Uncategorized | Teresian Carmelite Missionaries | Asian Delegation https://asia.cmtpalau.org "I live and I will live for the Church, I live and I will die for her." Sat, 13 Dec 2025 03:04:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/asia.cmtpalau.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Uncategorized | Teresian Carmelite Missionaries | Asian Delegation https://asia.cmtpalau.org 32 32 152083531 DECIDE TO BE HAPPY: 3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/12/14/decide-to-be-happy-3rd-sunday-of-advent/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/12/14/decide-to-be-happy-3rd-sunday-of-advent/#respond Sat, 13 Dec 2025 23:30:03 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=9183 How happy are you? According to Positive Psychology, “Happiness is subjective. We know when we feel happy and when we don’t, but how can we measure it?” Let’s check the quality of our happiness. There are many things that make us happy—fame, power, money, and even pleasures. We might possess all these things, but we will never be truly happy if we don’t decide to be. The truth is that we often lack contentment. People acquire things that provide external comfort, but inside, they feel completely empty.

The flood control issues give us a glimpse of this external comfort for those involved, but now they find themselves trapped in a nightmare of their own making. Before they suffer the consequences, we are the ones who experience the terrifying results of substandard responsibility entrusted to them. “They are the only ones who want to be happy,” but what about us? They must now check the quality of their lives.

Joy is something we all deserve, but not all of us have access to the inner feeling of joy. Being joyful is about connection—being with our family and friends, doing things that make us feel relaxed. We must also check the quality of the way we rejoice. We need to stay connected with what makes us joyous.

This third Sunday of Advent is known as “Gaudete” Sunday, meaning “rejoice.” The most awaited time of the year is nearly here. Time flies so fast, and we often don’t realize that Christmas is already approaching. The joy of knowing that the Lord is near is a joy we must recognize and give importance to. This is how the Apostle James encourages us to wait joyfully in patience and hope: “Rejoice in the Lord always!” This opening antiphon expresses the joyful coming of Jesus into our daily lives. The rose candle is lit in the Advent wreath, reminding us of joy.

Our readings help us to see the prophetic message of Isaiah, which describes God’s “transformative salvation”—the joy that we don’t earn but that God brings to us. In the Gospel, John the Baptist asks, “Are you the One?” This question, though filled with doubt, is ultimately a question of confirmation. Jesus selflessly responds to John’s followers through His healing. John does not point to himself as the One; instead, he continues to look for the greater One. His humility invites us to do the same: to prepare the way for the Lord in our hearts. This will allow true happiness to bring us full contentment and help us stay connected to the joy that we deserve—a joy that comes from within.

I pray that my heart will always be rejoicing, no matter the circumstances of my journey, and that my joy may be complete in whatever I have in my hands.

]]> https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/12/14/decide-to-be-happy-3rd-sunday-of-advent/feed/ 0 9183 Francisco Palau and Pope Leo XIV: United in the Love of Poverty and Service to the Poor https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/11/16/francisco-palau-and-pope-leo-xiv-united-in-the-love-of-poverty-and-service-to-the-poor/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/11/16/francisco-palau-and-pope-leo-xiv-united-in-the-love-of-poverty-and-service-to-the-poor/#respond Sun, 16 Nov 2025 03:00:33 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=9144

Both Francisco Palau, the 19th-century Carmelite mystic and missionary, and Pope Leo XIV in his apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (2025), reveal a strikingly similar vision of poverty — not as mere material deprivation, but as a privileged path of communion with God and service to humanity. Though separated by time and circumstance, both voices converge on a central truth: that authentic Christian life is inseparable from love for the poor, lived through a spirit of humility, sacrifice, and communion.

1. Poverty as Union with Christ

For both Palau and the Pope, poverty is not only an external reality but a profound mystery of union with Christ.
Pope Leo XIV writes that “Jesus himself became poor and was born in the flesh like us. We came to know him in the smallness of a child laid in a manger and in the extreme humiliation of the cross.” (Dilexi te, §16–18) Poverty thus reveals God’s descent into human fragility, the divine identification with the weak and forgotten.

Francisco Palau experiences this mystery existentially. In his Struggle of the Soul with God, he describes prayer and sacrifice as the soul’s “battle” for the suffering Church, sharing in its wounds and desolation. For him, the Church herself is the suffering Christ present in the poor and persecuted. To love the Church, therefore, is to love Christ in his poverty. His mystical union with the “beautiful Church” is never detached from the pain of her members — those who are oppressed, exiled, or deprived of dignity.

Both thus perceive poverty as the form of Christ’s presence in the world. The poor are not objects of assistance but bearers of divine revelation.

2. The Cry of the Poor as God’s Voice

In Dilexi te, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that “the condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives and societies” (§9). To ignore this cry, he says, is to turn away from “the very heart of God.” The Pope insists that to encounter the poor is to encounter the living Christ — echoing the Gospel mandate, “Just as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.”

Palau shares this prophetic sensitivity. When he laments the devastation of the Church in Spain — its persecution, loss of faith, and suffering — he interprets these not only as historical tragedies but as the groaning of Christ’s mystical Body. His call to “struggle with God” in prayer is born from hearing the cry of a wounded Church, which for him includes the suffering poor, the displaced, and the spiritually abandoned.
In both, the poor are not silent; they speak with the voice of God, calling believers to conversion and solidarity.

3. Love and Service: Two Faces of the Same Poverty

For Pope Leo XIV, love for Christ and love for the poor are inseparable: “Love for the Lord is one with love for the poor… contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history” (§5). Charity, then, is not philanthropy but participation in God’s merciful love, which descends into human misery to heal it.

Palau’s spirituality embodies this same principle. His motto, “Love is work”, expresses the union of contemplation and mission. Prayer and apostolate are “mutually deduced from the same ecclesial love,” as his writings explain. For him, to pray for the Church and to serve her concretely — especially in her poor and suffering members — are one and the same act of love. Poverty becomes apostolic: it impels service, compassion, and total availability to God’s will.

Thus, both Palau and the Pope view service to the poor as not only a moral duty but a mystical vocation — the continuation of Christ’s own self-emptying love.

4. The Church as the Home of the Poor

In Dilexi te, Leo XIV insists that the Church must be “the friend and liberator of the poor,” reflecting God’s own preferential love (§17). The Church’s holiness, he says, is measured by her closeness to those who suffer. This recalls the call of Vatican II and the spirituality of Saint Francis — a model both Palau and the Pope invoke as emblematic of evangelical poverty.

Palau anticipated this ecclesial vision a century earlier. His entire mysticism is ecclesial: he contemplates the Church as both the Bride of Christ and the suffering Body of humanity. His pastoral and missionary work — whether in preaching, writing, or founding communities — was aimed at building a Church that embodies communion and service. For him, the Church’s beauty shines not in power or wealth but in her fidelity to the poor Christ.

5. Conversion of Heart and Society

Both warn against the illusions of comfort and indifference. Pope Leo XIV denounces the “illusion of happiness derived from a comfortable life” that blinds societies to the suffering of millions (§11). He calls for a “change in mentality” — a cultural conversion that recognizes the dignity of the poor and rejects systems of exclusion.

Palau, too, identifies sin, complacency, and spiritual blindness as the roots of social ruin. His “struggle with God” is not rebellion but intercession — a cry for mercy and renewal. His vision of the Christian life demands inner poverty, detachment, and trust in God’s providence, which then bear fruit in concrete service to others. Poverty, therefore, is both a personal virtue and a prophetic critique of injustice.

Conclusion: A Shared Path of Love

Francisco Palau and Pope Leo XIV converge on the conviction that poverty is the privileged place of encounter with God and the measure of authentic Christian love. Both see the Church’s mission as inseparable from the care of the poor — not out of mere compassion, but because in the poor, Christ himself continues his saving work.

Palau’s “love made work” and Leo XIV’s “I have loved you” (Dilexi te) echo across the centuries as a single call: to embrace poverty not as a curse, but as a grace — the doorway to communion, compassion, and the transformation of the world through love.

]]> https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/11/16/francisco-palau-and-pope-leo-xiv-united-in-the-love-of-poverty-and-service-to-the-poor/feed/ 0 9144 SERVING ONE MASTER: 25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/09/21/serving-one-master-25th-sunday-in-ordinary-time/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/09/21/serving-one-master-25th-sunday-in-ordinary-time/#respond Sat, 20 Sep 2025 23:30:32 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=9064 In the Gospel of Luke 16:1–13, Jesus gives us the puzzling parable of the dishonest steward. Faced with losing his position, the steward acts shrewdly, reducing the debts of his master’s clients so that they might welcome him later. At first glance, it seems strange that Jesus highlights the actions of someone who was wasteful and dishonest. Yet the Lord does not praise dishonesty, but rather the steward’s ability to prepare with foresight for what was coming. The question for us is whether we show the same wisdom and energy in preparing for eternal life, or whether we remain attached to the securities of this world. Jesus ends with words that echo through every age: “No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and wealth.”

The Carmelite saints offer us a way of entering into this Gospel with clarity and depth. Saint Teresa of Jesus, who knew well the dangers of attachment, insists that what blinds us is not wealth itself but the clinging of the heart. She wrote that “all the harm comes from not keeping our eyes fixed on You, Lord.” The steward sought security in others’ houses, but Teresa calls us to find true safety only in God’s house. Saint John of the Cross, with his radical teaching on detachment, reminds us that only when the heart is free can it be filled with God. “To come to possess all,” he says, “desire the possession of nothing.” The Gospel invites us to recognize that our deepest treasure is not found in what we own, but in the freedom to give ourselves wholly to the Lord. Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus adds her gentle but powerful witness. For her, the path to God is not in great deeds or clever maneuvers, but in little acts of love. Even the smallest use of our time or possessions, when offered in love, becomes wealth in heaven.

Blessed Francisco Palau y Quer, a son of Carmel who lived in the nineteenth century, gives us another light for this Gospel. For him, the mystery of the Church was central: he experienced the Church as the Bride of Christ, and he lived his life as a mission of love for her. In his writings, he expressed it simply: “My mission is love, and my love is the Church.” Palau teaches us that everything entrusted to us—talents, possessions, and opportunities—finds its meaning when it is placed at the service of the Church, who is both mystical communion and concrete reality. To misuse resources selfishly is to betray the Bride; to spend them in love for her members, especially the poor and forgotten, is to be a faithful steward.

This Gospel therefore calls us to examine how we are managing what God has entrusted to us. Do we cling to resources as our security, or do we risk them in love? Do we serve two masters, God and wealth, or do we live with a single-hearted devotion to the Lord? Jesus is not asking us to be passive, but to be creative and wise in using every gift for the building of his Kingdom. The Carmelite tradition shows us that freedom of heart, detachment from worldly gain, and fidelity in little things are the foundation of such stewardship. Palau pushes us to live that freedom concretely in love for the Church, where God is loved in his people.

In the end, the dishonest steward acted to secure his own future. Jesus calls us to act with even greater foresight, but not for self-preservation—rather for eternal communion. The choice is laid before us with sharp clarity: either God is our Master, or wealth is. If we let God be our Master, then everything we have, from the smallest gesture to the greatest gift, becomes a channel of love, an offering that builds communion and stores up treasure in heaven.

Let us therefore pray: Lord Jesus, You are the true Master. Free my heart from the slavery of wealth and self-interest. With Teresa, help me to keep my eyes always fixed on You. With John, teach me the path of detachment. With Thérèse, let me offer You the little things of daily life. And with Francisco Palau, may I love You in the Church, Your Bride. Make me a faithful steward of all You entrust to me, for the glory of Your Kingdom. Amen.

]]> https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/09/21/serving-one-master-25th-sunday-in-ordinary-time/feed/ 0 9064 LOVE, SACRIFICE, AND VICTORY OF THE CROSS: FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE CROSS https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/09/14/love-sacrifice-and-victory-of-the-cross-feast-of-the-exaltation-of-the-cross/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/09/14/love-sacrifice-and-victory-of-the-cross-feast-of-the-exaltation-of-the-cross/#respond Sat, 13 Sep 2025 23:30:49 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=9061 One of my unforgettable missionary experiences in doing parish work in Mindanao was being a member of the Family Life Apostolate. I worked with the coordinators and members in giving the Pre-Cana seminar. I heard different love stories—stories of sacrifice, patience, endurance, fidelity, and perseverance from couples who were preparing for the sacrament.

Today’s readings bring us to the paradox of love: a victorious and triumphant love through sacrifice.

In today’s Sunday celebration of the Triumph of the Cross, we remember the Cross where Christ was lifted up for the salvation of all believers. The first reading recalls how the Israelites became impatient on their journey, complaining about food and water. God’s response was to send poisonous serpents, and many Israelites died. In their suffering, the people approached Moses, admitted their sins, and begged for mercy. God then instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole, so that anyone bitten who looked at it would live.

The second reading, from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, is a weekly canticle in the Saturday Evening Prayer: “Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” Though Christ had the privilege of being equal with God, He chose instead the path of total submission and humility before His Father. His obedience, even to death, invites us to reflect on the depth of our own obedience to God. Our own “self-emptying” is not an easy task; it means surrendering what we hold on to most tightly.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that those who believe in Him may have eternal life. The Cross is not a terrifying symbol of condemnation, but rather a symbol of life.

Our hearts should never forget the story of Jesus’ personal love for humanity—a conqueror of shame through humility, a victor over death who brings life. We, too, have our own triumphs of love and sacrifice.

]]> https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/09/14/love-sacrifice-and-victory-of-the-cross-feast-of-the-exaltation-of-the-cross/feed/ 0 9061 ELECTION OF THE NEW PROVINCIAL ANIMATION AND GOVERNMENT TEAM https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/07/25/elecetion-of-the-new-provincial-animation-and-government-team/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/07/25/elecetion-of-the-new-provincial-animation-and-government-team/#respond Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:08:08 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=8902

Within the framework of the IV Provincial Chapter, held under the theme “Custodians of Life, Reborn in Communion,” we experienced days of profound discernment, fraternal encounter, and openness to the breath of the Spirit.

In this context, the Chapter Assembly, meeting on July 24, 2025, proceeded to elect the new Provincial Animator. Sister Teresa Vives Pertusa was reelected for a new four-year term, following the completion of her service during the previous term. Her election was confirmed by the General Animation and Government Team.

Along with her, the sisters who will make up the new Provincial Council have been elected:

Mª Asunción Caminero Martín – 1st Provincial Councilor

Marta Faron – 2nd Provincial Councilor

Verónica Blanes García – 3rd Provincial Councilor

Mª Carmen Moya Guerrero – 4th Provincial Councilor

We thank God for the generous availability of Sister Teresa and each of the councilors. We trust that, sustained by grace and in fraternal communion, they will know how to animate our Province’s journey in the coming years with fidelity, evangelical depth, and a spirit of service.

May this time we begin be a true sign of communion, renewal, and care for life, and may we, as women on mission, continue to be reborn in communion, in fidelity to the charism entrusted to us.

ABOUT SISTER TERESA VIVES PERTUSA

Sister Teresa is from Alicante, born in Daya Vieja in 1964, and a Teresian Carmelite Missionary for four decades. She completed her religious formation in Palencia, continuing it in Rome, and was later assigned to the community of Pisa, where she earned a degree in Modern Language and Literature, dedicating herself to pastoral teaching and parish work.

She was subsequently assigned to Madrid, having been elected Provincial Councilor and Secretary in 2000. From July 2003, and for three consecutive three-year terms, she served as Provincial Superior of the then “San Alberto” Province, in addition to serving as Provincial Councilor on two separate occasions.

She combined these services with her involvement in the shared mission with the laity, as head of the Identity Area of the Provincial-Owned Team of the CMT educational centers of the “Francisco Palau” Province. Following the creation of the foundation for the management of the Congregation’s educational centers in Spain, she has served as President of the Board of Trustees of the CMT Educational Foundation since last year, and was recently appointed President-elect of the National Catholic Schools.

Today, with gratitude and hope, she has been re-elected for a second four-year term as Provincial Animator.

]]> https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2025/07/25/elecetion-of-the-new-provincial-animation-and-government-team/feed/ 0 8902 PATHS OF HOPE https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2024/11/28/paths-of-hope/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2024/11/28/paths-of-hope/#respond Wed, 27 Nov 2024 23:40:47 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=8287 ENCOUNTER AND DISCERNMENT OF THE CAPITULAR COMMUNITY

The chapter community keeps moving forward. Today has been an occasion for sorting out and addressing issues that were left unsettled in previous days. Returning to dialogue in discernment communities on certain topics in order to identify specific key points through listening to each other’s voices. Responding to the questions raised by animation teams and provincial governments has become an open question in order to see potential paths and agree on route guidelines.

The celebrant recalled that, in contrast to what is described in the Gospel, instances of indifference may diminish apostolic zeal, concerns, and passion for God and brothers.

With the addition of Sr. Odette Gapira, elected second general councilor, the entire general team of animation and government team was able to receive a solemn blessing at the end of the Eucharist, followed by a special blessing from the councilors during the chapter assembly.

After a long and exhausting day of work, we arrived for dinner with the laypeople who had come back to continue the collaborative work.

]]> https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2024/11/28/paths-of-hope/feed/ 0 8287 THE END OF TIME: 33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2024/11/17/the-end-of-time-33rd-sunday-in-ordinary-time/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2024/11/17/the-end-of-time-33rd-sunday-in-ordinary-time/#respond Sat, 16 Nov 2024 23:48:00 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=8025 When I was still in the high school, I’ve already heard the expression “the end of time”. There were circumstances in my life that sometimes made me feel panic when hearing similar rumors. There were hearsay that Mount Banahaw would explode and the town wiould be covered with water, and so the residents in my town had to pack and shelter in our school, where they could stay safe in higher area. At glance the scenario created fear to all the people in my town who got prepared in advance to bring their personal belongings.

Our gospel reading for this Sunday could bring some fears for those who read. Jesus gives some sign when the end will come. He says, “in those days after the tribulation, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light and even the star will fall from the sky and the power in heavens will be shaken”. Isn’t it really frightening? The passage really provokes fears but at the same time, it reminds us to be prepared for when the end of time will happen, when the Son of man will coming- the 2nd coming of the Lord. The gospel reading also reminds us that our God is in control of everything, even the moment of uncertainty.

So, Jesus use the parable of the fig tree to teach us what we should do, how to be prepared. He teaches us to remain watchful, recognize the sign of God’s work in our lives and in the world. This gospel calls us to live in humility and trust, focused on living the present moment and live a life more meaningfully, for we don’t know when is the end of time.

Perhaps we could look back on the life we live, how are we? How are we living the life that God gave to us? The coming of the Son of man refers to the end of times when the world will end and when we will face judgment before God. Every day, we have the privilege of encountering our God, especially in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It is the perfect moment where we unite with Him and the whole church – the encounter. Jesus is present in the life of the Church. We encounter Him in every place and moment of our life.

The gospel also points to the fact that our concern should be whether we are ready or worthy when the day comes, for even we know the exact time of His coming, we still be judged according to how we live out our life. Being worthy and prepared for the end of time is not simply based on how much prayer, charities and sacrifices we have done, but it is  about living the Christian way of life. Being good is not only at a certain time but it is living our Christian life 27/7, a full time activity. Therefore we could ask ourselves in this way: How ready are you for your death and judgment day?

Let us be vigilant, steadfast in faith, living with hope and trust in God’s providence. Amen.

]]> https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2024/11/17/the-end-of-time-33rd-sunday-in-ordinary-time/feed/ 0 8025 IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PALAU ON THE SYNODAL PATH https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2022/11/01/in-the-footsteps-of-palau-on-the-synodal-path/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2022/11/01/in-the-footsteps-of-palau-on-the-synodal-path/#respond Tue, 01 Nov 2022 05:35:55 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=5912 In the footsteps of Palau

Fourth Day November 1 

Footprints of Peace 

We let these words of Father Palau echo within us:

“Let nothing disturb you, be it good or bad. Give up everything else except your peace of heart.” Letter 38,8

All your perfection consists in wanting what God wants and doing what he wills. The will of God is revealed to you through those who direct and govern you. God will enlighten them and strengthen you to fight against yourselves, since you are the most formidable enemy that God and the Church have: your moods, your own judgments and wishes, your love for yourself and your self-will, your own thoughts, appetites, desires and whims. These are the enemies of peace and order. Prayer, devotions and every other weapon have to be directed to hold them. The will of God revealed, not only through us priests, but also through the sister constituted in authority, is the supreme law to which you must submit; and when you have won in this battle, when the law of God triumphs in you, you will have peace and you will rejoice in triumph, and wherever you go, you will bring order and peace, and with peace, glory.” Letter 99,2

Scripture Texts: 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. [Jn 14:27]

For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [Rom 14:17]

Reflection: 

On this fourth day of prayer, we are called to live in peace, during times that are complicated and in many places where it seems that peace is not found. Peace must be a way of life linked strongly both to prayer, and to our pastoral praxis, in the places where we give witness. How joyful it is when peace is promoted and we can reflect peace amidst the many brothers and sisters who suffer and cry out for this long-awaited gift from God! Francisco Palau moves us to be Peace, he demands of us that we lose everything rather than the peace in our hearts. For further reflection: How am I a promoter of peace among the People of God?

We pray together: 

  • For peace in the world and especially in Ukraine. We ask for the end of all armed conflicts and especially that of Ukraine, so that the peace processes achieve their objectives, the rights of citizens and national integrity are respected and all those who have had to flee their country can return and rebuild their lives. We pray to the Lord.
  • May the Lord grant us inner peace in order to respond to the Spirit of the Gospel to the challenges of each day. We pray to the Lord.
  • For the families displaced by the war in different places, especially the families of our sisters and brothers in Africa and Europe. We pray to the Lord.
  • For all government leaders and legislators, that they may work for the good of all people. We pray to the Lord.

Taking a step further, on this fourth day of our novena we pray especially for the following communities and works of the Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Province of Africa, Nairobi Kenya Community Sainte Thérèse de L`Enfant Jésus, Yaundé Cdad. Blessed Francois Palau, community. St Joseph, Lyon France Cdad. Ste Thérèse de L`Enfant Jésus 

We bring to our mind and hearts: Peace 

Música: 4. Piérdelo todo ante la Paz del Corazón. 

During this day of the novena, let us ask for the intercession of Francisco Palau so that we may be women and men who walk in synodality, that having experienced Peace in our lives, we may proclaim that same peace day by day.

Father Palau Prayer 

Almighty and merciful God and Father: we thank and bless you for instilling in the heart of Blessed Francisco Palau a singular love for the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, be revealed to him her beauty illustrated in Mary, and inspiring him to serve her through prayer and apostolic activity. Grant us his prompt canonization in the Church and the special grace we are asking through his intercession. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

]]> https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2022/11/01/in-the-footsteps-of-palau-on-the-synodal-path/feed/ 0 5912 GUMAWA NG MABUTI SA LAHAT https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2022/02/25/gumawa-ng-mabuti-sa-lahat/ https://asia.cmtpalau.org/2022/02/25/gumawa-ng-mabuti-sa-lahat/#respond Fri, 25 Feb 2022 07:38:36 +0000 https://asia.cmtpalau.org/?p=5651 Taong 1895, ika-26 ng Setyembre, isinilang ang isang batang babae na nangangalang Teresa Mira Garcia, mula sa isang malaki ngunit simpleng pamilya ng Algueña, Espanya. Pagkaraan ng labing-pitong taon, taong 1912 lumipat ang buong pamilya ni Teresa sa Novelda at doon nanirahan. Sa bayang ito nakilala ni Teresa ang mga ng Karmelitas Misyoneras Teresiyanas. Sa loob ng tatlong taong pakikisalamuha sa mga misyoneras ng karmelitas dito naramdaman ni Teresa ang tawag ng Diyos sa buhay pagmamadre. Bilang tugon, kinausap niya ang kanyang mga magulang at ipinagtapat ang naising maglingkod sa Diyos sa pamamagitan ng pagpasok sa kumbento ng Kongregasyon na itinatag ng Paring Karmelita na si Beato Francisco Palau. Naunawaan ng kaniyang mga magulang si Teresa at ibinigay ang kanilang basbas.

Nagsimula ang kanyang pormasyon bilang isang Nobisyada sa Tarragona, at nuong taon ding yun Oktubre 13, 1916, tinanggap niya ang unang pagtatalaga ng sarili. Nanatili sya sa Tarragona hanggang taong 1918. Nang taon ding yun, siya ay inilipat sa Alcala, Castellon, dito siya naatasang mamahala at magalaga ng mga maliit na bata. Naging masaya siya sa ibinigay na tungkulin.

Noong Oktubre 19, 1921 kanyang ipinagdiwang ang habang buhay na pagtatalaga ng sarili sa Kapilya ng Kolehiyo. Makalipas ang tatlong taon siya ay inilipat sa San Jorge sa Castellon kung saan ay nagtagal siya ng labing dalawang taon. Dito ipinagpatuloy nya ang kanyang masayang paglilingkod sa mga bata at sa marami pang tao na kanyang napaglingkuran.

Ang digmaang sibil ng Espanya noong 1936 ay ikinagulat ni Teresa sa Colegio ng San Jorge. Dahil sa pampulitikang sitwasyon, kinailangan niyang iwanan ang komunidad at lumipat sa Novelda.

Sa labis na katahimikan at lakas ng loob sa gitna ng malaking pag-igting na naghahari sa bayan. Sinubukan niyang  pagaanin ang kalooban ng kanyang pamilya at mga kaibigan, ipinakita nyang handa ang sarili na kahit magdusa sa pagkamartir. Ang mga kalye ng Novelda ay nagpapatotoo sa kanyang hindi mabilang na mga kilos ng kawanggawa.

Sa loob ng tatlong taong ekslustrasyon, nagkaroon siya ng pagkakataon na gawin ang kasabihan ng kanyang buhay: “Tayo’y palaging gumawa ng mabuti sa lahat”. Ang kanyang paglilingkod sa panahong ito ay maihahambing sa mga naunang Kristiyano na nagdala ng Sakramento ng Pakikinabang sa mga may sakit sa panahon ng persekusyon, at nagbabantang panganib ng buhay.

Taong 1939 ng matapos ang digmaan, siya ay nakabilang sa  komunidad ng Nobelda. Ngunit sa sobrang trabaho, pagod at kakulangan nang nutrisyon, nagkaroon siya ng sakit na tuberkulosis.

Sa pagbubukang liwayway binawian sya ng buhay ng Panginoon noong Pebrero 26, 1941 sa edad na apatnaput limang  taong gulang.

Noong Disyembre 17, 1996, ideneklara ng Santo Papa Juan Pablo II, si Sr. Teresa Mira Garcia, isang benerable. Isinabuhay ni Sr. Teresa ang karisma na nananalaytay at nagmumula sa bukal ng misteryo nang pananampalataya, ang Simbahan.

Isinabuhay nya ang pag-eebanghelyong dimensyon sa isang klima ng karanasan nang Simbahan.

Bilang anak ni Beato Franciso Palau, ang kanyang paglilingkod ay isang bukas loob na dedikasyon sa miyembro ng mistikal na katawan ni Kristo kabahagi ng  iisang ugnayan ng buhay. Mahal niya ang Simbahan at ibinigay niya ang sarili ng may kapayakan, pag-ibig at kaligayahan sa kanyang paglilingkod sa mga mahihina: sa mga bata, mga may sakit at sa mga nangangailangan…

Sa kanyang buhay kumakatawan ang Marianismo Palautiano, na hindi lamang ang pansamantalang debosyon ngunit ang pagsasabuhay ng kongkretong bukas na saloobin at paglilingkod.

Sa pakikipag-ugnay kay Sr. Teresa Mira, iyong makikita palagi ang kalinawan ng kanyang mensahe; kasama ni Hesus, galing sa Kaniya at katulad Niya, pumunta sa kapwa at “gumawa ng mabuti sa lahat.”

 

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