JP2: Church is Mission!

We visited the exhibit of the Relics of Blessed Pope John Paul II.  It was in Gateway Mall.  Many people were there, mostly surprised and delighted that there was a display about the holy objects.  But what was also fascinating were the different quotes from Homilies that he gave in different places. One of many particularly caught my attention.  The one he gave on June 6, 2004 in Switzerland.  He exhorts...

Dear friends, the Church is mission! Today she also needs "prophets" who can reawaken in the communities faith in the revealing Word of God, who is rich in mercy. The time has come for preparing young generation of apostles who are not afraid to proclaim the Gospel. It is essential for every baptized person to pass from a faith of habit to a mature faith that is expressed in clear, convinced and courageous personal choices."

1. The Church is Mission!  In my reflection we need to be going out and to boldly regain territories that have been dominated by evil. Like media, politics, and business.  Ironically at the other end of the mall was an autograph signing by a popular men's magazine that feature nudity.  We are being desensitized by the enemy into accepting evil practices as a social norm, until it becomes the law of the land as in the case of many anti-life bills.  We, the church, are called to be missionaries for we are sent to witness God's love to others and stand up for Him.  We are meant to go out and make disciples. But JP2 also reminds us that the Church itself is also a mission area.  We also need Church Renewal so we can be a strong force to battle evil in our society and the world.  One of the ways to actualize this is to be part of a prayer group, a Christian community, be active in Church service, wherein we can be formed and be sent to live out our mission.

2. We need "prophets" who can reawaken faith.  Many of us Christians are 'non-practicing.' We go through the rituals of our religion but forget to practice our faith.  There is a need to reveal the Word of God to others through the lives we live.  How can we reawaken the faith in others? By making the faith awake and alive in our own words and specially our deeds.

3. Preparing young generations of apostles. Much of my formation and conversion was when I joined CFC Youth for Christ in 1995.  There I realized that together with other young people, it is possible to live out my faith in an environment where Christ is upheld and our talents were used to serve Him. I experienced my first mission when I went to Lilo-an, Cebu to start YFC there together with others my age. Since then, mission has been a great part of my life. Now that I am in Couples for Christ, I will never forget how the community has molded me in my youth and helped me in my most trying times.  We are to capture the youth, so when they become the decision makers of society, they will carry in them the experience of Christ and apply it in their profession.

4. Clear, Convinced, and Courageous personal choices.  This is the challenge to many of us who have a "lukewarm" approach to our Christianity.  Many of us do not wish to make a stand. But the truth is that if we do not make a stand, we have already made a stand to sit on the fence and accept the crisis that is before us.  Are we really for Jesus?  Then let us take a look at our business dealings if they are for Christ.  If you are a student, take a look if you are honest and hardworking in your studies. To be clear is not to mar our lifestyle with compromises. To be convinced is to root our decisions to God's word. To be courageous to finally take action for the sake of Christ.

The Church is Mission.  Let us ponder on that. We need to strengthen those who are within the church. We need only look around us, our family, our neighbors, our city.  Let us be inspired by Blessed John Paul II's words. Let us do mission, also from within, so we can be strong, revitalized, and on fire for God's will.

Christianity For Generations To Come

Today I was at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece. It was the venue of the 1st ever Summer Olympic Games in 1896. Until recently, in 2004, was the Olympics once again held in Greece. That's 108 years later in a new stadium called the Athens Olympic Stadium. It's amazing how the Olympic tradition has been kept alive through all those years. Even surviving World Wars 1 and 2.

What are the practices and traditions that we need to keep alive? Every generation is given the opportunity to be stewards of tradition, culture, beliefs, principles, faith, and way of life. As Christians of today's generation, what are we to do to preserve, strengthen, and live out the teachings of Jesus that was given to us over 2,000 years ago? I can reflect on three things. One is that we need to advocate an appreciation of the history of our faith. The Bible shares to us the creation of the world and of Adam and Eve. The Bible also elaborates on how God called and raised the Israelites as His chosen people. The Good Book also gives an account of Jesus' teachings and how He died for our sins. The Bible also shows us how the early Christian community and it's leaders spread the Good News of salvation. A deep appreciation and understanding of our past will help us in building a strong foundation of faith. Second, we need to be good witnesses of the way of life Jesus was teaching us. They say that today "we need more of witnesses rather than preachers." It is possible that we have all knowledge about religion, but fail to live out our faith. If there is poor witnessing, our children will not inherit the way of life Jesus was showing us. Third, we have to invest much time, energy, and resources in training the young. One day, all that we have started and built will have to be passed on to the next generation. All of us will get old and gray. If we fail to train and entrust our work to the young, our traditions and principles will die with us. In passing the baton in a relay, there is a point where the two runners are holding the baton before it is released. If we are the baton passer, we do all that we can to mold the young and teach them of the right ways. If we are the baton receiver, we do all we can to absorb the wisdom of our predecessors.

The Olympics will continue to be enjoyed by future generations, unless a certain generation will be poor stewards of continuing this tradition. Like Christianity, we must keep it alive by being good stewards and humbe vessels of the power of the Holy Spirit. We see many countries, specially in Europe, who started strong in being a Christian nation, but later to see a generation of Christians who are "unchurched." They are Christians by baptism, but fail to practice, participate, and live out their faith. Let us work together to keep Christ alive in the hearts of generations to come.

Build With Excellence

Today I was in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. I can't help but be awed by it's size and beauty. The details of the artwork on every corner is very impressive. The church was consecrated in 1147 and it is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna.

The people in the 12th Century really put much value in the construction of the churches. You could feel the level of excellence they put in the building of the cathedral. I observed that there are so many sculptures all over the church; in the ceiling, the walls, the pulpits, the posts, the doors and many more. After 900 years, this structure has survived wars and fires, and is continually nourishing its parishioners with the Eucharist and the other sacraments.

Reflecting on this, how excellent are we when it comes to our work and service? How much value are we putting into them? Are we building our work and service to last? What I learned from witnessing this marvelous church is that, if we put much value and excellence in what we do, our work will survive even beyond our own lifetime. Our desire is that whatever we started will continue for years to come. In the case of the St. Stephen Cathedreal, this excellent structure has lasted for 900 years already.

In World War II, It was even saved from intentional destruction when a Captain Gerhard Klinkicht of the German forces disregarded orders from the city commandant, Sepp Dietrich, to "fire a hundred shells and leave it in just debris and ashes (wikipedia)." I think that the Captain couldn't take it upon himself to destroy such magnificent structure and place of worship. People will help preserve and protect work that is done with much excellence. Presently, the cathedral is undergoing some preservation work and cleaning up, so it can last for centuries to come.

There were so many tourists that went to see the Cathedral. They took pictures and many of them went to Mass as well. As for me, I didn't understand a word since it was in German. But despite that, I couldn't deny the holy presence of God within the walls of this hallowed Cathedral during mass. It was as if I was transported through time, imagining that 900 years ago, people went to Holy Mass, and shared in the Body of Christ just as I did today. A work that is built excellently will benefit not only the maker but hundreds and thousands other people who are touched of its beauty and purpose.

May we devote ourselves to work and service wherein we can build great value and excellence. If you are in a business, may you work with excellence so it may last for many years. If you are in the service of the Lord, may you shepherd people and communities excellently towards God for generations to come. "The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock (Matthew 7:28)."