New Beginnings

It was 2004 when Art Reyes, Mike Flores, and I launched this website to continue the ministry of communication we began in St Joseph de Gagalangin Parish. We initially featured the parish and town of Gagalangin and invited fellow parishioners to join in, but realizing the wider audience we are able to reach, the web went further afield. The world became our parish, so to speak.

Three years later, I accepted the role to be the web's Editor-in-Chief. Fourteen years later, we have grown. From a triumvirate, we have added more people into our fold. We have created sections in the web which are being looked after by their respective editors. We have a team of volunteer writers in God-speak which has been a weekly feature of our web. We have created a network of fellow Catholic Christians. By developing our relationship with them, we are able to collaborate with them in the work of evangelization. 

The growth we see, I believe, is the work of the Holy Spirit. The seeds of creativity sown in our hearts would not bear fruit without the grace showered on us by the Lord. To Him be glory and thanksgiving!

After fourteen years of serving as Editor-in-Chief, I feel it is high time for me to pass on the role to someone else. Dear sisters and brothers, please welcome Grace Madriñan who will assume the role on 1 January 2022. Grace has been with us for 13 years. She started writing in God-speak and rose from the ranks. She is currently our Features Editor. 

Apart from Grace, we will also be having a new Faith Section Editor next year. Friends, may I present to you Ma. Rosalina  Flores. Ningning, as she is fondly called, is currently one of our Contributing Editors and writes for God-speak. I would like to thank Anabelle Payod-Balla, current Faith Section Editor, for her hard work, dedication, and friendship.

Many thanks for your cooperation and assistance.  Looking back, what made the web to what it is now is because we work together under the inspiration of St Joseph. If we keep it that way, then all will be well! Ana and I hope that as you have supported us in our roles, you will do the same for Grace and Ningning. 

Here's to new beginnings! God bless us always.

In St Joseph,

Piet

Easter 2016 Message

Jesus's death on the cross was a spectacle that made people leave Calvary beating their breasts (Luke 23:48). The act of beating one's breast signifies sorrow or contrition, the way we strike our breasts during the "I confess" part in the Mass particularly at the words "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."

Through the various acts of piety and mercy we have done in Lent, we have expressed sorrow for our sins. Through these various acts we have, figuratively speaking, beat our breasts.

And yet, the story does not end with Jesus' horrible dying. Three days later, He rose again from the dead as He has spoken.  Just when people thought that Jesus was a false Messiah, a hoax, a complete failure, lo and behold Him appearing to His followers saying "Peace be with you" (John 20:21). God is indeed a God of surprises. 

As Jesus killed sin and death by His self-sacrifice on the cross, His resurrection has given us new life, a life united with Him!  How great is God's mercy indeed!

And what should be our response to such great mercy?  It is summed up in a short, but meaningful prayer: Jesus, I trust in You!

As we celebrate our Lord's Resurrection let us strive to be more trustful of His mercy. Less beating of breasts, more beating of heart for Him and for others especially those who are still left in the dark, those who have rejected or doubted God's mercy, and those who have not yet known Jesus.

I would like to take this opportunity too to thank you for your continued support especially in our annual Holy Week special, The Seven Last Words. My special thanks go to Berwyn Bautista, Fr Judy Banez, Beth Dantes, Ana Payod-Balla, Carlo Malaluan, and Judith Castro-Songlingco for sharing their reflections in this year's devotion. 

Thanks too to Allan Dabu for designing our poster, Mike Flores for designing our layout, Grace Madrinan for posting the reflections in our Facebook page, and Vlad Reyes for liaising with Arzobispado de Manila and for writing the Epilogue.  Last but not least, thank you to His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle for writing the Prologue. I hope that this devotion has enhanced your spiritual journey towards Easter.

In behalf of the web’s Editorial Board and staff, I wish you all a blessed Easter!

May the Risen Jesus, the Face of the Father's Mercy, bless you all!

Ang inyong manong,

Pietro S. Albano

Editor-in-Chief

Holy Week Message 2015

The beggar by the temple gate called 'Beautiful' came for a surprise that fateful day. As he extended his hands for alms, the apostles Peter and John told him - in the name of Jesus - to rise up and walk (Acts 3:6).

Poverty has a crippling effect on us as individuals, as a community, as a nation, as a world.  Remember those times when the Philippines was called “the sick man of Asia”? Remember too those moments when we have to give up something because we wanted a loved one to finish his/her studies?

Sacred Scriptures is also full of stories and lessons on poverty and the call to alleviate those who suffer from it.  One of these stories is about the sore-covered Lazarus and the uncaring rich man and how their fates changed in the after-life (Luke 16:19-31).  Another story that comes to mind is when Jesus felt pity on the poor who were listening to His preaching all day and told His disciples "to give them something to eat" (cf. Mark 6:37).  Ultimately, Jesus, in the words of St Paul "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found in human appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross" (Philippians 2:7-8).

We are now in Holy Week. Before us is the Crucified Jesus, the epitome of poverty, whose thoughts are still for the good of His flock, especially the poor!  Here in anluwage.com, we offer you the “The Seven Last Words”, an online devotion we have been holding since we started the web in 2005.  I am grateful to those who have contributed to this devotion especially to our reflection writers representing the various sectors and ministries serving the poor.  There are also other sections in the web such as God-speak which serves as a good spiritual companion this Holy Week. Join us then, be enriched, and share that enrichment with others especially those in need. Thank you.

A blessed Holy Week to all!

Vladimir V Reyes

President

Tanghalang Anluwage, Inc

Thank God it's Holy Week!

Hello everyone!

Please allow me to start this message by inviting you all to walk with us as we take that spiritually satisfying journey with Christ this Holy week and Easter. The spiritual journey includes meaningful reflections from our several invited guest priests through our special feature, The Seven Last Words; personal reflections from our writers in God-speak and other readings and videos related to Holy Week. May you encounter Christ and grow in Him as we go through this journey together, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Holy Week might be the busiest time for the Church with the most meaningful events as we relive Jesus sufferings and victory over death. I remember how we in Anluwage, way back in the 1990s, are working double time to lead and participate in the different Holy Week activities while trying to renew and recharge our faith with the Lord. We have held street Senakulo, done visita iglesia on foot, participated in "Pabasa", Stations of the Cross, "Salubong", and many more. Indeed, Holy Week is filled with soul saving activities. It is the time fully dedicated to our Lord, to purify our souls and to strengthen our faith. It offers a lot of opportunities for us to reunite with the Lord, to repent and be renewed, to further strengthen our connection with Him and to savor the so many blessings we have received and are continuously receiving from Him.

Let us grab that chance to walk with Jesus this Holy Week and with Him, celebrate Easter, His victory, which won us the eternal life in heaven! And as we honor the gifts of Easter, may Jesus resurrect and reign in our hearts forever!

Mabuhay si Jesus!


Anabelle Payod-Balla
Faith Section Editor