Let us REACT, RECREATE AND RESTORE like St. Joseph, the carpenter.
This was the message of Fr. Brien Mark Catabay, College Chaplain of St. Joseph’s College of Baggao, Inc. and Parish Priest of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish during the fiesta mass of St. Joseph the Worker, SJCBI’s patron and Parokia San Jose Mangmangged titular saint, on Saturday, May 1, at Parokia San Jose Mangmangged Parish Church.
“As we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, he reminds us to restore our relationship with God and others…to recreate a new heart in God and a new heart for others…to react and take action…” he said.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the people in the synagogue were amazed at Jesus’ teachings and questions his credibility being the son of a carpenter.
While in the Gospel of Mark, the people, who saw the wisdom and miracles of Jesus, took offense at Jesus being a carpenter.
Catabay urged the faithful to develop traits that are typical to a carpenter, which he calls the ‘3R’ – Restore, Recreate and React.
“Bakit hindi naging isang mangingisda o magsasaka si San Jose at siya ay naging karpintero? Ito ay dahil meron tatlong characteristics ang isang karpintero na tumulong kay Hesukristo upang gawin ang kanyang misyon,” he said.
“Ang isang mangingisda, maghihintay yan ng isdang lalapit sakanya. Ang isang magsasaka, maghihintay kung kailan tutubo ang kanyang pananim. Pero ang isang carpenter ay hindi pwdeng maghintay ng kahoy na lalapit skanya kun’di siya ang lalapit sa piece of wood upang makagawa siya ng isang bagay,” he added.
Further, the college chaplain explained that Jesus did not wait for the people to draw close, rather he brought himself closer to the people to fulfill his mission.
SJCBI President and pastor of Parokia San Jose Mangmangged Fr. Gerard Ariston Perez served as main presider for the celebration of the holy mass with Fr. Christian Dave Remudaro as con-celebrant and Fr. Brien Mark Catabay as preacher. Rev. Aristotle Maggay served as deacon and Sem. Jesly Lagua as Master of Ceremonies.
The faithful also witnessed the parish reception of the Holy Oil blessed by the Tuguegarao Archbishop Ricardo Baccay during the Chrism Mass at the St. Peter’s Metropolitan Cathedral last April 30.
Perez also blessed the newly acquired image of St. Joseph the Worker commissioned by Parokia San Jose Mangmangged during the Holy Mass.
Due to restrictions imposed by the Baggao MITF (Municipal Inter-agency Task Force), limited number of mass goers were accommodated for the eucharistic celebration of the Feast of St. Joseph.
The Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8 December 2020t o 8 December 2021.
With the Apostolic Letter “Patris Corde” (With a Father’s Heart), Pope Francis marked the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.
Known as the patron for a happy death, St. Joseph is also the patron of families and fathers.
By: Reagan Q. De Leon
