In this issue of the Servant Leader, we put on hold our serialized Evangelii Gaudium to give way to an invitation from His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, archbishop of Manila and chairman of Caritas Manila.
SAVE Mother Earth and ease the pain of hopeless marginalized people not only suffering from the devastation of natural disasters and climate change, but also inflicted by man-made calamities.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle is urging the faithful to reflect on Christ’s passion, examine our conscience, reconcile with the Lord and renew of life by joining Radio Veritas846 and the Archdiocese of Manila’s second Penitential Walk (via crucis) this Good Friday, April 3.
The 7-kilometer “Penitential Walk: Deliverance from Calamities and for Peace” will start at 4 a.m. at San Juan de Dios Hospital, Pasay City and will culminate at the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica.
Make a difference
HIS Eminence Cardinal Tagle is encouraging the faithful to make use of the Penitential Walk: Deliverance from Calamities and for Peace to ask for forgiveness from the Lord and make a difference by helping the underprivileged people, not only crippled by the onslaught of typhoons and other calamities caused by climate change, but also due to corruption, injustice, absence of truth, loss of concern for others, of selfishness and insensitivity to others’ feelings.
The prelate acknowledges that although around 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, sadly, in truth many Filipinos are “stormed” every day by “non-concrete” turbulences.
Open your eyes and hearts
THE prelate also emphasized the catastrophe of the growing number of street children, street families, human trafficking, absence of peace and widespread corruption in the country.
The archbishop of Manila also advised everyone to refrain from blaming others for the difficulties they are going through, instead to take action and start anew by means of repentance.
The prelate hopes that through the penitential walk every Catholic faithful would be enlightened to open their hearts and would be encouraged to help those who are experiencing calamities due to greed and sins of mankind.
This year’s penitential walk is brought to you by Radio Veritas846, supported by the Archdiocese of Manila and the Vicariates of the Holy Family, Holy Spirit, Our Lady of Loreto, San Fernando de Dilao, San Jose de Trozo, Santo Niño, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Joseph the Worker, Saints Peter and Paul, Santa Clara de Montefalco, San Felipe Neri and Saint John the Baptist.
“Imulat po natin ang ating mga mata upang ang ating puso ay maantig at nang tayo ay kumilos na hindi na mapalala ang mga kalamidad na ito, at humanap ng mga bagong istilo ng buhay upang itong mga kalamidad na gawa ng tao at ng kasalanan ng tao ay mapigil at hindi na po ito maulit pa. Sa ating tinatawag na Penitential Walk, itong Biyernes Santo, atin pong ilalaan sana sa paghingi ng tawad sa Diyos sa napakaraming paghihirap na naidudulot natin sa ating kapwa lalo na sa mga dukha. Inaanyayahan ko po kayo, parang examination of conscience. Tayo po ay magnilay, pag-isipan natin bakit nangyayari ito? Nakita ko ba yan? Ako ba’y naantig? Meron ba akong ginagawa? [Let us open our eyes so that our hearts will be roused to move, to act to avoid these calamities, to look for new lifestyles so that these calamities caused by man and man’s sins will not happen again. We will offer this Penitential Walk on Good Friday to ask forgiveness from God for the many hardships we have caused our neighbor especially the poor. I Invite you, like an examination of conscience, together, let us reflect—why are these things happening? Did I see it? Was I touched, was I moved? Am I doing something about it?]” invites our Cardinal.
Let us join our Cardinal in this Penitential Walk.
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For comments, e-mail caritas_manila@yahoo.com. For donations to Caritas Manila, call 563-9311. For inquiries, call 563-9308 or 563-9298. Fax: 563-9306.