Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading – 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22A All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.” Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer: “Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.” Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full to those who were asking him for a king. He told them: “The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work. He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the LORD will not answer you.” The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “Not so! There must be a king over us. We too must be like other nations, with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare and fight our battles.” When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the LORD, who then said to him, “Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.”   Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 89:16-17, 18-19 R.  For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.At your name they rejoice all the day,and through your justice they are exalted. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. For you are the splendor of their strength,and by your favor our horn is exalted.For to the LORD belongs our shield,and to the Holy One of Israel, our King. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.   Alleluia – Luke 7:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.A great prophet has arisen in our midstand God has visited his people.R. Alleluia, alleluia.   Gospel

Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez. FACEBOOK DIOCESE MEDIA – TV MERCED By Tyler Arnold Catholic News Agency January 11, 2024 Throughout 2023, more than 130 Catholic priests and religious were either arrested, kidnapped, or murdered, according to a new report on Catholic persecution published by Aid to the Church in Need. The report published by the Catholic charity found at least 132 instances of arrests, kidnappings, and/or murders, which is slightly higher than the report from the previous year, which found 124. The uptick was mostly driven by arrests from authoritarian governments, which went up from 55 in 2022 to 86 in 2023. Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega’s crackdown on political dissent among members of the clergy was a primary driver of persecution throughout the year. The report found that the regime held 46 clergy in custody in 2023, including two bishops and four seminarians. This included 19 clerics arrested in December, including Bishop Isidoro de Carmen Mora Ortega of Siuna. According to the report, many of the priests in Nicaragua who were arrested before December were either released or expelled from the country and refused reentry. The government also released two of the priests arrested in December, but the other 17 are still in custody. Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who was arrested in August 2022 and sentenced to 26 years in prison after refusing to leave the country, is also still in custody. Ortega’s administration also expelled religious sisters such as the Missionaries of Charity and shut down Catholic schools and media organizations. The report found that 20 members of the Catholic clergy were under arrest at some point in China throughout the year. However, the report also noted that “confirming the information is almost impossible” and some of the persecuted members of the clergy “remain unaccounted for after many years.” The number could be slightly higher or lower, according to the report. At least five Catholic clergy and one woman religious were arrested in India in 2023, which was mostly driven by anti-conversion laws, which the report noted “impede the work of the Church.” All of them have been released but could still face charges and even prison time. There have also been arrests in two European countries. The report found that 10 members of Catholic clergy were arrested in Belarus, three of whom are still imprisoned. Two Greek Catholic priests were also arrested by Russian forces in Ukraine, neither of whom have been released. The kidnapping of clergy and religious sisters went down in 2023, according to the report, but the problem “remains significant.” The total number of kidnapped clergy and religious was 33 in 2023, which is down from 54 in 2022. All but five of the kidnappings took place in Nigeria, where religious and ethnic conflicts have made the country dangerous for Christians. The 28 kidnappings in the country included three religious women. There were also two kidnappings in Haiti. One priest was kidnapped in Mali and another in Burkina Faso. One religious woman was abducted in Ethiopia.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos. FILE PHOTO By CBCP News January 11, 2024 San Carlos City As a mining company is digging its way into the hills of Negros Occidental province, local Catholic leaders are fighting to halt the multimillion peso project. The Diocese of San Carlos’ concerns regarding the chalcocite copper mining project in the city of Sagay’s Lope Jaena village include threats of environmental and health hazards. “We express deep concern over Tambuli Mining Company Inc.’s failure to address vital issues raised, particularly the potential impacts on soil, air, water, and the overall community well-being,” the diocese said in a statement. The collective statement was signed by Bishop Gerardo Alminaza; Fr. Julius Tormis, director of the diocese’s Ecology Ministry; Fr. Joferson Garces, the Diocesan Social Action Center director. They said the project’s proximity to Tan-ao River and Himogaan River is a major concern as they are vital for fishing, vegetable gardening, irrigation, and fishponds. The diocese also stressed that the Himogaan River is also culturally significant, hosting “Adlaw Sang Suba” and supporting tourism, irrigating sugarcane fields, and aiding coastal fishing. These rivers discharge into the Sagay Marine Reserve, amplifying ecological concerns, they added. “To date, the company’s inability to provide satisfactory responses underscores the urgent need for a thorough examination of potential impacts on the community’s natural resources,” they also said. DONATE TO CBCP NEWS CBCPNews is a church-based news agency operated by the Media Office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.  This apostolate aims at helping the work of the new evangelization through the news media.  This is non-commercial and non-profit.  That being the case, it totally depends on generosity of its readers and supporters. Should you wish to donate kindly press the donate button.  Thank you.  

Bishop Broderick Pabillo of the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay in Palawan. By CBCP News January 11, 2024 Manila, Philippines Without mincing words, a Catholic bishop has called on his flock to reject a signature campaign for Charter change through people’s initiative. Bishop Broderick Pabillo of the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay in northern Palawan province made the appeal amidst allegations of payouts in exchange for signatures. “Tell people not to sign! This is not an initiative of the people but of some politicians,” Pabillo said in a statement released Thursday. He is the first bishop to openly speak against the current attempts to amend the nation’s Constitution. Its proponents in the House of Representatives claimed that the amendments would only focus on the economic provisions of the Constitution, which restricts the flow of foreign capital into the country. Charter change can be done through Congress, a constitutional convention, or through a people’s initiative upon a petition of at least 12% of the total number of registered voters. Each legislative district must also be represented by at least 3 percent of registered voters. There are currently over 67 million registered voters in the Philippines. Amassing enough signatures would basically force the 24-member Senate to vote jointly with the 315-member Lower House. “It will overpower the senate,” Pabillo said. The prelate also cautioned against leveraging the urgent call for a barangay assembly to push for constitutional reform. In the past, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines repeatedly emphasized that any moves for Charter change must be in the best interest of the people and the nation.” The bishops also had also long preferred the use of a constitutional convention over other methods, such as Congress acting as constituent assembly. DONATE TO CBCP NEWS CBCPNews is a church-based news agency operated by the Media Office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.  This apostolate aims at helping the work of the new evangelization through the news media.  This is non-commercial and non-profit.  That being the case, it totally depends on generosity of its readers and supporters. Should you wish to donate kindly press the donate button.  Thank you.  

Archbishop Martin Jomuad of Ozamis leads funeral service for Bishop Ronald Lunas of Pagadian at the Santo Niño Cathedral in Pagadian City, Jan. 11, 2024. PHOTO FROM DIOCESE OF PAGADIAN By CBCP News January 11, 2024 Manila, Philippines Bishop Ronald “Bong” Lunas of Pagadian was remembered as a “holy man for others” at his funeral Mass Thursday in a packed Santo Niño Cathedral. Archbishop Martin Jumoad of Ozamis served as the presider and homilist at the liturgy that drew droves of prelates, public officials, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful. He described the late bishop as “simple, down to earth, always available and ready to serve”. “Bp. Lunas has a happy disposition and I have never seen him to be angry,” said Jumoad, who was recently appointed apostolic administrator of Pagadian. The archbishop even went so far as to float the idea that his former seminary student could be a candidate for sainthood because of the way he lived his life and cared for others. “It is possible Bishop Lunas can be a candidate for sainthood,” Jumoad said. Lunas, aged 57, passed away on January 2 due to complications from heart bypass at a government hospital in Davao City. He served Pagadian diocese in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, his first assignment as a bishop, for nearly five years. The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) described him as a “young and promising bishop” whose death is not only a loss for the Church in the Philippines but “for the Church in Asia too”. After the Mass, Lunas was laid to rest beside the cathedral. DONATE TO CBCP NEWS CBCPNews is a church-based news agency operated by the Media Office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.  This apostolate aims at helping the work of the new evangelization through the news media.  This is non-commercial and non-profit.  That being the case, it totally depends on generosity of its readers and supporters. Should you wish to donate kindly press the donate button.  Thank you.  

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading – 1 Samuel 4:1-11 The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel. Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek. The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel. After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield. When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God. When the ark of the LORD arrived in the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded. The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked, “What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” On learning that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were frightened. They said, “Gods have come to their camp.” They said also, “Woe to us! This has never happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with various plagues and with pestilence. Take courage and be manly, Philistines; otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they were your slaves. So fight manfully!” The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; every man fled to his own tent. It was a disastrous defeat, in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead.   Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25 R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy. Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace,and you go not forth with our armies.You have let us be driven back by our foes;those who hated us plundered us at will. R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy. You made us the reproach of our neighbors,the mockery and the scorn of those around us.You made us a byword among the nations,a laughingstock among the peoples R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy. Why do you hide your face,forgetting our woe and our oppression?For our souls are bowed down to the dust,our bodies are pressed to the earth. R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.   Alleluia – Matthew 4:23 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdomand cured every disease among the people.R. Alleluia, alleluia.   Gospel – Mark 1:40-45 A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

Devotees join the annual procession of the Black Nazarene in Manila, Jan. 9, 2024. JOSE SANTOS/PRESSONE.PH By CBCP News January 10, 2024 Manila, Philippines Catholic devotees, estimated to be in the millions, turned up for this year’s feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila. A mammoth crowd, mostly barefoot devotees, packed the city’s streets to witness the traditional procession or “Traslacion” of the Nazarene image from the Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church on Tuesday. Organizers reported that as many as 6.1 million people attended the event — from the midnight Mass presided over by Cardinal Jose Advincula at the grandstand until the return of the image to Quiapo. An estimated 939,000 people were at the grandstand, approximately 3.2 million joined the procession, and around 1.9 million were at the Quiapo Church. The procession lasted for 15 hours, marking the fastest time in the history of the Traslacion, which commemorates the transfer of the image from Intramuros to Quiapo more than 400 years ago. In 2012, the longest Traslacion on record lasted 22 hours, albeit following a different and longer route. Alex Irasga, the church’s lay adviser for the Traslacion, said the image returned to the church “very clean and without any damage”. The life-size statue of the dark-skinned Jesus Christ debuted in a glass case for the procession after three years without it because of the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘Birth pains’ But on a humid, rainy day, moisture clouded the glass enclosure, affecting everyone’s view of the Black Nazarene. “This is something that we didn’t prepare for and consider (with the new design of the andas or carriage),” according to Irasga. “Maybe we should just take it as birth pains.” “One direction that we see is to use a defogger like the ones in the cars to prevent moisture build-up,” he said. “And one thing is for sure: we attribute the faster procession to the new design of the andas,” Irasga added. During the procession, one of the two 50-meter ropes used to pull the andas snapped before turning to Arlegui Street corner Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo. Irasga said that the rope getting broken off is not new because “that has always been the experience in the past”. “It’s really because some devotees pull threads from the rope and bring it to their homes,” he also said. Call to service Presiding over the third-to-last of the 33 fiesta Masses on Tuesday evening, Quiapo Church spokesperson Fr. Hans Magdurulang said that every devotee is called to serve and minister to others. And serving in Christ’s name, he said, means no conditions or expectations. “Let us be devotees who not only receive but also serve,” Magdurulang said. “The Black Nazarene is not just on the altar or andas; He must also be present in our good attitude and reflected acts of kindness toward others,” he said. DONATE TO CBCP NEWS CBCPNews is a church-based news agency operated by the Media Office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.  This apostolate aims at

Devotees are waving towels at the start of the Black Nazarene procession at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Jan. 9, 2024. ROY LAGARDE By Roy Lagarde January 9, 2024 Manila, Philippines The head pastor of Quiapo Church has disclosed a proposal to declare January 9 of every year as the national feast of the Black Nazarene. Fr. Rufino “Jun” Sescon, the church’s rector, said that the ball is now in the Vatican’s court after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines approved the Manila archdiocese’s proposal during their plenary assembly in July 2023. In the same meeting, the bishops also approved the petition to elevate Quiapo Church to national shrine status. “It is our prayer that when we meet again next time, the Church will designate Jan. 9 as a national feast in honor of our beloved Black Nazarene,” Sescon said. The priest made the statement after the vigil Mass for the feast of the Black Nazarene, presided over by Cardinal Jose Advincula at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Jan. 9. “We want it to be a national feast for the Church so it is up to the bishops and the Pope to discuss this,” he added in a separate interview. The feast, initially a parochial celebration, has organically spread and is now celebrated by devotees across the country and even abroad. Advincula, in a letter to the CBCP in May 2023, pointed out that in the absence of a specific national liturgical directive, the celebrations become dependent on the priests or the community. “Making it a national feast will definitely bring order and most especially joy to the millions of devotees, particularly those who cannot go to Quiapo,” the cardinal wrote. This year’s celebration also marks the return of the traditional “Traslacion” or procession of the Nazarene image after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In his homily, Advincula encouraged the devotees to be ‘models’ of the life of Jesus Christ. “A true devotee serves as a model, embodying the life of Jesus Christ. Through their life, one can witness faith in the Father and charity towards their neighbors,” he said. DONATE TO CBCP NEWS CBCPNews is a church-based news agency operated by the Media Office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.  This apostolate aims at helping the work of the new evangelization through the news media.  This is non-commercial and non-profit.  That being the case, it totally depends on generosity of its readers and supporters. Should you wish to donate kindly press the donate button.  Thank you.  

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading – 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20 During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent. One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see. The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was. The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.” Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.” So he went back to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “You called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.” At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect. Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.   Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 40:2 AND 5, 7-8A, 8B-9, 10 R.  Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. I have waited, waited for the LORD,and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;who turns not to idolatryor to those who stray after falsehood. R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,but ears open to obedience you gave me.Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;then said I, “Behold I come.” R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.To do your will, O my God, is my delight,and your law is within my heart!” R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. I announced your justice in the vast assembly;I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.   Alleluia – John 10:27 R. Alleluia, alleluia.My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord.I know them, and they follow me.R. Alleluia, alleluia.   Gospel – Mark 1:29-39 On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew

Pope Francis delivers a speech to all of the world’s ambassadors to the Vatican on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. VATICAN MEDIA By Courtney Mares Catholic News Agency January 9, 2024 Pope Francis called surrogacy “deplorable” and called for a global ban on the exploitative practice of “so-called surrogate motherhood” in a speech to all of the world’s ambassadors to the Vatican on Monday. “The path to peace calls for respect for life, for every human life, starting with the life of the unborn child in the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking,” Pope Francis said Jan. 8. “In this regard, I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs. A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.” The pope then called on the international community to prohibit the practice of surrogacy universally. “At every moment of its existence, human life must be preserved and defended; yet I note with regret, especially in the West, the continued spread of a culture of death, which in the name of a false compassion discards children, the elderly, and the sick,” he added. Pope Francis’ strong condemnation of surrogacy came during his annual foreign policy speech to all of the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See. Shortly following the Pope’s remarks, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) spokesperson Chieko Noguchi also addressed the subject. “As Pope Francis stated, with surrogacy, an unborn child is turned into ‘an object of trafficking’ because it exploits the birth mother’s material needs and makes the child the product of a commercial contract. This is why the Catholic Church teaches that the practice of surrogacy is not morally permissible. Instead, we should pray for, and work towards, a world that upholds the profound dignity of every person, at every stage and in every circumstance of life,” Noguchi said. In the 45-minute speech in the Vatican’s gilded Hall of Blessings, the pope underlined the importance that “humanitarian law” is upheld by the international community to “ensure the defense of human dignity in situations of warfare.” “Modern wars no longer take place only on clearly defined battlefields, nor do they involve soldiers alone,” he said. “In a context where it appears that the distinction between military and civil objectives is no longer respected, there is no conflict that does not end up in some way indiscriminately striking the civilian population. The events in Ukraine and Gaza are clear proof of this.” The pope’s annual speech to diplomats has been called his “state of the world” address because it is one of a handful of times that the pope addresses global crises and specific conflicts happening around the world all at once. Notably, China was only mentioned in relation to the earthquake last month, which Pope Francis listed among “disasters that human beings cannot