“Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all”

(Gal 6:9-10)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Lent is a favourable time for personal and community renewal, as it leads us to the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For our Lenten journey in 2022, we will do well to reflect on Saint Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity (kairós), let us do good to all” (Gal 6:9-10).

1. Sowing and reaping

In these words, the Apostle evokes the image of sowing and reaping, so dear to Jesus (cf. Mt 13). Saint Paul speaks to us of a kairós: an opportune time for sowing goodness in view of a future harvest. What is this “opportune time” for us? Lent is certainly such an opportune time, but so is our entire existence, of which Lent is in some way an image. [1] All too often in our lives, greed, pride and the desire to possess, accumulate and consume have the upper hand, as we see from the story of the foolish man in the Gospel parable, who thought his life was safe and secure because of the abundant grain and goods he had stored in his barns (cf. Lk 12:16-21). Lent invites us to conversion, to a change in mindset, so that life’s truth and beauty may be found not so much in possessing as in giving, not so much in accumulating as in sowing and sharing goodness.

The first to sow is God himself, who with great generosity “continues to sow abundant seeds of goodness in our human family” (Fratelli Tutti, 54). During Lent we are called to respond to God’s gift by accepting his word, which is “living and active” (Heb 4:12). Regular listening to the word of God makes us open and docile to his working (cf. Jas 1:21) and bears fruit in our lives. This brings us great joy, yet even more, it summons us to become God’s co-workers (cf. 1 Cor 3:9). By making good use of the present time (cf. Eph 5:16), we too can sow seeds of goodness. This call to sow goodness should not be seen as a burden but a grace, whereby the Creator wishes us to be actively united with his own bountiful goodness.

What about the harvest? Do we not sow seeds in order to reap a harvest? Of course! Saint Paul points to the close relationship between sowing and reaping when he says: “Anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well, and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well” (2 Cor 9:6). But what kind of harvest are we talking about? A first fruit of the goodness we sow appears in ourselves and our daily lives, even in our little acts of kindness. In God, no act of love, no matter how small, and no “generous effort” will ever be lost (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 279). Just as we recognize a tree by its fruits (cf. Mt 7:16, 20), so a life full of good deeds radiates light (cf. Mt 5:14-16) and carries the fragrance of Christ to the world (cf. 2 Cor 2:15). Serving God in freedom from sin brings forth fruits of sanctification for the salvation of all (cf. Rom 6:22).

In truth, we see only a small portion of the fruits of what we sow, since, according to the Gospel proverb, “one sows, while another reaps” (Jn 4:37). When we sow for the benefit of others, we share in God’s own benevolent love: “it is truly noble to place our hope in the hidden power of the seeds of goodness we sow, and thus to initiate processes whose fruits will be reaped by others” (Fratelli Tutti, 196). Sowing goodness for the benefit of others frees us from narrow self-interest, infuses our actions with gratuitousness, and makes us part of the magnificent horizon of God’s benevolent plan.

The word of God broadens and elevates our vision: it tells us that the real harvest is eschatological, the harvest of the last, undying day. The mature fruit of our lives and actions is “fruit for eternal life” (Jn 4:36), our “treasure in heaven” (Lk 12:33; 18:22). Jesus himself uses the image of the seed that dies in the ground in order to bear fruit as a symbol of the mystery of his death and resurrection (cf. Jn 12:24); while Saint Paul uses the same image to speak of the resurrection of our bodies: “What is sown is perishable, but what is raised is imperishable; what is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; what is sown is weak, but what is raised is powerful; what is sown is a natural body, and what is raised is a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:42-44). The hope of resurrection is the great light that the risen Christ brings to the world, for “if our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are of all people the most pitiable. In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:19-20). Those who are intimately united to him in love “by dying a death like his” (Rom 6:5) will also be united to his resurrection for eternal life (cf. Jn 5:29). “Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt 13:43).

2. “Let us not grow tired of doing good”

Christ’s resurrection enlivens earthly hopes with the “great hope” of eternal life, planting the seed of salvation in our present time (cf. BENEDICT XVI, Spe Salvi, 3; 7). Bitter disappointment at shattered dreams, deep concern for the challenges ahead and discouragement at the poverty of our resources, can make us tempted to seek refuge in self-centredness and indifference to the suffering of others. Indeed, even our best resources have their limitations: “Youths grow tired and weary, the young stumble and fall” (Is 40:30). Yet God “gives strength to the weary, he strengthens the powerless… Those who hope in the Lord will regain their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles; though they run they will not grow weary, though they walk they will never tire» (Is 40:29, 31). The Lenten season calls us to place our faith and hope in the Lord (cf. 1 Pet 1:21), since only if we fix our gaze on the risen Christ (cf. Heb 12:2) will we be able to respond to the Apostle’s appeal, “Let us never grow tired of doing good” (Gal 6:9).

Let us not grow tired of praying. Jesus taught us to “pray always without becoming weary” ( Lk 18:1). We need to pray because we need God. Thinking that we need nothing other than ourselves is a dangerous illusion. If the pandemic has heightened the awareness of our own personal and social fragility, may this Lent allow us to experience the consolation provided by faith in God, without whom we cannot stand firm (cf. Is 7:9). No one attains salvation alone, since we are all in the same boat, amid the storms of history; [2] and certainly no one reaches salvation without God, for only the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ triumphs over the dark waters of death. Faith does not spare us life’s burdens and tribulations, but it does allow us to face them in union with God in Christ, with the great hope that does not disappoint, whose pledge is the love that God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:1-5).

Let us not grow tired of uprooting evil from our lives. May the corporal fasting to which Lent calls us fortify our spirit for the battle against sin. Let us not grow tired of asking for forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, knowing that God never tires of forgiving. [3] Let us not grow tired of fighting against concupiscence, that weakness which induces to selfishness and all evil, and finds in the course of history a variety of ways to lure men and women into sin (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 166). One of these is addiction to the digital media, which impoverishes human relationships. Lent is a propitious time to resist these temptations and to cultivate instead a more integral form of human communication ( ibid., 43) made up of “authentic encounters” ( ibid., 50), face-to-face and in person.

Let us not grow tired of doing good in active charity towards our neighbours. During this Lent, may we practise almsgiving by giving joyfully (cf. 2 Cor 9:7). God who “supplies seed to the sower and bread for food” (2 Cor 9:10) enables each of us not only to have food to eat, but also to be generous in doing good to others. While it is true that we have our entire life to sow goodness, let us take special advantage of this Lenten season to care for those close to us and to reach out to our brothers and sisters who lie wounded along the path of life (cf. Lk 10:25-37). Lent is a favourable time to seek out – and not to avoid – those in need; to reach out – and not to ignore – those who need a sympathetic ear and a good word; to visit – and not to abandon – those who are lonely. Let us put into practice our call to do good to all, and take time to love the poor and needy, those abandoned and rejected, those discriminated against and marginalized (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 193).

3. “If we do not give up, we shall reap our harvest in due time”

Each year during Lent we are reminded that “goodness, together with love, justice and solidarity, are not achieved once and for all; they have to be realized each day” (ibid., 11). Let us ask God to give us the patient perseverance of the farmer (cf. Jas 5:7), and to persevere in doing good, one step at a time. If we fall, let us stretch out our hand to the Father, who always lifts us up. If we are lost, if we are misled by the enticements of the evil one, let us not hesitate to return to God, who “is generous in forgiving” (Is 55:7). In this season of conversion, sustained by God’s grace and by the communion of the Church, let us not grow tired of doing good. The soil is prepared by fasting, watered by prayer and enriched by charity. Let us believe firmly that “if we do not give up, we shall reap our harvest in due time” and that, with the gift of perseverance, we shall obtain what was promised (cf. Heb 10:36), for our salvation and the salvation of others (cf. 1 Tim 4:16). By cultivating fraternal love towards everyone, we are united to Christ, who gave his life for our sake (cf. 2 Cor 5:14-15), and we are granted a foretaste of the joy of the kingdom of heaven, when God will be “all in all” (1 Cor 15:28).

May the Virgin Mary, who bore the Saviour in her womb and “pondered all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:19), obtain for us the gift of patience. May she accompany us with her maternal presence, so that this season of conversion may bring forth fruits of eternal salvation.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 11 November, 2021, Memorial of Saint Martin, Bishop.

FRANCIS

[1] Cf. SAINTAUGUSTINE, Serm. 243, 9,8; 270, 3; En. in Ps. 110, 1.
[2] Cf. Extraordinary Moment of Prayer presided over by Pope Francis (27 March 2020).
[3] Cf. Angelus, 17 March 2013.

Liham Pastoral ng Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)

Mga Kapatid,

Ang kapayapaan ni Jesus nawa’y suma-ating lahat, Siya na nagsabi:
“Kung patuloy kayong susunod sa aking turo, kayo nga’y tunay na mga alagad ko. Makikilala ninyo ang katotohanan, at ang katotohanan ang magpapalaya sa inyo” (Juan 8:31-32).

Sa paggunita natin ng araw ng EDSA People Power Revolution ngayong Pebrero 25, kung saan nanaig ang kapayapaan sa pagbawi ng ating kalayaan, kami ay muling nananawagan sa inyo, anuman ang inyong kulay o katayuan sa lipunan.

Batid naming hindi malinaw ang maraming bagay, lalo na sa pulitika. Iba’t-iba ang ating pananaw. At nakalulungkot ang kasalukuyang pagkakahati ng bansa dahil sa pulitika. Gayon pa man, nawa ang kapakanan ng lahat (common good) ang higit nating isaalang-alang. Igalang natin ang isa’t-isa, huwag tayong padadala sa galit, iwasan ang panghuhusga. Masigasig nating hanapin ang katotohanan. Gawin ang tama, iwaksi ang mali at masama.

Marami sa atin ang nadidismaya sa salitang ‘pulitika.’ Inaanyayahan tayo ni Papa Francisco tungo sa bagong pagpapahalaga sa pulitika bilang isang ‘matayog na bokasyon’. Ito ay isa sa pinakamataas na anyo ng pag-ibig, sapagkat hangad nito ang kapakanan ng lahat’ (Fratelli Tutti, #180). Tatakbo ba ang mundo kung walang pulitika? tanong pa niya (cf. FT #176).

Hindi po namin ambisyon na agawin sa inyo ang mahalagang papel sa pagsasa-ayos ng lipunan, ni ang papel ng pamahalaan. Nandito kami upang magbigay ng moral at espiritwal na gabay, alinsunod sa aming misyon na magpahayag ng katotohanan mula sa pananampalataya.

Nakataya ang Katotohanan

Papalapit na ang Halalan, at nais naming ipaalala: ‘Karapatan at obligasyon ng bawat mamamayan ang malayang pagboto upang itaguyod ang kabutihan at kapakanan ng lahat’ (Gaudium et Spes, #75). Subalit, kami ay labis na nababahala sa mga hayagan at patagong pagbabaluktot, pagmamanipula, pagkukubli, pagsusupil at pag-aabuso ng katotohanan, tulad ng historical revisionism – pagbaluktot ng kasaysayan; paglipana ng fake news at false stories; ‘disinformation’ – ang pagpapakalat ng maling impormasyon o mga imbentong kuwento para impluwensyahan ang isip ng mga tao, pagtakpan ang katotohanan at manirang-puri. May mga troll farms na naghahasik ng virus ng kasinungalingan.

Suriin natin ang ating mga sarili. Marahil kasama rin tayo sa nagpapakalat ng virus ng kasinungalingan, na mabilis kumalat at pinamamanhid ang ating konsyensya; pinaparalisa ang kakayahang kilalanin ang Diyos at igalang ang kabutihan at katotohanan. Hindi natin namamalayan, mayroon ding ‘pandemya ng kasinungalingan’ lalo na sa panahong ito ng social media. Seryoso ang bagay na ito.

Sa sulat na ito ay wala kaming pinapanigan kundi ang katotohanan. Nais lamang naming magbigay ng babala tungkol sa tahasang pagbabaluktot ng kasaysayan tungkol sa Martial Law at EDSA People Power Revolution.

Noong 1986, ilan sa aming nakatatandang Obispo ay bahagi na ng CBCP. Nagpalabas kami ng Post-Election Statement (Pebrero 13, 1986) tungkol sa malawakang pandaraya sa eleksyon, sistematikong pag-agaw ng karapatan sa pagboto, talamak na pambibili ng mga boto, pamiminsala ng election returns, pananakot, terorismo at pagpatay. At ayon sa nasabing Statement: ‘ang isang gobyerno na pandaraya ang paraan ng pagkuha ng o pananatili sa kapangyarihan ay walang basehang moral.’ Kaya hinimok namin kayo na magsuri, magdesisyon at kumilos (see, judge & act). Nilinaw din namin na ang pagkilos na nararapat ay hindi isang paraang marahas, kundi mapayapa. Ganoon na nga ang nangyari. Ang taong bayan – ang NAMFREL, ang Comelec Computer Technicians, ang mga Poll Officials – mga registrars, teachers at government workers, milyon-milyong mga ordinaryong botante kasama ng mga pari at madre, ang Radyo Veritas at iba pang mga media ay mapayapang kumilos. Hindi na nila nasikmura ang tahasang panlilinlang at pandaraya. Sinunod ng mga tao – kasama na ang officials sa Batasan, ang military, mga Comelec Officials – ang kanilang konsyensya, At ang mga pangyayari ay humantong sa EDSA. (cf. CBCP Post-Election Statement, 1986)

Hindi namin imbento ang makasaysayang pangyayari sa EDSA, na isang bunga ng pakikipagkapatiran at pananampalataya. Naging bahagi lang kami nito, kasama kayo. Nasaksihan ninyo ito at ng buong mundo, at kinilala sa daigdig bilang “People Power.” Ang mapayapang rebolusyon ay hindi gawa ng isang tao, partido o kulay. Ito ay tagumpay ng Sambayanang Pilipino.

Marami sa aming mga Obispo ang nakasaksi sa kalupitan at karahasan ng Martial Law. At hanggang ngayon ay dokumentado ang mga paglabag sa karapatan, ang mga biktima, ang korapsyon, ang napakalaking utang ng bayan na nagpalubog ng ekonomiya, bunga ng pamahalaang diktador. Muli, hindi namin ito inimbento. Ito’y nakatala sa ating kasaysayan.

Nakababahala lamang ang pagbabaluktot ng kasaysayan at tila pagbura ng ating alaala sa pamamagitan ng paghahasik ng mga maling kuwento at kasinungalingan. Mapanganib ito sapagkat ito’y paglason sa ating kamalayan at pagwasak ng mga pundasyong moral ng ating mga institusyon.

Ang magwalang-bahala sa katotohanan ay makapipinsala sa atin, sapagkat ang pundasyon ng mabuting lipunan at responsableng pamamahala ay ang katotohanan. Papayagan ba natin na kasinungalingan ang ituturo sa ating mga kabataan at sa paaralan; na kasinungalingan ang magiging batayan ng mga batas o pagpapatupad nito? Ano ang mangyayari sa isang pamilya o lipunan na hindi nakabatay sa katotohanan?

Mga kapatid, manindigan tayo sa katotohanan. Tandaan po natin, ang kabutihang hiwalay sa katotohanan ay pagbabalatkayo. Ang paglilingkod na hindi ayon sa katotohanan ay maaaring panggagamit lamang. Walang hustisya kung walang katotohanan. Maging ang pag-ibig, kung hindi nakabatay sa katotohanan, ay sentimyento lamang. Ang isang eleksyon o anumang proseso na hindi makatotohanan ay panlilinlang at hindi mapagkakatiwalaan.

Magkakambal ang katotohanan at kalayaan (cf. Juan 8:32). Kapag pinaglalaruan ang katotohanan, pinaglalaruan din ang ating kalayaan. Ang pagbalewala ng katotohanan ay pagbalewala din ng tungkuling managot (accountability). Masusugpo ba natin ang korapsyon kung walang katotohanan? Kailangan handa rin tayong harapin ang katotohanan patungkol sa ating mga sarili (cf. 1 Juan 1:8).

Ang Pulitika ng Katotohanan, Kabutihan, Katarungan at Kapayapaan

Kaya po, at dahil rin sa darating na eleksyon, nananawagan kami sa inyo, mga kapatid – lalo na sa ating mga kabataan – na suriing mabuti ang mga nangyayari patungkol sa pagtataguyod natin ng makatotohanan at makatarungang lipunan. Mag- usap-usap at mag-aninaw kayo. Pakinggan ang inyong konsyensya. Kayo rin ang magdesisyon. Nagtitiwala kami sa inyong kakayahang makita ang katotohanan, ang tama at mabuti. Pareho naman ang ating inaasam –ang kapakanan ng lahat. At ayon sa liwanag ng Ebanghelyo ni Jesus, tahakin natin ang daan ng katotohanan, kabutihan, katarungan at kapayapaan, – hindi ng dahas, paghihiganti o kasamaan.

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February 23, 2022

Dear CFC Family,

OUR SACRED RIGHT AND DUTY AS CITIZENS

In 2021, our beloved community Couples for Christ celebrated our 40th Anniversary. It was a milestone not only because of the length of our existence but also because it marked the end of our first generation. We are reminded that when the second generation of God’s people, led by Joshua, entered the Promised Land, it was not to live a quiet and peaceful existence but rather, to fight numerous battles and struggle to survive.

Today we face the first major battle of our second generation. Today we stand at the crossroads of our life and mission, where our choice will define us as a community and as citizens of our beloved country. We refer to our May 2022 elections when we are called to exercise our sacred right and duty as citizens of our land.

We are aware that amid the din of campaign speeches in these 2022 elections, exacerbated by fake news and trolling, you look to us, your International Council, for guidance and direction on how to navigate this particular battleground. In every election, we have tried our best to do that; we have consistently provided the basic foundation upon which your discernment will flow. In every election, we have issued pastoral statements and guidelines (see attached) that have sought to clarify our stand as a community.

In our pastoral letter dated December 5, 2021, we reiterated those guidelines, and we quote:

1. “CFC as an institution will not endorse particular candidates or parties. However, this does not preclude our individual participation in the electoral process.

2. WewillbeguidedbytheadmonitionofourChurchleadersforparticipation in PRINCIPLED POLITICS. This is what Bishop Broderick Pabillo echoed during our CFC-sponsored webinar on “Responsible Christian Citizenship” last September 28, 2021. Quoting from the pastoral letter of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) entitled “Seek the Common Good,” issued on January 28, 2019, he said that “Participation in politics for Christian laypeople is not just to be limited to non-partisan involvement. Christians are also encouraged to engage in principled partisan participation. This means that they can campaign for good candidates as an exercise of their Christian faith.”

The new CBCP President, Bishop Ambo David, emphatically weighed in on PRINCIPLED POLITICS for the election during the online courtesy call of the International Council brothers to him last December 3, 2021.

3. We are called to respect each other’s opinions and preferences. At every opportunity, we shall relate in love and respect and care for one another. We should not indulge in divisive discussions. All of us should keep to heart and mind that national elections come around every six years, but our bonds of mutual love, respect, and friendship will always remain.

4. Participatein“circlesofdiscernment.”Generally,thesearesmallgroupsmade up of 7-10 persons who may choose to come together to study relevant issues, examine each candidate’s platform and professed values, go into deep prayer and reflection in order to form enlightened opinions that will guide their individual choices on the day of the election.

5. Support efforts for clean and honest elections. Setting aside partisanship, wherever practicable, join independent accredited groups whose goal is to ensure that elections are clean, honest, and transparent.”

Like many of you who have already begun studying the qualifications of the presidential candidates to help you discern your choice, we in the International Council went through the Circle of Discernment (COD) process last Sunday, February 20, 2022, so that we may be further guided in our reflection and study. We began our exercise with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist to set the activity’s solemn and sacred tone.

We deemed as important to our discussion and discernment the following appropriate sections of our Vatican International Statutes, granted to us in 2005:

1. Section 2.24 – “Societal/national/global renewal: “COUPLES FOR CHRIST, in raising up holy Christian men and women, likewise raises up responsible members of society and patriotic citizens of countries.”

2. Section9.0-COUPLESFORCHRISTasanagentofrenewalwithintheCatholic Church:

a. 9.42 – COUPLES FOR CHRIST will conform to and support official and orthodox Church teachings and stands on issues.

b. 9.43 – COUPLES FOR CHRIST is committed to the communication of the Catholic faith in all its integrity to its Catholic members.

We also went into a deep discussion of the criteria we felt were crucial in choosing the best leaders for our country. We reviewed the criteria that some organizations have formulated, such as the diocese of Cubao and our own STMA, and juxtaposed those with our CFC values of Pro-God, Pro-Family, Pro-Life, and Pro-Poor. In the end, we came up with the following simplified criteria which we highly recommend all of you adopt in your own CODs:

1. Karangalan–Ourcandidatemustbehonorable,meaningdeservingofhonorand respect; exhibiting honesty and good moral character; is fair and proper, not deserving of blame or criticism

2. Katapatan–Thisencompassesmanyattributes:devoted,loyal,faithful,constant, genuine, truthful, honest, someone who walks the talk, who has integrity and moral authority.

3. Kakayahan – The leader with kakayahan has the ability and capability to perform the task assigned, is competent.

4. Karunungan – More than intelligence, the leader must be wise, capable of analyzing all aspects of a given situation, and deciding for the common good.

5. MaytakotsaDiyos–MorethanGod-fearing,thecandidatemustalsobeseen,by action and not merely by word, as God-loving.

We began our discussion of the criteria on the premise and realization that there is no perfect candidate. At the end of our prayerful immersion and meaningful discussion, the members of the IC reached the decision to support the presidential candidacy of Leni Robredo.

Those of you who have been with CFC for many years will realize that this is the first time the International Council is announcing its support, based on individual IC member choices, for a particular candidate.

In stating its support for Leni Robredo, however, the International Council recognizes and acknowledges the God-given right of each and every member to make his/her choice. Thus, we are not imposing this decision on anyone. We recognize that the very essence of democracy is the freedom of everyone to express their own views, to make their own choices and to demand, if not agreement, at least respect for their decisions. As has been our policy over the years, we do not and will not endorse candidates because we do not want to see CFC as an institution imposing block voting on the brethren.

We arrived at our individual decision to support Leni Robredo after much prayer, discernment, and dialogue. We expect you to do the same and go through the same process of discernment we went through. Should your decision differ from ours, we will respect your choice in the spirit of love and brotherhood that has characterized, and will continue to characterize, our being CFC.

We ask only that we all remain faithful to our Christian calling and that we be actively involved in principled politics as our Church teaches. We are one with our Church in our desire to see only God-fearing men and women in leadership positions who will lead us and the next generations into a free, progressive, and united Philippines.

We reiterate that elections come and go, but our brotherhood and community life will remain for many more years to come. The noise of the campaign will cease, but the force of our love for each other, and the depth of our shared mission will continue.

Let us all exercise our sacred right because, in the face of the challenges our country now must overcome, this has become not just a privilege but our Christian duty.

We believe our theme – Christ Heals! – is God-inspired, not just for our community but for our entire country. May God’s healing grace be upon us all.

THE CFC INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL