We are Disciples of Christ

HOMILY

15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 15 July 2012

The Gospel reading is Mark's version of the story of how Jesus sent His chosen disciples on a mission. Today we -- all of us Christians, not just the bishops, priests and religious -- are the successors of the Twelve and the rest of the disciples in Jesus' time.

1. We are disciples of Christ.

The word “disciple” has become an all too familiar word that it may have lost already much of its impact on us. Disciple, "μαθητής" (mathetes) in Greek, discipulus in Latin, means a student (of a teacher), a learner, a seeker of knowledge and wisdom.

In the Gospel reading today, Jesus sent the Twelve on a mission. This is not yet the so-called "great commission" when they are sent to all the world. That event happened just before Jesus' ascension to heaven. This one was more like a teacher, magister, sending his students, discipuli, to an apprenticeship in mission. Before sending them off, like any good teacher, He gave His disciples a set of instructions. And the story ends with the Twelve performing wondrous deeds same as Jesus.

The first invitation of the Gospel reading this Sunday is to rediscover the meaning of being a disciple, so we may live up the better to it.

To be a disciple is to seek the wisdom and will of one’s teacher and apply them in life. Discipleship means, first of all, seeking God's will for us, and then making it the rule by which live our lives.

To be a disciple is to bring others to Christ, the great Teacher. Being a Christian disciple is more than just striving to be good or holy. It is those things and more. It is also about sharing the joy of Christ's life to others, so that they too may have the joy we have.

2. We are always preaching the Good News.

A story is told about an international conference of young Christian missionaries. Young people hear talks and shared experiences on how to evangelize today. Some speakers extol the advantages of the radio, the media and the internet as powerful tools in evangelization. Some shared their experience knocking on doors, doing house visits, others talked about preaching on the streets. One girl from Africa had perhaps one of the most memorable sharing. She said that if her church wish to evangelize a village, they send a Christian family to live with them thereby letting the villagers see how Christians walk, talk, engage their neighbors, and live their lives, without any active direct preaching, at least not yet. Soon they would have new converts.

In preaching the Gospel, we revert to the beloved, oft-repeated line attributed to St. Francis of Assissi: "Preach at all times, when necessary use words."

Whether we talk or keep silence, get involved or stay on the side, proclaim in public or work silently -- we are preaching the Good News. Whether anybody listens to us or not, or even when nobody seems to care -- we are preaching the Good News.

St. Paul in 2 Tim 4,2, urges us just as he encouraged his friend Timothy: "Proclaim the word; be persistent whether in season or out of season; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching". Some translations have it: "proclaim the word, whether convenient or inconvenient..."

As disciples of Christ, we are always preaching the Good News all the time, because...

3. The world has a constant need for the Good News of Christ.

What is this Good News we keep saying? The word comes from the Greek εὐαγγέλιον (euangélion) and the Latin evangelium, which both means, well, good news or glad tidings.  Its root usage as a figure of speech goes back to the Roman Empire. When news of a Roman military victory or significant event were to be officially transmitted to the public, it would be introduced with the formula: “the good news of (this and that victor), from (this and that front)…” No wonder that St. Mark began his gospel with: “the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ!” He was transmitting to the rest of the world the news of a great victory: Christ’s victory over sin and death, over the forces that oppresses humanity. He was proclaiming the triumph of Truth over lies, joy over false hope, true love over selfishness.

In the end, there will always be a hunger for the one transforming Truth amidst a sea of information, not a few of them lies. There will always be a search for the kind of happiness that really satisfies.There will always be a wanting for true love, the one that turns us into the best that we can be and makes every trial worth it. When that inevitable hunger or yearning for something greater than ourselves, for something more than this life could offer, manifests in people, won't you be glad when they could see Christians witnessing to the Good News?

We are disciples of Christ, committed to preach the Good News at all times, to a world who has a great need for it. 

You have just rediscovered your mission. Now, Jesus sends you.

Full text of PNoy's new Mining E.O.

Hereunder is the full text of Pres. Aquino's much anticipated new Mining Executive Order. Personal comments and stakeholders' statements in my next post.

Faithful Thomas

Homily for the Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle
July 3
 

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle. It is rather unfortunate that historical consciousness has distilled his memory to a moment of doubt. Whence came the expression "doubting Thomas". Yet he is without a doubt a man of faith, whose witnessing has subsequently inspired and strengthened the faith of millions throughout history.

The prominent accounts of St. Thomas in the Gospel of John always seem to lead to the most enduring and powerful affirmations who Jesus Christ is.

In Jn 11,16, responding to Jesus' decision to attend to His friend Lazarus who was ill and later found to have died a few days already, in spite of great risk to His safety, Thomas would say: "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." His willingness to follow Jesus even unto death led to their witnessing of Jesus' manifestation of His power over death by raising Lazarus from the dead, and of His self-revelation: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies shall live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die" (Jn 11,25-26).

In Jn 14,5, Thomas' wish for a clearer teaching from Jesus led him to ask: “Lord, we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?” To which Jesus promptly replied: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me" (Jn 14,6).

In Jn 20, in the account of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances, Thomas' famous line earned him his infamous distinction: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (20,25) But it was also used by Jesus to teach the world the great truth about Himself through the very confession of Thomas: "My Lord and my God!" (20,28).

St. Thomas becomes for us a companion in our journey of faith, a journey that always seem to have moments of doubt and fear. The faith and trust in Jesus that he manifests, especially when things are unclear and uncertain, is not unlike the faith and trust that the Psalmist and Job manifest even as they cry unto the Lord; in the end they would affirm the goodness and faithfulness of God, not based on some vague hope for a future that would eventually get better but on eyes and hearts that have actually seen and felt God's undeniable providence and love.

St. Thomas, strengthen our faith and open our eyes to the reality of God's love so that like you, we too may become faithful and passionate bearers of the Good News who is Christ Himself and the salvation He won for us. Amen.

Building Communities through Renewed Evangelization

A Pastoral Letter on our Diocesan Pastoral Plan (2012-2016)

  

 “Arise, a long journey lies ahead of you.” (1 Kings19,7)

Dear People of God:

Last year in November we held our First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA). We intended it to be the major ecclesial event in our diocese ten years after the First Diocesan Synod in 2000. Starting in 2010, for a span of a little more than a year, we have conducted extensive consultations and research, organized commissions and study groups, and involved every single parish, as well as church-based institutions and organizations in the diocese.

In the end, we were able to produce a comprehensive Diocesan Pastoral Plan for the next five years. In it we have defined our new vision and mission statements, reorganized our administrative structure to better reflect our pastoral priorities, and crafted goals and action plans for each of our eight pastoral commissions: Worship, Christian Education, Social Concerns, Temporalities, Ecclesial Communities, Family and Life, Youth, and Clergy and Religious (WESTECFLYC).

All these goals and plans may be summed up into two pastoral thrusts: building Christian communities and renewed integral evangelization. It is for the purpose of explaining these pastoral thrusts and articulating our hopes and dreams as a local Church that this pastoral letter is written.

Building Christian Communities

Church as Communion. One of the great themes that emerged from Vatican II is the reaffirmation that the Church is a communion, first with the Triune God, and then with each other in the sharing of the great mystery of God’s love. 1 Jn 1,3 expresses it most succinctly: "that which we have seen and heard, we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ".

Community of Disciples. The spirit of communion is expressed in the concrete in our being a community of disciples. “In community a Christian grows in faith. We are called as individuals, and each one must give a personal response. But Christ calls us to form a Christian community. He wants the Church to be a ‘communion of life, love and truth’ (Lumen Gentium 9), a ‘community of faith, hope and charity’ (Lumen Gentium 8).” (PCP II 89)

Structures of Communion. Thus, our first pastoral thrust is the building up of Christian communities. To accomplish this, we have instituted structures of communion. The Diocesan Pastoral Council is created and tasked to direct the implementation of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan. It is supported by an embedded Oversight Committee and the Pastoral Assistance, Research and Development Secretariat (PARDS). It is further complemented by two more bodies: the Clergy General Assembly and the Diocesan Council of the Laity, which serve as crucial mechanisms for generating ideas and feedback from both clergy and laity. Similar structures shall also be instituted in every vicariate, parish and barangay or sitio.

Communion of Communities. We further envision our diocese as a communion of communities. More than ever we put priority in the effort to build Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) or Saradit na Kristyanong Komunidad (SKK), and promote other established and emerging ecclesial communities and movements.

The rationale behind this is simple. The Christian community is the most effective setting for fostering the growth in faith of individuals. Here they find unconditional acceptance of who they are and encouragement to grow into the persons God called them to be. Here they learn the art of loving one another and dying to oneself. Most importantly, here they encounter the person of Jesus in the living Word and Eucharist, and in their gathering as the Body of Christ. However the parish community has grown so large and impersonal that it is no longer able to sustain the building of intimate and caring relationships among many of its members. Thus, we recognize the need for smaller communities of faith where deep friendships are more easily bonded, and individuals are more intimately familiar with their companions in their Christian journey, without however forgetting that these communities are part of the parish and not autonomous entities.

From our common experience and discernment, the “kapilya model” emerges as an effective model for BECs in the diocese. This is why the WESTECFLY configuration of commissions in our pastoral councils – from the diocesan level down to the barangays and sitios – is based mainly on the structure of BECs. However this does not mean that we may no longer explore other options and search for better ways of being Church. Nor should this mean that we limit our idea of small faith communities only to BECs.

We have to recognize too that in recent times, some ecclesial movements have emerged and proven themselves effective in providing conversion experience and spiritual nourishment to their members. They too are works of the Holy Spirit and just as important as the BECs in our local Church. Having said this, we also cannot deny the apparent tension among the varied orientations present in the people in our parishes, BECs and ecclesial movements.

However, an initial survey of active members in our BECs and other ecclesial communities indicates that their combined membership comprises not even 10% of the entire Catholic population in the diocese. Parish attendance at Sunday Masses has also been estimated at less than 20% of our Catholic population. There is just so much to be done, so many to reach out to, and too little point for competition. A better system of collaboration among our Parish Pastoral Councils, BECs and ecclesial movements will not only attract more members to our faith communities but also realize what has always been the hallmark of unity in the Church: unity in diversity.

Renewed Integral EvangelizatION

Formation as Evangelization. Our second pastoral thrust is pursuing renewed integral evangelization. Communities are not only built, they also have to be sustained. An effective and systematic formation program will keep our faith communities centered in Christ and passionate in mission. And the starting point and overall character of any Church formation program is evangelization, which basically means proclaiming the Gospel following Christ’s command in Mt 28,19-20: “Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you”.

Integral Evangelization. It is also the lifelong process that includes initial faith proclamation, catechesis, and on-going formation in Christian living. This means that the Gospel is “directed to stirring a person to conversion of heart and life and a clinging to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; to disposing a person to receive Baptism and the Eucharist, and to strengthen a person in the prospect and realization of new life according to the Spirit” (Christifidelis Laici 33).

The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) in 1991 describes this essential function and mission of the Church as “integral evangelization.” Taking the spirit and letter of Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi (9), PCP II understands the proclamation of the good news of our salvation from sin in three ways: 

1. integral liberation: liberation from sin and everything oppressive to man;  
2. total human development: progress in all human dimensions, personal and communitarian; and  
3. renewal of society: promotion of justice, peace and integrity of creation. (cf. PCP II 192) 

Renewed Evangelization. Another recurring theme since Vatican II and PCP II, and in our Diocesan Synod in 2000 is "renewed evangelization".  John Paul II, in Novo Millenio Ineunte (29), spoke of a “program for all times”, centered “in Christ himself, who is to be known, loved and imitated, so that in him we may live the life of the Trinity, and with him transform history until its fulfillment in the heavenly Jerusalem”, but which “must be translated into pastoral initiatives adapted to the circumstances of each community”.

Thus, our Diocesan Pastoral Plan appropriates the timeless mission of evangelization into particular pastoral initiatives such as developing catechetical modules and formation programs for all ages – children, youth and adult. They cover the areas of liturgy, doctrines, spiritual renewal, social teachings, family and life, and Gospel values, among others, and employ available tools of information and communication technology. The efforts may seem diverse and disjointed at present as each commission aims to develop a formation program pertinent to its area of concern, but in time we hope to consolidate them into a comprehensive, integrated and developmental program of formation.

Crucial too in evangelization is our witnessing in terms of our stewardship and accountability in the administration of resources, finance and power, not to mention our concern for the poor and the renewal of society.

Preferential Options and Directions

While community building and renewed evangelization are directed toward all, we have also identified particular groups for whom we would like to exercise our preferential option: they are the family, the poor and the youth.

We would like our families to become life-giving domestic Churches; the poor to become empowered, able to exercise their rights and chart their own destinies; and the young to become effective evangelizers and dynamic servant-leaders.

It is providential that on the first year of implementing our Diocesan Pastoral Plan, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has declared this year the Year of Mission, and Pope Benedict XVI has already announced his plan to proclaim a Year of Faith starting this October. These celebrations add further motivation to move forward and the assurance that we are on the right track.

With God’s grace and under the protection of our Mother of Salvation we will see our plans accomplished, our diocese renewed and our mission pursued ever more faithfully. We are grateful for our being called to share in God’s grand plan of salvation. To Him be the glory now and forever. Amen.

Given this 5^th of April 2012, Holy Thursday, at the Diocesan Chancery in Legazpi City.

                                                                                                           

+JOEL Z. BAYLON

Bishop of Legazpi

PASTORAL LETTER NO. 03, Series of 2012

Rev. Fr. Rex Paul B. Arjona 

Chancellor-Secretary

An Ancient Homily on Holy Saturday

The Lord descends into the abode of the dead

From the Office of Readings for Holy Saturday

Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

An satong mga Tadâ

A Pastoral Letter on TADÂ, a program for the benefit of the poor in the Diocese of Legazpi

 "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works." Heb 10,24

Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this passage when he wrote his message for Lent this year. He spoke about our common and constant duty to be responsible toward our brothers and sisters, especially those suffering from various forms of poverty – spiritual, moral and economic.

The Pope’s message brings to mind the call of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines to become a “Church of the Poor”, which means embracing the evangelical spirit of poverty and practicing a preferential option for the poor.

In response to this call, the Church in the Philippines has instituted the traditional Lenten practice of the ALAY KAPWA Program to raise awareness on the plight of the poor, and help them in their needs through different forms of support and assistance, mainly through almsgiving and donations.

This year 2012, following the directions set by our recently concluded First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly, I am inviting every member of the Diocese of Legazpi to join a modified form of ALAY KAPWA, which we shall henceforth call TADÂ, and which will continue as a diocesan project beyond the season of Lent. In other words, TADÂ will be a year-round program for the poor of the Diocese of Legazpi.

Tadâ – a Bikol word that means crumbs or leftovers – is based on a very simple rationale. In everyone’s life there are things that may be considered leftovers, things no longer needed. These things are oftentimes taken for granted, even discarded, because they no longer have that much value to us. But they can still be of some value, they can still be of use, to others – especially those who have very little in life. These are the tadâ in our lives. Let us gather and bring them together. For sure, if we do, they can help the poor in some form or other.

Immediately, we discover, for example, that there are many monetary “change” that we do not mind anymore: P0.05, P0.10, P0.25, even P1.00. Let us collect these in plastic bottles (which you can get from your respective parish rectories, or you may very well come up with your own!) and bring them to church, preferably on Sundays, and offer these at the offertory procession during the Mass. We will collect them and whatever amount gathered will be set aside to assist the poorest among us in their various needs – medical, nutritional, educational, and others. I am certain that the little tadâ that will come from each of us, like the five loaves and two fish that Jesus used to feed five thousand, will become plentiful enough in order to feed those who are hungry and help those in need.

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us in his Lenten message: “Each part should be equally concerned for all the others" (1 Cor 12:25), for we all form one body. Acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters – as expressed by almsgiving, a practice which, together with prayer and fasting, is typical of Lent – is rooted in this common belonging. Christians can express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor.”

The invitation to offer our tadâ is by no means an encouragement to be mediocre in generosity or be miserly in charity. The needs of the poor are big and many, and we cannot supply them all, at least not by our strength alone. But by God’s grace anything can be accomplished.

Starting with our tadâ means starting small, but with a view to a bigger end. We start by opening our eyes to the reality of poverty and our capacity to empower the needy. We proceed with instilling a habit of giving in everyone in order to form our hearts to become ever more generous with our gifts and ever more trusting in the Lord, the Giver of gifts.

Once again from the Pope’s Lenten message: “Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands.”

In this regard, I have asked our Diocesan Social Action Center (SAC) to develop a formation module and train the Commission on Social Concerns in our parishes, so they in turn may be able to provide their fellow parishioners the necessary catechesis that will make this program properly understood, appreciated and owned by all in the local Church of Legazpi.

Thus, I would like to ask our Parish Priests to send representatives from their respective Parish Commission on Social Concerns for orientation on TADÂ, and allow them with more or less five minutes to explain to our people what TADÂ is all about during designated Sunday Masses.

Our SAC people will also be doing the rounds of schools to share this project with them, as well as to those communities of the faithful – associations and movements – that may be interested to participate in this worthy endeavor of our local Church.

May the Lord of the poor and His Blessed Mother bless this effort of ours and make them successful according to His Most Holy Will!

Given this 22^nd of March 2012 at the Diocesan Chancery in Legazpi City.

+JOEL Z. BAYLON 

Bishop of Legazpi

Rev. Fr. Rex Paul B. Arjona

Chancellor-Secretary

Pastoral Letter No. 2, Series of 2012