Week 12 – March 17-23, 2019: Sub-Topic 12: Building a Church that is truly a faith-community immersed in the lives of her people
During the celebration of the “Year of the Parish as a Communion of Communities,” the Philippines Bishops note that “we are challenged to more deeply discern not only the structures of governance of our dioceses and parishes but also of the quality of faith life in the parish, the fellowship, belongingness, and participation experienced by its members.” We must constantly focus on “the building of a parish that is truly a faith community immersed in the lives of its people.”
In the Philippines, the vision of the Church as communion is today “finding expression in one ecclesial movement that is the movement to foster Basic Ecclesial Communities” (PCP-II 137). “Usually emerging at the grassroots, Basic Ecclesial Communities consciously strive to integrate their faith and their daily life. They are guided and encouraged by regular catechesis. Poverty and their faith urge their members towards solidarity with one another, action for justice, and towards a vibrant celebration of life in the liturgy” (PCP-II 139). We ask: “How can we all work at renewing our parish communities to better manifest Christ”?
One concrete way of fostering community in our parishes is to turn to our Mother, the Blessed Virgin. Year 2017 was the centennial year of the apparition of Our Lady to three children in Fatima. Our Bishops asserted that “the message of Fatima still rings clearly and strongly for us. If we dream of Church renewal, let us return to prayer, let us receive her Son in Holy Communion and let us offer reparation for our sin.” By these means, we can “pursue the dream to make every parish community a family of families and a communion of communities.”
Word of God
First Reading: GN 15:5-12, 17-18
The Lord God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness (V 5-6).
Res. Ps.: PS 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek. Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant. You are my helper: cast me not off (V 8-9).
Second Reading: PHIL 3:17—4:1
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us. For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ (V 17-18).
Gospel: LK 9:28B-36
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying (V 33).
Values/Attitude
Mission Solidarity Communion
Other-centered Steward United
Doctrine
God created the world for the sake of communion with his divine life, a communion brought about by the “convocation” of men in Christ, and this “convocation” is the Church (CCC 760).
Moral
PCP II calls for renewal as a “Church of the Poor” (cf. PCP II 125-36), courageously addressing the causes and conditions of poverty and social injustice (cf. PCP II 165, 247-49, 256-61, 290-329).
Worship
The Church is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ’s Body (CCC 752). Prayer and an active sacramental life are the necessary means not only for clarifying the Christian vision, but especially for motivating responsible moral decisions and acts. (CFC 844).