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Thursday, 01 March 2018 13:40

LITE Seminar in Mapandan, Pangasinan

by Mr. Dante Chua

 

The Rev. Fr. Miguel M. Garcia, SSS, the pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Torres, Mapandan, Pangasinan, invited the Manila LITES Team to conduct the very first Life In The Eucharist Seminar (LITES) in his parish.

The two-day seminar was held on 17 and 18 February, 2018  at the Torres High School. There were 54 lay leaders and participants in attendance on the first day and 45 attendees on the second day.

Before the start of the seminar, Fr. Miguel introduced the Manila LITES Team led by Miss Rosalinda Aguilar, the team coordinator, and the indefatigable National LITE Director, Rev. Fr. Jonelito Sison, SSS. The latter celebrated his second sacerdotal anniversary just this past 12 February.

The seminar started with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and immediately followed by a presentation on the parts of the Holy Mass. This is a brief catechetical review on the different rites within a Eucharistic celebration, providing an opportunity for the participants to appreciate the meaning and significance of each part of the Holy Mass that they celebrate each Sunday.

After a short orientation about the seminar by Sis Linda, the first module was presented. The Rev. Fr. Jon Sison, SSS, facilitated the discussion among the participants on how the Eucharist is experienced as God's nourishment for the hungers of humanity. Sis Paz Moon of the LITES Team shared a testimony.

LITES Mapandan2

Ms. Lulu Isidro was the facilitator on the Eucharist being God's love that reconciles through Jesus Christ. The focus of this module is the rite of reconciliation in the Eucharistic celebration. Ms. Anita Santos shared her personal reconciliation story. An exposition and prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament closed the session.

Miss Delia presented the module on the Eucharist as God's love that transforms through Jesus Christ. This module elicits full and active participation in the celebration to experience the transformation that happens in the sacrament.

On Sunday, the second day, the seminar started with a 30-minute silent prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament in exposition. This is to prepare for the module on Contemplation and the topic was Eucharist as Abiding Presence of Jesus Christ in our life. The purpose is to encourage and develop a habit of praying to deepen one’s awareness of "Christ’s Presence" in our daily life. Sis Veronica Valmonte of the Secular Institute Servitium Christi shared a personal story.

The fifth and last module on the Eucharist as Liberation tackles our communion with and mission to the poor and the powerless in our society. We have church modern day heroes like St. Teresa of Kolkata to emulate and inspire us to be one with the cry of the poor and the suffering...

Each module ends with catechesis on the Eucharist to deepen the understanding of the participants. This is called E-connect, short for Eucharistic connection, and was done by Fr. Jon Sison, SSS.

The Manila LITES Teams would like to thank the following: Mr. Joe and Mrs. Norma Rañosa and family, as well as Ms. Sofia Biala for hosting a sumptuous dinner; the Municipal Councillor Mamerto Eden and the Municipal Treasurer of Mapandan Sis Teresita Eden, who is also the Pastoral Council leader, for receiving us in their newly built home; the parish youth that took care of the registration; and to Sis Janet Nuñez for assisting us.