The Year of the Laity and the Filipino Saints

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has declared 2014 as the Year of the Laity, as part of the novena years in view of the celebration of five hundredth year of the Christianization of the Philippines (2021), and ushering the Era of New Evangelization.

“This year is to be devoted to the renewal of the laity, to their ‘empowerment’ or more accurately to activating their charisms from the Spirit, so that they may indeed take up their role as co-responsible agents of evangelization and lead in the task of social tansformation” (“Live Christ, Share Christ,” Pastoral Exhortation on the Era of New Evangelization, CBCP, 2012).

It is thus most providential that the Universal Church has recognized as the first fruits of heroic holiness in these islands, the martyrs San Lorenzo Ruiz and most recently, San Pedro Calungsod, lay faithful par excellence, to serve as models of for the Filipino Church, especially the Laity.

These kababayan of ours lived, died and witnessed to their Faith, in far off lands – in Japan and in the Marianas – veritable OFW’s, “Overseas Filipino (Church) Workers.” They offer relevant examples to our fellow Filipinos who brave leaving their homeland, to eke out a decent living for themselves and their families, often in most difficult circumstances, while at the same time, bringing their faith-beliefs and practices, “evangelizing by their presence” the cultures and contexts in which they find themselves abroad.

Let us then celebrate this Year of the Laity, interceding for the help of our heavenly fellow Filipinos, seeking “the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and ordering them according to the plan of God… living in the world… in all of the secular professions and occupations… in the ordinary circumstances of family and social life… working for the sanctification of the world… as a leaven” (Lumen Gentium, §31).