Quevedo: mercy is linked with communion

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, 17 January 2017 - Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo stresses on communion as the deepest vocation of the Church in the second day of the Fourth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM4) held here in the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines.

In a country beset by violence and poverty, he underscored the need for communion as the abiding love of God in us.

“God abides in those who confess that Jesus abides in God with the love God has for us.  We see three persons of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We understand that God abides in us, not just the Spirit or Jesus, but the Triune God,” the Cardinal explained.

“The Triune God also dwells in us.  You are not just in the flesh; you are in the Spirit.  Christ is in you; the spirit of Jesus dwells in you; the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies.”

The Cardinal reminds the faithful that God’s Person is holy and we are the temples and that we live and be guided by the Spirit.

“Do not gratify the flesh as simply carnal desire, impurity, infidelity, the enumeration of the desires of the flesh, ideologies, dissensions and factions, conflicts, and quarrels,” clarified the Cardinal.

He explained the signs of living in the Spirit: "If you live by the Spirit, you have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control."

“Virtue stands in the middle; it is self-controlled.  On how I live by the Spirit, I have to examine myself, ‘Do I love as I should?  Do I love God above all else and love my neighbor as myself?  And who is my neighbor?  He is the one next door.  Remember the good Samaritan. He is that person who killed a member of the family; who speaks against you; one you never heard of but in need of something in the world.”

The Cardinal reminds Catholics of their role as bearers of the Good News of salvation.  “Do not go around wearing funeral faces.  Ask, ‘Am I kind and generous to the poor, needy, and marginalized?  Am I gentle and faithful?  Do I make peace with others and find out whether or not I am living by the Spirit?’  Acknowledge the Spirit working in us as St. Paul says, “as you received the Lord, live life in Jesus.”

The Church as the image of communion and mercy

Cardinal Quevedo also reminded the faithful on their role as members of the body of Christ.

“In the body of Christ, the greatest gift is love.  Because of love we build up together one body.  When one suffers, everyone suffers.  Can we be indifferent to the plight of Christians leaving homes, with churches being burnt, and those being killed around the world?” challenged the Cardinal.

Another image of communion is our unity with Jesus as described in St. John’s gospel in the 15th chapter: “I am the vine; you are branches.  Apart from me you can do nothing.”

“I give you a new commandment: love one another.  You should love one another.  By this, everyone will know you are my disciples.”

Acts 2 and 4 described the life of the early Christian communities.  “They sold their possessions and distributed according to the needs of others.  They broke bread and ate their food with generous hearts.  Day by day the Lord added to their number.  As all was held in common, there were no needy among them.”
"The Church is called on a mission: We are called to love and mercy because of our communion with Jesus flowing from his love and mercy.  We are called to demonstrate this mission in love and serve by going out to the poor.”

“We are called to build communion with one another.  We do not stop building communion with one another in the wider society; to reconcile relationships broken by crime and drugs.  How important this task is!  We have to get rid of biases,” concluded Cardinal Quevedo.  (FR. LITO JOPSON, CBCP ECSC)