MY parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary, has a lot to celebrate nowadays! Besides celebrating a successful and well-attended celebration of its centennial year, St. Anthony Messenger, a national Catholic magazine, has dubbed our elementary school as LA’s Little School that Could. The popular magazine put on its cover story of April issue our children’s choir, “the only US Catholic elementary school choir to compete in this summer’s World Choir Games.”
A few days ago, Relevant Radio picked up the story by Maureen Pratt, a syndicated columnist for Catholic News Service and author of six books. Radio host, Sean Harriot, asked Pratt how our struggling school is able to participate in a world-class music event. Pratt immediately commended the “spark” and the “creativity” in us, the leaders of the parish and school. She explained that these attributes have enabled us “to create something out of nothing.”
What an inspiring comment that was, coming from a renowned author. Hearing these positive and affirming words about us had made me feel that it’s Easter Sunday once again!
Our hard-working and talented music director, Cristopher “Pete” Avendano, couldn’t keep humming with joy. This man deserves to be the next “Filipino Champion!”
However, like Peter in this Sunday’s First Reading, we acknowledge our gifts and success, our “sparks” and “creativity”, as coming from the Holy Spirit. Indeed, “if we are being examined today about our good deed done” and “by what means” we are able to achieve our dreams, it is “in the name of Jesus Christ”.
As spiritual leaders, we model our service to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep. We share our sparks and creativity for the benefit of those in need, of the weak members of our society, of our children and youth. Our love, care, and compassion for others are also, what drive us to work hard and to be the best we can as church and school. No economic crisis, no struggling school enrollment would stop us from “creating something out of nothing”!
Let’s celebrate! Ipagdiwang! Celebremos! After all, it’s still Easter time!
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For twenty years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. Since 2002, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
