LAIKO spearheads the annual celebration of the National Laity Week from September 22– 29, 2018. This coincides with the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz our first Filipino lay saint . The week-long celebration is oriented towards lay empowerment and will highlight the critical role of the lay faithful in collaboration with the Clergy and Consecrated Persons in the building of the Church and in the transformation of present day Philippine society.
The 2018 National Laity Week echoes the celebration defined by the CBCP for 2018 – Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons and adopted the theme: “The Laity in Solidarity with the Clergy and Con-secrated Persons towards Social Transformation”.
The celebration aims to:
- Accompany the Clergy, Consecrated Persons and Laity in their journey towards the integral renewal of their values, mind-sets, behavior and lifestyles relevant to our times.
- Emphasize the indispensable role of collaboration between the laity, clergy and consecrated persons in building up the Kingdom of God.
- Celebrate together the common and ministerial priesthood as unique gifts bestowed to each & everyone as children of the Father.
The Diocesan Councils of the Laity, the Diocesan Pastoral Council and National Lay Organizations, in collaboration with their Bishops shall organize a Laity Week Celebration Steering Committee in their respective dioceses down to parish level. Programs should put emphasis on the theme.
Announcements shall be made during Church celebrations, meetings, through newsletters, tri-media and other means to ensure total awareness and participation of parishioners and members. Impact activities to usher this cele-bration may be through parade of local bands, motorcades, buntings and ban-ners around the Church. Closing ceremonies may be capped with fellowships, potluck meals, soup kitchens, medical missions, recognition awards and other social work activities.
Proposed Activities
- Sponsorship of daily Masses during the Laity Week by different lay organizations and allow them to give brief talks about their organization particularly their collaboration with the clergy and consecrated person ;
- Setting up of mini-libraries in the parishes that contain literature availa-ble for research or study on various Church documents particularly those dealing with the vocation and mission of the clergy, religious and the laity.
- Setting of booths by different Religious Congregations and Church mandated organizations in the parishes that contain literature about their organizations;
- Homilies of Priests shall give emphasis on the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons
- Parish Renewal Seminars;
- Blessing of the images of San Lorenzo Ruiz and/or San Pedro Calungsod; and
- Singing the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons hymn and San Lorenzo Ruiz and/or San Pedro Calungsod hymns.
Jesus In Communion With The Father
“Fully aware that he comes from the Father…”(Jn 13:3) – Jesus never lost that unity with his heavenly Father while he lived on earth. His communion and intima-cy with the Father moved him to reach out to sinners and needy. It was the source of the impact of his words and the effectiveness of his miraculous deeds. (cf. Jn 6:38. 46; Jn 8:19, 29)
As Lay, Clergy and Consecrated persons, we are invited to share in this “communion” and “intimate relationship” between Jesus and the Father. The Cler-gy and Consecrated Persons are united with Christ in the Proclamation of the Word, in the celebration of the Sacraments, and in their Spiritual Leadership. That is why they are called “alagad ng Diyos,” men and women “of God” or even more accurately, “servants of God.” It is through their very ministry of sanctification that they too are sanctified (cf. CCC, 1534)
But at times, they seem far from God and from following his will. Some get entan-gled in their concern for material possessions, in their need for pleasures and in their desire for power. Instead of becoming servant-leaders of communion they may even lead us to confusion and disharmony. Let us pray that we may remain ever closely united to Jesus as he is in constant communion with the Father! We pray that all the Clergy and Consecrated Persons continue to abide in Jesus and become perfect disciples of the Lord for the New Evangelization. (cf St. John Paul II, Pastores DaboVobis III, 26)
CBCP Pastoral Exhortation on 2018 Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons
Sorsogon Diocese holds Diocesan Congress: Council of the laity of Sorsogon September 22, 2018, at Our Lady of Penafrancia Minor Seminary Auditorium, Bibincahan, Sorsogon City. It’s theme: Council of the Laity (COL) and the Lay Organizations Movements and Association (LOMAS) called to Communion and Collaboration with the Clergy and Consecrated in the New Evangelization.