BISHOP JESSE

SCRUTATIO SCRIPTURAE

BISHOP JESSE

 

 A Scrutatio for the 2nd Sunday of the CHRISTIAN SEASON OF ADVENT

Readings from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer
Baruch 5:1-9 / Psalm 126 / Philippians 1:1-11 / Luke 3:1-6

Readings for the Pauline/Vatican II Rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

Baruch 5:1-9 / Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6. / Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 / Luke 3:1-6

Readings for the Tridentine Rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

Introit: Isaiah 30:30 and Psalm 79:2 

Epistle: Romans 15:4-13 

Gradual and Alleluia: Psalm 50 (49): 2-3, 5 and Psalm 121 (122):1

Gospel 

Matthew 11:2-10

Offertory: Psalm 88 (89):7-8

Communion Antiphon: Baruch 5:5; 4:36 

February 25, 1997 A.D. 

His Holiness, Blessed Pope John Paul II gifted the Primatial See of the Philippines, the Archdiocese Manila, then led by the Prophetic Patriarch, His Eminence Archbishop  Jaime Lachica Cardinal Sin D.D., with a New Auxiliary Bishop (Titulus of Talaptula) and Episcopal Vicar for the District of Parañaque...

The man ESPECIALLY HAND-PICKED BY GOD for this particular assignment: The Reverend Father Jesse Eugenio Mercado, then serving as the Rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome since 1994.

March 31, 1997 A.D. 

The Manila Cathedral...

Archbishop Sin, with the principal co-consecrators, Bishop Teodoro J. Buhain Jr., D.D. and Bishop Teodoro C. Bacani Jr., D.D., after the invocation of OUR GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE LORD, GIVER AND FULFILLMENT OF LIFE and the Prayers of ALL THE SAINTS OF AGES PAST, THE CLOUDS OF WITNESSES, the BLESSED HANDS were laid on the head of Father Jesse and the PRAYER OF CONSECRATION AS A BISHOP was invoked. His head was poured with the HOLY CHRISM... Exactly 20 years and 12 days after his Ordination to the SACRED ORDER OF THE PRIESTHOOD

As Auxiliary Bishop and Episcopal Vicar for Parañaque for 5 years in Faithful and Fruitful Shepherding, He was appointed as the very 1st Ordinary Bishop on December 7, 2002., when his Episcopal District was RAISED INTO A DIOCESE and he was enthroned/installed on January 28 the next year.

June 18, 2012 A.D.

rappler.com posted an "expose" that allegedly, some "faithful and valiant priests" of the Diocese reported that Bishop Jesse "diverted" the calamity funds that is suppose to be given to the Victims of Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy): http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/7201-church-fund-misuse-to-be-probed-by-rome

Bishop Jesse issued his HUMBLE YET VALIANT REPLY two days after: http://dop.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=395:dop-circular-no-2012-034-official-statement-of-his-excellency-most-rev-jesse-e-mercado-dd&catid=34:circulars&Itemid=91

And on the Vigil of the SOLEMNITY OF THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, this same Bishop, by these very short span of days was already greatly persecuted and maligned, issued a PASTORAL LETTER, WELCOMING THESE CHALLENGING DAYS AS A SPRINGTIME FOR CONVERSION AND REPENTANCE!:

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“…to prepare a people fit for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

Peace be with you! Today, we celebrate the birth of St. John the Baptist. Born to an old barren couple, people would ask “What will this child be?” (Luke 1:66). He would be Our Lord’s Precursor: he would “prepare a people fit for the Lord” by calling all Israel to repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins and by offering his life as God’s prophet. He would thus prefigure Christ, who would be rejected as the Messiah, crucified as a Victim, yet raised up as Lord.

The events of the past week have called into question how we manage the resources of the Diocese. Our Diocese – which is regularly audited by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, our mother diocese – has always had a very positive audit rating.  While everything is in order, we are reminded that there will always be constant challenges to our very young Diocese. This is not the first time nor will it be the last. We are reminded that the Church is made up of sinners called to be saints, and all of us will be called and tested. As the community of all who believe in Christ, the Church will always share the mission and destiny of Jesus. But to do this, we will always need conversion and repentance.

AS YOUR SPIRITUAL FATHER, I MYSELF TAKE UP THE CALL TO CONVERSION AND RECOGNIZE THAT I AM SUBJECT TO THE JUDGEMENT OF OUR HOLY FATHER, THE POPE. As a Diocese – priests, laymen and women, consecrated men and women – let us turn to Jesus, forgive one another and work for reconciliation and healing. We do this because only “the truth will set [us] free” (John 8:32) and because Jesus asked his heavenly Father: “may they be one” (John 17:21).

I invite you to join me in spending an hour of prayer everyday this week, preferably before the Blessed Sacrament. In this spirit, let us pray for the grace to “walk together in the light of God’s Word”:

Father in heaven, you called John the Baptist to give testimony to you by his life and even by his death, help us to imitate his unceasing witness to your truth (from the Vespers of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist).

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.

X JESSE E. MERCADO, D.D.

Bishop of Parañaque

Wow... 

Call me a "cry baby" but the moment that I read this letter, it actually moved me to tears of joy!

Another JOHN THE BAPTIST AND PROPHET ELIJAH... 

PREPARING THE WAY OF THE LORD!

May we be challenged and exhorted by this AWESOME, WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF THIS HOLY MAN OF GOD, that though he may have this "THORN IN THE FLESH" his EXAMPLE IS SHINING IN THE VERY LIGHT AND SPLENDOR OF CHRIST, LIVING IN PERFECT UNION WITH HIS BELOVED SPOUSE, OUR HOLY MOTHER CHURCH.