January 2017
Vol 14 Issue 1
What are you looking for?
Jn 1:38
Dear brothers and sisters,
We resume our reflection on the gathering of the first disciples, starting with the account in the Gospel of John. What are you looking for? These are the very first words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of John. This question is worth grappling with. This is the same question Jesus asks each one of us today. In the celebration of God's gift of life – in Nanay's 103rd birthday – in the sharing of God's blessings with others, in the joy and laughter, singing and dancing, friendship and camaraderie, we find what we are looking for – Jesus, the source of true and authentic joy, God Emmanuel, God with us.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
May 2017
Vol 14 Issue 5
At your command I will lower the nets
Lk 5:5
Dear brothers and sisters,
We continue our reflection on the calling of the first disciples. In the Gospel of Luke, the focus is on Peter and Jesus addresses Peter only. There is a lesson to be learned from this pericope in choosing the leaders of our community. First, he must be one who has the courage to go into the deep to cast the net, to embark on focused and funded evangelization to new and challenging areas, even to mission ad gentes. Second, he must be one who is fully converted and yet aware of his own weaknesses, one who has transitioned from calling Jesus "Master" to "Lord." Third, he must be one who is willing to "leave everything" to follow Jesus and affirm, "At your command, I will lower the nets." May the Father send the Holy Spirit that we may choose leaders that Jesus addresses directly.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
September 2017
Vol 14 Issue 9
Rekindle the gift
2 Tim 1:6
Dear brothers and sisters,
We begin our reflection on the community's theme for next year. The first part of the theme – Rekindle the gift – has a two-fold meaning or message to our community. Firstly, it urges us to rekindle the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we used to experience and enjoy during the early years of our community – vibrant worship, authentic prophecy, "on fire" evangelization. But following the admonition of Paul that love trumps all – faith, prophecy, tongues – the second and more important meaning and message of the first part of our new theme is to rekindle God's gift of love, to make it truly alive, to make it personally felt by all, to make it true and sincere. May we all love as Jesus loves.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
December 2017 Special Issue
Vol 14 Issue 13
Fullness of time
Gal 4:4
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are pleased to send a special issue of Letters of Aquila and Priscilla, which has been inspired by the retreat that we just had last weekend. It was a retreat, a recollection like we never had before! The depth of the teaching, the novelty of the approach, and the elegance of the language were just some of the characteristics that distinguished this retreat from all others before it. It is impossible to capture all the images and messages given over two days in just two pages while also incorporating our own thoughts as well as quotes from Torrance and Brown. We pray that you too may in time (chronos) experience a bit of the fullness of time (kairos) like we did. A Blessed and Merry Christmas to all.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
2017
February 2017
Vol 14 Issue 2
How do you know me?
Jn 1:48
Dear brothers and sisters,
This is the third in our series of reflections on the gathering of the first disciples as reported in the four gospels. The reports differ from each other significantly because the primary purpose of the evangelist is theological rather than to write history. In the second part of the account of the gathering in the Gospel of John, we are confronted with a penetrating question, "How do you know me?" This question leads us to reflect on our own inner, private spiritual life – the life spent with the Lord under the shade of our "fig tree" – and how it is manifested in our outer, public spiritual life. It is a question whose answer we may never find fully until we meet face to face the Person who knows everything about us. May God bless us all.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
June 2017
Vol 14 Issue 6
A woman clothed with the sun
Rev 12:1
Dear brothers and sisters,
June was a very busy month, and we were unable to have enough time to reflect and write the June issue of Letters of Aquila and Priscilla. We now want to begin another series of reflections on the Blessed Mother. We start with this much delayed issue for the month of June on the "woman clothed with the sun" in the Book of Revelation. We will go on pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Akita in Japan this July. When we return, we hope to write our reflections on this pilgrimage for the July issue. Please pray for us and if you have any intentions, we would be very glad to bring and offer them to Our Lady of Akita. Cheers and God bless.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
October 2017
Vol 14 Issue 10
Fulfill your ministry
2 Tim 4:5
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are pleased to share with you our reflections on the second part of our community's theme for next year – fulfill your ministry. Paul is stating in the clearest and strongest possible way his desire to pass on the ministry to Timothy and other leaders. In our community, leaders should understand that after 36 years, the time has come to also pass on the leadership to others. The ministry involves the proclamation of the word at all times, whether it is convenient or inconvenient, patiently enduring hardships, because the time is near for our inevitable meeting with Christ. We hope that by sharing some of our life experiences, you, too, will be encouraged to share so that others may know how Jesus is working in your life and in our community. With our love and prayers.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
March 2017
Vol 14 Issue 3
Casting and mending nets
Mk 1:16,19
Dear brothers and sisters,
In Mark's account of the gathering of the first disciples, unlike in John's, it is Jesus who comes to the workplace of the fishermen to call them to come after him. They were busy working, casting and mending their nets. This was their daily routine – casting and mending nets – until Jesus came and called them. And that single event changed their lives forever. This can happen to us too. This is the Gospel's first message. And there is another. We "cast nets" to gather others into our community so that they too may feel God's love and presence. But we must also mend our nets to keep them. Often the weaknesses of some leaders are the very tears in the net that cause some to leave ("escape"). But why should we leave to look for Jesus elsewhere when he is already in our midst. Indeed, with God's grace, we should be among those who would "mend the net" while not stopping to "cast" it. May God grant us the grace to stand firm in the faith!
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
July 2017
Vol 14 Issue 7
A woman clothed with the sun
Rev 12:1
Dear brothers and sisters,
We continue our reflections of the Blessed Mother as "a woman clothed with the sun" in the Book of Revelation. This July issue is a continuation of the June issue on Our Lady of Akita. We wrote all the petitions that were sent to us (as well as our own) and offered them to Our Lady of Akita as we prayed the Rosary in front of her miraculous statue (see photo) at the left side altar of the chapel (see photo). After our two-day pilgrimage to the convent of the Handmaids of the Holy Eucharist in Yuzawadai, we are even more encouraged to propagate devotion to Our Lady of Akita since we are certain that true devotion to the Blessed Mother will always lead us to her Son, Jesus.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
November 2017
Vol 14 Issue 11
Be persistent
2 Tim 4:2
Dear brothers and sisters,
We continue our reflections on our community's theme for 2018. The recent passing of my 103-year old mother, the oldest member of CFC, and of our longtime friend, the very first person we invited to join CFC, as well as the recent homily of Pope Francis on death prompted and inspired this reflection and sharing. We also consider as a great gift God's call to CFC where we encountered Jesus. And no one who encounters Jesus remains unchanged. May we always be conscious of our mortality and always consider life and CFC as great gifts from God so that we may use these gifts to proclaim the Gospel and tell the story of Jesus whether it is convenient or inconvenient.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
April 2017
Vol 14 Issue 4
Put out into deep water
Lk 5:4
Dear brothers and sisters,
Luke's account on the calling of the first disciples differ from that of Mark's or Matthew's. In Luke, the focus is on Simon. Andrew is not named and James and John play a mere supporting role. Here Simon is called to obedience based on faith. A major point for reflection is the fact that the marvelous catch is made in "deep water”. Countries in the Middle East are considered dangerous for evangelization, in other words, "deep waters for catching fish”. And yet these are the places where CFC communities are very much alive. But now the time has come for focused and funded evangelization. And God is calling us to go to Central Asia. In obedience, let us put out into even deeper water. May God bless us all.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
August 2017
Vol 14 Issue 8
Like the passing of a shadow
Wis 2:5
Dear brothers and sisters,
The August issue of Letters of Aquila and Priscilla is very much delayed due to the passing of our 103-year old mother, Nanay Paz. This issue is about her and her final days. We wish to share this with you in thanksgiving for God's gift of life and God's gift of community. God was generous in giving Nanay Paz a long life. But God is even more generous in giving all of us the CFC community.
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN
December 2017
Vol 14 Issue 12
Perform the work of an evangelist
2 Tim 4:5
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are pleased to send our fourth and final reflections on the Scriptural pericope from which our 2018 theme has been taken. We are sending this issue earlier than usual to avoid its being missed or ignored due to the multifarious activities of the long Christmas holiday. We now look forward to the Solemn Charge Weekend in Baguio in January 2018. In the meantime, we wish to greet everyone a Blessed and Merry Christmas! May the Lord Jesus who is coming as a helpless Child be your source of strength and inspiration so that you may continue to "perform the work of an evangelist."
With our love and prayers,
JUN and JEAN