Ash Wednesday February 22, 2012 Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent.

It

is a somber day of reflection on what needs to change in our lives if we are to be fully Christians. It was not always the way we know it today. Ashes marked on the forehead of worshippers were not given to everyone, but only to the public penitents who were brought before the church. Much like Hester Prynne bearing her scarlet letter, these open and notorious sinners were marked publicly with the sign of their disgrace. As time went on, others began to show their humility and their affection for the penitents by asking that they, too, be marked as sinners. Finally, the number of penitents grew so large that the imposition of ashes was extended to the whole congregation in services similar to those that are observed in many Christian churches on Ash Wednesday. We who will bear the ashes upon our foreheads stand with those whose sins may be more public, but not, according to the Scriptures, more grievous to the heart of God. And so we make our confessions. . . . If you only knew the secrets of my heart, if you only knew the sins that I am capable of contemplating, if you only knew some of the schemes I have considered and of course God does know then you would know that I, too, am a sinner.

Ashes are signs that we are all in this sin business

together, and that the difference between the good in us and the bad in us is sometimes frightfully thin. We so often fall short of the Faith we claim. We have treated people as things and we have treated things as if they were valuable people. And so we look into our hearts and make the ancient prayer of one notorious sinner our own: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). Lent is a season that reminds us to repent and get our lives centered, our priorities straight, and our hearts clean. This holy season offers us a new chance to say, "yes" to the Lover of our Souls who created us, who made us in his own image. Lent is the time for a restoration project that will reveal the beauty of Gods design for us, showing once again the scale, proportion, and priorities intended by our Maker. Further, Lent is a season of hope and with

ashes on our foreheads and hope in our hearts, we go forth to love and serve. For by Gods grace in Christ, we do not have to stay the way we are.

Romero January 13, 2012 Romero is a 1989 biopic of the Archbishop of El

Salvador, Oscar Romero. Produced by Paulist Pictures, the production company of a Roman Catholic sect, it aims to show the latter years of this hero and martyr's life to better educate Americans about the work of this revered figure in Central American political and religious history. It gained $1.3 Million in the box office, mainly due to a very limited release. Critics have been somewhat critical of some aspects of the film, but they have been very satisfied with the movie's depiction of Romero, which was the main purpose of the film. Their critiques are focused mainly on the roles of the secondary characters, the political nature of the film or the amazingly somber nature of the entire movie. The critiques of the secondary characters have a good point in saying that they do not add anything to the film and are only there to help facilitate Romero's character evolution. This is what secondary characters are supposed to do, however. That is why they are not primary characters. In addition to this, though, they help show many of the political and social messages that the filmmakers wanted to highlight. Romero is the focus of this movie, but as a political mouthpiece he is fairly neutral, up until the very end. The secondary characters, such as Father Grande, Lt. Columa and Mrs. Zelada, are responsible for showing the contrasts between the good and evil, and portraying the central political and social messages that will be discussed later. Another critique of the film is that the complexity of the situation in El Salvador is ignored, as is the nature of America's involvement in the conflict. These are both good critiques, but they ignore the fact that this film was focused not on the violence in El Salvador, but the life of Archbishop Romero. While more could have been included in the film about these movies, as it was only 102 minutes long, too much focus on them could detract from the mission of portraying Romero's later life adequately. In my opinion, the main problem with this film was that it

was clearly not produced, written and directed by major Hollywood firms. There were many good parts of the film, and it conveys a good message about a great man, but there are too many throwaway scenes, which add nothing to the film, to be present in a 102-minute film that should have probably been at least two hours. The final critique, which is echoed by many critics, is that the movie has an extremely somber mood, with no respite from terrible events. It is a sad tale, but due to the message it wanted to present there were no silver linings or pleasant distractions. Because of this it loses a lot of entertainment value and as Roger Ebert said in his review, "the film doesn't stir many passions, and it seems more sorrowing than angry." While "Romero" is lacking in certain

entertainment aspects it does a very good job of showing Romero and displaying many important political and social messages. The depiction of Romero is extremely true to the actuality of events, especially for Hollywood. While he was never arrested and imprisoned for any of his actions, as in the movie, he was held at a detainment camp; not a very big leap to be included in a movie. The period over which this movie takes place is during the last three years of Romero's life, quite a short period for so much change to occur, but that is how this actually occurred. He was picked because he was thought to be a bookworm who would not stir any feathers, as in the movie, but after being confronted by the realities of the violence in El Salvador, his outward theology and rhetoric changed dramatically. One thing that is somewhat different is the downplaying of the violence in El Salvador at that time. While this might be very surprising given the violent nature of the movie, it was actually much worse in El Salvador than shown in the movie. In displaying Romero's life the film did a very good job, but in displaying his teachings it was somewhat lacking. While there were many direct quotes from Romero's speeches and radio program there is not much explicit talk of liberation theology. While it can be seen within the subtext and actions of secondary characters, the producers and director clearly meant to keep this aspect of Romero's life out of the spotlight, as it has been

unpopular with both Rome and the United States government, one which is important to the creator's organization and the other which is extremely important to the individuals who would be paying to see this film. The speech given before his death, which was meant to be heard by the military, and the circumstances are done extremely closely to how it happened in real life, a credit to the filmmaker's attempt to stay close to the truth. While the film's main goal was to accurately portray the life of Archbishop Romero there are very many important social and political messages that can be found in the movie. One of the most obvious messages in this movie is the terrible effect violence can have on a society. While Romero does not espouse liberation theology much in this movie, he does in almost every scene talk about the evils of violence and how something must be done to stop it in El Salvador. He points to poverty as one of the root causes of violence, but he comes to this not because he is focused on poverty, but because the most pressing problem to him is the violence that is plaguing El Salvador. Deaths, torture and kidnappings are highlighted over and over in the movie to show how terrible the situation was there and how there was no end in sight as it kept perpetuating itself. While he is more critical of the government forces, he is wholeheartedly against the guerrillas as they too are responsible for the killing of El Salvadorans. By highlighting the violent actions of both the government and guerrillas the filmmakers show how retaliatory violence can create a self-perpetuating cycle that does nothing but bring about more violence. This was the view elicited by Romero in the movie and seems to be the most important message of the movie. Another very important message in the movie is

the negative role that capitalism and Western influence has had on countries such as El Salvador. While America's role in funneling arms to El Salvador was pretty much ignored, except for one line from Romero mainly meant to discuss the violence in the country, the economic disparity between rich and poor in the country and the rich individuals' responsibility for much of the violence is highlighted multiple times. One review of the film points to the focus on this message: "Every single statement in the film in favor of the free market...is articulated by the most sinister, cynical, and

bloodthirsty characters in the film." While Romero doesn't advocate Marxism or any specific reforms to help the poor, the rest of the people around him advocate for changes such as these that go against capitalism. How the good and evil characters feel about capitalism and its effects points to the feelings of the filmmakers and helps exhibit their message that greed and inequality, two of the root causes of the distress and violence in El Salvador, stem from the reverence for and influence by Western capitalism. "Romero" as a whole is a good portrayal of the last years of the life of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the series of events that brought about his change from shy bookworm to radical martyr. Some critics said that it missed out on discussing many important political issues, such as American involvement, but I believe that is was fairly successful at showing the problems with violence and Western capitalism while not becoming too preachy. Its extremely somber tone and violent nature hurt its entertainment value, but as an educational peace it is very successful in showing the life of this great religious leader and in bringing such a great man's presence to the minds and hearts of Western nations.

Lenten Reflection Lenten Season: A Community of Disciples March !5, 2012 This

activity was held at Quad A (March 15, 2012). The speaker is Fr. Marvin M. Sanlao. Lent has traditionally been marked by penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Some churches today still observe a rigid schedule of fasting on certain days during Lent, especially the giving up of meat, alcohol, sweets, and other types of food. Other traditions do not place as great an emphasis on fasting, but focus on charitable deeds, especially helping those in physical need with food and clothing, or simply the giving of money to charities. Most Christian churches that observe Lent at all focus on it as a time of prayer, especially penance, repenting for failures and sin as a way to focus on the need for Gods grace. It is really a preparation to celebrate Gods marvelous redemption at Easter, and the resurrected life that we live, and hope for, as Christians. Ash Wednesday is the first day of lent. He also discuss about the seven roots of sin and how people change when they to this he said that we need to address this things.

Taize February 27, 2012 Tai

ze is an experience of inwardness, of depth, of richness a place that allows those who visit there to be in touch with, and live from, their own inwardness, depth, and richness to the extent that they are ready to do so, or are able to do so. Here is a safe place in which to feel whatever one needs to feel, or whatever may surface to be felt, and entrust it into the caring hands of others. Here one sense that emotions and feelings are universal and although we may not know others there on a personal level, we recognize that what is felt by one, may be, or have been, felt by others - exists in others. Here is a community where one may glimpse, at least for a time, a deeper meaning of life. In Taize, young and old are invited to respond to and from their experiences in life-giving ways. In any case, it is impossible to remain indifferent to the place and to those who are gathered there. Contact with the community invites an atmosphere of peace and trust and a silence that is also an encounter with profound energy. It is a place that fills the body, mind, and spirit with things other than our clutter, our noise, and desires of daily life. Brother Roger founded the Taize community as a way to move beyond natural divisions and conflicts within the human family. Influenced by the example of his grandmother who sheltered refugees in the north of France during WWI, Brother Roger nurtured the

idea of a community where peace and reconciliation were possible every day. Today, as many as five to six thousand young people per week come to Taize in their search for peace, trust, and reconciliation in the world and in their own lives. In the daily pattern of Taize, everyone gathers morning, noon and early evening to pray, sing, and be silent together. The songs of Taize are easily learned. They are made up of simple phrases repeated again and again in a mantra-like quality. These are sung easily and freely in many languages. These songs express a simple yet compelling reality that is easily grasped by the mind and gradually penetrates the whole person. When the music ceases, the community gently enters into silence. In this silence, there is a solitude that is not emptiness, but fullness. In the silence of our own hearts, where no two people are alike, but where we are all the same, something waits- something is ready to spring to life, In these moments, we sense a greater mystery, a peace and depth to our existence- life even in the midst of the many deaths we encounter as human beings. Here we glimpse, for a time, what Victor Frankl referred to as beauty in the midst of inevitable suffering- a beauty that is felt as presence that is beneath, or deeper than, all else. Here there is an experience of something that is authentic- and when something is authentic, people come. Here there is something to be discovered- an experience felt from within and yet open to something beyond the self- awakening to, as Creel says, the quest for what is ultimately real, true, and valuable.

Station of the Cross March 9, 2012 Stations of the Cross is a series of artistic

representations, very often sculptural, depicting Christ Carrying the Cross to his crucifixion in the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotions using that series to commemorate the Passion , often moving physically around a set of stations. The vast majority of Roman Catholicchurches now contain such a series, typically placed at intervals along the side walls of the nave; in most churches these are small plaques with reliefsor paintings, simpler than most of the examples shown here. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St. Francis of Assisi and extended throughout the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval period. It is commonly observed in Lutheranism, but it is less often observed in Anglicanism. It may be done at any time, but is most commonly done during the Season of Lent, especially on Good Friday and on Friday evenings during Lent.

The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to

make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death. It has become one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics, and is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion. In his encyclical letter, Miserentissimus Redemptor, on reparations, Pope Pius XI called Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ a duty for Catholics and referred to them as "some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury" with respect to the sufferings of Jesus. Pope John Paul II referred to Acts of Reparation as the "unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified".

International Womens Day March 8, 2012

Today, the world commemorates

International Womens Day 2012, a day to reflect on the changing female role in society

and our momentous social, economic, and political achievements. It is a day to give thanks for the women who have taught us, led us, and influenced us to live to our fullest potential. Organizations around the world will focus on themes that reflect the local, national, and global gender issues relevant to their work and contexts. The United Nations 2012 theme is Empower Rural Women End Hunger and Poverty. The Office on Violence Against

Women (OVW), too, is focused on protecting and empowering women and girls in rural communities. Our charge is to end abuse which can be and often is linked to issues of poverty and basic unmet needs like food and shelter. Our Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program is designed to enhance the safety of victims by supporting projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural jurisdictions. As Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund said: Many rural women have limited autonomy and low status, which puts them at increased risk of hunger, gender-based violence and other human rights violations. Advancing rural womens political, social and economic status are vital ends in themselves as well as critical strategies to eradicate poverty, promote womens rights and pave the way for sustainable development. At OVW, we see this day as an opportunity to raise awareness about issues that disproportionately affect women, and to mobilize for meaningful change. I would be remiss if I didnt take this opportunity to review some sobering statistics that keep us focused on the need to ensure the safety of our sisters, mothers, and female friends:

One in every four women has experienced domestic violence during her lifetime.

Stalkers victimize approximately 2.53 million women each year in the U.S, with domestic violence-related stalking the most common type of stalking and the most dangerous. Over one million women in the U.S. are raped every year. These crimes are underreported

and many victims suffer in silence. International Womens Day is, in part, about giving a voice and hope to these women and girls. It is also about learning from survivors and the countless heroes who courageously lead in the face of resistance and hostility. Their stories guide our work for peace and equality. And although the statistics tell us we have a ways to go before violence against women becomes a thing of the past, crime has declined steeply since 1993. On International Womens Day, a day of reflection, let us acknowledge the inspiring paradigm shift in how the issue of violence against women is addressed in the United States and the countless lives that have been positively impacted. There have been significant improvements in the criminal and civil justice systems, and the annual incidence of domestic violence dropped by more than 50 percent in the last two decades. Fewer people are being victimized by domestic violence, and when they are, they feel safer reporting the abuse to the police.

Pilgrimage February 25, 2012

A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey in company with

Gods people at prayer. It is a holy excursion one takes in a spirit of reflection, wonder, penance, and devotion. This pilgrimage can give glory and honor to God as one visits with others and reflects upon the life lived out at places made holy by Gods friends. A fruit of a pilgrimage is a personal decision to make whatever change necessary, with the help of God, to become all that God intended for us at creation. Make your intentions as you step back in history and experience Gods Divine Providence in the lives of his people through the footsteps of Mother Mary Lange!

Pilgrimage is a prayerful excursion one takes in a spirit of presence and reflection, A pilgrimage gives honor and glory to God as one reflects upon the life lived and actions performed at places made holy by Gods servants (friends). The fruit of a pilgrimage is a personal decision to make whatever change necessary with the help of God, to become all that God intended for us at creation. Mindful that we all journey to God the Father through Christ we are often helped along the way by some of his friends.

People have come from all over to walk in the footsteps of Mother Lange and the early Oblate Sisters. Local pilgrims, pilgrims from New York New Jersey, North Carolina, Chicago, and Virginia, to name just a few.

Pilgrims speak of being inspired

by Mother Langes vision and determination. They attest to the expansion of their own faith as they pray to God through the intercession of Gods Servant. They mention the vibrations felt of her strength and grow through the experience of the history of her era. On a pilgrimage, as one steps

back in history and experience Gods divine Providence in the lives of his people, we are helped to become a new creation. What God has done for Mother Mary Lange, he will do for each of us.

Station of the Cross March 16, 2012

The Stations of the Cross are a

powerful way to contemplate, and enter into, the mystery of Jesus' gift of himself to us. It takes the reflection on the passion out of my head, and makes it an imaginative exercise. It involves my senses, my experience and my emotions. To the extent I come to experience the love of Jesus for me, to that extent the gratitude I feel will be deep. Deep gratitude leads to real generosity and a desire to love as I have been loved. First, just a note about the history of the stations: The History From the earliest of days, followers of Jesus told the story of

his passion, death and resurrection. When pilgrims came to see Jerusalem, they were anxious to see the sites where Jesus was. These sites become important holy connections with Jesus. Eventually, following in the footsteps of the Lord, along the way of the cross, became a part of the pilgrimage visit. The stations, as we know them today, came about when it was no longer easy or even possible to visit the holy sites. In the 1500's, villages all over Europe started creating "replicas" of the way of the cross, with small shrines commemorating the places along the route in Jerusalem. Eventually, these shrines became the set of 14 stations we now know and were placed in almost every Catholic Church in the world.

Literacy Training March 7, 2012

Literacy Training is a class for street children in order for

them to gain more knowledge and to learn the theme of our school and apply it in their daily lives. Last March 07, 2012 I attended the Literacy Training and as a BKK member I became a part of this Literacy Training by spending my time with these street children and giving them an advice if it's needed. They need to be educated for them to be ready in their future. We taught them some basics like shapes, colors and addition. The children are participative and attentive because they are willing to learn. The children played a game using animal sounds and they enjoyed it even us. All of them received their prices and even their prices are only candies, they appreciated it and it is obvious that we made them happy and satisfied. Lastly, each of them received a food and we guided them and let them eat.

Literacy Training/Culminating March 14, 2012 The last day that I attended

Literacy Training is last March 14, 2012. This is the last class or training for this school year so I really gave my best shot like them. They had shared their talents like singing, dancing and drawing. We are all happy seeing them happy too. But some of them are fighting, crying, bullied and defocus. And our part is we should give them lessons in order for them to learn. In their young age, they should know what is right from wrong so for this last training we hope that they learned more from us. The last part of this activity is we guided them on the side bench and helped them to eat and learned a lot of things like the saying "Give and Take". This activity will not succeed if they are not participating or us, we don't activities. We gave them our time, presence, and kindness. And in return, they gave us good memories and pictures that will not be forgotten food.

Sharing of Love and Life I and II December 17, 2011 February 22, 2012

This is my first encounter with street childrens, I used to just ignore them when im walking along the side gate. But when you actually take notice of them, you would feel blessed. Why? Because it would make you appreciate what you have and be thankful to your parents that they didnt just leave you without any food, shelter and clothes. But on this day we made the street children feel like they really are kids. No worries just pure fun. They played games, and ate the food that they rarely eat. Here you can see that they are very eager to learn and have fun because they have participated in every games to get the prize. And you can see that even if the prize is just candies, they are really happy. Because of that it opened my eyes that I should be very thankful with what I have and also learn to share.

Christmas Party December 17, 2012 After the activity

Sharing of Love and Life, on the same day, December 17, 2011, we all went to a restaurant in Phase II Citicenter, Pandan. There we had our Christmas Party. Even though, it was just a simple party, everyone really enjoyed the event. There are also lots of games. After the games, is everyones favorite. Eating time! We ate Italian food, particularly spaghetti and pizza. After we all finished our meal, the party was done and we all went home. This event really helped us to

learn how to deal with other people and to make friends. We also had the chance to get to know some of them

Table of Content

CCF Mandated Activities

Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2012) Pilgrimage (February 25, 2012) Taize (February 27, 2012) Station of the Cross (March 9, 2012) Lenten Reflection (March 15, 2012) Station of the Cross (March 16, 2012)

BKK Mandated Activities

Sharing of Love and Life I (December 17, 2012) Christmas Party (December 17, 2012) Film Viewing: Romero (January 13, 2012) Sharing of Love and Life II (February 22, 2012) Literacy Training (March 7, 2012) Forum: International Womens Day (March 8, 2012) Literacy Training/Culminating (March 14, 2012)

ANGELES UNIVERSITY NFOUNDATION College of Engineering

Compilation Of CCF and BKK Mandated Activities

Panganiban, Leanne Jenilee C. BSCE 1-2 Mr. Clemente O. Boleche Jr. CFE Instructor