot ng kadiliman ang buong simbahan. Nagkaroon ng liwanag nang sinindihan ang apoy, na siyang pinanindi ng kandilang paskal, na siyang pinanindi ng ating mga kandila nang nakapasok tayo sa loob ng simbahan. Habang ipinapahayag ang mga pagbasa, nababalot ang simbahan ng kadiliman, at nang kinanta natin ang "Papuri," doon pa lang sinindihan ang mga ilaw sa loob ng simbahan. At ngayon, ang kadiliman na bumabalot sa simula ay nawala na. Dahil dumating na ang liwanag sa dilim, ang liwanag na nagwawaksi sa kadiliman ng mundo, dahil si Kristo ay nabuhay at siya'y ating kaliwanagan!

Ang buhay natin ay nababalot din ng kadiliman. Minsan, natatakot tayong harapin ang kadiliman dahil hindi natin alam kung nasaan tayo at ano ang ating patutunguhan. Ngunit, may liwanag sa dulo na siyang gagabay sa atin at kahit paano ay bibigyan tayo ng gabay patungo dito. Marami tayong karanasan ng kadiliman, ng kawalan ng liwanag, ng walang kasiguraduhan. Subalit, may liwanag na laging gumagabay at nagbibigay ng kapanatagan sa ating paglalakbay.

Nakikita natin ang tema ng liwanag at kadiliman sa ating mga pagbasa. Ang kadiliman ng kaos ay winaksi ng liwanag na siyang unang nilikha ng Diyos at siyang nagbigay ng kaayusan sa mundong ating ginagalawan. Sa sakripisyo ni Abraham sa kanyang anak na si Isaac, binigyan siya ng kaliwanagan ng pananampalataya ng Diyos na sumunod sa kanya dahil alam niya at naniniwala siyang hindi babawiin ng Diyos ang biyayang ibinigay niya sa kaniya. Sa karanasan ng mga Israelita palabas ng Ehipto, ang kadiliman ng dagat ay binigyang liwanag nang pinatawid sila ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Moises na kanyang sinugo upang dalhin sila sa lupang pangako. Sa mga pagbasa tungkol sa mga propeta, patuloy na nagbibigay ng liwanag ang Diyos sa ating puso na nababalutan ng kawalan ng pag-asa at dilim ng kaguluhan upang itaguyod ang kanyang pangako at tipanan sa ating lahat.

Liwanag sa dilim. Sinasabi na ang kadiliman ay isang kamalasan. Ngunit sa liwanag ni Kristo, tayo ay nagkakaroon ng malay na hindi kadiliman ang huling salita ng ating kasaysayan. At sa ating pagkamalay ng liwanag na nasa ating puso, handa na nating ialay ang liwanag na ito sa iba, lalo na sa mga nababalot pa ng kadiliman. Sa bisa ng ating binyag, tayo ay tinatawag na maging liwanag sa dilim na bumabalot sa mundo, na bitbitin ang biyayang ito at ipamahagi sa mga hindi pa namumuhay sa liwanag ng Diyos, na maging saksi sa buhay ni Kristo na siyang pinadala ng Ama upang bigyang liwanag, kapayapaan, at kapanatagan ang ating buhay. Ang liwanag na ito sa ating buhay ay mag-liyab sa ating mga puso na ialay sa Diyos ang ating buhay sa paglilingkod sa iba - sa ating pamilya, sa ating tahanan, sa ating pamayanan, sa ating parokya, at sa ating mundong ginagalawan.



Si Kristo ay muling nabuhay, siya'y ating kaliwanagan!
Happy Easter sa ating lahat!

It's not over

from the description in igniter media's youtube channel:
We've all been there—caught in a moment, a struggle, a relationship that seemed utterly hopeless. However, these four stories remind us that nothing is beyond God's repair. With God, nothing is over even when it seems like it's over.

Happy Easter!

Good Friday

why do we call the day when jesus died as "good friday"?
here's my simple answer:
because god had other plans,
because true love is costly and not cheap,
and because sunday is coming.

Far Greater Love

FAR GREATER LOVE
Lyrics: Johnny Go SJ
Music: Manoling Francisco SJ

Who would have known this would be a history so torn with wars?
The sky seems grayer in our hearts; it's grayer in our hearts.

I could have sworn it would end in misery,
but the world is turning still,
and we're also learning, somewhere hidden out there,
something's greater than our hearts

The storms of life may shake our ground,
a greater peace still dwells in our hearts.
The dreams we build may fall apart,
A deeper hope still runs in our hearts.
Fear no harm, we are ruled by a far greater love,
a far greater love

Who would have known life would be such a mystery?
For the world is yearning still and our hearts keep burning.
We dare to believe there's something greater than our hearts

The storms of life may shake our ground,
a greater peace still dwells in our hearts.
The dreams we build may fall apart,
A deeper hope still runs in our hearts.
Fear no harm, we are ruled by a far greater love

We're never alone.
All else may go wrong,
still will there be a love far greater than our hearts

Superman (It's not easy)

last year during holy thursday, the parish priest of my apostolate area showed this creative rendition of the song "superman" by five for fighting (yes, memories of 2001, anyone?) during his homily for the celebration of the lord's supper. i like the way the pictures rhyme well with the lyrics. but more than that, i think the message is quite clear: jesus is no superhero, but his sacrifice on the cross saved us all. have a blessed holy week!

AND 1: Lebanese scores 113 points. Wow?

a lebanese player by the name of mohammad el-akkari recently scored 113 points in a fiba-asia game. he was 40/69 from the field, 32/59 from the three point area (mostly made on corner and uncontested three balls), and 1 free throw for a grand total of 113 points. an article in yahoo sports' "ball don't lie" blog actually named two filipinos who broke into the 100-point scoring mark: lou salvador (who scored 116 points in the gold medal game of the far eastern games way back in 1923) and jeron teng (who scored 104 points in a game i personally witnessed last year). but that's another story.

hearing someone score more than 100 points is truly awesome. of course, you don't see it done normally except if you play nba 2k12 using rookie mode. but seeing the game on video made be draw back my "wow" for the feat. uncontested threes, lax defense, and no ball rotation just made me ask, "is there something wrong with this game?" sure, he scored a ton of points and he shot the lights out, but then again, it was like playing nba 2k12 using rookie mode. it's just that he did it live. it's still hard to shoot from that range with accuracy on a long game, but it gets easier without defense.

before scoring 113 points, he was averaging above seven points per game. that piggy back ride at the end of the video is something that he somehow deserves for his consistent shooting, and of course for bringing his team to victory. in this event where the opponents would rather play chess than to get into contact with their defensive assignments, and with a stroke like that, it wouldn't be a wonder if kobe bryant would even score 200 in this kind of a ballgame.

Palm Sunday

i shared this video last year during holy week, and it's nice to go back and watch this video again as we begin the holy week with the celebration of palm sunday. may this holy week be a time for authentic penance, repentance, and reflection. god bless us all!