Monday, July 07, 2025

The Legacy of Mission, Proclaiming Peace and the Kingdom of God

 Theme: A Legacy of Mission: Proclaiming Peace, Welcoming the Kingdom

Salakot Ecumenical Church,
34th Founding Anniversary (First Sunday)

06 June 2025, 

By Rev. Francisco J. Hernando, Ed.D.

Photo credit: UTS


Scripture Texts

Gospel Reading: Luke 10: 1-11; 16-20

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] othersand sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’

Luke 10:16-20

New International Version


16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”


INTRODUCTION

Good morning my dear members of the UTS Salakot Ecumenical Church. I would like to welcome to the fellowship of the Salakot Ecumenical Church new and continuing students, in the different residential programs, from Bachelor of Theology, M.Div., MTh. and D.Min. We are happy to welcome our partners Rev. Kim SeungBum, our visiting professor sent by the Council for World Mission (CWM) and the Presbyterian Church of Korea for three years. Also we welcome Rev. Amelia Koh-Butler and Ms. Vickie….Program coordinators for the Training In Mission Program of the Council for World Mission. With joy we  welcome as well the ten (10) TIM Fellows, who have joined us on campus and in our community life for three months. 

Today is the first Sunday in the month-long celebration of the SEC 34th Founding Anniversary. I thank the Anniversary Committee for having me for today’s service. The organizational set up of the community of faith is unique but it is within the pastoral ministry and chaplaincy services of UTS. Its primary mission is to minister to the spiritual needs of the students, faculty, staff and the members from the immediate community of the seminary who chose to join the fellowship. In many academic community contexts, worship services alongside facets of the Christian Ministry like BIble Study, children and youth ministry are maintained. The theme for today’s first Sunday in the anniversary month is A Legacy of Mission: Proclaiming Peace, Welcoming the Kingdom. Reflecting on the theme, there are key points that I would like to meditate on.

O N E

First, the legacy of the mission. The community of faith was organized under the auspices of UTS made possible the regular weekly services, Christian education program and witnessing to Christ’s life in the immediate community. 

The historical background of the Salakot Ecumenical Church mentions the initial development of the community of faith. 

On January 12, 1961, Bishop Benjamin I. Guansing, the first Filipino President of Union Theological Seminary appointed Dr. Eugene and Mrs. Elizabeth Wonder Hessel, both faculty members of UTS, to spearhead the religious programs in the communities along the Tagaytay Highway (now Emilio Aguinaldo Highway). The Sambahan sa Nayon built its chapel in 1965 and made the space available to vital Christian ministries: a community hospital (1966), a kindergarten / daycare center for children in the community, and a worship space for seminarians in UTS until the Salakot Chapel was fully operational in 1973. 

Then in March of 1991, representatives of the worshipping congregations of the Salakot Chapel and the Sambahan sa Nayon voted to affirm their "unity as a people of God" in campus and became the Philippine Christian Center of Learning-University Church (PCCL-UC). The members of the Sambahan sa Nayon who disagreed with this organic union left the campus and established an independent church outside of the seminary campus. 

In 2013, Union Theological Seminary regained its autonomy and the merger with PCU, and therefore the Commission on Theological Education, was dissolved. A decade after the dissolution of the merger and the commission, the Philippine Christian Center of Learning-University Church changed its name to Salakot Ecumenical Church (UTS-SEC) on 25 June 2024 under the pastoral administration of the Rev. Sianne Gabor-Mendoza.

As a community of faith within the auspices of Union Theological Seminary, the SEC has its mission to the immediate and wider community in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

Mission as we all know has been used in the secular world, that every organization, institution and corporation have defined their mission and for many churches they have to define not only their mission, but also their vision, and goals. For our meditation, based on the Gospel text, we are talking about mission as missio Dei or the mission of God. Taking a clue from Luke’s narrative, Jesus sent the 72 for a mission, and it is a mission of bringing peace or shalom to the communities where they may find themselves. 

Jesus instructed them that whenever they enter a town and its people welcome them, eat what is set before them cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever they enter a town and people do not welcome them, they have to go out into its streets and say,‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. And Jesus ‘emphasized that the kingdom of God has come near.’--The kingdom of God is revealed in a new reality for people to grasp, undergo metanoia –changed perspective in life, to a life that enable them to live a life of well-being and freedom.

Jesus sent the 72 in a socio-cultural context characteristically rural, and the first-century BCE Palestine, the setting for Jesus' ministry, was a complex region characterized by significant socio-economic disparities and the pervasive influence of the Roman empire.

Palestine was overwhelmingly an agrarian society. The vast majority of the population (over 90%) were peasants engaged in subsistence farming. These peasants struggled to produce enough food for their families, animals, and to also generate a surplus for various obligations. Their lives were often precarious, marked by small landholdings, marginal soil, irregular rainfall, and reliance on family labor. Many peasants were impoverished, living in small, often one or two-room houses, sometimes sharing courtyards with other families. Their diet lacked sufficient protein and vitamins.

Extreme Wealth Inequality and a Stratified Society: A small elite, comprising 1-2% of the population, held significant wealth and power. They resided primarily in cities and owned vast tracts of land in the countryside. These elites extracted surpluses from the peasants through rent and heavy taxation. This wealth funded their lavish lifestyles, large villas, and public building projects.

A smaller middle class included artisans (stone cutters, weavers, potters) and some who collected taxes for the Roman authorities or local rulers. Slavery was also a part of the social fabric, with some Jews being enslaved, particularly after Roman conquests.

Impact of Roman Rule and Taxation: Client Kingdom and Province: Judaea transitioned from a Roman client kingdom under Herod the Great to a directly ruled Roman province after his death (4 BCE), exacerbating the economic burden. Peasants faced multiple layers of taxation:

Temple and Synagogue: The Temple in Jerusalem was the central place of worship and sacrifice. Synagogues served as centers for prayer and study throughout Jewish communities.

 Messianic Expectations: Many Jews harbored nationalist aspirations and longed for freedom from foreign domination, with various groups holding different expectations of a coming Messiah.

In essence, first-century BCE Palestine was a society marked by deep divisions between a wealthy urban elite and a largely impoverished rural peasantry, all operating under the demanding and often oppressive hand of Roman imperial rule. This context of economic hardship and political tension significantly shaped the lives of ordinary people and provided the backdrop for Jesus' ministry, which often addressed the plight of the poor and challenged existing social norms.

T W O

Second, Missio Dei or the mission of God has always been a mission of bringing about peace. Peace in the biblical-theological perspective is the well being of people, the experience of justice and life’s sustainability. Peace is very concrete because its manifestation is seen in the abundance of food, water, health and healing resources, social and emotional support are readily accessed by persons in need. Peace or shalom is the lived experience of trust and confidence between leaders and the people, that both in the perspective of covenant with God, protect the life and dignity of every person. The existence of oppression and injustice in the community are considered violations of the covenant —the fundamental moral law that binds people and their leaders to live as God’s people.

The psycho-social theory that asserts that in order for peace to be achieved, the obstacles in attaining peace and justice must be removed or eliminated is Johan Galtung's concept of Positive Peace, particularly in contrast to his concept of "Negative Peace."

Here's why:

Negative Peace is defined as the absence of direct violence (e.g., war, physical attacks).

Positive Peace goes beyond this, advocating for the absence of structural and cultural violence and the presence of social justice, equality, and harmonious social relationships. Structural violence refers to systemic ways in which social, economic, and political structures harm individuals or groups (e.g., poverty, discrimination, limited access to education or healthcare). Cultural violence refers to aspects of culture (e.g., religion, ideology, language, art, science) that can be used to legitimize direct or structural violence.

Galtung's theory, particularly the concept of Positive Peace, emphasizes that true and sustainable peace cannot exist simply by ending overt conflict. Instead, it requires actively dismantling the underlying obstacles and root causes of conflict, such as inequalities, discrimination, lack of access to resources, and power imbalances.

To achieve positive peace, the focus is on removing or eliminating these obstacles—addressing the root causes of conflict, promoting social justice, fostering equality, and transforming the cultural and structural conditions that give rise to violence. This involves peacebuilding efforts that go beyond ceasefire agreements to include addressing human rights, economic disparity, political exclusion, and reconciliation processes.

Sometimes it is discouraging to observe that many people in the country do not fully understand Christian mission of peace in our modern world. When Church leaders talk and involve themselves in peace talks and peace processes, the members would rather not endorse or support their leaders in the work for justice and peace in the land. Many pastors and members were accused of trumped up criminal cases for supporting basic sectors and indigenous people for their right to ancestral land and access to social services. Many of us were “redtagged” for being a prophetic voice in society. However, the growing awareness of people of the failures of governance and adverse impact of repressive laws on the quality of life of the people, have slowly changed the discourse on justice, peace and human rights. 

The arrest and trial of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a test of the global understanding of human dignity and human rights of people, especially those extrajudicially killed. The culture of impunity is starting to be eroded by the surfacing of witness to the mass murder of more than 100 sabongero who were alleged to have been killed and their bodies thrown at the deep waters of Lake Taal in Batangas.

Philippine society, when likened to a dysfunctional person, can be similar to the character of Evan McCauley (Mark Wahlberg) in the film Infinite (2021). 

Evan McCauley (Mark Wahlberg) is haunted by vivid memories and skills he’s never learned—hallmarks, he believes, of schizophrenia. Medicated and troubled, he struggles to hold down a job and self-medicates to stave off mental breakdowns. The film is a sci‑fi action thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua, based on The Reincarnationist Papers, blending high‑concept metaphysics with global stunts and intense visual effects.

But Evan’s life takes a dramatic turn when he’s approached by a secret society known as the Infinites—individuals who do remember all of their past lives. They explain that humanity is divided into two factions: the Believers, who use their reincarnated knowledge to help the world, and the Nihilists, who view endless rebirth as a curse. Bathurst (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a powerful Nihilist, believes life is suffering and seeks to end the cycle—by deploying a doomsday device called the Egg.

In the film, a moral dilemma is revealed:

If someone commits crimes in one life, can they be held accountable in the next?

  • The Believers uphold a form of cosmic justice: using memory and accumulated experience to shape moral responsibility across generations.

  • Bathurst challenges this, arguing that eternal memory without rest is cruel, and questions the fairness of suffering in one life for another’s mistakes.

This raises real-world philosophical questions:

Is justice cumulative? Or should each life be judged on its own terms?”


Empires and political regimes in the world, like the Philippines, are judged in the here and now in the measure of their impact on people and communities. People in their organizations and institutions like the churches can judge how justice has been disregarded and how peace has been mocked in the waging of wars of agression, genocide, mass murders and other forms of oppression and tyrany. Each political regime and empire’s lifetime must be judged accordingly. 

T H R E E

Third, the announcement or proclamation of the kingdom of God is a radical if not a revolutionary task that Christians do in their bearing witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why is this revolutionary? Because living out our faith in God through Christ means witnessing to the new consciousness rooted in love and compassion. 

The 12 disciples and the 72 were sent out maybe similar to our seminary students’ summer exposure program, but this is something more than just integration, they were commissioned to bring peace, healing and the heralding of the kingdom of God. They were sent by Jesus disturbing the status quo, or what the people have become culturally accustomed to. In this situation where the kingdom of God has come near, satan or the forces of empires intensify their oppressive and violent schemes against the people. People are on the defensive because their senses are numbed by the propensity of the empire’s violent schemes. The Gospel in its disturbing of the status quo is heard and considered as accusation and threat to their massive economic interests.

There is still observation of the tension in the communities where the 12 and the 72 were sent, which are present as well in our communities. We are hinted that there is a harvest, people long for meaning and freedom from the frightening and oppressive world in which they live. There is a hysteria just below the surface, that only waits for triggers to burst out. And yet we go to the fields with the good news—to our work places, our communities, our broader society, to speak in any way which challenges our cultural foundations and religious beliefs, and it is like being a lamb sent among the wolves. For, if we miss the love of God in Christ, or do not want the consequences of being loved, then the Gospel is itself an accusation. The empire and its cohorts will consider us enemies.

Jesus, rather than equipping the disciples for “holy war” against unbelievers, he de-equips them of the required travel paraphernalia: “Do not carry a wallet, a travel bag, or sandals; greet no one along the way.” The absence of standard traveling equipment  and the ignoring of social customs in greeting people they meet, indicates the total trust and dependence of the disciples on Jesus Christ—the mission Sender.

Here at home, Jesus’ modesty and simplicity of doing mission has been mocked by government leaders, especially by the nonchalant or careless behavior of VP Sarah Duterte on the misuse of government funds. On the halls of Congress and Senate the debate continues whether to go ahead with the impeachment trial of VP Sarah Duterte. The spectacle is sensational but, still, only a fragment of the problem. The collective loss from misused public funds across every complicit politician from the lowest barangay level through Congress to Malacañang and the presidency runs into the hundreds of billions of pesos – these are stolen opportunities, stalled progress, and a deepening betrayal of public trust.


IBON Foundation says: (I quote) The country doesn’t have any headroom. Poverty, hunger, and underdevelopment, have gotten worse under the Marcos Jr administration. It is falling behind or even regressing in the majority of its own targets for the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).


As of February 2025, halfway to the 2023 deadline, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reports that the country is off-track in 79% of its SDG targets – progress is lagging in 52% and actually regressing in 27% of targets. Amid so much hype about economic growth and progress, the country is on-track in just 21% of its commitments.


Poverty reduction according to official poverty lines is off-track, while the Social Weather Stations (SWS) actually reports poverty increasing to 55% or 15.5 million families at the start of April – with the slight decline to 50% or 14.1 million families at the end of April plausibly due to massive vote-buying as the elections neared. Progress is lagging in access to basic services, secure land rights and others – while casualties from natural disasters are increasing.


Food security and malnutrition are regressing. This is consistent with SWS reports that hunger has more than doubled since the start of the Marcos Jr administration to 27.2% or 7.5 million families by March 2025. (unquote)


CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we read that the 72 returned with stories of victories, which I suspect reflect the experience of Luke's community, and can speak for us, "returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 

I believe that demons submit to us when we persist in our prophetic ministry. We were distraught when many of us—church workers were redtagged on television by operatives of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC), a government sponsored agency. We were thinking of filing cases in court against the persons who redtagged us, but many of us were adamant to go to court considering security and economic implications. But those in the ecumenical network filed cases in court and they won the cases of redtagging and the penalties were handed down by the courts.

Demons were believed as personified forces that had power to control human behavior. But society misunderstands them in two ways. One is to say that demons and malevolent spirits do not exist and it is all in the brain malfunction or mere superstition, and the second is to have a literal understanding that demons are disembodied beings not too different to you and me. I think demons and malevolent spirits are the evil and violent intentions of persons to harm and kill other persons. Thus, they are defeated when people collectively confront and expel them from their prominence in culture and in the socio-political realm in our society. The demons that the empire unleashed should be expelled in society and the world, so that justice and peace may be truly an experience of many people in communities. 

Dear friends, the SEC 34th Founding anniversary is an opportunity for us to deepen our commitment to God in Christ in the doing of the mission in peace, justice and the proclamation of the kingdom of God. May God continue to bless and sustain the ministry and mission of the Salakot Ecumenical Church in the coming years. Amen. 

Happy Anniversary at Mabuhay ang Salakot Ecumenical Church. 

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Friday, April 18, 2025

SERMON: “Eat the life enduring bread”


August 4, 2024


UCCP Ekklesia, Mandurriao, Iloilo City


By Rev. Francisco J. Hernando, Ed.D.


SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Exodus 16: 2-15; John 6: 24-35



Exodus 16:2-15

2The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rainy bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.” 9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’” 10And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11The Lord spoke to Moses and said, 12“I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”


13In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

John 6:24-35

24So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”

28Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”29Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

———-000———

INTRODUCTION

Good morning! Maayong aga sa tanan. Warmest greetings of love and peace from the Office of the President of Union Theological Seminary, Philippines. I’m glad for giving me the opportunity to meditate on God’s Word on this Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of August. I attended the general assembly of STEP or Samahan ng Theolohikal na Edukasyon ng Pilipinas, and the launching of the Graduate Theological Union,Philippines (GTU) last July 29-August 1. Election of officers was conducted as well. These were held at Central Philippine University.  I will be traveling back to Manila tomorrow evening.


O N E

Today’s lectionary texts are about bread or food in the general sense. Our text from the Book Exodus is a story of how the Hebrew people resented their journey in the wilderness after they left Egypt. There are at least three important points that I would like to meditate with you. 

First, the people’s cry to God in their experience of hunger and need for bodily sustenance is heard and responded to by God. In the narrative, Moses was the prophet and served as the intermediary or manugpatunga between the people and God, was able to convince God to supply the needs of the people for basically bread and meat. 

What is interesting to note in the narrative is the people’s wish to go back to slavery in Egypt, their resentment is so strong because of the lack of food in the wilderness. For sure the people have to make adjustments in their life in the wilderness because food does not come easy. Egypt was a well established monarchy that benefited from the abundant supply of food produced by slaves. 

After the Hebrew people were liberated from slavery in Egypt and journeyed to the land of abundance and security via the wilderness, they began to grumble against Moses and God. Only three days later, the people were thirsty, having found only bitter water and they grumbled again, saying, “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:24). God provided fresh water and they continued on their journey. 

On the fifteenth day of the second month, the people again found themselves in seemingly dismal circumstances, and they complained, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:3).


Nancy deClaissé-Walford in her meditation on the text, said,  “If only we had…” “If only I had . . .” Words of regret in the present, of fear for the future. “If only . . .” the Israelites cried out to God in their oppression under pharaoh. God sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam to lead them out of their oppression. God guided them through the first perilous days of their journey to freedom. God provided water when they felt they could go no further. At every juncture, God was there. According to Exodus 13:21-22, “The LORD went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day . . . and in a pillar of fire by night . . . Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”


T W O

Secondly, the nourishment of human bodies for their health and fulfillment is God’s concern and it is non-negotiable as far as the  leadership and governance of the nation is concerned. Because the raison d’etre and organization of the Philippines as a sovereign state is to ensure the prosperity and well being of its citizens. Economic and social justice is the foundational value of the state.

We are reminded of the election campaign promise to lower the price of rice per kilo to 20 pesos. Two years into the Marcos Jr. administration, the price of rice per kilo could not be reduced. This goal or promise is indicative of the duty of government to provide basic commodities to the people that are affordable and accessible. 

In the present economic system in the Philippines, there are people who experience hunger and children who are malnourished due to lack of food, because these people do not have the economic power—job and money to access food. 

The recent assessment of the Philippine economy is not commendable given the economic data analysis coming from various sources. Analysis from the perspective of the people at the grassroots have shown that opportunities and access to the economic resources of the country are still concentrated in the hands of the few families, comprising only around 2% of the total number of families in the country of the over 110 million population. 

The employment rate as of April 2024 is 7 million that included the 1.9 million discouraged workers no longer seeking employment excluded in the government statistics and the 3.1 million unpaid family workers.  It is estimated that 20 million or 41.1% is the total employed workers in the informal sector or those who are self-employed or employed by their own family businesses. Approximately 70% of the employed are employed in the SMEs and stores.

Christian social ethics of social justice and compassion have been challenged by the economic inequality in the country. While the quality of life of the working classes are impacted by the rising inflation rate and the snail paced and token wage increase as legislated by the government, there are few oligarch families who have increased their wealth because of their land holdings and capital.


There is a huge gap in the monthly income of those who are wealthy and the poor in the country. Only 2% of the families are earning Php 500,000-Php10 million while around 66% are the families that subsist on a monthly income of Php 26,000 or much lower per month. Combining the wealth of the 2%, this will reach Php 20-25 trillion is worth the wealth divided by the poorest 80% of the population. The 2,945 billionaires in the country has more than Php 8.2 trillion while 80% of the population  does not even have Php 500,000 in their hands for their basic economic needs.


Our food insecurity is exacerbated or intensified due to lack of government support for rice production and other agricultural produce, even our fish and marine resources. for this year 2024, the Philippines is expected to import between 3.8 and 4.1 million metric tons of rice. This projection has varied slightly across different reports, with estimates such as 3.8 million metric tons according to the USDA, rising to 3.9 million and then to 4.1 million metric tons in subsequent updates due to factors like strong purchases from Vietnam and the impact of the El Niño phenomenon on local production.


The Philippine government's constitutional mandate in ensuring food security is derived from several provisions in the 1987 Constitution. Key points include:


Article II, Section 9 - "The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all," and


Hiligaynon: Ang Estado magapatigayon sang makatarunganon kag mainuswagon nga katilingban nga magapasiguro sang kauswagan kag paghilway sa katawhan gikan sa kaimolon pinaagi sa mga polisas nga magapatuhaw sang mga serbisyo sosyal, pagpatigayon sang bug-os nga palangitan-an, pagpataas sang ikasarang sa palangabuhian kag mauswagon nga kalidad sa pagpangabuhi para sa tanan.


Article XIII, Section 1 - "The Congress shall give highest priority to the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right of all the people to human dignity, reduce social, economic, and political inequalities, and remove cultural inequities by equitably diffusing wealth and political power for the common good."


Hiligaynon: Ang Congreso magahatag sang pinakamataas nga prioridad sa paghimo sang mga pamaagi nga nagaprotekta kag nagapauswag sang kinamatarung sang tanan nga katawhan para sa tawhanon nga dignidad, pagpanubo sang sosyal, pangekonomikanhon kag pangpolitikal nga indi pagkapareho kag tapnaon ang kulturanhon nga indi-pagkapareho pinaagi sa pagpang-apod-apod sang manggad kag gahum politikal para sa kaayohasn sang katawhan


These constitutional provisions highlight the Philippine government's responsibility to ensure food security for the people through social justice, economic opportunities, support for agricultural and fishing communities, and measures to improve the overall quality of life. As individuals and families, we may be ignored by government agencies but as a church and organized people’s organizations, we can demand for the economic support and the implementation of social services for the poor and the marginalized sectors of society.


T H R E E 


Thirdly, the life of God in Jesus Christ is the source of life-enduring and abundant life of the people. It is true that nourishment of our bodies is primary for human being’s growth and health, this may not be adequate for holistic nourishment and towards self-fulfillment and maturity of the community of faith. 


We have heard Jesus talk about the feeding of the crowd of 5,000 and they have followed him to the other side of the sea. So they found him and he had a conversation with them, asking them why they kept on following him. Then he assumed that they were following him because they wanted to be continually fed. Then he made a connection between Moses’ manna which came from heaven, which he asserts was sent by God /Father. He offered them the bread that will feed them for a lifetime.


Mark Davis in his exegesis on the text explained: The crowd’s request is intriguing. The verb is an aorist imperative —nagasugo nga tunada sa paghambal, the imperative mood, aorist refers more to the aspect of urgency —dinalian—in what is being commanded than the tense. An aorist imperative often carries the feel of “right now, be silent!” or something that expresses immediacy—insigida gid. Here, it would carry the sense of “Lord, give us this bread right now!” except that it is qualified by the adverb “always.” Perhaps it is less about demanding immediacy and more like a “now and forever!” kind of feel behind this request. “Hatagi kami sining tinapay subong nga adlaw kag padayon sa matag-adlaw.”


Moreover, John Petty, in his exegesis of the text mentioned that Jesus made a contrast between food that perishes and the abiding / enduring food, I quote:


Jesus said, “Do not work for the perishing food, but the abiding food into life eternal, which the son of man gives to you, for him God the Father sealed.” The contrast is between "perishing food" and "abiding (menein) food into life eternal."  Menein is one of the most important verbs in the fourth gospel.  It means "reside with," —nagapakig-upod—"abide," or "dwell”—nagapuyo.  In every single case, Jesus is the one who "abides," the one who is there, the one who is with the people. 

In consideration of the eucharistic overtones of the whole story (6:11, 6:23), the author of the fourth gospel is asserting that Jesus is present with, and abides with, the people through the eucharist.  This is what the son of man "gives to you," his abiding presence. Psychologically, if food appears in dreams, it is thought to be a symbol of something unconscious that is ready to be absorbed--or consumed--into consciousness.  (Unquote)


The abiding bread / food that Jesus referred to as his own body, is the spiritual food that we should daily consume through prayer and abiding in the Word of God. This abiding food that we consume becomes part of our way of living and in our manner of relating with other persons, the community of faith, and the larger society. 


CONCLUSION

Finally, my dear sisters and brothers in faith, the perishable food/bread is inextricably linked with the abiding and enduring bread that we partake in the eucharist or communion. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper connects us with the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. 


This is not a ritual, but a participation in Christ’s life, and our spiritual nurture leads us to a life of greater understanding of God’s purposes for our lives, and transforms our wills making it loving and compassionate. When we internalize the life of Jesus Christ he becomes the spring of water and the abiding food in our lives that even in the midst of challenges we can transform and make them opportunities for faith-witness and in exemplifying God’s love. Amen.—-END OF SERMON

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The Legacy of Mission, Proclaiming Peace and the Kingdom of God

  Theme: A Legacy of Mission: Proclaiming Peace, Welcoming the Kingdom Salakot Ecumenical Church, 34th Founding Anniversary (First Sunday)...