THE MOVEMENT FOR RESTORATION

“Lead us back to you, O Lord, that we may be restored” (Lam 5:21a)

We are at the crossroads in our life and mission as CFC. There is intense conflict and disunity, even among the top leadership. CFC has been put in disfavor with our bishops as a result of the lack of submission of top elders. The place of GK as a pillar of CFC is being eroded and we are sliding to the social apart from the spiritual.

Have we lost our way?

We indeed have been guilty of infidelities to our covenant, even as God continued to use us in the power of His Spirit in our first 25 years. But in His love for us, God brought us to Lamentations this year, as His way of opening our minds to the dangers of continuing to slip away from our call. Now there is conflict and disunity. But even this is part of God’s plan to purify us.

How do we find the right way?

“Lead us back to you, O Lord, that we may be restored: give us anew such days as we had of old.” (Lam 5:21). The key to restoration is to go back to our original charism. Going back is the way to go forward.

In 1993, we had 3 key words to describe ourselves and our mission: Global, Wholistic, Catholic.

• CFC is an evangelistic and missionary community, serving the universal Church.
• CFC is a family life renewal movement, with womb-to-tomb support environments.
• CFC is an integral part of the life and mission of the Roman Catholic Church.

We are Families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth.

We will still do work with the poor, which is part of the mission of Jesus, but our work with the poor will not be our primary focus. The work for justice and for life will be given equal importance. And none of these services should be allowed to negatively impact on our basic mission of evangelization and family life renewal.

Lamentations is a time of purification, leading to greater empowerment for the work ahead. Lamentations is about restoration. It is about fully living out our covenant, and living out our call according to our original charism.

We all need to take responsibility for the life and mission of CFC. Together, in this movement for restoration, let us all discern and follow where God moves us.