Mama Mary’s birthday, SVD anniversary

ALONDON unbeliever sat watching an Irish shoeshine boy polishing his shoes. The man noticed a medal on the boy’s neck and asked, “What is that you’re wearing around your neck, Pat?”

“A medal, with the Mother of Christ on it!” Pat answered.

“Why do you honor her? She is just like my mother.”

“Ahh... but there’s a hell of a difference between the two sons!” Pat replied.

The story might well illustrate the difference in attitude between Catholics and non-Catholic Christians towards the Blessed Virgin.

Today, September 8, marks the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast manifests a special veneration Catholics have for the Blessed Mother. Such veneration comes no less from God who honored her first by choosing her from billions of women to be the Mother of his own Son.

In her thanksgiving canticle, Magnificat, Mary prophesied: “All ages to come shall call me blessed” (Lk. 1, 48).

God explicitly commands us, “Honor thy father and mother.” Is it then wrong to honor the Mother of Jesus Christ, Son of God?

SVD FOUNDATION DAY. The Society of the Divine Word (SVD), to which I belong, marks its 141th Foundation Anniversary on September 8. German founder St. Arnold Janssen had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother; thus, he chose to launch his mission congregation on her birth anniversary in 1875.

The Society of the Divine Word ranks 7th largest among all the male religious congregations worldwide.

To date there are 137 Filipino SVD priests and brothers working in 45 countries, making the SVD the biggest missionary-sending congregation in the Philippines.

SVD priests and brothers in the Philippines, who comprise the biggest number among the male religious congregations, are involved in the apostolates of parishes, seminaries, justice and peace, mass media.

They are also involved in running schools like the Divine Word Colleges, University of San Carlos in Cebu, Holy Name University in Bohol, and are active in the evangelization of the indigenous and ethnic Filipinos like the Chinese-Filipinos in Divine Word Dagupan and St. Jude Catholic School in Manila.

New mission frontiers in KalingaApayao, Bontoc, Lagawe, have been added to the SVD northern Philippines; in the Philippine Central Province, the Palawan hinterlands, stretching as far as Rio Tuba and Balabac have newly been turned over.

Readers are requested to pray for the Society of the Divine Word and its various mission apostolates.

THE LIGHER SIDE. A Jesuit and a Dominican were quarreling about whose religious order was the greater. The Jesuit insisted theirs, of course; so with the Dominican. They could not resolve the issue so they elevated the matter to the Lord.

A note reached both parties with the message: “Stop quarrelling. All of you are great. Besides, I do not favor any religious congregation.” Signed: “Jesus Christ, SVD.”

Jesus is indeed an SVD. Listen to this: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord SVD” (is with Thee).

SVD comes from the Latin name “Societas Verbi Divini” (in English, “Society of the Divine Word”).

ST. JUDE. Got a serious problem with money, studies, sickness or marital/family relationship?

Today, join our novena at the Divine Word Shrine, Christ the King Seminary, on E. Rodriguez Boulevard, Quezon City, after the 6 p.m. Mass.

A healing and anointing of the sick follow.