Lineamenta on Service

Lineamenta on Service

SERVING THE PEOPLE OF GOD

Jesus’ entire life is that of service and of doing good works for the sake of the Kingdom of God (Mt 4:23-25). He said: “anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:26-28). Following our Lord Jesus in a life of service is to affirm our sublime dignity that we receive in grace our being created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26-27) which is truly manifest in our life of work and service to people.
The Church as God’s chosen people is called to witness to the life and ministry of Jesus and sees the value of stewardship. She takes upon herself the mandate to preach the Good News to the poor, to proclaim the liberation of the captives, to open the eyes of those who are blinded, to set free the downtrodden and to announce God’s year of favor (Lk 4:18-19). She takes upon herself “the duty to proclaim the liberation, of giving witness to it, of ensuring that it is complete” (Evangelii Nuntiandi [EN], 30). She identifies herself with the poor in such a way as the joys and hopes, grief and anxieties become also the joys and hopes, grief and anxieties of the followers of Christ (Gaudium et Spes [GS], 1). This identification with the poor makes her serve the little ones and the marginalized, to defend their human dignity and their hope for a human future as her duty and her option for the poor (John Paul II, in Bacolod, no.5). She sees in the large number of poor people in our country a manifestation of a sick society which is a deviation from God’s will and intentions for his people (CBCP, Mahal na Birhen, p.17). She realizes that they are poor not in human qualities and potential but they are poor because they are deprived of access to the basic material goods and resources to live a truly human life. Hence, the Church’s option for the poor implies solidarity with the basic sectors like the poor farmers and fisher-folks, sugar workers and manual workers, poor women and children and urban poor and indigenous peoples. She recognizes the importance of their role in social development and upholds the principle that they should become the main agents of economic development, cultural betterment and social progress (Mater et Magistra [MM], 144). It is her mission to realize the liberation of the poor from the lack of minimum material necessities, from moral deficiencies of those who are mutilated by selfishness and from oppressive structures, whether due to the abuses of ownership or to abuses of power (Laborem Exercens [LE], 20)
The local Church of the Diocese of San Carlos realizes this liberating mission and ministry through the activities and programs of Social Action and the Service Commission of the Diocese. Alay Kapwa, Community Based Health Program, Socio-Economic Projects, Cooperatives, Sustainable Agriculture, Appropriate Technology, Labor Desk, Prison Apostolate, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Program, Indigenous People’s Program, Urban Poor Apostolate and Social Concerns are only some of the many activities and programs directed to the spiritual and temporal development of the poor, dispossessed, exploited and marginalized of our society. The aim is not just to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty but also to initiate radical transformations and innovations in all levels of our society (Populorum Progressio [PP], 32, 47) in order to build new structures for a just and equitable economic life (Puebla Documents [PD], 492, 497), participatory and people-oriented politics (lOctogesima Adveniens [OA], 46) and a liberated culture (GS, 59).

Questions for small group discussions:
1. How can we effectively respond to the present economic, political and cultural problems of our society?
2. How can we effectively implement the programs and activities of the Social Action and Service Commission of our Diocese?
3. What are other or alternative means of responding to our societal problems aside from the programs and activities of Social Action and Service Commission of our Diocese? How can these be integrated into our Diocesan Program?