WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN

DENY MYSELF, TAKE UP MY CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM

A Christian is charitable, compassionate, humble, honest, righteous, reverent, industrious, inspiring, selfless, servant-hearted, truth-seeking, thankful, immaculate, innocent, affectionate, noble, nurturing. As a Catholic Christian, I do not possess all these qualities.

Foundation of Faith Having been raised in a “traditional” Catholic family, I practiced what most Filipino Catholics do: attend Mass with family on Sundays and holy days, pray the rosary, avail of the sacrament of confession especially during Lent, abstain from eating meat at least on Ash Wednesdays and Good Fridays and the likes. I studied high school at Sta. Teresa College in Bauan, Batangas. There, I learned more about the Catholic faith. At a young age, I began to appreciate the Bible especially the Gospel. Echoing the message of Christ, the school taught me to value character and virtue more than success, honesty more than high grades or academic performance.

Desire for Faith Community Our high school class adviser introduced us to reading the Kerygma magazine, a Catholic & family-oriented magazine. In one of the issues, I read an article about the Youth for Christ (YFC) members serving in various Gawad Kalinga (CFC-initiated poverty alleviation and nation-building movement) sites. This article struck me so much that I pondered and asked myself, “Do I bring God with me outside the church after the Mass or do I just leave Him there?” I resolved that I wanted to be part of a faith community. I wanted to be like those teenage boys and girls of YFC! I promised myself that I would join this community!

Christian Life Program, the Couples for Christ (CFC) and the Singles for Christ (SFC) The Lord heard me and granted my heart's desire when I was in my fourth year college. I was invited to the Christian Life Program (CLP) at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Batangas City by Bro. Boyet Dela Cruz, then the Power Plant Assistant Manager of JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation where I was a student intern. In November 2007, I started to attend the weekly CLP of CFC. Together with a single sister attendee, I finished the CLP on March 16, 2008 along with other couple participants.

The community of the Singles for Christ helped me deepen my faith, know the Lord in a more personal and intimate way by daily living in His presence and communing with Him in the sacraments. As an SFC brother, I learned to follow the Lord relentlessly. I strove eagerly to live my Catholic faith in practical ways. For instance, I tried to be more patient and be a responsible driver on the road – enjoying the traffic with Christian music, instead of recklessly overtaking. I also taught myself to make the habit of “pagmamano” or the Filipino custom of giving respect by asking our elder's hand as a sign of blessing. By God' grace, I faithfully practiced good stewardship of all the blessings that the Lord has so generously given me. Supporting Pondong Batangan and the vision of ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor) Foundation of CFC in sharing and bringing Christ's transforming love to the less privileged and less fortunate of our brethren were my tangible acts of loving my neighbor.

I serve in CLPs and hope to participate in the mission of the Church by seeking the lost specifically through SFC and fulfill its vision that every single man and woman all over the world may experience Christ. I work with CFC in its mission of building the Church of the home and the Church of the poor. Through the benevolent mercy of God, I live out my Christian calling by doing what the Lord is asking me...to die to myself, to my wrongdoings and sinful desires, to my pride and arrogance, to my impulsiveness and hot-tempered behavior and to my judgmental and presumptuous attitude – to deny myself, to take up my cross daily and follow Him.

Small acts...great love...like what Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “We can do no great things; only small things with great love”...all made possible by God.