CBCP Monitor IEC Speaker Lauds Poor’S Hunger for Eucharist

SUPPLEMENT ISSUE VOLUME 20, NUMBER 5, JANUARY 25 - FEBRUARY 7, 2016 IN THIS ISSUE: Filipinos’ ‘Eucharistic joy’ converts Belgian Protestant IEC speaker lauds poor’s hunger for Eucharist, A2 IEC in Cebu ‘fully secure’, A2 Bishop Barron: Eucharistic faith is counter-culture, A3 Catholic convert Maria Servaas gestures during her ‘Be Mary’s face’, presentation at the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu City. DOMINIC BARRIOS faithful told, A3 CEBU City, Jan. 26, 2016 – A recent convert to the Catholicism lauded the Filipinos’ deep faith and spirituality, encouraging them to shun “artificial happiness” and instead continue to radiate the joy and hopefulness Filipinos show even in the midst of trials and suffering which she described as “Eucharistic”. Belgian national Marianne Servaas expressed admiration for the Filipinos’ Pope may deliver live thankfulness and humility, which st Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon in Myanmar and Papal Legate to the 51st International Eucharistic Congress, visits Cebu’s she said were attributed to being message to 51 IEC, A6 renowned historical landmark, the Magellan’s Cross, Jan. 27, 2016. The cross, the pilgrim symbol of the IEC, recalled the birth of the Christian “sacramental”, during her testimony faith in the archipelago and in Asia.’ ROY LAGARDE at the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC). No campaigning in Heart opened to joy IEC, politicians She said the way Filipinos represent Living the Eucharist Christ is “very sacramental” and told, A6 “almost touchable.” “You opened my heart to receive joy in life itself. And more so, your joy is Cardinal Bo to Cebu related to thankfulness and to humility. means loving the poor Please do not lose it.” dancing inmates: Servaas left Belgium for France, married an Englishman and lived in ‘Pray for me. I love England. It was there that they joined you all!”, A7 - Cardinal Quevedo an Anglican community. They then decided to come to the Philippines as By Felipe Francisco Blood of Christ is also a Eucharistic action. We remain. “There is missionaries. For seven years, she and sharing in his mission,” cannot be indifferent massive poverty, her husband worked with an evangelical CEBU City, Jan. said the prelate. “[I] to them.” homelessness, street Filipino student organization. 27, 2016 – How n the Eucharist we are children, human She said it is in the Philippines exactly does one sent by the spirit of Where are the men? trafficking, the drug and in Filipinos that their lives “were “live the Eucha- Jesus on mission – a In the Philippines, problem, and other profoundly changed in such a way mission to the poor, noted the prelate, the forms of criminality. that it prepared - even cleared - our rist,” the man- the oppressed and men seem to be missing And media reports hearts to begin to see the beauty of the tra of Eucharistic marginalized – to all in Sunday Masses. And speak of horrendous Eucharist and Eucharistic living.” congresses? For who are needy and even if the churches are corruption from top “Filipinos were and are genuinely Orlando Cardi- in need of love and full every week, only to bottom,” Quevedo sacramental. They opened my heart nal Quevedo, it’s service.” a fifth of parishioners told 51st International to receive joy and trust in life itself, simple: practice “To be Eucharistic are able to attend. Eucharistic Congress something that we have lost in my country. what you preach, is to live the life of Thousands receive Holy delegates at the More so, the joy that is almost palpably Jesus, a life of love and Communion, even if Waterfront Hotel. present is related to thankfulness and to and have genuine service. It is by living only a handful go to “Our faith is focused humility. My country, sadly, appears to love for the poor Eucharistically that confession. on externals and thrive but actually dies due to an absence and oppressed. we act Eucharistically So, even if on Sundays rituals, processions of thankfulness.” “Our sharing in the … We see a host of “we seem to be a nation and private devotions. Eucharist the Body and burning issues that need of Saints,” social ills Eucharist / A2 Two ‘gifts’ She explained that joy, freedom, and hunger made the question “Where do Fight food scarcity with sharing – papal legate I belong as a Christian?” burn more in her heart. Servaas shared two events that she CEBU City, Jan. 27, 2016 World War” against poverty calls “gifts” changed her life. – Papal legate Myanmar during the IEC Opening Mass First, when she witnessed the Litany Archbishop Charles Maung at the Plaza Independencia on of Saints. Second, the lifting of the Host Cardinal Bo reiterated the Jan. 24. at consecration. need for sharing of the world’s Servaas describes that upon her resources in a bid to fight off Poverty in rural areas conversion, “I was freed from the poverty. “All the [Burmese] generals western thought that faith begins with During the fourth day and Yangones get 90 percent a concept or idea. It does not.” press conference of the 51st of the resources of the country She also expressed that the joy of International Eucharistic while 80 or 85 percent of the Eucharistic life is in the paradoxes of Congress (IEC), the Holy [Burmese] people are poor,” man’s deepest source of happiness: Father’s official representative Bo told the media. “lose to find, receive by giving, and live to the IEC called for the equal Poverty in Myanmar is by dying.” distribution of food in all largely concentrated in She urged Filipinos never to result to countries, particularly in his rural regions of the country, quick fix solutions in order to pursue homeland, Myanmar. The where the people rely only on one’s personal happiness, calling it prelate previously urged the agricultural work. Young Cebuanos greet papal legate Myanmar Archbishop Charles Maung Cardinal Bo upon his arrival in Cebu, “artificial happiness”. “In your joy, you Jan. 24, 2016. ROY LAGARDE people to “declare a third Scarcity / A2 Converts / A2 A2 NEWS January 25 - February 7, 2016 Vol. 20, No. 5 CBCP Monitor IEC speaker lauds poor’s hunger for Eucharist CEBU City, Jan. 26, 2016 According to him, being Father recognizes them – A foreign missionary to with the poor enables them to in all simpilicity, Felloni the Philippines on Tuesday become Church with oneself, stated the poor don’t just lauded the poor and their and vice-versa. have devotions but a deep hunger for the Eucharist, “When you are there you spirituality. saying often, those who have make them the Church with “They want the Lord to be little in life are the ones more you. And they make you the there for them. They want excited to receive Christ. Church with them. That’s the Lord in their happy “This is where I learned that beautiful. They need that moments and their not-so- the poor feel a very special presence in the peripheries. happy moments. They want connection with Jesus in the We [also] need that presence,” the Lord all the time and Eucharist. They really love he exclaimed. everywhere, and that hunger and treasure Jesus so much. Felloni also confessed to for the Eucharist is one of Jesus is alive in those places in patronizing before Filipinos the biggest lessons I have the peripheries where no one who seem “addicted” to Mass learned from my people,” he wants to go,” said Fr. Luciano and insist on having one explained. Ariel Felloni, parish priest of celebrated even for seemingly Felloni, moreover, pointed Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, trivial reasons, rejecting out the poor is the “privileged in a session he was facilitating this practice as resulting in place of Jesus outside the at the 51st International “Eucharistic overdose.” Eucharist.” Eucharistic Congress (IEC) “Many times the poor, not in Cebu on Jan. 26. ‘Spirituality of the people’ us the priests, are the ones Fr. Luciano Ariel Felloni, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. DOMINIC BARRIOS Addressing pilgrims from “I used to look down on who make the presence of the various parts of the world, the nothing. [That’s why] I don’t point-of-view of his 21-year the person he is now. that, saying this is ‘superficial Church felt in those places. Argentine priest introduced now what I’m doing here,” experience living among the “Once I told a lady [in sacramentalism.’ And in 21 Many times even we have no his talk by admitting he lacks he said in a combination of Filipino poor. Payatas], ‘Poor you.’ [She years the poor have taught courage to live among them. advanced degrees unlike the English and Filipino. Felloni went on to share his said,] ‘No, Father, it’s okay. me to eat my words one by But they keep the presence other speakers who first encounter with residents When you were not here we one. I realize this is what Pope of Jesus alive. So let us learn “I don’t have [a] doctorate Becoming Church of Payatas, a huge dumpsite were just poor. Now that you Francis calls ‘spirituality of among them,” he added. in anything. I don’t teach However, he expressed north of Manila, thanking are, here we are Church,’” the people’,” he said. (Raymond A. Sebastián anything. I’m a professor of pride he can speak from the them for helping him become he said. Noting that the Holy / CBCP News) IEC in Cebu ‘fully secure’ More than just cool: New Evangelization at the IEC CEBU City, Jan. 27, 2016 – Walking Mary as well as Pope Francis, are billboards of the Eucharist all over mainly targeted at the younger set, Cebu, nay, the whole world.

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