‘Let my salvation reach to the ends of the earth’
Credit to Author: Ricardo Saludo| Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2020 17:16:22 +0000
It is too little, the Lord says, for your to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
– The Book of Isaiah, 49:6
It started with integrating the faith and will end with sharing the faith. In 2013, the nine-year preparation for the 500th anniversary of Christianity’s arrival in the country began with the theme “Integral Faith Formation,” which sought to integrate doctrines with personal and community life, going beyond believing in God to bringing Him into our life, soul and community, and living the faith.
Then followed years highlighting the laity (2014), the poor (2015), the Eucharist and the family (2016), the parish (2017), clergy and religious (2018), and the youth (2019). The final two themes are appropriately focused on bringing Christ to people outside the Church: ecumenism and interreligious dialogue this year, and “missio ad gentes” (mission to the nations) in 2021, the quincentennial year.
So, what’s in all that for you? Are these themes just for religious leaders and devout parishioners, or should it matter even to ordinary believers and even to non-believers?
Taking it from today’s Mass readings, what’s in it for you and everyone else is plain: the deep and lasting presence of God in our being, life and world.
This primal need is surely more real and heartfelt today, with the lava and ash spewing from Taal Volcano, and the threat of even more destruction and disruption if fears of an immensely more powerful eruption come true, perhaps going even beyond the island to its surrounding lake. Even those who never cared much for God in their life now wish He would come in and protect it.
God is not an ATM
Well, that’s not how the divine works. As one devout believer with a lifetime of deep, daily, personal interaction with Him puts it, “God is not an ATM.” We don’t go to Him only when we need resources, rescue or relief. Rather, we must constantly build and enrich His presence in our life and being, praying and listening to Him and His Word, obeying and fulfilling His will, and showing compassion and service toward our fellow human beings, especially those in need.
That perspective animates the 2013-2021 yearly themes decreed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP): integrating faith in our life, being and community; bonding with one another, including oft-neglected sectors like the poor and the youth; joining minds, hearts and hands with those consecrated to God’s service and mission; and reaching out to bring the saving love and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ among those outside our faith and our nation.
Today’s Sunday Mass readings impart the same message of faith integration and outreach.
The above-quoted verse from the Prophet Isaiah foretells of the Messiah bringing salvation not just to His Chosen People Israel, but all the nations.
The responsorial Psalm 40 extols doing God’s will, and St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians declares that we are “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And both the Alleluia verse and the Gospel reading speak of humanity’s destiny to become children of God as John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle’s prayer over Taal likewise brings together faith in God and love for others. His Eminence did not just plead for us to be spared from the feared more powerful eruption. He also called on our Lord to lead Filipinos toward solidarity, compassion, and caring for fellowmen and nature.
Dialogue in faith toward one God
The Taal calamity should lead all of us not only to turn to God in faith, but also join hands with others, even those outside the Church, as this year’s ecumenism and interreligious dialogue theme envisions. In fact, even before the eruption, all Filipinos of faith have faced challenges to our respective religions, which should foster solidarity under and toward the Almighty.
The modern world’s godless materialism, the assault on family values by the global contraception lobby, the self-centered drive for greater and greater wealth amid widespread poverty and environmental degradation, the escalating arms race and war threats, the explosion in drugs and lawlessness — these and other ills undermining spirituality and morality assault all creeds, which must unite to defend faith.
This solidarity in faith inspires the ecumenical movement toward Christian unity among various sects, and this common religious heritage should get an added boost this National Bible Month. Reading, studying and sharing of Scripture are central to Protestant denominations, and their institutes built much of modern Biblical scholarship for centuries when Catholicism was averse to it.
Today, there is much common purpose and endeavor between Catholics and Protestants, and this common drive for Scripture learning offers a major area of collaboration and mutual enrichment in our search for God’s truth and will as expressed in the Bible. And the indispensable approach is for each side to learn from the other, not show up one another in competition.
With diocesan and parish approval, Bible study sessions with Protestants could be a staple ecumenical activity, particularly during the major seasons observed by all Christians: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week and Easter. Such Scripture sharing would deepen understanding not only of the Bible, but also between Catholics and our sisters and brothers in the Christian faith.
Calamity, poverty, injustice and environmental degradation can also be areas of collaboration among Christian denominations, and between the Catholic Church and non-Christian religions. In rescuing disaster victims and delivering relief, there should be special efforts to ensure that need, not creed, is the only criterion for aid. Indeed, it should not be disdained if most people needing and getting help are non-Catholics.
That’s the very approach of the Daughters of Charity nuns in the Mindanao areas where Muslims comprise more than four-fifths of the population. At their high school, where 60 percent of the 350-plus students adore Allah, the sisters instituted policies affirming respect for all faiths while advancing spirituality and values:
The key Christian and Muslim teachings are integrated in values education subjects, while religion classes are separate. Cocurricular activities bring all faiths together, with both Christian and Muslim feasts celebrated. Outreach to Muslim families is undertaken through the parents councils as well as regular family visits.
In sum, the light of God is spread and shared through activities that enhance understanding, cooperation, respect, charity and faith.
The very ideals we need now in the face of calamity, violence, lawlessness, oppression and poverty. So help us God.