U Matuna Si Yu'os: Issue 29 July 17, 2011

MATUNA SI YU’OSR O M A N C A T H O L I C N E W S P A P E R O F T H E A R C H D I O C E S E O F A G A Ñ A , G U A M

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011 VOL.65 NO. 029

MATUNA SI YU’OS THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

T he weeks are coming close and there are thirty-one (31) days left until the World Youth Day (WYD) pilgrims of Guam journey to a very

special encounter with our Vicar of Christ, head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI in Madrid, Spain.

During this great meeting of youth from all over the world in celebration of our Catholic Faith, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI calls us to be rooted in Christ to fully become the person we are meant to be. “This time of youth is given to you by the Lord to enable you to discover life’s meaning! It is a time of vast horizons, of powerful emotions, but also a time of con-cern about demanding, long-term choices, a time of challenges in your studies and in the workplace, a time of wondering about the mystery of pain and suffering,” said Pope Benedict during his recent June visit to Croatia, which was the last apostolic journey outside of Italy until the WYD in Spain.

In preparation in embarking on a jour-ney with complete intimacy with the Lord, here are FQA which would be helpful for WYD pilgrims, their families, and our is-land community to understand the history of WYD:

What is World Youth Day (WYD)?

World Youth Day is a great meeting of young people from all over the world gath-ered to celebrate and learn about their faith. It is one of the primary means by which the Church proclaims the message of Christ to and expresses its concern for young people.

When and where will WYD take place?

The upcoming World Youth Day will

take place in Madrid, Spain on August 16-21, 2011.

Who calls and organizes WYD?The Pope. The Holy Father chooses the

theme, delivers a message explaining its

By Jennifer Louise DullaFor the U Matuna Si Yu’os

WYD Educates and Unites Youth

Guam WYD pilgrims are from the Capuchin Franciscan Group are pictured enjoying eachother’s company during the 2008 WYD in Sydney, Australia

Photo by Jermaine Alerta

SEE YOUTH PAGE 2

This is part 3 of a 6 part series leading up to World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain. The theme of this year is: “Planted and Built Up in the Faith, Firm in Jesus Christ, “ from Collosians 2:7.

Santa Barbara Catholic Church WYD pilgrims take a group picture at Narrabeen, Australia in 2008.

Photo by Becky Aguon

Sudanese Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako told bishops from East Africa that the Catholic Church will remain united when Southern Sudan becomes indepen-dent July 9. “Politically, the nation will be divided into two -- the old and the new Sudan -- but, religiously, the two Sudans will remain united,” said the cardinal from

South Sudanese look toward independence, but church to remain unitedBy Francis NjugunaCatholic News Service

SEE SUNDANESE PAGE 5

SEE AOLG PAGE 4

The New “Academians”

Notre Dame High School receives full WCEA accreditation

SEE NDHS PAGE 6

2 SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011

MATUNA SI YU’OSC A T H O L I C N E W S P A P E R

is an entity of theArchdiocesan Development Group

207 Archbishop Felixberto C. Flores StreetHagåtña, Guam 96910

ContactPhone: 671.989.6391

Fax: 671.472.1729E-mail: [email protected]

The office of the U Matuna Si Yu’os is now located on the second floor of the

Dulce Nombre Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña.

PublisherMost Reverend

Anthony Sablan ApuronO.F.M. Cap., D.D.

DirectorReverend MonsignorJames L.G. Benavente

StaffLuz S. Oberiano

Editor-in-ChiefJeffrey L. Fitzgerald

Graphic ArtistSedrick S. Serisola

INSIDE

MISSIONThe U Matuna Si Yu’os is published every

week by the Archdiocese of Agaña, Guam. Our mission is to print and

distribute a true report of the Roman Catholic Church’s ministry of changing lives though the proclamation of the

Gospel of Jesus Christ. By offering news and commentary about

issues impacting the Catholic Church, it aims to serve as a focal point for the

expression and discussion of the Catholic faith on Guam.

News DeadlineDeadline for news stories and photos is noon Tuesday prior to the date of

publication. Please note that theU Matuna reserves the right to select

and prioritize content based onrelevancy and editorial discretion.

Ad DeadlineDeadline for reserving advertising space

is noon Tuesday prior to the date of publication. Camera-ready copy is due at the U Matuna Si Yu’os office no later

than noon Wednesday prior to the date of publication.

GUAM

Announcements..........................3Sunday Gospel............................3Devotion & Spirituality............6-7Looking Forward.........................8

significance, and calls together youth from all over the world. WYD is then organized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, which is the department of the Vatican to which the Holy Father has entrusted the planning of World Youth Day. In addition, there is a local Planning Committee, which works in close col-laboration with the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

How WYD begin and when?John Paul II began WYD in 1985. Among the

various celebrations dedicated to youth during the Jubilee of 1983-1984, called the Holy Year of Re-demption in memory of the death of Jesus Christ 1,950 years earlier, the most important took place at the Palm Sunday Vigil in Rome. More than 300,000 young people from all over the world participated in the International Youth Jubilee, where the Pope presented them with a wooden cross.

When the UN declared 1985 the International Year of Youth, the Catholic Church organized an-other international event on Palm Sunday, March 31st, which gathered 350,000 youth together in St. Peter’s Square. Following this event, the Pope instituted World Youth Day with annual cadence. Therefore, WYD was a desire and initiative of John Paul II. The event was incredibly well received, as evidenced by the massive number of youth who flocked to Rome for the international gatherings in 1984 and 1985.

Where has WYD been held in the past?

Buenos Aires (1987), with the attendance of one million young people; Santiago de Compos-tela (1989), with more than 500,000; Czesto-chowa (1991), with 1,600,000; Denver (1993), with 600,000; Manila (1995), with approximately 4 mil-lion; Paris (1997), with 1.2 million; Rome (2000 Jubilee), with 2 million; Toronto (2002), with 800,000; Cologne (2005), with 1.1 million; and Syd-ney (2008), with 400,000.

How is the success of WYD measured?

WYD pursues a different objective; one of spiri-tual growth, personal encounter with God, commit-ment to truth and justice, and progress in charity…heart-moving outcomes that only the Holy Spirit can truly evaluate. The goal is not to fill a stadium or an airport, but rather to fill the heart of each par-ticipant with a personal conversion and encounter with Jesus Christ. WYD Madrid will be a success if it brings young people closer to Christ.

FAQs can be found on the World Youth Day Ma-drid 2011 Official Website( http://www.madrid11.com/).

WYD, which is held towards the end of the sum-mer time, is a time to educate the youth and bring them together to show the great universality of our Catholic Church. Our Holy Father sees the need to educate the youth and shows how our Church is re-sponding to the situations that the youth face such as discerning vocations, suicide, teenage pregnancy, abortion, peer pressures, drugs, alcohol, and so much more. The Church needs vibrant young spir-its and WYD will help enhance the passion and zeal for the youth to be rooted in Christ. In discussing this year’s WYD theme in Croatia, Pope Benedict said, “If you are rooted in Christ, you will fully be-come the person you are meant to be.” He reminded the youth that “walking by his side calls for commit-ment and personal sacrifice, but it is worth the ef-fort. Search for the truth which is always “greater,” which guides us like a star high in the heavens to where Christ would lead us. Let it guide you to the very heights of God!”

Youth: one of spiritual growthCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Dear Sir, This addition to your paper is certainly helpful for a better “voice” for our Is-

land, thank you.My concern deals with the July 21 Liberation Day Carnival activities. The

notorious casino gambling fund raising project should definitely be banned from this noble event dedicated to the enjoyment of our 67th year of grateful liberation from painful and sad memories of unwanted intruders to our peaceful, God-fearing Santa Marian Camalin’s island.

It can never be adequately emphasized that only folks ignorant or blind of the dangers, seriousness etc of this innocent(?), big time money maker are the ones in favor of this project. I repeat, Gambling is not evil in its self, and is a lot of fun for many people, but the abuse can lead to undesirable consequences that become uncontrollable as it gets out of hand.

Please understand, brothers and sisters in Christ, that casino gambling is absolutely not the proper manner to celebrate our liberation and it should not be anywhere near these grounds. This is a family fun event and if you have to instruct your children to enjoy the rides, games while Mom and Dad gamble away at a spot out of bounds for them… I can’t stomach that. Leaving them unattended and open to kidnapping, molesting, fist fights, accidents (this list can still go on) .

Can you imagine Mother Mary and Jesus looking down smiling ad would be addicts pleading for help to solve their harvest of “short time fun”?

If gambling has always existed in our LD celebration then perhaps it’s about time we do things more proper or different. Legal children’s games of chance shouldn’t be a problem. Activities in good taste could entice greater participa-tion enjoyed by all. Commemorative cultural depictions, compettions, art proj-ects, essays, musicals etc. would be welcome fresh air for future events whereby mayors can exert their effort to enhance our LD celebration.

One last remark before I exit this discussion. I would certainly appreciate fair-play especially from elected officials and not have to demand retraction for mak-ing me “look bad” or be informed that Angel Sablan, Exc. Dir. Of Guam Mayors’ Council “ lied” about my statement last night in the KUAM evening news. A viewer informed me of his lie because I have never ever said gambling is evil. The truth is the truth whether anyone knows it or not or believes it or not. I can’t make it evil just because I disapprove of it.

Ana S.N. Flores

Letter to the Editor

Catholic Charities Appeal

3SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011 SUNDAY GOSPEL & REFLECTION

Today’s parable tells us that God creates only what is good. God is creative. Satan, who was created good but rebelled against God, is discreative. He is the enemy who sows the bad seed. To be good is to be cre-ative and to be bad is to be destructive. Je-sus explains the nature of evil.

The world is made up of good and evil people and the kingdom of God is com-posed of sinners and saints. In the field, the wheat and the weeds grow together. God allows the co-existence of good and evil be-cause one cannot tell the difference between them in the beginning. While God sees the true nature of things, human beings tend to have them as good or evil right away, basing one’s judgment on appearance. We believe that evil should not exist.

The Pharisees believe that sinners are beyond redemption. Jesus explains that to destroy evil is to destroy good along with it. To separate the wheat from the weeds is God’s prerogative. To try to understand and solve the problem of evil is to arrogate God’s power unto oneself. Judgment is to be left to God alone. And he will do it in his own time.

God can wait patiently for sinners to come back to him. God believes in our

goodness because he created each of us “very good” in the first place. No line can be drawn to divide the good from the bad. To do so would mean cutting most of us in two. Each of us is a combination of good and bad. We have the capacity to be saints or sinners.

A Christian’s response to suffering and pain must always be rooted in faith in the power, mercy, and love of God. Jesus lets himself be murdered on the cross to sum up all the evil elements in his life. By his death he gives meaning to suffering, rejec-tion, injustice, disease and death itself. The only way to minimize evil in the world is to increase the number of good. Evil triumphs in us when we cease to do good. It is, in fact, sufficient for good men and women to do nothing for evil to triumph.

Keep in mind, however, that we are not fighting evil alone. Christ through the Holy Spirit is always present in the Church. To increase the number of good is to live a good life in the loving service of God and neighbor. When we fail to do so, we fail to be fully human. God gives us freedom to realize fully the goodness he has planted in each of us.

May your day be filled with love and may Almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

ArchbishopAnthony Sablan Apuron,O.F.M. Cap., D.D.

Sisters and Brothers,

Mane'lu-hu, i fina'akomparasion pa'go na Damenggo ha sangangani hit na si Yu'os ha fa'tinas

ha' i maolek. Si Yu'os nana'huyong. Si Satanas, ni mana'huyong maolek ha kontra si Yu'os ya bumaba. Guiya i in-imigu ni manatme baba na simiya. I para un maolek munana' huyong ya i para un baba munana'huyong destrosa. Ha' eksplika si Yu'os i naturan tinailayi.

I tano' nai mangaigi manmaolek yan manbaba na taotague ya i rainon Yu'os nai mangaigi i manisao yan i man-antos. Gi gualu i trigu yan i cha'guan acha dumangkolo. Si Yu'os ha sedi na u achadokko' i maolek yan i tailayi sa ti sina un tungo' diferensiao-niha i dos gi tutuhon. Si Yu'os halili'e' i magahet na naturan kosas siha, it taotao siha matatanchu komu maolek pat baba, si-gun i hinisgan-niha gi hafa inatan-niha. Ta hongge na i tailayi ti debi di u gaigi.

I manFariseo mahongge na i man-isao ti sina manmasatba. Si Jesu Kristo ha eksplika na yanggen un destrosa i tailayi un destrotrosa i maolek ni sum-isiha. I para ma sipara i trigu kontra i cha'guan gi magahet che'cho' Yu'os este. I para ta chagi kumumprende yan para ta sodda' solusion put i prupbleman tailayi guiya i para un suponi na i pudet Yu'os iyo-mu. Lao siempre ha cho'gue si Yu'os gi mismo tiempo-na.

Sina si Yu'os mesngon mannang-ga para i manisao para ufanmatto tatte giya guiya. Si Yu'os hahongge i minaolek-ta sa hana'fanhuyong kada unu giya hita "mansenmaolek" gi pri-

met lugat. Taya linderu sina ma raya i maolek kontra i baba. I para ma cho'gue este kumeke'ilek-na para ta fanma'utot komu dos. Kada unu giya hita dumadana i maolek yan i baba. Man gaikapasidat hit para ta fanantos pat para ta fanisao.

I ineppen kilisyanu para i minasapet yan piniti todu i tiempo debi di u gai-hale' gi hinengge gi nina'sina, mina'ase' yan guinaiyan Yu'os. Si Jesu Kristo hana'mapunu gue' gi kilu'os para u na'fandana todu i tinailayi gi lina'la'-na. Ginen i finatai-na hana'gaisustan-siha i minasapet, marichasa, i ti tunas, minal-angu, yan i finatai mismo. I manera na para ta ribaha i tinailayi gi tano' i para umenta i minaolek. Lumala'chok i tinailayi giya hita yanggen mamara hit chumo'gue i minaolek. Gi magahet, sufisiente para i manmaolek na taotao siha para mungga ma cho'gue ni hafafa ha' para u la'chok i tinailayi.

Hasso, lokkue, na ti hita ha mu-mumu yan i tinailayi. Si Jesu Kristo yan i Espiritu Santo todu i tiempo gagaigi ha' gi gima'yu'os. I para ma'umenta i minaolek i para un la'la' gi guaiyayon na setbisiun Yu'os yan i prohimu-mu. Yanggen ti ta cho'gue este, pues manfatta' hit na taotague'. Sa' si Yu'os hanana'i hit linibre para ta ri'alisa ka-bales i minaolek ni ha tanom gi kada unu giya hita.

Ohalara ya u bula guinaiya i ha'anen-miyu ya i todu hana'sina na Yu'os infambinendisi gi na'an i Tata yan i Lahi-na yan i Espiritu Santo. Amen.

Refleksion Ibangeliu ginen Atsubispo

Mina’ Disi Sais Damenggo Gi Otdinariu Na TiempoIBangheliu (Mateo 13:24-30)

Ha sangani si Jesus i linahyan otro na fina’akomparasion: “I rainon i langet sina ma’akompara yan i taotao ni manatpe ni maolek na simiya gi gualo’-na. Annai manmamaigo’ todu matto i inimigu-na ya manatme simiyan cha’guan gi entalo’ I trigu, despues humanao. Annai ha tutuhon manmanokcha yan manma’ I trigu, manan-nok lokkue’ i cha’guan. Manmatto i tentago’ i gaigualo’ ya masangani gue’, ‘Sinot, adda ti maolek na simiya tinanommu gi gualo’-

mu? Manginen manu ayu siha i cha’guan?’ Manoppe gue’, ‘I inimigu-hu chumo’gue este. Ma faisen gue’ ni tentago’-na, ‘Kao malago’ hao ya bai in ripasa?’ Manoppe gue’, ‘Munga sa’ yanggen in be’ok I cha’guan sina ha’ in cha’be’ok yan i trigu. Po’lo ya u fanla’chok parehu asta i tiempon kine’ko’ ya gi tiempon kine’ko’ guaha bai sangani siha i para u fanmango’ko’, na’fanmonton fine’na i cha’guan ya u fanmasongge, despues nai rikohi yan in chile’ i trigu guatu gi dipositu.’”

Abortion Counseling Hotline: 777 – 5433The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Music LIturgy and the New Roman Missal Saturday, July 23, 2011 from 9am - 12pm. Will be held at the Sister Roberta Center, Oka Tamuning (Mercy Heights Nursery-Kindergarten / Sisters of Mercy Convent). Registration Fee: $5.00. Space is limited! To register and for more info, please call 472-6116 ext 230 or email [email protected]. Sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office of Worship & the Liturgical Commission.

Santa Barbara Catholic School Enrollment for K4-8th grade for School year 2011-2012 now on-going. Enrollment for Summer School Program at SBCS is ongoing. Summer School starts June 13-July 12, 2011. Courses offered: Incoming Kinder program, Remedial Math, Singaporean Math, Language Arts, Science, Art and Basketball Clinic. Call 632-5578 or visit www.santabarbaraschool.org for more details.

San Vicente Catholic School now accepting registration for School Year2011-2012 for Pre K 3 - 8th Grade. Registration forms are available at our school’s Business Office. Please contact 735-4240 for more information.

4 SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011SCHOOLS

The Academy of Our Lady of Guam High School held its annual summer picnic on July 5, 2011 in the school garden for new incoming students. This fun and exciting event, entitled “United Sisters of Acade-my”, gave both returning and new students a chance to bond and to get to know each other before the start of the school year. Since its inception in 2008, the summer picnic has grown. This year was the largest ever attended. Today, many students who plan to attend the Academy, are well aware of this event welcoming them as “Academi-ans”. Most importantly, this first event for the upcoming new school year, signifies the start of the sisterhood bonding that can only be experienced at the island’s only all girls college preparatory Catholic high school.

Academy’s Administration began the summer picnic event as a venue to give students a chance to come together, to overcome the ‘anxieties’ about moving to a new school, and, most importantly, to get to know each other in a very relaxed, fun, and

‘Academian’ way”: prayer, games, food, and fun. The picnic ended with the traditional group picture that is captured and archived as part of the growing Academy legacy. Wel-

come home to the newest Academians—the

Class of 2015!

Academy Welcomes the Class of 2015By AOLG Development OfficeFor the U Matuna Si Yu’os

Photos courtesy of AOLG

“Part of Academy’s legacy--group shot of AOLG newest students for SY 2011-2012.”

Dean of Students, Lourdes Babauta, gath-ers students to begin with prayer in song.

5SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011

Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. During the meeting, Bishop Rudolf Deng Majak of Wau, Southern Sudan, told Catholic News Service that he and other bishops were looking forward to the birth of the new na-tion. “I never thought that this would hap-pen in our lifetime,” he said. He told CNS the country’s liberation war of more than 20 years had resulted in massive killings, suffering and humiliation, but the fruit of the people’s labor was about to be seen. Bishop Deng appealed to the church within and outside Africa to come help the Suda-nese. “We are short of everything ... the church personnel, the clergy, religious men and women and professionally trained lay people. We are equally short of church structures such as churches, schools and hospitals,” he said. Asked what his mes-sage would be to his fellow Sudanese as they await for the birth of their new nation, Bishop Deng was quick to say: “Hard work and readiness to reconcile to each other. This would be very central in the building of the new nation.” The two bishops attend-ed the June 27-July 6 plenary of the Asso-ciation of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa, or AMECEA. Members include bishops’ conferences from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia; Djibouti and Soma-lia are affiliate members. In a statement at the end of the meeting, the bishops ex-pressed solidarity with the new Republic of South Sudan, as it will be known, and said it should be a model of tolerance and unity

in diversity. “We pray that all categories of people and groups in the new Republic of South Sudan will lay down arms, embrace peace and work toward nation-building,” the bishops said. They also said they were

“saddened by the unending war in Somalia” and prayed for its people and for a peace-ful resolution. They committed themselves to establishing more schools -- primary through university level -- and to provid-ing more chaplains to schools and military institutions. The bishops also thanked the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for its

“generous initiative and willingness to work with AMECEA in various fields with the view to enhance capacity-building in our institutions.” The Africans pledged to make their institutions more transparent and said, “This spirit of brotherhood and soli-darity will surely transform our regional, national and diocesan institutions for bet-ter.” Patrick Markey, head of the U.S. bish-ops’ office that administers funds for Africa, said that, in addition to the money from the yearly U.S. collection for the continent, his office had received a private donation of $500,000 that would be used to support a pilot program focusing on pastoral educa-tional initiatives in East Africa.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Sundanese: birth of the new nation

A choir member sings during Mass at St. Teresa Cathe-dral in Juba, South Sudan, July 10. The previous day hun-dreds of thousands of people celebrat-ed South Sudan’s independence after decades of civil war.

CNS photo/Thomas Mukoya, Reuters

6 SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011DEVOTION & SPIRITUALITY

For some odd reason, today’s readings reminded me of a song that was quite popular when I was grow-ing up. The lyrics to the song “Cat’s in the Cradle” has a first verse that tells of a child who grew up without a father’s presence or attention, but promises never-theless “I’m gonna be like you, dad. You know I’m gonna be like you.” In the second verse, the child is ten and pleads to his dad to play ball with him, but his dad has a lot of other things to do. His smile never dimming, the child walks away saying, “I’m gonna be like him, yeah. You know, I’m gonna be like him.” In the third verse, the child has grown up and on his own. The dad, long retired and living alone, calls him and asks if they could meet. The child replies that he would like to but that he doesn’t have the time. The dad, hanging up the phone, laments “He’s grown up to be just like me; my child is just like me.”

A lot of us dads in our 60s are realizing how little patience we had with our children when they were growing up. I guess that’s why we consider grandchil-dren such a blessing.

The theme in today’s readings is “Patience”, an at-tribute that can only be achieved with great faith and with the understanding that we need the help, sup-port, and assistance of the Holy Spirit in dealing with people.

God’s patience with us is reflected in the First Reading (Wis 12:13, 16-19), which is a great introduc-tion for the parable of the weeds in the Gospel. Pa-tience embraces many areas because it is much more than just tolerance and resistance. It is a discipline to clearly see our lives and the direction it is heading. It’s like fishing. Hurrying or getting frustrated will bring violence, sadness, instability and all types of re-jection. Patience with our self is self-love; patience with others is compassion.

The Second Reading (Rom 8:26-27) tells us that people who are weak and inclined to evil should turn to the Holy Spirit when attempting to pray. A lot

of us don’t really know how to express ourselves in prayer. But, the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us through our baptism, is always there to translate our inarticu-late desires and assist us in formulating that perfect prayer.

The Gospel (Mt 13:24-43) tells us of the parable of the weeds; the bad mixed with the good; and God’s patience with our brother man. But, in observing them, we should be careful not to think of them as either all good or all bad. No person is entirely good, neither is anyone entirely bad.

To be patient is to understand that life is lived one moment at a time, and perfection is only found in God. Every time we support progress and do a good thing, we become good, we transmit good, and we realize good. This means that we have achieved something positive that will help our paths, our journeys and our lives. And then, unlike the dad in “Cat’s in the Cradle”, we will not have to look back in retrospect, wondering what would have happened with more patience and understanding.

The lack of patience is a clear invitation to the most deplorable forms of violence and drama, with very sad outcomes. God is patient with us, because He wants the best in our lives. If we try to reflect spiri-tuality, we can’t overlook the fact that man is on earth, not as owner and lord, but as friend and brother, as full of love and life that is also present in everything that exists.

Have a nice week!

Gerald A.Taitano

Living The Scriptures

God is Patience

Notre Dame High School, Inc. was granted a six-year accredi-tation term from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Western Catholic Educational As-sociation (WCEA). The school’s onsite visitation was held

March 20-23, 2011. Notre Dame is the first Catholic school on Guam to receive the full WCEA accreditation process. According to the of-ficial WCEA website, “Early in its development WCEA joined with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (the Regional accredita-tion association) when it came into existence. Essentially the pur-pose of any Catholic high school was to teach the faith and permeate its curriculum with the values taught by the Roman Catholic Church. Eventually the Catholic high schools developed their curriculum around the colleges and universities basic requirements for entrance so that a graduating senior’s diploma would be recognized by these institutions as proof of an academic education that prepared the stu-dent for higher education.”

Notre Dame High School, Inc. is a Catholic Coeducational Sec-ondary School sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The school prepares students not only for college, but also for lifelong learning by empowering the whole person. The school encourages collaboration, instills leadership, promotes dedication to service, and inspires passion for justice and peace in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

The NDHS Board of Directors and Administration congratulates all its faculty and staff, students, parents and guardians, and alum-ni on attaining the full six-year dual accreditation from 2011-2017. Registration is ongoing for this upcoming school year. Call 789-1676/1677/1717/1745 for more information.

Notre Dame High School receivessix-year dual accreditation

SCHOOLS

By Mariesha Cruz-San Nicolas, PrincipalFor the U Matuna Si Yu’os

7SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011 DEVOTION & SPIRITUALITY

It’s a sad thing to note that some people forget to remember and recognize the good things done for them. It’s equally unfor-tunate that others look at favors and gifts as obligation on the part of the giver. It’s not a matter of soliciting ap-preciation and thanks for one’s effort, but an issue of failed conduct of propriety demanded by charity and common sense on the side of the beneficiary. It seems that people sometimes have short memory about the good things that have transpired but quick to remember only the bad times. It’s tragic to emphasize the mistake of a person and allow it to overshadow the many good works done, the big ef-forts invested and the time spent in the performance of one’s job.

A case in point was shared to me by a friend who was a victim of harassment and unfair treat-ment in a certain business corpo-ration where she worked for many years. A mounting pressure was launched against her by her im-mediate boss in almost daily basis to discourage her to the extent of meticulously observing her de-portment at the office. Her boss frequently insinuated an impres-sion that her performance was bad and her decision-making poor. It was a dirty trick crafted with prejudice but as it is, you cannot put a good person down. Her ex-cellent tract record speaks for her proficiency and honesty at work. She found out later that her boss was grooming someone else to take over her position. But being a good catholic, she didn’t resort to vengeance, but kept her cool doing her job well. It’s not in her vein to create trouble or set up a confrontation. She simply filtered as it were, the dirt away from the contaminated mainstream and tried to overcome evil with good. She believes that sometimes we have to be kind than right for the sake of harmony and peace. She knows that God is the ultimate judge and entrusted her ordeal in His caring hands. She doesn’t de-sire for reward or award, but un-derstands well that when man for-gets, God remembers. For some reason which she wasn’t cogni-zant of, her story line ended with her mean boss relieved from man-agement and eventually fired out.

“ Do not do unto to others if you don’t want others to do unto you”, is a truism seen in this particular situation. She could have made the last laugh, but that’s not her nature, instead she felt sorry for her former boss with no grudges in her heart. Now she is happy and peaceful. Truly, God doesn’t sleep,

He sees but waits. How quick are we sometimes

to judge and see only the ugly side of things, the mistakes of others and the negative picture one’s life. Our sense of justice is lost when we are carried away by our emo-

tion with tendency to generalize and exag-gerate facts. Just as a coin has two sides and two faces, same is true with ourselves. We all have good and bad traits, vice and virtue, weak and strong spots. It’s a morally heinous blunder to condemn someone over a mis-take and totally disre-gard his or her many

good deeds and accomplishments in the past, otherwise, we are not different from the crowd in Jeru-salem whom the Lord earlier fed but later demanded his crucifix-ion. Let us not be narrow-minded to let someone’s mistake to super-sede and invalidate the long years of faithful service.There are many people out there who are emo-tionally hurting and distressed because they were judged for their errors and not appreciated for their good deeds. Gratitude they say is the best attitude.

How different are the Lord’s ways from ours. He sees only our good side, he is not interested in our failures and mistakes, but keenly takes notice of every beat of our repentant heart. He was not interested in the accusations of the mob against the woman caught in adultery, but in her faith and trust in him. Jesus listened to the plea for mercy of the criminal hanging with him on the cross and did not at all reprimand him for his past bad life. Neither did he blame Peter for denying him, and Thomas for doubting him, but re-stored full confidence to both as well as to the rest of his apostles who abandoned him in the garden of Gethsemani. He surely could have done the same thing to Judas, but he despaired.

Let us not succumb to anger and disgust when people forget us or see only our negative side. Let us have long memory when they do good to us, but let’s quickly for-get when they fail us. Let us take comfort that God watches us, and remembers every detail of our life.

As they say that it is difficult to walk backwards because our feet are meant to move forward. Life is always better if we see what’s ahead than what we left. Amen on that folks!!

In her Diary entry no. 1164, St. Faustina wrote Jesus’s words; “ Be silent when they do not want to acknowledge your truth, because it is then that you speak more elo-quently”.

Tune in to KOLG 90.9 FM for the Divine Mercy prayer at 3 p.m. daily. Recite the Chaplet of Mercy

for peace in the world and conver-sion of sinners.

Thanks to John and Mary Meno for the presentation and veneration of the sacred relic of St. Faustina in their in Talofofo last Sunday afternoon, July 10, 2011. Likewise, to the Divine Mercy prayer team for your faithfulness in our Sunday afternoon Divine Mercy home apostolate. May the good Lord continue to bless you with the abundance of His grace and mercy.

To arrange for Divine Mercy

home presentation, prayer and veneration of the sacred relic of St. Faustina, please contact Amy Borja at 472-7778. Thank you.

I’ll be conducting a Divine Mercy symposium at St. Anthony Church spiritual center on July 24, 2011 from 11: a.m. to 4:p.m. you are welcome.

Pilgrimage

Join me in pilgrimage to Lourdes, Paris, Shrine of the Mi-raculous Medal, see the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Labore, to Nevers and see the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette, visit the house

of St. Therese of Lissieux, see the Effiel Tower, Notre Damne Ca-thedral, to Nice, Toulose, Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Zwitzerland, Vi-enna, Austria, Infant of Prague, Czechoslovakia, Divine Mercy Shrine, house of Blessed John Paul 11, Miraculous Shrine of Our lady of the Black Madonna and many more from July 19 to Octo-ber 4, 2011. you will also be able to experience the Second World Congress of the Divine Mercy in Cracow, Poland while we are there.

For more details, please con-tact Ann Marie of Pactours at 649-3221, Lou Salas at 477-8079, Fr. Joel at 649-9464. Thank you.

God Remembers What Man Forgets By Fr. Joel De Los ReyesFor the U Matuna Si Yu’os

8 SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011LOOKING FORWARD

Did I ever tell you about the time I joined the Marines?

I had graduated from college in 1992, having had the foresight to have been a Sociology major and thereby ensure I would quite likely never use anything I had learned from my professors. Or have a real job, for that matter.

By the time 1994 rolled around, my profound academic choices had landed me a particularly stimulating job provid-ing hygienic comfort and support for cer-tain high-maintenance canines. In other words, my years of reading and thinking had gotten me a job as the clean-up guy at a dog kennel.

Along with this professional direction came my less-than-courageous choice to move back in with my Dad who was likewise laid-off.

All jokes aside, things looked bleak. The econ-omy in SC at the time was in shambles, and there was nothing to do but work a dead-end job.

One day my dad suggested that, given my academic gifts, I should put my degree to good use and apply to the Air Force as an officer candidate. I drove to the recruiting station, having already called and sched-uled an appointment. Pulling into the only empty parking spot, I realized that I was sitting squarely in front of the Marine re-cruiting office.

A gigantic—and I don’t use that term lightly—hulking staff sergeant stood at the door, gave me one look, and said, “What is it that you’re looking for?” I found out later that he meant that I looked like I didn’t know where I was, but I interpreted his question as “Do you have a clue what your life is about?” I walked right in.

It took about four minutes of a video featuring Force Recon Marines for me to sign up. I had become the poster-boy of desperation. My dad was convinced that I had lost my sanity in one swift stroke. A 25 year old college graduate had just enlisted without even bothering to investigate the officer route.

It has been said that no one ever joined the Marine Corps for a good reason. We have reasons that make complete sense to us, but I have yet to hear of someone join-ing the Marines so they could get money for college or travel the world. Our rea-sons are nebulous, and in my experience it comes down to being from a family of Marines or to needing “some thing” that is missing.

I had no idea why I had signed on for five years. One round of testing demon-strated that I had a knack for languages, so they guaranteed I would be a translator to assist in the complete and utter destruc-tion of our enemies. Sounded like a plan.

A few weeks later, I arrived at the Re-

cruit Depot at Parris Island, SC at about 1 a.m. and got the feeling that I had made an enormous mistake. Still, I’ve always been willing to compound my mistakes, so I toughed it out (of course). It wasn’t long until the drill instructors saw my sole tat-too—a Chi-Rho on my sternum—and I was thenceforth the “Catholic chaplain” for all six of us Catholics. Yes, just six. The other 64 recruits—being almost to a man from South Carolina or northern Florida—were all Protestant.

My primary responsibility was to lead Catholic prayer each night—which consist-ed in a 15 second version of “Thanks, Lord. Now get us through tomorrow.” The Prot-estant chaplain was a north Florida surfer who was tapped because he was barely five feet tall and his first and last names rhymed.

We were also ordered to march our co-religionists to Mass or

services each Sunday, with Mass taking place after

Protestant worship. It was the one hour of the week when we couldn’t be bul-

lied, threatened, ca-joled, or otherwise trained. Needless

to say, almost every-one went the first few weeks.

And each week, we six Catholics sat

there, pol- ishing boots and waiting to go to Mass. By week seven, only a couple of us went until one fateful Sun-day. Drill Instructor Sgt. Anderson (his real name) comes skulking in, eyeballs us, and in a booming voice calls out, “Well, I guess it’s just us Catholic sinners today, huh?”

I’m not really sure why, but that was a defining moment for my entrance into the Marine Corps. Us Catholic sinners. I couldn’t put it any better myself, and it brought my faith into my chosen occupa-tion.

That’s what distinguishes the Marine Corps, I think. It’s not that I think we’re better or worse than anyone else. It’s that USMC really means “Uncle Sam’s Mis-guided Children,” and it seeks to repair what has been broken. Its goal is to mold those who are unmolded, or in my case, somehow lost in purpose. Something had been lost, and now it had been restored.

Quick epilogue. The day before gradu-ation, we were tasked with loading some boxes into Anderson’s minivan. Look-ing inside, we saw a statue of the Blessed Mother on the dashboard, a rosary around the rear-view mirror, and holy cards ev-erywhere. When someone asked him if it was his wife’s car, he simply said, “No, dummy. Does this look like my wife’s car?!”

So have a blessed and happy Libera-tion Day, Guam. Give thanks for those who stand up when called. And give a prayer for those who mold these warriors back into something restored.

Please send any comments to [email protected]

By Jeffrey L. FitzgeraldU Matuna Si Yu’os

“At ease, sinners!”

Hey,i’m justSAYING.

LOOKINGforward...

St. Frederick was the bishop of Utrecht around the turn of the 9th Century

at a time when the region was still largely pagan and overwhelmingly hostile to the Gospel. As bishop, St. Frederick took on the most dan-gerous tasks for himself, but was eventually assassinated while say-ing Mass in 838.

St. Arsenius the Great was born in Rome and was the tutor of the children of the royal household in Constantinople during the reign of Theodosius I. After leaving this post, he became a desert monk in Egypt, dying at a very old age.

Few details are known about St. Apollinaris, but we do know that he was the bishop of Ravenna in the 2nd Century and was probably martyred there.

St. Laurence of Brindisi, how-ever, was a Capuchin priest and very famous preacher. Because of his great capacity for languages, he wrote to various audiences in their languages as well as wrote multiple commentaries, particu-larly on Scripture. Dying in 1619, his emphasis on the importance of sound preaching combined with thorough learning earned him title

“Doctor of the Church.”St. Mary Magdalen (mean-

ing “from Magdala”) was cured of seven devils by Jesus. She is also noteworthy in that she was pres-ent at the Crucifixion and was also the first person to whom Jesus ap-peared after His Resurrection. Yet, it is the popular assumptions of St. Mary Magdalen that she was

“the sinner” rebuked by Simon the Pharisee, Mary the sister of Laza-rus, and the woman caught in adultery that make her famous in conventional wisdom. Although there is no evidence supporting these identifications, she remains a beautiful image of the mercy of Christ.

On a different note, St. Bridget of Sweden was the wife of a noble-man who bore him eight children. After going on pilgrimage to Spain with her husband, they both de-voted themselves to monastic lives. After his death, she founded various monasteries and eventu-ally worked in Rome where she cared for the poor and vigorously encouraged the Papacy to return to Rome from Avignon, France. She is renowned for her mystical visions which she dictated.

JULY 18MONDAY

St. Frederick of Utrecht*

JULY 19TUESDAY

St. Arsenius the Great*

JULY 20WEDNESDAY (Optional Memorial)

St. Apollinaris

* Memorials not formally celebrated on Guam

JULY 23SATURDAY (Optional Memorial)

St. Bridget of Sweden

JULY 24SUNDAY

17th Sunday ofOrdinary Time

Memorials This Week

JULY 21THURSDAY

St. Laurence of Brindisi(Optional Memorial)

JULY 22FRIDAY

St. Mary Magdalen(Memorial)