Vol. 15 No.

21
October 10 - 23, 2011

CBCP Monitor

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IC Goes on Retreat, New CFC Theme Announced

By Bernie Cuevas
THE presence of the Lord and our Blessed Mother was very evident both literally and in spirit during the CFC International Council Planning Retreat held last September 30-October 2 at the Fontana in Clark, Pampanga. Father Raul de los Santos, fondly called Amang Rau by his parishioners in Pampanga, gave the morning recollection that started the discernment weekend for the CFC Theme and Directions for the year 2012. He chose the reading from John 21: 15-19 where Jesus asked Peter the question Do you love me more than these? and later issued the invitation to Come follow me. According to Fr. Rau, this was an invitation to a deeper life with Jesus, the same question that Jesus is asking us now in CFC. Fr. Rau posed three questions and three invitations to the IC: Question 1: Are you grateful about your life and your CFC community? Invitation 1: Can you see all these with new grateful eyes and happier heart? Question 2: What are the trials in your life and your community right now? Invitation 2: Can I insert my trials into the rhythm of the Paschal Mystery of Christ? Question 3: What have I learned through all these years? Invitation 3: Can I hear God calling me to greater freedom and joy? The period of reflection that followed these questions and invitations marked the beginning of the discernment for the theme and directions for 2012. A spirit-filled afternoon worship led by Joe Tale, and the opening exhortation by CFC Chairman Ricky Cuenca on unity and the role of the IC as shepherds to CFC started the afternoon team building facilitated by Bong Arjonillo, sector head of Central C. The CFC time line activity and sharing affirmed the experiences and the roles that each IC member and his spouse played in the last 30 years of CFC and how they see the future. Change was the message of the team building. As the Lord calls us to a deeper relationship with Him, there will be continuing changes and refinements that the Lord will lead CFC to, in preparation for the next 30 years of CFC. This will entail continued reflections on the condition of our heart, changes in our mind sets, and changes in the way we do things for the glory of God. The first evening was spent in prayerful discernment for the CFC theme for 2012. Rouquel Ponte started the discernment process with the praying of the rosary. Each IC member and his spouse shared the messages that they heard from the Lord about the theme. The messages about rebuilding (from Nehemiah and Ezra) did not just speak about a structural rebuilding, but of personal holiness. Personal holiness would be the rock foundation that CFC will be built on. We are called to be apostles and prophets imitating Christ and as we rebuild our personal holiness, then the church of the home, the poor and the future will be built to last. CFC was reminded that holiness is a pure action of God, to which man responds. We need God has done in CFC. Finally, all the messages came together when Jun Uriarte said that there is no higher thanksgiving than the Magnificat, where Mary proclaimed the greatness of the Lord. Proclamation is evangelization and we have consecrated ourselves to the Blessed Mother, the Star of evangelization. purely Gods action. It affirmed that everything that happens is Gods work. It was also affirmed that this theme flows from last years theme of the armor of God, where we put on Christ as our armor and now, we proclaim his greatness to the world. The whole activity was so spiritfilled and the message to each IC member was so clear that the theme was discerned before the night was over. The Spirits presence was so powerful that Nina Ponte was moved to prophesy that the evangelization of CFC will bloom even more in the coming years. The Direction Setting and Plans for 2012 were done the following Saturday and Sunday. After Joe Yamamoto led everyone in a vibrant morning worship on Saturday, Melo Villaroman led the planning and each IC member presented his plans for the area of work assigned to him taking note of the past accomplishments and challenges in each area. This allowed all areas of the CFC mission to be discussed. What was noteworthy was the reminder that the first part of the CFC mission is the commitment to live in Gods righteousness and holiness. It was discerned that this should be the first mission strategy in the CFC road map to instill this in the hearts and minds of our CFC members. This is the foundation for our faith in action expressed in building the church of the home and the church of the poor. While the men were immersed in the CFC planning, the IC wives also prayerfully worked together to come up with the completed Intercessory Manual that they joyfully presented to the IC brothers for approval and implementation. The IC wives will spearhead the prayer intercessory groups that will be praying for the whole community. Manny and Ditas Garcia led the Lords Day celebration on Saturday evening. Nonoy Dalman, to provide everyone a break from the very serious matters at hand, led everyone in singing well-loved songs from yesteryears. The result of the planning is the CFC Roadmap for 2012, clearly leading us to the threefold mission strategies, plans and programs for each mission strategy. These measures and enablers will be the basis for the plans of all CFC areas for the year 2012. In the coming months, each mission area will conduct its own detailed planning under the IC member-overseer together with their Core Teams. The IC thanked CFC Pampanga for facilitating the recollection, inviting Fr. Rau and providing the materials needed for the planning. They also expressed gratitude to Mannix and wife Aileen, not only for acting as the music ministry during the weekend but also for graciously hosting their Fontana stay.

Were ready, Were steady, To march with God Almighty!

Handmaids ...... Lets Go!

The first hour of each morning during the Conference was devoted to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, celebrated each day by Fr. Antonio Tenorio, a Filipino priest based in Solothurn, Switzerland. He generously shared his understanding of the fundamentals of putting on the armor of God with animated true-to-life examples that participants easily related to. Before the Conference was over, Fr Onyo (as he is fondly called) was gladly welcomed into the Ministry, to the delight of everyone, as a full-pledged member of the Handmaids of the Lord. The talks were powerfully delivered by Handmaids who traveled all the way from the Philippines. In session 1, Grace Pasigan expounded on the truth that we are all born into battle. In Session 2, Grace Buntag expanded this theme with The Field of Battle: the Church. In Session 3, Mina Francisco spoke about The Field of Battle: the Family; followed by Mercy Ariles who talked on The Field of Battle: the Community. In the fifth and final session, HOLD International Coordinator Didi Galsim spoke

to come out of our comfort zone and be ready for a lot of sacrifices along the way. We need to aspire for greater things. CFC is called to a more public life and to exercise our prophetic role. We are being asked to let the Lords goodness shine in CFC, a light that attracts others. We need to be grateful for everything that

Many of the IC members and wives confessed that their hearts stirred powerfully within them when Proclaim the greatness of the Lord from Luke 1: 46 was finally considered as the CFC theme. Although it is a Marian statement, the focus is on the Lord. The choice to make Mary the Mother of God is

The Handmaids of the Lord in Europe marched to this chant during the 11th HOLD European Conference held from September 30 to October 2. The Geneva PALEXPO in Geneva, Switzerland reverberated with about 300 joyous voices as the conference, aptly titled a Call to Arms A Call to Victory unfolded over the following three days. This years gathering was very special because of the ingenuity in the way songs of praise and worship were presented by each delegation, coming from around 20 countries in Europe and at least three countries outside Europe, including Canada, the USA and the Philippines. . It was a welcome change from the usual praise parade normally witnessed in previous conferences. To the many HOLD present, it evoked the image of Joshua and the chosen people marching around the fortified city of Jericho, blowing their trumpets and chanting loudly, inevitably bringing down the city walls.

about A Call to Arms. A Call to Victory. She emphasized the importance of claiming the victory that the Lord Jesus has already won for us. It was an inspiring sight when she led brothers and sisters representing each of the family ministries: the Couples, the Servants, Handmaids of the Lord, Singles and the Kids for Christ, to wave their respective banners while everyone sang the song of victory. We will march to victory for God has won the fight. Of course, the weekend with the Lord would not be complete without fellowship with one another. The night of singing and dancing on Saturday was enjoyed by all. To add to the enjoyment, an impromptu program with presentations from the different delegations proved that Handmaids are gifted with loads of talents. The weekend ended all too soon for the Handmaids who received so much in terms of insights and learnings which they vowed to echo in their respective countries. At the end of the conference, it was announced that the 12th HOLD Eurocon will be held in the Netherlands.

CFC THEME FOR 2012

GODS mighty power and full armor be upon you! We announce with great gladness and excitement our CFC global communitys theme for the year 2012 -- PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD! This is based on the opening verse of The Canticle of Mary (Luke 1: 46 to 55), also known as the Magnificat, sung by the Virgin Mary in response to Elizabeth at the Visitation, after she praised Mary for her faith. The anchor verse (Lk 1: 46) reads, My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Our global theme for 2012, as with our past themes, is a great gift of guidance from the Holy Spirit to Couples for Christ as we continue our mission journey. The Spirit led the members of the IC and wives to Proclaim the greatness of the Lord! during a weekend retreat that started Friday, September 30 and ended on October 2, 2011. Our 2012 theme is so rich and profound, and enjoins us all to prepare our hearts to grow and to open up fully so that in 2012, our Community and our individual families may understand, live, sing and proclaim the Canticle of Mary. The theme brings us back home to the core of our calling: EVANGELIZATION, or proclaiming the great love of the Lord in word and in action every day. It also reveals the purpose why the Lord has allowed us to face and overcome the Communitys toughest storms we loved and moved forward in Christ, embracing the Fullness of His mission, and we put on His full armor, so that our lives and our families can continue to proclaim the greatness of the Lord to all! Finally, the theme affirms the fullness of the mission each of us is called to. The faithfulness, humility, and holiness of Mary as the first and perfect disciple; the lowly being lifted up and the hungry filled with good things; the promise to Abraham and his descendants encompassing the future of our own families these are exciting affirmations of the work God calls us to fulfill: building up personal holiness in Christ, building the Church of the Home, and building the Church of the Poor! We thank the global CFC Community for all your support and prayers, perfectly accepted by the Lord as He leads all of us to our new 2012 theme! Let us continue putting on the full armor of Christ in our daily mission, as we prepare to PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD! even more deeply and fully this coming 2012! For the International Council, Melo Villaroman, Jr. Executive Director Ricky Cuenca Chairman

IC STATEMENT October 3, 2011

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Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 21
October 10 - 23, 2011

THE Kids For Christ Australian Kids Village (AKV) last September 23 to 25 at the Merroo Christian Centre, Sydney, with the

KFC Australia Take The Lead!

theme LEAD: Be strong in the Lord, was attended by around 160 delegates. It was a Spirit-filled activity with lots of fun, laughter, and praise songs - all directed to worship, honor and glorify God. Many of the kids were so touched by the act of praising God and by the love and care of their kuyas and ates (older brothers and sisters), by the guidance of the coordinators, by the support of their parents and by the newfound friendship with other KFCs. The first session titled With Jesus! We can! on Friday evening was given by Carmelli Argana, a 10 year old KFC member. The participants learned so many things from their fellow KFC, especially on how to be prayerful, and how to be loving and serving leaders. The outdoor fun activities on Saturday - such as canoeing, tree planting (part of the KFC Global Day of Service or GDS), etc. where the kids were grouped into LEAD squads (Lead Workshops) was an indication of Gods guiding presence throughout the event. The Session 2 play, with the title Gear up and Take the Lead on Saturday night held all the KFCs attention so much that you could hear their boos whenever Lucius (the villain in the play) would come onstage, and their shouts of yes whenever the World Changers/Lead Squad appeared. The YFC R.O.C.K. (Reach Out Christ to Kids) facilitator), KFC Couple Coordinators, and all the CFC parents were outstanding in their service, making this AKV an experience of a lifetime for the kids. The weekend was another manifestation of the blessing of being connected to a global CFC community and the Catholic Church the Holy Mass was celebrated both on Saturday and Sunday.-- Contributions by Nonoy Albano, Sheila Buenagua, Nic escalona Jr.

KFC Timor Leste Take the Lead Too!

By Bembem Asunto
CFC Kids for Christ Timor Leste successfully had their 5th National Conference last September 18, 2011 at Escola Primaria No. 4 Nu Laran, Dili. It was the biggest gathering of KFC with 800 delegates, including parents and other family members, who came to witness the kids showing off their talents and enthusiasm in participating in the different activities, which included workshops, sports and creative competitions and the animated sessions. This years conference had the theme Lidera Ba (Take the Lead), from Ephesians 6:10. The event kicked off with Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Luis Bonaparte, Episcopal Vicar for Re-evangelization of the Diocese of Dili. Fr. Luis mentioned in his homily that kids also play a special part in the work of evangelization, and thats why we should look upon them as special just as Jesus sees them. He added that kids need activities like the Conference, so that their leadership skills can be honed as early as now. He challenged the young adults and parents to be good role models to the kids and help them to take the lead. The event was also graced by the Director of the National Commission for Childrens Rights in Timor Leste, Dir. Adalgisa Dias Ximenes. In her opening remarks, she pointed out the importance of our role as overseers to the children i.e. that we also need to know their basic rights. She also mentioned the possible partnership in terms of the programs that we have for the kids to develop their leadership skills through Christian faith formation. The k ids int ent ly watched and listened to the compressed sessions as fellow KFC and CFC members made their presentations to highlight the central message of the talks. The creative competitions added more excitement to the event while the kids showed off their talents in singing and dancing. At the same time, the rest of the young KFC boys enjoyed playing futsal. No KFC conference would be complete without the famous fire hose bath! After the days activity, all the kids rushed towards the open field ready to get wet. A refreshing way to end the day! It was indeed a day of fun and learning. Kids have their own way of teaching us adults. They never get weary for as long as there is fun, faith and friendship, especially in KFC. We adults get tired easily because we tend to forget to have fun the moment we face the realities of life. Let us learn from the kids as they take the lead!

By Jessa Dasas

YFC Metro Manila Central B Sector Conference: I AM HIS

Cluster Head of Central B1 Community Based, Erick Bajande. Ed Chavez, Central Bs Overall Sector Coordinator, formally opened the sector conference, and Jawo Purugganan, Community Based Sector Head, welcomed the entrance of colors and led the Oath of Sportsmanship for the players in the sports and creative competitions that were worker trainee from Cagayan De Oro, delivered the talk for the second session, entitled My Pride, and showed how we fail to bring back the glory that is rightfully Gods, by not using our gifts and talents wisely and by attributing our successes not to God but to ourselves. Finally, the High School Based Sector Head and Event Head, Luis Enriquez, led the last session entitled I Am His. He reminded everyone that Gods faithfulness tow a r d s us never wavers and it is through Gods grace that we are able to overcome all our adversities in life. In YFC we only have one purpose and mission- that is to share His Word and love like Him. Seven years of His unwavering love. Seven years of His greatness among the youth of Central B. Forever it is He that we glorify. WE ARE HIS.

by Chino Jose

YFC Metro Manila North B: The Mission to Overflow

YFC Metro Manila Central B held its seventh sector conference last September entitled I AM HIS with the tagline My Pride, His Glory. It was a one-day event held at Aula Minor Auditorium in Pasig Catholic College. The conference used 2 Corinthians 12:9 as the anchor verse. --But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christs power may rest on me. The past sector conferences had based their themes on revival and recovery. This year, inspired by the superhero trend, which served as the conferences creative handle, the overall theme focused on humility. The morning of the event was pumped up with an opening worship led by the

held the whole morning. Marky Abisado, Sector Head of Campus Based, led the opening worship to open the second half of the conference. JQ Quimpang, a YFC fulltime pastoral worker, gave the first session entitled His Glory, expounding on the truth that Gods glory will never fade, will never end and will remain forever. Deciery Pagara, a fulltime

THE North B sector, as one of geographically bigger sectors of CFC Youth for Christ in Metro Manila sprawling from the Katipunan area all the way to the southern portions of Fairview, has been the home of countless steadfast servant leaders of the Lord. At present, YFC North B has already held a total of 6 sector conferences, including the most recent Overflow sector conference last September 17, 2011 at the Claret School of Quezon City Gymnasium. On that day, North B Youth for Christ members from the different programs - Campus Based, High School Based, Community/Parish based, R.O.C.K. (Reaching out Christ to Kids), YCom (Youth Communications), and the recently re-opened TORCH (Towards Renewal in Christ) program gathered as one to celebrate and enjoy Gods overflowing love. Part of the event had members and groups showcasing talents ranging from singing, dancing and simply entertaining the crowd, through the Band, Show Choir, Dance and Gag competitions. The Isaiah Band from the Community Based program won the band competition.

CABAG (Campus Based A Capella Group) won first place for Show Choir. The Exodus Dance Group, also from Campus Based, danced their way to victory, and the Community Based gag performers impressed the youth. All of these winners will participate in the creative competitions of the YFC Metro Manila Conference this month (October) Following the competitions were creative and immensely inspirational videos including one of Nick Vujicic, a man with no arms and legs, who testified that God is all we really need to finish strong everyday. Chaz Michael Datu, North Bs overall sector youth head, then led the main session for the conference. He spoke about Gods promises to the youth and the youths response to Gods love in the midst of insecurities,

struggles, losses, and forgotten dreams. Chaz encouraged the conference participants to surrender everything to God by listing down their complaints on provided pieces of paper. As each YFC submitted their lists, they were given in exchange a brief letter from the Lord assuring them of His undeniable love and the mission everybody has to live out in Jesus. The theme of the sector conference, OVERFLOW was inspired by the Bible verse We love because God loved us first. Through the conference, everyone was reminded to fill their hearts with nothing but pure love given by God. They were reminded to accept Jesus Christ whole-heartedly into their life. With Jesus in them, they can love anyone in this world with all their heart and soul.

YFC Metro Manila West A hold L.U.S.O.B. Conference

By Katrina Garcia
L.U.S.O.B (Live Up, Stand-out, Overcoming Battlegrounds) -- Last September 11, 2011, hundreds of people gathered at Gregoria De Jesus Elementary School for the seventh YFC Metro Manila West A Sector Conference to witness how great truly God is. Months of preparation were all worth it after seeing how youth from different programs showcased the talents that God had given them. To start the event right, Fr. Agot Himayan officiated at the Holy Mass that was attended by YFC members and couple coordinators. Immediately after the Mass, Charles Ferdinand Marcos, a YFC Campus-based president, led the crowd in an opening worship that heightened the excitement of each and every individual present. To formally open the L.U.S.O.B Sector conference, Rey Uy of YFC West A Community-based and the event couple coordinator, gave his opening remarks and encouraged everyone to actively participate in the said celebration. To give an overview of what Live up, Stand-out, Overcoming Battlegrounds is all about, Renz Tiong, Campus-based Sector Youth Head, delivered the first session entitled Live Up. It served as an eye-opener for both YFCs and nonYFCs to reflect on their current spiritual status (i.e. prayer time and attending the Mass every Sunday). Our talents are precious gifts from God; this is what motivated the YFC members to showcase their God-given-talents through the competitions: Angelic voices in show choir competitions, movers in the dance, Rock-on to God in the band competitions and to laugh their hearts out in the gag competitions. YFC Metro Manila West A also had special competitions like the song writing contest and West A got talent. Right after the competitions, Geng Bonifacio, Community-based S e c t o r Y o u t h Head, gave the second session; Standout. She tackled the common battlegrounds that the youth are facing nowadays like conflict in the family, struggles in schools, issues in friendships and even in love life. She emphasized that there is a vast difference in our reactions to these struggles when we are in Christ. Session 3 Overcome Battlegrounds was led by Jesmel Gabuten, Campus Program Volunteer and Conference Event Head. He told the story of Job in the Bible, the man who endured everything and remained faithful to the Lord. Jesmel emphasized that God also wants us to endure in our mission, because He has prepared something great for us. Being in Christ, we should stand out and live the faith, as we carry the new vision of Youth For Christ Young people being and bringing Christ wherever they are. The victorious event ended fittingly with a praise fest led by Gerald Manapsal, West A Over-all Sector Youth Head.

YFC South B Outburst: Painting Your Life With Christ

By Maica Gatmaitan
THE Youth for Christ Metro Manila South B Sector held its 9thAnnual Sector Conference at St. Rita College, Sucat, Paraaque City last September 18, 2011. Approximately 600 youth from Paraaque, Muntinlupa and a part of Pasay gathered for the conference entitled Outburst: Paint Your Life with Christ, rooted in Ephesians 5:8. Once you lived in the dark but now the Lord has filled you with light, live as children
YFC / C3

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 21
October 10 - 23, 2011

Ugnayan

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ANCOP To Proclaim Christ Among Mangyans And Uplift Their Community

By Jerry Tanigue
A TEAM of ANCOP volunteers from Manila recently trekked to an Alangan Mangyan tribe community in Occidental Mindoro. In partnership with the Local Government Unit (LGU), National Council of Indigenous People (NCIP), and the Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR), ANCOP intends to pursue its programs for the poor to benefit the Mangyans. Desi Sablayan, tribe leader, and his fellow elders welcomed the 15-man ANCOP group and, together with the other tribe members, listened while the initial development plan was explained by Bong Marquez, LGU; Rizal Ting, ANCOP and Louie Munding, Couples for Christ (CFC) Sablayan head. The first help to materialize is the purchase of a carabao requested by the tribe leader during the groups previous visit using funds donated by ANCOP Saudi Arabia.

Members of the Mangyan tribe pose with ANCOP leaders.

ANCOP UAE Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony; Construction of San Mateo ANCOP Homes Begins
ANCOP United Arab Emirates (UAE) held a ground breaking ceremony in early September in Barangay Bane, Balanga, Bataan where it will build a community of 30 ANCOP U.S.A. homes. This community is part of 135 homes to be built for poor Filipinos in a piece of land donated by Dr. Amang and Christy Abello, ANCOP U.S.A. supporters from San Antonio, Texas. Among those who attended the simple ceremony were Ricky Cuenca, Couples for Christ chairman, Dr. Joe Yamamoto, ANCOP Chairman, Eric de los Reyes, ANCOP President & CEO, Grace Princesa, Philippine Ambassador to UAE, Ramuel Garcia, Head of ANCOP UAE and local officials of Balanga. Construction of the ANCOP UAE homes will begin shortly. Four months ago, ANCOP U.S.A.s South Central Region held a similar ANCOP Chairman Joe Yamamoto and CFC Chairman Ricky Cuenca (standing, center) with Amb. Grace Princesa (seated, middle) and other ANCOP officials and local government officials after the groundbreaking ceremony. ceremony in the same area for the building of a 30home ANCOP U.S.A. comBahrain, Oman and Kuwait. ring Community (Maryland) in Our munity. Meanwhile, Elmer Pacia, ANCOP Lady of Banneux ANCOP Community Eric de los Reyes said that five other U.S.A. Community Development Pro- in San Mateo, Rizal has started. ANCOP groups from Middle Eastern gram Director, announced that conPacia said the eight homes will be countries will also donate 30 homes in struction of the first eight of 30 homes in turned over to their owners before Barangay Bane, namely, Saudi Arabia, the ANCOP U.S.A. Kathleen Scher- Christmas.

By Manny Caballero, ANCOP USA News Bureau

ANCOP USA Walk Young Fil-Am uses birthday fest Raises P5.6 Million to raise funds for ANCOP CSP
By ANCOP USA News Bureau
SEPT 26, 2011 - Gian Lizardo of Chicago is a young FilipinaAmerican. She turned 25 years old earlier this month. To celebrate this important event in her life, she thought of serving God by helping some poor children in the Philippines through ANCOP. Gian approached ANCOP U.S.A. and inquired how she could help the poor children in her parents native country on her birthday. She was advised to create a solicitation page from www.firstgiving. com. ANCOP U.S.A. has an account with that web site where anyone could create a page for fundraising purposes on behalf of a non-profit organization like ANCOP. Gian did exactly as advised. She now has a page at http://www.firstgiving. com/fundraiser/gian/kingdombuilding. Titled Building the Kingdom of God, Gian wrote the following introduction: As Im entering my 25th year of life, I reflect on everything thus far and see how beautifully God has worked throughout my life. I am confident in the many more miracles He has in store. For me personally, I know that He has called me to help build His Kingdom and free all those oppressed by struggle. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19). So for my birthday this year, I wanted to share the blessings that

THE ANCOP U.S.A. Walk 2011 held last month in 19 cities in 12 states around the U.S. raised the equivalent of$130,000 or 5.6 million pesos, according to Rollie Balanza, ANCOP U.S.A. Chief Financial Officer. The money will be used for ANCOPs two major programs, namely the Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) and the Community Development Program (CDP). The annual project, which is held globally, is a three-mile walk aimed at raising funds for ANCOP programs. The 2011 ANCOP USA Walk was held in: Coconut Creek, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Albany, Georgia; Hoffman Estates, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; Metropolitan Washington, D.C.; Jersey City, New Jersey; Waxhaw, North Carolina; Milpitas, San Mateo, Vallejo and San Dimas, California; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Virginia Beach, Virginia and Richland, Washington. The number of registered participants totaled 2,247.

He has showered upon me with those whom we most often forget we are sent to truly serve. With a new school year upon us, I thought it would be great to help send ONE child through ONE year of elementary or high school ($32/month or $384/year), and ONE young adult

through ONE college ($64/ month or $768/year) through ANCOP Foundations Child Sponsorship Program (CSP). In total, my goal is to raise $1,152 to send two youth to school. As of this this writing, Gian has raised 56 percent of her goal.

YFC / C3

who have light. The event started with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided by Rev. Father Jun Lingad, from Don Bosco Seminary, Paraaque city. This was followed by opening remarks delivered by Vic Yamamoto, CFC Metro Manila South B Family Ministries Head. Michael Bocalig, one of the ANCOP Chapter Heads from the SB5 cluster, led the opening worship. The Outburst chant

was then played and taught by the Sector band together with the YCom Dance Crew and the Emcees. This was followed by the creative competitions such as, band, dance, acappella and gag videos. Lance Katigbak, Chapter Head in the SB5 cluster, delivered a short session on life. He emphasized the importance of saying yes to life. The afternoon worship was then led by Guio Pimentel, Cluster Head of SB9, followed by a

Praise and Fashion presentation featuring the Sector Youth Heads, Cluster Heads, Presidents, Program Volunteers and High School Program Volunteers. Pat Acapulco, Community Based Sector Youth Head, de-

livered a very inspiring session entitled Black and White. His session tackled faith, friends, family, and school, the four areas important in the life of the youth. Chibang Ebron, Cluster Head of SB4, shared about his experiences at school; Rachel Delos Reyes, Cluster Head of SB7, shared about her family; Renz Gamo , a high school based member, shared about his friends; and, Wen Alegre, Cluster Head of SB1, shared about his faith.

Gerald Sobrevega, Over All Sector Youth Head, delivered the last session entitled Outburst of Colors. He emphasized the importance of Gods light as he showed the youth the colors of the rainbow that can also symbolize the 7 identities of YFC. The event ended with a praise fest led by PJ Arcillas, High School Based Sector Youth Head who reminded everyone that the Lord always has bigger plans for us.

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By Ricky Cuenca

Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 21
October 10 - 23, 2011

The Miracles Continue for Fired-Up CFC

AS I write this, I am in Canada, in the land where I began my work as a missionary for the Lord. During this month of October, I will be speaking across Canada -- in Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver. October, the month of the Holy Rosary, reminds me of the motto, The family that prays together stays together. Indeed, our CFC family has prayed and stayed together. Through the years, we have all felt the protection and healing presence of our Mother Mary, our source of strength and inspiration. This healing presence was affirmed in the International Councils Strategic Planning held from September 30 to October 2 in order to set directions for 2012. The theme for the year 2012 that evolved from our prayers and reflection was the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. For the mighty one has done great things and Holy is His name. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped the servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy according to the purpose he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to our descendants forever. This healing presence and our Lords providence has allowed us to witness miracle after miracle from the increase in our membership to the purchase of CFCs new home to the growing acknowledgement of our work as lay evangelizers in the Church. And the miracles continue. One of the greatest miracles was in Luneta in June 2011, in the celebration of our 30th anniversary, the Pearl of Great Price. A great throng of our members, more than ever before, congregated and marched in Luneta, coming from all over the Philippines, Africa, Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Europe, USA and Canada. The Pearl anniversary brought the biggest foreign delegation ever with mainland China and Indonesia leading the troop, bringing hundreds of members to the parade. What an overwhelming and abundant gift from the Lord! God made everything joyful, celebrative and spirit filled. The Pearl Anniversary also marked the passing on of a legacy in leadership in the life of the community. As a result of the Holy Spirit-led election process of the Elders Assembly, we have in the new International Council 5 incumbent members and 4 first time members. We also increased the number of IC members from 7 to 9. Right after the elections, in August, the newly elected International Council went on a three-day intensive retreat to discern our individual functions and roles in CFC. We started the retreat with a rosary in honor of our Lady of Banneux and throughout the retreat, prayed the rosary to begin each session. We prayed the angelus as part of our evening reflection exercise. Fasting, intercessory prayers and recitation of the holy rosary were also conducted by CFC members outside the retreat. The retreat was peaceful, purposeful and transformative with each IC member aware of his role, appreciative of individual talents and charism that can best contribute to the full delivery of CFC vision and mission. Balancing self aspiration and service for God and neighbor was achieved through the inspiration of Mother Mary, the role model for submission to the will of God. Indeed, it was the intercession of Our Blessed Virgin Mother that helped transcend our personal desires and allowed us to submit only to the will of God and His purposes for each of us. In the new International Council, we learn witnessing love and respect for each other, conscious and sensitive of each others roles and functions. Fraternal love and selfemptying towards a unified mission is a result of constant communication and regular information sharing. We call it HOT- honest, open, trusting communication. It is always a challenge to practice unity in diversity, participatory democracy in consensus building and self expression purified by Divine will. The spirit filled election of the new IC, given our anointed roles and functions, was an affirmation that the CFC community is ready for transition, for positive changes, for strategic approaches and innovations, for the empowerment of its leaders and members and the boldness of the whole organization to enter into new territories, partnerships and its expansion to greater heights, all for the greater glory of God. Upon my acceptance of the position of CFC Chairman, I set my three priority thrusts as: 1) On Fire Evangelization -On Fire Evangelization is an acronym that is defined as: One with CHRIST (Personal Holiness through Prayer and Scriptures); Oneness with the Catholic Church. New Generation (How do I prepare myself/children to be Christ-like leaders?) Fullness of Evangelization: Christ, Family, Poor (How can I help in CLPs, and serve with the poor in ANCOP, Cornerstone, Social Ministry?) International or Global Calling (Do I have opportunities to connect with CFC in other countries when I travel for work or holiday?) Relevant Life and Formation (Attending households and teachings faithfully) Effective Governance and Stewardship (Am I faithful and generous in tithing for the Lords work?) 2) Purposeful pastoral care and formation -The two separations we endured over the past four years have left many of us wounded. Lets visit our members in the community and provide nurturing pastoral care and advice. Pastoral care is defined as: Visiting the flock and initiating continuing dialogue with the members, not only leaders; comforting our members, listening to their local issues and concerns; seeking to help resolve bottlenecks with pastoral love according to biblical and CFC teachings; resolving issues and reaching agreements based on innovative solutions starting from the bottom up, following the principles of subsidiary. We exhaust at each level, from the bottom up, consensus building and decision making. 3) Passionate work with the poor -ANCOP and CFC are one body. We need oneness in structure, effective strategies and action plans in our Child, Family and Community focus. We need a strategic marketing plan for the ANCOP child sponsorship program integrating, Education, Livelihood, Health and Shelter with values formation and the new Christian Life Program. During our IC Strategic Planning, I added a fourth thrust that cuts across all three priority thrusts - GOOD GOVERNANCE which includes 1) transparent and accountable financial management, control and reporting, 2) evidencebased and results -based performance, quality management and performance score cards, monitoring and evaluation through the installation of knowledge management, information, communication technology (ICT) in global and local mission centers and 3) policy planning and development of financial systems, human resource, communication and travel policies. In the past three months, as CFC Chairman, I realized leadership is not only about giving talks, giving directions, delegating work and cascading down all three priority thrusts. It is so much more. It requires a personal journey to holiness, disciplined practice of servant leadership and witnessing of steward leadership, highly principled living in the fullness of Christ love, having a whole pastoral sense of community, a deep faith and personal relationship with God, always acting from unconditional love for fellow leaders down the line, devoted prayer life and the regular reception of the sacraments- daily mass, confessions, Holy Eucharist, daily recitation of the Holy Rosary, Angelus and Divine Mercy, a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart and constant seeking of intercession from the Mother of Perpetual help and our Lady of Banneux, our mother of the poor, visits to the adoration chapel for meditation and reflection on Gods message, daily reading of the Bible and holy scriptures, a keen understanding of His calling for the CFC community, integrating core values and activities in the mission and vision, firmly establishing unity and integration in the IC and Board of Elders, a lot of patience, hope, wisdom and understanding, being strong and confident in following the will of God especially in critical decision making, creating synergy and cooperation in the assemblies of Elders and Mission core groups with no expectations or personal agenda, and in full humility, accepting things I cannot change. Leadership also requires a relational closeness and constant listening ears to God to deal with human weaknesses and frailties in the community, including my own, as well as a basic competence in good governance and change management, in doing the gigantic demands of planning, budgeting, accounting, performing delivery of good services and implementing CFC operations as a global organization. It requires a great capacity to love, including tough love when called for, a passion for the vision and urgency for the mission, hand in hand with a strong gift of balance for being relational and functional. Indeed, the leadership required in CFC is an ideal, a tall order to fill, but as once again affirmed, certainly not difficult and impossible for God. This is a full litany of leadership functions and character traits. I have listed them all down here so that you, our leaders and members, can remind me and all the IC members when we fall short. As we celebrate the family rosary month of October and the feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mother, I realize how we are strong with the values of fortitude, obedience and humility in submitting to the will of God. All through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother! Thank you, Mama Mary! We love you Mama Mary!

By Melo Villaroman

Proclaim The Greatness of The Lord!

OUR CFC global communitys theme and lively discussions on 2012 theme rejoiced in Him, for He had led us to will not leave our side as we put on continue to proclaim the greatness of for 2012 is Proclaim the Greatness of possibilities. our 2012 theme! Gods armor and surge ahead in our the Lord to all! the Lord! This is based on the openWe have been gifted with a 2012 quest to build His kingdom here on Around 10 pm Friday, the IC sensed Finally, the theme affirms the fulling verse of The Canticle of Mary that the Holy Spirit had our new theme so rich and profound, that we earth. With this theme, we proclaim ness of the mission each of us is called (Luke 1: 46 to 55) or the Magnificat theme wrapped-up like a magnificent should prepare our hearts for the our devotion to Mary and our reliance to. The faithfulness, humility, and howhich was sung by the Virgin Mary present. The Lord had spoken, open- Canticle of Mary to dwell in, and to on her protection and love. liness of Mary as the first and perfect in response to Elizabeth after she ing up the Scriptures to lead us to allow the words to grow and open us For now, we are very hopeful and disciple; the lowly being lifted up and praised Mary for her faith, during the Luke 1: 46-55, and converging the dis- up fully in 2012. The words of our excited! The theme brings us back the hungry filled with good things; Visitation. The anchor verse (Luke cussions into consensus around the theme need to be understood, lived, home to the core of our calling: the promise to Abraham and his de1: 46) reads, My soul proclaims profound relevance of these verses sung, and proclaimed by our Com- EVANGELIZATION, or proclaiming scendants encompassing the future the greatness of the Lord; of our own families these my spirit rejoices in God my are exciting affirmations of Savior. the work God calls us to fulfill: This theme was given to our building up personal holiness Community through the IC in Christ, building the Church brothers and our wives, during of the Home, and building the the annual planning weekend Church of the Poor! held last September 30 to Our road map in 2012 and October 2 in Fontana, Clark, beyond is clear our focus is Pampanga. It was a fruitful still CFC but now it no longer weekend, during which we restands simply for Couples for flected on Gods messages for Christ. Now it is a clear direcus, discerned what directions tion to harness our energies to the Lord will lead us to in 2012 proclaim, protect, defend and and, for the entire weekend, love CHRIST, FAMILY and prayed for one another and the COMMUNITY. community. The weekend was It seems fitting that in June made more beautiful by the of this year, at the tail end of camaraderie that we shared our anniversary celebrations, and by the affirmation that CFC leaders were commisGod does speak to us through sioned as Modern Day Prophothers, if only we have the ears ets during the Philippine Misand the heart to listen. sion Conference. Prophets are We believe with our hearts messengers of what are true, that our global theme for 2012, right, just and noble. Prophets as with our past themes, is a are proclaimers. And this is great gift of guidance from exactly what our 2012 theme the Holy Spirit to Couples for is asking of all of us to proChrist as we continue our misclaim that God reigns, that He sion journey. The weekend re- The nine-member IC, from left: Jun Uriarte, Mannix Ocampo, Rouquel Ponte, Manny Garcia, Joe Yamamoto, Ricky Cuenca, Melo Villaroman, Jr, Joe Tale and Nonoy Dalis great and wonderful, that treat began with a very deeply man, during the recent IC planning, in front of the powerful inspirations of our communitys work, Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother. He is mighty and powerful, soul-searching and nourishing that He loves us. recollection and Eucharist led We thank the global CFC by Father Raul de los Santos (brought to CFC at this point in the history of munity and our families. the great love of the Lord in word and Community for all your support and by our host CFC Pampanga Team), our Community. At that moment, we The theme also affirms our resolve in action every day. It also seems to prayers, perfectly accepted by the Lord followed by an inspiring session about felt our hearts truly burning within to walk with Mary in our journey reveal the purpose why the Lord has as He leads all of us to our new 2012 CHANGE in the afternoon facilitated us! Affirming the final 2012 theme as towards her Son. Our recent Mis- allowed us to face and overcome the theme! Let us continue putting on the by BOE Member Bong Arjonillo. These one, the IC and wives then broke into sion Core teachings have focused on Communitys toughest storms we full armor of Christ in our daily miswere to prepare us for a long but excited, blazing worship to thank the the role of Mary in a Christian com- loved, and moved forward in Christ, sion, as we prepare to PROCLAIM fruitful evening of powerful worship Lord, as we sung The Magnificat! In munity. We have realized that Mary embracing the Fullness of His mis- THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD! and Holy Rosary intercession, deep our praises, we truly magnified the is our ally and guide in our spiritual sion, and we put on His full armor, even more deeply and fully this comlistening (prophecies and Scriptures), Lord with our souls, and our spirits journey and a gentle warrior who so that our lives and our families can ing 2012!

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 21
October 10 - 23, 2011

Ugnayan

C5

By Joe Yamamoto

Into Galilee
(Part 3 of the series The Pilgrims Journey) The third leg of the pilgrimage brings us to Tiberias, an ancient town on the western edge of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee bears other names -- Lake Galilee, Lake Tiberias, Lake Gennesaret, and Lake Kennereth (Chinnereth). In ancient Israel, the Sea of Galilee was called the Sea of Chinnereth ( from the Hebrew word kinnor, meaning harp, indicating the shape of the lake). In the times of the New Testament, the name Sea of Gennesaret was also applied. The Jewish Talmud ( 2nd century AD) referred to it as Lake Tiberias. The Sea of Galilee, mainly situated in the northern half of Israel, is the setting of many events that occurred during the Galilean ministry of Jesus. The largest freshwater lake in Israel, the Sea of Galilee is fed mainly by the Jordan River with waters coming all the way from Mount Hermon to the north and other tributaries. Beyond the lake the Jordan River continues until it drains ultimately into the Dead Sea to the south. Since early prehistoric times, this vital lake area has drawn people to it because of the warm weather, lush vegetation, and plentiful fish. To us Christians, the Sea of Galilee has so much special significance, as it was in its surrounding areas that Jesus was most active, performed many miracles, and held many of His powerful teachings and discourses. Familiar to all Christians are such places around the Sea of Galilee as Mountain of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Tabgha where Jesus performed the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes and the Church of the Primacy of Peter. Compared to other bigger bodies of water in other parts of the world, the Sea of Galilee is small and rather ordinary. And yet it holds so much importance and impact in the history of our faith. The relation between man and His Creator and that of man with others has been defined by so many events that transpired in and around Galilee. MOUNTAIN of the BEATITUDES The traditional name of the discourse that Jesus delivered in Matthew 5 has been called the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon is a manifesto of the Kingdom of Heaven and has become a code of Christian morality. The demands of the Sermon are challenging but they are key to the authentic Christian life. The Mountain of the Beatitudes is located on the northwestern shore of the lake, above Capernaum. The place where Jesus delivered the Sermon is now occupied by an octagonal shaped Church, each side commemorative of each Beatitude. The Church of the Beatitudes is situated on top of the mountain. Standing on its high ground, a pilgrim has a commanding view of the Sea of Galilee. The place is so inspiring that one cannot help but reflect on how the disciples would have felt as they were listening to the powerful words coming from the very lips of Jesus. The message was important then as it is relevant today for the contemporary believers. It is not difficult to imagine that the listeners would have been moved by the beauty and the power of the discourse of Jesus. The beatitudes provide the road map that the followers of Christ need to follow as they journey in their life of faith. CAPERNAUM There is a steel gate that a pilgrim goes through in entering the ruins of a village. A sign boldly proclaims Capharnaum, the Town of Jesus. Perhaps it is a testament to the fact that during the Galilean ministry, Jesus considered Capernaum his second home. Located in the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum was the site of many sermons preached by our Lord and He performed more miracles there than anywhere else. Capernaum has the distinction of being the fishing village where Jesus recruited his first disciples - Andrew, Simon Peter, John and James. In Luke 5:10-11 Jesus said to Simon- do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men. When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. Matthew the tax collector was also from Capernaum. The town of Capernaum was where the mother-in-law of Simon Peter and the paralytic ( Mark 2:4-5 (NIV) were healed. There is currently reason to believe that the healing of the paralytic occurred in the house of Peter. Three other homes in this famed town are mentioned as well in the gospels -- the house of Matthew the tax collector, the house of Jairus and the house of the Centurion, the one whose servant was healed by Jesus. TABGHA Located in the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee and not far from Capernaum, Tabgha is the traditional site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes (Mark 6:30-46) and the third postresurrection appearance of Jesus (John 21:1-24). The sites name is derived from the Greek word Heptapegon (seven springs), testament to its providing abundant water to the lush gardens that once occupied the place. Today the Church of the Mulmessage of the miracles is that the twelve baskets of leftovers appeal particularly to the Jews, who were the primary witnesses to the event (i.e.the twelve tribes) while seven is the number applicable to the Gentiles who were the principal witnesses to the second multiplication. It is fitting to know that these two miracles happened in the final year of ministry of Jesus. The clearly unmistakable message is Jesus came for all, Jews and Gentiles alike. FEED MY SHEEP-the Primacy of Peter A Franciscan church called the Church of the Primacy of Peter stands along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is the site of the poignant and momentous that led to the calling of the first disciples, Jesus gave instructions: cast the net on the right side and you will find some. It was an understatement, because Peter and company caught a netful of fishes, one hundred fifty three in all. The gospels relate two miraculous hauls of fish -- the first at the time of the call of the first disciples and second during the post-resurrection appearance of the Risen Christ. Both happened in Galilee. At that very instance, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus; the apostle John said it clearly: It is the Lord and excitedly Peter preceded them all and plunged into the water. After they had their fill during the truly special Breakfast by the Sea, Jesus taught a lesson that was unforgettable for its importance The glorious event that subsequently happened, for Peter, was very personal and up close. Jesus restores Peter to his rightful place. It was a unique and extraordinary way for Jesus to reinstate Simon Peter and make him realize that all is well and he is forgiven for his threetime denial of Jesus. Three times Jesus asked Peter Do you love me? Three times Peter responded in the affirmative Yes Lord, you know that I love you. The final instruction of Jesus was captured in the powerful words - Feed My Lambs... Tend my Sheep,... and Feed My Sheep. Peter grieved at every question but felt relieved and restored at the ultimate affirmation from the Lord. The final chapter of John ( John 21) provided the fitting closure to the four gospels of the four evangelists. For all the lessons learned, every struggling Christian, especially those tasked to be leaders of their community, must accept the dual personality of a leader-- initially as the Fisherman who draws people by casting the net of Gods word and drawing them in and later, who allows himself to metamorphose to a Shepherd of the flock as Peter had once been. LEARNING FROM SIMON PETER As Christian leaders working in challenging environments and confronted with the modern day realities of materialism, selfishness and hedonism, will Simon Peter be a good role model? Peter had once been like every one of us, unprepared and perhaps even unconcerned with the affairs of the world. As we encounter the Lord and allow His grace to work in and through us, just as Peter found out, we are likewise invited to discipleship. What is critically important is to follow the examples of Peter in terms of his willingness to be present with the Lord, to be ready with our own journey of spiritual and personal transformation and to allow the Lord to reach down to us and look after our welfare and safety. As a disciple of Christ, Peter learned to confront his own failings but he never had a fallout with God because he recognized Gods indispensability in his life. Just like Peter, we must profess that Jesus is our Messiah and like him, we will not leave as Jesus is the Son of God and he has the words of eternal life. To whom can we go? In response to his call, Peter allowed Jesus to transform him from an unassuming fisherman to an obedient and ever ready fisher of men and to a shepherd called to feed Gods sheep. Such attitude must imbue us in our daily life- to desire to be in the presence of God. POSTSCRIPT The Church of the Primacy of Peter is important to us Catholics not only because its hallowed ground witnessed the full restoration of Simon Peter but also highlighted his role as the first Vicar of Christ entrusted with the mission to Feed my Sheep. This chapel lies to the north of the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes. In the ninth century, the church was called the Place of the Coals, referring to the incident where Jesus prepared the meals for the apostles after building a charcoal fire with which to cook the fish. About that time frame as well, there were Twelve Stones, heart shaped and placed along the shore to commemorate the twelve apostles. Finally, in front of the present altar of the church, there is a projection of limestone rock , venerated as the Mensa Christi, Latin for table of Christ. According to tradition, this is the spot where Jesus is said to have laid out a breakfast of bread and fish for the apostles, and told Peter to Feed my sheep.

The Church of the Annunciation

tiplication stands in the place where Jesus stood as he blessed the loaves and fishes that will feed the crowd who have come to hear him. This was the first multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Matt.14, Mark 6, Luke 9 and John 6) where Jesus fed five thousand people and the leftover crumbs were collected in twelve baskets. Not too long after was the second multiplication of loaves and fishes (Matt.15 and Mark 8). In the latter instance, Jesus fed four thousand and the leftover bread crumbs were collected in seven baskets (see Catholic Bible Dictionary, p.621). The first miracle was in Tabgha whereas the second miracle occurred farther to the north and west towards Gentile territory. Of noteworthy significance are the twelve baskets in the first and seven in the second. The

encounter between Jesus and the disciples after the Resurrection. Afraid and at a loss to comprehend the death and crucifixion of Christ, six other disciples joined Simon Peter to fish in the Galilee --Andrew, John, James, Philip, Nathanael, and Thomas called Didymus. The final chapter of John (John 21) could very well be entitled Breakfast by the Sea for at the crack of dawn the Resurrected Jesus made his presence felt and later known. Once again, Peter was not content with doing nothing and declared I am going fishing. Readily the other disciples joined him in the boat. As in a similar earlier encounter, the disciples caught nothing. An as yet unrecognized Jesus asked if they had any food; the unanimous reply was: No. Once again, much like the event

By Jun Uriarte

Whoever is Not Against Us is For Us (Mk 9:40)

A STORY is told that one morning in 1208, while Francis of Assissi was hearing Mass in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, he heard the Gospel about Jesus instructing his disciples to take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic (Lk 9:3). These words penetrated his heart as if they were spoken directly to him. After the Mass he emptied himself of all worldly goods, his shoes, his cloak, and whatever money he had left. He put on the clothing worn by the poorest Umbrian peasant, a coarse gray woolen tunic, and tied it around him with a knotted rope. And began his work of preaching in the countryside and helping the poorest of the poor. Francis was soon joined by about a dozen followers. He sought an audience before Pope Innocent III and obtained verbal approval of the Franciscan Rule. The Order of the Friars Minor was formally founded on 16 April 1209. The number of his friars increased rapidly, first in Italy, then Hungary, France and Spain. But in 1220 during his absence in Italy while on mission in Egypt, some friars started introducing innovations into their way of life. This forced him to cut short his mission to deal with the problem. Shortly thereafter, he resigned the office of general of the order but he retained certain supreme direction of the order until his death on 3 October 1226. As the community grew, there were more disagreements about the direction the Order should take. The first Franciscans, called the Order of Friars Minor, followed the ideal of poverty practiced by its founder, St. Francis of Assisi. They possessed nothing in common or individually. They were forbidden to receive money and lived from day to day by working or begging. But when some friars began studying and living in universities, they had to modify their strict ideal of poverty. Soon some groups started living in large church convents while the others remained in their usual simple hermitages. The disagreements between the group that lived in large convents and wanted to adapt their poverty to the needs of the times and the group that lived in hermitages and wanted to preserve the original ideal of poverty became more and more intense. This finally led to the permanent division of the Order, with the bull of Pope Leo X in 1517 formally dividing the Franciscans into two separate Orders, the Friars Minor of the Regular Observance and the Friars Minor Conventuals. Then in 1552, Matteo da Bascio, a priest of the Franciscan Observant, wanted to live the Franciscan Rule in the strictest observance: live in the simplest hermitages, have two hours of meditation daily, practice penitential rites in eating, grow a long beard, wear a narrow habit with pointed capuche, and preach to the people without remuneration. He obtained the Popes permission but they were to remain under the obedience of the Friars Minor Conventuals. In 1608 Pope Paul V declared that the Capuchins, as they came to be called, were true Friars Minor and sons of St. Francis. But as the new group grew rapidly, it differed more and more from the Observants and the Conventuals. Finally, on 23 January 1619, the Pope gave the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins autonomous status. A careful study of the causes of the division of the Franciscan Order and a profound reflection on the words of Jesus to his disciples concerning someone not belonging to their group but able to do the same things they were doing in the name of Jesus can lead one to discern useful lessons for our community. The words of Jesus are in Mark: John said to him, Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us. Jesus replied, Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward (Mk 9:38-41). The disciples try to prevent someone from performing mighty works in the name of Jesus because he does not belong to their seemingly exclusive group. But Jesus emphatically tells them, Do not prevent himFor whoever is not against us is for us. Jesus makes it clear that no one has the exclusive right to proclaim his name. What is essential is that the action is based on his authentic teaching. What is important is the persons heart. If his heart is with Jesus, then he cannot speak ill of him, and he thus also belongs to Christ. The Order of Friars Minor had its way of serving God through the ideal of St. Francis. But as the community grew in different places, different groups, not belonging to the original friars close to St. Francis or his immediate successors, began to develop and practice new approaches to express the same Franciscan ideal. Therefore, disagreements ensued. This led to division and formation of three different and distinct Orders. And yet the popes formally recognized these three Orders as also sons of Francis performing mighty deeds in the name of Jesus and thus also belonging to Christ. We can discern three lessons from our reflection on the Gospel passage and our study of the history of the Franciscan division. The first lesson is that human weakness and failure can lead to disagreement and division but God can transform them into strength and success. Jesus fully understands the weaknesses of his closest disciples, and he corrects them. Jesus disciples argued about who was the greatest among them. And Jesus told them that if anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all. There are many similar examples. Peter, the only one to deny Jesus three times, is made head of the early church. The weakest is made the strongest like a rock. The second lesson is that God can use anybody to build his kingdom. Different people may have different approaches to achieving the same end. God prevents no one from developing or using those approaches for the purpose of proclaiming his authentic message. This is the meaning of Jesus statement, whoever is not against us is for us. The third lesson is that what is important to God is our heart. We may differ in our approaches. We may disagree with one another, sometimes sharply. But God who sees our hearts, God who knows exactly our intentions, God who reads our thoughts, will constantly remind us that there is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. Like the Franciscans, our community has essentially been divided into three groups. One group wants to focus more on family and life. Another group wants to focus more on eradicating poverty. But it is our community that retains the Vatican recognition and most of the members. It has the fullness of the Gospel message to build the Church of the Home, to build the Church of the Poor, to be families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth. It has been consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Virgin of Evangelization, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit who is the Agent of Evangelization. Soon it will fully manifest its devotion to the Blessed Mother. Thus the leaders may argue. They may disagree. But in the end, it is their hearts that matter. Are their hearts consecrated to Mary, in love with Jesus, animated by the Holy Spirit, and faithful to the Father? If so, then Jesus tells us, Do not prevent them. I know their hearts. And whoever is not against me is for me. And so we pray for them: Mother Mary, please take care of the hearts of our leaders so that their hearts may always belong to Christ, your Son. Amen.

C6

Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 21
October 10 - 23, 2011

CFC Brisbane - Our Community Through The Years

By Roland Tenorio
WHO would have known that the humble basement of a small, three-bedroom home in the sleepy suburb of Sunnybank Hills, Queensland, was the place the Lord had chosen for us to begin our mission in Queensland? My wife and I certainly did not foresee the overwhelming task ahead of us when we moved our family from Sydney to Brisbane in 1995. Thankfully, He did not leave us to do His work alone, and together with Rey and Annette del Rosarios family (CFC leader from the Philippines), we were able to answer His call and start the first Christian Life Program that commenced on 4th April and finished on 5th May, 1996. As I reminisce about this CLP, I am reminded of the commitment, exceptional leadership and tireless efforts put in by the service team from Sydney (headed by Dennis and Ruth Reyes). Over six weeks, the team traveled every weekend for fourteen hours in two vans (after a long week of work), and readily gave talks and teachings, guided the team, and brought music to our participants. Our small home was truly filled with the Spirit and we managed to accommodate these keen mission workers who would arrive early on a Saturday morning, serve at the CLP, have a brief time of sleep and begin their long journey home on a Sunday morning so they could be ready for work on Monday. I do not recall ever hearing complaints from anyone despite the sacrifices they had to make. In addition, we were blessed with frequent visits from CFCs based in the Philippines, who made sure that we received nourishment to continue moving forward despite the many obstacles encountered by our young ministry. When the community was firmly established, we sought the recognition of Bishop John Bathersby of the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane in order to gain the support of the church to fulfill our mission more effectively. After meeting with the auxiliary Bishop at the time, Michael Putney, and acquainting him with the community, Couples for Christ was officially recognized by the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane in a letter to my wife Isabel and me on 26th September 1996. This acknowledgement enabled us to approach our local parish for support. The late Father Tom Hegerthythe parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes at the time- fully supported Couples for Christ and independent group called CFC (Australia) Global Mission Inc. However, after much prayer and discernment and a dialogue with the leaders of the group, my wife and I decided to continue our service with the original community, Couples for Christ (Aust.) Oceana Mission Ltd. because they fully maintained affiliations with CFC Global Mission Foundation, Inc. (Philippines) which is recognized by the Vatican according to Cannons 09-311 and 321-329 of the code of Canon Law. Kris and Ethel Manalac were the first couple, along with the rest of my family, to openly declare their support. We were left with the task of rebuilding each family ministry and moving forward despite the changes caused tension between the two groups; however, a series of meetings facilitated by the Filipino-Australian Chaplain, Fr. Marce Singson, helped to diffuse any conflict and re-focus the groups on their mission. The first CFC Brisbane household was eventually formed. It consisted of Isabel and me, Peter and Nelia Tsui, Rey and Rechie Tubelleza, Jun and Zeny Garcia and Alex Queja. As a team, we conducted a successful Christian Life Program which was made possible because of the continued support of the parish priest at Our Lady of Lourdes. A fraternal leadership was formed and guided the community to where it is today. Two years on, CFC (Aust.) Oceania Mission Ltd Brisbane Chapter has expanded its membership to the northern and central regions of Brisbane and a CLP is being conducted in the Gold Coast. We have also been given the privilege of serving in Cairns by starting a CLP just as Sydney did for us. We are encouraged by the support of the Bishop of Cairns, Bishop James Foley, who welcomed us at the opening of the first CLP at the hall of St. Monicas Cathedral. Also, weve been able to continue establishing the community in Rockhampton by conducting a Youth for Christ camp for the children of CFC members. As I look back over the last fifteen years, I am in awe of Gods goodness and affirmed that when you are grounded by faith, the Lord will make all things possible. Couples for Christ and the family ministries in Brisbane - Singles for Christ, Youth for Christ, Kids for Christ and Handmaids of the Lord are in full swing and working towards achieving our global mission to be Families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth by continuing to

CFC Brisbane Celebrates at 15!

The Tenorio family

allowed us to use Our Lady of Lourdes primary school facilities to conduct the first parish based Christian Life Program. The community continued to grow over the next decade and went from two households to several chapters. All the Family Ministries were in full swing and grew steadily throughout Brisbane. With the grace of God, we were able to host numerous Oceania Conferences and actively worked with the archdiocese. However, in 2009, the ramifications of the split in Couples for Christ Philippines became evident in Brisbane. On 1 January, 2009, CFC Brisbane announced that it was officially joining an

hardships ahead. To do this, the remaining members of Singles for Christ were gathered and Marcy Mission from CFC Sydney conducted a series of information sessions explaining the events surrounding the decision of CFC Australia National Council to remain an independent group. He clarified the differences between the new group, CFC (Australia) Global Mission Inc., and CFC (Aust.) Oceania Mission Ltd., the original group which was affiliated with CFC Global Mission Inc. (Philippines). Members made their decisions about where they would commit their service to and we moved on. Nevertheless, such significant

CFC Brisbane held a joyous celebration of 15 years of life with the Lord on Sunday, September 11. IC member Joe Tale, who is also the Continental Overseer for Oceania (which includes Australia), was the guest of honor during the celebrations. CFC Brisbane was severely affected during the 2007 separation, with the bulk of their membership choosing the independent option, meaning they affiliated with neither group. That they are now celebrating, in great numbers, is evidence of Gods spirit working in those who remained and of their dedication and commitment to intensify efforts to evangelize. Roland Tenorio, who was among the few who opted to stay loyal to CFC Global Mission Foundation, shared his and the original groups struggles during the anniversary (see sharing at left). He affirmed that CFC Brisbane is cognizant of their being part of the CFC global family. The anniversary celebrations were capped by a praise and worship concert on September 17, with the Brisbane Music Ministry Band, named All for God, performing. According to Roland, the months of preparation and hard work really paid off. It was a great event for the community to worship and appreciate Christian music as well as to evangelize their friends and families. build the Church of the home and working for the poor. As we herald the fifteenth anniversary of Couples for Christ Brisbane, the fruits of our labor become particularly apparent to me during praise and worship, as I am surrounded by a hall full of hopeful, faithful people who are surrendering their lives to His call. They are not only couples who have been married for many years but also, newlyweds and their young families starting their journey, members of Singles for Christ preparing for the sacrament of marriage, youth on fire who are shaking up their generation and children who will live a childhood where they know and experience Gods love every day. Our loving God gave CFC Brisbane the experience to grow in Christ, and when the times are tough, when we feel alone, it is then that we must be strong to face the problems that lie aheadit is then that we Put on the full armor of God.

My Amazing Faith Journey

(THe following is a sharing given by Grace Cruz, a HOLD leader, during the recent CFC Australia Armor of God Conference.) Six years ago, I became the sole parent to my children Grae, Aldrea and Aldreane. I had no work, no money and no permanent home. It seemed like there was no hope, but we relied totally on God and constantly prayed to Him for help. God in his great love for us allowed us to see His great power. The start of our faith journey began on the day my children and I went to St. Patrick Church to ask the Lord to lead us in the right direction for our life. We particularly asked Him to help us find a place to live in because we were just staying temporarily with a family friend. After the Mass, we were approached by a couple who invited all of us to lunch. They said they were CFC members and that they had been praying and asking the Lord to lead them to the right person who could look after their place and take care of their dog because they were always out of the country. They said that they always saw us in that church and they sensed that the Lord led them to us. They asked us to consider their request. I was speechless and just cried for joy because the Lord truly answered our prayers. But God was not done with us. Aside from giving us a home, He also gave me a job when one of the CFC wives referred me to a friend who was giving up his cleaning job. But the cleaning job was not what I expected. I expected to be cleaning either a house or an office but it turned out I was to clean a butcher shop! The Greek owner even told me that I might not like it and may not do the job, or even not come back, because it was a difficult, dirty job. To my dismay, I did indeed see what he meant -- the walls were full of blood! I would have to clean up all the blood from the place, twelve-year old brother was not even complaining about the smell and was happily sweeping the dirty floor. My daughter who was a teenager that time was not even ashamed to clean the front glass window, even if she could be seen from the outside. I felt so blessed and assured of my childrens love for me. After we had finished, the Catholic Lebanese owner of the grill restaurant house in front of the butcher shop approached us. He said he had been watching us while we were cleaning and he wanted us to also clean his shop. Another wonderful blessing because aside from the extra job, the Lebanese also gave us all the unsold food at the end of the day. Every night after we finished cleaning, we would walk home joyfully. In time, the owners of the neighboring shops became our friends, and they also gave us their unsold food. Even the drivers of the buses that we rode regularly did not ask any payment for our fare. Most of all, the butcher whose shop we regularly cleaned became like family to us. He has been giving us ham and turkey every Christmas and New Year. He was even concerned for my children especially Aldrae, who was once bullied in his school. Without my knowledge, the butcher went to the school and told the bully not to touch him anymore. I was so touched by that gesture. Last December 27, 2010 after I said yes to serve in HOLD as a household leader, the Lord provided a new place for us - a three-bedroom unit in a new building - an ideal place for our prayer and household meetings. Even my children Aldrae and Aldreane are serving the Lord now through YFC, as the unit heads of Kogarah. Our place has now become the home of YFC and HOLD. Now I can truly testify to the Lords words that are always in my mind and in my heart: Never worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself.

CFC COMVAL conducts Mission Core Group Camp

By Tim Aller
COUPLES for Christ - Compostela Valley Provincial Mission Core Group Leaders had a fruitful and remarkable weekend at the 1st ever MCG Camp held last September 17-18, 2011. CFC Leaders all over the province gathered at the Farmers Institute Training Center, Brgy. Sasa, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley, and participated in different team-building activities that enhanced their physical, intellectual, social and spiritual aspects. The purpose of the said activity was to incorporate vibrant tasks that could be related to their leadership skills as CFC. It reminded each participant about their basic roles and responsibilities to the CFC community as front-liners in the mission. The camp officially started with a morning worship led by Roger Encarnacion after which the participants were grouped into four. Each group was asked to create their own group name and chant, after which they competed with each other by group and raced to acquire points that would be added to determine the winner during the last day. Some of the tasks and activities included the following: Map of Life, King Solomon and the never ending story, the Magic Carpet, the Enchanted Loop activity, the Wicked String activity, the Racetrack Activity, Tie a knot activity, Powerpoint game, An Amazing Race game, and the Obstacle game. The camp ended with the awarding of winners followed by a powerful and spirit filled praise fest led by Allan Baio. The MCG Camp was capped by the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist officiated by Rev. Fr. Hernan Reyes. Fr. Hernan stated that lay groups like Couples for Christ are a big help to the mission of the Catholic Church. The MCG Camp paved the way for CFC leaders to foster camaraderie among their fellow CFCs. After the weekend that was chock-full of Jesus experiences, CFC leaders were again renewed with passion and enthusiasm to continue the mission that God has entrusted to them.

including from the heavy equipment that they use. But I showed them that I could do the job; in fact I was joyfully singing praise and worship songs while I was cleaning, glorifying and thanking God for that job. I was so happy when I went home that first day because aside from my days pay, I was also given free meat. This privilege was granted to me everyday that I worked there, which meant that my children and I always had food on our table. We never failed to thank God for all these blessings But one night, something happened to me. At around 3 AM I woke up with so much pain in my arms and hands. The pain was unbearable so much so that I felt like cutting off my arms! I cried and prayed to God to heal me because I really needed to go to work at the butcher shop. I fell asleep praying and crying, and woke up in tears. My children told me that they would come with me to help me at the shop so that I wouldnt lose my job. I was quite hesitant to bring them but I had no choice, so I took my chances and brought them with me. To my surprise the people at the shop did not even question us and were even happy to see my children working with me. Looking at my three children working, I felt so happy because of their sense of responsibility but guilty at the same time because they were forced to work at their age. My seven year old son was joyfully wiping the glass surfaces. His

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 21
October 10 - 23, 2011

Ugnayan
and act on it. Beyond biology is the primacy of the Word of God, and here is where Lukes Mariology is coming to surface. Luke asserts that for Jesus, my mother hears the Word of God and does it. Martha and Mary Lukes fundamental assertion on Mary is made clearer in Lk 10: 38-42. In the story of Martha and Mary, Martha always did all the serving while Mary always sat down at the Lords feet to listen to his words. Martha asked Jesus, Lord, dont you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving? Jesus answered, Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her. Msgr. Vengco explained that Jesus answer to Martha is a clarification by Jesus to a dear friend. One thing is needed, tiyakin mo na ikaw ay busog sa diwa at kaluluwa. (Be sure that you are filled both in mind and spirit.) Mary was like a student listening to a teacher, bawat kataga ay dinadampot. Kaya, hindi ko siya uutusang tumigil sa pakikinig sa akin. (every word is picked up. That is why I do not ask her to stop listening to me.) Addressing the CFC leaders, Msgr. Vengco exhorted: Marami kayong gagawin sa CFC. Bago kayo sumugod, kayo muna ay umupo sa harapan ng Guro at makinig sa Kanyang salita. (There are many things you need to do in CFC. Before you rush to do them, first you need to sit in front of the Teacher and listen to His words.) Stories peculiar in Luke Just as the Wedding in Cana is an account peculiar to John, Msgr. Vengco called attention to a story peculiar only to Lukes Gospel. In Lk 11: 27-28, As Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to him, Blessed is the one who bore you and nursed you! Jesus replied, Surely, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well. Msgr. Vengco noted that Jesus answer is the same as His answer to Martha. Infancy narratives After noting that Lk 8:21, 10:28, and 11:28 are consistent in saying that Sa totoo lang, ang pagpapala na higit sa lahat ay nagsalita ang Diyos, ang Kanyang Salita ay napakinggan at isinabuhay, (In truth, the greatest blessing is that God spoke and His Word was listened to and lived.) Msgr. Vengco directed the attention of the CFC leaders to Lk 1: 26 -38, the Annunciation. The Angel Gabriel was sent to a young virgin. Therefore, according to Msgr. Vengco, the Word of God was delivered by an angel the bearer of the Word of God to Mary. When the angel said: Hail favored one, the Lord is with you, Mary was troubled at these words. Msgr. Vengco explained that Mary was troubled because the angels greeting is a direct quotation from Zephaniah 3:14-17, which are Gods words to Israel, but this time, delivered to a woman. Msgr. Vengco proceeded to discuss the interaction between the God who speaks and Mary who listens. In Lk 1: 34, Mary asked: How can this be? as if asking How can the Word of God happen? Mary, said Msgr. Vengco, is so much one of us. She was puzzled and she asked questions. But when God speaks, there comes a dialogue. In Lk 1:38, there is an end to the dialogue, with Mary saying: I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. Msgr. Vengco expounded that, servant means one who hears every word that a master utters; a good servant is a good listener. Mary is saying, I am listening to Your every word, O God. Servant also means that what she hears, she obeys. Mary is saying: God, before You I now stand. I will listen to your Word and I will carry out Your Word. To be a servant, then, is to be both a hearer and a doer. Msgr. Vengco cautioned that Hearing without doing leads to condemnation, while doing without hearing leads to disaster to self and to others. Mary, the first disciple Being a servant is the most succinct expression of Marys spirituality: listening attentively, and carrying out effectively. Mary is a good soil (Lk8:15); one who has chosen the better part(Lk 10:42); and one who listens to the word of God and keeps it as well (Lk 11:27). Mary therefore, is the first and perfect disciple of Jesus Christ.

C7

Mission Core Teaching Night

By Arnel Santos
IN response to the clamor for a deeper understanding of The Role of Mary in a Christian Community, CFC once again invited Monsignor Sabino Vengco, Jr., STD, to continue sharing his reflection on the Blessed Virgin Mary that is biblical or rooted in Gods revelation in the Scripture. While the last Mission Core Group Teaching (MCGT) focused on Mary in the Gospel of John, the MCGT of September 20, 2011 held at Christ the King Parish in Greenmeadows, Quezon City, focused on Mary in the Gospel of Luke. Parable of the Sower Msgr. Vengco began his discourse with Luke 8:4-18, the Parable of the Sower, which speaks of the seed falling on the good soil -- the people who receive the word and keep it in a gentle and generous mind, and persevering patiently, they bear fruit. (Lk 8:15) These people, according to Pope Benedict XVI, are the ideal Christians. Immediately following this parable,is the account on Jesus mother and brothers in Lk 8:19. Msgr. Vengco highlighted that the place of this account after the Parable of the Sower in Luke, is pivotal. In Lk 8:21, Jesus said, My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Msgr. Vengco explained that, in other words, the good soil refers to those who hear the Word of God

The Role of Mary In A Christian Community-Part 2

In Lk 2: 41-52, Mary had a new experience in hearing the Word of God. While before, the word was delivered to Mary by an angel, or the shepherds, or through Simeons lips, Mary heard the Word of God this time coming from Jesus at 12 years old: Why were you looking for me? Do you not know that I must be in my Fathers house? This verse, according to Msgr. Vengco, is equivalent to Johns depiction of Jesus in the Wedding of Cana. For Jesus, the most important is the Fathers will. Jesus belongs to the Father, and the house of the Father is wherever the Father is Father. Jesus is saying, I am here in the world to obey my Fathers will.

Msgr. Vengco concluded that the challenge is to focus on the will of God, by being a servant, hearer and doer. This takes a journey, to believe and to trust, just like Mary. Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, the Word of God is like a seed. To grow, two things must happen: (1) the seed must be willing to take the soil and live rooted in the soil; and (2) the soil must be ready to surrender to, and accept the seed; it must belong to the seed. Msgr. Vengco concluded the session by praying over the CFC leaders that they be recognizable as Marys children, by imitating Mary as hearer and doer of the Word.

CFC Brunei: Battle Ready at 17!

By Alan Filio
ON September 17, 2011, CFC Brunei marked 17 years of its faith journey. Seventeen years ago, on September 14, 1994, thirteen couples completed the first Christian Life Program conducted at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (COLA) in Bruneis capital, Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB). The following year, CFC established its presence in the neighboring Seria and Kuala Belait districts. With the Holy Spirits leading, CFC Brunei would later on become the Mission Center for CFC Sarawak and CFC Sabah in Malaysia, and also CFC Timor Leste. To celebrate this momentous occasion, CFC Brunei lined up several activities as thanksgiving for the countless blessings that the Lord has showered upon the community for the past 17 years. The anniversary celebrations kicked off with the Catholic Womens Conference in BSB, held on August 28. The event was organized by CFC Brunei for the whole parish. Dubbed as A Call to Arms, A Call to Victory (see separate story below), the conference was an echo of the HOLD ICON held earlier this year. The Anniversary Week proper started on 13th September with the Holy Hour Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. CFC members spent an hour of prayer and meditation in thanksgiving and petition for the success of the upcoming events. At 2 AM the next day, CFC Brunei welcomed the arrival of Msgr. Allen Aganon (CFC International Council Spiritual Director) and Kirby (International Missions Office Head) and Michelle Llaban together with their children, Sev and Kaitlyn. Kirby had graciously accepted the invitation to lead the community in its anniversary celebration. On the evening of September 14, Msgr. Aganon gave an inspiring and Prayer, Reading the Bible, Service and Eucharist. The next day, Msgr. Aganon blessed the CFC Center and also gave a retreat for the Brunei National Council and their wives. It was a very timely occasion as the leadership of CFC Brunei just recently passed on to the new Area Director, Alan Filio. On September 16, two simultaneous workshops were held for the Music Ministry and the KFC Team conducted by Kirby and Michelle respectively. On September 17, the CFC Brunei Area General Prayer Assembly was held at the COLA Parish Hall in Bandar. Kirby gave a very enlightening talk on this years theme Put on the Full Armor of God. Karen dela Cerna, a CFC fulltime missionary to Timor Leste who was in Brunei on her way back to Manila, gave a very inspiring testimony of Gods faithfulness over the past five years that she had served in Timor Leste. Michelle also shared how the CFC community played an important role in her personal and spiritual transformation from the time she joined as YFC up to the present, as she still continues to serve together with the whole family. The Anniversary Mass was held on the 18th of September with Msgr. Aganon together with Fr. Arin Sugit, COLA Asst. Parish Priest, officiating. The Philippine Ambassador to Brunei, His Excellency Nestor B. Ochoa and wife, were also present in the Thanksgiving Mass. After the Mass, the CFC Brunei community led by the BNC presented a special Brunei souvenir to Msgr. Allen who was celebrating his 29th Sacerdotal Anniversary on that day. Indeed, as CFC Brunei completes 17 years of spirit-filled existence, the community can look forward to the coming years with high hope, assured in faith that the future promises more excitement and opportunities as the Spirit moves and continues to work in the life of the CFC community in this part of the world.

deeply moving recollection for the whole CFC Community in Brunei. He challenged the community to deepen their spiritual life and enhance pastoral relationships. He went on to exhort them to go back to your prayer life and to start a lifestyle attuned to God. He reminded each one to take a more serious look at the covenant they made with God when they completed the CLP and committed themselves to CFC

CFC Nepal reaps rewards

By Chirendra Satyal, Kathmandu
(eds Note: CHIreNDrA is a CFC unit leader in Nepal, and a reporter for UCAnews. com, Asias most trusted independent Catholic news source. This article originally appeared on the UCAnews website here: http://www. in 1981 that aims to renew and strengthen Christian family life. Attendees of the program, all of them from the Tamang tribe, came from Ishalaya and Assumption parishes in Godavari and Dhobighat respectively, and St Ignatius parish in Baniyatar The program was supthough a Jesuit priest was attacked in a hostel he ran nearby by some misguided youths two years ago, Father James said yesterday. If one is to serve these wonderful people, how can one live away from them in fear? Today after celebrating Mass I spent time providing catechism to some seven families. I could say that one could start yet another parish for this Tamang group. He added that the tribal group was in need of assistance in understanding the faith, and that the Couples for Christ ministry played an important role in providing it. Gyan Rai and his wife Sujata Rai, leaders of Couples for Christ in Nepal, said the program was wellreceived. The youth of this parish were very supportive and some even participated, Gyan Rai said, adding that 13 couples, 19 handmaids (married women whose husbands work as migrant laborers) and two men had joined the movement as new members.

A Call To Arms A Call To Victory Catholic Womens Conference

By Debbie Cinco, CFC Brunei
ON August 28, 2011, 187 women of different cultures from different walks of life, dressed in all shades of yellow, gathered at the Church of our Lady of Assumption (COLA), Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, in response to A Call to Arms A Call to Victory, the 1st Catholic Womens Conference in the parish organized by the Couples for Christ Borneo East Timor Mission Centre. The Conference was the kick-off event for CFC Bruneis 17th Anniversary. The morning started with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, followed by the opening of the conference by Rev. Bishop Cornelius Sim who said the opening prayer and exhortation. The bishop pointed out that in history, women are often the victims of the battles and wars that have been waged through the years by men, and that women are often judged according to mens standards thus making todays definition of woman to be a female man. He ended by saying that he hoped that the conference would help define the important role of woman in society for which God has made her. Session 1: Born into a Battle, was delivered by Janette Dominguito (CFC-HOLD Brunei), who emphasized that all of us, without exception, have been born into a war that started in the heavenly realm between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. This war is fought on three fields of battle the church, the community and the family. Wendy Carvalho-Chin of CFC Kota Kinabalu, dwelt on the church. She gave examples of the many forms attacks on the Church can take e.g. heresy, schism, etc. As a body of Christ, we are therefore tasked to defend our faith and to BELIEVE in our hearts when we recite our Apostles Creed. Anne Labadin-Majanil, of CFC Kota Kinabalu, brought us to the next battleground the community. She described how the devil continuously works to destroy our community, our source of spiritual support, by confusing us with lies and feeding our greed.

ucanews.com/2011/09/26/ lay-ministry-reaps-rewards/. September 26, 2011 Dozens of tribal parishioners in Nepal September 26 vowed to pray and study the Bible following a three-week Couples for Christ program at St Ignatius Loyola parish church. The Couples for Christ movement is a lay ministry formed in the Philippines

ported by lay people from Assumption Church and the India-based Sisters of Charity of Saints Capitanio and Gerosa, who run a nearby hostel. Inductees to the movement were given certificates, Bibles and prayer leaflets by Father Jomon James of St Ignatius, an Indian priest who arrived in the parish this year. I started living here in the Church this year even

Therefore, we need to be constantly reminded of our covenant and take a daily dose of CLLoRet: Commitment, Love, Loyalty, Respect and Trust to invigorate us. In this session, a parade of the various communities under the banner of the Church of Our Lady of Assumption garnered a resounding cheer from all the participants. The next battlefield is the one closest to our hearts the family. Solina Kua-Lau, from CFC-Sibu, Sarawak, clearly described the attacks on the family today and how each attack aims to destroy Gods plan for man when He created man and woman together. Finally, Nanette Ramos, CFC-HOLD from Brunei, expounded on our own personal spiritual battle

since Satans ultimate target is to destroy the person and his relationship with God. Knowing that one will not/may not come out unscathed in a spiritual battle, she led all women present in consecutive prayers: for healing, for protection; and lastly, a prayer for putting on the full armor of God the armor described in Ephesians 6:10 -18, in order to be battle-ready in all fields of spiritual conflict. The conference ended with a prayer by Fr. Arin Sugit which he explained, was a prayer before going into battle. With yellow flags bearing the insignia of COLA waving and with wrists bound with yellow ribbons signifying unity, the women marched out, singing and praising the Lord - ready for battle.

C8
By Erika Marie Enaje
LAST September 24, 2011, an estimated 34,000 people, 23,000 of them children, in the Philippines and all over the world joined the Kids For Christ - Global Day of Service (GDS)

Ugnayan
2. On this day, the kids with their parents, families, friends, fellow students, teachers, ROCK facilitators and Couple Coordinators came together in their respective areas to do acts of service and love in various schools, barangays, home for the aged and orphanages. The KFC GDS (Global Day of Service) was launched last year in response to the challenge of becoming World Changers. It was participated in by 10,000 kids from the Philippines and all over the world serving others (e.g. feeding street kids, visiting the elderly, assisting in medical missions), serving in Mass, and serving the environment (e.g. tree planting, clean-up and waste segregation). This year, all the CFC sectors of Metro Manila and 49 provinces in the Philippines conducted their Global Day of Service in public schools, where they cleaned classrooms, planted trees, repainted walls, conducted feeding programs and medical missions. Outside the Philippines, Kids for Christ in some states in the US visited a rehabilitation center, entertained old folks at an elderly home, served in Mass, served in the CFC Assembly and gathered to collect donations for ANCOP. In Europe, KFC Milan and KFC Geneva served in the Holy Mass while in Seychelles, Africa, kids visited the elderly in their homes. Kids from countries in the Middle East and Australia, among other countries, also did their part by doing different things for

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 15 No. 21

October 10 - 23, 2011

Kids Lead in KFC Global Day of Service 2

the environment. The message of the yearly GDS was Kids Can! - Kids can lead! Kids can serve! Kids can make a difference! This was derived from the verse of Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thus, GDS 2 concentrated on the dec-

laration that Kids Can Lead believing that through the kids service and leadership, many will be inspired to do something about changing the world and bringing it back to the plan of God. This year was once again a success and the kids are excited for the third Global Day of Service 2012.

CFC Sibugay Turns 16 Years Old!

By Vic Lauro
AUGUST 28, 2011 was a momentous day for the elders, leaders and members of Couples for Christ (CFC) Sibugay as they celebrated 16 years of Gods goodness and blessings. CFC Sibugay today has grown to a strength of 994 couples, 975 Kids for Christ, 1,126 Youth for Christ, 313 Singles for Christ, 470 Handmaids of the Lord and 70 Servants of the Lord and is still growing. Notwithstanding the trials and difficulties, the work of the Lord in and through Couples for Christ has been victorious and triumphant. The celebration fittingly started with a Sportsfest participated in by members of the different chapters from the different towns around the province. It was then followed by the celebration of the Lords Day. A session entitled Reflection on the CFC Covenant given by Vic Lauro, Provincial Area Head, was also held on the eve of the anniversary. It aimed to take a look at how well the CFC covenant has been lived out over the years and reminded all present to be grateful for Gods faithfulness and love. The anniversary celebrations proper the next day were ushered in by a motorcade around Ipil, the capital town of the province of Sibugay, and converged in the Universidad de Zamboanga gymnasium. The newly installed CFC Executive Director Melo Villaroman came all the way from Manila with his wife Nini and son Sam to be with CFC Sibugay on this joyous occasion. Melo gave the anniversary message while Nini and Sam gave inspiring sharings. Melo and Nini then graciously did a duet to the delight of the members. The Area Governance Team of Zamboanga City also came to grace the affair. Beautiful songs and dance numbers were offered by the members of the different Family Ministries. The program was capped by the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist as a Thanksgiving Mass. Brotherhood, camaraderie and love truly abounded as everyone shared in the sumptuous meal prepared for the occasion. God bless CFC Sibugay!! All the glory, honor and praise go back to the Lord Almighty!

CFC USA has a new National Council

THE National Council (NC) of Couples for Christ U.S.A. (CFC) has a new set of directors from October 1, 2011 until the fourth quarter of 2013. The announcement was made by Ricky Cuenca, CFC International Council Chairman and CFC U.S.A. Country Coordinator. The directors are: Roderick Bustos, Cris Kagahastian, Jack Macalalad, Tat Reyes, Glen Santayana, Roger Santos and Eric Villanueva. Villanueva was re-designated National Director (ND). The National Council is responsible for overall governance of the life and mission of CFC In his announcement addressed to all CFC members in the United States, Cuenca asked all members to respect and give full support to the NC directors. The IC Chairman also called on the directors to fully live out their responsibilities.

Mission Report: Claiming the Kingdom of Myanmar for Christ

By Bong Arjonillo
ON October 2009, a new set of coordinators were named to comprise the Greater Mekong Area (GMA) region. We looked forward to the exciting prospect of re-establishing CFC in Laos and Myanmar. Laos was re-claimed in July of 2011, after painstaking planning, a visit by JM and Emilie Yupangco to Laos, endless exchanges of emails with the ambassador (Ambassador Alarilla) and with Rey and Lyn Feria. The Christian Life Program in Laos had 45 graduates, 13 of whom are local Laotians. Myanmar was a bit more challenging. Our break came when Jimmy Lozare, country head of CFC Thailand, arranged for a meeting with the bishops from Myanmar during the Federation of Bishops Conferences, which was then having their annual meeting in Bangkok. Everything fell into place and we were emboldened to hold, not just one, but two CLPs upon the invitation of the bishops of the Archdioceses of Yangon and Mandalay. However, only one CLP materialized, the one in Mandalay with the team led by Mel and Aimee Serrano graduating 56 Myanmar nationals. Of this number, 10 are CFC, 1 SOLD and 35 SFC. The Yangon CLP was cancelled. CHALLENGES Aside from the cancellation, primarily because the bishop wanted us to focus only on Filipino expats in Yangon and not to recruit locals, since FFL already has a foothold on the local community, we also experienced some challenges before and during the Mandalay CLP. The Mandalay CLP was moved forward by a week, catching the CFC Singapore team offguard since they had already booked their tickets weeks before. It was left to the team coming from Manila (led by my wife Carol and me, Mel and Aimee Serrano, Jun and Mavic Simon, Dandy and Susan Calvez, Paul and Norma de Jesus, Jorge and Virgie Asensi, and from SFC: Erick Abad, Junie Romero and Nio Tuyay) to take up the slack. Three Manila groups flew into Bangkok, the jumpoff point, separately - the first group on the 7th, Wednesday, the second group on the afternoon of the 8th, Thursday, and the third group at close to midnight on the 8th. Carol, myself and Erick, our SFC Chapter Head in Makati, comprising the third group, flew into Bangkok separately via PAL and Cebu Pacific, respectively, on the night of the 8th and stayed for one night at the residences of Jimmy Lozare and Nemboy Rivera - a former unit head of our SFC Makati Chapter who is now an expat for Chevron and unit head in SFC-Bangkok, respectively. Our group then proceeded to take the earliest flight to Mandalay, a one hour and 50-minute flight - a little longer than a regular flight from Manila to Davao. We marveled from the window of the 70-seater turbo-prop plane as golden temples dotting the almost agricultural landscape glittered under the burning rays of the sun. We were met by two priests Fr. Edmond and Fr. Augustine at the airport. They proved to be such entertaining hosts that we did not mind the heat inside the van that took us from the airport to the parto praise. But nobody was fazed. In their hearts, and in ours, as well, we knew that the light coming from above was the more important light, and that particular evening, we were all shining, through the grace of the Holy Spirit. The following morning, Carol, myself and Erick left Mandalay by plane for Yangon en route to Bangkok to wait for around 4 hours for our flight back to Manila. In the meantime, the team that was left behind would finish the CLP dedication in the morning and hold an assembly and a household orientation in the afternoon prior to their departure in the evening, at around 9 pm, by bus back to Yangon. We look to CFC-Singapore to provide the kick to sustain this momentum. They came back on the following weekend to conduct an assembly, a household meeting, Lords Day, a household leaders orientation, and a familiarization of the CFC formation track for the next twelve m o n t h s . Mel Serrano also met last Saturday night with 20 Filipinos residing in Mandalay, who are very eager to attend the next CLP. Erick, our SFC chapter head in Makati, has already blocked the first week of February 2012, promising to come back, along with his unit heads, and some other SFC, to serve in Mandalay. It will be his birthday present to himself. Jun Simon also committed other couples in the West C sector, who are currently on wings status and who are also eager to go on mission, to serve next year in the Greater Mekong Area (GMA). A cluster leader from South B and a household from North B, are also gearing up, just waiting for their marching orders to be deployed for the Lords service in GMA. We hope that this will encourage more brethren from our different sectors to go to Myanmar. The Archdiocese of Myitkyina, another hour by plane on the northern borders, has a standing invitation to CFC to plant its flag there. As for other parts of GMA, CFC Vietnam is now setting sail for Central Vietnam in Danang and in North Vietnam in Hanoi. Indeed, it will be an exciting 2012 for the kingdoms around the Greater Mekong Area.

ish center, the venue of the CLP. We were greeted enthusiastically by the participants as Jorge Asensi was getting ready to give talk 4, Repentance and Faith. Two priests, Fr. Bosco and Fr. Augustine (a different Fr. Augustine, both Myanmar (locals), alternated in being the interpreters for the talks. Interestingly, Fr. Bosco and the first Fr. Augustine studied in Manila for sometime in connection with their priesthood. A female Myanmar also spent around nine months in the Philippines to study English under the sponsorship of the bishop a few years ago. During talks 8 and 9, the electricity started to sputter intermittently, and by the time the pray-over was being done, there was a brownout. The LCD projector could not be used. When the corporate worship started, it was pitch black. Only the generator of the parish saved us but it was able to turn on only the LCD projector and the microphones. We were praising the Lord in darkness and the single fluorescent bulb that illumined the hall during the mini-praisefest, exploded while we were teaching them how