I took the call and an excited voice came over the phone. “Sinbunim, (Father) I have passed the college entrance exam.” It was 22-year-old Kim Youn Cheong on the phone. I think I was even more excited than she when I tried to convey to her how delighted I was on hearing the good news.
God of Truth You endowed our brother Albert
with the gift of combining human wisdom with divine faith.
May the pursuit of all human knowledge
lead to a greater knowledge and love of You.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Star of the Sea, light our way
Star of the Sea so radiant
in the glory of God’s Love,
Your crown outshining all the stars
of heaven up above,
O, lovely Queen of Peace,
gowned in azure's of the sea,
Help us find the way to Jesus,
in your wise serenity.
We ask you Pearl of Grace
to grant us vision, courage, will,
so 'peace on earth', that miracle,
at last might be fulfilled!
Dear Mother of the Church,
blessed beacon of God's Light,
may you always guide your children
on the stormy seas of life.
O Mother Cabrini, woman after God’s own heart,
Universal Patroness of Migrants, for whom this world,
too small a world, held lands for boundless work,
helping migrants find true integration into new cultures,
doing all things in God who strengthens us’
be for me now, with these your myriads of migrants,
my voice, my guardian, my advocate, my mother.
Bring the Good News of the Gospel to all humanity;
proclaim the love and mercy of God; breathe life,
truth and hope, justice, peace and communion,
Intercede O Mother of Sorrows,
for us and all who are near and dear to us,
that we may ever do the Will of your Son,
and may direct all our actions to His honor,
and to the furtherance of devotion to your sorrows.
Amen.
As a precautionary measure to limit the spread of Covid19 in the Philippines, the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was set March 17, 2020. Most establishments had stopped their operations except those that provide basic necessities and essential services. People’s movements were
Although the project has been confronted with financial crisis, I and a project manager decided to resume our work because we cannot let the mothers’ difficulties in this trying time pass over in silence. Unfortunately, we had to cut down the mothers working days to two times a week, but it is enough for them to guarantee at least some money to buy food for their families.
A year after the pandemic/ECQ, we still only survive with a few deliveries once or twice a month. The mothers keep making candles to stockpile for rush orders that may come at any time. We always want to be ready to deliver candles. Any opportunities will not be lost.
Along with this, we have tried to find ways to increase our income. Through a series of discussions with the mothers, we agreed to expand our products. They chose items by themselves: dishwashing liquid soap and peanut butter. They make the products and sell it to their neighbors. Secondly, online businesses have been emerging in the Philippines since the quarantine was implemented. We are planning to meet the challenge in this area in line with the trend. Of course, it is not easy for us. Not only do we have limitations because we are a small business that is not registered, but also we are not familiar with these things relating to online/IT. We do it longterm, step by step.
The project manager said the mothers are worried about “lockdown” which is implemented by the government whenever according to the situation of COVID19; most recently, we were in the ECQ during Holy Week and Easter season. The mothers are directly affected by these restrictions, especially their financial situation. Despite all these difficulties, the mothers unanimously express their gratitude to God that their beloved family members are safe and healthy.
We have experienced loads of changes through the pandemic, and I think living in uncertainty is the biggest and the hardest part for us. We all hope and pray that this pandemic will come to the end, that everything will come back to normal again.
Columban lay missionary SunHee Kim (Sunny) lives and works in the Philippines.
Glorious Saint Martin,
you who worked miracles and prodigies,
who with joy, amiability and the most
exquisite goodness won over the hearts of all
and did not cease to ever work for their
wellbeing: give me your hand and help me
to come out of all lack and scarcity which today
afflicts me and weighs me down.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us
Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness.
Help us to imitate the love of You he showed
in choosing to respond to Your call to the diaconate
and the papacy.
You served the Church faithfully as a deacon,
and You became known for Your virtues.
Then, You answered God’s call to lead
His Church as the Pope.
Pray for me, that I may always be open to doing
God’s will in my life, no matter what He might call me to.
Pray that I may be as devoted a servant of God as You were.
Lord, I ask Your favor in a special way today.
I ask the gift of Your healing love,
I do so with confidence, knowing that You love me,
and that You want for me what is for my best.
I do so with trust, knowing that You care for me
more than I care for myself, and that I am precious to You.
I ask You, Lord, to release me from anything within me
which keeps me from opening my heart, soul, mind, and body
to Your healing love.
I also ask You to free me from any excessive self-pity
The spacious and peaceful grounds of St. Columbans in Nebraska are greatly favored by many species of wildlife. However, the whitetail deer that roam freely there get the most attention and admiration. In summer, does with their fawns graze serenely on the lawns during the day and then doze
