mediatrix humanitarian mission update 100 bahay · pdf filesa paghahanda sa pasko ay...

1DECEMBER 2013

YEAR IX NO. 12 DECEMBER 2013OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA

PAPAL INTENTIONFOR JANUARY 2014Authentic Economic

DevelopmentVATICAN CITY – The HolyFather, Pope Francis, has forhis universal prayer intentionfor the month of January in thenew year 2014 “that all maypromote authentic economicdevelopment that respects thedignity of all peoples.”

The Apostleship of Prayeralso announced the Pontiff'sintention of Evangelization,formerly called the particularmission intention. ForJanuary, Pope Francis willpray “that Christians of diversedenominations may walktoward the unity desired byChrist.” #UB

Mediatrix Humanitarian Mission Update...

100 Bahay Tutustusan BilangTulong sa Yolanda Victims

Matapos ang mabungang panawagan sa pagkakaloob ngmga relief goods at cash mula sa mga parokya at mga iba pangmga samahang pang-simbahan at sibiko, matapos ang halos15 araw nang pamamalagi sa Arsidiyosesis ng Palo,magsisimula ang pangatlong bahagi ng gawain ng itinalagangMediatrix Humanitarian Mission (MHM) sa sussunod natatlong buwan ng bagong taong papasok. Ito ang tinatawag natulong para sa rehabilitation.

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Noong nakaraang ika-7 ngDisyembre taong 2013 ayipinagdiwang ng “Institute ofLay Ministries” ang “silveranniversary” ng kanilangpagkatatag kaalinsabay ngkanilang taunang pagtitipon sa“Lipa City Cultural Center”. Angpaghahanda sa nasabingokasyon ay pinasimulangplanuhin noong buwan ng Mayo2013. Ang napagkasunduangpangkalahatang tema ay ang mgakatagang nakasaad sa kanilang“logo” na “Luminaria Ecclesiaeaccendere” na isinalin sa wikangbanyaga na “Kindle the lights ofthe Church”.

Ang temang ito ay makikitasa mga “polo shirts” na

Sa pakiki-isa sa mganasalanta ng bagyongYolanda, ang tradisyunal napagtitipon ng kaparian bagoumarangkada sa mga gawainsa paghahanda sa Pasko ayipinagpaliban at sa halip angbudget na nakalaan sapagsasaya ay inilaan nabilang bahagi ng tulong sagagawing rehabilitasyon saisang barangay sa Parokya ngInmakulada Konsepsyon saBurauen, Leyte, sakop ngArsidiyosesis ng Lipa.Ngunit hindi ipinagpalibanang buwanang rekoleksyon atang pangkalahatangpagpupulong ng kaparian sahuling buwan ng taong2013.

Pinangasiwaanng BikariyaVI angBanal naO r a sginanap sa

ILM: 25 taon na! FR. ERICSON TIO

ipinagawa ng bawat miyembro ng“Institute” na kanilang isinuotnoong araw ng kanilangpagdiriwang. Ang temang ito aymay disenyo ng isang kustodiyana may Santisimo at banal nakasulatan na sumasagisag sabuhay ng bawat laykong lingkodna nakabatay at nakasentro samagalang na pagsamba saSantisimo at taimtim napagninilay sa Salita ng Diyos. Sapagitan ng kustodiya at Salita ngDiyos ay makikita sa disenyo angmalaking krus na siyangpagkakakilanlan ng bawatKristiyano. Ang bawat parokyaay nagpagawa rin ng mga“tarpaulins” na may ganitong

Simpleng Pagtitipon ngMga Pari Bago Pumasko;

Atty. Jo Imbong,Nagbigay Panayam

ILM: 25 TAON NA!... P. 2

SIMPLENGPAGTITIPON...

P. 2

Francis’ Messagefor World Day of Peace

2014

GUEST EDITORIAL

GUEST EDITORIAL... P. 4

(Here below is the full text of the HolyFather's first World Day of PeaceMessage for 2014.

The 47th World Day of Peacetakes place on the Solemnity ofMary Mother of God, Jan. 1st.)

“The family is the wellspringof all fraternity, and as such it isthe foundation and the firstpathway to peace, since, by itsvocation, it is meant to spread itslove to the world around it.”

Ayon kay Rdo. P. Jayzon “Jazz”Siapco, direktor ng LipaArchdiocesan Social ActionCommission (LASAC) at siya ringpuno ng MHM, dalawang projectproposals ang kanilang dala mulasa kanilang pagbabalik mula saArsidiyosesis ng Palo. Ang mgaito ay parehong nagpapanukala ngmga pabahay para sa mga nagingbiktima ng super bagyong Yolanda.

Matatandaan na labinglimangaraw na namalagi ang MHM teamsa pangunguna ni P. Jazz sa apatna parokya ng Arsidiyosesis ngPalo. Naging pangunahing gawain

ay ang pamamahagi ng mgapagkain at iba pang mga materyalna tulong sa mga biktima ngnasabing mga parokya. Mahigit salabinglimang libong mga packs ngpagkain ang nadala ng MHM saLeyte, matapos ang mahabangpaglalakbay. Naging layunin dinng grupo nina Fr. Jazz ang gumawang first-hand observation sa mganasabing lugal upang malamanang nararapat na maging hakbangsa lalo pang pangmatagalan atpangmalakihang pagtulong samga nasalanta.

2 DECEMBER 2013NEWS & EVENTSSa kanyang pag-uulat sa

ginawang Christmas Recollectionng kaparian noong ika-10 ngDisyembre sa St. Francis de SalesMajor Seminary, sinabi ni P. Jazzna ang rehabilitasyon ayngangahulugan ng pagbibigay ngtulong pananalapi upangpondohan ang pagpapagawa ngisang daang bahay. Ayon sa kanya,pera ang ibibigay at angpamamahala ng proyekto ayiniiwan na sa lokal na simbahan.Ang Barangay Paitan, sa Parokyang Inmakulada Konsepsyon sabayan ng Burauen, Leyte angkanilang napiling maging recipientng tulong pananalapi ng MHM, sangalan ng Arsidiyosesis ng Lipa.Tinatanyang aabot sa walohanggang sampung milyong pisoang magiging halaga ng proyekto.

Patuloy ang pangangalap ngtulong pananalapi ang LASAC

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Sa diwa ng simplengpagsasama- sama, mulingnagkatipon-tipon ang mgalay-workers mula sa iba’t ibangkomisyon sa Arsidiyosesis saidinaos na Annual Gatheringand Recollection noong ika-13ng Disyembre sa ArchbishopResidence. Dumalo ang mgakamanggagawa mula sakomisyon - pastoral, guro atstaff ng seminaryo, kawani nghimpilan ng radyo, staff andpersonnel sa LASAC, TubigBatangan, Pater PutativusPublishing House, taga-Chancery, Seniorate, PondongBatangan, kamanggagawa ngMSK at mga naglilingkod satahanan ng Arsobispo.

Ipinaliwanag ngChancellor , Rdo. P. OscarAndal, bilang pakikiisa samga nasalanta ng nagdaangkalamidad, ipinagpalibanmuna ang pagkakaroon ngchristmas party ngunit hindinawala ang taunangrekoleksyon. Nagingtagapagpadaloy ng recollectionsi Rdo. P. Glen Cantos, kuraparoko ng Queen of All SaintsParish sa Balele, Tanauan.Sinimulan ni P. Glen angkanyang pagbabahagi sapamamagitan ngpagpapaliwanag ng liturgicalcalendar ng simbahan.Tinawag ng pari na “momentof reflections” ang mgasandali ng pagpapadaloy nggawain. Ipinaliwang niya naito ay panahon paramakapagtanong sa sarili atmakahanap ng kasagutan.Ang tatlong pangunahingtanong na ito ay ang: “Whatam I doing?” “Where am Igoing?” “Who am I.” Aniya,sa mga katanungang ito,maaaring kang mapatigil,makapag-isip, makapagnilay,makapagsuri ng sarili ,kumilos at magbago. “Ang

disenyo upang kilalanin atpasalamatan ang kanilang mgalaykong lingkod na inilagay nila saharapan ng kani-kanilang mgaparokya.

Ang “Institute” ay naglunsaddin ng “solicitation” upangmakalimbag ng isang“commemorative book” nainaasahang matatapos sa taong2014. Ang nasabing libro aymaglalaman ng kasaysayan kungpapaano nasilang ang “Institute”sa pangangalaga ni Reb. P. VirgilioHernandez na sinundang ni Reb.P. Nepomuceno Fruto bilangdirektor, Reb. P. Ariel Gonzalez,Reb. P. Jing Buensalida, Reb. P.Bobot Hernandez V., Reb. P. EricsonTio, at ang kasalukuyang director,Reb. P. Froilan Carreon Jr.

Isa pang mahalagang magigingnilalalaman ng nasabing libro ayang mga testimoniya at mgakaranasan ng mga miyembro ng“institute”, ang kanilang mgalumang larawan at gayundin ang

ILM: 25 TAON NA!... P. 1 pangkasalukuyang larawan ngbawat “batch”.

Ang okasyon ay nagsimula saganap na alas-8 ng umaga sapamamagitan ng isang pambungadna panalangin. Pagkatapos aynagkaroon ng “roll call” by batchat “welcome address” ngpresidente ng “foundation” nasinundan ng maiksing pananalitang dating director (P. Ericson) atng kasalukyang director (P.Froilan).

Hiniling ng bagong director samga laykong lingkod angdalawang bagay: 1. paglilingkod ngmay kabanalan at 2. paglilingkodng may pagmamahal.Ang LubhangKagalang-galang na ArsobispoRamon Arguelles ang nagbahagiukol sa tema ng nasabing okasyon.Binigyan niya ng pansin ang mgatungkulin ng mga laykong ministroat dinagdagan pa niya ng pangatloang hiling ni Fr. Froilan.

Ang hiling ng Arsobispo sakanyang mga laykong lingkod ayang paglilingkod ng may kababaan

kapilya ng SFS Major Seminarynoong ika-10 ng Disyembre.Matapos nito, isinagawa angisang panayam na pinangunahanni Atty. Jo Imbong, abogado ngCBCP Permament Commissionon Cultural Heritage at ganoondin ng Commission on Familyand Life. Ipinakilala siya ni Rdo.P. Ernesto “Totit” Mandanas, Jr.

Naging paksa ni Atty. Jo angbatas ng Estado at ng Simbahanhinggil sa pangangalaga sa mgatinatawag na Cultural Heritage,na kalimitan ay mga simbahan atmga gusaling makasaysayan napag-aari ng Simbahan nanasasaklaw naman ng batas ngestado hinggil sa mga nasabinggusali. Kinailangan ito dahil na

SIMPLENG PAGTITIPON... P. 1

para maabot ang nasabing halaga.Matatandaan na bago tumulak angMHM team patungo sa Leyte,nakalikom na higit sa apat namilyong piso ang MHM. Angpagtulong sa Arsidiyosesis ngPalo ay personal na hiniling ngArsobispo nito, Archbishop JohnDu, sa Lubhang Kgg. ArsobispoRamon C. Arguelles. Hindi namantumitigil ang huli sa panawaganpara sa karagdagang pondo nanalikom na dahil nga sa pangakongitong pagtulong.

Napag-alaman ng UlatBatangan na hindi lamang angArsidiyosesis ng Palo angpinadalahan ng tulong dahil sapinasalang natamo mula sapinakamalakas na bagyongdumating sa daigdig nitong taongito. Pinadalahan din ng LASACng mga relief goods angArsidiyosesis ng Capiz.Nagpadala din ang Parokya ng

Inmakulada Konsepsyon,Batangas City bilang tugong sakahilingan ni Arsobispo JoseAdvincula na ang kanyangtahanan ay napinsala ng bagyongYolanda, pati na ang kanilangSeminaryo na nagsilbi ringevacuation center. Tulongpananalapi ang ipinadala ngBasilica ng InmakuladaKonsepsyon, ayon kay Rdo. P.Conrado Castillo, kaklase niya saUST Central Seminary.

May iba’t iba pang pagtulongsa mga biktima ng bagyo, nalumikas sa lalawigan ng Batangasang napag-alaman ng UlatBatangan sa tulong na rin ngDWAL-FM, Radyo Totoo. Satulong ng LASAC at ng Chancery,nabigyan ang mga taga-Leyte nanagnanais bumalik sa kanilanglugal ng gastusin sa kanilangpaglalakbay pabalik sa kanilanglalawigan. #UB

Tinanggap ni Rdo. P.Renante “Renz” Ilagan angbanal na orden ng pagkaparimula sa Lubhang Kgg.Arsobispo Ramon C. Arguellessa isang solemnengseremonyang ginanap noongika-12 ng Disyembre,kapistahan ng Mahal na Birhenng Guadalupe, sa SimbahangPamparokya ng Banal naSantatlo, Pallocan West,Lungsod ng Bata-ngas.

Ang pagpa-paha-yag ng pananampalataya ay binigkas niyasa harapan ni Obispo Salvador Quizon at sinaksihan ni Rdo. P.Oscar Andal, Chancellor. Ito’y nagsilbing simula ngseremonyang umabot sa kulang-kulang na tatlong oras.

Sa pakikipanayam ng Ulat Batangan kina G. at Gng. Renatoat Violeta Ilagan, mga magulang ni P. Renz, siya ay pangalawasa limang magkakapatid na dalawa roon ay mga babae. Angunang paring nagmula sa Barangay at Parokya ni San IsidroLabrador ay isinilang noong ika-4 ng Oktubre 1982. Nagtapossiya Batangas National High School noong 1999 at nag-enrollsa Batangas State University ng dalawang semester, kumuhang drafting. Pero noong Abril 2000, sumubok siyang kumuhang entrance test sa Institute of Formation. Siya ay tumigil ngisang taon doon nguni’t di kaagad nagtuloy sa Kolehiyo. Suma-ilalim siya ng dalawang taong regency. Taong 2003 siya pumasoksa St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary at tuluy-tuloy nahanggang sa siya ay ma-ordenahang diyakono noong ika-6 ngMayo 2013 sa Parokya ng Sto. Nino, Marawoy, Lipa City. #UB

Rdo. P. Renante “Renz” Ilagan, Bagong Paripara sa Arsidiyosesis ng Lipa

ng loob. Ang pinakasentro ngokasyon ay walang iba kundi angBanal na pagdiriwang ng Misa napinamunuan din ng Arsobispo ngLipa at ang nangaral ay angkanyang Kabunyian GaudencioCardinal Rosales. Kanyangibinahagi ang papel ng mgalaykong ministro sapagpapalaganap ng paghahari ngDiyos dito pa man sa lupa.

Pagkatapos ng Misa ay angsimpleng pagsasalu-salo. Ito ayipinasyang maging simple bilangpakikiisa sa mga nasalanta ngbagyong Yolanda. Ang ikalawangkoleksyon ay tinipon at ipadadalasa mga biktima ng nasabingkalamidad. Pagkatapos ngtanghalian ay nagkaroon ngmunting programa, kasiyahan,kantahan, at munting raffle.

At pagkatapos ay kinailanganng magsi-uwi ang mga laykonglingkod sa kani-kanilang mgaparokya upang maglingkod sa mgaMisa sapagkat ito ay araw ngSabado. #UB

rin sa ilang mga kaso nakinakaharap ng ilang mga parokyana nagkakaroon ng mga di-pagkakaunawaan sa NationalHistorical Institute (NHI).Nilinaw ng abodaga ng Simbahan,lalong kilala sa kanyang pagigingpro-life , ang mga batas atpatakaran ng simbahan at estadotungkol sa mga pagpapagawa opagbabagong gustong gawin samga nasabing mga istraktura.Pinayuhan ni Atty. Jo ang lahatna mabuting sumunod sa mgabatas ng pamahalaan sa paraannamang hindi isusuko sa estadoang karapatan ng Simbahan, lalona kung ang pananampalatayaang nasasangkot.

Matapos ang panayam,nagkaroon ng pagbibigay ng

mga kaalaman tungkol sa iba’tibang sangay ng buhay-pastoraltulad ng apostolado sa kabataan,sa buhay at pamilya, sa buhaykleriko, sa Chancery bago angmensahe ng Arsobispo.

Sa kanyang pagsasalita samga pari, hinikayat ng Arsobispona gawin ang lahat upang angpaghahanda sa mgamananampalataya saKapaskuhan ay magingmakabuluhan at magdala sa lalopang ikalalapit ng mga tao kayKristo. Ipinagkaloob din niya angkarapatan na magpatawad sa mgatinatawag na “reserved sins”ngayong panahon ng Adbiento.

Namahagi rin ang Arsobispong kanyang personal na regalo sabawat pari! #UB

Annual Recollection and Gathering ETHEL ROBLES

gawain ng isang tao angsiyang nagdidikta kung sinosiya at kung saan siyadadalhin nito,” dagdag pa niP. Glen. Sa kanyang talk, maymga awitin ding itinuro si P.Glen na madali namangnasabayan ng mga dumalo.

Tampok na bahagi nggathering ang idinaos naBanal na Misa, alas onse ngumaga. Kasama si P. Oca,pinamunuan ni Lubhang Kgg.Arsobispo Ramon Arguellesang Banal na pagdiriwang.“If you don’t know whereyou’re going, you won’t getthere.” Ito ang binigyangpansin ng Arsobispo sakanyang mensahe. Ayon saArsobispo, dapat na alam ngbawat isa na ang kanyangpatutunguhan ay ang Diyossapagkat lahat ay sa Kanyanagmula. Hindi rinnalimutang ipaalala ng ama ngArsidiyosesis ang patuloy napananalangin para sa mgakababayan sa Leyte nanagsusumikap bumangon.Umapela rin siya na tulunganang LASAC para sa Phase 3 ngMediatrix Humanitarian Missionkung saan sa pamamagitan ngdonasyong makakalap aymagtatayo ng 100 bahay parasa mga residente ng isangbarangay doon.

Matapos na magsalu-salosa pananghalian, nagkaroonng kaunting pa-raffle napinangasiwaan ni P. Ocakasama ang staff ng Chancery.Dahil simple lamang angpagtitipon, hindi nanagkaroon ng pagpapalitanng regalo, production numbersat mga palaro. Ang hulingbahagi ay ang pagbati atpamahagi ng pamaskonghandog ni Archbishop para samga lay workers. Tumanggapsila ng kalendaryo, goods atcash gift. #UB

ARAL OFFICERS, NAGSAMA-SAMA:Nagtipon-tipon ang mga bumubuong Association of Religious in theArchdiocese of Lipa (ARAL) sa PadreGarcia, Batangas. Ang samahan aybinubuo ng lahat ng kongregasyonng mga relihiyoso at reliheyosa nanasa sa Arsidiyosesis ng Lipa. Ito aypinangunguluhan ni Rdo. P. John deCastro, OSJ. Isa sa mga pinag-usapanng grupo ang kanilang papel sa lokalna simbahan, lalo na sa nalalapit naArchdiocesan Synod.

(Picture courtesyof Bro. Ruben Caluyong, FSC)

3DECEMBER 2013 NEWS & EVENTSBalitang Bikariya Dos

ETHELIZA ROBLES, Chief, UB News Bureau

San Nicolas, Batangas - Nagdaos ng isang Christmasconcert sa Parokya ni San Nicolas de Tolentino noongika- 14 ng Disyembre. Handog ng San Nicolas Parish Choir(SNPC) ang simpleng konsiyerto na pinamagatang “AngAting Pasko”. Bukod sa makatulong na makalikom ngpondo para sa mga pagawain sa parokya, layon din ngpagtatanghal na mapaunlad pa ang talento at tiwala sasarili ng bawat kasapi. Halos tatlong oras ang itinagal ngkonsiyerto na sinimulan bandang alas 7:30 ng gabihanggang alas diyes. Ilan sa mga awitin inihandog ngkoro ay ang Holy Darkness, Silent Night, Long of Mary,Sleep Little Baby, Halleluia, Oh Holy Night, Silver Bells,Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, Mary’s Little Boy Child. Sakasalukuyan, binubuo ng 26 na miyembro ang SNPC sapangunguna ni Bro. Danny Esparas, choir president atManuel Granado, organist. Inabangan sa concert angespesyal na bilang mula sa dating mga kura paroko sakatauhan nina Rdo. P. Greg Landicho at Rdo. P. GlenCantos. Tampok rin ang pag-awit ni Rdo. P. DonaldDimaandal habang pampasiglang dance number ang alaynina Rdo. P. Magno Casala at Rdo. P. Dakila Ramos.Sumayaw rin ang mga kabataang bumubuo ng ParishYouth Council. Hinarana naman ni James Joseph Cardenasang mga manonood sa saliw ng pagtugtog ng gitara niBernice Dorothy Caringal. Nagbigay ng mensahe ngpasasalamat si Rdo.P. Sam Titular, kura paroko. Ibayongtuwa at galak umano ang naramdaman ng pari habangpinapanood ang pagtatanghal ng koro sa parokya.Sumaksi naman sa Christmas concert ang mga parokyanoat mananampalataya sa San Nicolas. Nagsilbing guro ngpalatuntunan sina G. Christian Calubag at Gng. Aiza Bilog.Samantala, ang tickets sa concert ay nabili ng mgatumangkilik sa halagang 100, 200 at 300 piso.

Cuenca, Batangas - Nagkatipon - tipon sa adventrecollection ang mga katekista sa ikalawang bikariya noongika- 30 ng Nobyembre. Idinaos sa Parokya ni San IsidroLabrador ang rekoleksyon ng mga katekista mula sa mgaparokya sa ilalim ng bikariya dos. Naging pangunahingtagapagpadaloy sa kalahating araw na gawaing pagninilaysi Rdo. P. Junie Maralit, kura paroko sa Parokya ngInvencion dela Sta. Cruz sa Alitagtag.

Binigyang diin ni P. Junie ang mga paghahanda sapanahon ng adbiento at sa pagdating ni Hesukristo.Taunang gawain ng mga katekista ang pagdalo sa adventreco bukod pa sa lenten recollection. Pagkatapos ngaktibidad ay ginanap naman ang pagpupulong ng VicarialConfaternity on Christian Doctrine o VCCD Board napinangunahan ng pangulo na si Sis. Marina Robles.

Subic, Agoncillo - Kasabay sa paggunita ng kapistahanng Birhen ng Medalya Milagrosa noong ika - 27 ngNobyembre, isinagawa ang simpleng ritu ng pagbabasbasng bagong gawang simbahang gusali ng Our Lady ofMiraculous Medal Parish. Pinamunuan ni LubhangKgg.Arsobispo Ramon Arguelles ang blessing ng bagongaltar at pagdiriwang ng Banal na Misa. Ibinahagi ng kuraparoko, Rdo. P. Donald Dimaandal, panahon na upangmapalaki at mapaluwang ng kaunti ang simbahan sapagkatdumarami na ang mga maninimba. Hindi umano bumababang 100 ang mga sumisimba araw - araw mula sa 10barangay na sakop. Ito ay bilang paghahanda na rin sapagdiriwang ng ika- 70 taong pagkatatag ng kanilangparokya sa 2015. Paglalahad pa ng pari, 2011 nagsimulaang proyektong tinawag na “Were Going Big, A Little Bit”.Sa kasalukuyan, nasa 90% na ang naipapatapos sakonstruksyon. Napalaki na ang magkabilang bahagi ngsimbahan, napataas ang bubong at may bagong altar.Kaakibat ng mga pagpapagawa ang ilang fundraisingprojects ng parokya kabilang ang idinaos na Search forPrinsipe at Prinsesita ng Parokya 2013 kung saan 23pares ng mga bata ang lumahok. Nakuha nina MikhailThomas Abejilina at Jonah Anezah Bunquinang titulongayong taon. Bahagi rin ng mga gawain sa kapistahanang coronation night na idinaos sa patio ng simbahannoong ika-23 ng Nobyembre. Sa kabilang dako, noong arawng kapistahan, pinarangalan ng mga mag-aaral mula saMataas na Paaralan ng Medalyang Milagrosa Inc. angMahal na Birheng Maria. Inialay ng mga mag-aaral sa Grade7, 8, Juniors at Seniors para sa karangalan ng patronaang kanilang field demonstration at sayaw. Nagkaroon dinng patimpalak sa pag -awit na tinawag na “KantahangMalupit Kahit ‘Di Tag- init - Season 2”. Samantala, bukodkay Bishop Salvador Quizon, nanguna rin sa nobena misaang mga pari ng bikariya dos noong ika-17 ng Nobyembrekabilang dito sina Rdo. P. Milo Malabuyoc, Rdo. P. SamTitular, Rdo. P. Rodem Ramos, Rdo. P. Eugene Valencia,Rdo. P. Noel Abutal, Rdo.P. Eugene Penalosa, Rdo. P.Larry Famari. #UB

Dalawang Seminarista ng SFSTS, Itinalagang Lektor!Dalawang seminarista ng

SFSTS ang itinilagang lektor ngLubhang Kagalang-galang RamonC. Arguelles, D.D. STL, Arsobispong Lipa noong ika-2 ng Disyembre,2013 sa bagong kapilya ngnasabing seminaryo.

Ang dalawang itinalagang lektoray sina Sem. Kyrios Hafid T.Concordia ng parokya ng Sto. Tomasde Aquino, Sto. Tomas Batangas atSem. Donn Paolo S. Ramos ngparokya ng San Isidro Labrador, SanIsidro, Lipa City. Sila ay nasaikalawang taon ng paghuhubog saTeolohiya, ang huling antas ngpaghuhubog sa pagpapari.

Sa homilya ng mahal naArsobispo, muli niyang binigyaangdiin ang kahalagahan ng iba’t-ibang bahagdan ng paglilingkod sasimbahan (ministries). Aniya, angpagtanggap ng ganitong gawainay hindi lamang bahagi ng

paghuhubog sa pagpapari, sa halip,itong mga gawaing ito ay maging

daan upang ibahagi si Kristo samga tao. #UB

Members of Couples for Christand its family ministry all overBatangas gathered together incelebration of the great love andbountiful blessing of the Lord forthe 26th Anniversary of CFCBatangas, November 10, 2013 atBatangas City Coliseum.

Early Sunday morning,attendees arrived in their colorfuldresses and costumes in a festivemood of the Wedding at Cana asthis year’s theme.

The said even was highlightedby the praise parade competitionparticipated by the twelve differentclusters of CFC Batangas. Thevibrant and lively dance and praiseput together gave the audience ofmore 3000 members a one greatwatch.

Bro. Jay Calingasan added upa brightness to the said event byleading the afternoon worship. Hisinspiring story, the powerful musicof the band and the members ofYFC dancing in praise truly movedthe entire coliseum.

Thereafter, SFC Batangaspresented a Cana Musical StageProduction which vividly

CFC-Archdiocese of Lipa (Batangas) 26th Anniversary:A Testimony of Obedience

BRO PAUL DIMAYUGA, SFC, WEST SECTOR

commemorated the self-manifestation of our Lord JesusChrist at the Wedding at Cana, amiracle of love and obedience.

Making the celebration filledwith wonderful messages from theLord, Bro. Jimmy Ilagan, PhilippineMission Director with his wife, SisLorna and Bro. Noynoy Dalmanboth shared their thoughts onstage. Bro Ding Aguinaldo,Regional coordinator of CFCSouthern Tagalog arrived later togreet the participants.

This momentous event wasthen closed by Archbishop RamonC. Arguelles with the celebrationof the Holy Eucharist. ArchbishopArguelles, who was alsocelebrating his birthday November12, reiterated the essence of therenewal of our faith andevangelization. Live Christ. ShareChrist.He was joined by otherclergy headed by Msgr. BoyOriondo, Father Oca Andal, FatherDale Barreto Kho, Father EugenePenalosa, Father Peewee Cabreraand Father Donald Dimaandal.

The event was also anopportunity to all CFC to share for

the Victims of Typhoon Yolanda,when they contributed thru theMass collections amounting to54,148.00 pesos as initial fundwhich was endorsed later to theArchdiocese thru LASAC, thesocial action commission.

The highly anticipatedannouncement of winners for thepraise parade competition by BroVic Alvarez, the Provincial AreaDirector of CFC- Archdiocese ofLipa resulted with West SectorCluster A bagging up the first placewhile North Sector Cluster B andSouth B Sector ending up in secondand third places respectively.

Bro. Jun and Sis. Anlyn Angelesof CFC, Sis Stephanie Landicho ofSFC and Bro. Ian Dimayacyac ofYFC hosted the said event.

Truly, this huge day for theLord was an evident manifestationof success through wholeheartedobedience of all the faithfulservants of God, the Couples ForChrist and its Family Ministries.

If we will always obey the Lord,we will witness his greatnessunfolding right before our veryeyes. “Obey and Witness.” #UB

ARCHDIOCESAN COMMISSION ON VOCATIONALTAR KNIGHTS’ SPORTSFEST 2014

(by cluster)ST. FRANCIS DE SALES MINOR SEMINARY

San Lorenzo Ruiz Road, Lipa City

This is open to all legitimate altar servers who are twelve years old and below.

Vicariates 1 & 2 - January 18, 2014Vicariates 3 & 7 - January 25, 2014Vicariates 4, 5 & 6 - February 1, 2014

The day’s schedule is as follows: 7:00 am - Arrival and Registration 7:30 - Holy Mass 8:30 - Vocation Talk 9:00 - Tour within the Minor Seminary10:00 - Merienda10:30 onwards - Sports Fest Proper/Games

(Basketball, Dama, Chess, Table Tennis, Pool)

NO REGISTRATION FEE WILL BE CHARGED BUT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BRINGTHEIR OWN FOOD.

4 DECEMBER 2013

Most Rev. Ramón Argüelles, DD, STL

G U E S T E D I T O R I A L

OPINION

E D I T O R I A L S TA F FOFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA

For your comments, submission of articles, and/or subscriptionsemail us at [email protected]

Visit us at Ulat Batangan in www.archlipa.org

SUBSCRIPTION RATE: P200 FOR 12 MONTHS OR P20.00 PER MONTH.

Fr. Nonie C. DolorEditor-in-Chief

Jesusa D. BauanCirculation Manager

Fr. Eric Joaquin AradaFr. Nonie C. Dolor

Photographers

Niño BalitaCartoonist

Atty. Mary Antoniette E. ArguellesLegal Counsel

Archdiocese of LipaPublisher

Fr. Oscar L. AndalManaging Editor

Contributors:Msgr. Ruben Dimaculagan

Mrs. Norma AbratigueFr. Bimbo PantojaFr. Manny Guazon

Fr. Oscar AndalEmma D. Bauan

Mrs. Elsie A. RabagoSis. Divine PadillaMs. Ethel Robles

Lenny D. MendozaLay-out Artist

Printer: Pater Putativus Publishing House


Many times in the past recentyears, Christmas had beenpreceded by natural calamities likestorms and floods, and moraldecline as last year's legalizationof RH which could only lead tothe onrush of DEATH policies.For some people such pastChristmases were hard tocommemorate. For many, themeaning of Christmas which is thecoming of the reign of God hasbecome even more remote. Afeeling of disappointment andhopelessness prevails. It is as ifthe forces of evil, which the spiritof Christmas meant to stop, aregaining ground, enjoying victoryafter victory.

Christmas 2013 following thekiller earthquakes, terriblemudslides, and super typhoonsseems to negate further the realsense of Christmas. The naturalfeeling is desperation. Many thinkthat Christmas is not worthcelebrating. The year ends forsome with immense disbelief,doubting if God is still in-charge ofeverything or whether He hasalready lost patience withhumanity and with the whole ofcreation.

Luckily, as the whole Catholicworld concludes the Year of Faithand as the Church in thePhilippines continues to search fordeeper commitment toevangelization preparatory to the5th century of the firstimplantation of the seed of faithin the Philippine soil, there arethose who, tragediesnotwithstanding, believe thatChristmas 2013 is more real thanever. The sole difference is thatits celebration is less external andmore profound and meaningful for

CHRISTMAS 2013NEW YEAR 2014


1. In this, my first Message for the World Day of Peace, Iwish to offer to everyone, individuals and peoples, my bestwishes for a life filled with joy and hope. In the heart ofevery man and woman is the desire for a full life, includingthat irrepressible longing for fraternity which draws us tofellowship with others and enables us to see them not asenemies or rivals, but as brothers and sisters to be acceptedand embraced.

Fraternity is an essential human quality, for we arerelational beings. A lively awareness of our relatedness helpsus to look upon and to treat each person as a true sister orbrother; without fraternity it is impossible to build a just societyand a solid and lasting peace. We should remember thatfraternity is generally first learned in the family, thanks aboveall to the responsible and complementary roles of each of itsmembers, particularly the father and the mother. The familyis the wellspring of all fraternity, and as such it is thefoundation and the first pathway to peace, since, by itsvocation, it is meant to spread its love to the world around it.

The ever-increasing number of interconnections andcommunications in today's world makes us powerfully awareof the unity and common destiny of the nations. In thedynamics of history, and in the diversity of ethnic groups,societies and cultures, we see the seeds of a vocation toform a community composed of brothers and sisters whoaccept and care for one another. But this vocation is stillfrequently denied and ignored in a world marked by a"globalization of indifference" which makes us slowly inuredto the suffering of others and closed in on ourselves.

In many parts of the world, there seems to be no end tograve offences against fundamental human rights, especiallythe right to life and the right to religious freedom. The tragicphenomenon of human trafficking, in which the unscrupulousprey on the lives and the desperation of others, is but oneunsettling example of this. Alongside overt armed conflictsare the less visible but no less cruel wars fought in theeconomic and financial sectors with means which are equallydestructive of lives, families and businesses.

Globalization, as Benedict XVI pointed out, makes usneighbours, but does not make us brothers.1 The manysituations of inequality, poverty and injustice, are signs notonly of a profound lack of fraternity, but also of the absenceof a culture of solidarity. New ideologies, characterized byrampant individualism, egocentrism and materialisticconsumerism, weaken social bonds, fuelling that "throwaway" mentality which leads to contempt for, and theabandonment of, the weakest and those considered"useless". In this way human coexistence increasingly tendsto resemble a mere do ut des which is both pragmatic andselfish.

At the same time, it appears clear that contemporaryethical systems remain incapable of producing authenticbonds of fraternity, since a fraternity devoid of reference to acommon Father as its ultimate foundation is unable toendure.2 True brotherhood among people presupposes anddemands a transcendent Fatherhood. Based on therecognition of this fatherhood, human fraternity isconsolidated: each person becomes a “neighbour” who caresfor others.

FRATERNITY, THE FOUNDATIONAND PATHWAY TO PEACE

that begun to unfold. He, however,trusted and made others pray withgreat faith for assistance from theBlessed Virgin Mary. War ragedon at the expense of so many liveswasted, properties destroyed,communities divided, and thefeeling of despondency worsened.A hundred years since then theworld has not learned its lesson.2014 can be the eve of a great war.Worse disasters threaten the entireplanet. Not a few psychics andspiritual seers predict animpending holocaust. No less thanthe Mother of God herself insupposed various apparitionsuttered serious warnings for peopleto wake up and do something toavoid greater distress. Like a goodmother, however, She arouse in Herfaithful children the eagerness tolive a life of total consecration toGod through Her ImmaculateHeart, to go back to the kingdomof God, and to seek theaccomplishment of His will tochange the disastrous direction ofhuman life. People of today haveno choice but to heed this warningfrom modern saints and from theHoly Mother herself. The cleardanger is there. We only need tosave the world and humanity fromthe impending destruction. Thesolutions are prayer, return to Godand follow His commandments,solicitude for the welfare of others,and selflessness. All men andwomen of goodwill must heed thiscall. God is always ready to savehumanity. Men and women oftoday should accept humbly Hisoffer of salvation. Less than thisis courting evil on this earth andrejecting the offer of the God ofharmony, love, and peace. As theyear 2013 dawns, let us confidentlyenter into this new period of humanhistory equip with self-sacrifice,love and service of others, andcomplete surrender to Him. If wework for this with all our might, ourwish for a Happy New year can berealized. 2014 is the Year of the Laity.Lay people comprise 99.99% ofthe Roman Catholic Church. Thelaity, especially the young, arecalled to play an important taskin the work of the Church.Christmas 2013 and New Year2014 are momentous occasions toawaken our laity into their taskof evangelization and in thestrengthening of the family whichis the basic cell of the Church andsociety. When the ThirdChristian Millennium draws to aclose, it will proclaim that faithoverrun the whole continent ofAsia due to the selfless serviceof lay men and women. HappyNew Year 2014! #UB

it is true that the first Christmaswas not preserved from tragedies.Weren't the Child Jesus and Hispoor parents rejected by thepowerful and affluent of thosetimes? Weren't the innocentchildren executed by the cruel kingdue to his hatred of the newbornSaviour? Wasn't the great part ofthe world oblivious of themarvelous event that only theheavenly beings and themarginalized people were awareof? The many debacles precedingChristmas 2013 induced manypeople to experience thesimplicity, the solemnity, theextraordinariness of the originalChristmas. Everybody must behappy that God has permittedhumanity to experience a certainshock in order to live the real spiritof Christmas. The last days ofDecember are brilliant occasionsthat manifested our country andour people's faith and trust in God,thanking God for experiencingnothingness and becoming trueproclaimers of the gift of God'slove, recognizable in our peopleso much in need of mercy. Thereis absolutely valid ground to greeteach other more meaningfully aMerry Christmas 2013.

With this joy and faith-filleddisposition one can look forwardwith profound hope and truthfullywish everyone a blessed New Year2014. A hundred years ago thisyear, the whole world was afflictedwith fear of an unheard kind ofconflict. The First World Warstarted on that year. Pope Pius Xdied experiencing great grief at theprospect of a war neverexperienced before. Pope BenedictXV came into the picture weakenedby huge concern at the tragedies

Straightfrom the Heart

This columnwill resume next issue.

- EDITOR

IMPORTANT DATES FOR ARCHBISHOP RAMÓN C. ARGÜELLESJanuary 6, 2014 20th Year of Ordination to the Episcopate by Pope John Paul II

St. Peter’s Cathedral (1994)

July 16, 2014 10th Year of Installation as Archbishop of Lipa (2004)

November 12, 2014 70th Birthday (1944)

December 21, 2014 45th Year of Ordination as Priest (1969)by Bp Amado Paulino for the Archdiocese of Manila, Manila Cathedral

5DECEMBER 2013 OPINION

“Where is your brother?” (Gen 4:9)2. To understand more fully this human vocation to fraternity,

to recognize more clearly the obstacles standing in the way of itsrealization and to identify ways of overcoming them, it is ofprimary importance to let oneself be led by knowledge of God'splan, which is presented in an eminent way in sacred Scripture.

According to the biblical account of creation, all people aredescended from common parents, Adam and Eve, the couplecreated by God in his image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26), to whomCain and Abel were born. In the story of this first family, we seethe origins of society and the evolution of relations betweenindividuals and peoples.

Abel is a shepherd, Cain is a farmer. Their profound identityand their vocation is to be brothers, albeit in the diversity of theiractivity and culture, their way of relating to God and to creation.Cain's murder of Abel bears tragic witness to his radical rejectionof their vocation to be brothers. Their story (cf. Gen 4:1-16)brings out the difficult task to which all men and women arecalled, to live as one, each taking care of the other. Cain, incapableof accepting God's preference for Abel who had offered him thebest of his flock - "The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering;but for Cain and his offering he had no regard" (Gen 4:4-5) -killed Abel out of jealousy. In this way, he refused to regard Abelas a brother, to relate to him rightly, to live in the presence ofGod by assuming his responsibility to care for and to protectothers. By asking him "Where is your brother?", God holds Cainaccountable for what he has done. He answers: "I do not know.Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen 4:9). Then, the Book of Genesistells us, "Cain went away from the presence of the Lord" (4:16).

We need to ask ourselves what were the real reasons whichled Cain to disregard the bond of fraternity and, at the sametime, the bond of reciprocity and fellowship which joined him tohis brother Abel. God himself condemns and reproves Cain'scollusion with evil: "sin is crouching at your door" (Gen 4:7).But Cain refuses to turn against evil and decides instead to raisehis "hand against his brother Abel" (Gen 4:8), thus scorning God'splan. In this way, he thwarts his primordial calling to be a childof God and to live in fraternity.

The story of Cain and Abel teaches that we have an inherentcalling to fraternity, but also the tragic capacity to betray thatcalling. This is witnessed by our daily acts of selfishness, whichare at the root of so many wars and so much injustice: manymen and women die at the hands of their brothers and sisterswho are incapable of seeing themselves as such, that is, as beingsmade for reciprocity, for communion and self-giving.

“And you will all be brothers” (Mt 23:8)3. The question naturally arises: Can the men and women of

this world ever fully respond to the longing for fraternity placedwithin them by God the Father? Will they ever manage by theirpower alone to overcome indifference, egoism and hatred, andto accept the legitimate differences typical of brothers and sisters?

By paraphrasing his words, we can summarize the answergiven by the Lord Jesus: "For you have only one Father, who isGod, and you are all brothers and sisters" (cf. Mt 23:8-9). Thebasis of fraternity is found in God's fatherhood. We are notspeaking of a generic fatherhood, indistinct and historicallyineffectual, but rather of the specific and extraordinarily concretepersonal love of God for each man and woman (cf. Mt 6:25-30). It is a fatherhood, then, which effectively generates fraternity,because the love of God, once welcomed, becomes the mostformidable means of transforming our lives and relationshipswith others, opening us to solidarity and to genuine sharing.

In a particular way, human fraternity is regenerated in and byJesus Christ through his death and resurrection. The Cross isthe definitive foundational locus of that fraternity which humanbeings are not capable of generating themselves. Jesus Christ,who assumed human nature in order to redeem it, loving theFather unto death on the Cross (cf. Phil 2:8), has through hisresurrection made of us a new humanity, in full communionwith the will of God, with his plan, which includes the fullrealization of our vocation to fraternity.

From the beginning, Jesus takes up the plan of the Father,acknowledging its primacy over all else. But Christ, with hisabandonment to death for love of the Father, becomes thedefinitive and new principle of us all; we are called to regardourselves in him as brothers as sisters, inasmuch as we arechildren of the same Father. He himself is the Covenant; in hisperson we are reconciled with God and with one another asbrothers and sisters. Jesus' death on the Cross also brings anend to the separation between peoples, between the people ofthe Covenant and the people of the Gentiles, who were bereft ofhope until that moment, since they were not party to the pacts ofthe Promise. As we read in the Letter to the Ephesians, JesusChrist is the one who reconciles all people in himself. He is peace,for he made one people out of the two, breaking down the wallof separation which divided them, that is, the hostility betweenthem. He created in himself one people, one new man, one newhumanity (cf. 2:14-16).



Copes, Humeral Veils and Blessingsiturgy

(Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and deanof theology at the Regina Apostolorum University.)

Q1: Should a purple cope and humeral veil be used for Benediction during theAdvent and Lenten seasons or should they always be white?

Q2: Is it correct that the priest or bishop should not impart a blessing in the presenceof the exposed Blessed Sacrament (other than with the monstrance)? If theLiturgy of the Hours is being prayed, for instance, my understanding is that itshould conclude with "May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bringus to everlasting life. Amen," rather than "May almighty God bless you …."

A: Regarding the first question a distinction must be made. The humeral veil used tocover the monstrance during Benediction or to carry the pyx or ciborium is alwayswhite, in all seasons of the year. A partial exception is Good Friday's celebration ofthe Passion of the Lord, in which it is permitted to bring the Eucharist for communionfrom the reservation chapel to the altar using a red humeral veil.

With respect to the cope the norms are different. White is normally used forBenediction. However, if a solemn celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours immediatelyprecedes Benediction, then the celebrant may wear either white or the correspondingliturgical color of the day or season (red, violet, rose or green).

In such cases it is sometimes necessary to change the normal seating arrangementsof the ministers so that they preside at the liturgy turned toward the Blessed Sacramentexposed. This is done even if it means the ministers will not be facing the assembly.

With respect to the second question it is true that no public blessings are impartedin the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed. Our reader expresses the correctprocedure for ending a celebration of a lauds or vespers during exposition.

There is one slight exception to this norm. The current rubrics for exposition andBenediction indicate that the celebrant "blesses the incense without saying anything"(Ceremonial of Bishops, No. 1109). This is effectively a novelty and the only case ofany blessing before the Blessed Sacrament exposed.

The probable reason for this change was to simplify and unify the rite of infusingincense by eliminating the differences among several ritual situations such as whenincense in used during Mass or during a solemn celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours.

In recent years, however, quite a few liturgists have requested that the earlier practiceof no blessings during exposition be restored. #UB

Degrees of BlessingsQ: “With regard to a priest's blessing of sacramentals being 'permanent' and the

varying degrees of blessings … I brought a rosary to Mass so that our parishpriest could bless it afterward, but he declined, saying that his final blessingwas equal to any blessing he could perform again, and that my faith shouldallow me to believe that another blessing was not necessary. Since I am obedientto my parish priest, I believe him, and want my faith to be as simple and secureas he expects. Do you agree that the final blessing at Mass is 'good enough' tobless sacramentals, even if it was not my i`ntention at the time it was offered?"

A: The short answer would be no.

The final blessing at Mass is an evocative blessing upon the persons who are presentso that, in a way, they carry the fruits of the Mass away with them and into their dailylives. In the mind of the Church it is a blessing of persons and not objects.

When the Church desires to bless an object, it has proper rites for doing so. Theseare found in the Book of Blessings. Part III of this book, "Blessings of Articles Meant toFoster the Devotion of the Christian People," has a chapter dedicated to the blessingof rosaries with two formularies, depending on whether there are many or few rosariesto be blessed.

It is also possible, in special circumstances, for a priest or deacon to bless a rosarysaying simply, "May this rosary and the one who uses it be blessed in the name of theFather, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."In other words, there is the need to specify what is being blessed. It is also noteworthythat although the rite for blessing rosaries foresees the possibility of a communitycelebration, it does not include a rite for blessing them within Mass.

An exception to this general rule would be that of papal blessings. At papal audiencesit is formally announced that the Pope intends to bless any religious objects brought tothe audience.

Even though there is no such announcement on other occasions, the Holy Father iswell aware that many pilgrims can assist at only one papal event and that they alsobring devotional objects to be blessed at the weekly Angelus and pontifical Masses.The blessing of such objects would thus be included in his intention at the moment ofblessing. #UB

6 DECEMBER 2013FEATURES

Our dear brothers andsisters in Christ,

You already know surelythat this coming 2021 we shallbe celebrating the 500th yearof the arrival of Christianity inthe Philippines. For in 1521,Ferdinand Magellan arrived inthe Philippines, and in Cebu,he, a lay person, catechizedKing Humabon of Cebu, hiswife and their people. Theking and his queen weresubsequently baptizedtogether with their followers.It was on this occasion that thequeen, newly given thebaptismal name of Juana wasgifted by Magellan with astatue of the Santo Niño,which was later found in 1565by soldiers of Miguel Lopezde Legazpi, and is nowpreserved in the Basilica of theSanto Niño in Cebu.

In preparation for thecelebration of this providentialevent of the first arrival ofChristianity in our shores, theChurch in the Philippines hasplanned nine years of intensiveevangelization, with a themefor every year. For the year2013, we celebrated the Yearof Faith provided by thenPope Benedict XVI. The Year2014 will be the YEAR OFTHE LAITY.

Our Situation: The Gospelof Joy

Pope Francis says "Thejoy of living frequently fades,lack of respect for others andviolence are on the rise, andinequality is increasinglyevident. It is a struggle to liveand, often, to live withprecious little dignity".(Evangelii Gaudium, 52)

If we were given anopportunity to describe thesituation of the Catholic laityin the Philippines, it would bethe paradox of poverty andabundance. The devastationthat typhoon Yolanda broughtupon our brothers and sistersin Samar and Leyte hascreated surges of pain andanguish all over our land andeven beyond our shores. Thetyphoon left us dazed and lostgroping in the dark foranswers and explanation.Poor as we are, this pauperamong the nations of the earthhides two jewels in her rags.One of them is our music. Ourother treasure is our faith. Aslong as there remains in theseislands one mother to sing

Filipino Catholic Laity: Called to be Saints... Sent Forth as Heroes!(Pastoral Exhortation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines for the 2014 Year of the Laity)

Nena's lullaby, one priest tostand at the altar and offerGod to God, this nation maybe conquered, trampled upon,enslaved but it cannot perish.Like the sun that dies everyevening, it will rise again fromthe dead-Horacio de la Costa,SJ.

The first and most importanttruth about you FilipinoCatholic laity is not povertybut the greatness of yourdignity. This dignity derivesfrom God's unmerited choiceof you to belong to God's holypeople. God called you inChrist to be united to his Son.When you were baptized, theHoly Spirit united you with ourLord Jesus the Son of God,and thus you became true sonsand daughters of God,partakers of the divine nature.There is no greater dignity onearth or in heaven than that ofbeing adopted children ofGod, and being made truly hischildren, and thus co-heirs toeternal life with Jesus Christ.This dignity flows from thelove of God, and made theauthor of 1 John exclaim,"Behold, what manner of loveGod has bestowed upon us,that we should be calledchildren of God, and that iswhat we are. Beloved we arealready the children of Godbut it has not yet appearedwhat we shall be, becausewhen we see him, we shallbecome as he is." This is whatalso made St. Leo the Greatexclaim, "Recognize yourdignity, O Christian . . ." Thatgrace came to you with yourbaptism which is a true rebirthto eternal life.

The joy of the gospel fillsthe hearts and lives of all whoencounter Jesus. Those whoaccept his offer of salvationare set free from sin, sorrow,inner emptiness and loneliness.With Christ joy is constantlyborn anew. (EvangeliiGaudium, 1)

When you were united toChrist by the Spirit at baptism,you were also incorporatedinto the body of Christ, whichis the Church, and youbecame members of thepeople of God. Yourmembership in the Church isa full membership. You belongto the Church as much as anypope, bishop, priest, orreligious does. You are notsecond class members of thepeople of God. When you live

the life of grace, you are fullcitizens of God's kingdom onearth. In fact, the Churchteaches that "the greatest inthekingdom ofGod are not theministers but the saints".

When you were joined toChrist by the Spirit at baptism,you also became sharers of thethreefold mission of Christteacher, priest and servant.You were baptized not only toshare in Christ's dignity as Sonof God, but also to share inhis mission for the salvation ofthe world.

You share in Christ's dignityand mission with all otherswho are likewise united to himby the Holy Spirit. In unitingyou to him, Christ also unitedyou to all those who are unitedwith him. With all those whoare united to Christ by faith andbaptism, you form one bodyof Christ, whose head is noless than Christ himself. Thusthe whole body manifests andprolongs Christ's life andmission in the world.

You, our dear lay faithful,have as your particularmission the sanctification andtransformation of the worldfrom within. In fact, many ofyou are called by the Lord todo service in the Church andfor the Church. Such is thecase of lay liturgical ministersand catechists, for example,who perform an indispensableservice in the Churchcommunity and its institutions.Such also is the case of laypeople who are asked toparticipate in theadministration of Churchproperty and works.

Yet, your own specific task,and the special responsibilitygiven to you by the Lord is tofind your own sanctification inthe world, and to sanctify theworld and transform it so thatthis world becomes more andmore God's world, God'skingdom, where his will is doneas sit is in heaven. You arecalled by Jesus to be the saltof the earth and the light of theworld. The Lord Jesus told hisdisciples to preach the Gospelto every creature, and to makeall nations his disciples. Thiscommand to the wholeChurch falls especially on you,who are in the world.

As Pope Francis has beenrepeatedly telling Catholics,you must go into the world ofthe family, of business, ofeconomics, of politics, of

education, of the mass mediaand the social media, to everyhuman endeavour where thefuture of humanity and theworld are at stake and tomake a difference, thedifference that the Gospel andthe grace of Christ bring tohuman affairs.

Our Situation: TheChallenge of the Gospel

When we look at ourPhilippine world with the eyesof faith, there are several areasof special concern which you,our lay faithful should directyour attention and action to.

Pope Francis calls ourattention to "the great dangerin today's world, pervaded asit is by consumerism, is thedesolation and anguish bornof a complacent yet covetousheart, the feverish pursuit offrivolous pleasures, and ablunted conscience.Whenever our interior lifebecomes caught up in its owninterests and concerns, thereis no longer room for others,no place for the poor. God'svoice is no longer heard, thequiet joy of his love is nolonger felt, and the desire todo good fades. This is a veryreal danger for believers too.Many fall prey to it, and endup resentful, angry and listless.That is no way to live adignified and fulfilled life; it isnot God's will for us, nor is itthe life in the Spirit which hasits source in the heart of therisen Christ. (EvangeliiGaudium, 2).

PovertyPoverty is a social and

spiritual problem in ourcountry. A great percentage ofour people live below thepoverty line. They do not evenhave the necessities for decenthuman living. It is estimatedthat twelve million of ourpeople have gone to foreigncountries in their search foradequate income to supporttheir families' needs. While thishas brought many materialadvantages, it has also resultedin great harm to family life. Andmany of our overseas Filipinoworkers work in conditions ofservitude and are oftensubmitted to humiliations. Astill a vast number of ourpeople are without work, andmany are forced to live in slumareas and in miserablesituations. A vast number of

our children are unable to goto school, and those who dogo get sub-standard educationin poorly equipped schools.Many have been driven bypoverty to cater to the lusts ofhuman predators.

Though there have beensignificant economic gains, thesame percentage of ourpeople have remained miredin poverty over the pastseveral years. The wealth ofour country has remainedwoefully mal distributed. Thisendemic poverty is gravelycontrary to the will of God.You, my dear lay faithful arein the best position tocreatively work our solutionswhich will satisfy the demandsof justice and charity. Whatare you doing to create wealth,to preserve wealth, and toshare wealth? Do the moreprosperous among you feel thesufferings of our poor brothersand sisters, and do you thinkof ways and means to helpalleviate their poverty, and helpthem towards prosperity?

PoliticsThe second is the problem

of politics. We say "problemof politics" because, as wehave repeatedly pointed out,politics as it is practiced in ourcountry is perhaps the singlebiggest obstacle to our integraldevelopment as a nation.Politics as presently practiced,and as it has been practisedfor a long time, is riddled withgraft and corruption.

Our elections arenotoriously noted for theirviolence and vote-buying andfor the lack of properdiscernment in the choice ofcandidates. Recentdevelopments havehighlighted the corruptionconnected with the pork barrelwhich those in power are loathto give up despite their blatantmisuse for political patronage.It is now clear that our peopleare poor because our leadershave kept them poor by theirgreed for money and power.What are you doing to help getworthy people to positions ofauthority and power? Whatare you doing to get rid of thepolitics of patronage, violenceand uneducated choices?What are you doing, our dearlay faithful to rid our countryof graft and corruption? Doyou perhaps participate incorrupt practices by selling

7DECEMBER 2013 F E AT U R E Syour votes, by buying votes,by bribery and acceptance ofkickbacks?

Business and CommerceCorruption in politics is

paralleled and strengthenedby corruption in business. Weknow that our tax collectingagencies are notorious fortheir extortionary practices.Corrupt tax collectors ofcourse imply business peoplewho cooperate in their corruptactivities either to survive inbusiness or to reap biggerprofits. It is also known thattoo many of our tax payers donot pay the correct taxes,while the taxes that arecollected are often misspent inover-priced or ghost projects.Corruption in business leads tothe further impoverishment ofthe poor and the widening ofthe gap between the rich andthe poor.

Greed and SelfishnessWhile poverty and

corruption are real and greatevils; we must search for theircauses. Our culture has beencontaminated by the twofoldgreed for money and powerthat has characterized much ofthe modern world. In ourconsumerist and materialisticsociety, people are valuedaccording to what they have.

Pope Francis says "Humanbeings are themselvesconsidered consumer goodsto be used and thendiscarded. We have created a"throw away" culture which isnow spreading. It is no longersimply about exploitation andoppression, but somethingnew. Exclusion ultimately hasto do with what it means to bea part of the society in whichwe live; those excluded are nolonger society's underside orits fringes or its disenfranchised- they are no longer even apart of it. The excluded are notthe "exploited" but the outcast,the "leftovers".(EvangeliiGaudium, 53)

The greed for power is thetwin brother of greed formoney. Those who havemoney easily get into power,and when they are in power,they can protect and increasetheir acquisitions. In ourcountry, winning a governmentposition is often the passportto affluence. Politics inthePhilippinesis a businessproposition.

Truth SuffersThe first casualty of such

greed for money and power

is the truth. To get money andpower, to keep money andpower, to increase their moneyand power, people haverecourse to lies and cheating.The truth is easily disregardedand sacrificed. This is true alsoin the mass media where whatis sought after and broadcastis not so much what is true butwhat is news; the competitionamong the networks and theprinted media is not so muchfor accuracy in reporting butfor ratings which attract moremoney and build up greaterpower.

Common Good is IgnoredThe second casualty is the

common good. The sense andresponsibility for the commongood is sadly wanting in ourcountry. The culture of greedfor money and power caters tothe selfish interests ofindividuals, families andeconomic and political groups.Our families which arecharacterized by an admirableclosenessare alsocharacterized by a closednessthat is unmindful of thecommon good. This beingclosed to the common good isespecially evident in our politicswhere political dynasties arenurtured and people vote withlittle consideration for theimpact on the country of theirvotes. But even our massmedia are often tools of vestedinterests rather than instrumentsfor the promotion of thecommon good. In business, inpolitics, in the entertainmentbusiness, in media, profitalmost always has priority overservice despite protestations tothe contrary.

Pope Francis warns us"Almost without being awareof it, we end up beingincapable of feelingcompassion at the outcry of thepoor, weeping for otherpeople's pain, and feeling aneed to help them, as thoughall this were someone else'sresponsibility and not our own.The culture of prosperitydeadens us; we are thrilled ifthe market offers us somethingnew to purchase. In themeantime all those lives stuntedfor lack of opportunity seem amere spectacle; they fail tomove us. (Evangelii Gaudium,54).

Challenge and MissionThe renewal of our country

thus demands of us all, andespecially of you, our layfaithful, a return to truthfulnessand the fostering of the sense

of the common good. A societythat is not founded on truthcannot stand, because a societynot founded on truth is eitherfounded on lies or deceit whichcan provide no stable basis forhuman relationships and astable social order. Thus, wemust obey the biblicalinjunction "to do the truth inlove" (Eph. 4:15 ). We mustseek the truth, speak the truth,do the truth. This means thatwe must seek what is right,speak what is right, and dowhat is right; and to do so "inlove", that is, in solidarity withand service of others.

Know the FaithMy dear lay faithful, the

greatest challenge for you is toknow the content of our faith,and to bear witness to yourfaith by a life of faith. We wroteto you a few months agopraising your simple but deepfaith. Yet we had to point outto you two main deficiencies ofthe faith of our people: first, thatthe faith of many isuninstructedand, moreimportantly that this faith hasbeen separated from life.

So many of our people donot even know thefundamentals of our faith! Theythus become very vulnerable tothe seductions of other religiousgroups who find them easytargets of their recruitmentefforts. Many of our Catholicscannot even answer attacks onbasic Catholic doctrines likethe divinity of Christ, theEucharist, the veneration of theBlessed Virgin Mary, theveneration of images.

Live the FaithBut more harmful even is the

separation of faith from life. Itis certainly a shameful proof ofour failure to evangelize ourcountry that our churches arefilled with people, our religiousfestivities are fervent, ourCatholic schools are many, butour country is mired in povertyand in corruption. Many,perhaps the majority of thecorrupt people in politics andin business are graduates of ourown Catholic schools and are"practicing" Catholics. Themajority of those who cheat inelections and those who selltheir votes are also baptizedCatholics. This is also true ofthe bribe takers in public officesand the looters of our publiccoffers. As we noted in ourpastoral letter, the criteria fordecisions taken by many inpolitics do not derive from faithbut from other sources inimical

to the Christian life. The poisonof the greed for power andwealth has already pervadedthe political and businesssystems.

We echo the challenge ofPope Francis "We want tochallenge "the baptized whoselives do not reflect the demandsof Baptism", who lack ameaningful relationship to theChurch and no longerexperience the consolationborn of faith. The Church, inher maternal concern, tries tohelp them experience aconversion which will restorethe joy of faith to their heartsand inspire a commitment to theGospel. (Evangelii Gaudium,15)

Thus we urge you topromote a continuingeducation towards maturity offaith among our people, startingwith our Christian families. Buteven more importantly, we askyou to make your faith bear onyour day to day decisions andactivities. It is only an integralfaith, a faith that believes, a faiththat worships, and a faith thatworks in love (Gal. 5: 6), thatwill serve as God's way "tomake all things new" in ourbeloved country.

Communities of FaithSince the corruption in

business and in politics that wemust fight against is systemic,we your pastors, urge you tounite in groups which throughprayer, discernment andconcerted action will renew thesocial and political fabric of ourcountry. Individual goodness isnot sufficient anymore. Thegood individual will only beswallowed up by the evilsystem. While individualwitness is important, it is inunity that good Christianpeople will get their strengthand attain victory.

To sustain and strengthenyou in your efforts, we urge youto read the BIBLE, God'swritten word. Read it not onlyto study it but pray with it.When read prayerfully, theBible will nourish your life. Itwill be a lamp to guide you inyour journey. It will help youresist temptations; it will helpyou to know and follow Jesus,our Lord.

Second, we urge you tohave recourse to theSACRAMENTS. Value yourbaptism and prepare well forthe baptism of your children.Let parents take seriously theresponsibility they undertook atbaptism to raise up theirchildren as good Christians.

Christian marriage should bevalued not only as a beautifuland solemn ceremony but as awelcoming of Christ into the lifeof the couple and their futurefamily. Hence, it must beadequately prepared for bypre-marital instructions.Christian married couplesshould see their marriage as apublic commissioning by Christto serve and protect life andmarried love itself.

We ask you to haverecourse especially to theSacrament of Reconciliationand the Eucharist. TheEucharist, participated inactively in faith, is the sourceof Christian life and strength. Itis the bread of life and ofmartyrs. The Sacrament ofReconciliation, on the otherhand, will help us heal our moralwounds and give us the graceto fight sin in ourselves and insociety.

A Church which "goes forth"is a Church whose doors areopen. Going out to others inorder to reach the fringes ofhumanity does not meanrushing out aimlessly into theworld. Often it is better simplyto slow down, to put aside oureagerness in order to see andlisten to others, to stop rushingfrom one thing to another andto remain with someone whohas faltered along the way.

At times we have to be likethe father of the prodigal son,who always keeps his dooropen so that when the sonreturns, he can readily passthrough it. (EG, 45)

And finally, we ask you tostand up for Jesus not only inreligious activities but in yourprivate and public life. Speakup for Jesus and his Church inpublic discussions. Do not beafraid to be identified asCatholic Christians. You havebeen called to be saints; youare sent forth as heroes. Takecourage. Choose to be brave!

May the example of our twolay Filipino saints Lorenzo Ruizand Pedro Calungsod be yourinspiration for the coming year!

May the Jesus and hisMother be with you and withus all, and make us, a "puebloamante de Maria" also truly theland of Jesus in Asia.

For the Catholic Bishops’Conference of the Philippines,+SOCRATES B.VILLEGAS, D.D.Archbishop of Lingayen-DagupanCBCP PresidentDecember 1, 2013, FirstSunday of Advent

8 DECEMBER 2013NEWS & (IN)FORMATION

Rev. Fr. Manuel Luis R. Guazon

Ang Kagalakan ng Pasko at Bagong Taonay Ating Hanapin sa Kagalakang Dulot

ng Mabuting Balita at sa Buhay ngPagbabahagi o Pagbibigay

Pagsasaya at kagalakan ang dala ng mga pagdiriwangng Pasko at Bagong Taon lalo na sa ating mga Pilipino.Subalit bago dumating ang panahon ng Adbiyento parapaghandaan ang Kapaskuhan, sa pagtatapos ng taongpangliturhiya sa Kapistahan ni Kristong Hari, inihayagang bagong Apostolic Exhoration ni Papa Francisco - angEvangelii Gaudium. Ito ay mga salitang Latin nanangangahulugang Kagalakan ng Mabuting Balita. Saliham na ito ay sinasabi niya na ang Mabuting Balita aymay galak na pumupuno sa puso at buhay ng mga taongkumikilala kay Kristo. Karugtong nito, karaniwangsinasabi rin na may kagalakan sa pagbabahagi opagbibigay. Kaya’t makahulugang ang ating masayangpagdiriwang ng Pasko at Bagong Taon ay maiugnay natinsa ating buhay pananampalataya at sa pagsasabuhayng pag-ibig ni Kristo, sa Pondong Batangan ng atingSimbahang Lokal.

Ang Evangelii Gaudium sa Pagdiriwangng Pasko at Bagong Taon

Ang bagong liham ni Papa Francisco ay pinag-uusapanhindi lamang dahil sa ito ang kauna-unahang sinulatmismo nitong bagong Papa kundi dahil na rin sanilalaman nitong mga kaisipan at saloobin ni PapaFrancisco. Totoong ito ay bunga ng katatapos pa lamangna ika-23 Sinodo ng mga Obispo tungkol sa BagongEbanghelisasyon na ginanap noong Oktubre 7 - 28, 2012.Subalit hindi maipagkakaila na sa pamamagitan ng lihamna ito ay mababasa ang mga pinahahalagahan ng Papasa buhay ng pananampalataya at buhay ng Simbahan.

Hinihikayat ng Papa ang lahat na masimulan angisang bagong kabanata ng Ebanghelisasyon nang maysigla at kagalakan. Hindi isang mabigat at nakawawalangganang gawain ang paghahatid ng Mabuting Balita.Marahil kung iuugnay natin ito sa Pasko at Bagong Taon,makabuluhang isipin nating mga Kristiyano na masayaang mga pagdiriwang na ito ng kapanganakan ni Jesusat pagka-ina ni Maria subalit bakit parang kulang sa siglaat saya ang Mabuting Balita sa mga tao sa ngayon.

Ang Pondong Batangan sa Liwanagng Evangelii Gaudium

Sa sulat ng Papa, madamdamin ang kanyangpanawagan na dalhin at ipadama natin ang pag-ibig niKristo sa kapwa, lalo na sa kanilang nabubuhay sa pag-iisa, lungkot at dusa. Sa ika-5 at huling kabanata nito aytotoong binigyang-diin niya ang pagkalinga sa mga taosa kanilang hirap at sakit. Sinabi niya na ang misyoneropara sa ngayon ay ang taong masayang pinagsisikapanang kabutihan ng kapwa.

Ang mensahe ni Papa Francisco ay magandang ilapatnatin sa ating pagpo-Pondong Batangan. Kung atingpakakaisipin, binibigyang kahulugan at kabuluhan ngPapa ang Pondong Batangan. Ito ay isang bago atnatatanging paraan o programa upang maisabuhay natinang pag-ibig ni Kristo at maipadama ito sa ating mgakababayang nangangailangan. Ito ay kumakalinga atnagbibigay pag-asa sa kanila sa gitna ng kahirapan.

Nawa’y maging masaya ang ating pagdiriwang ngPasko at Bagong Taon at gawin nating mabiyaya ito samasayang pag-aalay sa Pondong Batangan! #UB

Pinalad na ang PondongBatangan ay mapasama sa isangproyekto na magpapalakas pa sakanyang kakayahan bilang isangfoundation. Ito ay isang malakingproyekto - “Strengthening theCapacity of CSOs.”Naisakatuparan ito sa tulongpinansyal ng USAID at sapamamahala naman ng AyalaFoundation, Inc. (AFI) sapakikipagtulungan ng Coalition ofDevelopment Non-GovernmentOrganizations (CODE-NGO),Association of Foundations (AF),Philippine Business for SocialProgress (PBSP), PhilippineCouncil for NGO Certification(PCNC), University of thePhilippines National College forPublic Administration andGovernance (UPNCPAG). Sa halosisang libong inaanyayahan naNGOs at foundations o civilsociety organizations (CSOs)tanging 134 lamang ang napilinglumahok sa proyektong nabanggit.

Ang proyekto ay binuo ng ilangtraining workshops o pagsasanay:1. Organizational DiagnosisWorkshop - Aug. 14-16, 2013, 2.Validation Workshop - Sept. 3,2013, 3. Project Design,Implementation and Management,Monitoring and Evaluation - Sept.

Ang isang bagong SocialEnterprise na inihayag noongGeneral Assembly ng PondongBatangan sa taong ito ay angpaghahanda at pagbibili ng ilangproduktong gamit sa bahay otinatawag na Homecare Products.Matapos ang matagal na pag-aanyaya sa mga parokya para sapakikilahok sa proyektong ito,naganap din ang isang pagpupulongna ginanap sa kumbento ng Parokyani San Martin ng Tours noongNobyembre 19, 2013.

Ito ay dinaluhan ng mgakinatawan ng anim na parokya: 1.Parokya ni San Juan Bautista, Lian2. Parokya ni San Rafael, Calaca, 3.Parokya ni San Martin ng Tours, Taal,4. Parokya ni San Tolentino, SanNicolas, 5. Parokya ni Maria, Taga-Pamagitan ng Lahat ng Biyaya,

Disyembre 2, 2013 ay “Day withthe Board” para sa PondongBatangan CommunityFoundations, Inc. (PBCFI). Ito aynaging tradisyon na para sa mgakaanib ng PBCFI Board ofTrustees sapagkat matagal na itongginaganap taun-taon. Sa taong2013, ito ay ginanap sa ENZOBuilding sa Makati City. Nangyariito dahil sa pakiusap nginanyayahang resource person nasi Ms. Alma Mapili. Hindi siyamakakapunta sa Batangas dahil sadami ng kanyang gawain. Siya aynagbigay ng orientation sa Boardtungkol sa financial managementng mga CSOs katulad ng PondongBatangan. Malaki na ang kanyangkaranasan sa larangang ito atmalinaw siyang magturo. Ang mgadumalo ay maraming natutunan sakanya, tulad halimbawa ng 7

Pondong Batangan, Naging Bahagi ng AFI-USAIDStrengthening the Capacity of CSOs Project

PB NEWS P. MANNY GUAZON

4-6, 2013, 4. Resource Mobilizationand Development - Sept. 26-27,2013, 5. Administration andPersonnel Management Training- Oct. 1-2, 2013, 6. FinancialManagement Training - Oct. 3-4,2013, at 7. Effective BoardGovernance - Dec. 4-6, 2013.Dumalo sa iba’t ibang workshopsna ito sina Fr. Manny Guazon, Ms.Monina Villanueva at Ms. MalouDumaguin. Sa huling workshop nanabanggit, dumalo sa isang arawsina Fr. Edd Pagcaliuangan, Fr. IldeDimaano at G. Rey Panganiban.Subalit hindi natatapos sa mgatraining workshops ang proyekto,may patuloy na tinatawag na“mentoring” o pag-alalay napagtuturo sa loob ng isang taon.Layunin ng lahat ng ito na magingmaayos at mahusay angpamumuno at pagganap ng mgaCSOs upang maisakatuparan nila

ang kanilang misyon. Sa bahagi ngPondong Batangan, malakingtulong ito upang mapaunlad paang kanyang mga pamamaraan atmga alituntinin, at madagdaganang kaalaman at kakayahan ngbuong staff nito.

Hindi matatawaran angkapakinabangang dulot ngproyekto para sa paglago ngPondong Batangan. Gayunpaman,may kahirapan din ang mgagawaing hinihingi ng bawattraining o pagsasanay. Maramingmga bagong manuals ang dapatmasulat, may mga pagbabago nadapat ilagay sa ginagamit nangmanuals at may mga pagsusulit nadapat ay mapagtagumpayan.Subalit sa dakong huli, ang higitna makikinabang dito ay ang mgakababayang nagbibigay saPondong Batangan at silangnatutulungan nito. #UB

Isang Naiibang Day with the Board, ginanap parasa Board of Trustees ng Pondong Batangan

Principles of FinancialManagement.

Matapos ang learning sessionay ginanap naman ang isangspecial board meeting upangmakapagbigay ulat sa mga dumaloat madesisyunan ang isangnakalatag na project proposalmula sa Gabay sa Kaunlaran ngBatangas City, Inc. (GKBCI). Maiklisubalit malinaw ang naganap napulong.

Ang mga dumalo ay sina

Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, Fr.Edd Pagcaliuangan, Fr. DonaldDimaandal, Fr. Nepo Fruto, Fr. DongRosales, Ms. Lourdes Mendoza,Ms. Melba Mendoza, Ms. GloriaDelizo, Mr. Manny Munda, Ms.Jelen Mosca, Ms. Gloria Delizo, Fr.Manny Guazon, Ms. MalouDumaguin, at Ms. Grace Japlos.

Ang naturang Day with theBoard ay nagtapos sa isangmasayang pagsasalu-salo sa isangkalapit na Chinese restaurant. #UB

Paghahanda para sa Pagsasanay sa Paggawa inIba’t Ibang Homecare Products, Gumugulong na

Antipolo, Lungsod ng Lipa, 6.Parokya ni Sto. Niño, Marawoy,Lungsod ng Lipa. Ang mgakinatawan at nakibahagi sa meetingay sina: G. Orlando Beredo, Bb.Lourdes Mendoza, Bb. Terry M.Leynes, Bb. Alice Alo, Bb. Tita M.Alcazar, Bb. Tessi Dimaapi, Bb.Marissa Abdala, G. Gabriel Balmes,Bb. Ofelia delos Reyes, Bb. RachelleCaranto, Bb. Melva Brimon, at G.Erwin Jitolle. Ang pulong aypinadaloy naman ni Fr. MannyGuazon at G. Monina Villanueva.

Sa nasabing pulong, ipinahayagng kinatawan ng bawat parokya angkanilang kahandaang lumahok saproyekto - ang paggawa ng mgahomecare products na laundrydetergent powder, fabric conditioner,toilet bowl cleaner, liquid hand soap,clorox, at dish washing liquid.

Napagkasunduan na ang bawatparokya ay bubuo ng isang grupo ngmga kababaihan na ituturing na isang“production team” para sa isanghomecare product. Ang ibig sabihinnito, kapag ginaganap na angproyekto, ang bawat grupo aygagawa lamang ng isang produkto.Subalit sa pagsasanay o training,silang lahat ay dapat matuto ngpaggawa ng lahat ng produkto. Angdahilan nito, kapag ang isa odalawang produkto ay malakas angbenta, magtutulungan ang dalawa otatlong grupo upang matugunan angpangangailangan sa produkto. Sadakong huli, inaasahan opinapangarap na silang lahat aybubuo ng isang maunlad nakooperatiba na gumagawa at nagbibiling iba’t ibang produkto na gamit sabahay. #UB

9DECEMBER 2013 NEWS & (IN)FORMATIONGUEST EDITORIAL... P. 5

All who accept the life ofChrist and live in himacknowledge God as Father andgive themselves completely tohim, loving him above all things.The reconciled person sees inGod the Father of all, and, as aconsequence, is spurred on tolive a life of fraternity open toall. In Christ, the other iswelcomed and loved as a son ordaughter of God, as a brother orsister, not as a stranger, muchless as a rival or even an enemy.In God's family, where all aresons and daughters of the sameFather, and, because they aregrafted to Christ, sons anddaughters in the Son, there areno "disposable lives". All men andwomen enjoy an equal andinviolable dignity. All are loved byGod. All have been redeemed bythe blood of Christ, who died onthe Cross and rose for all. Thisis the reason why no one canremain indifferent before the lotof our brothers and sisters.

Fraternity, the foundation andpathway to peace

4. This being said, it is easyto realize that fraternity is thefoundation and pathway ofpeace. The social encyclicalswritten by my predecessors canbe very helpful in this regard. Itwould be sufficient to draw onthe definitions of peace found inthe encyclicals PopulorumProgressio by Pope Paul VI andSollicitudo Rei Socialis by JohnPaul II. From the first we learnthat the integral development ofpeoples is the new name ofpeace.3 From the second, weconclude that peace is an opussolidaritatis.4

Paul VI stated that not onlyindividuals but nations too mustencounter one another in a spiritof fraternity. As he says: "In thismutual understanding andfriendship, in this sacredcommunion, we must also…work together to build thecommon future of the humanrace".5 In the first place, thisduty falls to those who are mostprivileged. Their obligations arerooted in human and supernaturalfraternity and are manifested inthree ways: the duty of solidarity,which requires the richer nationsto assist the less developed; theduty of social justice, whichrequires the realignment ofrelationships between strongerand weaker peoples in terms ofgreater fairness; and the duty ofuniversal charity, which entailsthe promotion of a more humaneworld for all, a world in whicheach has something to give andto receive, without the progressof the one constituting anobstacle to the development ofthe other.6

If, then, we consider peaceas opus solidaritatis, we cannotfail to acknowledge thatfraternity is its principalfoundation. Peace, John Paul IIaffirmed, is an indivisible good.Either it is the good of all or it isthe good of none. It can be trulyattained and enjoyed, as thehighest quality of life and a morehuman and sustainabledevelopment, only if all areguided by solidarity as "a firm and

persevering determination tocommit oneself to the commongood".7 This means not beingguided by a "desire for profit" ora "thirst for power". What isneeded is the willingness to "loseourselves" for the sake of othersrather than exploiting them, andto "serve them" instead ofoppressing them for our ownadvantage. "The 'other' - whethera person, people or nation - [isto be seen] not just as some kindof instrument, with a workcapacity and physical strength tobe exploited at low cost and thendiscarded when no longer useful,but as our 'neighbour', a'helper'".8Christian solidarity presumes thatour neighbour is loved not onlyas "a human being with his orher own rights and a fundamentalequality with everyone else, butas the living image of God theFather, redeemed by the blood ofJesus Christ and placed under thepermanent action of the HolySpirit",9 as another brother orsister. As John Paul II noted: "Atthat point, awareness of thecommon fatherhood of God, ofthe brotherhood of all in Christ -'children in the Son' - and of thepresence and life-giving action ofthe Holy Spirit, will bring to ourvision of the world a newcriterion for interpreting it",10 forchanging it.

Fraternity, a prerequisite forfighting poverty

5. In his encyclical Caritas inVeritate, my predecessorreminded the world how the lackof fraternity between peoples andmen and women is a significantcause of poverty.11 In manysocieties, we are experiencing aprofound poverty of relationshipsas a result of the lack of solidfamily and communityrelationships. We are concernedby the various types of hardship,marginalization, isolation andvarious forms of pathologicaldependencies which we seeincreasing. This kind of povertycan be overcome only throughthe rediscovery and valuing offraternal relationships in the heartof families and communities,through the sharing of joys andsorrows, of the hardships andtriumphs that are a part of humanlife.

Moreover, if on the one handwe are seeing a reduction inabsolute poverty, on the otherhand we cannot fail to recognizethat there is a serious rise inrelative poverty, that is, instancesof inequality between people andgroups who live together inparticular regions or in adetermined historical-culturalcontext. In this sense, effectivepolicies are needed to promotethe principle of fraternity,securing for people - who areequal in dignity and infundamental rights - access tocapital, services, educationalresources, healthcare andtechnology so that every personhas the opportunity to expressand realize his or her life projectand can develop fully as a person.

One also sees the need forpolicies which can lighten anexcessive imbalance between

incomes. We must not forget theChurch's teaching on the so-called social mortgage, whichholds that although it is lawful,as Saint Thomas Aquinas says,and indeed necessary "that peoplehave ownership of goods",12insofar as their use is concerned,"they possess them as not justtheir own, but common to othersas well, in the sense that they canbenefit others as well asthemselves".13

Finally, there is yet anotherform of promoting fraternity -and thus defeating poverty -which must be at the basis of allthe others. It is the detachmentof those who choose to live asober and essential lifestyle, ofthose who, by sharing their ownwealth, thus manage toexperience fraternal communionwith others. This is fundamentalfor following Jesus Christ andbeing truly Christian. It is notonly the case of consecratedpersons who profess the vow ofpoverty, but also of the manyfamilies and responsible citizenswho firmly believe that it is theirfraternal relationship with theirneighbours which constitutestheir most precious good.

The rediscovery of fraternityin the economy

6. The grave financial andeconomic crises of the presenttime - which find their origin inthe progressive distancing of manfrom God and from hisneighbour, in the greedy pursuitof material goods on the onehand, and in the impoverishmentof interpersonal and communityrelations on the other - havepushed man to seek satisfaction,happiness and security inconsumption and earnings out ofall proportion to the principles ofa sound economy. In 1979 JohnPaul II had called attention to "areal perceptible danger that, whileman's dominion over the worldof things is making enormousadvances, he should lose theessential threads of his dominionand in various ways let hishumanity be subjected to theworld and become himselfsomething subject tomanipulation in many ways -even if the manipulation is oftennot perceptible directly - throughthe whole of the organization ofcommunity life, through theproduction system and throughpressure from the means of socialcommunication."14The succession of economiccrises should lead to a timelyrethinking of our models ofeconomic development and to achange in lifestyles. Today'scrisis, even with its seriousimplications for people's lives,can also provide us with a fruitfulopportunity to rediscover thevirtues of prudence, temperance,justice and strength. Thesevirtues can help us to overcomedifficult moments and to recoverthe fraternal bonds which join usone to another, with deepconfidence that human beingsneed and are capable ofsomething greater thanmaximizing their individualinterest. Above all, these virtuesare necessary for building andpreserving a society in accord

with human dignity.

Fraternity extinguishes war7. In the past year, many of

our brothers and sisters havecontinued to endure thedestructive experience of war,which constitutes a grave anddeep wound inflicted onfraternity.

Many conflicts are takingplace amid general indifference.To all those who live in landswhere weapons impose terrorand destruction, I assure you ofmy personal closeness and thatof the whole Church, whosemission is to bring Christ's loveto the defenceless victims offorgotten wars through herprayers for peace, her service tothe wounded, the starving,refugees, the displaced and allthose who live in fear. TheChurch also speaks out in orderto make leaders hear the cry ofpain of the suffering and to putan end to every form of hostility,abuse and the violation offundamental human rights.15

For this reason, I appealforcefully to all those who sowviolence and death by force ofarms: in the person you today seesimply as an enemy to be beaten,discover rather your brother orsister, and hold back your hand!Give up the way of arms and goout to meet the other in dialogue,pardon and reconciliation, inorder to rebuild justice, trust, andhope around you! "From thisstandpoint, it is clear that, for theworld's peoples, armed conflictsare always a deliberate negationof international harmony, andcreate profound divisions anddeep wounds which requiremany years to heal. Wars are aconcrete refusal to pursue thegreat economic and social goalsthat the international communityhas set itself".16

Nevertheless, as long as sogreat a quantity of arms are incirculation as at present, newpretexts can always be found forinitiating hostilities. For thisreason, I make my own theappeal of my predecessors forthe non-proliferation of arms andfor disarmament of all parties,beginning with nuclear andchemical weapons disarmament.

We cannot however fail toobserve that internationalagreements and national laws -while necessary and greatly to bedesired - are not of themselvessufficient to protect humanityfrom the risk of armed conflict.A conversion of hearts is neededwhich would permit everyone torecognize in the other a brotheror sister to care for, and to worktogether with, in building afulfilling life for all. This is thespirit which inspires manyinitiatives of civil society,including religious organizations,to promote peace. I express myhope that the daily commitmentof all will continue to bear fruitand that there will be an effectiveapplication in international law ofthe right to peace, as afundamental human right and anecessary prerequisite for everyother right.

Corruption and organizedcrime threaten fraternity

8. The horizon of fraternityalso has to do with the need forfulfillment of every man andwoman. People's legitimateambitions, especially in the caseof the young, should not bethwarted or offended, nor shouldpeople be robbed of their hopeof realizing them. Nevertheless,ambition must not be confusedwith the abuse of power. On thecontrary, people should competewith one another in mutualesteem (cf. Rm 12:10). Indisagreements, which are also anunavoidable part of life, weshould always remember that weare brothers and sisters, andtherefore teach others and teachourselves not to consider ourneighbour as an enemy or as anadversary to be eliminated.

Fraternity generates socialpeace because it creates a balancebetween freedom and justice,between personal responsibilityand solidarity, between the goodof individuals and the commongood. And so a politicalcommunity must act in atransparent and responsible wayto favour all this. Citizens mustfeel themselves represented bythe public authorities in respectfor their freedom. Yet frequentlya wedge is driven betweencitizens and institutions bypartisan interests which disfigurethat relationship, fostering thecreation of an enduring climateof conflict.

An authentic spirit offraternity overcomes theindividual selfishness whichconflicts with people's ability tolive in freedom and in harmonyamong themselves. Suchselfishness develops socially -whether it is in the many formsof corruption, so widespreadtoday, or in the formation ofcriminal organizations, from smallgroups to those organized on aglobal scale. These groups teardown legality and justice, strikingat the very heart of the dignityof the person. Theseorganizations gravely offendGod, they hurt others and theyharm creation, all the more sowhen they have religiousovertones.

I also think of theheartbreaking drama of drugabuse, which reaps profits incontempt of the moral and civillaws. I think of the devastationof natural resources and ongoingpollution, and the tragedy of theexploitation of labour. I think tooof illicit money trafficking andfinancial speculation, whichoften prove both predatory andharmful for entire economic andsocial systems, exposing millionsof men and women to poverty. Ithink of prostitution, which everyday reaps innocent victims,especially the young, robbingthem of their future. I think ofthe abomination of humantrafficking, crimes and abusesagainst minors, the horror ofslavery still present in many partsof the world; the frequentlyoverlooked tragedy of migrants,who are often victims ofdisgraceful and illegalmanipulation. As John XXIIIwrote: "There is nothing humanabout a society based on


10 DECEMBER 2013NEWS & (IN)FORMATION

Nang Dahil sa PaskoKamanyang sa Mahal na Birhen

LAMBERTO B. CABUAL

Ang daigdig, Birheng Ina,Tuwing Pasko'y nagsasaya,

Pagka't ito'y kaarawan ng Anak mong sinasamba;Ang dapyo ng kalamigang hindi dapat ipagtaka

Ay sagisag ng paglaya sa himutok at pangamba;Nang si Hesus ay dumatal, iniluwal ang pagsinta

Sa puso ng bawa't taong nagpupuring buong sigla.

Sa balana, Inang Birhen,May namahay sa damdamin

Ng makulay na pag-asang hindi kayang apulain;May mahimig na musikang makalangit na awitin

Sa Sanggol mong sa sabsaba'y isinilang na masining;At sa langit ay may talang tila ibig kausapin

Ng pastol na naglipanang mapitagan kung magturing.

Birheng Ina ng pag-ibig,Mga anghel ay umawit

Sa Anak mong may himlayang kung aba man ay malinis;Naghahasik ng luningning ang bituing nasa langit

Sa dibdib ng kaparangang mga ibo'y lumiligid,Nagsumigla ang batisang dati'y kimi at tahimik,Sa ilog man at sa dagat, lumalagaslas ang tubig.

O! Birheng Santa Maria,Ang pananampalataya

Ng daigdig na luklukan ng pighati't pagdurusa;Kapaskuhan ang may hatid ng matibay na panataNa anuman ang mangyari papasani't makakaya;

Sa kaaway na karimlang nilulupig ng umaga,Ang tatag ng pananalig ay baluti at sandata.

Birheng tagapamagitanNg madlang sangkatauhan

At ng Diyos na dakila, mahabagin at maalam;Mga taong sa daigdig mapapalad na nabuhay,

Aginaldo nitong Pasko ay buhay na karagdagan;May talisik na mensaheng nang dahil sa kapaskuhan,Ang mabuhay sa pag-ibig ay wala nang kamatayan!

Aming Ina ng pag-irog,Sa Pasko ng Manunubos,

Sa pagsilang ng Anak mong sa kasalana'y sumakop;Iparating mo sa Kanya samo namin at pagluhog,

Malampasan naming ligtas ang mabigat na pagsubok;Siya'y Diyos na totoo, daa't buhay sa pagpasok

Sa pinto ng kalangitang may ligayang walang tapos.

Inang Birheng mapagmahal,Itong aming sambayanan,

Binabansot ng balawis na pinunong talimuwang;Sa gabay mo at ni Hesus, bansa naming nabubuwal,

Magbabangong mapayapa't katarunga'y makakamtan;Ang sakuna - unos, baha at lindol sa kalupaan,

Sasagkaan nitong Paskong may biyayang pananggalang!

Mediatrix Humanitarian Mission appeals for yourhelp in form of CASH/CHECK Donations for theReconstruction of 100 houses for the citizensaffected by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

You can send your donations via bank deposit using the following information:

Msgr. Ruben Dimaculangan

This column will resume next issue. - EDITOR

Name : _________________________________Address : _________________________________

_________________________________Contact Number(s) : _________________________________

ULAT BATANGANSt. Francis de Sales Minor Seminary Compound

San Lorenzo Ruiz Road, 4217 Lipa City (043) 981-1292 • (043) 756-2175

Ask for Ms. Emma Bauane-mail add: ulatbatangan @yahoo.com

website: www.archlipa.org

I want to subscribe to ULAT BATANGAN, the OfficialNewspaper of the Archdiocese of Lipa. Please accept my donation oftwo hundred pesos (PhP 200.00) for one year subscription.

Yes!

This Pauline injunction canvery well apply to us, modern-dayself-confessed disciples of theLord. We should not limit our actsof kindness (charity) to a single-shot project. We should not stophelping until we see our brothersand sisters in need to rise from theirmisfortune and can stand up bythemselves.

We take our hats off to theMediatrix Humanitarian Mission,ordered by His Excellency, MostRev. Ramon C. Arguelles,spearheaded by our own LipaArchdiocesan Social ActionCommission, headed by theyouthful and definitely energeticdirector, Rev. Fr. Jayson "Jazz"Siapco. The moment the projecttook off, via radio appeal of thegood Archbishop over theEvangelization Radio, DWAL-FM95.9, after officiating at aconcelebrated Mass at the BasilicaMinor of St. Martin of Tours inhistoric Taal, the first phase of themission was set in motion.

In no time, the Pastoral Center(the old LAFORCE) wastransformed into a bodega ofvarious goodies that volunteerspacked and re-packed for the nextphase which is relief-giving: food,toiletries, clothes, water and otheritems. The tremendous responsefrom individuals and groups wassimply amazing - real expression offaith and charity. Truck-loads ofalready packed goods swarmed thepathway of the Center, not tomention the almost continuous flowof individuals personally bringingtheir share for Yolanda's victims.

This witness of faith of thosewho gave was matched by thewitness of faith even by those whodid not have something to give.The latter offered their time - theyvolunteered to go to the PastoralCenter or to SM Mall in Lipa andBatangas City to help pack therelief goods. They did not get tired

FR. NONIE C. DOLOR

Do not Tire of Doing Goodof doing good!

Fr. Jazz did very well in keepingpeople informed of MHM's dailydevelopment. He went on airalmost three times a day over theArchdiocesan Radio, which in turnkept bombarding its audience withthe recorded appeal from theArchbishop. Even when he was atLeyte, Fr. Jazz managed to squeezein live reports to the radio, evendescribing the situation there as heexperienced live and in person.

MHM is all set to reel off thethird phase, which is rehabilitation.The Archdiocese of Lipa, throughMHM, is committed to stand bythe Archdiocese of Palo, whosehead personally appealed to ourhead, under she sees that the 100houses are built. Readers can readdetails of that in this issue.

Yes, we should never get tiredof doing what is right, brothers!

* * * * *It is always an honor that the

local church contributes to the well-being of the universal church. Thisalso augurs well for us, a sign thatVatican takes notice of thepotentials of our clerical force. Thisis the reason why the Archdiocesedid not have a second thought ofallowing a member of our localpresbyterate to serve in the hallsof ecclesiastical power.

Rev. Fr. Erickson Tio ofBatangas City will be flying toRome to serve at the Congregationfor the Evangelization of Peoples.Fr. Erickson has barely settleddown in the Archdiocese after hisstudies in Rome. His studiedLiturgy. This soft-spoken, deep-thinking and unassuming youngpriest is a product of the MinorSeminary, after finishing hiselementary at St. Bridget College.We do not know yet what specificchore he'd handle in theCongregation which oversees themissio ad extra of the Universal

Church but it is interesting to notethat its Prefect/Chair is a formerPapal Nuncio to the Philippines,Cardinal Filioni.

* * * * *Rev. Froilan Carreon, another

Minor alumnus, has just planed infrom his studies in Rome. He iscurrently assigned in Sto. TomasParish. His expertise is Patrology.Upon his arrival, he was assignedassistant to Fr. Erickson at theInstitute of Lay Ministries. Nowthat Fr. Erickson bade farewell tothe ILM, Fr. Froi is given themandate to continue where Fr.Erickson left off. At the moment,the good-looking Fr. Froi is indemand as a speaker orrecollection facilitator in Adventrecollections.

* * * * *A lot of faithful followers of

Mabuting Balita broadcastsimulcast over our two FM stationshave commented that many a priest-sharer in this Monday thruSaturday Gospel reflection programat 5:30 - 6:00 am would spend mostof their time greeting practically theirformer and current parishioners,fellow priests from their vicariate,personal friends before finallyreflecting on the Word of God forthe day. This does not sit well formany of the listeners.

Incidentally, I got hold of acopy of the summary of theconsultations done in thevicariates. In the area of SocialCommunications and Mass Media,this was also the commonobservation submitted by the layrepresentatives who participated inthe vicarial consultation, part of thepreparation for the ArchdiocesanSynod. Too much time is taken withpersonal greetings. We would liketo remind the priests-sharers thatMabuting Balita is a religiousprogram, which should explain theWord of God and inspire the peopleto live the Word. This isn't like theregular public or church affairsprograms that the station or thepastoral commissions'broadcasters dish out.

In the same breath, the lay-sharers of the evening edition ofMabuting Balita are as guilty aswell. Listeners can see throughwhether the sharers are preparedor not for their radio broadcast.And we are talking here of theWord of God! #UB

LASACLAFORCE Building,St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary Compound,Marawoy, Lipa City, Batangas

Telephone No. : (+63) 043 756 5581Mobile No. : (+63) 0925 559 5968Email Address : [email protected] : LASAC, Inc.Twitter : LASAC1Website : www.lasaclipa.com

(Kindly send us via fax or email a scanned copy of the deposit slip for verification.)

Account Name: LASACCurrent Account Number: 009011-0058-18

BANK:Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)Lipa Poblacion Branch

#MediatrixHumanitarianMission

11DECEMBER 2013 (IN)FORMATION

Rev. Fr. Oscar Andal

Birthday Celebrants:• Fr. Russell Matuloy (January 10)• Fr. Godofredo Mendoza and Fr. Richard Rodelas (January

12)• Fr. Antonio Mendoza (January 14)• Fr. Virgilio Hernandez and Fr. Pablito Malibiran (January

15)• Fr. Leo Edgardo Villostas (January 17)• Fr. Antonio Platon Tolentino (January 21)• Fr. Carmelo Gozos and Fr. Ericson Tio (January 23)• Fr. Tiomoteo Gamelne Balita and Fr. Mateo Orario (January

24)• Fr. Hermes Losbañes (January 25)• Fr. Jaime Cunanan and Fr. Dexter Mojares (January 29)

Sacerdotal Anniversary:• Fr. Ernesto Mandanas Jr. (January 26)

Episcopal Anniversary:• Archbishop Ramón C. Arguelles (January 6)

Fiestas:• Parish of Sto. Niño, Marawoy, Lipa City (3rd Sunday)• Parish of Sto. Nino, Pinagtung-ulan, Lipa City (January 2)• Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Malvar, Batangas

(January 10)• Parish of the Holy Family, Alupay, Rosario, Batangas

(January 12)• Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Batangas City

(January 16)• Parish of San Sebastian Cathedral, Lipa City (January 20)• Parish of the Holy Family Flight to Egypt, Luyos, Tanauan,

Batangas (January 22)• Parish of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, Lodlod,

Lipa City (January 24)

Death Anniversaries:• Msgr. Domingo Librea (January 5)• Msgr. Emilio Mendoza (January 6)• Fr. Justo delos Reyes (January 12)• Msgr. Clemente Yatco (January 26)

With New Assignment:• Msgr. Ruben M. Dimaculangan, Parish Priest of the

Parish of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Talisay, Lipa Cityeffective December 1, 2013.

• Fr. Bernard A. Aguila, appointed to continue the functionof Fr. Richard Panganiban as Chairman of the ArchdiocesanConstruction Committee effective December 1, 2013.

• Fr. Vicente Cisneros, SVD, new Director of the Commissionon Prisoners' Welfare effective December 11, 2013.

• Fr. Clarence M. Patag has a new assignment asParochial Vicar of the Parish of St. Isidore, Cuenca,Batangas as well asFr. Jonathan M. Tamayo as ParishPriest of the Parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Ilijan,effective January 9, 2013.

****The new members of the Archdiocesan FinanceCouncil effective

December 21, 2013:Fr. Carlito Argente, OSJFr. Federico MagbooMr. Apolinario CarandangAtty. Melinda CatiponMr. Rolando LeyesaAtty. Ramel MuriaMr. Modesto Villadolid

Congratulations!• Fr. Renante Ilagan of the Parish of St. Isidore, Batangas

City was ordained priest on December 12, 2013 at the Parishof the Most Holy Trinity, Pallocan West, Batangas City.

Prayerful Condolences:Please pray for the souls of :• • +Victor Mojares, Sr., the eldest brother of Fr. Dexter,

passed away on November 30, 2013************

Coffee Table Book of the Archdiocese of Lipa entitled“A CENTURY OF FAITH”

is still available at the Archdiocesan Chanceryfor Php 3, 300.00.

To order, please call 043.756.2572 / 043.981.3023.

relationships of power. Far fromencouraging, as it should, theattainment of people's growthand perfection, it provesoppressive and restrictive of theirfreedom". 17 Yet human beingscan experience conversion; theymust never despair of being ableto change their lives. I wish thisto be a message of hope andconfidence for all, even for thosewho have committed brutalcrimes, for God does not wishthe death of the sinner, but thathe converts and lives (cf. Ez18:23).

In the broad context ofhuman social relations, when welook to crime and punishment,we cannot help but think of theinhumane conditions in so manyprisons, where those in custodyare often reduced to a subhumanstatus in violation of their humandignity and stunted in their hopeand desire for rehabilitation. TheChurch does much in theseenvironments, mostly in silence.I exhort and I encourageeveryone to do more, in the hopethat the efforts being made in thisarea by so many courageousmen and women will beincreasingly supported, fairly andhonestly, by the civil authoritiesas well.

Fraternity helps to preserveand cultivate nature

9. The human family hasreceived from the Creator acommon gift: nature. TheChristian view of creationincludes a positive judgementabout the legitimacy ofinterventions on nature if theseare meant to be beneficial andare performed responsibly, thatis to say, by acknowledging the"grammar" inscribed in natureand by wisely using resourcesfor the benefit of all, with respectfor the beauty, finality andusefulness of every living beingand its place in the ecosystem.Nature, in a word, is at ourdisposition and we are called toexercise a responsiblestewardship over it. Yet so oftenwe are driven by greed and bythe arrogance of dominion,possession, manipulation andexploitation; we do not preservenature; nor do we respect it orconsider it a gracious gift whichwe must care for and set at theservice of our brothers andsisters, including futuregenerations.

In a particular way, the

agricultural sector is theprimary productive sector withthe crucial vocation ofcultivating and protectingnatural resources in order tofeed humanity. In this regard thecontinuing disgrace of hunger inthe world moves me to sharewith you the question: How arewe using the earth's resources?Contemporary societies shouldreflect on the hierarchy ofpriorities to which production isdirected. It is a truly pressingduty to use the earth's resourcesin such a way that all may befree from hunger. Initiatives andpossible solutions are many, andare not limited to an increase inproduction. It is well known thatpresent production is sufficient,and yet millions of personscontinue to suffer and die fromhunger, and this is a realscandal. We need, then, to findways by which all may benefitfrom the fruits of the earth, notonly to avoid the widening gapbetween those who have moreand those who must be contentwith the crumbs, but above allbecause it is a question ofjustice, equality and respect forevery human being. In thisregard I would like to remindeveryone of that necessaryuniversal destination of all goodswhich is one of the fundamentalprinciples of the Church's socialteaching. Respect for thisprinciple is the essentialcondition for facilitating aneffective and fair access to thoseessential and primary goodswhich every person needs andto which he or she has a right.

Conclusion10. Fraternity needs to be

discovered, loved, experienced,proclaimed and witnessed to.But only love, bestowed as a giftfrom God, enables us to acceptand fully experience fraternity.

The necessary realism properto politics and economy cannotbe reduced to mere technicalknow-how bereft of ideals andunconcerned with thetranscendent dimension of man.When this openness to God islacking, every human activity isimpoverished and persons arereduced to objects that can beexploited. Only when politicsand the economy are open tomoving within the wide spaceensured by the One who loveseach man and each woman, willthey achieve an ordering basedon a genuine spirit of fraternal

charity and become effectiveinstruments of integral humandevelopment and peace.

We Christians believe that inthe Church we are all membersof a single body, all mutuallynecessary, because each hasbeen given a grace according tothe measure of the gift of Christ,for the common good (cf. Eph4:7,25; 1 Cor 12:7). Christ hascome to the world so as to bringus divine grace, that is, thepossibility of sharing in his life.This entails weaving a fabric offraternal relationships marked byreciprocity, forgiveness andcomplete self-giving, accordingto the breadth and the depth ofthe love of God offered tohumanity in the One who,crucified and risen, draws all tohimself: "A new commandmentI give to you, that you love oneanother; even as I have lovedyou, that you also love oneanother. By this all will knowthat you are my disciples, if youhave love for one another" (Jn13:34-35). This is the goodnews that demands from eachone a step forward, a perennialexercise of empathy, of listeningto the suffering and the hopesof others, even those furthestaway from me, and walking thedemanding path of that lovewhich knows how to give andspend itself freely for the goodof all our brothers and sisters.

Christ embraces all ofhumanity and wishes no one tobe lost. "For God sent the Soninto the world, not to condemnthe world, but that the worldmight be saved through him" (Jn3:17). He does it withoutoppressing or constraininganyone to open to him the doorsof heart and mind. "Let thegreatest among you become asthe youngest, and the leader asone who serves" - Jesus Christsays - "I am among you as onewho serves" (Lk 22:26-27).Every activity therefore must bedistinguished by an attitude ofservice to persons, especiallythose furthest away and lessknown. Service is the soul ofthat fraternity that builds uppeace.

May Mary, the Mother ofJesus, help us to understand andlive every day the fraternity thatsprings up from the heart of herSon, so as to bring peace to eachperson on this our beloved earth.

From the Vatican, 8December 2013


FRANCISCUS_______________________1 Cf. Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 19: AAS 101 (2009), 654-655.2 Cf. FRANCIS, Encyclical Letter Lumen Fidei (29 June 2013), 54: AAS 105 (2013), 591-592.3 Cf. PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967), 87: AAS 59 (1967), 299.4 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (30 December 1987), 39: AAS 80 (1988), 566-568.5 Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967), 43: AAS 59 (1967), 278-279.6 Cf. ibid., 44: AAS 59 (1967), 279.7 Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (20 December 1987), 38: AAS 80 (1988), 566.8 Ibid., 38-39: AAS 80 (1988), 566-567.9 Ibid., 40: AAS 80 (1988), 569.10 Ibid.11 Cf. Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 19: AAS 101 (2009), 654-655.12 Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 66, art. 2.13 SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudiumet Spes, 69; cf. LEO XIII, Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum (15 May 1891), 19: ASS 23 (1890-1891), 651; JOHN PAULII, Encyclical LetterSollicitudo Rei Socialis (30 December 1987), 42: AAS 80 (1988), 573-574; PONTIFICAL COUNCILFOR JUSTICE AND PEACE,Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 178.14 Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Hominis (4 March 1979), 16: AAS 61 (1979), 290.15 Cf. PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 159.16 FRANCIS, Letter to President Putin, 4 September 2013: L'Osservatore Romano, 6 September 2013, p. 1.17 Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris (11 April 1963), 17: AAS 55 (1963), 265.

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