ANAK Batangueño Day Canossa Academy November 10, 2006 Welcome Children of Migrants and OFW of Batangas

ANAK Batangueño ANAK Batangueño DayDay

Canossa AcademyCanossa AcademyNovember 10, 2006November 10, 2006

ANAK Batangueño ANAK Batangueño DayDay


Welcome Children of Migrants Welcome Children of Migrants and OFW of Batangasand OFW of Batangas

I. Telling the Story of JesusI. Telling the Story of Jesus

• The Story of Jesus applies to all• It is the Church’s role to keep telling His

story• The migrants’ experience fits in to the

Story of Jesus• Jesus cares for the migrants and their

families• He empathizes to the experience of OFW

children

We all love story!We all love story!

LACMMI – www.archlipa.org/commission/lacmmi

A good storyA good story challenges us challenges us

to a new vision to a new vision of lifeof life..

What is my What is my story as a child story as a child

of an OFW?of an OFW? LACMMI – www.archlipa.org/commission/lacmmi

Five Questions:Five Questions:Jesus Story?Jesus Story?Migrants’ Migrants’ Stories?Stories?Why me?Why me?What about What about others?others?How is Jesus How is Jesus related to related to families and families and children left children left behind?behind?LACMMI – www.archlipa.org/commission/lacmmi

The Story of Jesus is owned by God The Story of Jesus is owned by God Today it continues to inspire the Today it continues to inspire the

World.World.


From the Beginning, there is nothing but The Divine Love overflowing from the Triune God!

The Story of Jesus’ love relates to my life story. God is involved in my story as a child

of an OFW!


The Story has The Story has not ended yet.not ended yet.

It becomes a It becomes a life-giving life-giving

memory with memory with which the Holy which the Holy

Spirit keeps Spirit keeps renewing renewing

humanity.humanity. LACMMI – www.archlipa.org/commission/lacmmi

It is the Story It is the Story that touches that touches the stories of the stories of

all human all human individuals!individuals!

He is “the way, He is “the way, the truth and the truth and

the life”.the life”.


Religions have Religions have two hands.two hands.

One is Faith in One is Faith in something something absolute. absolute.

Another is a Another is a Way of living. Way of living.


II. Situation of World MigrationII. Situation of World Migration

• Asians are migrating all over the world

• 8.3 million Filipinos

• 200,000 Batanguenos

• 5 dependents each = 1,000,000 people affected

• Migration affects every facet of society: Political, economic, socio-cultural, spiritual, family life, ecclesial and faith life


Worldwide: 191 million international migrants

Asia: 53.3 million international migrants

Asia, a Region in MotionAsia, a Region in Motion

• Major countries of origin– Indonesia – Philippines– Vietnam

• Burma• Cambodia• Laos

– Bangladesh– India– Nepal– Pakistan

– China

• Major countries/areas of destination– Brunei– Malaysia– Singapore– Thailand

– Hong Kong– Japan– South Korea– Taiwan

– Gulf countries


Asia, A Region in MotionAsia, A Region in Motion

• Men are not the only ones leaving their families to work abroad.

• Asia is a significant site for female migration.– Philippines– Indonesia – Sri Lanka


Asia, A Region in MotionAsia, A Region in Motion

• Less skilled workers

• Professionals & highly skilled

• Permanent migrants

• Students

• Brides

• Unauthorized migrants, including trafficked persons

• Refugees


What Migrants Hope ForWhat Migrants Hope For

Migration as secular pilgrimage

– a journey of hope– a perilous rife with trials

(the road to Calvary)– reward at journey’s end

(the glory of the Resurrection)


What Migrants ExperienceWhat Migrants Experience

• Temporary labor migration involves only the migration of workers; families are not included.

• Family separation is a source of pain to migrants and their left-behind families.

• Migration has a dark side.


Migrants as the OtherMigrants as the Other

• Migrants are needed but not wanted

• Migrants are regarded only as workers, not as full human beings

• Migrants are scapegoats for the spread of diseases, crimes … terrorism

• Migrants receive an uncertain welcome at the least.

“You can’t feel at home here, never, even after years and years, even if now we have everything to live like in Kerala. Because we have no right: just the right to work and be silent.”

Beemole, a nurse in

the UAE for 20 years



III. Migrants, a special people III. Migrants, a special people with a special mission and role with a special mission and role

in the Churchin the Church

• They improve the quality of life of the families left behind

• They become the new missionaries and evangelizers

• They bring their culture and faith around the world

• Migrants and their families can continue telling the story of Jesus everywhere, all the time!


Today a voice needs to be heardToday a voice needs to be heard


Today a light has to shineToday a light has to shine


Hearts that Hearts that long for hopelong for hopefor meaning for meaning and for love.and for love.


So God’s loveSo God’s lovemay shine may shine

bright.bright.


In the name In the name of the of the

Father, and Father, and of the Son, of the Son, and of the and of the

Spirit we are Spirit we are one.one.


Now is the Now is the moment to moment to rise, now is rise, now is the moment the moment

to go!to go!


Live love God’s steps lead us to lifeLive love God’s steps lead us to life


Trust Trust much much

even in even in pain and pain and

strifestrife


The cross The cross we do share we do share

God is God is always always there.there.


It It all starts with our hearts to which all starts with our hearts to which God speaks out of love. The Church God speaks out of love. The Church bear witness to it.bear witness to it.


““None other than None other than Christ” is the answer.Christ” is the answer.When it applies to the When it applies to the non-hearers the Jesus non-hearers the Jesus Story, the statement Story, the statement needs to be nuanced. needs to be nuanced. Their salvation is Their salvation is related in a related in a mysteriously way to mysteriously way to Christ and the Church.Christ and the Church.



The Story of Jesus is The Story of Jesus is related to other religions related to other religions

because of the because of the fundamental solidarity fundamental solidarity

and universal unity and universal unity between the Incarnate between the Incarnate

Word and every human Word and every human being. being.


In re-telling tIn re-telling the he SStorytory, one should insist , one should insist upon the openness of cultures to the upon the openness of cultures to the universality of the truth the Story bears universality of the truth the Story bears and let the same Story break through all and let the same Story break through all the cultural barriers which seek to the cultural barriers which seek to contain it. contain it.


What God speaks of is the Story What God speaks of is the Story of Jesus, because In Jesus God of Jesus, because In Jesus God

wants us to be free and lovedwants us to be free and loved

He who defines his conduct by a set of rules determined by religion

imprisons his songbird in a cage

The Way God chooses to The Way God chooses to approach us is not unrelated to approach us is not unrelated to our human nature and destinyour human nature and destiny

Human nature is so formed that God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth - God.

Human destiny is to share God’s life Christ has gained for us.

The Way God chooses to tell the The Way God chooses to tell the Story of Jesus is intrinsically Story of Jesus is intrinsically

related to human nature as such. related to human nature as such. This guarantees the objectivity.This guarantees the objectivity.

The Mystery, like the elephant, is still huge and big. The blind cannot sense the Whole.

The Incarnate Word is likened to “eye-opener” all-important for anyone in search of God.




The Church as sacramental sign is to make visible the Mystery, including that “mysterious relationship”, by inviting people to join the Church.

Human promotion and explicit proclamation are not to be separated.

In re-telling tIn re-telling the he SStorytory, one should insist , one should insist upon the openness of cultures to the upon the openness of cultures to the universality of the truth the Story bears universality of the truth the Story bears and let the same Story break through all and let the same Story break through all the cultural barriers which seek to the cultural barriers which seek to contain it. contain it.


When Faith and When Faith and life are joined life are joined together, there together, there comes to the comes to the

worship in Spirit worship in Spirit and in Truth. In and in Truth. In

worship one worship one cannot but fly cannot but fly

higher and higher and higher. higher.


Pope Benedict XVI loves the youth of today

especially people in motion!



ANAK Batangueño ANAK Batangueño Congress 2006Congress 2006


ANAK Batangueño ANAK Batangueño Congress 2006Congress 2006


Presented by

Rev. Fr. JOJO C. GONDA (LACMMI Director)

for the

Visit LACMMI and Anak Batangueño online at:

www.archlipa.org/commission/lacmmi

Documents

ANAK Batangueño Day Canossa Academy November 10, 2006 Welcome Children of Migrants and OFW of Batangas