November has come, a month where SCA celebrates the National Solidarity Month. It is in this period that all SCAns are strongly encouraged to be conscious of being a promoter, advocate, builder, sharer and giver of PEACE. Much, in this year’s celebration of NSM challenged us all to be bold and be fully aware of our being agent of social transformation by building PEACE as our way of life.
The world at present is experiencing turmoil brought about by people whose perspective of power is different from what Jesus, the leader of all, is teaching. Added to this is the anxiety caused by the natural calamities that are happening one after the other in our country and abroad which are considered as the effects of climate change. PEACE impels us to do our part now and not later, young as we are.
Now that the new liturgical year is about to begin, the year of the Family and the Eucharist in our Philippine Catholic Church is declared, Pope Francis dedicated 2016 as Jubilee Year of Mercy also, SCAP is focusing on forming towards the sustainable community. Our advocacies are more centered on Environment, Peace, and Education. These advocacies were also agreed upon during the Global Training Session of the International Young Catholic Students (IYCS) which was hosted by SCAP in Mariapolis, Tagaytay City last July 28 – August 02, 2015.
Our National Solidarity Month 2016 has the theme “PEACE, Grace the Earth”. Calling Peace to grace and bless the earth is not as simple as uttering it with our mouth, we know that we need to do something. Pope Francis in his Encyclical Laudato Si, quotes Pope John Paul VI saying, “Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation”(Laudato Si #4). It seems that the Pope is trying to show that these destructions in nature which are also the cause of human’s irresponsibility bring chaos and hinder people to live a peaceful life. Peace fails to grace and bless the earth in this sense. Pope Francis continued quoting Pope John Paul VI. He said that there is a need for radical transformation in the conduct of humanity for in as much as
“the most extraordinary scientific advances, the most amazing technical abilities, the most astonishing economic growth unless they are accompanied by authentic social and moral progress, will definitively turn against man.”
With this, clear as the bright shining sun it is each ones’ responsibility to protect our common home, for whatever we do and we don’t do affects the Earth.
As our celebration of the NSM once again reminded us of our calling. We will also commemorate the birth of Cardinal Joseph Cardijn (November 13), the author of the SEE-JUDGE-ACT Methodology. SCA uses his methodology jubilantly proclaiming the Kingship of Christ (November 22), let us be united to summon “PEACE, grace the earth” by doing our part in return.
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NSM 2015 [Portable Document Format] -- 449kb