Ugnayan
THE NEWS SUPPLEMENT OF COUPLES FOR CHRIST CBCP Monitor. Vol. 19 No. 25
January 11 - 24, 2016 C1
CFC SETS DIRECTIONS FOR 2016
Abp. Soc: Challenging CFC for the New Year “The glory of God is shown in the Arena! The glory of God is revealed through Couples for Christ!” This was the opening exhortation of His Excellency Most Rev. Socrates Villegas, D.D., CBCP President and Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, when he celebrated Mass at the 2016 International Leaders Conference of Couples for Christ held on January 9, 2016, at The Arena, SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. Addressing the more than 15,000 CFC leaders from all Philippine provinces and from various countries around the world, Archbishop Villegas said that “A good leader asks questions and a good leader should be able to answer his own questions.” He invited CFC to reflect on three (3) questions: (1) What makes you happy? (2) What makes you afraid? and (3) Where are you going? What makes you happy?
The annual CFC Leaders Conference, one of the most-attended events of the community, is the venue for the setting of directions for the new year.
By Zeny Gimenez
Couples for Christ leaders from all over the Philippines and various parts of the world gathered at the Mall of Asia Arena last January 9, 2016 for the annual Leaders Conference. The conference was an occasion to hear the community’s directions for the year, anchored on the theme for 2016 – Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks. – from Philippians 4:4-7. Rejoice.
George Campos, CFC President, began by expounding on the meaning and elements of “Rejoice.” Saying that being joyful appears to be offensive in this age and time, when we are
bombarded daily with bad news, when injustice prevails and when evil appears to triumph, he countered this statement by stating that the source of our rejoicing is God. The knowledge that He loves us and that Jesus rose from the dead to ensure our salvation is sufficient to keep us in a spirit of rejoicing. Campos emphasized that joy is a gift of the Spirit, but it “depends on one’s intimate relationship with God.” He also shared that “to rejoice is not an option but a command.” This command demands that our joy be continuous, that we rejoice even in tough and difficult times and that we should manifest our joy through acts of kindness. As a joyful people of God, our only response to God’s command is to “proclaim the joy of the Gospel.” Citing the example of St. Paul, who rejoiced even as he faced a death sentence, he opined that St. Paul’s joy stemmed from the fact that he never lifted his gaze from God and thus he continually drew strength from that deep relationship.
Pray.
In the second talk, Rouquel Ponte spoke of how we can Pray. He cited Jesus as our model of prayer because all his life, he was in constant communion of love with the Father. He also cited Mary’s Canticle of Faith, prayer “characterized by her generous faith offering” and her “offering of her whole being” to God. Emphasizing that our CFC covenant is focused on prayer and Scripture, Ponte said “Constant prayer should be in our spiritual DNA.” He gave several levels of prayer – vocal prayer, meditation (or prayerful reflection) and contemplation (“a simple gaze upon God in silence and love”). He also stated that the Christian family is the first place where children are educated in prayer and that “Real families pray together.” To end his talk, Ponte exhorted everyone to reflect on the following: “As leaders, are we truly men and women of God, people with
According to Archbishop Villegas, one answer can be found in the Gospel readings for the day (Luke 3:315-16, 21-22). He said that to be happy, the one big word is “give”. “Giving” is what should make us happy; not stable family, good job, popularity, friends or gadgets. To be able to give my popularity, my powers and all that I have to the Lord is what should make us happy. We should be able to find our happiness in giving, not accumulating.” He exhorted the CFC leaders to accept the challenge of St. John in the Gospel – to be “giving leaders” and to “find happiness in giving away until we have no more to give.” He added that “people who do not give do not become richer. They die early. They die even before they stop breathing.” He invited everyone to be like John whose “greatest joy was to die a martyr’s death. What a joy to give my life for my beloved!” He explained that as a measure of how much Jesus loves us, “Jesus Christ did not write a check. He did not send dollars. He did not light a candle. Jesus Christ gave himself because the greatest measure of love is to give without measure.”
What makes you afraid?
The big word in the Second Reading (Acts 10:34-38), according to Archbishop Villegas, is “sin” and “St. John asks us the question: what makes you afraid?”
He highlighted that there is only one thing that a leader must fear – SIN. He should not be afraid of losing power, being ignored, being suspected, being forgotten, of death, debts, of being fooled, robbed or getting sick, old, and alone. These should not make us afraid because “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Instead, he said leaders should “be afraid of sin” or as St. John cautioned “to be on guard against idols.” He explained that idolatry is “not creating images and statues; idolatry is attributing power and giving importance to somebody lesser than God. Leaders of Couples for Christ, be afraid of only one: sin! Be afraid of only one: putting something or somebody on the same level as God.” Archbishop Villegas, however, emphasized that an “even greater fear than sin is the fear to ask for forgiveness.” He advised that we should not be afraid to ask for forgiveness. “God will always forgive. Do not say, ‘I’ve sinned much.’ Instead, say ‘I have been blackened by sin and yet I am beautiful because I am touched by God’s love’.” Where are you going?
Finally, the Archbishop asked: “Truthfully, where are you going? Where do you want to go?” He reminded the CFC leaders that “All leadership should lead to Heaven.” If not, “you must be leading (your people) to some other place that is away from God.” He described Heaven as “God’s will obeyed; where God is obeyed and no one else.” To end his homily, he posed the question that resonated in the hearts of all present: “Where are people going through your leadership?” During the Prayers of the Faithful, the Archbishop prayed over the CFC leaders for help to find joy in giving, not to be afraid of anything but sinning and the grace to always find God’s will. Before giving his final blessing, he exhorted everyone to be “truly prayerful Couples for Christ”. The best way to do this, he explained, is first, to hear mass daily and receive daily communion. Second, to pray the rosary at home with the family and third, to go to confession once a month. If faithfully done, the Archbishop emphasized, “these will bring renewal in the Church and Couples for Christ will start it.” (Arnel Santos)
CFC 2016, C4
MM MC Offers First Fruits on the Feast of the Epiphany His Excellency Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan encouraging CFC to receive daily communion, pray the Rosary with the family and go to confession regularly.
Metro Manila leaders and their families offering their first fruits, symbols of their gratitude for all the blessings of the past year.
CFC leaders from Metro Manila gathered on January 3, on the Feast of the Epiphany, for the first Mission Core Assembly and First Fruits Offering. Bishop Mylo Vergara officiated at the Holy Mass. In his homily, Bishop Vergara stated that the image of the Three Magi compels the faithful to think of what Epiphany means – a revelation from God that the birth of Jesus is not only for the people of Israel but for the whole of mankind. “Salvation is offered even for those not born in Israel,” Bishop Vergara emphasized. According to Bishop Vergara, three words come to mind from the story of how the Magi visited the new-born Jesus: • Searching – the Magi looked for the Messiah, traveled from their far away countries, guided by the star in search of the Messiah. Why search? This reveals that there was still something lacking in their lives, despite their being wise/ learned and respected in their countries. They were searching for something greater which could fill what was lacking in their lives. They were looking for a sense of fulfillment. However, it is a universal truth that a person’s
longings will never be satisfied by temporal things. Showing – This simply means the manifestation of God. The visitation of the Magi was an encounter that took place because of the initiative not of the wise men, but of God himself. In each person’s life, God is always present because of the love of Christ. “In 2016, let us open our eyes of faith and we will see the Lord as He shows himself very clearly.” Bishop Vergara exhorted. • Offering – What will you offer to Christ? Not gold, frankincense or myrrh, but offer what is difficult to give—the total gift of self. After the Mass, CFC Chairman Joe Tale exhorted the Metro Manila Mission Core to offer the fruits of their blessings from the Lord during the First Fruits Offering. This offering, done in prayerful silence, has been a community tradition since 2005, a symbolic act on the part of each individual to thank God by returning to Him the many blessings He has given during the previous year. (CFC Global Communications) •