By JANYN MARIELLA MONTEALEGRE
TO BECOME an effective agent of change in the Church and society, one should welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit in himself, the chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education said.
Most Rev. Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. said that only through accepting the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, one can fully realize and fulfill his mission in the world.
“Being filled with the Spirit will enable us to become servants of communion and agents of renewal in the church and in society. Being filled [with the Holy Spirit] is a pre-requisite of being enabled to carry out faithfully our commitment for new evangelization,” Mallari said during the Misa de Apertura held Tuesday at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church.
“Without which (Holy Spirit), we lose sight of our purpose and reason of our existence,” he added.
The CBCP official also said a person must first be filled with the Holy Spirit before he can fill his mind with knowledge.
“We need the Holy Spirit to renew our hearts, our life, our families, our environment, our community, our world. […] We have to commit ourselves and shouldn’t be afraid of change,” Mallari said.
Officially opening the new academic year, Mallari challenged the Thomasian community to continue striving for a University that teaches not only the mind with knowledge and skills, but also the heart with humility to accept God’s presence.
“If not to deepen one’s personal relationship to Jesus, then what else will be the purpose why we, as [a Catholic] institution, exist?” he said. “The end of Catholic education is a strong faith relationship with Jesus.”
Misa de Apertura is the annual mass celebration that marks the beginning of the new academic year in the University. F
