SAYING that next year’s national election is crucial in the life of the nation, the Catholic Church’s leadership has urged the Filipino faithful to prepare spiritually for it by praying the act of consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
“As we conclude the year of St. Paul which the Holy Father inaugurated on June 29, 2008, we invite the Filipino faithful to start preparing spiritually for another crucial transition in the life of our nation—namely, the elections in May 2010,” Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said.
In a pastoral exhortation, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo declared June 2009 to June 2010 as a year of Prayer and Work for Peace-building and Lay Participation in Social Change, dedicating it to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Peace building
The prelate called on everyone to actively participate in peace building, saying that from the wounded heart of Jesus come grace of healing and reconciliation.
“Let this grace flow through us, the community of Christ’s disciples, into the bloodstream of our nation. Let it find a concrete expression in serious advocacies for peace and dialogue, healing and reconciliation amidst conflict-situations in all possible circumstances of life,” he said.
Lagdameo asked all church entities across the country “to establish and form groups that can effectively focus their ministry or apostolate on peace-building and genuine reconciliation through dialogue, drawing encouragement especially from St. Paul’s profound insights on these topics.”
“Let us consciously lay the moral foundations on which we can build a more stable, more mature Philippine society. Let this foundation be not just a change of leaders or a change of social and political structures, but above all, a radical change of heart, commending ourselves to Jesus and his Blessed Mother as we entreat them to ‘…make our hearts so like to (theirs) that we may holy be!’ ” said the prelate.
Laity’s role in social change
The archbishop stressed the role of the laity in working for the “moral regeneration” of the country, even as he challenged them to take the lead in the pursuit of moral leadership to steer the country forward.
“We challenge our Catholic laity, in particular, to take the lead in the task of moral renewal towards a deeper and more lasting change in the Philippine society,” he said.
Lagdameo said that as pastors, bishops exercise spiritual and moral leadership as regards communal and ecclesial life in parishes and dioceses throughout the country.
But that kind of leadership, the prelate explained, cannot be extended to politics and similar endeavors lest religious leaders be accused of power play or expanding their influence beyond what their office calls for.
He said the participation of the laity is crucial in this aspect, since they can penetrate and exercise moral leadership in the realm of politics and governance, business and economics, sciences and mass media, where religious leaders cannot.
“The participation of the laity in moral leadership pertaining to every specific discipline and institution in the Philippine society is most essential, if we want the Gospel and the social teachings of the Church to have a tangible and positive impact at all on our life as a nation,” Lagdameo stressed.
Calling on all lay faithful involved in various spheres of influence, he challenged them all to exercise their God-given talents for the common good and give a “concrete expression to Christian discipleship through responsible citizenship.”
“We challenge the laity involved in legislation to unite themselves and consciously allow their actions to be guided by the truth of the Gospel and the Christian faith. We urge the Catholic lay people involved in legitimate business to organize themselves and consciously practice their trade with a strong sense of corporate social responsibility informed by the social teachings of the Church. We enjoin all Catholic law enforcers to form associations among themselves that consciously renounce violence, respect basic human rights, and truly work for the preservation of peace and social order. We call upon the Catholic laity involved in social communications and the modern mass media to form networks among themselves that can articulate a genuinely Christian ethics in their practice of their profession,” Lagdameo exhorted.
The “Year of prayer” will formally begin on the feast days of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 19) and the Immaculate Heart of Mary (June 20) and end with the feasts of Two Hearts on June 2010.
Lagdameo urged the faithful to recite the prayer to the Two Hearts every Sunday after Communion.
“May we ask that we start praying the following prayer at least every Sunday after communion in all Catholic churches and chapels all over the country from June 2009 to June 2010,” he said.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter calls us to new life
Behold, the Lord is risen!By Jesus’s resurrection, sin and death were conquered and Jesus has won for us eternal life.
Easter Sunday is an invitation to arise from the ‘tomb’ of sin and embrace the light of the resurrection.
So we are called to shed off the cloak of sin and put on the raiment of God’s love, who by his rising to life has made all things new!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Jesus on the Cross
Behold the man! Jesus on the Cross is a picture of defeat, or so it seems. And yet, his crucifixion and death speaks to me of how great his love for humanity as to embrace the humiliating death on the cross. For it is only through the cross that man can be saved and restored to new life.
By embracing the cross, Jesus teaches us that it is also possible for us to carry our own crosses.
It is but understandable for us to flinch at the first sign of suffering, of trials that come our way. Human nature would naturally lean towards what is easy and pleasurable. We seek happiness and a problem-free existence. However, our fallen nature has seen to it that such cannot be possible. So we have our share of crosses in the forms of trials, sufferings, illnesses and other types of difficulties.
Let us fix our gaze at the broken body of Our Lord hanging on the Cross when we are tempted at times to give up; when we feel we have been pushed too far at the edge; when our woundedness get the better of us; when we have fallen flat so many times we find it hard to get up again.
Jesus had been there ahead of us. He had embraced our humanity, suffered our sins, died for us, all because of his crazy love for us.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Jesus calls us to follow his examples
The liturgy of Holy Thursday calls us yet again to the invitation of Jesus to follow his example: “I have just given you an example, that as I have done, you also may do.”
Bringing to mind the scene of the Last Supper, with Jesus stripping himself and stooping down to wash the feet of his disciples is so powerful in its impact that it defies imagination. How could someone, who calls himself the Son of God, could stoop so low and fulfill a task reserved for a servant? But that’s precisely the point Jesus wanted to drive home. By showing a stark example, Jesus made it very clear to his apostles, to whom he had bestowed the authority to lead, that leadership should proceed from service.
The act of washing the feet of another is best exemplified in one’s loving service to others.
Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB in his biblical reflections for Holy Thursday said that in washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus “teaches his friends that liberation and new life are won not in presiding over multitudes from royal thrones nor by quantity of bloody sacrifices offered on temple altars but by walking with the lowly and poor and serving them as a foot washer along the journey.”
The poor will always be with you, Jesus said to Judas one time he complained about the costly perfume being poured wantonly on the feet of Jesus.
History is indeed littered with people living on the margins, needing help, while others shamelessly spend their fortune feeding their greed.
And this can’t be more real than what is happening in our contemporary society where so many people are hungry and dying because of the greed of some.
More than just a symbolic act, the washing of the feet is a challenge to all us, urging us to get rid of our selfishness and reach out to others in need. It is a call for us to offer our hand to someone in a gesture of forgiveness and loving service.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Change of heart vital for better Philippines--CBCP head
Calling the change of heart a gentle revolution, vital for the common good of the country, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged every Filipino to make the dream of a better Philippines a reality in their lives and in others.
“The heart of change is the change of heart for the common good,” CBCP president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said in his Easter message.
Lagdameo said there is a need “to celebrate the dream of a better Philippines in our lives and in the lives of fellow countrymen around us.”
But that is only possible, he said if one changes for the better and “to see or help that change also happen in others.”
Lagdameo said every year Christians celebrate Easter and proclaim that Jesus Christ has triumphed over suffering and death, yet they do so as if “nothing has happened with us in the past.”
“Is it because we fail to rise from our “tombs” and help others to “easter” in their life?” he asked.
Lagdameo said everyone needs to play a positive role in building a better nation since nobody can do it alone.
He pointed out that it is impossible to move the country ahead if every sector shifts in different directions.
“We can only build a better nation if all of us will do all we can all the time… No one group can build a better country in contraposition with other groups, neither the executive alone, nor congressmen alone, nor senators alone, nor
supreme court alone, nor any group of civil society alone, nor church people alone. They need to affirm and confirm the potential of one another,” said the prelate.
In working together for the common good and celebrating the positive things people have done for others and for the good of the country, the message of Easter is being realized, he said.
“We can do this by commemorating the good that others have done in support of truth versus lies; by consecrating our present in the works of justice and peace; and by celebrating the small acts of victory in the campaign to build a better nation,” said Lagdameo.
“The heart of change is the change of heart for the common good,” CBCP president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said in his Easter message.
Lagdameo said there is a need “to celebrate the dream of a better Philippines in our lives and in the lives of fellow countrymen around us.”
But that is only possible, he said if one changes for the better and “to see or help that change also happen in others.”
Lagdameo said every year Christians celebrate Easter and proclaim that Jesus Christ has triumphed over suffering and death, yet they do so as if “nothing has happened with us in the past.”
“Is it because we fail to rise from our “tombs” and help others to “easter” in their life?” he asked.
Lagdameo said everyone needs to play a positive role in building a better nation since nobody can do it alone.
He pointed out that it is impossible to move the country ahead if every sector shifts in different directions.
“We can only build a better nation if all of us will do all we can all the time… No one group can build a better country in contraposition with other groups, neither the executive alone, nor congressmen alone, nor senators alone, nor
supreme court alone, nor any group of civil society alone, nor church people alone. They need to affirm and confirm the potential of one another,” said the prelate.
In working together for the common good and celebrating the positive things people have done for others and for the good of the country, the message of Easter is being realized, he said.
“We can do this by commemorating the good that others have done in support of truth versus lies; by consecrating our present in the works of justice and peace; and by celebrating the small acts of victory in the campaign to build a better nation,” said Lagdameo.
Phil. Misereor holds 3rd national assembly
The Philippine Misereor Partnership (PMPI), a non-government organization working in tandem with a German Funding Agency held its 3rd National Assembly last March 9-12 in Cebu City.
Themed “Affirm the Past, Celebrate the Present, Engage the Future,” the assembly had gathered various organizations that help the poor.
Three farmers, representing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao gave the opening addresses while Mr. Thomas Ankowiak of Misereor delivered the inspirational message.
PMPI is the local counterpart of Misereor, formally known as The German Catholic Bishops Organization for Development Cooperation.
Misereor, which is based in Aachen Germany assists in funding various projects aimed at helping the poor live decent lives.
The funding agency, with the help of local partners, identifies critical issues that require collaborative action like poverty alleviation, democratic governance and peace building.
Misereor, through PMPI, has been supporting various projects in the country over the years.
The groups-beneficiaries of Misereor funding include 94 church-based organizations, 144 non-government organizations, and nine people’s organizations.
The assembly gave participants the chance to share ideas, exhibits and products. Likewise, it provided them significant lessons that can enhance their work with the poor.
Among the participants in the gathering was Mindanao-based Silsilah Dialogue Movement represented by Silsilah president Aminda Saño, and Project coordinator Elsie Go.
Themed “Affirm the Past, Celebrate the Present, Engage the Future,” the assembly had gathered various organizations that help the poor.
Three farmers, representing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao gave the opening addresses while Mr. Thomas Ankowiak of Misereor delivered the inspirational message.
PMPI is the local counterpart of Misereor, formally known as The German Catholic Bishops Organization for Development Cooperation.
Misereor, which is based in Aachen Germany assists in funding various projects aimed at helping the poor live decent lives.
The funding agency, with the help of local partners, identifies critical issues that require collaborative action like poverty alleviation, democratic governance and peace building.
Misereor, through PMPI, has been supporting various projects in the country over the years.
The groups-beneficiaries of Misereor funding include 94 church-based organizations, 144 non-government organizations, and nine people’s organizations.
The assembly gave participants the chance to share ideas, exhibits and products. Likewise, it provided them significant lessons that can enhance their work with the poor.
Among the participants in the gathering was Mindanao-based Silsilah Dialogue Movement represented by Silsilah president Aminda Saño, and Project coordinator Elsie Go.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Alay Kapwa: a call to social transformation
ALAY KAPWA began as a Lenten action program of the Church aimed to create awareness among the faithful of their great responsibility to contribute in the transformation of society by narrowing the great divide between the have and the have-nots.
Conceived in 1975 by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the project was launched to respond to the pressing needs of the time. A few years into the dictatorship, the volatile socio-economic and political situation had not contributed at all in alleviating the miserable condition of the country’s poor.
Lenten fund program
It was in this setting that the Catholic hierarchy issued a pastoral letter calling for a national renewal among Filipinos. The concept of Alay Kapwa Lenten program was introduced in that pastoral statement[1] explaining the motivation for its establishment.
The bishops in their letter pointed out the dismal state of the impoverished saying that for about 70% of the country’s population, poverty has become a way of life with an average Filipino receiving a per capita income of P3 a day. In the same pastoral letter the bishops also called on Filipinos “to analyze the root causes of misery—not only in terms of socio-economic, political and religious structures that may be causing, or maintaining, these injustices.”
The 1975 pastoral letter reminds that: “For this reason, our Lenten Action Program has been called: ALAY KAPWA—offering to our neighbor. It asks us to look around and identify our neighbor. Who are the people who most need our help? From this awareness we are asked to reflect on the reasons for this. Why are they poor, lonely, homeless, jobless, hungry, in rags, beggars, squatters?”
The concept is not original to the Philippines though. Other western countries have also their own Lenten fund campaign, the primary purpose of which is to collect funds that will eventually be used for a sustainable aid to the poor. The practice is deeply rooted on the biblical and Christian tradition of prayer, almsgiving and fasting which Christians are encouraged to practice during season of Lent. Money saved from abstaining on buying non-essential things are then donated to the Lenten fund campaign of the Church.
In a bid to renew national enthusiasm, the bishops deliberated during their 36th Plenary Assembly held in 1978 strategic ways to popularize the Lenten action program. It was also during this assembly that a sharing scheme on the AK collections was voted upon; 60 percent will go to the diocese, 20 percent to the regional office, and 10 percent to the national office.[2] This sharing scheme, however, will be modified in the plenary assembly of 1998. During the 77th assembly in July 1998, a new AK sharing scheme was introduced: 20 percent immediately goes to the relief and rehabilitation program of the diocese; and of the remaining 80 percent, 60 percent will go to the Diocesan Social Action Center and 40 percent (of the 80 percent) will be for the CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA).[3]
Alay Kapwa Sunday
The Philippine Church celebrates Alay Kapwa Sunday on Palm Sunday. During this time, the faithful are encouraged to support AK programs through financial contributions. The significance of Alay Kapwa is further stressed through catechesis and education, drumbeating the moral responsibility of every Christian to share their resources to the less privileged.
The implementation of Alay Kapwa was entrusted to the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace (ECSA, JP), the social action arm of the CBCP. From the original idea of a Lenten campaign for funds, another facet—that of evangelization—had been added to Alay Kapwa without undermining its original purpose. During its 35th Plenary Assembly, the Bishops’ Conference explained the additional function:
“While we promote Alay Kapwa as an evangelization program focused on justice and love according to various levels, we should aim at achieving the original purpose of the program which is the building up of self-reliant systems for disaster and human development.”[4]
AK Fund campaign
Alay Kapwa challenges every Filipino to share something with the poor and take up the moral responsibility of helping transform society into a civilization morally steeped in charity, justice, truth, love and solidarity.
In its 2008 Annual Report, NASSA stated that AK campaign of 2007 collected more than P3.1 million from various sources—arch/dioceses, national collection of Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres (SPC), Metro Manila Catholic Schools and individual donors.
But the same report also noted a substantial decrease in collection as compared in previous years. The decline in collection was attributed to the Pondo ng Pinoy initiative which has basically the same goals as AK.[5]
Aside from funding various relief and rehabilitation programs of different dioceses, contributions to AK fund campaign are also used to support other social action initiatives on peace advocacy, democratic governance, ecology, sustainable agriculture, children’s rights, disaster management, and other development concerns.
Thematic themes
As a Lenten evangelization program, Alay Kapwa has taken on various social themes that reflected the concerns of the times since it was first created. The thematic annual program provided the faithful a guide in the implementation of Alay Kapwa evangelization project in the different dioceses.
The current theme, Citizenship building and solidarity towards a culture of Peace and Integrity of Creation, challenges each Filipino to reach out and link hands in the promotion of peace and protection of the environment.
Towards a culture of peace
The situation of unpeace in Mindanao, made more complicated with the MOA-AD fiasco in August of 2008 has remain a challenge especially among Christians and Muslims who are deeply committed in the work of attaining a peaceful solution to Mindanao conflict. The spate of kidnappings of Christians by lawless elements has made the effort to address the issue even more problematic.
Another problem in the attainment of peace is the continuing counter-insurgency operations of the government against the NPA rebels. With the Macapagal-Arroyo government’s determination to contain the communist movement by 2010, it would mean a continuous military offensive in areas where there is a concentration of NPA and Muslim rebels.
Human rights violations are also rampant in the country. This alone makes the attainment of peace impossible.
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is also another concern in the face of unabated ecological destruction that is happening around us. Illegal logging has denuded our forests. This has led to massive destruction of properties and loss of lives. Unrestrained mining activities have poisoned bodies of water and left soil barren. These irresponsible activities by multinational corporations sanctioned by the government have brought not only ecological imbalance but also health problems among the people.
These realities call for a united stand among the people. The poor who have no resources are the usual victims caught in the middle of the crossfire. They are the ones who suffer the brunt of nature caused by ecological destruction.
The Spirit of Alay Kapwa
Alay Kapwa has not only taken root but has grown and expanded through the years both in understanding and implementation.
The spirit of Alay Kapwa, which is sharing of self in love, is very much alive in those who have responded to the call of the Church to make a difference in the life of the country’s millions of poor families.
Nonetheless, despite the greater awareness Alay kapwa has generated among the faithful in the past 32 years of its existence, still a lot of work has to be done in the area of social transformation.
The reality of poverty and hunger, injustices and violence, suffering and sickness, among other social concerns are still very much valid today as they were years ago.
The spirit of Alay Kapwa can never be more real in the current situation of the country today. Each Filipino is called to offer and share something to the other in need. But sharing does not only involved giving money to the Lenten program. In Alay Kapwa, everyone is also called to share his/her time, talent and treasure.
The attainment of a culture of peace will not become a reality unless everyone contribute and puts in his/her widow’s mite. The same goes in the preservation of environment. Indeed, this is now the time to reach out and connect with others especially with our less privileged brothers and sisters.
--------------------
[1]Lenten Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Alay Kapwa 1975.
[2]CBCP Decisions on Alay Kapwa – 36-11; 36th Bishops’ Plenary Assembly – January 1978, page 11; [taken from Selective Analytical Index 1945-2005]
[3]CBCP Decisions on Alay Kapwa – 77-19; 77th Bishops’ Plenary Assembly – July 1998, page 19; [taken from Selective Analytical Index 1945-2005]
[4]CBCP Decisions on Alay Kapwa - 35-15; 35th Bishops’ Plenary Assembly – July 1977, page 15; [taken from Selective Analytical Index 1945-2005]
[5]NASSA 2008 Annual Report, pp. 47-48.
Conceived in 1975 by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the project was launched to respond to the pressing needs of the time. A few years into the dictatorship, the volatile socio-economic and political situation had not contributed at all in alleviating the miserable condition of the country’s poor.
Lenten fund program
It was in this setting that the Catholic hierarchy issued a pastoral letter calling for a national renewal among Filipinos. The concept of Alay Kapwa Lenten program was introduced in that pastoral statement[1] explaining the motivation for its establishment.
The bishops in their letter pointed out the dismal state of the impoverished saying that for about 70% of the country’s population, poverty has become a way of life with an average Filipino receiving a per capita income of P3 a day. In the same pastoral letter the bishops also called on Filipinos “to analyze the root causes of misery—not only in terms of socio-economic, political and religious structures that may be causing, or maintaining, these injustices.”
The 1975 pastoral letter reminds that: “For this reason, our Lenten Action Program has been called: ALAY KAPWA—offering to our neighbor. It asks us to look around and identify our neighbor. Who are the people who most need our help? From this awareness we are asked to reflect on the reasons for this. Why are they poor, lonely, homeless, jobless, hungry, in rags, beggars, squatters?”
The concept is not original to the Philippines though. Other western countries have also their own Lenten fund campaign, the primary purpose of which is to collect funds that will eventually be used for a sustainable aid to the poor. The practice is deeply rooted on the biblical and Christian tradition of prayer, almsgiving and fasting which Christians are encouraged to practice during season of Lent. Money saved from abstaining on buying non-essential things are then donated to the Lenten fund campaign of the Church.
In a bid to renew national enthusiasm, the bishops deliberated during their 36th Plenary Assembly held in 1978 strategic ways to popularize the Lenten action program. It was also during this assembly that a sharing scheme on the AK collections was voted upon; 60 percent will go to the diocese, 20 percent to the regional office, and 10 percent to the national office.[2] This sharing scheme, however, will be modified in the plenary assembly of 1998. During the 77th assembly in July 1998, a new AK sharing scheme was introduced: 20 percent immediately goes to the relief and rehabilitation program of the diocese; and of the remaining 80 percent, 60 percent will go to the Diocesan Social Action Center and 40 percent (of the 80 percent) will be for the CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA).[3]
Alay Kapwa Sunday
The Philippine Church celebrates Alay Kapwa Sunday on Palm Sunday. During this time, the faithful are encouraged to support AK programs through financial contributions. The significance of Alay Kapwa is further stressed through catechesis and education, drumbeating the moral responsibility of every Christian to share their resources to the less privileged.
The implementation of Alay Kapwa was entrusted to the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace (ECSA, JP), the social action arm of the CBCP. From the original idea of a Lenten campaign for funds, another facet—that of evangelization—had been added to Alay Kapwa without undermining its original purpose. During its 35th Plenary Assembly, the Bishops’ Conference explained the additional function:
“While we promote Alay Kapwa as an evangelization program focused on justice and love according to various levels, we should aim at achieving the original purpose of the program which is the building up of self-reliant systems for disaster and human development.”[4]
AK Fund campaign
Alay Kapwa challenges every Filipino to share something with the poor and take up the moral responsibility of helping transform society into a civilization morally steeped in charity, justice, truth, love and solidarity.
In its 2008 Annual Report, NASSA stated that AK campaign of 2007 collected more than P3.1 million from various sources—arch/dioceses, national collection of Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres (SPC), Metro Manila Catholic Schools and individual donors.
But the same report also noted a substantial decrease in collection as compared in previous years. The decline in collection was attributed to the Pondo ng Pinoy initiative which has basically the same goals as AK.[5]
Aside from funding various relief and rehabilitation programs of different dioceses, contributions to AK fund campaign are also used to support other social action initiatives on peace advocacy, democratic governance, ecology, sustainable agriculture, children’s rights, disaster management, and other development concerns.
Thematic themes
As a Lenten evangelization program, Alay Kapwa has taken on various social themes that reflected the concerns of the times since it was first created. The thematic annual program provided the faithful a guide in the implementation of Alay Kapwa evangelization project in the different dioceses.
The current theme, Citizenship building and solidarity towards a culture of Peace and Integrity of Creation, challenges each Filipino to reach out and link hands in the promotion of peace and protection of the environment.
Towards a culture of peace
The situation of unpeace in Mindanao, made more complicated with the MOA-AD fiasco in August of 2008 has remain a challenge especially among Christians and Muslims who are deeply committed in the work of attaining a peaceful solution to Mindanao conflict. The spate of kidnappings of Christians by lawless elements has made the effort to address the issue even more problematic.
Another problem in the attainment of peace is the continuing counter-insurgency operations of the government against the NPA rebels. With the Macapagal-Arroyo government’s determination to contain the communist movement by 2010, it would mean a continuous military offensive in areas where there is a concentration of NPA and Muslim rebels.
Human rights violations are also rampant in the country. This alone makes the attainment of peace impossible.
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is also another concern in the face of unabated ecological destruction that is happening around us. Illegal logging has denuded our forests. This has led to massive destruction of properties and loss of lives. Unrestrained mining activities have poisoned bodies of water and left soil barren. These irresponsible activities by multinational corporations sanctioned by the government have brought not only ecological imbalance but also health problems among the people.
These realities call for a united stand among the people. The poor who have no resources are the usual victims caught in the middle of the crossfire. They are the ones who suffer the brunt of nature caused by ecological destruction.
The Spirit of Alay Kapwa
Alay Kapwa has not only taken root but has grown and expanded through the years both in understanding and implementation.
The spirit of Alay Kapwa, which is sharing of self in love, is very much alive in those who have responded to the call of the Church to make a difference in the life of the country’s millions of poor families.
Nonetheless, despite the greater awareness Alay kapwa has generated among the faithful in the past 32 years of its existence, still a lot of work has to be done in the area of social transformation.
The reality of poverty and hunger, injustices and violence, suffering and sickness, among other social concerns are still very much valid today as they were years ago.
The spirit of Alay Kapwa can never be more real in the current situation of the country today. Each Filipino is called to offer and share something to the other in need. But sharing does not only involved giving money to the Lenten program. In Alay Kapwa, everyone is also called to share his/her time, talent and treasure.
The attainment of a culture of peace will not become a reality unless everyone contribute and puts in his/her widow’s mite. The same goes in the preservation of environment. Indeed, this is now the time to reach out and connect with others especially with our less privileged brothers and sisters.
--------------------
[1]Lenten Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Alay Kapwa 1975.
[2]CBCP Decisions on Alay Kapwa – 36-11; 36th Bishops’ Plenary Assembly – January 1978, page 11; [taken from Selective Analytical Index 1945-2005]
[3]CBCP Decisions on Alay Kapwa – 77-19; 77th Bishops’ Plenary Assembly – July 1998, page 19; [taken from Selective Analytical Index 1945-2005]
[4]CBCP Decisions on Alay Kapwa - 35-15; 35th Bishops’ Plenary Assembly – July 1977, page 15; [taken from Selective Analytical Index 1945-2005]
[5]NASSA 2008 Annual Report, pp. 47-48.
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