Bishop Jimmy as Keynote Speaker at the 4th BEC National Assembly

Bishop Jimmy Afable spoke to the delegates during the 4th BEC General Assembly in the second day as the keynote speaker with the topic “Discerning the challenges of BEC (Basic Ecclesial Communities) in the light of New Evangelization”. Bishop whose sole advocacy was the Kingdom of God in line with the motto of the Diocese of Digos “May Your Kingdom Come” gave his words with great enthusiasm saying, “After the homily of Archbishop Valles last night, by the way, he is my classmate, I have prepared eight (8) points to share with you. After his homily, salamat sa Diyos, tatlo (3) na lang ang naiwan, yung lima (5) siya na yung nagsabi nun, thank you to Archbishop Valles.”

He also made the public smile and giggle with his introduction, “Siguro malapit na akong mamatay, kasi sa buong buhay ko, dahil matanda na, ngayon lang po ako naging keynote speaker ng isang national assembly. First time ko rin po, sa haba na ng panahon na ako ay isinilang, lumaki at tumanda na dito sa Davao ngayon lang ako nakatira sa Apo View Hotel nang dahil sa inyo, thank you CBCP-BEC for this intivation! Handa na po ako mamatay, pero bago ako mamatay, I have to fulfill my assignment as Keynote Speaker”.

Just as when he looked at the programme and reviewed all the concurrent sessions, reports, theological conferences and storytelling among the participants, he told himself what would be left to talk and so he suggested that instead of Keynote, Notes shall be used. He explained further, “Like many other conferences, conventions, seminars, and training sessions, we start with many questions and at the end of the gathering, we bring home more questions because after all I think, what is more important is that we continue to ask questions, never mind the answers and so just ‘Notes’, What kind of notes? He further explained saying, “You know that Bishops before our ordination day are anointed with the holy spirit for the third time. First in baptism, second time in confirmation, and for the third time on the day of Ordination, actually the fourth time, the third time being in Presbyteral Ordination. Kasi ho, slow learners kami. We need more of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the very important role that God in his wisdom has entrusted to us and to me and worthy as we are and that role is to be mother and teacher after the Heart of Jesus, after the Heart of Mary ‘Mater et Magestra'”.

Bishop shared as said “simply notes” he has gathered together in three areas of challenges for the BEC, “I’ve lived the first one-third (1/3) of my life in the pre-Vatican church and became the young adult and an adult with the new way of being church. Living, Celebrating and Shepherding the BECs as the new way of being church in the Philippines”.

He started showing to them a couple of logos relevant of the past events; logo of the Great Year of Jubilee 2000, logo of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines in the last nine years in the light of what PCP II decrees, article 109 tells “Basic Ecclesial Communities under various names and forms — BCCs, small Christian communities, covenant communities — must vigorously promoted for the full living of the Christian vocation in both urban and rural areas,” The Nine (9) years of the Era of the New Evangelization; Year of Faith, Year of the Laity, Year of the Poor, Year of the Filipino Family, Year of the Parish as the Communion of Communities, Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Life, now year of the Youth. During these years, important events have also emerged that have helped us in this Era of New Evangelization. The Archdiocese of Manila initiated the Philippine Conference for New Evangelization, and later on followed by the Initiatives of the CFC and Family of life movement for their “Live Christ, Share Christ” New Evangelization Program, but much earlier worldwide The Evangelization 2000, and now is called the Evangelization 2033 with its logo “Put out into the Deep” and of course here in Mindanao, quite recently the Initiative of The Mindanao Sulu Pastoral Conference with our very own Mindanao Conference on New Evangelization. Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, living, celebrating, shepherding the BEC for the past 50 years.

“You are the heart of the BEC”, Bishop remarked. “Today and the rest of these days, each one of you promise to yourself and one another that you are going to be the joy of the Gospel,” he added. (Rhizter Rafaela | SocCom Padada)