The Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life (CFC-FFL) held it's annual Marian Pilgrimage at the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, Better Living, Paranaque City last Saturday, August 3, 2013.
The program started with the procession of the statues of Our Lady of Mediatrix around the church. Eucharistic celebration was officiated by Rev. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB.
Some notes on Fr. Chito during his talk:
What for Marian Devotion?
- Children have a special affection for their Mother. Jesus must have had the same.
- If Mary prays with us, how can Jesus refuse?
- Early Christians honored her with the title Theotokos, God-bearer, since Jesus' human and divine natures were united in the one person she bore.
Reason for Devotion
- Mary knows on whose side God is (Lk 1:52-53)
- Mary knows on whose side her Son is as Savior
- Mary consoles as much as she demands from us
Where are we right now?
- Contours of hopelessness
- Metaphysical and Moral Materialism
- Progressive dehumanization
- Hedonism
- Crisis of Truth
The Role of Popular Religiosity
- Our devotion to Mary is part of what we are and who we are as Filipinos
- If you want to bring Jesus, you need to tell it by means of stories, images, songs, not by highly conceptual ideas
- Popular piety to Mary are kundiman, tigib ng damdamin at puso
Why We Need Mary More than Ever
- Fundamental meaning of fatima: the power of evil in our time, the suffering of the Church, the weakening of the forces of the good in the world
- Mary's answer: hope, love and penance
- When in pain, our people have always lifted up the banner of Mary
AWIT NG SUMISINTA SA INA
Aba Ginoong Maria, napupuno ka ng grasya. Ang Diyos ay sumasaiyo, bukod kang pinagpala sa babaeng lahat, at pinagpala ka naman at ang iyong anak na si Jesus. Santa Maria Ina ng Diyos, ipanalangin mo kaming makasalanan, ngayon at kung kami'y mamamatay. Amen
