This is what its all about. Fr. Shenan Boquet reminded the attendees of the Empowered Weekend on why CFC-FFL exists: renewing the family and defending life.
CALLED TO BE
CALLED TO EVANGELIZE
We, in CFC-FFL, exist to evangelize. This is our mandate and this was the strong reminder of our Country Servant for the Philippines, Bro. Lachie Agana, as he stressed the major directions of the community at the CFC-FFL Leaders Meeting last January 12, 2014 at the Layforce Chapel in San Carlos Seminary. For 2014, our community has three main thrusts: Evangelization, Family Ministries and Community. We are to do a two-fold evangelization through: 1) rapid and massive evangelization through Live Christ, Share Christ (LCSC) and 2) strategic evangelization in CFC-FFL. Realizing that the Holy Spirit is directing us to share our gifts and charism to the Church, CFCFFL will be the backbone of LCSC. The four pillars of LCSC are the No One in Need Movement, Live Pure, Life Live and Liturgical Bible Study. Although LCSC is a separate and distinct movement, our community has given full embrace to LCSC. This means that CFC-FFL has full control over its LCSC work, but does not have control or authority over the LCSC Movement. LCSC as a movement has its own Coordinators to help move the work. To further discuss LCSC, our Servant General, Bro. Frank Padilla, laid down the background of the movement, the responsibilities and the relationship between CFC-FFL and LCSC. Handouts were also distributed to understand how to start and grow LCSC. An open forum was likewise conducted for questions from the leaders present. As for strengthening the Family Ministries, the following is our action plan: 1) Train the Family Ministries to do strategic evangelization, 2) Give them basic formation of CFC-FFL (Covenant Orientation, Spiritual Gifts, etc.), 3) Train the Young Ministries in caring for their own household members and 4) Teach them to tithe. Lastly, we shall strengthen the community by taking our covenant and core values to heart, by formation and by financial stewardship. Lastly, our involvement in the Year of the Laity as coordinators of several Jubilee sectors was also highlighted by our Servant General. He encouraged everyone to support Choose to be Brave, the campaign created by the Church to empower the Filipino Catholic Laity (www.choosetobebrave.org). We are now called to do more, to no longer be lukewarm in the faith and in our evangelization efforts. We are called to go to the ends of the earth to win more souls for Christ. This is rapid and massive evangelization.
Last January 11, at the Community Conference, the No One in Need (NONe) movement was launched. This is our work of building the Church of the Poor in response to the call to the New Evangelization. This is our Work with the Poor, that has now become an integral part of the Live Christ, Share Christ (LCSC) Movement, intended to do a massive work among the poor. Why is this important? At its most basic, it is important because it is the very mission of Jesus. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free (Luke 4:18). The poor are the materially and socially poor. They are the downtrodden, the oppressed, the afflicted, the forgotten and the neglected. They are on the frinBishop Jesse Mercado, D.D
ges of society, deprived of their share of the worlds goods, stripped of their dignity as children of God, at the mercy of human greed, neglect and selfishness. God poured His Spirit upon Jesus and anointed him, not only bringing salvation to the world, but especially seeking the lost, the least and the last. God created a wonderful world, with enough provision for all. There was no poverty in Eden. Jesus came to restore our relationship with the Father, and to restore what God intended from the very startthat captives would be liberated, that the blind shall see, that the oppressed will go free. Jesus defeated Satan on the cross and overturned darkness and death. Jesus wants the sorry lot of his people to be overturned as well. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14a). We in CFC-FFL this year are empowered
to witness. Jesus was sent to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Luke 4:19). In this Year of the Laity, we too are sent to proclaim the gospel to Gods beloved poor. Jesus, at the beginning of his public ministry, said to those in the synagogue, Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing. (Luke 4:21). From today, at the launch of the No One in Need Movement, may this scripture passage, this mission of Jesus, be fulfilled in the lives of many poor people in our midst. And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. (Luke 4:22a). May all continue to speak highly of Jesus, as we help bring him into the lives of the poor, and may they be amazed at the wondrous works that come from our hands, the very hands of Jesus himself.
DID YOU KNOW that the shape of the bird in the Empowered to Witness logo was inspired by the image of the Holy Spirit in one of the stained-glass windows of the St. Peters Basilica? The key image is a dove to represent the Spirit who is the source of empowerment. The design was given a Polynesian treatment to incorporate three major symbols: halo, heart and spears. Halo represents the call to holiness for us saints-in-the-making. The heart represents the call to witness and the privilege to be martyrs. The spears represent the call to mission and the bravery of warriors.
LBS @ Caf:
On the first weekend of 2014, the CFC Youth for Family and Life (CFC-YFL) ministry conducted a Mission Volunteers (MV) Orientation for its 15 new MVs. The weekend had different sessions: The roles and responsibilities of an MV, The Gold Standard, and the schedule of activities. A pastoral session was given for MVs by Rj Moriones, YFL Fulltime Pastoral Worker. He inspired and affirmed the new Mission Volunteers about the life ahead of them and about how precious their calling is. To date, we have thirty eight YFL MVs ready to witness to where God sends them. Let us all pray for them.
Kids were not bothered at all by the cold weather during the CFC-FFL Empowered Weekend held at the CAP Convention Center, Camp John Hay in Baguio City last January 25 to 26, 2014. They were busy playing around and participating in the activities prepared for them at the KFL Kids Corner. More than one hundred kids enjoyed their weekend of games and activities with their Ates and Kuyas (Heart Champs and KFL FTWs). They played Pass the Message with a Twist and Archer-Rabbit-Wall. The toddlers sang their own version of Let it Go while watching Frozen. The kids also crafted Valentines Day cards and letterholders for their parents. They enjoyed dancing and singing during the Kids Praise. It was truly a fun weekend for the kids. Some even went home with prizes. Most importantly, the kids all went home with new learnings and newfound friends.
Live Pure gives a love forum to the Grade 7 & 8 students of Caritas Don Bosco, Sta. Rosa, Laguna last January 8, 2014
The 3rd Year High School students of Assumption CollegeMakati have heard the good news of chastity last January 28, 2014
the time more than ever to speak about the truth without hesitation or delay. Despite the setbacks and challenges, Live Pure chooses to be brave.
Empowered as well with the communitys theme to serve as witnesses, the Live Pure Movement has already engaged almost a thousand students in the first month of this year alone. Truly, the Live Pure Team is grateful for the opportunity to share the good news of chastity to the young people from the following institutions: Caritas Don Bosco School, Escuela de San Dionisio, San Andres Apostol Parish and Assumption San Lorenzo. There is definitely no stopping this movement to continue to educate and inspire young people to live a chaste life. 2014 is the year of ordinary people choosing to be brave for the faith; hence, now is
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