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FCCY 23rd National Convention: Empowering Us to Make a Difference in the Context of Christian Discipleship There is a certain bizarre linguistic phenomenon that defies the law of numerical progression. In mathematics, every addition results in an increase in magnitude. For example, five grams plus two grams become seven grams. Seven is a quantity greater in magnitude than either five or two. The opposite holds true for phrases or words so often repeated that they become relegated to the meaningless realm of cliché (Cliché , noun, an _expression or idea worn out by long use.). Whereas in math, numbers increase in magnitude the more additions are performed; in language, expressions become less meaningful when they are repeated every so often. The _expression “We can make a difference” which was the theme of the 23rd FCCY National Convention has unfortunately become a cliché—devoid of true meaning—for many of us. We see it in bumper stickers, in posters, and even in text messages. Its frequent use, without systematic reflection, resulted in it becoming a cliché. The adage “We can make a difference”, however, does not deserve to be buried in the meaningless realm of cliché. It is a truth that demands our attention. The FCCY National Convention rescued this noble truth, which has become banal and trite to contemporary man, by integrating it with our Christian faith. Christianity demands that we make a difference in the lives of others. Christianity does not just involve an abstract faith, it challenges us to live out our faith by making a difference in the lives of others, just as Jesus made the greatest difference in our lives. “We can make a difference.” This is the theme of the 23rd Filipino-Chinese Catholic Youth National Convention held in Cebu. It is indeed a bold statement to make in our postmodern age pervaded by the spirit of anomie, of consumerism, of materialism, of disbelief; but the FCCY believes that we CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE through God who strengthens us. A series of activities were designed to help us realize that we have the potential not only to make a difference within ourselves, but also with others. It is an acknowledged fact that FCCYers are more blessed financially. This is nothing to be ashamed of. What is to be ashamed of is our indifference to the plight of our less fortunate brothers and sisters. For me, much of our indifference to the poor lies not in a malicious intent to glorify in the sufferings of others, but in our blindness to their situation. You say, “How can we be blind to the poor? We see them every so often while riding in our air-conditioned cars on going to school. We see them in the faces of the little girls who sell sampaguita along the roads, in the smudged countenance of the beggars lying along the sidewalks, and in the eyes of the street children roaming the streets aimlessly. We are intellectually aware of the dire statistics stating that millions of our brothers and sisters live with less than P100 per day.” There is a different kind of blindness that results from seeing too much. It is not the blindness of ignorance. It is the blindness called cynicism. We accept the fact that there are a lot of poor people in our country, but we have become cynical as to whether we can change that fact or not. We have quit even before we started the battle against poverty. The whole-day activity called “Way of Solidarity” attempted to cure this particular blindness of ours. It helped us see that we share a common humanity with our less fortunate brothers and sisters. It helped us realize that we have a responsibility towards them. The “Way of Solidarity” started with an activity called Tayo na sa Talipapa. The participants were given pictures of foods like fish, meat, chicken, vegetables, and bananas. Each food-picture had a corresponding monetary value. The participants were to barter with each other for a certain period of time. After one round, the top three participants who accumulated the greatest amount of monetary value were set off from the rest of the “poor folks.” A second group of “middle-class” people stood beside the top three richest participants. The third group was comprised of the poor who had minimal monetary value. The top three richest participants decided on the monetary value to give each food picture. For example, they could mandate that a banana was worth P500, while beef was only worth P5. In the course of the game, fortunes were reversed with some of the rich tycoons demoted to be one of the common folk, and vice-versa. The game Tayo na sa Talipapa was an allegory of our present socio-economic conditions. Just as the three richest participants decided on the value of the different foods, so to do multinational companies and rich tycoons in the real world decide on the monetary value of different commodities. The masses have no say in this. They are merely bystanders, more properly seen as victims of the ruthless greediness of a few. Tayo na sa Talipapa hoped to instill in the FCCYers the reality of poverty and the unjust socio-economic structures that perpetuate it. After the game, FCCYers watched a film showing entitled Riles. Riles was about the life of a couple named Eddie and Pen Renomeron who lived along the trackside of the train. The father was a balut vendor, while the mother was a labandera. The couple struggled to make ends meet for their big family. They had three adopted children and two children of their own. Aside from financial troubles, they were also plagued with relationship problems. The wife detested the drinking of her husband. The husband, on the other hand, saw drinking as the only salve to soothe his insurmountable problems. One day, the owner of the house they were living in decided to drive them out, because he intended to build a new house for his daughter. Burdened as they were with financial and relationship problems, another problem emerged. Where shall they go if they leave their house? The couple decided to rent a room, but it was extremely difficult for they did not even have enough money to pay for the deposit. Now their family lives in Cubao, still struggling, still enduring. The film provided a vicarious experience of how it is to be poor. The problems faced by the couple in the film Riles--like how to make ends meet in order to buy breakfast, how to squeeze out enough money to rent a new house—may seem very alien to us FCCYers, yet these problems are a living and haunting reality for millions of our brothers and sisters. Riles brought us face to face with the hardships and misery of poverty, yet it also showed us the greatness of the human spirit. Eddie and Pen are heroes. Even in the midst of their difficulties, they never forgot to smile and they never gave up. For me, the film gave us a balanced picture of the lives of our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Yes, they are people who need our help, but they are also humans in every sense of the word. There is a danger to a dole-out mentality that sees the poor merely as receivers of graces from the rich. It is the danger of seeing the poor merely as “objects” of our charity and not people to whom we can charitably relate to in an I-You manner. This misconception robs the less fortunate of their dignity as human beings and is even worse than mere indifference to their plight. After the film showing, we proceeded to the dining hall. Our food was inside a paper bag, so we had no idea what we were to eat. We were not allowed to speak with each other. When the paper bags were removed, we were greeted with surprise. A few of us had been given more food than others. Some had spaghetti, rice, fish, barbecue, and juice; while some only had two small sticks of barbecue, a small cup of rice, and a plain glass of water. This activity entitled “My Lunch” was both a test and an eye-opener. It was a test to see if people with more food would share their blessings with others. It was an eye-opener as regards the prevailing injustice in our society. Though all people agree implicitly that fairness, justice, equality, and selflessness are good things, these things do not necessarily translate themselves into reality. Some of us are born rich and some are born poor. We cannot choose into what kind of family we would be born into, but we can choose whether we share our blessings with others or not. The activity was very striking, because it challenged us to re-evaluate our present value systems. Are we comfortable with the status quo? Or do we dare to challenge our values that conflict with Christ’s teachings? After our lunch, we went to a Gawad Kalinga site. Gawad Kalinga is a project initiated by the Couples for Christ with the main goal of building homes for our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Having a home not only gives physical comfort to people, it also gives them a sense of dignity and purpose. We interviewed families who were beneficiaries of Gawad Kalinga. Our host was very warm and welcoming. The interview, which I prefer to call dialogue because it was a two-way process, was very rewarding. We learned a lot about the hopes, aspirations, and lifestyle of the beneficiaries. After the dialogue, we helped the Gawad Kalinga plant shrubs to beautify the site. Getting your hands dirty with soil, digging the earth, and planting a shrub were great experiences. It brought out the FCCYers’ sense of involvement and commitment. Whereas awhile ago, we were only spectators (by watching the film Riles) now we were active participants in the lives of other people as we helped them build up their community. Our second day activity was with LUBID. LUBID stood for Learning Ultra Behavioral Impact for Development. The day was filled with activities designed to help us become better individuals, better teammates, and also better leaders. The old aphorism goes like this, “You cannot give what you do not have.” FCCYers cannot make a difference in other’s lives if they do not have a strong personal foundation. How can they hope to help others learn to trust, if they themselves do not know how to trust? LUBID was designed to address this specific problem. The participants were divided into three groups. They had to go through several games in the course of the day. One of the games was the obstacle climb. Members of the group were to climb a ladder made out of ropes with a partner. The ladder of rope was around 20-30 feet high. Each climber has to have a partner. The game taught us how to look out for our friends in the FCCY. We are after all “our brother’s keeper.” Another game was entitled Fly Away. Here, the participant was tied to a pulley. His/her teammates pulled the pulley to raise the player. The safety of the person tied to the pulley depended on his/her teammates. If the teammates let go of the rope, the player may get hurt. The game taught us to look out for each other, to live in a Christan spirit of fraternal love. Low V’s involved holding a rope—much like how Tarzan grasped the vines in the jungle—and crossing an imaginary swamp. Trust and cooperation are of prime importance. You cannot do things on your own. You need the group’s help to climb the rope, and you need them to push you over to the next side of the imaginary swamp. Every time someone fell into the swamp, the whole team had to repeat the activity all over again. Spider’s Web involved getting all the members of the team through a tangle of ropes without touching the ropes themselves. There were many spaces in the tangle of ropes, but each space can only be used once. Once a team member used that space, you cannot use it again. Like the previous game, once a team member touches the rope, you have to repeat the whole activity. This game required much trust as some of the members were carried and “manhandled” by their teammates. It also requires strategic planning. Spider’s Web was the most difficult of all the activities in LUBID. Teams were given the option to quit, some teams decided to persist in spite of the inherent difficulties. The most fearful of all the games—especially to those with fear of heights or acrophobia—was the Cable Walk. Team members were to climb 30 feet up a tree. After climbing, they have to navigate along a thin cable in order to touch another tree. Then, they have to walk back to the middle of the cable and jump. The scariest part is jumping for the participant is not allowed to hold anything. The only assurance he/she has is that his/her teammates are holding the rope firmly and that he/she won’t fall to the ground. It was a dare, a challenge. Can we entrust our lives to our teammates? On the third day, FCCYers went to Bohol. We took pictures in the famous tourist spot in Chocolate Hills, we ate on a boat sailing along Loboc River, we celebrated Holy Mass in the ancient Baclayon Church, and we swam in a beautiful beach. At around 10:30 p.m. our group returned to Talavera Retreat House. The culminating activity was called “Youth Vigil and Pilgrimage: Stay With Us, Lord.” FCCYers held praise and worship. The Spirit was evidently working in our midst. You can see the emotions evoked by the action of the Holy Spirit in the countenances of the gathering. Interspersed between singing action songs were talks given by three venerable priests on the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is the “source and summit of the whole Christian life” (CCC1324). The FCCYers were challenged to make a difference in the lives of other people, but they can only do this if they unite their efforts to the celebration of the Eucharist. The talks were intended to help us unite our actions to the Mass. The CFC states that, “the most serious weakness is that so many Filipino Catholics separate the Mass from their daily lives. For many Filipino Mass-goers, the Eucharistic celebration has little to do with their ordinary moral activities, especially any social action for the poor…Thus, a clear understanding and LOVE of the Eucharist is what we urgently need today. This is the core of the renewed worship and liturgical renewal…Only such a loving knowledge of the Eucharist can inspire the typical Filipino-Catholic to an intense persevering personal commitment to the goals of service, evangelization, and personal transformation.” The talks helped FCCYers relate the Holy Mass to their daily lives thus making it central in facing the challenge to make a difference in the lives of others. After the talk, FCCYers went on to pray the Way of the Resurrection. It was around 4 a.m. We walked around Cebu, praying at different stops. Our last stop was the Sacred Heart Church where Bishop Teodoro Buhain, D.D. celebrated Holy Mass. The whole convention was filled with a lot of fun. We forged new friendships. We saw new sites. We overcame fearsome activities. But most of all the FCCY 23rd National Convention empowered us make a difference in the lives of others. I would like to end my reflection through a poem by Ellen Gates. This poem illustrates that the difference FCCYers make as they return to their homes may take different forms, but all of them proceed from and shall find their perfection in the same GOD. If you cannot on the ocean, Sail among the swiftest fleet, Rocking on the highest billows, Laughing at the storms you meet, You can stand among the sailors, Anchored yet within the bay; You can lend a hand to help them, As they launch their boats away. If you are too weak to journey Up to the mountain steep and high, You can stand within the valley, While the multitude go by. You can chant in happy measure, As they slowly pass along; Though they may forget the singer, They will not forget the song. If you have not gold and silver Ever ready to command, If you cannot toward the needy Reach an ever-open hand, You can visit the afflicted, O’er the erring you can weep; You can be a true disciple Sitting at the Savior’s feet. If you cannot in a conflict Prove yourself a soldier true, If where the fire and smoke are thickest There’s no work for you to do, When the battlefield is silent, You can go with careful tread; You can bear away the wounded, You can cover up the dead. Do not stand then idly waiting For some greater work to do; Fortune is a lazy goddess, She will never come to you. Go and toll in any vineyard, Do not fear to do or dare; If you want a field of labor, You can find it anywhere
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