Advent is a season of hope. We are gifted with Christ as the Word promised by God. It is then another season where we gather as people of faith to find what God is promising us during our times.

We are still carrying on our shoulders the financial difficulties of the crisis we have all experienced the past years. The question we have is did this problem make us stronger Christians, people who know where our true faith belongs? Did it take away our focus on God or have we become stronger people dedicated to God’s vision and committed to the service of our brothers and sisters?

I would like to celebrate this season with all of you in prayer: Our lives are going to be closer to God because that is what we need in our lives. We would like to continue being committed to God by offering our services to our brothers and sisters. It is in this that we will find our strength during this season to celebrate, with great hope, the love of God.

How can we share this vision? What do you want to do so that your heart is focused on this wish? Let us first begin together with a prayerful atmosphere. Bring together your family to worship God. May this guide you to the direction that you wish to share with others. And, as we come to that Blessed day of Christmas, we see not the ugly place where Christ was born, but the gift of the Son of God in our midst.

Merry Christmas.

Fr. Aloysius Funtila

Tags: Christmas | Advent | St. Anastasia | Waukegan | Illinois

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Enter the journey. Come to the song.
By God you are chosen, by name you are called
to follow the vision, carry the cross.
Enter the journey of faith as the family of God.

If you were fortunate enough to join us for Mass at 11:00am last week, then you heard these words sung by the children of St. Anastasia Catholic School. I was struck by the truth and simplicity of the verse. How better in four lines, a mere 34 words, could I summarize our mission here?

Each day we continue our journey of faith.

Our tasks along the way may differ. We may work or look, hope and pray to find work. We may care for children as we care for our parents. We may volunteer in our parish helping others, or we may be at home quietly trying to heal ourselves and those we love. We may even be stuck, overwhelmed and standing still -- waiting for direction.

We know, however, that we are chosen and that we share this journey with our faith community. We acknowledge each others humanity. We recognize their strengths and weakness. We accept that they carry their cross just as we carry ours.

Thankfully, it’s not all about “carrying crosses.” We celebrate along the way too. Joyfully we celebrate births and birthdays. Gratefully we celebrate first steps and parting words, and humbly we celebrate our weekly reunions each Sunday as the family of God.

I thank the student choir of St. Anastasia for sharing this wonderfully simple message. I also thank our students for sharing their journey with us. We are pleased to see you growing into the next leaders of St. Anastasia.

God bless you all

Fr. Aloy

Note: September 26th was the first in a series called “Kids-Empowered Masses” where our children take the lead and perform many key roles in the celebration of the Mass. Look for more such masses on the last Sunday of each month at the 11:00am Mass.

Tags: St. Anastasia | Kids Mass | The Journey

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Yes, it is almost time to go back home again. It is not easy but I have to face it. First to say good-bye to my mom is always the most difficult thing to do. She had high blood pressures these past few days. I told her to relax, I will be fine and I will go back to see her again. In words it is easy but deep inside it is always a heavy feeling. You always wanted to curl back to where the security is. My mother will and always provides that.

My siblings said the vacation was too short. My nieces have grown. My brother's kids are getting bigger. My second brother is bragging of his four kids -- all graduated from college and are all working. One, actually just passed the bar exam. I have a niece who is now a lawyer. Another milestone for the family.

Things are still difficult here in the Philippines. Many suffer from economic difficulties and my family is not exempted from it. If only I can do something for all of them. This is the reason why I think of them many times as calamities and other factors make their lives more difficult. This is where I say to myself, I leave it all to God.

I made my last visit to the street children's house and said their Sunday mass. They are doing another fund raiser for the project. From the humble beginnings of 18 kids, they are now 800 in total. Yet I probably have to learn the attitude of Fr. Rocky when he said " if God wants me to win the lottery to solve the problem He will, but I have not won yet so I will continue to relly in the goodness of others making me humble to know that this is God's work and I am here to do what He want's me to do".

I am slowly packing my things and looking at the baggage that I have. I know that our lives will always be on the move. Like last Sunday's gospel brought home the message -- I won't be able to move on if my "baggage" is too heavy. My back pain will alway remind me of that. There will be re-adjusting to do when I return to the states. There will be other things to look forward to, but it is always good to have some time to bond with all the people that you treasure in your heart for they will always be my inspiration.

I will see you soon and I know that my heart will always be in "my home". When we say hello expect to say goodbye.

Fr. Aloy

Tags: Fr. Aloy Funtila | Philippines | Manila | Trip

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Coming home means spending sometime with my church here in my hometown. We celebrated the feast day of our patron saint today (Monday) which was a celebration of novena prayers highlighted by the coming of the bishop to celebrate the feast day and do the confirmation for the townspeople. It was my first mass where the three of us, all ordained priest from this one the town, were together during the mass. The last priest ordained came to me and asked when I was ordained. I responded 1983, he smiled and said to me, Fr. Aloy I was third grade then. It feels different to have us together for the very first time. After the mass, as you probably see us Filipinos, we greet our priest by kissing the hand for a blessing. This happened after the celebration and I got stocked behind the bishop for some of my dad's students of long ago came telling me that they were specially moved hearing my name mentioned during the thanksgiving given by the president of the pastoral council.

I came home tired, but feeling that today something special happened in my life and that there was a good reason to come home. My priesthood was not only limited to those places where I serve but still linked to where my faith grew as a small boy and how many people have inspired me to follow my vocation. My priesthood is a calling, of God's people, that unites people of different cultures and places. It breaks all known boundaries to man and the only thing that matters is God's calling.

Today my niece was also confirmed, and I was chosen as a sponsor. I was happy to be selected as a guide for my niece in her life of faith. So the celebration in the church was also brought home because of this celebration.

Yes, it is our parish's 101st year celebration of it's existence. As I was trying to get my rest I was wondering how St. Anastasia will celebrate this great event of it's history. What I just wished as I was praying was that, the celebration came as a celebration of the people. Not just for one day but the celebration was alive in them.

Here, people came to town to host the novena masses. They brought with them their lectors, servers, ushers, Eucharistic ministers and choirs. Others came with gifts, part of their harvest or representative of their livelihood to offer to God on this special celebration. Kids, sang and danced during the mass. Old people clapped as they saw their kids celebrate with joy. It was a celebration of life.

God leads us to celebrate. But in the end we see the change of how it is God that has made the difference. People here aare still poor and have a great many problems. But they know that their God dances with them in their lives of faith.

See you soon.

Fr. Aloy

Tags: Fr. Aloy Funtila | Celebrations | Philippines | Manila | Trip

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My plane landed at 3:45 in the morning. We were first plane to get in that morning with two other international flights. I had to wait for a long time for my baggage was one of the first baggages in the second leg of my travel back home. Probably it was six when I cleared the immigration, enough time to reach my first destination in Manila.

In Manila, I attended my first mass in the chapel of the street children. I met with Fr. Rocky the priest in-charge. Handed him the gift that I received from the fund raising we did before I left have a short chat then I have to let him go for his other commitments.

I am trying to adjust to the heat and the surroundings. I still have to find my bearings so driving is out of the question. The streets are crowded with walking people and adjusting to the traffic is a challenge.

With the past mornings that I have attended masses I have to admit I am not in the United States. Even ordinary day masses are well attended and if you are late then it will be standing room only. I believe the poverty that continue to exist strengthens the ordinary people’s deep dependence on God. In many ways they consider their faith to be their only ally that will sustain them during times of challenge.

Everyone is well at home. Mother is just fine, again surprised with my unannounced visit. I am trying to call my other siblings to gather together during one of the weekends. They are working in other places and timing to get together is also difficult. I have to learn to cope with their different life style here.

I will try to let you know the other things I am enjoying here. I hope everyone is doing fine. It feels as if I just left but I know my time here will soon be over, I will try to enjoy everyone in my family for I know that’s the only reason I came home for.

See you soon.

Fr. Aloy

Tags: Fr. Aloy Funtila | Vacation | Philippines | Manila | Trip

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The task of preparing, communicating, meeting, directing running the carnival was a great challenge for our parish since it is our first time to take such a monumental task. Blood sweat and tears definitely was the foundation of this project, but nothing is so great for St. Anastasia Parish and School.

Before we finished this activity, I am already typing these comments because I want it first to come out as the result of our carnival. I was so inspired by the presence of many dedicated members of our parish. I salute your finesse in executing all the different responsibilities in making this carnival a gift to the people of Waukegan. I know, you invited many people to help us out in the different duties. You called others to come and attend. But most of all you covered all sides to make this a wholesome family entertainment.

I am so inspired that this can happen here to us as members of St. anastasia. It makes me feel proud to be part of this affair even if I know I for one did not do much for I did not know anything about carnivals. Surely, this going to be one of our stories, one of the things that we did together for our parish. I know the first thank you came from your children who enjoyed all the rides, all the food and all the fun they have with their classmates, old and new friends. It was that smile from those faces that made me feel good and told myself that it was all worth it.

With all my heart, thank you.

Fr. Aloy

Tags: St. Anastasia | Carnival | Community | Thankfull

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“Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”
—Mark 1: 21-22

Mary of us have a vision of Jesus as being meek and mild, courteous an deferential. Our mental image is that of a silent Jesus accepting his fate from Pontius Pilate without complaint.

Tags: Fr. Aloy Funtila | Jesus was not a Wallflower | St. Anastasia

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"Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed him.
— Mark 5:39-40

Another one of our less-than endearing qualities is the fact that many people are happy to have something to say just about everything under the sun, often when they do not know really what they are talking about.

Tags: Speaking before Thinking | Fr. Aloy Funtila | St. Anastasia

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“God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”

— Acts 10:34-35

In today’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter is recorded as having said that God is impartial. That is taken to mean that although Jesus’ coming was proclaimed in Hebrew scripture, Jesus came to save all humankind from the stain of original sin, the despair of eternal damnation and to proclaim an eternity of heavenly delights for all. In the early Christian church, there was a lengthy discussion as to whether or not Gentiles were to be admitted.

Tags: We Can All Be Saved | Fr. Aloy Funtila | St. Anastasia

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“And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.”

— Matthew 2:12

Our Christmas legends, carols and stories all tend to paint the picture of the Baby Jesus being born to Mary and Joseph unnoticed in a stable. The Savior of all humankind seems to have arrived and no one was on hand to welcome Him, we are led to believe.

Tags: The Wise Know Jesus | Fr. Aloy Funtila | St. Anastasia

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"I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
— John 10:16

One of the big points of dissention in the early church was the issue of whether church membership was open only to Jews, or to Gentiles of all manner and form.

Tags: Feed My Sheep | Fr. Aloy Funtila | St. Anastasia

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