This section will explain my church and all the activities that are being held within it.
Narrative:
My local parish church is called the Presentation of the Child Jesus Parish. It is located in Aguirre St. BF Homes Paranaque. The name of the church originated from an event in the bible where the holy child Jesus was presented to the temple priests after his birth. Hence, the church took on this name to have its own identity amongst other churches. My parish church used to be on the Parish of the Five Wounds in Las Pinas. Since I transfered my house near the BF vicinity, we decided to attend our Sunday Masses in the PCJ parish because it is nearer to my house and i'll be able to attend masses regularly and punctually.
The parish is part of the Diocese of Paranaque under the our bishop Jesse Mercado and the church itself is headed by our parish priest, Rev. Fr. Rolando Agustin. The mission and vision of the Presentation of the Child Jesus Parish is very similar to the mission of every church in the world which is to continue the mission of Christ in spreading the doctrines and teachings he made as well as loving and serving others. It is through this that the parish have conducted many outreach programs and commissions for the benefit of the poor and needy people.
The church has many organizations, outreach and commissions that can be joined by each member of the community regardless of age. Some of these organizations are "Knights of the Altar", "Couples for Christ" and "Youth for Christ". The parish also has organized schedule of church activities for the week which is made in the parish office. It is also the place where people do some church appointments for certain activities to be held like holding a wedding and other sacraments. The parish also has a medical center where the ill people go to get medical care for fair prices. The people in the church are mostly old people who dedicate the last remaining chapters of their life to serve the Lord.
Reflection:
There are so many things I learned while getting to know my parish church. I was able to assess my current relationship with my church as to how actively I participate in the church activities. There are only a few things that I have done so far in my I attend the Sunday masses regularly as an ordinary person. Through this, I have shown commitment and a sense of obligation as a member of the community. The parish church for me is like a second home where people gather together as one big family who supports one another and I can actually feel the importance of being one of God's children. I do not see the church as just a place of worship and prayer but I also I view it as a community where people interact with each other, pray together and serve one another to fulfill God's plan. The people is what defines the true essence and meaning of the church to which Jesus Christ founded for the people who seek to live their lives full of love with one another just as the Lord has taught us. I feel that I have a strong sense of belonging to the church because even though it's simple but I am able to familiarize myself in the parish community by being given the chance to do service to those who really needs it the most. Through getting to know the church, I was able to value its important contributions in the society today no matter how small they are. My parish, The Presentation of the Child Jesus Parish, is a special parish church for me that makes it different from all other parishes in the Philippines. Though the mission and vision of the parish churches have similarities, the local parish is primarily for me a sign of belonging into a community that I have learned to accept. My voluntary work serves as an example of accepting the community that I belong to. I have seen the "Knights of the Altar" organization for young boys to serve alongside the priests during masses. I see that there is great importance in what they are doing even if there is little time to do their service It reminds me that I have an obligation and mission as a Christian to be of service to the people through the church regardless of the . I learned from my experience of being able to participate in church activities that listening to Sunday masses is a way to help me understand the reality and be able to do what I can to proclaim the mission of Christ that He entrusted to us.
II. Interview with a Parish Worker or a Member of One of the Parish Organizations
Narrative:
As part of my project, I am given the chance to interview someone who works in one of the commissions and organizations of the Presentation of the Child Jesus Parish. My interviewee is Tita Letty Elayda who heads one of the commissions in the parish that focuses on BEC(Basic Ecclesial Communities) DevCom. She started serving in the church during the year 1997 as a member of the Legion of Mary. Now she is already 57 years old.At that time, she was widowed and her friends invited her to join a praesidium. One of the first things she did was visit the depressed areas in the community. Because Tita Letty serves as a legionary, she wants to bring God's love to others through various works such as visiting the slum areas, tending to the sick and the needy and also visiting those who are in the hospital and the prison. Their region apostolates brought them closer to God and others.
The organization Tita Letty joined is of course the Legion of Mary. It is an organization which helps others spiritually and it has a very low profile to the community. They are the silent workers in the church. This organization is well known internationally. The smallest unit of this organization is the praesidium who meets weekly and every member is required to do 2 hours of substantial work that includes everything that was mentioned above. Their goal is to evangelize those people in the depressed areas. They are the hands and feet of the Priest in the parish.
For Tita Letty, there is no other organization that is as thorough and strict as the Legion of Mary. They have a handbook that they have to strictly adhere to. Each one in the Legion Mary supports each other spiritually. They pray together, do apostolates by pairs and have functions wherein they have to meet other legionnaires from other councils of the Legion of Mary. Through all the various activities that she went through, it has made Tita Letty a better person and a better Christian because she follows the footsteps of Mary, The Mother of God, for which the organization is at its core belief.
Reflection:
The interview allowed me to understand a persons point of view on why people want to serve in the parish church. It may be brought out by influence from other people or a great remarkable event in their lives that made them decide to live their lives proclaiming the mission of the Lord. I was really happy to know that parish workers are dedicated to help the people of God without asking for anything in return. It is more like the church serves many purposes similar to our government. I am inspired by the selflessness of my interviewee because at an earlier stage in her life, she has already found her true purpose in becoming the Lord's servant to carry out its mission for the community and to the whole world. Not many people nowadays would do voluntary work without having something in return. There are still few but faithful and loyal people who never gets tired of supporting those who are in need, those who are sick and those who are weakened in spirit. The church service I rendered for a short amount of time is only little compared to the lifetime service done by Tita Letty. Through this inspiring act, I am motivated to join a youth organization that would also serve the purpose of helping out the community. Sometime in my life I would feel the satisfaction and happiness of fulfilling God's will on Earth. Eventually I could also grow old like all other church workers. But the most significant thing I can do in my life is to serve as a good example to the youth of today and as I grow older, I will be able to spend the remaining time of my life of service to the Lord and continue to praise and glorify His holy name along with all the people in the community as well as the whole world.
III. Parish Activity
Narrative:
This section aims to narrate the events that happened during my church involvement project where I had to render a minimum of 5 weeks and 10 hours service for any type of voluntary work as a subject requirement in my TREDONE class. But I found the church service to be more than just a requirement. It helped me understand myself even more and compare my current situation with the present reality of my surroundings.
The church involvement program started when it was announced in class that each student must undergo a church service once a week for 5 weeks and 10 hours. It was explained to us that it will help us understand what a being a Christian is all about by serving the local parish we belong to which in my case is the Presentation of The Child Jesus Parish. I felt nervous because it is my first time to get to know my parish by being able to participate in their church activities and acquainting myself with all the administrators and workers there.
My uncle and aunt are head of one of the commissioned organizations of the church in handling and service to the poor. I asked my aunt to help me get into the church and be assigned to do any service that was available for me to do. Fortunately, I was referred to one of the administrators who is currently holding a seminar for the old women who are not yet baptized. I believe that this organization is part of the "Legion of Mary" because all those who are involved are young women as well as old ones. I can see that those women were very eager to be reborn as Christians and live their life of faith and service to the Lord.
I was assigned particular tasks for 4 weeks during my church service. I served for 2 hours per week in order to finish my project on the 5th week of my service. The work assigned to me included cleaning the chapel corridors by sweeping the floor and wiping the furniture. I was also asked to clean the surroundings just around the parish. I did those things for 1 hour and the next hour I was tasked to prepare food for the people during the seminar. Before feeding the people, I also listened to the lecturer and I learned a lot from the way he explains the mission of each individual in fulfilling God's will. For those entire 4 weeks, the women were taught how to live as Christians by serving the Lord our God, obeying his commandments and loving our neighbor. And for the 5th week, I was asked to be one of the commentators in the mass to newly baptize the women who came from depressed areas into the new life of becoming Christians and continuing Christ's mission on Earth.
Reflection:
The parish activity that I underwent for 5 weeks was very significant regardless of the short amount of time that was given to us. I am thankful for the opportunity that was given to me in order to serve those who I think are in need. My personality as a person and my perspectives have improved on the kind of life we have in society today. It cannot be helped if there are so many families out there could not experience the life a family should have with food and shelter.I feel happy that the church is doing everything they can to reach out to many people. I realized how blessed I am when it comes to my current situation now. During the 5 weeks service, I made a big difference in the lives of those newly baptized women. I participated in the program and leaded their prayers in order to show them how important the activity does to them that will change their lives for the better. The work I did in the church taught me the values that I needed to learn for me to improve my lifestyle. Cleaning the corridors of the parish gave me a sense of humility and perseverance that I should never quit and just continue to succeed in the work that was assigned to me. While I was commentating on the mass during the program, my leadership skills was developed as I wholeheartedly inspired the people there to be a great example that one would follow.What I did for the 5 weeks service in the church was never easy. The tasks given to me are things that I do not usually do at home and anywhere else. I felt it became easier as I continued to realize the benefits and importance of doing the service for the community. I have decided to be more active in the parish community by someday joining one of the organizations that will help me utilize my
Final Reflection:
There are so many things I have witnessed and learned from the ordinary parish church I go to every Sunday. At first ever since my childhood, all I can see from the church are people who go to pray and worship God. The celebration in the masses were the things I thought that made a person as a Catholic Christian . I am thankful for having been exposed to my own parish church and being able to understand it in a very wide perspective not limited to the Eucharistic celebrations. I was able to explore the parish church itself from its origins and the buildings I see to the various activities held by different church organizations towards the members of the community and also in other areas of the country. Listening to the Word of God through bible passages and singing songs of praise during mass is not enough for me to describe the entirety of the parish church. I made so many realizations while being able to participate in one of the church involvement activities held in the parish as recommended and required by the university. One thing that I could say is that doing the whole church involvement service was not a waste of time. Rather, it made me realize how to value one's time wisely and for a better cause. The parish church itself is considered as a home to where people go to and ask for help and companionship. It is always open to those who willingly accept the Lord as our God as well as His divine mercy. I am thankful for the Lord, Jesus Christ, who founded the church and all of its meaningful components. It is like the church for me is a concrete manifestation of the fulfillment of God's promise to His people at its peak today. I feel happy to be part of the parish church because it will always remind me from the time of my birth that God already works his way in the hearts of many people through love, service, prayer and faith. The things that made this experience a remarkable and a meaningful one is the people I met and treated as one of my brothers and sisters. It made me value each person's life as sacred and irreplaceable through time. I can only hope that the parish church and its community are able to continue living the life that God has given to us and continue to search for its fullness.
Project in TREDONE
Submitted by Jairo Dimarucut
N02
Submitted to Prof. Mark Christian Reyes
II. Interview with a Parish Worker or a Member of One of the Parish Organizations
Narrative:
As part of my project, I am given the chance to interview someone who works in one of the commissions and organizations of the Presentation of the Child Jesus Parish. My interviewee is Tita Letty Elayda who heads one of the commissions in the parish that focuses on BEC(Basic Ecclesial Communities) DevCom. She started serving in the church during the year 1997 as a member of the Legion of Mary. Now she is already 57 years old.At that time, she was widowed and her friends invited her to join a praesidium. One of the first things she did was visit the depressed areas in the community. Because Tita Letty serves as a legionary, she wants to bring God's love to others through various works such as visiting the slum areas, tending to the sick and the needy and also visiting those who are in the hospital and the prison. Their region apostolates brought them closer to God and others.
The organization Tita Letty joined is of course the Legion of Mary. It is an organization which helps others spiritually and it has a very low profile to the community. They are the silent workers in the church. This organization is well known internationally. The smallest unit of this organization is the praesidium who meets weekly and every member is required to do 2 hours of substantial work that includes everything that was mentioned above. Their goal is to evangelize those people in the depressed areas. They are the hands and feet of the Priest in the parish.
For Tita Letty, there is no other organization that is as thorough and strict as the Legion of Mary. They have a handbook that they have to strictly adhere to. Each one in the Legion Mary supports each other spiritually. They pray together, do apostolates by pairs and have functions wherein they have to meet other legionnaires from other councils of the Legion of Mary. Through all the various activities that she went through, it has made Tita Letty a better person and a better Christian because she follows the footsteps of Mary, The Mother of God, for which the organization is at its core belief.
Reflection:
The interview allowed me to understand a persons point of view on why people want to serve in the parish church. It may be brought out by influence from other people or a great remarkable event in their lives that made them decide to live their lives proclaiming the mission of the Lord. I was really happy to know that parish workers are dedicated to help the people of God without asking for anything in return. It is more like the church serves many purposes similar to our government. I am inspired by the selflessness of my interviewee because at an earlier stage in her life, she has already found her true purpose in becoming the Lord's servant to carry out its mission for the community and to the whole world. Not many people nowadays would do voluntary work without having something in return. There are still few but faithful and loyal people who never gets tired of supporting those who are in need, those who are sick and those who are weakened in spirit. The church service I rendered for a short amount of time is only little compared to the lifetime service done by Tita Letty. Through this inspiring act, I am motivated to join a youth organization that would also serve the purpose of helping out the community. Sometime in my life I would feel the satisfaction and happiness of fulfilling God's will on Earth. Eventually I could also grow old like all other church workers. But the most significant thing I can do in my life is to serve as a good example to the youth of today and as I grow older, I will be able to spend the remaining time of my life of service to the Lord and continue to praise and glorify His holy name along with all the people in the community as well as the whole world.
III. Parish Activity
Narrative:
This section aims to narrate the events that happened during my church involvement project where I had to render a minimum of 5 weeks and 10 hours service for any type of voluntary work as a subject requirement in my TREDONE class. But I found the church service to be more than just a requirement. It helped me understand myself even more and compare my current situation with the present reality of my surroundings.
The church involvement program started when it was announced in class that each student must undergo a church service once a week for 5 weeks and 10 hours. It was explained to us that it will help us understand what a being a Christian is all about by serving the local parish we belong to which in my case is the Presentation of The Child Jesus Parish. I felt nervous because it is my first time to get to know my parish by being able to participate in their church activities and acquainting myself with all the administrators and workers there.
My uncle and aunt are head of one of the commissioned organizations of the church in handling and service to the poor. I asked my aunt to help me get into the church and be assigned to do any service that was available for me to do. Fortunately, I was referred to one of the administrators who is currently holding a seminar for the old women who are not yet baptized. I believe that this organization is part of the "Legion of Mary" because all those who are involved are young women as well as old ones. I can see that those women were very eager to be reborn as Christians and live their life of faith and service to the Lord.
I was assigned particular tasks for 4 weeks during my church service. I served for 2 hours per week in order to finish my project on the 5th week of my service. The work assigned to me included cleaning the chapel corridors by sweeping the floor and wiping the furniture. I was also asked to clean the surroundings just around the parish. I did those things for 1 hour and the next hour I was tasked to prepare food for the people during the seminar. Before feeding the people, I also listened to the lecturer and I learned a lot from the way he explains the mission of each individual in fulfilling God's will. For those entire 4 weeks, the women were taught how to live as Christians by serving the Lord our God, obeying his commandments and loving our neighbor. And for the 5th week, I was asked to be one of the commentators in the mass to newly baptize the women who came from depressed areas into the new life of becoming Christians and continuing Christ's mission on Earth.
Reflection:
The parish activity that I underwent for 5 weeks was very significant regardless of the short amount of time that was given to us. I am thankful for the opportunity that was given to me in order to serve those who I think are in need. My personality as a person and my perspectives have improved on the kind of life we have in society today. It cannot be helped if there are so many families out there could not experience the life a family should have with food and shelter.I feel happy that the church is doing everything they can to reach out to many people. I realized how blessed I am when it comes to my current situation now. During the 5 weeks service, I made a big difference in the lives of those newly baptized women. I participated in the program and leaded their prayers in order to show them how important the activity does to them that will change their lives for the better. The work I did in the church taught me the values that I needed to learn for me to improve my lifestyle. Cleaning the corridors of the parish gave me a sense of humility and perseverance that I should never quit and just continue to succeed in the work that was assigned to me. While I was commentating on the mass during the program, my leadership skills was developed as I wholeheartedly inspired the people there to be a great example that one would follow.What I did for the 5 weeks service in the church was never easy. The tasks given to me are things that I do not usually do at home and anywhere else. I felt it became easier as I continued to realize the benefits and importance of doing the service for the community. I have decided to be more active in the parish community by someday joining one of the organizations that will help me utilize my
Final Reflection:
There are so many things I have witnessed and learned from the ordinary parish church I go to every Sunday. At first ever since my childhood, all I can see from the church are people who go to pray and worship God. The celebration in the masses were the things I thought that made a person as a Catholic Christian . I am thankful for having been exposed to my own parish church and being able to understand it in a very wide perspective not limited to the Eucharistic celebrations. I was able to explore the parish church itself from its origins and the buildings I see to the various activities held by different church organizations towards the members of the community and also in other areas of the country. Listening to the Word of God through bible passages and singing songs of praise during mass is not enough for me to describe the entirety of the parish church. I made so many realizations while being able to participate in one of the church involvement activities held in the parish as recommended and required by the university. One thing that I could say is that doing the whole church involvement service was not a waste of time. Rather, it made me realize how to value one's time wisely and for a better cause. The parish church itself is considered as a home to where people go to and ask for help and companionship. It is always open to those who willingly accept the Lord as our God as well as His divine mercy. I am thankful for the Lord, Jesus Christ, who founded the church and all of its meaningful components. It is like the church for me is a concrete manifestation of the fulfillment of God's promise to His people at its peak today. I feel happy to be part of the parish church because it will always remind me from the time of my birth that God already works his way in the hearts of many people through love, service, prayer and faith. The things that made this experience a remarkable and a meaningful one is the people I met and treated as one of my brothers and sisters. It made me value each person's life as sacred and irreplaceable through time. I can only hope that the parish church and its community are able to continue living the life that God has given to us and continue to search for its fullness.
Project in TREDONE
Submitted by Jairo Dimarucut
N02
Submitted to Prof. Mark Christian Reyes
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