Posted by The WORD in other words (2021) by Fr Florante Camancho SVD – Holy Name Univeristy, Tagbilaran City
Wednesday 4th Week of Easter
The Augustinian friars came to our shores together with Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Thus began the Christianization of the Philippines. This year (2021) we remember and rejoice in thanksgiving for 500 years of evangelization, making the Philippines the predominantly Christian country in South East Asia.
In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas undertook the evangelization of Cyprus and present-day Turkey. They were among the first sent outside of Jerusalem after Jesus’ ascension. They were to continue the missionary work of Jesus Christ, sent by the Father, to build His kingdom of Love! Jesus, the Light as we read in today’s gospel, was to banish the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief!
The members of the Society of the Divine Word, a religious missionary congregation founded by St. Arnold Janssen in 1875, has this community prayer: “May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the Light of the Word and the Spirit of grace”!
Being one of them, I know this by heart. It is our tatak (mark) as SVD. We hope that every baptized person makes this prayer his/her own. The reason: by baptism, we put on Jesus Christ and sent by Him to be His witnesses wherever we are.
Celebrating the 500th anniversary of our evangelization, Filipinos should pass on the torch, the Light of Jesus Christ to others who are still in the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief”! May we be grateful, humble, and joyful witnesses of the Divine Word empowered by the Holy Spirit in Asia and beyond!
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