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There is a very urgent need in the Church today* for catechists and religion teachers. We have about 1.3 million children and youth studying in our 529 public schools in Metro Manila. There are only 521 catechists to attend to their spiritual hunger. If that is not an urgent need, I do not know how to call it. This is practically a state of emergency as far as spiritual life, and moral education is concerned.

Our economy is growing. According to government reports, the inflation rate has dramatically gone down and has shown a great deal of resiliency even to external factors. Hopefully, the peace process in Mindanao made a great breakthrough with the signing of the agreement between the MNLF and the Philippine government. Peace will mean a more stable nation. A more stable nation will mean more jobs. But is the moral life of the youth growing with their material life? We are running the risk of having a nation of professionals with masters and doctoral degrees but are kindergarten kids regarding morality and spiritual life.

We indeed have priests and religious sisters and brothers serving our Catholic schools, but the more significant majority of the country’s future are studying in our public schools, deprived of religious instruction because they have no one to teach them.

We can achieve greater progress if our children and youth are morally formed and spiritually rooted. Our youth deserve a holistic formation. We need more catechists. Catechists are teachers of Christ. They are lay men and women who belong to Christ. It is Christ who owns them. Their origin is Christ. The mission of a catechist is to teach not only doctrine but the Christian life. Christianity is not simply a set of doctrines to be memorized or prescribed prayers to be recited. Christianity is the way of life that Jesus commanded us to live. The stage on which the drama of Christianity is to be played is not the intellect but the soul. Catechists are teachers of Christ. They are Christ-sent. They are Christ-rooted.

Catechists are teachers of Christ on another level. They are teachers of “other Christs.” The other Christs” are the 1.3 million children thirsting for the meaning of life, hungering for the living Word. These children are hungry. They long not only for the food that goes to the stomach but also for the food of life. They have no food for the souls. Whatever we do to these least of our brothers and sisters, we do to them. Catechists are teachers of these “other Christs.” Paraphrasing a great Filipino statesman and patriot, those who have less in life should have more in the things of God. The affluent can go to the private Catholic schools and receive food for the spirit. The poor should get the same food for their souls. When we fail to feed their souls, it is Christ who suffers and hungers and thirsts. I was struck that among those who ask us to prepare them for weddings in the Church, many do not know the commandments, do not appreciate the beauty of Christ’s sacraments and have lived amoral lives because they had nobody to teach them. These incidents will increase in the years ahead unless we attend to the emergency need of our 1.3 million pupils guided by only 521 catechists. This is a nightmare!

Catechists are not only teachers of Christ, according to the two meanings I had just explained. Catechists are actually “Christs” for us. They give themselves to the poor children as Christ did. The children believe their catechists because their lives are living testimonies of what they teach. They feed, nourish, sacrifice, and are willing to lay down their lives for their pupils. They receive only a meager allowance to help pay for their transportation and meals. They are underpaid and overworked, and yet they continue laboring in the vineyard of the Lord selflessly, uncomplaining, and heroically. They are Christ for all of us. We see in them the love, zest, and generosity of Jesus Himself.

We have so few of them. It is understandable from the human point of view. Theirs is not a job for pay. Theirs is a task of service. Their reward does not go to their pockets or to their bank accounts. Their pay goes directly to their hearts. All catechists have big hearts. Those hearts are almost as big as the heart of Christ. Their task is to make more hearts like that of Jesus. Isn’t that the best work anybody can ever do?

TEACHERS OF CHRIST
Jesus Our Light

*Year 1997

Pagkakaibigan, pinakamabisang daan ng bokasyon-Cardinal Tagle

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Iginiit ni Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-prefect ng Dicastery for Evangelization, na ang pagkakaibigan ang isa sa pinakamabisang daan ng bokasyon, sapagkat sa pamamagitan ng mga tunay na ugnayan nagiging buhay at konkretong karanasan ang pagkilala kay Hesus at ang pagtugon sa tawag ng Diyos.

Tinalakay ito ni Cardinal Tagle sa isinagawang Heart to Heart Talk sa unang araw ng 12th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE XII) 2026 sa University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion, kung saan ibinahagi nina Sr. Mary Joannie Bolisay ng Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres (SPC) at Fr. Dean Jerome Cruz ng Diocese of Cabanatuan ang mga pagkakaibigang naging bahagi ng kanilang paglalakbay tungo sa buhay relihiyoso at pagpapari.

Binigyang-diin ni Cardinal Tagle na bagama’t mahalaga ang mga vocation promotion materials tulad ng posters, videos, short stories at seminars, mas nagiging makapangyarihan ang personal na ugnayan at buhay na patotoo ng mga taong nagpapakita ng kasiyahan sa paglilingkod sa Diyos.

“While we appreciate the use of film, mga short stories na nakikita natin sa TV, yung mga posters announcing a diocese, a seminary, a religious order, they’re all good for giving information. But we should not discount the role of friendship in making the face of Jesus, the face of the Church, real to people,” pahayag ni Cardinal Tagle.

Ibinahagi ni Sr. Bolisay na ang kanyang pagtugon sa bokasyon ay unti-unting nahubog sa pakikipagkaibigan niya sa mga seminarista ng Maria Asunta Seminary noong siya ay youth coordinator ng Diocese of Cabanatuan.

Ayon sa madre, ang masayang samahan at dedikasyon ng mga seminarista sa paglilingkod ang naging inspirasyon upang makita niya ang kagandahan ng buhay relihiyoso.

“Iyong joyful disposition ng mga seminarians, ‘yun po ‘yung isa sa mga nakahikayat sa akin na pwede naman palang subukan. At sila din po ‘yung nagpakilala sa akin ng congregation kung saan po ako papasok,” ayon kay Sr. Bolisay.

Samantala, ibinahagi naman ni Fr. Cruz na ang kanyang bokasyon bilang pari ay nagsimula rin sa pag-anyaya at paggabay ng mga kaibigang altar server at youth ministers noong siya ay nasa high school.

Binigyang-diin ng pari na mahalaga ang pagkakaroon ng mabubuting kaibigan maging sa patuloy na buhay-paglilingkod, lalo na sa panahon ng mga pagsubok at panghihina ng loob sa ministeryo.

“Truth and charity, magkakambal po ‘yan para sa growing relationship. You have to be truthful and of course you have to be charitable in expressing the truth para po balanse. Kasi kapag truth lang po, baka po masaktan kung walang charity. Pero kung charity lang, baka puro compromise naman po at wala pong truth. Baka po fake friendship na po ‘yun,” saad ni Fr. Cruz.

Sa pagtatapos ng talakayan, hinikayat ni Cardinal Tagle ang mga mananampalataya na huwag matakot makipagkaibigan at maging saksi ng pag-ibig ni Kristo, dahil ang mga ugnayang binubuo ngayon ay maaaring maging binhi ng mga bokasyon sa hinaharap.

“The seeds of friendship that you sow now will be the harvest of vocation in the future,” ayon kay Cardinal Tagle.

Tema ng PCNE XII ang “Sangkay: I have called you Friends (John 15:15),” na naglalayong palalimin ang diwa ng pagkakaibigan bilang daan tungo sa pagbabagong-loob sa misyon at sa pagbuo ng isang higit na sinodal na Simbahang Katolika sa Pilipinas.

Pag-ibig, pundasyon ng tunay pakikipagkaibigan

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Binigyan-diin ng Prior Provincial ng Dominican Province of the Philippines Father Filemon Dela Cruz Jr., O.P – , ang ‘pag-ibig’ bilang pundasyon ng tunay na pakikipagkaibigan at matatag na ugnayan ng bawat mananampalataya sa kaniyang mensahe para sa 12th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE) sa University of Santo Tomas.

Ito ay sa kaniyang pagninilay sa session ng “Confessio Peccati et Laudis: Healing and Nurturing Relationships,” na nakatuon sa pagpapanumbalik at pagpapatibay ng mga ugnayan.

Ayon kay Fr. dela Cruz, ang tunay na pagkakaibigan ay nakaugat sa pag-ibig na nag-uudyok sa tao na pahalagahan, ingatan, at alagaan ang kapwa.

Iginiit niyang ang pagmamahal ay hindi lamang damdamin kundi isang desisyon na kilalanin ang dignidad at kahalagahan ng bawat tao, na siyang nagpapatatag sa mga ugnayang humuhubog sa pamayanan ng pananampalataya.

“Friendship is friendship in love, kaya kapag ika’y nagmahal, iingatan mo ang halaga ng isang tao pinapahalagahan mo ang taong yan, kaya mahal kita l, mahalaga ka sakin,” ayon sa pagninilay ni Fr.Dela Cruz

Binigyang-diin din ng pari na ang pagpapahalaga sa kapwa ay nagiging daan upang mapagaling ang mga nasirang relasyon at makabuo ng mga pamayanang nagkakaisa sa diwa ng pakikinig, pag-unawa, at pagmamalasakit. dahil ang tunay na pagkakaibigan ay naipapakita sa konkretong pag-aaruga at patuloy na pag-akay sa isa’t isa tungo sa pag-ibig ni Kristo.

Kaugnay nito, umaasa si Fr. dela Cruz na magsisilbing inspirasyon ang PCNE 2026 upang higit pang mapalalim ang kultura ng pagkakaibigan at pagmamahalan sa loob ng Simbahan, kasabay ng paghahanda ng mga mananampalataya para sa Evangelization 2033, sa pamamagitan ng paghubog ng mga disipulong handang magmahal, maglingkod, at maghatid ng pag-asa sa kapwa.

Pagkakaibigan, mahalagang pundasyon ng sama-samang misyon sa pagpapalaganap ng ebanghelyo- Papal Nuncio sa mananampalataya

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Binigyang-diin ni Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown na ang tunay na pagkakaibigan na nakaugat kay Hesukristo ang mahalagang pundasyon ng sama-samang misyon ng Simbahan sa pagpapalaganap ng Ebanghelyo.

Sa kanyang mensahe para sa 12th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE XII), sinabi ng kinatawan ng Santo Papa sa Pilipinas na ang pagkakaibigan ay isa sa pinakadakilang kaloob ng Diyos sa tao, kasunod lamang ng mismong buhay, sapagkat ito ang nagpapatatag sa mga pamayanan at nagbibigay ng tunay na kagalakan at pag-asa.

Ipinaliwanag din ni Archbishop Brown na ang tunay na pagkakaibigan ay hindi nakabatay sa pakinabang o pansariling interes kundi sa kalayaan, kabutihang-loob, at tapat na pagmamahal sa kapwa.

“Friendship is truly one of life’s greatest treasures, next only to the gift of life itself. Even wealth without friends feels empty when compared to the joy of good friendship. Friendship strengthens communities and transforms ordinary connections into lasting happiness. Without it, life becomes incomplete and burdensome. This is not merely because we are social beings, but because friendship is a vital bond rooted in freedom, generosity, and goodwill. Friendship is more than duty or utility.” Bahagi ng pahayag ni Archbishop Brown.

Binigyang-diin din nito ang turo ni San Agustin na ang tunay na kaibigan ay nananatiling tapat sa anumang kalagayan ng buhay.

Ayon kay Archbishop Brown, ang pagkakaibigan ay higit pang nagiging ganap sa pananampalatayang Kristiyano sapagkat ito ay nagiging pakikipagkaisa kay Kristo na humahamon sa mga mananampalataya na sama-samang maglingkod, ipagtanggol ang pananampalataya, at pangalagaan ang pagkakaisa ng Simbahan.

“In our mission as Christians, friendship means communion in Christ. Together we strive for the faith, resist false teachings, and guard against discord,” Dagdag pa ni Archbishop Brown.

Ipinaalala rin ng kinatawan ng Santo Papa na ang sukdulang larawan ng pagkakaibigan ay ipinakita mismo ni Hesus sa pamamagitan ng Kanyang pag-aalay ng buhay para sa Kanyang mga kaibigan.

Kasabay nito ay binati ni Archbishop Brown si Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, ang mga obispo, pari, mga nakatalaga sa buhay-relihiyoso, layko, at lalo na ang mga kabataang kalahok sa kumperensya, at hinikayat ang lahat na patuloy na isabuhay ang diwa ng pagkakaibigang nagmumula kay Kristo bilang daan sa masiglang misyon ng ebanghelisasyon.

Isinagawa ang 12th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE XII) noong Hulyo 24 hanggang 26, 2026 sa University of Santo Tomas sa Maynila na may temang “Sangkay: I Have Called You Friends” (Jn. 15:15), na naglalayong palalimin ang pakikipagkaibigan kay Hesus at paigtingin ang pakikibahagi ng bawat mananampalataya sa misyon ng Simbahan.

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