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About
CFC-FFL
Who
is the CFC-FFL?
The
Movement for Restoration Our
Covenant
Our
Mission and Vision
Our Statement of
Philosophy
Our
Core Values
Family Ministries Kids
for Family and Life (KFL) Youth
for Family and Life (YFL)
Singles
for Family and Life (SFL)
Handmaids
for Family and Life (HFL)
Servants
for Family and Life (SvFL)
Wish
to JOIN?
The
highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
popularity.
Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
-
Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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<<Go
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THE WAY FORWARD
IN CHRIST
(Part 37)
RECOGNIZING
THE TIME OF OUR VISITATION
November
18, 2010
Today’s reading: Luke 19:41-44
In today’s reading, Jesus laments for Jerusalem. Because the
Jews did not accept Jesus the messiah, they ultimately suffered
devastation. This has an important lesson for us.
Jesus says “I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
(Mt 28:20b). Jesus is committed to walk with us during our earthly
pilgrimage and as we participate in building his kingdom on earth,
until he returns in glory at the end of time.
At the same time, Jesus oftentimes makes a specific visitation to
His people, either individually or as a group or as a nation, in
order to give more specific tasks that help to accomplish his
purpose on earth.
Jesus has called each one of us, and has given us gifts, and has
assigned tasks to us. If we respond, we fulfill our purpose
according to God’s will. Jesus also calls and raises groups or
movements, such as CFC, to cover important aspects of his work.
For us in CFC (now CFC-FFL), this work is evangelization and
family renewal. Then Jesus also calls nations, such as the
Philippines. This nation has a prophetic role to be God’s light
in Asia and to the world. Especially in this third millennium,
where the culture of death is rampaging throughout the world, the
Philippines will stand as the last bastion for family and for
life.
God has His eternal plan for the life of the world, until the Lord
Jesus returns once again. God chooses people for specific tasks,
just as He chose Mary, a simple maiden in Israel. When Mary gave
her yes, she unleashed a chain of events that resulted in God
Himself becoming man and dying on the cross and thus winning
salvation for all. Likewise, God calls and chooses others for
other tasks, not as earth-shaking as the call to Mary, but
important nonetheless, in the whole plan of salvation.
Thus it is not a question of whether God visits His people, for He
does. The question is whether people will respond. God, through
the angel Gabriel in the case of Mary, through other circumstances
in other cases, visits His people. What would have happened if
Mary had not given her yes? Well, today some, or perhaps many, who
are called do not respond. That is truly tragic.
If people respond, great things will happen, simply because God
will be able to move forward His very own divine work. We have
seen in our personal lives and in the life of CFC-FFL how God can
accomplish great things--radical transformation in Christ, broken
marriages restored and becoming vibrant, families made strong and
truly life-giving, sinful people growing to holiness, worldwide
evangelization in the power of the Spirit, and so on.
But if people do not respond, or worse, do not even realize the
visitation of God, what happens?
First, Jesus weeps. “If this day you only knew what makes for
peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (Lk 19:42). Jesus
weeps over our blindness, that we do not recognize the time of our
visitation. Here is the Prince of Peace, who can bring us the
peace that everyone craves for, but instead we will reap
devastation. Jesus weeps over the hardness of heart that makes us
not fully embrace him and his call to us, to prefer our own
wayward ways. Jesus weeps over our fate, that we experience
devastation rather than the blessings that he brings. Jesus went
to great lengths, suffering and dying on the cross, to bring us
salvation and the fullness of life in him. How truly sad it must
be for him to see us going down the wrong path, when he has
already illumined the way.
Second, we will weep, because we will suffer devastation apart
from the protective embrace of God. Satan is on the rampage, and
he oppresses and persecutes God’s people, he destroys marriages
and families, he murders unborn children, he keeps the world
enslaved under his oppressive yoke. He will totally try to
devastate the lives of people.
Our only security and hope is in God. Indeed, Jesus came to bring
peace. With Jesus we can be at peace with ourselves and at peace
with others, and have peace of mind and heart despite the storms
that rage around us. How truly tragic it would be if we miss the
time of God’s visitation.
What must we do?
We must know what makes for peace (Lk 19:42a). It is Jesus. Only
Jesus can bring that peace that surpasses all understanding into
our lives, our hearts, our homes, our societies, our nations. Thus
we must work to bring Jesus into the lives of people and into the
life of the world. This is our work of evangelization and mission.
We must be zealous and passionate for this all-important work.
Further, we must recognize the time of our visitation (Lk 19:44b).
For CFC, it started in 1981. By this time it should already be
clear to us who we are and what we are to do. Our mission is
all about faith, family and life. Our identity is to be disciples
who are centered on Christ, faithful to our covenant, and carrying
the cross. In 29 years all these should already be clear. What is
left is the extent and intensity of our response to God’s call.
If we recognize the time of our visitation and have learned the
lessons Jesus has taught us, including the centrality of the cross
and redemptive suffering, then we can withstand the devastation to
be wreaked by the enemy (Lk 19:43-44a). Then we will not only
survive, but we will thrive.
Let us go about our work with the knowledge and conviction that
God has called us, chosen us, raised us, empowered us, and will
sustain us by His grace and strength. Let us go forth and bring
the peace of Christ upon a suffering and lost world.
And let us respond such that Jesus will not weep, but will rather
rejoice.
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