Dear Agathians:

Not long after arriving in our parish, I began taking Spanish classes, first with Deacon Emilio, then with Deacon Julio in the diocesan office, and finally with a local language center.  But then we started all our fundraising and renovation projects.  All my energy and attention were so consumed by those projects that I no longer had the luxury of time nor the concentration of mind to continue with my Spanish classes.

Upon reaching my 10th anniversary of priestly ordination, according to diocesan rule, I applied for a sabbatical leave to learn Spanish.  A bishop in Peru had offered to let me live and learn with an American missionary priest in his diocese.  However, because our parish still required a lot of attention at that time, it was difficult to find another pastor to temporarily administer our parish during my absence.  So, once again, I had to put my dream of learning Spanish on hold.

Recently, due to the pandemic, we really couldn’t find any priest to celebrate our Spanish Masses during Father Pichardo’s vacations.  Thank God, our deacons were able to conduct Communion Services instead.  But some people began to ask why I didn’t celebrate our Spanish Masses.

Beside the obvious reason of time conflicts in my schedule, I’d like to share a more personal reason.  Although I am able to pronounce the words and read the sentences, I find it very difficult to celebrate Mass without understanding what I am saying.  The Mass is not merely a reading of the words and a performance of some actions.  If the celebrant only goes through the motions, what would the congregation be doing?

Unfortunately, many people have no problem with merely going through the motions.  They may be sitting physically in church, but their minds wonder all over the world.  They may be reciting the rosary with their mouths, but their hearts are full of distractions and diversions, sometimes even malicious thoughts and sinful desires.  They attend Mass so half-heartedly that, by the time they reach the church’s door, they have already forgotten everything they heard at that Mass.

Advent is a time to slow down, and calm down, to really focus on each of our words and actions.  It is a time we learn to speak words of hope and peace, regardless of the language we speak.  It is a time when we learn to act with love and joy, no matter what our cultural background is.  Don’t let this Advent be another time when we merely go through the motions of wearing purple.

— Fr. Vincentius Do, Pastor