Every Word is food

The 25th National Bible Workshop (NBW) started with the Holy Mass in San Pedro Cathedral on February 19, 2024. It was presided by Most Rev. Renato Mayugba, D.D., Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Bishop of Laoag. It was concelebrated by the Archbishop of Davao, Most Rev. Romulo Valles, D.D. and 61 priests delegates from the country.

In his homily, Bishop Mayugba said, “we in the biblical ministry, feed the people of God with food, which is the word of God. We would like you [youth] to participate in preparing the food for your fellow young people. With your participation, the word of God may become more palatable, will be packaged and cooked in a way that is acceptable even to the young.”

The words of welcome from the City Mayor of Davao, the Hon. Sebastian Z. Duterte, was delivered by his representative, the Honorable Vice-Mayor Melchor Quitain, Jr.

On February 20 morning, Ms. Joy Candelario, in her keynote address emphasized the importance of guiding and accompanying young people on their spiritual journey, ensuring that the Word of God is presented in a manner that is accessible, relevant, and transformative.

The theme of bridging generational gaps and fostering collaboration between the elder and the young generation permeated discussions, speaking and listening to one another, and building bridges of understanding and solidarity.

A leadership program from the NCR Biblical Apostolate had 5 components: Hook me – which meant to keep the young interested and capture their attention; Hear me – knowing their stories and strengths as the cornerstones of the program; Heal me – through fellowship; Help me – as many are wounded, their hunger for love, acceptance and enlightenment must be met ; Hope is in me (building their core) – as we believe that they are indeed the hope of the Church.

Some realizations are:

“We get to learn yung iba’t-ibang programs na ginagawa sa iba’t-ibang dioceses. It’s a combination of feeling of worry and excitement…. Worried kasi we are very challenged paano naming sisimulan, paano naming ito magagawa ng magkakasama sa biblical apostolate pero excited kung ano yung in store for us.” (Mike Cyril Honatas, Diocese of Tarlac)

“Ang nakatouch po sa akin ng ating session ngayong afternoon ay tungkol po sa pagtawag ng Panginoong Jesucristo kay Matthew: ‘today you are the host of a dinner party. So, for me, an invitation to welcome everyone, to be the host of people that need to be welcomed by others, need to be accepted and also know what is the plan of God for them.” (Sr. Leysis Navarro, HMSP, Archdiocese of Manila)

“Nakita ko yun [practice ng ibang dioceses] na pwede pala ipalago yung biblical apostolate ng mga Kabataan kasi sila talaga ang the church of now, the church of present… sa pag-uwi ko sa amin siguro ma dadala ko yung mga sharing ng mga dioceses to apply in our diocese also.” (Fr. Rowel Joaquin, Diocese of Maasin, Leyte)

In the morning of the third day, Rev. Fr. Romeo Benitez, SVD shared the different forms of rejection. Common among delegates was to strengthen faith in the Lord, who heals. REJECTIONS ARE PREPARATIONS for greater lessons to help us grow for the greater good.

Indeed, the 25th National Bible Workshop served as a beacon of hope and a testament to the enduring power of the Catholic faith to nourish, inspire, and uplift souls, ensuring that the flame of faith burns ever brightly in the hearts of believers.

(Photos by Brenda P. Milan)