Priests of the Sacred Heart

Prayers before the Cross

Lord Jesus, Redeemer of all,
hear my prayer.
For the love you bear
to those who ask forgiveness,
look mercifully on me,
as once you looked on Mary Magdalene
and on Peter who denied you.

Look on me, Lord Jesus Christ,
as you looked on the thief on his cross
and on every sinner
whom you have ever forgiven.

Look on me, merciful Lord,
as you looked on your mother, Mary,
standing in sorrow beneath your cross.
Let me feel in my heart her compassion for you,
and let my eyes weep for the sorrows
my sins have caused.

Call me from darkness
to my Father's house,
give me a new heart
and a place at your side
at the banquet of your kingdom. Amen.

* * * * *

Lord Jesus, at our baptism
we were marked for you
with the sign of the Cross.
May your cross inspire us
to act justly and love tenderly.
May the crosses in our lives
be for us
invitations for growth and new life
as we place our trust in you.
Renewed by your love,
may the way we live
proclaim you as Lord:
you who are the Way,
the Truth and the Life.

Amen

Easter Greetings from the District Superior

From Betrayal Reconciliation! + From Hatred Love! + From Death Life!

Dear Confreres and Friends,

In the name of all members of the Philippine District, I am happy to extend our warmest Easter Greetings to you and the entire SCJ community. This is the blessed time for us to renew our commitment to Reconciliation, to Love, to Life! Together with all the Dehonian Family, we are happy to be instruments of the Sacred Heart chosen and sent to enkindle in this beloved Country Christ�s passion for the Father and for Man, following the trail of Fr. Dehon
Please, be united with us in our thanksgiving for all God�s graces showered upon our District, keeping all of us happy safe and in good health. With God�s blessing we grow slowly but steadily: We just admitted 11 postulants to the noviciate on March 25th and 5 novices are about to have the profession of First Vows on May 13th
Through the generosity of our SCJ benefactors, our little family could finally complete its formation structures: last September 29th, 2006 we celebrated the blessing of the new Theologate in Manila and this coming May 13th 2007 we will bless the new noviciate in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur. God is great indeed!
Have a blessed EASTER!

Fr. Rino Venturin scj.
District Superior

Pearl of the Orient No. 10

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The Last Supper

Lord Jesus,
once in the wilderness
your people ate heavenly manna
and they were filled.
And once in a desert place
you fed the hungry
with blessed bread.
A simple thing, we say,
costing our mighty God
litte effort.

But what if bread is
a body offered for all,
and a cup of wine
your own life-blood
given to those who hardly care?

A costly thing, we say,
Is there anything more
God could have done?
Anything more
Love could do
than lay down his life
for his friends?

Washing of the Feet

The Lord Jesus,
when he had eaten with his disciples,
poured water into a basin
and began to wash their feet, saying:
"This example I leave you". (See John 13:4,5,15)

"Lord, do you wash my feet?"
Jesus said to him:
"If I do not wash your feet
You can have no part with me."
So he came to Simon Peter,
Who said to him:
"Lord, do you wash my feet?"
"Now you do not know what I am doing,
but later you will understand.
Lord, do you wash my feet?" (John 13:6-8)

"If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed you feet,
then surely you must wash one another's feet." (John 13:14)

"If there is this love among you,
all will know that you are my disciples."
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If there is this love among you,
all will know that you are my disciples." (John 13:35)

"I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you", says the Lord. (John 13:34)

"Faith, hope, and love,
let these endure among you;
and the greatest of these is love." (I Corinthians 13:13)

A Short Prayer for Holy Week

Lord Jesus Christ,
you gave your all so that we might have life;
you counted yourself as nothing so that we
might rejoice in the wonder of your love;
you endured agony of body, mind and spirit,
so that we might receive mercy and know
the peace that only you can give.

Help us today to recognise more clearly everything
you did for us, and so inspire us to give a little of
ourselves in return.
Teach us to walk the way of the cross and to bear
the cost gladly for the joy set before us,
for your name�s sake.

Amen.

Admission to the Novitiate

On March 25, 2007, a batch of 11 Postulants was admitted to the Novitiate. The ceremony took place at the chapel of the Holy Infant Seminary in Pagadian City and was presided by the District Superior Fr. Rino Venturin. It was also attended by members of the local community of Dumalinao who joined the concelebrated Mass.

The new Novices started their 14-month long Novitiate, the time of preparation to the religious life and first profession of vows which will take place in May 2008. At the moment there are 16 Novices including the old batch of 5 who will make their first vows on May 13, 2007.

On Monday, March 26, 2007 all the Novices moved to the new location in Upper Lucuban, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur. The official inauguration and blessing of the new Novitiate is also scheduled on May 13, 2007.

Admission to the Postulancy

On March 18,2007, seven of the Aspirants were admitted to the Postulancy program.

The ceremony took place in Cagayan de Oro on March 18, 2007. Fr. Indra Pamungkas, the local superior and formator of the Aspirants presented the candidates to the District Superior Fr. Rino Venturin and the new Master of Postulants Fr. Andrew Sudol.

Fr. Andrew was the main celebrant and homilist. Five of the new Postulants are Filipino and two of them come from Vietnam.

The Postulancy program is a year of preparation for the Novitiate, the next step of SCJ formation program.

Please press "play" button to listen to Fr. Andrew's Homily

Fr. Dehon's Birth Anniversary

March 14, the Birth Anniversary of Fr. Dehon is a special day for the whole Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. It's a special day of prayers for new SCJ vocations. In the Philippine District the Birthday Anniversary of Fr. Leo Dehon was celebrated in each community separately and took different forms. The community of Dumalinao with Fr. Sutopo from Kumalarang went together to one place to have a special day of recollection and reflection. The formation communities held special celebrations of the Eucharist praying for new SCJ vocations and soon beatification of the Founder.

In Cagayan de Oro, the biggest community, the celebration started with the 9-day Novena Prayers for soon beatification of Fr. Dehon and finished with the concelebrated Mass on March 14, 2007. The Mass, as usual, was attended by other members of the Dehonian Family.

Fr. Francis, the main celebrant during his homily presented the life and work of Fr. Dehon, and also told the audience about the certain problems regarding his beatification and the common stand of the congregation, who accepts the situation with faith and see it as a new spiritual challenge, a call for spiritual renewal and openess to the current needs of the Church and society.