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Dear Friend,
Today, everybody is talking about the "events" at EDSA. The Church has been reflecting on these
"events." Each one is asking -- where have we failed? As a father would ask with a "wayward" child.
Let the family reflect on the Gospel of this Sunday (John 14:23-29) to see what Jesus would do if He were here with us today. Certainly, He will be the first to follow the teaching of the Father, who sent Him.
Prayer and Reflection ~
To love Jesus is to love the least of His brethren.
If I do love the least of His brethren, the Father will love me and come to live with me.
His Spirit who will live in me will teach me everything and make me remember all His teachings.
It is peace that He will give me in return.
His Spirit made me remember the observations of Msgr. Soc Villegas, who related to us
his personal reflections on these events.
He is assisting several young people from some depressed areas and their families. He sends them to school, attends to their sick parents and responds to their other needs with whatever the Church can give.
But that week during the "EDSA III" rally, they were part of the Erap crowd at the Shrine. Meeting them later, he asked them why they had participated in that rally. What they said shocked him: Erap came to them, greeted everybody, and ate with them. Msgr. Soc thought: "Was that enough to earn their loyalty? What was that compared with what I am giving them?" He said he was terribly hurt.
But his prayer and reflections enlightened him: "Erap came to them and was one with them. But I never visited them. They saw in Erap a person, but they saw in me an institution. The presence of Erap with them won their loyalty."
Jesus would always seek His Lost Flock. He would have a meal with them, as He wanted us to do in memory of Him (Luke 22:21). He promised, "I will be with you until the end of this world." (Matthew 28:20)
Jesus wanted us to be "present" with His Flock, to be real persons with whom they can relate with.
I have to be that person to them. And I will be at peace.
(Our Parish Priest supports and will walk with us in this approach.)
Joe & Charito
THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA'S
ONLINE RESOURCE FOR FAMILY MINISTRIES
www.simbahayan.org
servants@simbahayan.org
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