Duc in altum BECs

Bishop Guillermo Afable of the Diocese of Digos delivered his keynote address during the 4th BEC National Assembly last November 12, 2019 at the Apo View Hotel Davao City.

“Malapit na siguro akong mamatay, kasi this is my first time to become a keynote speaker in a National Assembly and my first time to sleep in Apo View Hotel,” Bishop Afable jokingly said. He added that everyone in the audience must make sure they will still be alive by the year 2033 since it is the Jubilee of all Jubilees, being the 2000 years anniversary of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Bishop Afable quoted the question of then Pope John Paul II in the Year 2000, “What are we to do now as we enter the 3rd millennium?”, which Pope Francis answered in Evangelii Gaudium, that is “Pastoral Conversion”. Whether Lay, Clerics or Religious, we are called to be agents of renewal, catalysts for change. This is the Pastoral Challenge that will bring the Church to go further in the 3rd millennium.

For Bishop Afable, the challenges we face in the BECs are: First, to change our focus from sacramentalization to New Evangelization, there is a need for Filipino Catholics to be cathechized and this is what new evangelization is all about. The word of God must not only be preached but lived. It means “walking the talk” empowered and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Second, BECs must move from structures of communion to spirituality of communion with love as the essence of the church. It is what steers the members of the church, a characteristic of a true follower of Christ. Members of the BECs must strive to be masterpieces of love and unity, to love each member concretely and with joy.

Bishop Afable also reminded us the we Filipino Catholics are Pueblo Amante de Maria “A People in love with Mary”. Among popular devotions, foremost is Marian Devotion. The message of Fatima must be our guide as we face the 3rd Millennium: Payer, Penance, Conversion, and the Universal call to Holiness. With the popular devotions, we should make the saints and Mary our models and companions as we journey in our spiritual life.

Bishop Afable concluded by challenging all of us: “Duc in Altum” (put out into the deep), without inventing new programs but preach the same Christ, as we all go forward in hope to celebrate with gratitude the 50 years of BECs, and move forward with confidence to the next millennium relying on the help of Christ. He then led the prayer to Mary, Star of the New Evangelization. (Manilee Araune)