October 2, 2022*Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time*Increase our faith

Sr . Eleanor  LLanes, ICM

Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/256845984978535336/

Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4

Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14

Lk 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith” the Lord replied, “if you have faith the size of the mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea”.      (Lk 17:5,6)

The images of this gospel passage are dynamic, deeply engaging, us, listeners. The apostles, aware of how little their faith is, made an appeal to the Lord, “Increase our faith! “. Jesus replied, affirmed and challenged the apostles. He creatively made them imagine and visualize the size of their faith and its extraordinary strength. “If you have the faith the size of the mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea”. Their faith may be so small like the mustard seed, but this “little” faith has the capacity to regenerate into something so powerful that can command the big mulberry tree to be uprooted, and be planted into the deep, huge, wide sea,

I marvel at the wisdom-filled connectedness of Jesus with the natural world. How he creatively uses images and movements of nature to make His message be understood by his listeners! I imagine, that Jesus observed and contemplated nature’s beauty and its life processes and was in awe and amazed at nature’s complexity and its capacity to regenerate and thrive! Regeneration is the fundamental thrust that drives life processes in all living things. This little mustard seed, pulsating with life, contains the divine energies of the billion years of the universe. It can regenerate and has a creative capacity to expand, to rise, to multiply, to flourish! Yet, at the same time, deeply aware, that the mustard seed can regenerate because it “passes through inseparable cycles of dying and birthing process”. Only in dying as a seed, thrown into the darkness of the soil, entering the painful process of growth, that it will evolve and expand.

For us, contributing, participating towards social transformation, our little faith is being tested, especially, during these present difficult times. “Politics without principle, progress without compassion, wealth without work, learning without silence, religion without fearlessness and worship without awareness.” (Anthony de Mello)

Unfolding before us is a complex, emerging worldwide and nationwide context. We are facing realities that are devastating, wounding, disrespecting the earth and the human race: Unequal distribution of wealth, resulting to extreme poverty; non-stop destruction and denudement of our natural resources, resulting to ecological imbalance, climate change and threat of more pandemics; wars and violence in the different parts of the world (example, EJK here in the Philippines) has been disrespecting the sacredness of life. A small percentage of persons and multinational groups, worldwide and nationwide, have control over the life of the Earth and human beings. The root causes, mostly unethical human behaviors and actions: excessive greed for power and wealth, for economic and territorial gains; savage capitalism; corruption; authoritarian, oppressive and repressive governments by populist leaderships; indifference from the affluent and intellectual group; religion, education, technology alienating and manipulating minds…In this life-threatening context, the marginalized sectors of societies, the most vulnerable, are the most affected and suffering, experiencing violence, human rights violations, lacking the basic necessities of life… Lamentable, there are increasing numbers of displaced communities and families here in our country all over the world. More refugees, migrants, homeless families are facing misery and deep uncertainties at present and in the future.

Disturbingly painful, we are confronted by these worldwide and nationwide socio, economic, political, cultural, religious life-threatening, and seemingly, hopeless scenarios. We feel so powerless… We lament and cry: “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out for you, a “Violence!” but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin: why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and clamorous discord.”           (Hb1: 2-3) 

Like the Israelites and the apostles, we are also aware of how limited and vulnerable our faith is. Humbly, we make an appeal to the Lord, “Increase our faith”. Expand and strengthen our faith!  We hear the Lord affirming and challenging our insecurities and powerlessness, “If you have faith the size of the mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea”. Jesus is also telling us to believe in our faith, small it may be! Like the mustard seed, it has a creative power! It has deep strength! It is pulsating with life! It is regenerative! “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live”. (Hb1:4)

Together, let us reclaim and gather these “little faiths, small as the mustard seeds” and make them ONE. We are being challenged to interconnect and join with the seemingly insignificant efforts (against the monstrosity of the life-threatening situation worldwide and nationwide) daringly and courageously being done by many individuals, churches, communities, like minded groups, institutions, congregations… towards common good and well-being of humanity and the Earth.  “So should it be with you. When you have done all, you have been commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants, we have done what we are obliged to do.” (Lk 17:10)

We are invited to deepen our faith, our hope, our love and be open to the challenge of discipleship, the revolutionary path of Kenosis. (Phil. 2:9-16) We believe, that our faith, small as the mustard seed, can live and give life, as it descends into the darkness of the soil and dies, be transformed and nourished, and then slowly ascends into the light, being born again. “Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.” (2Tim1: 8). As we enter this painful process, being embraced by God’s abundant and creative grace, we hope that our deep desires for a better world, for a better Philippines with justice, peace, and integrity of creation, will evolve…will expand…will multiply…will flourish…will regenerate… will thrive and live like the mustard seed. “Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy spirit that dwells within us.” (2Tim 1:14)##

September 25, 2022*Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time* God saves humanity, and through the poor, He saves the rich; the truth revealed

Fr.Aris Miranda,FI

Am 6:1a, 4-7  

https://onesimusredivivus.blogspot.com/2018/11/dives-and-lazarus-unexpected-ending.html

Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10     

1 Tm 6:11-16  

Lk 16:19-31                

The gospel today presents us the parable of the poor Lazarus, revealing the attitude that we should have against poverty and social injustice. In the parable, there are three persons. Lazarus (which means God is my help; God is on the side of the poor), the poor man, the only one who does not speak, represents the excruciating cry of the poor at the time of Jesus, of the time of Luke, and of all times. The rich man without a name, who spoke to Abraham, represents the dominant ideology of government at the time. Remember what happens in the Roman empire when someone falls in disgrace for his misdeeds, the Senate would decree the ‘damnatio memoriae‘ – his name will be erased from all inscriptions, from all public monuments as if he had never existed. Abraham, who, in the parable, represents the thought of God. 

The parable provides a picture of two extremes of society – the aggressiveness of the rich and the condition of the poor – without resources, without any rights, covered with ulcers and wounds, impure, with nobody to accept him nor to receive him, except the little dogs which licked his wounds. What separates the two is only a door: the closed door of the rich man’s house who considers the poor man an outsider; he does not belong, and he takes no mercy on the predicament of man by his door. This is a picture of our society today. 

If God gives humanity enough resources to live with dignity, how do we make sense of poverty? Does God intend for his blessings be enjoyed only by a few while the majority are left behind, and not having what is needed? The statistics of inequality in the world is dramatic: the 12 wealthiest persons in the world, or perhaps only 11, have more wealth than the poorest half of humanity. Further, 10% of the world population controls 90% of all economic  resources. Indeed, God cannot tolerate this injustice. It simply goes against the original design of God for the world. God has  created an  order  that gives each human being  the responsibility of stewardship, to develop and protect the good of all humanity , and not just of the few.

In the parable, both the rich and the poor died,. The  poor died first. The rich man’s  chance of salvation could have been possible had he helped Lazarus. The poor man by his door is his way to salvation. But the poor man died ahead of him, so it is now impossible for the rich man to be saved. Up to the time when the poor man was at his door, alive, it is still possible for the rich man to be saved. But when the poor man died, the only instrument of salvation for the rich man also died.

Today, millions of poor people die as victims of geopolitics of rich countries.

The poor man died and is carried away by the angels into Abraham’s embrace. The embrace of Abraham is the source of life, from where the People of God is born. Lazarus, the poor man, belongs to the People of God, a member of the People of Abraham, but was excluded or marginalized (at the door of the rich man) by the few. The rich man who thinks he is Abraham’s son died and is buried. But unlike Lazarus, he did not go towards the embrace of Abraham because he is not truly a son of Abraham since he didn’t live up to his original vocation as a steward.

In the parable, Lazarus is not the representative of the good and humble person; he is the emblem of humankind deprived of the necessities of life, forgotten and robbed by those who have accumulated goods that should have been shared with the needy. The wealth created by a structure has ventured into a system that amassed profit at the expense and exploitation of the workers and natural resources. Gandhi said it very well: The earth provides what is necessary to satisfy every person’s needs, but not any one’s greed.”

The parable is like a window that Jesus opens for us on the other side of life, the side of God. It is not a question of Heaven. It is a question of the true side of life discovered only through faith. The rich man does not possess the faith as he perceives. The dominant ideology prevents him from discovering it. And it is only in the light of death that the ideology disintegrates itself in the mind of the rich man. Only then, that the true value of life appears before him. Such ideology could be that of capitalism, which is built on profit above welfare of people and the common good. 

The way of God is is far from   the ideology and the  deceiving propaganda of the government. When God’s way rules, a meaningful change will happen: The rich man will be made accountable, and the poor man will find justice.

The rich man, seeing Lazarus in Abraham’s embrace, asks Lazarus to give him some relief from his suffering. In the light of death, the rich man discovers that Lazarus is his only possible benefactor. But now it is too late! However, salvation is not when Lazarus gives him a drop of water to refresh his tongue, but when the rich man opens the closed door of his house and allows the poor man to enter and have a chance to be in solidarity with the poor man. The poor can save us from the madness of attachment to wealth. Only in this way will it be possible to overcome the great abyss separating the rich and the poor.

God comes to us in the person of the poor man sitting at our door to help us overcome the insurmountable abyss created by the rich who have no heart. Lazarus is also Jesus, the poor Messiah, and servant, who was not accepted, but whose death radically changed all things. In the light of the death of the poor man, everything changes. The place of torment is the situation when persons are without God. Even if the rich man thinks he has a religion and faith, he does not know how to be with God because he does not open the door for the poor man, as Zacchaeus did (Lk 19: 1-10).

Personally, the parable also reminds me of the inspiration, which gave birth to the Pondo ng Pinoy program initiated by Card. Gaudencio Rosales with this motto: “Anumang magaling, kahit maliit, basta’t malimit ay patungong langit.” The reflection of the “theology of the crumbs” by Card. Tagle claims, that the illness of faith is shown in man’s relationship with the material world, with other human beings, and with God. A sick faith manifests these symptoms. First, the economics of affluence (and ekonomiya ng pagkamkam) – what matters is not having something, but having more, more profit, more votes regardless of how you are able to get them. Second, the politics of marginalization (and Politika ng pagkamanhid) – having the desire to take possession and position that aggravates the gap between the rich and the poor. Third, the religion of alienation (and religion ng itinatagong Diyos) – a split-level faith consciousness, as if the practice of one’s faith has nothing to do with the economic, political, and familial realms of one’s life. 

Let us think of the abyss as something that separates the rich from the poor, the rich nations from developing nations, and those who can satisfy all their vanities by spending enormous sums on luxury while on the other end, some lack even the essential medicines for life. The gulf between those who have many houses and those who have no roof over their heads for shelter. The gulf between those who exploit the resources of creation for profit while the rest is thirsty for safe drinking water.

Jesus does not tell us that the rich man will be punished with the pains of hell in the hereafter. He wants to tell us that the abyss must be filled now… the hereafter is too late. The person’s destiny is at stake in this unique and unrepeatable life. It is our behavior here that has eternal consequences. Therefore, there is nothing wrong if you have at your disposal many goods. You do not become poor by giving all your goods to the needy.

If something stays in your hand, it’s taken away from you at the customs, and you’ve lost the opportunity forever to transform these goods into love, what now remains? The big abyss is just a reminder for the disciple of the fundamental truth: the destiny of man is played around in this unique, unrepeatable life. St. Ambrose said: ‘When you give something to the poor, you don’t offer him what is yours; you give back what is his because the earth and the goods of this world are of all people, not of the rich.’

September 18, 2022*Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time*Tuso ang Mabuting Katiwala

Floyd Castro, St. Mark United Methodist Church

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/messyinspirations/2019/09/confusion-shrewd-steward/

Am 8:4-7

Ps 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8

1 Tm 2:1-8

Lk 16:1-13

Parang mahirap yatang tanggapin ang aral natin para sa Linggong ito. Pagiging tuso bilang mabuting katangian ng isang katiwala?

Sino ang nakaka-appreciate at excited kasama, lalo na sa trabaho ang isang taong tuso? Tuso ang mga nagpapalusot sa mga mahihirap na gawain o work assignment. Tuso ang mga credit-grabber. Tuso ang mahilig magpalibre o ang hindi nag c-contribute ng patas kapag may lakad ang magkakaibigan. Tuso ang pulitikong namimili ng boto sa pamamagitan ng iba’t ibang kaparaanan. Kaya ang tanong, sa anong pagkakataon nagiging mabuti ang ang pagiging tuso?

Siguro, yung resulta ng pagiging tuso, na a-appreciate natin – pero hindi ang pagiging tuso mismo. Halimbawa, maaaring yumaman (umasenso) ang tusong negosyante kasi, dinadaya niya ang kanyang mga empleyado o kliente. Kapag mayaman ang negosyante, tingin natin magaling at masipag siya kaya sine-celebrate natin ang tagumpay niya. Pero, hindi natin papalakpakan ni titignan man lang na kaya pala siya umasenso ay dahil sa pagkatuso o pandaraya niya.

Mandaraya ang turing natin sa taong tuso. Hindi siya fair o patas kung “lumaban”. Maaaring katangian ng isang negosyante ang pagiging tuso, pero kung tuso ang empleyado niya, malamang hindi rin niya yan ikatutuwa lalo na kung tingin niya ginagamit ang pagkatuso laban sa kanya. Sa resume ng isang aplikante sa trabaho, never ilalagay bilang katangian o strength ang pagiging tuso. Mas gusto nating makita at ipagmalaki yung pagiging motivated, self-driven, at ambitious; never nating iisipin na singkahulugan o nag i-imply ang mga ito ng pagiging tuso.

Kung babalikan natin ang aralin mula sa Ebanghelyo ayon kay Lukas, makikita natin na una, nilulustay ng katiwala ang ari-arian ng amo niya. Dito pa lang, iisipin na natin na masamang katiwala ang main character ng kwento. Ikalawa, gumawa ang katiwala ng isang scheme na nagpakita ng pagiging tuso niya, para hindi siya maghirap kung sisisantihin na siya ng amo. Luging lugi ang amo sa ginawa ng katiwala. Sa perspective siguro ng isang negosyante sa ating panahon, pwede niyang i-demanda ang former employee ng fraud, pandaraya o pagnanakaw. Pero hindi negatibo ang naging pagtingin ng amo sa ginawa ng katiwala. Pinuri niya ito at tinuring pa na ang katusuhang ipinakita ay dapat maging katangian ng mga maka-Diyos. Tama ba na hindi dapat maging mas tuso ang mga makasanlibutan kaysa sa mga maka-Diyos?

Kung Hudyo ang audience ni Hesus sa pagtuturo gamit ang talinhaga, maaari nating i-assume na mga Hudyo o Israelita ang mga karakter sa kwento. Ano ba ang kabuhayan o negosyo ng among Israelita? Hindi naman binanggit pero maaari nating i-conclude base sa talata 5 hanggang 7, na bahagi ng kanyang negosyo ang pagpapautang. Maraming may utang sa amo ng katiwala. Kung pagpapautang ang negosyo ng amo, ibig sabihin iligal at imoral ang kanyang negosyo dahil ayon sa nakasaad sa kanilang Batas (Law), bawal tubuan ang kapwa Israelita kung magpapautang (tignan, Deuteronomio 23:19). Dagdag pa, kung may pautang (kahit walang tubo) ang isang Israelita, required na patawarin niya ito sa Taon ng Pamamahinga (tuwing ika-7 taon). Ang pagpapatawad ng utang ay bahagi ng utos ni Yahweh sa kanyang bayan. Gaano na kaya katagal ang mga pautang ng amo? Kung negosyo niya ang pagpapautang, baka mas matanda pa sa pitong taon ang balanse ng marami sa mga may utang sa kanya. Ang pagpapatawad na ginawa ng katiwala, bagamat maaaring hindi eksaktong naaayon sa batas, ay maka-Diyos dahil ito ay naaayon sa kanilang mga panuntunan. Hindi rin maaaring magdemanda ang amo dahil alam niyang iligal ang kanyang negosyo at wasto ang magpatawad.

Sa panahon natin ngayon, expected sa mga managers na panigan ang mga may-ari ng pagawaan o kumpanya kaysa sa mga empleyadong nasasakupan niya. Kung magiging tuso ang manager at magpasya siyang panigan ang mga (kapwa) manggagawang, halimbawa ay nananawagan ng mas makatarungang pasahod, malamang maggalit sa kanya ang mga stock holders pero sasang-ayunan naman siya ng tunay nating Amo (Lord). Bakit? Sino ba kasi ang may mas legitimate na contribution sa pagbubuo o pag p-produce ng mga produktong kailangan natin sa pag-araw-araw na buhay – ang amo ba na malamang sa hindi ay bumibisita lang paminsan-minsan sa pagawaan o ang mga manggagawa na nag-aalay ng maraming oras, lakas at talino sa kanyang paggawa?

O Diyos, turuan ninyo kaming maging tuso para maunawaan namin kung paano ninyo kami gustong palayain mula sa mga sistemang pang-ekonomiya na hindi man namin batid ay matagal nang bumibihag sa amin. Amen.

September 11, 2022*24th Sunday in Ordinary Time* We were lost- and- found!

                Sr. Ma. Lisa Ruedas, DC 

https://globalworship.tumblr.com/post/150232886480/lost-and-found

Ex 32:7-11, 13-14

Ps 51:   

1Tim 1:12-17

Lk15:1-32

For it is the will of the Father and Mother that none of His “little ones” be lost!

Reflecting on these parables of Mercy, we feel how awesome and great the love and compassion of our God… other Bible scholars call these the “Lost- and –Found Parables”: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son! The first of the two parables are featured in today’s Gospel and aimed by Luke at the Pharisees and scribes.

Pope Francis writes, “In these parables, God is always presented as full of joy, especially when He pardons. In them, we find the core of the Gospel and our faith, because mercy is presented as a force that overcomes everything, filling the heart with love and bringing consolation through pardon” (Misericordiae Vultus, 9).

SEEK THE POOR- ENCOUNTER THEM

Matthew 14:7 … “the poor you will always have with you.” This is a summons never to lose sight of every opportunity to do good.

 In the words of Saint John Chrysostom: “Those who are generous should not ask for an account of the poor’s conduct, but only improve their conditions of poverty and satisfy their need. The poor have only one plea: their poverty and the condition of need in which they find themselves. Do not ask anything else of them; but even if they are the most wicked persons in the world, if they lack the necessary nourishment, let us free them from hunger…”

In the midst of utter poverty and suffering, the poor continues to confront the indifferences, greed and the selfishness of people. More to our shock, the poor experienced more discrimination, injustices and violations of their human rights. They are the most vulnerable. Often than not, “ the lost- the last –and the least.” Moreover, few would like to seek them and offer them new opportunities to become empowered, and meet them personally wherever they may be… they are those economically impoverished and suffering peoples especially those who are marginalized, exploited and underprivileged, those red-tagged, silenced, charged with trumped up cases, those who cannot protect themselves…manipulated, trafficked and killed!

That is why, Pope Francis urged everyone “not to wait for the poor to knock on our doors but to rather urgently reach them in their homes, hospitals, on the streets…” The poor are not people “outside” our communities, but brothers and sisters whose suffering we should share, in an effort to alleviate their difficulties and marginalization, restore their lost dignity and ensure their necessary social inclusion.               (Message for the 5th World Day of the Poor).                                           

SEEING THE FACE OF CHRIST IN THE POOR

The poor enable us to discover the true face of God. “The face of God revealed by Jesus is that of a Father concerned for and close to the poor”, Pope Francis noted. “In everything, Jesus teaches that poverty is not the result of fate, but a concrete sign pointing to the presence among us.” Therefore, “the poor, always and everywhere evangelize us, because they enable us to discover in new ways the true face of the Father. Thus, we are called to discover Christ in them, lend our voices to their causes, listen to and understand them, and welcome them because “Jesus not only sides with the poor but also shares their lot.”

Pope Francis warned us that the constant presence of the poor should not make us indifferent, “but summon us instead to a mutual sharing of life that does not allow proxies.” He insisted that our commitment “does not consist exclusively of activities or programmes of promotion and assistance; because what the Holy Spirit mobilizes is not an unruly activism, but above all, an attentiveness that considers the other in a certain sense as one with ourselves.”

The Holy Father went on to stress the need for us to follow the Lord’s invitation for conversion that is consisting in “opening our hearts to recognizing the many different forms of poverty …” in this regard, the new peripheries where we can encounter the lost-the last- and the least”. Christ summons us to display special concern for the poor and to recognize the varied and excessive forms of the moral and social disorder that are generating ever new forms of poverty. He added that we are now seeing the creation of new traps of poverty and exclusion “set by unscrupulous economic and financial actors lacking in a humanitarian sense and social responsibility.”

CONCRETE RESPONSES

We need and must look within ourselves and see beyond… we need to have a new eyes spirituality … a new understanding of the calls signs of the times to participate and be able to share our very own person and presence… in making a stand to protect and defend life and human dignity… to be in communion with our suffering brothers and sisters and the groaning of the earth…we need to “listen to the voices that challenge us… to the cries of the poor and the cries of the earth”…we must listen to hear in the voice of creation!

“How can we give a tangible response to the millions of the poor who frequently encounter only indifference, if not resentment? Pope Francis asked. “What path of solidarity and of justice must be followed so that social inequalities can be overcome and human dignity, so often trampled upon, can be restored? We need to be open to reading the signs of the times that ask us to find new ways of being evangelizers in the contemporary world”.   

Everyone must “not to wait for the poor to knock on our doors but to rather urgently reach them in their homes, hospitals, on the streets…everywhere!” The poor are not people “outside” our communities, but brothers and sisters whose suffering we should share, in an effort to alleviate their difficulties and marginalization, restore their lost dignity and ensure their necessary social inclusion.” (Pope’s Message for the 5^th World Day of the Poor).   

It is of importance that we grow in awareness of the needs of the poor, which is aggravating under the worsening economic situation. Let us not allow prejudices and fanaticism dampened the spirit of solidarity, participation and communion as we accompany our poor brothers and sisters in our search of the fullness of life!

Indeed, the grace of the Lord has been abundant along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (1Tim 14). Let us rise up and go to the Father (Ps 51) hand –in-hand with the lost- the last- and the least. Let God find us!                                    

September 4, 2022*Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time* The Transforming Mission of God

  Jon Dave Angeles, Kalipunan ng Kristiyanong Kabataan

  

He Qi (Chinese, 1950–), “Calling the Disciples,” 1999. Oil on canvas.https://artandtheology.org/tag/he-qi/

Wis 9:13-18b   

Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

Philemon 9-10, 12-17     

Lk 14:25-33         

In these time of great distress on the people of God may it be mental or physical, we tend to ask God on what is His will for us.

I grew up to a Christian family with conservative culture, beliefs and practices.  Our ministries are usually contained on the four corners of our church. I remember my younger days singing with the congregations with hymnals that I am so familiar with. Seems like a weekly theatre show for me  I stayed on within the bounds of conventional  church services for decades until I came to a point of inquiry and wondering. Is this what God wants me to do? Does evangelism and sharing the Good News means proselytizing new members? In this way people on earth have been set on the right path, have learned what pleases you, and have been kept safe by Wisdom.” (Wisdom 9:18)

The Lord has given me opportunities to explore and discover what God’s mission  really is. And as I embrace this kind of mission, I faced difficult and painful contradictions between the beliefs I am brought up with and the kind of belief I witnessed as I go out of my church and meet God’s people and other faith believers embracing liberating theologies and faith practice. I AM SCHOKED. I question myself, is this church thing affair? Or is this part of Gods mission?

Going to communities of landless farmers, the bakwit indigenous peoples, and threatened urban poor-  to listen to people’s stories were not part of ministries I grew up with. Lifting up calls for justice and peace  written on a cardboard is not part of our church program. Walking, chanting and lifting our voice on the streets crying out loud the prophetic challenges like: Let JUSTICE ROLL LIKE RIVER  are not a supported activity of our church. In the beginning,  I could not understand why some church people are doing such things.  Is this being “Christian?” As I walk on this journey of faith through the ecumenical movement, I saw another kind of service and love of Christ, a kind that liberates and give genuine compassion for our ‘kapwa’. I also was able to discern deeper why there are some people in unfortunate situations, oppressed and denied  of opportunities to better their conditions. Now I realized that their realities were already present and their poor conditions were so evident for long years now. So long that I can say that their conditions of poverty, and the negligence to them has been systemic and cyclical.  Now, more than ever, I am rooted on the Misio Dei of Christ to be of service to God and people.

Despite being scared, we must continue our mission towards a world with no violence, a world where peace and justice reigns. This should be our motivation, being followers of Christ.  In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:33).

May we be reminded of Christ Mission here on earth, His sufferings and Victories, this will inspire us to be more like Him and follow His footsteps.