BCBP - BULAN

02/08/2025

24/03/2024

𝐀 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝
𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝑭𝒊𝒗𝒆: 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

The Gospel for this Monday of Holy Week takes us to the day before Palm Sunday when Jesus was in Bethany, just a short distance from Jerusalem, at the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Jesus had already raised Lazarus from the dead, and many came to their home to see both Jesus and Lazarus. At the same time, the chief priests in Jerusalem were formulating their plot to kill Jesus.

During the dinner, Mary performed a profound act of devotion to Jesus. She “took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair” (John 12:3). This particular perfume, called “spikenard,” comes from a plant that grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India at altitudes of about 3,000 to 5,000 meters. Oil is then extracted from the crushed and distilled roots to make perfume, medicine, incense, sedatives, and flavoring. It would come to Palestine via an ancient trade route and was very costly. Judas objected to Mary’s action saying, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” (John 12:5). Jesus rebuked Judas and said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me” (John 12:7-8).

The combination of Mary’s act of devotion, Judas’ greedy response, and Jesus’ rebuke, all taking place just before the first Holy Week, gives us insight into how we should honor our Lord. Jesus clearly elevates devotion to Him above service to the poor. Of course His love for the poor is absolute, but He loved the poor, the rich, and the middle class in the same way. Jesus’ words tell us that divine worship and profound devotion are of far greater importance than anything else, even the good deed of giving money to the poor. We must do both, but divine worship and devotion come first.

One reason Jesus might have permitted Mary to use enough of this valuable perfume on Him, so much that “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil,” was because Mary needed to do so. Jesus did not need the honor, but He did long to receive Mary’s devotion by which grace more fully transformed her heart. We honor Jesus because He deserved such reverence, but our honor doesn’t change Him, it changes us. It might have been that Mary was too attached to material things and was renouncing this attachment by lavishing the expensive perfume upon Jesus. This clearly pleased our Lord, Who wanted Mary freer to receive His divine love.

Ponder this generous act that Mary performed for our Lord and consider what you can offer to Jesus out of devotion. Are there attachments in your life that you can lavish upon Him? Is there some sacrifice that you can make this week to express your love for Jesus in imitation of Mary’s loving offering? Strive to identify the “liter of costly perfumed oil” in your life, and do not hesitate to offer that to Jesus with devotion and love.

My worthy Lord, I have many attachments in my life. Please help me to see those things that You desire me to let go of so that I can offer them to You out of sacrificial love. You are worthy of my love and devotion. May I be as generous with You as You have been with me, giving the fullness of my love to You. Jesus, I trust in You.

16/03/2024

𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐌 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 🙏🌺 🏵🙋‍♀️

Dear Brothers,

BCBP women are the heart of our relationships: sources of compassion, builders of peace, and the springs of love and prayers for both family and community. They are gifted with stewardship over their businesses and careers, increasing in professional excellence and growing their giftedness as a personal trust from God.

We celebrate International Women’s Month this March. It is the time to recognize these amazing, accomplished, strong, and resilient women in our community and in our lives. Thus, this month or next, we encourage you to conduct an activity in your Chapter/Region to honor them. You can do any of the suggested
activities:

1. During the Chapter Assembly, honor the BCBP women who are exemplars of prayer, family life, compassion, peace-making, and ethical conduct in business and the professions;

2. Schedule a Ladies Breakfast with a gift-giving activity for the women;

3. Give a teaching on the roles of women in the community;

4. Have a Women's Night with an honoring activity; or

5. Plan for a Talk Session with Exemplary Women.

Please discuss the above with the Women’s Council in your respective Chapter/Region. If you have questions, please let us know.

Thank you and God bless.

Yours in Christ,

𝗔𝗻𝗶 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼
President

𝗥𝗼𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗷𝗮
NSD-Formation & Leadership Dev’t

Memorandum: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jAvTtH27zaAoOOHkp5vgC8fOnyn9pieC/view?usp=drive_link

02/03/2024

𝑨 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

Today’s Gospel reading (John 4:5–42) is the touching and tender story of the Woman at the Well. That Gospel story is always read in liturgical year A and is optional for years B and C. That story fits beautifully with the theme we have been pondering of Jesus’ forty days in the desert.

First of all, the story takes place at noon, when most women remain inside at home to avoid the heat. The woman comes to the well during the heat of the day to avoid encountering other women, for fear of experiencing their judgment of her sinful life.

The story also has as a central theme the quenching of one’s thirst, which we have also pondered this Lent as we looked at Jesus in the desert. When Jesus encounters this woman at the well, it is clear that she is physically thirsty; even more, she is spiritually thirsty. She sought to quench that thirst by marrying one man after another and then by living with someone who was not her husband. When Jesus sees her, He makes an interesting request of her with deep spiritual meaning. He simply says, “Give me a drink.”

On the surface, this is not surprising. It was hot, Jesus was physically thirsty, and the woman was drawing water from the well. But we must see Jesus’ request on a much deeper spiritual level. The “thirst” Jesus was experiencing was for her faith and her conversion. He wanted her free from her life of sin and shame. He wanted her to experience refreshment in her soul. For that reason, Jesus goes on to say of the water in the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Often, those trapped in a cycle of sin feel shame, hopelessness, and fear. Jesus saw these qualities in the soul of this woman. He saw that she was trapped in this cycle of sin, and He wanted her to be free.

When we look at our own lives, especially if we have fallen into some cycle of sin we cannot escape, we must see this very compassionate and merciful Heart of Jesus reaching out to us as He did to this woman. Furthermore, when we see others who are caught in a cycle of sin, we must become the Heart of Jesus for them, not giving into judgment and condemnation.

At the end of the encounter, the woman leaves her water jug at the well, symbolizing that she had received this “Living Water” which instantly became “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” This short encounter with Jesus so satiated her spiritual thirst that she completely forgot about her physical thirst. She left with amazement and joy.

Ponder Jesus sitting at that well as you come to get water while experiencing the weight and dryness of your sins. Jesus does not condemn you. He wants to free you. He wants to give you His Living Water. Satiate Him by trusting in His unfathomable compassion and mercy. And when you encounter those who are caught in a life of sin, be Jesus’ merciful Heart to them.

Most compassionate Lord, I am amazed by the depths of Your perfect compassion and love. Help me never to fear You but to always turn to You in my thirst that is caused by my sin. As I receive Your unfathomable mercy, I pray I will also become Your merciful Heart to those in need. Jesus, I trust in You.

25/02/2024

𝑨 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅
𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭

The Gospel for today’s Mass presents us with the Transfiguration of our Lord, which took place on a mountain where Jesus offered a small glimpse of His glory to three of His apostles: Peter, James, and John. This story begins with similarities to Jesus’ forty days in the desert. Jesus took these three apostles away by themselves for a time of solitude. They didn’t journey into the desert, but they did climb a mountain, which was undoubtedly laborious.

What these apostles would encounter on that mountain was far from a desert experience of hunger, thirst, heat, and temptation. Instead, in what must have seemed a surreal and instantaneous flash of grace, Moses and Elijah appeared and were speaking to Jesus. Jesus Himself became radiant with light, His clothing dazzling white. Then the Voice of the Father thundered from Heaven. Not only were the eyes of these apostles dazzled, but their spirits were also stirred, for they knew they were seeing something they could have never imagined seeing. They were receiving the consoling gift of a glimpse of Jesus’ glory.

Though this mountaintop experience was radically different from Jesus’ time in the desert, it is an experience that would prove invaluable to the apostles when they entered their future deserts. This glimpse of glory was meant to instill hope in their hearts when they would need it the most. As they left the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone about their experience until the Son of Man was raised from the dead. Jesus knew that at that time, after He had been killed and raised from the dead, these apostles and many of His followers would endure persecution and even death. Therefore, Jesus gave them this consoling vision to help them endure the crosses they would one day face.

What “mountaintop” experience have you had with our Lord? Was there a moment on a retreat, a parish mission, or a time of prayer, when Jesus manifested Himself to you in a powerful way? When that happens, we want to keep that sense of God’s closeness, just as the apostles did on the mountain. But they had to come down and face Jesus’ Cross, and ultimately their own. The same is true for us. These moments of great consolation usually last only for a time. Jesus gives these graces as a small taste of what awaits us in Heaven in order to strengthen us to embrace His Cross with Him in whatever form it comes into our lives.

Ponder any experience you have had that left you deeply consoled by God. Has an experience like that given you strength during difficult times? As you ponder any such experience you have had, be reminded of its purpose. It was a gift that should forever remind you of God’s glory so that its remembrance will inspire hope in you when you need hope the most.

My transfigured Lord, You gave Your apostles a small but most glorious glimpse of Your divinity. This gift strengthened them as they endured Your suffering and death, as well as their own. Please give me a glimpse of Your glory so that I will be able to hold onto that knowledge of Who You are when I need it the most. Jesus, I trust in You.

20/02/2024

𝑨 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅
𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐱: 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞

Human beings are not meant to exist in isolation and separation. We are made for communion with God and with each other. Heaven will be lived within the unbreakable bonds of love established with God, and with every person in Heaven sharing in God’s love. So why did Jesus prepare for His public ministry in solitude? Why go off by Himself for so long?

Jesus’ solitude was an opportunity for Him to allow His human nature to rest in the spiritual union He shared with His Father as God. God the Son, in the Person of Jesus Christ in the flesh, dwelt in perfect union with His Father in Heaven without activities or distractions. This taste of Heaven on Earth was made possible only by the solitude of the desert.

In your own life, solitude is essential from time to time so that you can enter more fully into communion with God. Solitude has the potential of bringing about greater communion and oneness with God. That deeper communion with God then makes it possible for you to share more deeply in authentic and holy communion with other people.

By analogy, think about the person with whom you are closest, such as a spouse, child, parent, or friend. Though talking with them is necessary and helps build a close bond, being with them in mutual solitude also deepens your bond. For example, imagine a husband and wife sitting together in the evening, not speaking, just being with each other, in silence. The mutual solitude and silence form a deep spiritual bond that talking cannot produce.

So it is with God. If you want to enter into the deepest form of union with God as possible in this life, solitude and silence with Him are essential so that you can simply “be” with Him. Practically speaking, this might be best accomplished by taking time each day to close your eyes, enter into your soul, acknowledge the presence of God within you, and then just be with Him, there, in the depths of your soul. Saint Teresa of Ávila referred to this as the “prayer of recollection.”

Ponder the fact that solitude is for communion with God and with others. Solitude enables us to unite ourselves with God and others on a profound and deep level. As you think about Jesus being alone in the desert, ponder the fact that, in His solitude and silence, He was deeply united to His Father. His example teaches us that we, too, must seek out love and union with God and with others in solitude, allowing the language of silence to communicate the deepest truths of love.

My Lord of solitude, within the silence of the desert, Your holy solitude enabled You to rest fully in communion with Your Father in Your humanity. It was there that You continued to offer Your humanity to the Father and to live as One. Please draw me closer to You and to Your Father within the solitude of my life. Help me to be committed to time every day when all I do is be with You. I love You, my Lord. Help me to love You more. Jesus, I trust in You.

19/02/2024

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18/02/2024

"Through fasting and prayer, we open our hearts to God's transformative power."

18/02/2024

𝑨 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫

One pronounced effect of fasting is hunger. Is it good to be hungry? All three Synoptic Gospels speak of Jesus being hungry after fasting in the desert. During His time of hunger, Jesus was tempted by satan.

Hunger is a natural experience that tells us that our bodies need food. Of course, if we build a habit of indulgent eating, our appetites will hunger for more, even when we do not need more food. Hunger, in its balanced state, identifies a lacking and drives us to satisfy it. It’s helpful to understand that physical hunger can also produce great spiritual effects in the soul. When our bodies are temporarily deprived of food, the hunger produced can help us more clearly perceive the spiritual hunger we have within our souls. That spiritual hunger persists until we are completely united with God. We can never get enough of God in this life, so we will forever long for more of Him. However, we can easily cover up the spiritual hunger we have for God by indulging our bodily appetites to the point that we no longer pay attention to the deeper spiritual hunger. When we fast from food, and become more aware of our physical hunger, a light shines more clearly on our spiritual hunger that is crying out to be satisfied.

Thus, fasting from food is not done simply for the sake of fasting or because we have to do so on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday according to Church regulations. Ideally, we will willingly practice fasting every week, even outside of Lent, as a way of helping ourselves never to forget the emptiness within that needs God’s spiritual satiation.

If you do not fast regularly, consider making this a part of your weekly routine, beginning this Lent. Fasting and every other penitential practice have as their goal the purification of our bodily desires so that our spiritual desires will become more evident. Only when we perceive these spiritual longings within, can we begin to allow God to be the One Who satiates them.

Ponder the experience of hunger in light of Jesus’ physical hunger in the desert. Though He always longed for His Father and always remained perfectly one with Him, Jesus allowed Himself to endure physical hunger to reveal the spiritual benefit of fasting. Learn from His hunger and commit yourself to the practice of physical fasting so that you will be able to more clearly perceive the spiritual longing you have for God within the depths of your soul.

My penitential Lord, though You were perfect in every way and always enjoyed full communion with Your Father, You allowed Your human nature to experience the hunger of fasting so that You could infuse that penitential act with Your divine grace. Please give me the resolve I need to form a habit of fasting and self-denial so that I will perceive more clearly the hunger I have for You, Your Father, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus, I trust in You.