Reflections

A Pauline’s journey at the Shrine of Jesus the Way, Truth and Life

By: Fr. Cris Robert Cellan, SSP
Parish Priest, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Pasay City
Regular Guest Priest, Shrine of Jesus

To be exact, I officially began as a guest priest at the Shrine of Jesus, Way, Truth and Life on 21 January 2006 when I was invited to administer baptisms. I was only two years in my priesthood then. But I recall I first set foot on the Shrine of Jesus during a Jubilee celebration there of the Pauline Family in 2000. The imposing church was the only structure standing in a vast reclamation land.

Since then, many Pauline priests and I have been mainstays in the Shrine’s liturgical celebrations. I am happy doing priestly duties and spending much of my time at the Shrine of Jesus because the devotion to Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life is our primary devotion as Paulines. In fact, the novena prayers are adapted from the writings of Blessed James Alberione, the founder of the Pauline Family. Fr. Alberione founded five religious congregations and five aggregated institutes for lay persons and the diocesan clergy.

Second, the Shrine of Jesus is part of the Ecclesiastical Vicariate of Pasay just like the Our Lady of Sorrows Parish which is administered by the Pauline Fathers. In the spirit of solidarity, we are duty bound to assist in the liturgical needs of churches especially in the Pasay Vicariate.

There was a time when the Shrine of Jesus was tagged as the “Wedding Capital of the Philippines.” There were schedules of weddings almost every day. Couples love to be wedded at the Shrine of Jesus because of its high ceiling and gigantic retablo. Having no adjacent obstructions then, sea breeze would crisscross through the large side doors wreaking havoc on the stylish hairdos of the bride and guests. Most particularly, the brides loved the kilometric center aisle which gave them all the time to savor the precious moment in their bridal march. Couples capped their fabulous wedding experience with a sunset back dropped pictorial by the seawall.

Serving at the Shrine of Jesus for the last 18 years has been a fulfilling experience as a priest. My sincerest gratitude to Monsignor Bobby Canlas for his mentorship and friendship; to Fr. Danny Canceran, the new Shrine Rector, for allowing me to continue helping in the shrine. Most of all, I give thanks to the Lord for the gift of family and friendship to both active and resigned Shrine volunteers. I am truly amazed of their availability who despite their various preoccupations still find time to serve the Lord with gladness. Some of them have journeyed with me in pilgrimages at the Holy Land and major Marian Shrines in Europe.

St. John Paul II, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin and the generous couple Henry Sr. and Felicidad Sy have truly made the Shrine of Jesus Church a powerful visible sign and reminder to all peoples that in the midst of mundane human activities [including the ubiquitous Casinos nearby], Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life who leads us back to our Father in heaven.

Happy Feast Day, Divine Master

by: Fr Jean Rollin Marie I. Flores, SSP

Today (October 29, 2023) and every last Sunday of October, we celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus, Divine Master. This Solemnity, otherwise known as Divine Master Sunday, was officially recognized by the Holy See on September 24, 1958, just a few days before then Pope Pius XII died on October 9. The recognition was the result of the request of Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Pauline Family (four religious congregations and six aggregated institutes), whose spirituality, as he himself proposed, is centered on Jesus, Divine Master, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Hence, this Solemnity is celebrated specifically, though not exclusively, by the members of Pauline Family around the world. The Pauline Family, inspired by Blessed James Alberione and relying on his prayerful intercession, aims at intensifying this spirituality in the hearts of all people and diffusing its essence to the whole Church and in the whole world.

Today, we, the devotees of the Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, do not only celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus, Divine Master, but also give praise and thanks to God as one family for the coming Silver Jubilee (25 years anniversary) of the dedication and consecration of this Shrine next year. Let us resolve that our devotion may not be limited to external piety like attending Masses at the Shrine, praying the novenas and rosaries, financial support for the Shrine and the rectory and the likes. Equally or even more important is for our devotion to be manifested in our constant and consistent striving to be conformed to Jesus our Divine Master.

At this point we have to take note that even as the Shrine is dedicated to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Solemnity which we celebrate today and which commemorates the feast day of the Shrine is in honor of Jesus in his title “Divine Master”. This is due to the unique contribution of Blessed James Alberione who first linked the title of Jesus “Master” with the so-called trinomial “Way, Truth and Life”. Jesus claims this title “Master” for himself as he says, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and you are right for so I am” (Jn 13: 13). He also says “Do not be called masters for you have only one Master, the Christ” (Mt 23: 10). In this connection, the icon of the Divine Master consigned by Blessed James Alberione to the Pauline family and by extension to the Church is Jesus standing on the world with the open book of the Gospel in his hands on which is written “Ego sum, Via, Veritas et Vita” (I am the Way, the Truth and the Life [Jn 14: 6]). In this image, Jesus is seen as a travelling Teacher, always on the move and pouring out his blessings of the Good News along the way.

Jesus, who came from God and the Son of God, is the only one who can teach us the Way to the Father. He himself says, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14: 6). He is not just one of the many ways to the Father; He is the Way and there is no other. There should be no doubt about it – Jesus, our Divine Master is the primary and only answer to our search for direction, for something real and something that lasts forever.

Jesus, Divine Master. Have mercy on us!

Having Less That Others May Have More

By: Fr. Cris Robert Cellan, SSP

Unprecedented since the Spanish Flu in 1912, we enter the Lenten season this year with the pandemic backdrop but looking forward to overcome this great trial as guaranteed by the glory of Christ’s resurrection. Amidst this difficulty, we resolutely set out to exercise the indispensable aspects of our Lenten observances: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Starting the Year 2021 Right

by Fr. Cris Robert Cellan, SSP

The year 2020 had been a horrible year. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us to our knees imploring God to heal our land. Indeed, stripped of everything we are nothing. We’ve learned the painful way that we cannot put our security in our wealth, prestige or power. We have to be responsible stewards—taking care of our common home and natural resources.

Spreading the Gospel online in real time

by Fr. Cris Robert Cellan, SSP

Oftentimes, parents complain to me that they are at a loss on how to deal with their millennial children. And I told them, wait until you encounter the Gen Z-ers and the Generation Alpha who are digital natives. Gen Z-ers are those who are 15 to 24 years old while the Alphas are those born after 2010. Surely, parents have to step up double time to deal with them.