God's family

So much good is coming out of the International Eucharistic Congress now taking place in Cebu City, Philippines. Whether these are messages, testimonies, photos and so on, one clearly gets this important message emanating from this global event: we are all united as God's own family!

We experienced that sense of being one big family of God when we visited Our Lady of Lourdes in France. People from all over the world came to pray and worship.

There was so much sharing and goodness passed around and forward in the area. The prayers, the songs, the worship were so beautiful; one did not want to leave the heavenly place at all!

Many of those participating in this year's IEC must be experiencing this euphoric blessing of being in God's midst, of feeling God's presence, together with the rest of God's family! That is what the Eucharist wants us to remember: God is with us and we are all with Him and with each other in the Eucharist!

Our strong love for God as a people is also our treasure that we are sharing among ourselves and with the rest of the world. Our migrants are spreading our Filipino brand of care and concern with those they serve in their work all throughout the world. Imperfect humans as we all are, there is still so much left for us to do, individually and collectively, to translate that strong love for God to take care of our very own, within our midst, within our country.

It is our mission to take care first of our very own, to share bread and wine with the poor and hungry, to help however we can, wherever we are, to lighten the heavy burden of others, to follow God's words to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.

Oh, that God may appoint leaders in the next election who will lead our people and our country to showcase in actual practice how we take best care of our own people, especially our own poor, through sufficient food, safe, comfortable homes, dignified work, bayanihan at work as our expression of love for God and our neighbors.

Oh, that God may touch the heart of each and every Filipino to do their share to uplift the lives of our very own people. Oh, if helping even just one Filipino in need becomes the mission of each Filipino, what a wonderful country this will be, what a truly beautiful, united family we will be!

"Do this in memory of me." The Eucharist reminds us to remember, to celebrate, to believe, that God loves us always. He loved us so much He gave us His only Son. Jesus Christ loved us so much , He gave us His Body and Blood and sent the Holy Spirit so God will always be present in our lives.

God wants us, beyond remembering to DO the same, to accept God's love, and, to share that love with others, just as Christ shared God's love with all, that by His cross, we shall all be with God again, as one big family!

We do not have riches to share with the world but our love for our family and our love for God. May we continue as a people to cherish our moments with the family: finding time to have reunions with the rest of the clan during the year so that the sense and love of family will be transmitted from one generation to another, sharing meals together, laughing and crying together, praying together, united in love together, through bad and good times.

May we continue together with our families, with our Filipino people, with everyone throughout the world to bond together and share the best treasure ever: God and His love, amen!

May this global family of God now gathered in Cebu also find the time for more meaningful reunions like this year's IEC, offering worship and thanksgiving to the Lord, praying for peace and unity throughout the world, sharing love with one another and with all, as God's one, big blessed family!