STT Magazine (Issue 2, 2008 June)

8/6/2019 STT Magazine (Issue 2, 2008 June)

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SOUND the TRUMPETSJune 200Vol. 2 No.2 The Official Newsletter ofCOUPLES FOR CHRIST FOUNDATION FOR FAMILY AND LIFE

Marys Fiat

Marys fiat lies in her complete and

absolute trust in Gods wishes for

her role in the history of salvation.

Her reply to Gods messenger, made

in sweet abandon, encompassed

holding in her hands the fate of

whether the promised Messiah would

experience fruition or not. Neither aquizzical eyebrow nor a pedantic look

raised but a demeanor of meekness

and submission to Gods will.

Looking at our own personal lives,

how many times do we fail to heed

the Lords call to be still, listen and

wait on Him because we choose to

depend on our own human abilities;

impatient in waiting for Him to make

known in His own space and time His

true wishes for us?

Marys fiat lies beyond trust and

submission. It ran through the whole

process of experiencing motherhood,

of raising a Child destined to be theSavior of the world. The fulfillment

of this role meant nursing the baby

Jesus through His infancy, watching

Him grow, making sure He grew up

steeped in honor and respect for His

elders, and providing Him the love,

care, protection and guidance only a

mother could give. There could be no

doubt that she, together with Joseph,

did a wonderful job because Jesus,

by His own humanity, became a man

imbued with a sense of mission,

challenged the traditions of His timewith wisdom and courage, inspired

and encouraged the hearts of men to

unconditional and selfless love, and

finally, modeled and showed us the

Way with His supreme sacrifice.

Marys fiat also saw a reversal of

roles between her and her Son.

For soon enough, the mother who

was obeyed, became her Sons first

and ultimate disciple. Despite the

worry and the tension of witnessing

her Son face the challenges of anunbelieving world, she knew her

place in following the path which He

had to tread because she knew in

her heart of hearts that the Fathers

will had to be fulfilled. Up to her last

moments in the town of Ephesus,

Mary proved to be her own Sons

first and ultimate disciple by acting

out her role in fulfilling the Great

Commission. n

MARYS FIAT:

AS BELIEVER, MOTHER

AND FIRST DISCIPLENonong

Contreras

INSIGHTS

FROM THE

SERVANT GENERALJune 14, 2008

Subject: THE COUPLES FOR

CHRIST NAME

My dear brothers and sisters in Chr

Peace!

On June 5, the Philippines Securitie

& Exchange Commission (SEC),

on our petition, issued an Orderreviving the original CFC foundation

established in 1984, the COUPLES

FOR CHRIST FOUNDATION INC.

(CFCFI). This means that we now

have legal right to the name CFC,

and this is a prior right to that of

CFC-GK-IC, with its corporation of

CFCGMFI established in 1993.

Many bishops, both in the

Philippines and in other countries,

have recognized CFC-FFL. They

include Bishop Gabriel Reyes, the

Spiritual Director of CFC (before

he resigned as Spiritual Director

of CFC-GK) and the Chair of the

Episcopal Commission on the Laity

and Archbishop Angel Lagdameo,

Archbishop of Jaro and President

of the Catholic Bishops Conference

of the Philippines (CBCP). In a

recent letter to me dated May 27,

Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President

of the Pontifical Council for the Laity

also left it to individual bishops torecognize CFC-FFL, including that o

our name.

Therefore, from both the spiritual an

the secular, from both Church and

state, we have every right to use the

name Couples for Christ.

Even from the moral and ethical

standpoint, we can and should use

Turn to page 2


2/32

special task for you. If He does, you aespecially blessed.

For us in CFC, we had a greatadventure during our first 25 years, athe Lord expanded the body to overa million members, brought us to 160countries as of the end of 2006, gaveus Vatican recognition as the onlyAsian lay association to be accorded

such a privilege. But the enemy rageagainst that. He attacked fiercely, andunfortunately we succumbed. CFCveered away from its basic mission. Bnow we in CFCFFL are the restoredCFC, true to its original charism. Ifrestored, then the anointing will alsoreturn. We can then look forward toeven greater work in the second quarcentury of our existence.

This is especially so as we have beenhumbled by the crisis that beset us a

the split that followed. The events of past months have also led us to embour Mother Church even more. We aclearer in who we are as Gods servaand in what God has called us to.

The ongoing attacks and persecutionagainst us have been blessings. Theyhave given us the opportunity to carrycross, to be purified through fire, to gin holiness, and to be more committeto our restored work. Hopefully we haalso grown in discerning Gods call. T

is why in all these we can rejoice.

Let us continue to say our yes to God

whatever way He might call us.

God has a wonderful plan for our lives.

We are His beloved children and Heassures us through the prophet Jeremiahhat He knows well the plans He has fors, plans for our welfare and not for woe,

plans to give us a future full of hope (Jer9:11). That is Gods part; our part isimply to accept and say our yes to Him.

When we do say yes, then we can lookorward to unimaginable blessings.

But Gods ways are not ours, and oftenHe discloses His plan for us in wayshat are difficult to accept, in ways

hat are even at times astonishing andbewildering.

Take the case of Mary. An angelappeared to her! And told her she wouldbe with child without knowing man! Andhen told her that she will give birth tohe Son of the Most High! Would that notave blown your mind!

Then there was Isaiah. He saw the Lordeated on His throne, surrounded byeraphims. Isaiah was so shaken up that

e thought he would die. Then there wasEzekiel. He also had divine visions. Heaw God with His cherubim. He was toldo eat the scroll! Then he was transported

bodily to another place. For seven dayse just sat there distraught. Then there

was Hosea. He was told to marry aprostitute!

When you are dealing with God, expecthe unexpected. When He calls youo a mighty task, expect that at times

He will bring the message to you in a

ramatic way. Perhaps He is calling youo become a mighty healer, or a great

prophet, or a charismatic preacher, or apowerful intercessor, or whatever. Not allare called to such greatness, of course,but what if you were?

You need to be ready to say your yes toGod. You have to be alert for your divineappointment, otherwise you may miss outon the greatest journey of your life.

So what is our proper posture?

First, always be prayerful. Prayer is our

connection with God. We cannot hearHis call or discern His will if we are not apeople of prayer.

Second, grow in holiness. The holierwe are, the more we reflect not only theimage and likeness of God, but also Hismind and heart. The holier we are, theclearer will be Gods communicationswith us. Whether that be dramatic (as wehave said above) or just simple (perhapsGod knows not many of us can handleHis divine drama!).

Third, be open. If, because of yourprayerfulness and holiness, you discernthat God is speaking to you, then beopen to whatever He wants of you. It

can never be what you want or whatyou prefer. It is not what you have beenpraying for and asking of Him. Againremember that His ways are not ourways. They are as far as the heavens arefrom the earth (Is 55:9).

Finally, have a sense of adventure.In actuality, the Christian life is ourgreatest adventure. It is growing into thevery holiness and perfection of God. Itis doing the very work of God, that ofbringing salvation in Christ to others. Itis renewing the face of the earth throughthe power of the Holy Spirit. Apartfrom all of that, God might still have a

SAYING YES

TO GOD

UNDERTHE

FIG TREEFrank Padilla

* Being under the fg tree is a sym

o messianic peace. (Nations) sh

beat their swords into plowsha

and their spears into pruning hooone nation shall not raise the sw

against another, nor shall they tra

or war again. Every man shall

under his own vine or under his o

fg tree, undisturbed (Micah 4:3

4). Our ultimate goal is to bring

peace o Christ into the world to a


3/32

AN OPEN LETTER TOCFCFFL

April 30, 2008

My dear brethren,

Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus

Christ!

The turn of events

Events have moved quickly since an

rticle entitled Vatican admonishes CFC

ver GK appeared on ABS-CBN onlineews last April 16 (note: we had nothing

o do with that article, and the writer is

nknown to me/us). Then the letter of

Cardinal Rylko of the Pontifical Council

or the Laity (Vatican) to Joe Tale dated

March 11 surfaced on the Net (note:

his did not come from us as we hado copy, but came from them as they

ried to downplay the ABS-CBN news

em). The letter told Joe about going

ack to the essentials, and the priority

f building up the family, in fidelity to the

Church. It talked about counterbalancing

he overemphasis on the social work. It

alked about the public scandal due to

he mistakes committed, and the need

o correct them. It urged Joe to issue

public declaration in the Philippine

ewspapers recognizing the errors and

ublicly apologizing. It directed CFCo stop receiving funding (from those

roducing or marketing contraceptives).

The reaction of some on the CFC-

GK side was fast and furious. Boy

Montelibano, the right-hand man of Tony

Meloto in GK, issued a series of writings,

asically maligning me, Bishop Gabriel

Reyes, Cardinal Rylko of the Vatican,

nd the Church hierarchy in general. He

sed strong words such as Pharisees

nd hypocrisy. Other newspaper

columnists such as Esposo and de

Quiros, connected with Boy, joined in on

the personal attacks on me and on the

hierarchical Church.

We are in a time of intense spiritual

warfare!

Gods action in our lives

Last year, the Lord brought us to

Lamentations, to teach us a sternlesson, that we would lose it all if we are

unfaithful to our covenant, just as what

happened to His people Israel. I took

command responsibility for our collective

guilt, and made a spiritual offering of

resignation from the Intl Council. That

should have brought us back to Godsgrace, if we all repented and turned back

from unfaithfulness to our covenant and

veering away from our calling. But that

did not happen, as there was disrespect

and disobedience to our bishops, and

there were maligning and attacks against

those who wanted to restore CFC to its

authentic charism.

We all allowed the enemy (the devil, our

common enemy) to enter our gates, with

the result that CFC plunged into deep

crisis and then split.

But given that bringing us to

Lamentations did not have the desired

result, since there were those with

hardened hearts who would not repent

and turn away from errors, God then

allowed the split to happen. If we

had not split, CFC would soon have

disintegrated, as the enemy wanted to

destroy us all. With the split, the tensions

between the social and the spiritual

dimensions of our work were eliminated.

We in CFCFFL, the restored CFC tru

to its authentic charism, moved on, w

great joy and starting to experience th

return of Gods anointing.

The enemy, thinking he had succeed

in seriously weakening CFC with the

split, now saw God bringing victory ou

of seeming defeat. He now saw the

emergence of a restored CFC, once

again totally focused on the charism

given it. Once again Gods work offamily renewal and evangelization co

proceed in the power of His Spirit. An

once again the enemy raged.

Since many bishops have recognized

CFCFFL, and since the Holy See,

through the Pontifical Council for theLaity, has recognized the errors

committed by CFC, so now it is the

hierarchical Church herself that is und

attack.

This is where we see that indeed we

into more intense spiritual warfare. Th

devil rages against the Church and he

authentic work. The conflict is not jus

about us in CFC, but about the whole

Church.

Call to prayer

What should we do?

First, be not afraid. The gates of hell w

not prevail against the Church.

Second, rejoice in persecution for the

sake of righteousness, for you are

blessed (Mt 5:10-12). Such is Gods w

of purifying us and moving us on to

holiness.


4/32

WHAT ROLE DOES MAR

PLAY IN YOUR LIFE

MY MOM is a traditional Marian devotee who prays t

rosary everyday, goes to mass at Baclaran Church fo

her devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, collects

Marian stampitas and medals for everybody, and

even has all kinds of Marian statues in the house.

I honor my mom for her devotion to Mama Mary. She

lifted up her heart and the family to Mama Mary. She

was the first to consecrate me to Mama Mary, becaus

I was born on the feast day of Ina ng Poonbato.

Blanche Halili

I REMEMBER, I was not really a Marian person, and I

always felt guilty about it, especially since I was surround

by Marian devotees! My parents always prayed the rosary

After joining the Parish Renewal Experience (PREX), I

believe I was led to Mother Mary because I ended up join

ing the Legion of Mary. I believe it was Mother Marys wayof calling me.Since then, I became active until we becam

missionaries to Europe. Every morning, I would consecra

myself and my family to our Lady. Ruby Borja

WHEN I WAS barely two years old, I was afflicted wit

H-Fever. At that time, the cause and cure for the dis-

ease was unknown.

My parents spent hours at the chapel to ask God to

spare me. My Mom, in her desire to save me, dedicate

me to Our Lady of Lourdes. The prayers powered by

the faith of my parents and the intercession of ourLady, allowed me to still be here and share this mira-

cle. In the hospital section where I was confined, I wa

the only child who survived!

Now, Mama Mary is reminding me of the consecratio

my mom made to her. She is calling me back to her

embrace. Mimi David

I AM GRATEFUL to my late mom for exemplifying genui

devotion to our Blessed Mother. Never a day passed that

I did not see her praying the Holy Rosary. As I grew up, I

understood that the tighter she held on to the Holy Rosar

and to our Lady, the stronger she became emotionally

and spiritually. She never missed reminding me to cling to

Mother Mary and always seek her intercession for the hol

souls in purgatory.

At present, my husband and I are challenged to pray the

Holy Rosary daily with our three children, as our fiat to

Jesus who loves Mama Mary so much. The small ones try

to follow by saying unintelligible words and cant keep stil

most of the time! I believe this is fine with Mama Mary. He

grace allows her to love us as we are. Mye Menguito

Third, do not retaliate in kind. Continue to love your enemy

the only real enemy is the devil).

Fourth, pray hard. Prayer is our lifeline to God, who is merciful,

ind, just and loving. We are His children. He is committed to

are for us. He knows our pains. He allows crosses into our

ves. But He has a great plan for us, not for woe but for a future

ull of hope.

et us pray for Gods protective mantle on us all. Let us pray

or our brethren who are in CFC-GK. They are our brethren and

ot our enemies. And let us pray for Mother Church, especiallyur bishops who guide and pastor us.

ask every member of CFCFFL, in addition to your regular daily

rayer and Bible reading, to look to frequent participation in

he Eucharist (daily if you can), to regular family prayer of the

osary (daily if you can), and to Eucharistic adoration (if you are

ble). The different CFCFFL groupings (households, chapters,

istricts, etc.) should look to communal prayer and intercession.

The intercessory groups should intensify their prayers. Let us

lso pray the chaplet of the Divine Mercy.

also call on fasting twice a week. We, and the whole Church,

re into intense spiritual warfare. Certain demons can only

ome out through prayer (and through fasting) (Mk 9:29). We

re on spiritual war footing. Be fit for the fight.

Finally, keep your hearts pure and humble. God opposes the

roud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves

nder the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due

me. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

1 Pt 5:5-7).

Rejoice in the Lord

t is appropriate that we in CFCFFL have taken on the themef joy for this year. God loves us, God has a great plan for us,

God will never abandon us, God turns our pains and crosses

nto sanctification and holiness. And God is already victorious

ver the enemy. What more could we ask for?

leave you with Peters wise words.

Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for

what is good? But even if you should suffer because of

ghteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified

with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.

Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks

ou for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness andeverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you

re maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ

may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for

oing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil. (1 Pt

:13-17)

Mama Mary, please pray for us and keep us in your loving

mbrace always.

God bless us all.

Your brother in Christ,

Frank Padilla


5/32

Be it done to me according to Your Word. (Luke 1:38)

f there is something so characteristic of Catholicism, it is our

eep love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. And for

s Filipinos, our love for Her has so permeated our being that

Marian devotion is apparent in our life as a nation. Like, Marys

resence was powerfully felt in the EDSA Revolution of 1986.

Wednesday Masses teem with our faithful invoking Our Ladys

elp as our Mother of Perpetual Help. And any Marian Shrine

n the country is most certainly frequented by the people.

And even we have our own Marian Apparition in Lipa Carmel

or which we are humbly working on for the Churchs officialecognition.

Yet, while Marian devotion may be so extensive on one hand,

may not necessarily be deep and authentic enough on the

ther hand. Let me quote St. Louis-Marie Grignon de Montfort:

Jesus, our Savior, true God and true man, must be the ultimate

nd of all our other devotions; otherwise they would be false

nd misleading. If then we are establishing sound devotion to

Our Blessed Mother, it is only in order to establish devotion to

Our Lord more perfectly, by providing a smooth but certain way

f reaching Jesus Christ. (True Devotion to Mary, nos. 61-62).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church places Mary in the

ontext of the Credo (the Profession of Faith that starts with

believe) in that part that says: Et incarnatus est de Spiritu

Sancto ex Maria Virgine conceived by the power of the Holy

Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

Hence, Mary is placed, as God has placed Her to be, in

elation to Christ, Her Son. In fact, all the Marian privileges

mmaculate Conception, Perpetual Virginity, Assumptionare

ooted in Her being the Mother of Christ. We rightfully speak

f the inseparable union of Christ and Mary. That Mary Herself

was redeemed by Christ but whose redemption was applied,

etroactively at the moment of Her conception. Sounds tooechnical? To put it more simply, Our Blessed Mother would

ot have been so blessed if She were not chosen to be the

Mother of Christ. And Her being the Mother of the Redeemer

made Her the first to be redeemed by Christ.

And this brings us to a basic truth: Mary was pre-destined to

e the Mother of Christ; YET God needed her YES, her FIAT

- to effect His plan. God had for Mary very wonderful things,

o many wonderful things that she would later proclaim in her

Magnificat. But they were just plans until Our Lady said yes and

rom then on, they became realities. Could she have said no?

Most certainly, she could have. She has, as we all have, a free

will. Free will is a gift from God. So great a gift that God fully

respects it. It is what makes us human beings and children

of God we have freedom! And Mary used that freedom toits fullest perfection, she perfected her free will by submitting

it to Gods Will.

It sounds paradoxical enough but that is the truth we

do not lose our freedom when we freely submit it to God,

instead in such submission we discover its fullest meaning.

Freedom is not to do what we want, it is to do what is right

and good. The contrary will be the abuse of such freedom.

And Our Lady, because she was predisposed by Gods

grace, was able to use that freedom well. She uttered her

YES to Gods holy Will. She did not lose her freedom by

GODS WHEE

MARY - OUR EXAMPLE OF FAITH AND OBEDIENCE

Contributed by Msgr. Melvin CasFounder and Presid

of The Confraternity of Mary, Mediatrix of All Gr


6/32

oing so, she perfected it instead. And she was not forced to

ay YES. She freely and joyfully gave her YES. In fact, we

an affirm, it was precisely because of that YES that we can

ghtfully call her Causa Nostrae Laetitiae Cause of Our Joy.

She caused the world to rejoice when she said her YES to be

he Mother of Christ.

et us ask ourselves then and share our thoughts:

. Do you remember when God inspired you to do

omething and you did comply?

. Looking back at your life, do you not see Gods hand

lowly but constantly guiding you?. Do you not feel God asking more from you?

God has wonderful plans for you and me, but He needs our

es. He will never impose His Will on us, He awaits our own fiat

o His Will.

n the Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, we have not only

omeone to extol but someone who is so close to us, someone

o imitate and, in fact, someone who is our co-pilgrim here on

arth: she needed as we do need FAITH AND OBEDIENCE.

nterestingly, when we examine the etymology of the word

bedience, it reveals to us that it comes from the Latin word,

b-audire, the root word audire which means to listen. Faith, onhe other hand, means trust and confidence in the Unseen. The

Tagalog translation for faith is rather very rich and meaningful

pananampalataya which literally means the sense of sight is

eased, pananaw-patay, to believe without seeing.

f Faith will mean sense of sight ceases; obedience will mean

he sense of hearing, better yet listening, is vital. And Mary

by Gods grace perfectly had both: believing in the Word

hat she heard, and trusting in God whom she did not see.

And with the eventual birth of Christ, she beheld and touched

whom she believed in and listened to. And rightfully St. Luke

describes for us her continuous reaction to Gods mysteriou

plan unfolding: She treasured all things in her heart. That

to say, she trusted in and listened to what she saw: Faith an

Obedience.

Mary not only heard the announcement of the Angel to her,

listened intently, and in listening she had her faith and even

conviction to say, Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum Be it

done unto me according to your word. And that word was n

a simple word, it is the Word made flesh Verbum caro fac

est. The simple word of a woman was what God needed to

us salvation. Just one word, salvation and life reentered theworld.

Let us ask ourselves again and share our thoughts:

1. Have you ever uttered a word that effected great

change, for better or for worse? Watch your word! It can

change the world.

2. Do you believe because you have seen? the Rise

Lord asked St. Thomas. And the Lord continued, Happy

are those who believe even without seeing. Do you believ

because you see? Or do you believe so you could see? Bel

and you will see!

Mary, in her faith and obedience, fulfilled Gods plan for her

be the Mother of the Redeemer. But her fiat was not limitedone single instance. It was one continuous YES in her entir

lifetime. Constantly renewed and nourished in faith, in word

and in deed. We can even say, her life itself was her FIAT

Gods Will.

Hence, in Mary we see the perfect exemplar of Faith and

Obedience. We imitate her and we ask her as well in our

prayers that she may obtain for us the same Faith and

Obedience that enabled her to perpetually utter: Fiat Mihi

Secundum Verbum Tuum, Be it done unto Me according to

your word. Ave Maria! Ad Jesum per Mariam.


7/32

This article is offered to our Parent Coordinators and our Kids

Volunteers who serve in CFC Kids for Family and Life. We

would like to take this opportunity to inspire, inform and interact

with you through the Word of God, which is, as Scriptures say,

the sword of the Spirit. (Eph. 6) This is very important for uswho are engaged in spiritual warfare. The Word of God is

harper than any two edged sword that pierces through our

houghts and reflections. (Heb. 4:12)

This years theme is Joy in Christ from the Book of Zephaniah,

God rejoices over us! (Zeph. 3:17) Let us find our joy and

llow God to rejoice over us by studying His Word. We

ncourage all our Parent Coordinators and Kids Volunteers

o discover the message in Mama Marys Fiat as told in theGospel of Luke 1:28-38.

et us break down the verses and understand the context.

. Who are the main characters in this gospel?

v. 26 Mary and Angel Gabriel

Angel Gabriel is one of the three archangels mentioned

in the Bible.

Angel Gabriel is an angel serving as Gods messenger

. How did Mary feel when she was talking to Angel

Gabriel?

v. 29 She was greatly troubled and pondered

. What is to be done to her? v. 31, Behold, you will conceive

in your womb and bear a son

This is the Annunciation.

. Who is the Son? v. 31 Jesus

. What is the significance of this conception?

v. 34 How can this be, since I have no relations with

a man?

It is important to note that Joseph and Mary were

scandalized by this because Joseph married a pregnantwoman. It must have been the most difficult nine months

of Marys life! Going through pregnancy amidst the

rumors about her being impregnated prior to marriage .

. How will she conceive a baby without relations with a man?

v. 35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of

the most High will overshadow you. v. 37 For nothing is

impossible for God.

. How did Mary submit to Gods will?

v. 38 Be it done to me according to Your Word. What is

the message of this Gospel to you?

When God calls us to do something, we must obey and be

faithful no matter how difficult and impossible it may be, just

Mary.

Let us all reflect on the importance of Mary as we all strive

to follow and imitate Jesus. As Mary let it be done to her

according to Gods word, may we all be reminded that

everything here on earth is all for the Glory of God!

When recently and how did God speak to you to do someth

either through an angel, an event, or a scriptural verse? Wwere the circumstances?

_______________________________________________

__________________________________

How did you feel?

_______________________________________________

_________________________________

What was/is God telling you through the Gospel?

_______________________________________________

__________________________________

What specific thing is God asking you to do?

____________________________________________

______________________________.

Contributed by Santi Edralin

CFC-KFL International Coordinator

FROM THE MOUTH OF BABES

GODS WORD TO US THROUGH MAMA MARY


8/32

THE SECRET TO TRUE FREEDOM

ronic as it may sound, the secret to true

reedom is to be a servant. Yes, you

ead it right! To be free is to be a servant

f the Lord. Most people today think that

reedom means doing everything and

nything you want anytime. But when

ou really think about it, are they really

ree? Yes they can do whatever they

want, but they are not free from all the

worry, anxiety and discontent. Like,

remarital sex, for example. People

hink freedom means having sex anytime

utside marriage. But is that really

reedom? After doing it, people are

nslaved by anxiety whether they will getregnant or get sick.

True freedom comes only from the

nowledge that you are following God

nd fulfilling His purpose in your life.

Mary is our perfect example. I am the

andmaid of the Lord; let it be to me

ccording to your word. (Lk 1:38) When

he obeyed God, even with all the

ncertainty, she became ultimately free -

free to do the will of the Father and bear

GREAT UPDATES FROM OUR YOUTH WORKERS!

Paraaque - 3 Youth Camps with 40+ participants each

Novaliches - YFL District Planning

Cubao - SHOUT (a leaders training)

Antipolo - 3 Youth Camps

22 participants for San Mateo/Montalban

21 participants for Cainta

17 participants for Antipolo

YFL is now present in 8 out of 9 vicariates

of the diocese!

Pasig/Manila - Joint Youth Camp with 50 participants.

Tarlac - Youth Camp with 49 participants Lipa (Batangas) - Youth Camp with 265 participants

Imus, Cavite - Youth Camp (Youth Camps are conducted

weekly)

Pandi (Bulacan) - Youth Camp with 70 participants

North A - Youth Camp with 50 participants

Kalookan - Youth Camp with 75 participants.

Isabela - Youth summer missions

The ministry harvested more or less 700 souls!

Contributed by Joseph Tesoro

CFC-YFL International Coordinator

YOUTH WORKER

the greatest man who ever lived!

When we do the same (follow Gods

purpose in our life), we will discover

freedom beyond our imagination. We

will be free from all worries that sinbrings. We will feel contentment with

what we have right now because w

are confident that the life we are living

in accordance with the will of our Fath

We will be free from any anxiety, kno

that the Lord will always provide for o

every need. Just as Mary experience

all these, so too shall we. All we hav

to do is to obey God and decide in ou

hearts that we will be His servant.

When we finally do this, we will

experience tremendous freedom!

Guide Question:

Are you experiencing true freedom rig

now? If not, what are the areas in yo

life that you need to surrender to God

order to experience true freedom?


9/32

Be it done unto me according to your word. (Lk. 1:38) The

Latin translation of this verse is, Fiat mihi secundum verbum

uum. Hence, the more popular term fiat. Luke records

hese words as uttered by Mary, her reply to the Angel

Gabriels message, her response to Gods call. This was her

Yes! Fiat means, Let it be. Many say it. The Beatles fans

sing it. And the devout Catholics meditate on it at least three

imes daily during the Angelus. It is, indeed, a wonderful state-

ment, a statement that triggered a very important event the

ncarnation of the Son of God.

A Little Backtrack

What makes Marys fiat so special? Like any simple Yes

esponse, it is probably one of the most ordinary words in the

anguage. But its very simplicity, marked with the complexity of

Marys context, makes this Yes very special.

Mary was a teenager when the angel appeared to her. Some

say she was praying. Others say she was doing ordinary

chores. But one thing is sure. When the Angel came, she was

eady. While, like Zechariah, she was disturbed (Lk. 1:12 &

29), she was not afraid. Zechariah was overcome with fear

Lk. 1:12), but Mary asked what the angels greeting meant.

ndeed, at the start, the posture of Marys heart was that of

prayerful trust. Imagine a teenager with all the issues of adoles-

cent life. But these were not in Marys mind. When an angel of

God came to her with a message, she just took it in. It would

seem that Mary had no trouble conversing with this heavenly

messenger and digesting the word of Yahweh.

When the angel revealed the incredible news that she would

bear a Son, Mary humbly pointed out that she has had no

elations with a man, so how could she get pregnant? But when

Gabriel assured her that God would take care of it, Mary just

said yes.

With Marys fiat, God and Man met for the first and only tim

human history, inside her womb. God became Man, and H

dwelt amongst us. With her yes, Mary became the cause o

our Joy, giving us our One Hope Jesus Christ, True God

True Man, the Savior of the World.

Mary could have been worried about the neighbors gossipin

about her. She could have concerned herself with possibly

being dumped by her more-than-GG-(Gods Gift)-but-less

than-husband Joseph. She could have worried about the

responsibility of a devout Jew having to carry in her womb a

later feed and clothe and shelter the Son of Yahweh, the G

she worshipped! But Mary was not afraid. She readily said

The Singles Fiat

The journey of a single man or woman is really like that of t

age Mary. We have our own issues and sources of fear. W

I be able to get a good, stable job to feed myself? How will

support my parents and siblings? Will my career or busine

prosper? Will I find a suitable partner in life? Will I get mar

ried? Should I become a priest or religious? Will I stay sin

for the rest of my life?

WHERE GO

AND MAN MEE

Contributed by Denver Bingski D. Daradar

CFC-SFL

SINGLE FOCUS


10/320

The causes for fear are endless. But obviously, God will not

eave us alone. He most probably has sent us our own version

of Gabriel those signs and messages that assure us of what

God has in store for us.

But do we have a heart like Marys that is not afraid? Or are we

ke the man hanging from the cliff, asking God to save him, but

when God tells him to let go of the tree he was clinging to, he

ooks for another God, another sign?

Some of us can say to the Lord, I hear your voice, Lord. I caneel your presence. I know your message. And then, our

concerns suddenly crop up. Issues like, oh, answering that

call will mean not being the breadwinner for the family. Or,

maybe, Lord, do I have to give up my car? Or, perhaps, Lord,

will lose my Starbucks budget! Or even, Lord,, there are still

a number of things I want to do with my life. Or worse, Lord, if

hat happens to me, I will lose everything.

But then, for sure, God will tell us the same message He has

been telling His people for thousands of years Do not be

afraid. I am with you. Ill take care of everything. If, with that,

we can now say YES like Mary, praise God! If not, then we

must start preparing to say it.

Preparing for our Fiat

Maybe God is calling us today to do great things for Him. May-

be He wants us to make Him alive in the lives of other people.

But we may feel unready. Perhaps, we might want to reflect on

he following areas to help us prepare for our own Fiat:

Do I spend time in intimate prayer with the Lord? Do I know

His voice? Do I talk to Him daily and open myself honestly and

completely to Him? Do I allow Him to speak to me, and do I

sten? Do I realize that by praying and listening to Him daily, Iprepare myself to discern His voice and His will in all things?

Do I say NO or LATER to little things, so that my heart is

prepared to say NO or LATER to big things so that when

God calls, I can readily say YES? It can be as simple as say-

ng NO to a cup of ice cream or a stick of barbecue, or just hav-

ng your coffee break a little later than usual. What are those

hings that I find difficult to build my EQ on? Do I not realize

hat by delaying gratification, I teach myself to say NO to self,

and prepare myself to say YES to God?

Do I live a sacramental life, frequenting the sacraments of

econciliation and the Blessed Eucharist? Do I realize that byeeding my heart and soul with the Word and the Body, and

enewing myself with the grace of Gods forgiveness, I make

myself ready to be full of grace, too, to accept all that God

offers?

Do I talk to Mary and ask her help to teach me become like her,

o that God can use me mightily for His own purpose? Indeed,

Mary is the foremost missionary and evangelist: She accepted

he Word into her life, and proclaimed it to the world. And we,

oo, can be used mightily by God. We, too, can make Gods

plan happen in our life. But we need to prepare, to be like

Mary, to be fearlessly in love with God.

CFC SFL ANNOUNCEMENT

Below are our international mission trips this year.

July 31 - August 20, 2008 USA

New York

New Jersey

Seattle, Washington

Chicago, Illinois

July 2 - July 21, 2008 Europe

Oslo, Norway Vienna, Austria

Rome, Italy

These mission trips are open to all SFL members wh

have undergone the CFC SFL Covenant Recollectio

by the time of the mission trip. Those who wish to

join the US Mission Trip are requested to process

their own visa application. Join and meet our brother

and sisters from other parts of the world, share your

personal testimony and experience God in new way

When we finally make our FIAT to God, despite all our

concerns and problems, another great event in history will ta

place. It may not be another Incarnation, as Marys Fiat had

done; but, for sure, it will be more than enough for Gods glo

to be witnessed by many. When that time comes, God and

Man will meet in us, too, and many people will come to know

and love and serve the Lord.


11/32

Contributed by Kit LadridoCFC-HFL International Coordinator

MAIDENS

CHRONICLES

MARYS ANSWER TO THE ANGEL

Sis. Rea Santos from Cavite shared

t the 1st World Handmaids Congress

WHC) in Tagaytay Cty about the series

f trials since becoming a Handmaid

she was wrongly accused of stealing

money (she later met the real thief

nd forgave him); her husband had

n accident in Davao which caused

emporary amnesia to the point of even

orgetting her (he eventually came home

o her); she had several bouts with

ancer which would recur (the latestne again needing surgery which she

ostponed till after the WHC).

All through these trials, she never

hought of lying low, making sure to

lways show joy to others. She never

uestioned God except to ask, Lord,

what is it you want of me? And then, in

ull trust and submission, she continued

o serve.

ike Mary, Rea responded to the Lord:

Let it be done to me according to Thyword. Fiat not only once or twice, but

aily throughout her life. Fiat as she

repared for her surgery. Fiat whenever

he experienced pain.

Was it easy for Mary to give that

nswer? Did she give it hastily and

without reflection, as we so often do

when we pray the Angelus? Mary must

ave been frightened by what she saw

nd heard. She was frightened by the

ngel, frightened also by the unheard-of

ask God expected of her who wished toe the handmaid, not the mother of the

Redeemer. There wasnt much time and

he had to come to a decision. The Angel

waited for her answer, the answer on

which rested the redemption of the world.

Mary did not clothe herself with the

mantle of false humility I cannot do

! She did not negotiate with God like

Moses did I have a slow tongue,

et Aaron speak for me. The humble

maiden of Nazareth, after the Angel

revealed that she would become the

Mother of God, did not hesitate for a

single moment. With childlike simplicity

and trust, she uttered the words, Behold

the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to

me according to Thy word.

Now, what is our answer to the

sorrows and trials we bear? How do we

respond to the message of our Father in

heaven? What is our

reaction when death robs us of our

dearest one in life, when sickness

tortures us and our very existence rocks

under our feet? Our trial, whatever it

is permitted by Gods fatherly love, an

His watchful eye keeps vigil over us.

God desires only our good. He wishe

draw us to Himself!

We must believe that with all our hea

Even when He permits us to live with

a serious, humiliating weakness or

problem, it is for our benefit, for: All

things work for good for those who

love God, who are called according toHis purpose, as St. Paul says. We

need to humbly submit our misery an

unceasingly raise our hearts in praye

Him. Let us give Him our willing cons

to the cross which seems so great a

burden to us today.

When things seem without rhyme or

reason, let us say humbly with Mary,

Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be

done to me according to Thy word. n


12/322

CFC Kids for Family and Life

concluded its 1st World Kids

Conference last May 9-11, 2008 held at

he Father Luigi Caburlotto, Daughters

of St. Joseph School located in

Barangay Buho, Amadeo, Cavite.

The event gathered 827 participants

rom all over Metro Manila including

he provinces of Rizal, Isabela,

Catanduanes, Laguna, Batangas,

Tarlac, and Hongkong!

The Conference theme was Joy

Adventure - The Quest for Real

Treasure, which speaks of Gods joy

over us if the Joy of every kid is ourSavior Jesus Christ! The first day of

he WKC started with a praise parade

and a kids praise, graced by the

presence of the School Administrator

Sister Idangela Del Ben and Cavite

Councilor Dondie Bayot.

The second day was filled with

workshops, fun games and sports

clinics. Also, KFL lauched its

first batch of Manuals: the Junior

Kids Day, Senior Kids Camp, and

Leaders Training during the Parent

Coordinators Forum. The afternoon

was capped with the traditional

fire hose bath. The highlight of the

conference was the Joy Adventure

play which underscored where ourshould be!

The last day of the conference had

a Mothers day festival to honor

all mothers. It ended with a kids

praisefest and a simple awardingceremony for the winners in specia

competitions and citations.

The World Kids Conference will be

echoed to the different districts,

provinces, countries and restoratio

villages.

WKC International Schedules:

June 25-27 World Kids Conferenc

New York

July 10 World Kids Conference,

Toronto

August 1-3- World Kids Conferenc

NorCal

August 20-22 World Kids Conferen

Vienna

GRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE

JOY ADVENTUREThe 1st World Kids Conference


13/32

went to the 1st World Youth

Congress carrying a lot of burdens

bout family and school. I wanted to

et aside that weekend as the intimate

date I promised the Lord a long time

go. Unfortunately, it wasnt easy to

detach from my personal concerns.But God is good. As the Congress

unfolded, I saw young people like

me counting their blessings and

giving God all the credit. I saw their

openness to the changes that God

llowed to renew their lives and build

hem into something greater than

hey could ever imagine. I saw them

ssuring each other that they had

but the same Father and that nothing

could break the bond they have with

Him and with each other.

On the second night, God became

personal with me. During the session

on God being a Mighty Savior, I

remembered the times when God

rescued me from my distress. Indeed,

God has been faithful to me during thedifficult dry spells of my life. It was at

that moment that God struck me with

the question: Does He always have to

do something magnificent in my life

just so that I would be in constant awe

of Him?

The World Youth Congress made

me realize a lot of things but, most

importantly, it made me see that I am

unique in the eyes of God! He has the

best plans for me - plans that my mind

can never comprehend but which H

will reveal only in His time.

On the last day, God allowed meexperience Him. During worship, I

saw Jesus walking in front of me in

a beach during sunrise. As I called

out His name, He continued walkin

on and I continued to call out until

He turned around to answer. Rays

sunlight blinded me and prevented

from seeing Jesus straight in the f

Perhaps, my heart would have nev

been able to grasp how beautiful H

is, it would have never been able to

contain the joy that a glimpse of H

would give. But just seeing some pof my Lord was enough to affirm m

that I was in the right place and I c

only expect the best in the coming

days, months and years as I serve

not only in this community but in m

life. Pain and trials may try to obst

my way but I am confident that in t

community - in this family - Im hom

UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGR

JOY RIDEThe 1st World Youth Congress

Contributed by Tinay Mamaril, CFC-YFL


14/32


15/32

of Antipolo for celebrating the

nticipated mass. He stressed how

ach of us is called to holiness, and

how valuable is the role we play

s Christs evangelizers, that our

being on the ground and witnessing

o Christs love makes us effectivevangelizers!

Saturday evening was a hit as well!

After dinner, there was the Singles

Got Talent. SFL from Laguna, Biliran

District, Tarlac, and Novaliches

njoyed every minute of their

performances. The audience went

on an uproar when emcees Jepoy

Meneses and VL Ramos gave their

own version of the Kuracha Dance

endered by SFL Biliran. The evening

went on a more meaningful high when

verybody was led to worship the

Lord by Wally Magtibay.

ndeed, after the worship, everyone

elt inexplicable joy, which was an

ffirmation of the challenge posed by

he second session for all of us to be

HAPPY, since we should all be HIGH

ON CHRIST! Maricar Gatchalian, a

woman teeming with the Lords joy,

nspired everyone to move on from

amentations to joy, as she reminded

how the Lord, our God, is in our midst,

how He is our mighty savior, and

whose transforming power renews us

in His love! Tin Venerayan of CFC SFL

Paranaque, gave witness on how the

Lord blessed her with a tremendous

amount of joy, despite the hardships

she encountered while growing up.

The story about her parents failedmarriage (which the Lord is now

restoring), and how she was able to

finish schooling in spite of extreme

poverty, endeared Cocay (Tins

nickname) to the other singles.

As if the singles couldnt get enough,

they were kept ON A HIGH by

Patrick Frias who talked about

Christs several sources of joy, as

found in the Holy Bible: Davids

zealousness, Jobs abounding

trust, Mother Marys obedience, and

Abrahams faithfulness. Everyone

was touched, as they received themessage that imperfect as we are, we

can be a source of Christs joy as a

fruit of our obedience, faith, and trust

in Him.

The singles woke up on the last day

of the conference fully charged,

stirred by the inspirations from the

Holy Spirit the entire weekend. The

Evangelization Workshop given by

Joseph Tesoro was an eye-opener, as

he shared how each CFC SFL member

can do his/her share in bringing

other singles to Christ without

sounding too preachy. His humoro

true-to-life testimony of his efforts

at evangelizing not only animated

the delegates, but also provided a

refreshing insight on how one can an effective evangelizer.

Sound the Trumpets! SOARing

HIGH! culminated a very powerfu

weekend for the single men and

women who will serve as the core

of Gods mighty warriors. Pat

Oconer gave marching orders whic

empowered the singles to fly high

the Lord, exalting Him through one

life. He also shared how the CFCFF

Core Values will keep each one

grounded and focused on Christ.

There was no final farewell, as eacdelegate looked forward to be with

one another once more this time

mission, for the CFC SFL ROAD TR

SUMMER MISSION! How exciting i

truly is to serve the Lord!!!!

Definitely, Christ will lead us car

us anoint us empower us, as

move forward, confident that God

with us, as we all fulfill the mission

that the Lord has laid down before

us.

PDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRE


16/326

May 3 and 4 marked the 1st World

Handmaids Congress of the CFC

Handmaids for Family & Life, held at

he Tagaytay International ConventionCenter. With the theme, I Rejoice, it

was an awesome experience for the

more than 560 delegates from here

nd abroad.

The Congress opened with the Holy

Mass by Fr. Serg Arenga, followed by

he recitation of the holy rosary, led

by Sis Charit Mutuc of Tarlac. After

his, our ever so lively and lovely

mcee, Sis Baby Ligeralde started

he ball rolling. The first session

ntitled From Hope to Joy was given

by Sis. Kit Ladrido, who spoke about

he chaos, sorrow and confusion we

have gone through. She stressed

hat, despite our sinfulness, God has

hown mercy and spared us as His

holy remnant. Thus, we have every

eason to rejoice.

The second session was Women of

oy given by Sis. Maribel Descallar,

who spoke about rebuilding our

community using our seven core

values as guide posts. These areGods gifts to us more than enough

reason to rejoice. Session 3 talked

about Our Joy in Rebuilding, given by

Sis Menchie Donato, who exhorted

about rebuilding our community

starting with ourselves: being

faithful, building a disposition of

quiet listening and having a special

devotion to Mother Mary.

The second day of the Congress,

which was a Sunday, started with

the holy rosary (in Thai and English)

led by Sis Sida Jarungjitpracharom

from Thailand, who was completely

garbed in the Thai national costume.

This was followed by the Holy Mass,

presided by Fr. Melvin Castro, founder

of the Confraternity of the Mediatrix

of All Grace. Session 4, Sharing our

Joy, given by no less than our founder

Bro. Frank Padilla, spoke of, first and

foremost, praising and honoring God

and finding joy in being Gods people.

He also pointed out our mission

of liberation. We are engaged inspiritual warfare, a sign that we are

the end times. This makes our wo

even more urgent. However, we ar

assured that we who are faithful w

rise victorious in Christ.

The congress was all the more

meaningful because of the Sold Ou

Bands joyfully energetic way of

providing music for both worship,

reflection and dance (which the

Handmaids love to do). This wasespecially felt during Saturday

evenings spirit-filled Heart of Wors

concert.

The Congress was capped by a

power-filled worship and praisefes

led by Maricar Gatchalian. She

enlightened me so much about the

real meaning of our mission we m

now be fewer in number, but defini

not in power.

S UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CON

I REJOICEThe 1st World Handmaids Congress

Contributed by Marlyn Surtida, CFC-HFL Laguna


17/32

ATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS

The 1st World Servants Congress was

held on May 23-25 at Maryhill Retreat

Center in Antipolo with delegates

rom Cavite, Batangas, Laguna and

Quezon, Central Luzon and Visayas,

ncluding a delegation from Bohol.

Bro. Tony Cruz and his band provided

he music for the praise and worship

ession of the opening night with Bro.

Glen Angeles as worship leader.

On Saturday at six in the morning,

wake-up call was Gregorian Chant

music through the piped in system.

To start the days activities, Fr.Manny Gambino, SJ led the assembly

n praying the rosary. The format

ncluded the recitation of the Our

Father and Glory Be in continuous

ai-chi and oriental body stretching

xercises. The Hail Mary was prayed

n less strenuous posture. The format

was enthusiastically received by the

participants and will be used in other

uture assemblies.

The Congress, emceed by Bros.

Edu Neponuceno and Tony Asis,

was highlighted by talks which truly

touched the hearts of those present.

Bro. Frank Padilla spoke about the Joy

of Rebuilding Self and the Community

with powerful sharing from Bros.

Jun Cabalan and Butch Sinconegue.

Bro. Gary Faustino expounded on the

Magnificence of the New Temple and

how SvFL represented the hammer

on one hand and the spear on the

other hand. Bro. Tony Espiritu, one

of the first 16 couples who formed

CFC and who is now with SvFL with

the passing of his wife, related his

experience about the beauty of theoriginal charism. He spoke of the

anguish he felt over the veering away

from the original values that led to the

split, and how in a dream he saw and

entered a new, rebuilt and glorious

temple set on a hill.

To prepare the members to receive

the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in

the Holy Eucharist, four priests were

present to hear confession after the

days talks.

JOY IN REBUILDINGThe 1st World Servants Congress

Contributed by Elpidio Damaso, CFC-SvFL

After dinner, the Sold-Out Band

conducted a spirited Heart of Wors

Concert. Bro. Bambi Urgino gave a

inspiring talk on the need to worsh

the Lord; Bro. Patrick Oconer led t

members in a Tongues training; an

Bro. Patrick Frias tackled the Gift o

Prophecy.

After the Sunday Mass, the CFCFF

core values were reemphasized by

Bro. Lachie Agana. He reiterated th

need to focus first on rebuilding ou

individual spirituality and holiness

and how each member is a buildinblock in the new temple built aroun

Jesus Christ, who is the cornersto

of the edifice. SvFL International

Coordinator, Bro. Boy Katigbak,

explained to the assembly the next

steps to be taken by the ministry,

focusing on the duty to bring God

Word to many. He also stressed th

call for SvFL to assist in parishes

especially in the area of migrant

worker families training and value

formation and evangelization.


18/328

During the1st WSC, I faced three

Goliaths: First, was my finances, which

was why I registered late. Second wasmy work because it was audit and tax

season, which meant huge stress and

pressure for me. Last was my MBA

class in which I only had two hours to

prepare for an important exam. But

throughout the congress, God spoke

very strongly to me. On Saturday, the

message was, Happy are those who

obey the Lord, who live by His com-

mands. Your work will provide for your

needs; you will be happy and prosper-

ous, And on Sunday, He assured

me, You are blessed. Indeed, Gods

faithfulness is never outdone. I got

regularized in my work and was given

a 20 percent salary increase. We were

also able to file our audited Financial

Statement on time with tax payable of

only half a million. And, finally, I gradu-

ated with academic excellence.

Contributed by Christine Yong

When the WSC Service Team went up

to Alpadi last March 27 to start the 1st

World Singles Congress with arecollection, I was amazed with what I

saw. The Renewal Center was

transformed into a resort-like place.

It was a peaceful sight! It was like

paradise on earth.

Friday nights worship was so

awesome! It was good to be reminded

how to truly worship, to worship in reck-

less abandon, to just pour out my heart

to God and sing praises to Him. And

the Lords presence was felt by all.

And I even had a vision. As I wor-shipped, I looked up in the sky and

saw light radiating from the clouds, with

Gods hands outstretched and sending

to me His love.

That weekend, I was reassured that

God loves me despite who I am and

what Ive done with my life. Going

back to Him was so liberating.

Contributed by Anna Arcaya

CFC-SFL FLIES HIGH!

During the worship, I cried and I fe

God hugging me. It was a perfect

evening to cap the first day of theconference. We did not even need

party/disco which we usually do in o

conferences. Saturday and Sunday

sessions were a bigger bonus. It wa

an elaboration of Gods message to

me. It was like an arrow that hit my

heart. I loved every moment of our

WSC.

Everything was just perfect from

the speakers, sharings, workshops

and even the food! It was like a Ha

was there to make everything specMoreover, even my bloopers were

meaningful. The organizer who den

our room transfer was a sharer! Sh

shared about growing up in a tiny s

ter devoid of any comfort, and there

was, complaining about our confere

accommodations! Her message ma

me realize how blessed I was.

Contributed by Jean M

CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDA


19/32

My Savior, He can move the

mountains

It took about three hours for me to get

to Bataan. I never liked traveling long

distances. You see, I am motion sick.

I easily get dizzy when I ride a movingvehicle for more than an hour. How-

ever, those three hours were worth it.

As soon as the soles of my slippers

touched the pavement of Bataan, I was

all-smiles. I knew that my ride was not

over yet. I knew that it was simply the

prelude to a longer and happier ride.

Theres no need to watch where Im

going. As long as I know where Ive

been. - Cars

Ive been serving in YFL for less thana year now. I am enjoying this service,

even if my previous service is still in my

heart. They were the reason why it was

hard for me to let the old community

go. I kept on watching out for them. I

was trying to find my old service in the

old community. Sadly though, I had to

face the fact that I cannot stay there

any longer. However, my old service

found me here in YFL. My old service

found me there in Bataan. My old ser-

vice molded me into what I am now.

Men No one knows where to find

them. The wind blows them away.

They have no roots, and that makes

their life very difficult -The Little Prince

I watched people through a live

viewer. For two nights, I was behind

the lens and captured people worship-

ping God in every manner. I guess

if everyone worshiped the same way

those people did, probably no one

would drift away, everyone would be

rooted in God.

Are we there yet? -Shrek

That is probably why we gathered in

Bataan. We had to face the reality that

not everyone is experiencing the joy

we were experiencing. We had to face

LESSONS IN BATAANContributed by Bianca Bonjibod

the fact that a lot of youth out there

drifting away from God. But we mus

never fear. While praying, God af-

firmed me that He is a mighty God.

affirmed me by showing me how fa

the district of Antipolo has grown in

matter of months. He affirmed me tif that could happen to Antipolo, it c

also definitely happen in other area

He is indeed an amazing God.

We are probably far from getting th

A lot of youth are still in need to get

know God. We still have a lot to do

Right now, I am excited for whateve

will happen to YFL Antipolo and for

YFL in general. I am excited becau

know that, no matter what I do, I wo

not be doing it alone. I know I have

lot of brothers and sisters to serve wI also know that my mighty God wil

always and forever be with me.

He is mighty to save, he is migh

save!

EditorialStaff

Frank Padilla, overseer; Nonong Contreras, editor in chie; Mimi David, Mye Menguito, associate editors; MsgMelvin Castro, KD Albino, Anna Arcaya, Ramon Arguelles, Bianca Bonjibod, Bonjie Bonjibod, Tony anRuby Borja, Hazel Cumpas, Denver Bingski Daradar, Santi Edralin, Ben Escano, Kit Ladrido, Ponet LadridKeeshia Marcial, Tinay Mamaril, Jean Mirto, Luis Portugal, Marlyn Surtida, Joseph Tesoro, Christine Yoncontributors; Manny Estrella, Cleone Baradas, graphics/layout artist; Ansel Beluso, editorial consultan

Apartelle 12, Star Mall, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City Tel. No. 718-2213 Fax No. 718-2213 or visit cfcffl.or

UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGRESS UPDATE CONGR


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The Livelihood Ministry (LM), in support of the overall

vangelization program of CFCFFL, has lined up programs

n the parishes (through the Family Ministries) and in the

Restoration and Mission Villages.

The main mission of the ministry is to extend assistance in

ob generation and employment. Its secondary mission is to

elp organize micro/small enterprises to those who wish to

orm group enterprises. The Livelihood Development ProgramLDP) consists of Community Organizing and Evaluation,

Values Enhancement Education, Manpower Pooling and Skills

Training, and Enterprise Development Training and Services.

Currently, discussions are ongoing among Noli Payos, Head

f the LDP Manpower Pooling and Skills Training, Jun Siccion,

member of the LDP Core Group and Head of the Antipolo

City Livelihood and Cooperative Development Group, Honda

Motors Philippines, Inc. and a technical school accredited by

TESDA for a joint training program in motorcycle repair and

maintenance.

This will be a Trainors Training Program. CFCFFL LM wille the Program Coordinator and Facilitator, while Honda

Philippines/Honda Foundation will conduct the on-the job

raining program. The Antipolo City LGU will provide the first

atch of trainees with special preference for CFCFFL members.

Meanwhile, the technical school in Antipolo City will provide

ertification and training facilities. Once the pilot phase of the

program is completed, the parish will be invited to participat

in the program. Graduates of the program will gain not only

employment opportunities with the Honda network of deale

the City of Antipolo Motor Pool, they will also have the chan

to organize a Repair Shop Cooperative to serve the large

tricycle industry in Antipolo and the neighboring areas. Thedraft memorandum of agreement is currently being reviewe

all parties involved in the program. n

So many doors of opportunities opened for the education

ministry of CFCFFL this year. First, we started the year

pursuing our work in ARMM supervising and training teache

among our Muslim brothers and sisters. Second, the Lingko

ng Kapayapaan Foundation (LKF) established by action sta

Robin Padilla, asked for support in the supervision of their

school for Moslem children. This school year, we will help

integrate Catholic children in their school, as well as develo

the curriculum and provide values formation to their Christia

parents.

In the light of this development, we are also continuing our w

in Bataan (Matalangao, Saysain) for early childhood educat

and for the Alternative Learning System for the Indigenous

People (IPs). This is a very good opportunity to start our wo

on inter-religious dialogue with indigenous people.

Meanwhile, we assist the St. Peters Parish in Commonwea

CIAL MINISTRY NEWS SOCIAL MINISTRY NEWS SOCIAL

PROGRAMS LINED UP,

PARTNERSHIPS FORGEDContributed by Ponet Ladrido

Livelihood Ministry Coordinator

LIVELIHOOD MINISTRY

LET THE CHILDREN

COME TO MEContributed by Mimi David

Education Ministry Coordinator

EDUCATION MINISTRY


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Ave. (Diocese of Novaliches), together with Fr. Tony Labiao,

Vicar for Pastoral Formation, and the parish social action

roup, in setting up a library and a childrens center in the

arish grounds. We will eventually have our CFCFFL brethren

n that parish working to support and keep the program running.

With the plan of Fr. Labiao to set up similar centers in the major

arishes of the diocese, our work for family life renewal is very

much in place.

Through our Adopt-A-Public School Program, we have touched

ase with public and private schools, as well as DSWD day

are centers, to conduct formation sessions for the teachers

nd parents. This school year, the IMPACT (Empowerment and

Mentoring Program for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers) will

e conducted for the guidance counselors of public schools

n Quezon City and for our newly-adopted public school, in

artnership with Prudentialife the San Vicente Elementary

School in Quezon City. These formation sessions will

ventually culminate in a CLS for the parents and teachers of

hese schools.

Recently, we offered a Readership Training and Storytelling

Workshop, in coordination with the National Book Developm

Board, which gathered more than 50 parents and other

education volunteers from variousprivate and public schools

and day care centers. We also capped our Headstart Traini

(Early Childhood Education Seminar Workshop) in Tarlac la

May 19-24. The same training will be conducted for the DSWday care workers of Caloocan City in June.

All told, we are looking at over 300 teachers and day care

workers and over 1,000 parents ready for the harvest to hea

the word of God this year.

The CFCFFL Ministry for Restorative Justice (MRJ) recently

concluded its first ever CLS in the Maximum Security

Compound of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. The CL

started with more than 150 participants despite great efforts

exerted to limit the participants to 100. Last May 10, 2008,

our community welcomed 98 new brothers in a fellowship

celebration. Among the graduates were one vice command

one mayor and several others with various titles/positions

their respective brigade or gang.

One very touching sharing came from Hernani Ilan from Da

Camarines Norte. He narrated that he wanted to have her w

Mercy, attend the CLS. Much as she wanted to, she could

not because she was in the province. Given this situation,

Hernani would mail the Participants Handout weekly to Mer

MINISTRY NEWS SOCIAL MINISTRY NEWS SOCIAL MINIS

MAXIMUM

BRETHRENContributed by Ramon Arguelles

Restorative Justice Ministry Coordinator

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE MINISTRY


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NISTRY NEWS SOCIAL MIN

which included his personal notes/sharings about the recent

ession. He also advised her to pray with him daily every

0:00 PM. Later, Mercy shared that she made it a point to

wake up and pray. However, Hernani ran out of funds to mail

he Participants Handout, so he only got to send until Talk 4.

Miracle of miracles, Mercy came all the way from Daet to the

Maximum Security Compound to join her husband Hernani forhe CLS fellowship-celebration!

The service team came from CFCFFL Diocese of Las Pias

nd Paraaque. They were supervised by our Ombudsman,

Bro. Ver Gante and led by Bro. Bert Villa with 22 facilitators.

Further Developments

ast April 17, the Correctional Institute for Women organized a

Restoration Assembly with Frank Padilla as speaker. The team

was headed by Sis. Sandra Cruz.

At present, the Ministry for Restorative Justice is organizing

arious technical working groups to undertake action and

esearch in the following areas:

Ministry for the Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL)

The intervention will not only include ministry to the

child but to the parents as well who are doubly broken.

Ministry for the Victim of Crime While there are

numerous groups that minister to the offender, the victims

are left to fend for themselves to heal the wounds ofcrime. This ministry will attend to the needs of victims.

Post-Release After Care Ministry This will cover

various interventions to mainstream offenders released

from jail or penitentiaries into the community and

prevent them from going back to their old life of crime.

Jail Paralegal Ministry This will involve facilitating the

disposition of cases of detention prisoners and help decongest

the subhuman conditions in the various jail facilities.

f you feel you have a calling or an interest to serve in the

estorative justice ministry, please contact Ramon Arguelles at

the name CFC. The Church considers me the founder

of CFC, and in the ecclesiology of new movements, the

charism resides in the founder. Where the founder is,

there is the charism. Where the charism is, there is the

authentic CFC.

So to all my brothers and sisters in CFC-FFL, if you everhad any doubts at all before, be assured that you are

indeed CFC. The Church and the state, and I believe the

Lord as well, say so.

With regard to our brethren in CFC-GK, we do not intend

to do to them what they have been doing to us. For the

sake of peace and eventual reconciliation, we do not

intend to prevent them from using the name CFC, for

as long as they strive to not let go of what it means to be

truly CFC.

In fact, I reiterate my long-standing and constant

proposal, that of having one big CFC family but withtwo separate and distinct branches. This has many

models among the religious congregations, such as the

Franciscans and the Carmelites. This way, we co-exist

peacefully, and even keep the door open to eventual

reconciliation and true unity.

I extend my hand of peace to my brethren in CFC-GK.

For us in CFC-FFL, let us continue to move on, as we

have been doing. There is much work to be done. Since

last year we have been praying: Lead us back to you, O

Lord, that we may be restored: give us anew such days

as we had of old. (Lam 5:21). The Lord has answered

our prayers. God has restored us to our authentic charis

of evangelization and family life renewal. Now God has

even restored the original CFC foundation. So now we

look to such days of old, when we were focused on

our calling, and when we zealously proclaimed Christ

throughout the world.

Let us praise and thank God for His wondrous deeds in

our lives and in our work. We thank our Blessed Mother

Mary for interceding for us and granting our prayers. Let

us be humbled by Gods faithfulness to us, and continue

to dedicate ourselves totally to Him and to our mission.

And let us continue to rejoice! Always!

God bless us all.

Your brother and co-worker in Christ,

Frank Padilla

From the Servant General . . . from page 1


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RE ST O RI N G T H E PH I L I PPI N E S!SAMAR

A very fruitful, spirit-filled Restoration Assembly was held

n Laoang, Northern Samar on May 24. There were about

0 couples, 20 YFL and SFLs who attended. The next day,

ogether with the leaders of CFCFFL Western Samar, we

roceeded to the town of Motiong, 20 km from Catbalogan,

where we had a Prayer Assembly . We were surprised to bewelcomed by around 300 members. There were CFC, SFL,

YFL, and KFL who attended, most of whom were the new

members who graduated from two recent CLSs and two

outh camps. It was heartwarming and so inspiring to witness

his harvest in such a small town as Motiong. We are also

lanning a Restoration Assembly on the 1st weekend of July

n Borongan, Eastern Samar.

Contributed by Benjie Gadi

Regional Coordinator for Middle East

and Samar Provincial Area Head

MAASIN, LEYTEMsgr. Luzon, Vicar General of the Diocese of Maasin, joined

he fellowship night of the CFCFFL members and leaders

n Maasin recently. He blessed them and advised each one

o proceed vigorously with the Christian Life Seminar in the

arishes. The Diocese gave its full support. The group is

piritually ready for the mission ahead. They regularly spend

wo hours in adoration to the Blessed Sacrament, aside from

he daily mass, communion, and praying of the Rosary.

Contributed by Ben Escano

BILIRANThe only province that is 100% CFCFFL. They decided

n their own, after monitoring developments in Manila,

iscussing the issues, praying and discerning. Bishop Bactol

aid that what Biliran decided on was what he was praying

or! His priests were happy with the CFCFFL parish thrust.

There were 250 participants, including 6 from Maasin,

Southern Leyte, during the Joy Weekend.

PALO, LEYTEArchbishop Palma declared that CFCFFL is welcome in his

rchdiocese. He said he will tell all his priests to do likewise.n a meeting with Msgr Aguilos, parish priest based in the

athedral, and Fr. Mannix, BEC head, the CFCFFL mission

eam gave an upadate regarding our parish thrust, our

upport for BEC, and the importance of Mother Mary to our

ommunity. They were open to our proposal to start building

ur parish-based Restoration Villages.

After attending the high mass with the archbishop, three

ishops, 60 priests and 80 nuns, the CFCFFL team

roceeded with the Restoration Assembly. One chapter

f Tacloban is 98 percent CFCFFL. They harvested 30

ouples, 50 youth and many kids. There were 40 persons in

the assembly. The Q&A was very informative and fruitful. It

noteworthy that our brethren from Catbalogan, Biliran, Lao-

San Jose (Tacloban), all decided to be CFCFFL.

BATANGASThe Restoration Assembly filled the church with about 500

people.

MASBATEBishop Joel Bailon, Head of the Episcopal Commission on

Youth, said he recognizes two CFCs. He added that his

commission is working on the recognition of CFC Youth for

Family and Life and CFC Singles for Family and Life.

It was in Cataingan that CFC started in Masbate. Almost th

whole CFC is now solid CFCFFL. The Restoration Assemb

gathered 200 brethren who came from eight municipalities.

The mission team also visited an LGU-donated site for a

Restoration Village. They later met with Fr. Biong Espenilla

Head of the Diocesan Family and Life Office. After explaininthat the Restoration Village is now parish-based, he expres

his whole-hearted support.

BATANESFrank Padilla and Jess Lumbang were warmly welcomed by

Bishop Gregorio. Jess had served CFC Batanes for 13 yea

Meanwhile, Fr. Zenki asserted that it is spiritual corruption i

a change is made without the knowledge or approval of the

founder. Jess related what was new in CFCFFL and mentio

our consecration to Mama Mary. Fr. Zenki said that becaus

Mary, he is for CFCFFL! He said to count him in as among t

priests supporting CFCFFL.

We also met Fr. Wilfred, parish priest of Ivana, the second t

from Basco. He was with the Society of the Holy Family. He

invited CFCFFL to revive CFC there. We were more inspire

Likewise, Mahatao (first town from Basco) parish priest Fr.

Bridge, who is also an SHF priest, wants us to start CFCFF

there. So the plan is for CFCFFL to start in these places soo

Frank and Jess were also interviewed in Radyo ng Bayan. T

anchor person was an inactive CFC member. He appreciate

CFCFFL.


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EUROPE

Our 2008 Spring Euro mission trip was the most hectic and

hysically exhausting mission after visiting 16 cities. Spiritually,

was the most exhilarating, inspiring and exciting mission!

The presence and the power of the Holy Spirit was undeniably

elt and experienced during the CLSs conducted by theifferent areas, some as early as November of last year. In

ther areas, they have finished their second CLS. More

articipants attend the CLS now compared to the CLPs before

he split. The service teams make the participants feel the

ove and joy in the community like in the early years of CFC.

Even assemblies and teachings have doubled if not tripled in

ttendance. Worships are more intense and the presence of

he Holy Spirit is felt. There is the spirit of one big family in the

ommunity and there is more zeal for evangelization.

n cities like Vienna, Geneva, Oslo and Copenhagen, leaders

nd members alike have been empowered to go out on

mission. CFCFFL was brought to many provinces in Austria,Denmark and Norway. Geneva brethrens are now actively

erving in France as their mission area. They have conducted

CLSs and given different teachings in Cannes/Nice, Paris

nd Marseille. The first CLS conducted in Marseille yielded

3 new members. The same is true in Paris, where CFCFFL

tarted with one couple, a true remnant raised by the Lord.

Paris now has more than 50 members. In Milan, with the initial

3 remnant members, they now have 55 members in just four

months. Interestingly, Fr. Benny, the Danish parish priest in

Ebsjerg, Denmark, adopted CFCFFL in his parish as part of

heir family and life ministry. He invited parishioners to the

CLS and gathered nine participants of different nationalities

including Malaysians, Ukranians, Iraqis, Danish, Vietnames

and others.

We were happily surprised with Germany. Although it was

divided, those who opted to go with CFCFFL were those fai

in household meetings, teachings, assemblies and conferen

attendance. By Gods grace, tithes and contributions were

affected. There is more peace and joy in the community an

renewed zeal for mission, especially in Hamburg.

Not to be outdone are the youth. In Barcelona, where CFC

started with two couples, the 1st YFL camp had 38 youth

participants from different organizations in the parish. In

Turin, Italy, when they conducted their first youth camp with

the support of the parish priest, they had more than 75 yout

participants. It has become very clear that God is workingpowerfully in the very few areas where CFCFFL members a

in the minority. By His grace, they are equipped with courag

and love for God and community that they are able to move

in spite of the obstacles and persecutions they experience.

Now everyone is excitedly anticipating the forthcoming YFL

Euro Conference in Slovenia and the SFL Euro Conference

Norway. Both events are to be held this July. Also, the bac

to-back conferences of CFC/SoFL/HFL/KFL are to be held i

Vienna, Austria this August.

The pervading mood now in CFCFFL Europe is love, peace

RESTORING


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nd joy. Truly the Spirit is working marvelously in and through

ur community. We have not seen this happen since we first

tarted mission in the region in 1995. As long as we are faithful

o God and remain humble with all the blessings He showers

pon us, He will anoint us and crown with success the work of

ur hands.Contributed by Tony & Ruby Borja

Regional Coordinator for Europe

RHODE ISLAND

God has really been good as He allowed us to successfullyold the 1st Family Assembly in Rhode Island. The guidance

f the Holy Spirit had assured us of His powerful presence

n our midst that day. We know that it was a blessed one as

he forecasted 3-6 inches of snow did not materialize in the

morning and thus made our travel better and safer.

The great support we received from the CFCFFL NY and NJ

eadership was very much appreciated, and the welcoming

warmth of our dear brothers and sisters from CFCFFL Rhode

sland made the mission even more fulfilling.

oe de Leon, CFCFFL NE Regional Director and member of

he US Council, presented our new thrust and our work forustice and why we should always Fix Our Eyes on Jesus. Ed

Yamba, NJ Area Council Director and NY Area Head, led the

owerful and inspiring worship and rocked the venue with his

wesome style. Dr. Pete Dinglasan, NE Region YFC Director,

eiterated the importance of our Youth and Kids in our CFCFFL

ommunity. Noni Vale, NE Region SvFL Director, does not

mind the very few members in his ministry as long as every

ouple in CFCFFL is happy. Half-jokingly, he also proposedo hold a separate SvFL conference this year regardless of

he number of possible attendees. Jun Felix, NE Region SFL

Director, highlighted the importance of our Singles role in

he community as the future CFCs. Melchor Lingat, NY KFL

Coordinator, anounced formally the KFL NE Coast Conference

o be held in New York on June 27-29, 2008.

CFC-SFL Leaders led by Jojo Monsanto, Jing of Atlantic City,

nd Paolo Quiray and SFLers from NY/NJ provided the music

t the FA and ably supported us. The presence of Amee Red

rom Long Island has given us much inspiration and moral

upport. Father Cyriac, priest-in-charge of the La Sallite Shrine

Retreat Center in Attlebore, MA welcomed us with open arms

nd officiated the anticipated mass after the FA. His homilypened our eyes and made us see the big picture. He

xpress the hope to see the growth of CFCFFL in RI and MA

reas.

The CFCFFL RI Leadership was also officially announced that

ay, with the following anointed and appointed RI Leaders:

Carlo and Merl Samson, Evangelization and Mission Director;

Alwyn and Carol Cerezo, Pastoral Office Director; Glen and

Myra de la Rosa, Social Ministry/Pro-Life/Flame; Ryan and

orie Monte de Ramos, Family Ministry.

Contributed by Ronnie and Haide

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

A CLS in Al Ain was concluded recently and participants are

now being integrated to existing households and will underg

their Covenant Recollection. A total of 10 individuals made

through - 1 CFL, 2 SvFL, 5 HFL, 1 SFL. May 9 marked the

of the CLS in Sharjah for Dubai/Sharjah participants.

Not including the new members from Al Ain, CFCFFL UAE

Membership is: 52 (26 couples) CFL, 3 SvL, 4 HFL, 10 KFL

YFL, 6 SFL fr a total of 85 member.Contributed by Luis Port

CFCFFL

NICARAGUA

Nicaragua has 57 new members of Jvenes Para Cristo! Th

is our biggest number of participants todate! The camp was

powerful! Praise God! God was really with us!

Being missionaries for families here in Nicaragua for almos

year now has been filled with ups and downs. I was disorien

at first because this country has suffered so much from atta

on the family such as divorce, rising incidence of broken

families and a culture of indifference. Thus, preaching to the

about family is very difficult.

However, the mission must go on in order to spread love

THE WORLD!


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nd save families!. In our recent PVC (CLS), we were able

o harvest 10 Couples and 14 Siervas (Handmaids). It was

ur f

Documents

STT Magazine (Issue 2, 2008 June)