My main interest is the spread of the Word of God, particularly in the Catholic Church’s worship, in liturgies and music. As a priest, these particular line of interest has something to do with the mass, and how it is celebrated in music.
When I was the director of the Jesuit Music Ministry, we were faced with various challenges from all sides of the Catholic spectrum. There were those who condemned our music, and there were many who encouraged us to produce and compose more music for the younger generation. There were dioceses and parishes who banned our music totally, judging ours to be unliturgical and unorthodox to their liking; on the other hand, there were dioceses who would request for liturgical music workshops. We lived for those who were open to new things. We do not live in the past –we learn from it! Thus, our brand of music has some classical flavor to it: the dominance of the piano and accompanying strings for example contribute to this brand of sound.
Today, we reiterate who we are: We believe in various sounds, and not the monopoly of one sound claiming to be fittingly for God. We contribute to the Church’s treasury of music, and not the filtering of music by those claiming that they are the liturgical judges of what is holy and what isn’t. To us, it is the people who sing it who ultimately has the last word.
As a media practitioner of the Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc., we encountered many questions about the religious practices of the faithful from many well-meaning individuals who passionately would like to understand the Catholic faith. Of course, there were those who ask to prove that they were right, and we were wrong.
So, I have written my take on many pious practices such as the Santacruzan to bring it back to where it should be: as a visual representation of the importance of women in the history of Christianity. Unfortunately, many focused on its pageantry, than its deeper role in catechism. In the past, there were no videos or even movies: the Santacruzan was the forerunner of visualizing Christianity’s story.
And finally, I would like to unburden many catechists who find it difficult to share deep insights of the faith to children, or even adults who would like to know more about faith life through short stories. The videos of my episodes of Kape’t Pandasal, a monday morning show in ABS CBN are also included here. All to help spread God’s Words in various media. The scripts are published under the category: 2-minute reads. Short enough for a day’s reflection.
For God’s greater glory.
As Kingfishers Catch Fire 