"Sow bountifully so that you will also reap bountifully”

This was the daring challenge posed by the leadership of the community to all its members in the occasion of this year’s community conference. As the year started, the community attempted to lay down its directions and gave a brief account of its last year’s performance when it converged at the XU High School Gymnasium at Pueblo de Oro, this city, last March 7, 2010.

Veering away from a business-like presentation which basically characterizes every community conference, Rene Pacana, the community’s senior coordinator, opened the event with a fitting exhortation along the conference’s theme taken from 2 Cor 9:6 which says: “He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly but he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Rene stressed the importance of being faithful to our vows and in living out our individual and corporate commitment to Him. “The Lord is not pleased when we make our vow and then fail it”, he said. He challenged everyone to give some more of their time, resources and energy to the work of the Lord in the community. By sowing bountifully everyone can also expect to reap bountifully.

In his report to the community, the senior coordinator highlighted some significant milestones in the year 2009. Among these are:

· Over all reorganization - new groupings and new pastoral leaders appointed

· Continuing training of leaders for both men and women

· Enlarging the leadership bench

· Attendance & participation of some leaders, both men and women, to international conferences and regional visitations

· Strengthening the Lord’s Day celebration

· Parents’ forum which tackled the parents and children’s needs

· Strengthening of the children and youth ministries

· Evangelization & re-evangelization of parish leaders

· Progress in community building efforts

· Regular newsletter as a means of information and evangelization

A more encouraging feature in the conference is the community’s 2009 financial report which revealed an increase in receipts and disbursements, all despite the dangling economic crisis. He challenged the community to be more faithful in giving their financial support, especially in the light of the increasing works in the mission.

Most importantly, our Senior Coordinator presented the community’s 2010 Action Plan and stressed how significant it is to follow certain directions and set specific goals in order to continue living out as community of disciples in mission. He mentioned the following areas that the community can individually and corporately work on so that its outlined goals can be obtained:

· On-going renewal of community and its members

· Maintaining commitment

· Maintenance of unity and vision among leaders

· Proper functioning of pastoral system

· Effective evangelization and mission

· Involvement in the SOS work

· Effective external outreach

· Relationship with local churches

The conference was capped by a Eucharistic celebration which was presided by no less than our very own, newly ordained priest, Fr. Michael Fabello who also supported the action plan of the community and went on to challenge everyone to make sacrifices during the season of lent. - /Tata A.

Editorial

A Response to God’s Love

In all our lifetime, God has faithfully shown His love and care for all of us. Yet, more often than not, we fail to respond to His initiative. Here’s an attempt therefore to outline the kind of response that we can give to Him who unconditionally and boundlessly love us.

Firstly, we must give our full trust to God. We don’t have to worry even when bad things happen to us. In the midst of trials and sufferings, God is always in control and will remain faithful to His children. He knows very well about our sufferings and trials. He works in all things, even bad things for good and can make every misfortune turn better. He brings light in our darkness. He really cares. Let us therefore be confident that we are always in good hands. Jesus Christ is completely reliable and trustworthy.

Secondly, we can respond to God’s Love by worshipping Him. Worship is simply giving God what is fitting and due Him. He is praiseworthy, not only for his power but also for His love, mercy, goodness, kindness, generosity and many other countless attributes. We praise Him for his humility in becoming one of us and in dying for our sake.

Thirdly, worshipping God must be our way of life. We can worship Him in many ways. We can offer our minds and bodies as living sacrifices, free of any blemish. We worship God when we are faithful to our covenant with Him; when we help our neighbors without expecting any return or reward. Our God is truly deserving of our time, attention and respect.

Praise deepens our relationship with God. It brings us even closer to Him. It is God’s desire to pour out His Spirit to all of us. It is the Spirit of God that guides, teaches, comforts and intercedes for us. It is His greatest pleasure to dwell with us through His Holy Spirit. We must remember that we were made for the purpose of praising God, of giving Him glory and honor. It is simply right that we praise the One who created us, the One who died and rose to save us and gave us life eternal, the One who works even now to help us become more like Him.

Lastly, giving honor to God is a way of responding to God’s love. We are honoring God when we do the things He wants us to do; when we serve other people, when we forgive those who hurt us instead of seeking revenge, when we perform our responsibilities with joy and humility, when we are faithful in our prayers and sacramental lives; when we are faithful in living out our covenant with Him in this community. ./Inday B.

From the SC’s desk…

A Christian Responsibility

“Love of God and love of country” is a famous line that speaks about how every good citizen of this country should live for. It is close to what the apostle Paul tells us about our dual citizenship which is that of this earth and that of heaven. (Eph. 2:19) The former is in the nature of the temporary while the latter is in the realm of the permanent. While he urges us to look beyond our temporary citizenship here on earth and to work with fear and trembling to be able to reach our final destination which is in heaven, he also exhorts us to be faithful to our duties and responsibilities as citizens of this world.

Paul’s exhortation simply echoes the fundamental principle in fulfilling the duties and responsibilities attached to our citizenship as laid down by Jesus Christ himself. “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” (Lk 20:25) Such statement poses a serious and daring challenge for every Christian to fulfill his twin obligation to God and his country. Yet in another sphere, it also confirms what the apostle Paul was all the while saying to be subordinated to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God and those that exist have been ordained by God for the common good. (Rom 13:1)

If every authority in this world is ordained by God, then every citizen is bound to obey it. Thus, we are bound to obey the government of our country and every person who enjoys and exercises authority under it. We are bound to obey the laws that they enact so that peace, order and justice can be obtained and that the interest of the majority for the common good can be served. We are bound to give to our government and our rulers what is due them so that they in turn can look for our welfare and provide services for our needs. As Romans 13:7 says: “Pay taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.”

By such salient principle we should realize that it is our bounden duty to choose godly leaders who will run our government and eventually exercise authority over us as citizens of this beloved country. This is what we call our right to suffrage. Corollarily, it also places in our shoulders the responsibility to work for a clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful elections. In this regard, the Parish Pastoral Council For Responsible Voting (PPCRV), a church group that operates both in the national and diocesan level to watch the orderly conduct of elections, has coined the acronym CHAMP precisely to describe the kind of elections that every citizen of this country should dream and work for.

Thus, in the light of our May 10 national and local elections, how then should we exercise our right to suffrage consistent with our Christian principles? Firstly, we need to choose leaders not just by their competence and sterling credentials but by their faith in God and the principled life that they live with. We should not be simply swayed by mere popularity, money or influence. Secondly, we need to protect the sanctity of our choice as expressed in our votes by exposing and resisting any form of fraud or machination, violence or undue intimidation. Let us all therefore go out and VOTE and protect the sanctity of our ballots!

When we are able to fulfill our Christian responsibility in exercising our right to suffrage as a citizen of this country, we are assured that we too have truly lived out what is required of us as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

TESTIMONIES

Musings from the Heart

by: Juliet Dalagan

Ten years ago, Rommel and I joined Kahayag. Now, we are underway members of the community. Being in community did not spare us from the tides of life. But going through them only sustained our faith.

Personally, I would say that joining community and committing myself to its way of life is my personal response to God’s unconditional love for me and my family. It is a vindication of my past misgivings on God’s faithfulness in my life.

My faith in God was severely tested when we were financially challenged and the children were not in the best of health; when I woke up in my worst nightmare regarding my credit card dilemma. I felt I would go crazy looking for a way to be credit-card free. I was hooked. My response then was to lie low in community activities because I felt that God did not care and was simply passive and silent about my concerns.

The loving Father that He is, God showed me the light through the community teachings. I remembered memorizing bible verses when we were having the basic bible course. Each verse seemed to be the answer to all my doubts. The foundations courses as well led me to hang on to God and kept me strong through tough and rough times.

The community teachings also enriched me in my working place. I was given the task to be the spiritual formation committee head maybe because my officemates saw my being a Kahayag. The teachings on Christian parenting and marriage enrichment as well nurtured my being a Christian mother and wife, respectively.

Ten years had passed. My life is challenging…I am still not perfect and will never be. I am still a sinner, a work in progress. I still experience trials and disappointments. And most importantly, I am still in Kahayag. Why? Because, this is my response to my Father who never left my side, who continuously shower my life with bountiful blessings.

God is very generous to me. He blessed me with 3 beautiful kids, a very supportive husband and a loyal househelp who’d been with us for the last 8 yrs. And guess what? I don’t have a credit card anymore. What more can I ask? But to give back to God what He deserves, my commitment to Him through community life. My mantra in life is, “Be a Kahayag wherever I go and whatever I do”. To God be the glory and honor!

A Transformed Life

by: Duque Caguindangan

I graduated from the Empowered Christian Living Seminar (ECLS) of Kahayag in 2005 and joined community weekend in 2007. I’ve been a public servant for about 15 years now and my membership with Kahayag was through the invitation of Ann Sivila, a former colleague from the Department of Education.

My life before Kahayag was different. I am the loner type since college days until the present, I didn’t have any affiliation with any civic or social group whatsoever. I was happy then if I can hear mass every Sunday and can work 5 days a week. My prayer time was not that serious. I was only focused in my routinary work such that I even spent time in school during Saturdays & Sundays.

Until such time, I felt there was something lacking in me. I was longing and yearning. I finally realized that I need to know more about God and fix my relationship with Him.

Last 2008 I was assigned to head a small school situated in a depressed barangay. The children studying thereat are poor and marginalized. Without second thought I accepted the challenge. I knew and I believed that it was God’s plan. It was an opportunity to educate and bring back God into their lives.

I found out later that the school needs repair not just in terms of its physical and academic structures but more importantly its spiritual foundations. I realized that I need to help shape first the dedication and commitment of my school workers who are supposed to help me in the work but where I experienced a lot of problems. There was a time that I wanted to quit. But I always remember the passage in 1 Corinthians 15:58 and 1Peter 5:7.

In the midst of my frustrations, I offered all my worries to God whom I knew was always with me. I kept praying and shared my concerns with my men’s group and pastoral leader God is indeed good. He told me not to give up, not to lose hope and to continue serving. And I realized all my prayers were answered.

The community has encouraged me to move on. My brothers and sisters in District D did some works of mercy in my school and they distributed white T-shirts as uniforms and some school supplies to the children. The children and their parents appreciated such gesture. They realized there are people around who still care.

Truly, the community has not only become an instrument in bringing hope to the lives of our less fortunate brothers and sisters but it has also continuously drawn me into a strong personal relationship with God with whom I experienced a lot of transformation.

He opens the way...

by: Benie Sy

n my baptism, God gave me new birth. He gave me my family and community. As His child I know “He give all He has for His Children.” (Gal 4:7). His redemptive love demonstrated this and I personally experienced this love when I was asked during the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or Empowerment of the Holy Spirit at the community’s Christian Life Program (CLP) to turn away from sin and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Mat 1:4). By then, my infant baptism and confirmation just came to light with its fullness and meaning.

Thus, from darkness He gave me the “Kahayag sa Diyos” (light of God) thru baptism. That was almost 20 years ago and I still feel the peace of my reconciliation to my real Father. Few years back before Kahayag, our home was situated right beside the chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Yet during that time, I was never involved in her activities nor contributed anything to her feast day and to the chapel renovation.

It was an arrogant life, relying only to myself. I recalled an incident when my wife was bedridden for a year after our second child. God gave me a dream that someday I would be involved in building a church and community. This dream gradually unfolded. Since I joined Kahayag, I was at the forefront of evangelization and community building. Also, I was chosen as the parish pastoral council president at our subdivision where the task of building a church and community became a reality.

I experienced His goodness when He literally stayed in my prayer room for nine years! During that time the church’s construction was in progress, the tabernacle had to be temporarily kept at my prayer room. I appreciated this very much that I had no other means to show my gratitude to Him except to be ready at all times to respond to His tasks.

My continuous prayer now is to be fit, equipped and faithful till the end. I am confident in the mission challenges I am facing. I also know the difficulties that lie ahead. My confidence rests on the assurance that He has plans for us individually and corporately. He is ahead of us. He opens opportunities for all of us who respond to His call.

As St. Paul says, “When I arrived in Troas to preach the Good News about Christ, I found that the Lord had opened the way for the work there.” 2 Corinthians 2:12(TEV)

IT PAYS TO BE PATIENT

by: Tonette Paalam

For three months I was looking for good deals for a dining set over the internet and saw a lot that suit my liking. Unfortunately, I got too busy that when I inquired again the items were already sold. I kept on thinking about the opportunities missed while pacifying myself that maybe that stuff was not for me. Later I saw another one that I totally liked but the price was just too much. I nonetheless inquired thru email. While waiting I had the opportunity of glancing at a similar set with a much, much lower price. With the help of my son Gerald, I was able to haggle unbelievably for a price which was 75% off from the previous one. We checked it right away and got the item which was dazzingly comparable to all the other units I previously saw over the internet. I felt God just rewarded me for patiently waiting.

In another instance, I went to a store to buy household items. While falling in line to pay to the cashier, the store manager asked me to move to the other side of an aisle stand. As I moved, the lady behind me swiftly overtook my position. I told the manager that the lady is supposed to be behind me but the lady refused to budge in even when asked by the manager insisting that I got a lot of stuff while she had only a few. I gave in and let her go. After paying the cashier, I waited for my sister. Surprisingly, the manager approached me and offered me discounts on my purchases because of the incident. I told her it was okay with me and he doesn’t have to care. But he insisted saying that I deserved such incentive. So they gave me 10 % off for my current purchase and another $20 off for my next purchase. I was completely overwhelmed and had my sister used the $20 discount for her purchases that day. I know God again has rewarded me for keeping my cool and responding calmly over the situation.

Lenten Recollection

This year’s Lenten Recollection was separately done by districts but simultaneously held on March 21, 2010. Each district had their own set of activities. District B and District C had their recollections both at Lestonnac Youth Retreat Center, Macasandig, this city, though at different buildings. District D, on the other hand, had its recollection at Chali Beach Resort, Cugman, this city, with Fr. Mars Tan, SJ, the current rector of Loyola House, as its facilitator.

As for District B, its lenten recollection was facilitated by Bebs Camaddo. The two (2) main objectives of the recollection were: 1) to facilitate a reflection prayer, evoking a sense of awe and wonder that would lead the participants to a deeper gratitude towards God; and 2) to discern where God is leading or inviting the participants, as individuals, as couples and as members of Kahayag, and in the bigger body, The Sword of the Spirit.

The morning session was focused on resting and being with the Lord which stressed on the fruits gained through inner wisdom, namely, awareness, acceptance and attentiveness. The second session was a group reflection on the passage taken from Mt. 14:28-30 which yielded drama presentations that answered the question as to what Jesus would wish them to do.

At about 2:30 in the afternoon, District C joined District B in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided by Fr. Raul Ricacho, SSJV.

As for District D, Fr. Tan led the group to a spiritual journey. After giving an input about the gospel story on the road to Emmaus, he exhorted the participants to do some personal reflections and to express their reflections through drawings. Its district recollection was also capped by a Eucharistic celebration presided by Fr. Tan. ---/ Inday B.

DISTRICT ACTIVITIES (DISTRICT D)

The Serenade

Last February 13, 2010, a Sunday, our young adults serenaded us through a pre-valentine show. It featured popular love songs of varying generations. The show was attended by some couples, families, single men and women, their loved ones and friends. The performers were basically members of Kahayag who sung a repertoire of love songs. Some invited guests also sung upon request favorite love songs to the delight of the audience.

The pre-valentine show was actually designed for a cause. It was primarily a fund-raising activity sponsored by the young adults of the community for the Kairos youth camp in April 2010. It may good to recall that Kahayag is the host of the youth summer camp this year. This is a major event that will be participated in by more or less 250 young adults from various communities of the SOS in Mindanao. It will take place somewhere in the city and for which our young adults are really very excited to join. -- Ching S.

Christian in His Workplace Seminar

A two-day seminar entitled “Christifying the Workplace” was sponsored by Lingkod ng Panginoon on February 27 & 28, 2010, at Chali Beach Resort, Cugman, this city. Its main speaker was Eddie Mendoza, a coordinator of the Ang Ligaya Ng Panginoon in Manila.

Day one of the seminar tackled the topics on evangelization and discipleship. There were guide questions for the course, e.g., Why do you work? Who do you work for? Does God want you to be rich? How can I evangelize and become a better disciple? How should a Christian view work?

The answers to the guide questions can definitely lead one towards God’s plan for each and everyone’s work. Eddie Mendoza initially talked about two sides of a coin, the first side is work which has an inherent value and the other side, its instrumental value.

Topics on Christian and Work enlightened the participants in having the proper attitude towards work; to always remember that everybody is a servant of Christ (Phil 2:13-15, Eph 6: 7-8, Col3:2-24), and to be grateful that we are His instruments. The speaker also emphasized that loving our work means to be diligent & industrious.

Again, having the right attitude and to be thankful of the resources and ability in gathering wealth were also discussed on the topics Happiness and Wealth. The speaker, however, reminded that God will use our wealth to test our character and even become a way to transform us. The topics challenged the participants to the reality that God will allow us to be wealthy not to keep it for ourselves but to be just stewards for them to whom that wealth is truly due.

A tip from Matthew 25 on the parable of the talents showed the participants the principles on how to store up treasures in heaven. Generosity is to give what the person has more than he needs. It brings the conclusion that tithing should be done even if you don’t have any excess.

The speaker mentioned ten proper attitudes towards wealth, viz.: 1. Righteousness; 2. Spirit of sound mind; 3. Contentment; 4. The Lord is to be trusted; 5. A simple lifestyle; 6. God’s mercy is enough to be thankful for; 7. An opportunity to give; 8. God’s own everything, I own nothing,; 9. God will provide for my needs; and 10. My treasure is in Heaven. Where your treasure is, there is your happiness.

Day two taught the participants how to relate and identify the difference between a good boss and a Christian boss. Christian leaders should know their responsibilities in making Godly decisions and be able to produce Christian employees. The speaker gave some guidelines on recognizing the sign of imbalance in the workplace and how to maintain balance. The principles are designed to help the participants in their work especially in making major decisions like wanting to change career, job satisfaction, and discernment in work. In fine, the seminar reminded the participants on how God works in everyone. He knows everything, and He knows what we need and what is good for us. Though in the journey of our life we face a lot of storms, we chose and decide if we have to take our cross and follow Christ. He is the one that leads us into the way, as He says, “be still I’m with you, do not be afraid”. For we are all indeed God’s workmanship.---Ching S.

A Lovely Email from Jesus

( forwarded message in the internet)

1. If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I am a Healer;

2. If you never had to pray, how would you know that I am a Deliverer;

3. If you never had a trial, how could you call yourself an overcomer;

4. If you never felt sadness, how would you know that I am a Comforter;

5. If you never made a mistake, how would you know that I am a Forgiver;

6. If you know all, how would you know that I will answer your questions;

7. If you never were in trouble, how would you know that I will come to your rescue;

8. If you never were broken, then how would you know that I can make you whole;

9. If you never had a problem, how would you know that I can solve them;

10. If you never had any suffering, then how would you know what I went through;

11. If you never went through fire, then how would you become pure;

12. If I gave you all things, how would you appreciate them;

13. If I never corrected you, how would you know that I love you;

14. If you had all power, then how would you learn to depend on me; and

15. If your life was perfect, then what would you need me for.

Telling Others. . . . . . .

Alpha Course in the Catholic Context for the Clergy in Mindanao

by: Benie Sy

A two day seminar about Alpha course was jointly sponsored by the Commission on Faith and Evangelization (Ad Intra ministries) under Rev. Fr.. Florencio P. Salvador, Jr., VG, SLD, SSJV; Alpha Course Philippines Foundation; Alpha Asia Pacific, and Ang Kahayag sa Diyos Community which served as the secretariat and facilitator, last March 9 and 10, 2010 at Pearlmont Hotel, this city.

The aim of the seminar is to use the Alpha Course as an evangelization tool in the parishes and to the different ministries of the Archdiocese. It also envisioned to use Alpha as basic seminar for new Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) and as a tool to strengthen the existing BECs.

There were 108 priests and religious workers who attended, 80 of whom came from the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro and the rest from the dioceses of Cebu, Iligan, Malaybalay, Tagum, and Tandag. The topics given during the two day seminar included the situations of the Catholic Church and Alpha Course as an evangelization tool. The seminar hopes to see the Integration of the Alpha graduates to the parish thru BECs.

A praying over session for the clergy and religious workers, specifically for their empowerment, was witnessed in the seminar. It was concluded by a concelebrated mass where Rev. Fr. Florencio P. Salvador, Jr., VG, SLD, SSJV formally announced that Most Rev. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, DD, has approved the endorsement of the Alpha Course as a basic seminar for the BECs. Incoming Bishop of the Diocese of Malaybalay, Rev. Msgr. Jose A. Cabantan, who was also present during the occasion, also endorsed the course in his diocese.

As a result, a team was organized to oversee the Archdiocesan Alpha Course implementation. Rev. Fr. F. Salvador, Jr. was assigned as spiritual adviser and Dr. Benie A. Sy, the Regional Director of Alpha Course Philippine Foundation, Inc. as the Archdiocesan Coordinator for Alpha Course in the Catholic Context. Initially, Tess Rosete and Sonia Cagas were also asked to be part of the team.

Singles' Corner

Singles and their Dreams

Singles have so many dreams. Some wish to travel and see beautiful places; some, to work abroad and experience living independently. But the most common dream of every single, man or woman, is to have a stable job, get married, have a family of his/her own, raise children and acquire a beautiful house to settle in.

Yet, such dream has brought many to frustration with years and years of waiting without any results at all. A good number of them felt that life has passed them by. It seemed that their best years had gone behind them and that their dreams would never come true.

Do singles have to lament over these facts? Of course not! It is not good to carry the blame even when one is really at fault. It doesn’t help. Many may have been blind and deaf to what God has planned for them. Some even question God for not really showing His plans for them. Others just resign and say, “que-sera-sera, whatever will be, will be!”

Reactions of such kind only show one’s inability to know what God wills for them. There are those who persist in praying for guidance but simply ignore the wisdom from the Holy Spirit. They actually hear something from God but totally disregard them for not being in keeping with their own desires. And so they just stop praying.

Singles need to realize that everyday is an opportunity to achieve their dreams. All they need to do is to be closely connected with God. By doing so lies the assurance that will show them the way. For God knows what is truly best for us. He knows and understands our dreams and will make sure that we will be able to reach them provided we entrust ourselves to Him.

Most of us fail to understand God’s plans for us. We always become impatient and get tired of waiting. Yet God has his own timing and his timetable is only designed to protect us. He doesn’t want us to regret. Jesus wants us to come closer to Him and listen to His voice. He wants us to know His plans for us and to accept them by heart. For him, to see us overcome our own limitations and work on our shortcomings are much more important than our dreams.

Let us therefore put our hope and faith in Him for indeed we can truly find solace.. ./ Inday B.

Jeremiah 29:11 “I alone know the plans I have for you to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plan to bring about the future you hope for.”