THE SUNDAY PHENOMENON by Marie de Pona I have always intended to write a personal letter to our Priest to express my gratitude

for his moving and inspiring sermons. Every time we attend church, I always get impressed at how he delivers his well researched and prepared teachings .Its like comparing it to a show where I get my money's worth, no matter how expensive it is. I would always want to think that he is able to read my mind and the rest of us in church or perhaps just too sensitive to know our needs for the week which makes his teachings become more personalized. After the mass, the messages would definitely jumpstart our week. Its just so sad that many of the people we invite to attend our mass do not usually go back. Their most common reason is that our mass is too long that it becomes tedious for them. Well, I would have to admit that sometimes, too, (especially coming from trips) I would struggle retaining my attention and keep my patience. I would also sometimes wish that our Deacon would just read instead of chanting the readings because I would get distracted of his voice (ooops); however, there is something miraculous in that length of time we spend in church. I noticed that when our mass gets longer, it consequently lengthens our patience, and then the more fulfilling it becomes. When I hear our Priest says Halleluiah, Halleluiah, Halleluiah!!! signifying the end of the celebration, I get this enormous feeling of satisfaction, reward, and eagerness to start the week right. I also noticed the same in my children. The longer the mass becomes the more there is reason for them to eat & appreciate the food better, and enjoy our Sundays together as a family. Well, I actually did a minimini-research on this. On one Sunday, I bought a whole roasted chicken from a new stall after mass for lunch. While in the car, our children were already eager to get home insisting my husband to drive faster so they could feast on the mouth watery smelling chicken. Indeed, at home, they fixed the table on their own, prayed and ate the chicken with so much praises for me for buying it. The three of them consumed the whole chicken!!! Then here came the experiment. On a regular day, I asked my children if they wanted to eat the same chicken that I bought last time. Naturally, they said yes. I made sure that they did not eat snacks so as to replicate the situation on that Sunday. There were six of us eating dinner at that time but to my surprise, there was still a quarter of chicken left for the morning! Maybe I would need more experiments to prove my hypothesis on what I call the Sunday Phenomenon , but it sure does have positive effects on us as a family. Father Claro may not know it (because there is not much of a culture of
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expressing our feelings in church...or is it just me?) but he actually touches our lives every time he leads our Sunday masses. I may not have the habit of writing his teachings like Tita Let does in church (salute her for that!!!) but there are actually so many messages from Father Claro that have guided me in both times of abundance or weakness. One of my favorites is, To stop worrying about how we can provide for the needs of our family because God has already provided. As a sequel--- "we often get too impatient waiting for the blessings from God to the point of turning to worldly things for help--but God has already set schedules for everything---in the end, too, we realize God provides more than enough for us." And more...

We always question God why we keep losing, ending up wasting our investments. What we do not realize is that God has prepared enormous blessings for us. Before, everything is poured, however, He has to make sure that we become deserving and mature in handling our blessings through an extra challenging process. When we have reached that point when finally, we are able to do so...it will be then where blessings will come pouring upon us. My husband and I have lost so much because we had been so reckless in managing our blessings. These past 4 years were the most trying times where God molded us. He gave us so many blessings but we kept losing more proving that we were not prepared just yet. In the end, however, He made sure that we learned and grown matured. I believe that we have reached that point; I feel that my husband & I are now prepared to finally accept God's plans and blessings for us. It is still going to be a continuous learning process but I truly believe that this year will be filled with revelations from God...

I always tried to imagine how Father Claro and Doc Emma disciplined their children in waking up so early everyday to celebrate the Eucharist in their house. I admit that I could probably not be able to do the same, even to myself! He may always be mentioning of his children being irresponsible and disrespectful towards their other siblings at times but--just observing how their children behave in church, especially their teenage boys serve at the altar---already makes you give them a big and resounding expression of CONGRATULATIONS!!! Many times, I actually feel ashamed at how my children behave in church---I would pinch them while smiling and widen my eyes to send a message!!! Just a thought, How about sending my children to Father Claros house for some real

training for at least a week?!!! Completing assignments, projects, office deadlines, household chores, etc. are supposed to be finished by Saturday. Sunday must be a day of worship, rest, and bonding for the family to relax everyone in preparation for Monday. Many people get stressed on a Monday (Manic Monday) because they do not follow this rule. My husband recently implemented this in our home...and it really works!!! Do not develop the liking of buying second-hand clothes for our children because they do not deserve to have these. We should stop depriving ourselves from having first class clothes because God has provided the best for us. It is an insult to God to be presenting ourselves before Him lesser than what He has given. This reminded me of my father. There were special occasions when he would give us so much money to buy our new jeans. He expects us to buy the most expensive ones with the best quality. He gets so furious when we get home and bought something less than what he expected. I have come to realize why he was doing this. If my father, considering his mere income, wanted the best for us---how much more of our Father in Heaven who owns all the riches in the universe!!! We keep asking God for blessings but we are already filled with baggage. With this thought, Father Claro asked if everyone has a wallet to keep money in. He then suggested for everyone to do what he has recently done. He said that he emptied his wallet of unnecessary receipts, and other things that filled it. He thought that this will prepare his wallet to be filled with money that God will be giving him in the not so distant time. It has not yet happened but he continues to believe. I seriously took this one; immediately emptying my wallet, too, of old receipts, notes, etc., just like he did. I felt good about it, making me have stronger faith that my wallet will be filled with abundance. I was not content, I also started to rid of our old garbage at home, things that we thought we need but were actually keeping us from acquiring more and better things. Much more, I started to practice order over my personal stuff, placing things in proper containers, organizing my bag---to the point of keeping toiletries, sheets, pillows, clothes, and shoes in order in hotel rooms where I stay when I work out of town!!! Father Claro indeed hit me on this one...but true enough, I can breathe better, think clearer, move wider, and God willing...really richer!!! There was one time when Father Claro shared about his need for money.

He said he tried to borrow from his brother but the latter declined to give, saying, he is short of money too. But Father Claro said that he could not understand why it is so hard for his brother to help him. Father on his side thought that if he was his brother, he could have said, "Bro...eto lang meron ako eh...eto hati na lang tayo, P1,ooo sa iyo, aking 'tong kalahati." I felt so much for Father because I experienced that myself when one time I begged my sisters to lend me some money, but they said that they were short too. I told myself, that if each of them could have contributed just a little to what I needed at that time, then it could have answered my need. I understand them, of course, but this has become a reminder for me. When a person comes seeking for help, I give a portion of what I can give, if I am able. I believe, too, that when we give away a portion of ourselves, God will have to complete us again. The good news is He replaces the lost parts with brand new ones.

When a couple gets married, the husband and the wife should all the more beautify themselves because how they look reflects how much they take care of each other. This is the reason, I make more effort to look better than how my husband met me; when it comes to my husband, I get angry when he does not dress up and lose weight! I had to admit, I got attracted to my husband because of how he looked when we first met. As the years went by, however, he became less conscious of how he looked making it an issue for me. Applying Father Claros concept, however, I think that how I look now reflects how husband cares for me and I dont deny that he truly does. But when old friends comment on how he looks now, I feel hurt not for him but for myself. I feel guilty and reflect. Does the way he look now a result of my lesser care for him? Have I gotten so selfish asking so much care from him leaving nothing for himself? If this is so---then it really would be an issue, not between us...but within me. This I still have to resolve. The husband & the wife should make love without any clothes on because it is a symbol of offering to each other, just as Jesus Christ died naked on the cross to show that He gave up everything for our salvation. This is quite hard, though, when even your teenage child still prefers to sleep with you, but this idea is certainly true. As a couple bares naked, it refreshes early times of the marriage---as the song goes---feels like the first time together; making every engagement with each other renew marriage vows.

Above all, Father appeals to us to attend church service every Sunday. He misses us he says, and feels for our loss of not being able to receive the blessings reserved for us for the week. He adds that we cannot give (to ourselves, our children, friends, and strangers) if we have not received. Like Father Claro, I truly believe that we are created by God to glorify His name. This is a mission to fulfill every day of the week. Our missions, however, must be first revealed, just like in the movie Mission Impossible. We need to know whose lives we will touch, what path to take, and what we need to achieve this. All these are given when God talks to us and we listen attentively. God traditionally scheduled official meetings with us, however, on Sundays. We get full instructions from Him on this day, then He expects for us to implement what He instructed during the rest of the week, until the next mission is again revealed. This is what I call the SUNDAY PHENOMENON.