Magsaysay Celebrates Fiesta with Youth as the Focal Point

January 16, 2019 was a huge celebration of the Parish turning 55 years old, and a parish celebrating the priest from this humble town who is soon to be ordained a Bishop of the Diocese of Pagadian in the person of Rev. Fr. Ronald Lunas. With its Theme: “Sr. Sto. Nino Modelo sa mga Kabatan-onan ug sa Tanan,” the celebration of the holy mass became more meaningful and exciting for everyone.

Bishop Guillermo D. Afable made a remarkable start of the Eucharist when he announced to the faithful to pray and ask forgiveness and blessings from God for the people who persecute the Catholic church. He further said that as we ask forgiveness of our own sins, let us also remember to ask God to forgive those who despise Him.

Present during the Eucharistic Celebration were Rev. Fr. Allan Joie Nunez, Rev. Fr. Kristian Peter Edwyn Dorilag, Rev. Fr. Regino Estoon and Rev. Fr Anselmo Forteza.

Before the final blessings, Bishop Afable called the youth (14 to 39 years old and single) to come forward and bless them. As the youth were gathered before the Bishop, he reminded them that they are BELOVED because their parents chose to have them in this world. They are GIFTED because they have been baptized and been raised as Catholics who grow up knowing his Creator and establishing a relationship with Him. They are EMPOWERED because they were sent to school to become educated, they were confirmed and by the Sacrament they received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He told them that at their age they might have already planned for their future but the Bishop asked them to keep the door open and try to listen when God calls them. “God might be knocking at your door and He might have a different plan for you. Keep your heart open to what God wants you to be, seek him and feel him in all your undertakings,” Bishop Afable said. Lastly he went around and blessed them with the Holy water. It was indeed a blessed day for the youth.

The rest of the celebration includes a rare photo-op with the Bishop together with the youth and with the rest of the parishioners.

The Homily of Bishop Afable

Fr. Anselmo Forteza read the Gospel and Most Rev. Guillermo Afable delivered the homily. He cited the incidence when the child Jesus was found in the temple after several days of Mary and Joseph looking for him in the desert and elsewhere. The worried mother reprimanded her Son and the young Jesus calmly answered her that He stayed to obey the will of the Father. Bishop Afable associated this statement saying “as a child, it is OKAY to reason out to your parents and more OKAY if you obey them in the end.” “Jesus just demonstrated the virtue of obedience,” said Bishop Afable. He further asked the faithful if they know of another face of God this month of January. This time he was referring to the matured Jesus of Nazareth who preached, performed miracles, lived an example of a Christian life but have been disowned, mocked and tortured by his own kin, the people of Nazareth. He suffered and accepted the physical torture but remained humble until the end. He prayed for those who persecuted him and asked the Father to forgive them.

Bishop Afable this time associated it to the present situation saying, “It could have been otherwise knowing His capacity to do things He wished for as the Son of the Father, but he remained humble and forgiving.” “He demonstrated the virtue of Humility,” the Bishop said. This time, he asked the parishioners what the three most memorable events in their parish since its existence were. Chronologically he said it was the ordination of the very first priest produced by their parish in the person of Fr. Allan Evangelista, following is the ordination of the diocesan priest couple of years ago in the person of Fr. Kristian Peter Edwyn Dorilag, DCD, and lastly and most importantly is the Episcopal ordination of the very first Bishop coming from this humble town of Magsaysay in the person of Rev. Fr. Ronald Lunas, STL. He went to challenge the 15 zones to produce more priests in the future. (Blaze Q. Cantaros | SUGID SoCCom)