The Christmas Party of Defensores Fidei Foundation - December 13, 2008

The Defensores Fidei Founding Fathers and their apologetic children and grandchildren: United as One during the same Mission and Goal, i.e., to make Catholics better Catholics and Defending the Faith we have inherited from the Apostles.

The New Year is going deeper into the month of January but still I can't start writing and posting about 2009. My memory is still attached to that of 2008 because despite the global economic crisis that year is still a year of favor and blessing from the Lord.

After the Ad Orientem Novus Ordo Mass presided by Bishop Angel Hobayan in St. John the Baptist Parish in San Juan and taking lunch in the same hall where we held the seminar we proceeded to Regency Park for the DFF Christmas Party. This was smaller in number than the one in the morning because it was an internal affair of the DFF.

One in Worship of the One Lord and God, our Savior Jesus Christ under the banner of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

Once again the gathering was very joyful. Bro. Mars made us laught to our hearts' content using his wit and humor by imitating Soriano and the Iglesia ni Cristo pastors. Bro. Kit served as his back up, a well deserved Epafrodito. Then, Sis. Shirly Monreal serenaded us again with Ave Maria and Panis Angelicus which she rendered for us all due to overwhelming petition to repeat her beautiful solo performance during the Mass. On the other side of the table we enjoyed the jokes of Bro. Digoy boasting about the recent victory of La Salle over Ateneo in Basketball while Bro. PV and those from Ateneo gamely responded that they lost due to the absence of Chris Tiu in their line up. The ladies led by Sis. Nancy and Ate Lerma prepared the sumptous snacks and with the presence of long time friends rarely gathered together in a large scale like this the laughter and the stories were overflowing together with the red wine and the light drinks.

The DFF officials, Guests Apologists of various organizations, seminar participants and friends. Together as one. Before we separate Bro. Henry Siy called for silence and admonish me to give the Christmas reflection for the group. So, I took the Bible and read the Prologue of the Gospel of John. After reading and kissing the Gospel I spoke to them. This is no longer a verbatim narration but a presentation from memory of an event that occurred exactly 1 month ago:

The things that I am going to share this afternoon for your Christmas reflection is not something new because Christmas is a commemoration of an event that had happened years ago. For sure, almost all of you are already familiar with it because you are highly educated, active in faith and learned apologists of the Church. But, I want to point out these 3 points from the reading that we have heard in order to serve as our guiding Star in serving the Lord as Catholic Apologists and in working with each other under one umbrella organization.

First, The Kenosis of God. We have heard that the Logos is God from the very beginning. He is eternal and He is the origin of everything; much more He is the one who gave life and is sustaining the entire Creation. What a powerful God! How tremendous His power! Yet in John 1:14 we have heard that this Eternal God humbled Himself and became Man. The Supreme Being became a creature. God emptied Himself in becoming like us.

What does it mean for us? We are Catholic apologists. We studied a lot and trained hard for years. Many of us are prominent speakers, authors of books, renown debaters, media personalities and others. Having these qualifications it is very easy for us to succumb to the temptations and seductions of Pride. The feeling and attitude that I know a lot and that I am better than others. I can quote the Scriptures word for word and find passages in split seconds.

This was the pitfall of Lucifer and that will be the pitfall of apologists who fall into the trap. Let us pray and work hard that the Holy Spirit will protect us from our pride and be able to imitate the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Second, Jesus was rejected by His own. I think this is one of the most touching statements in the Scriptures: "He came into His own and His own knew Him not." Let us imagine ourselves coming home after long years of hardwork abroad then we've found out that the family we've been feeding with our blood is absent to fetch and greet us at the airport. After arriving home all alone there were no hugs and kisses from the dear wife and children. Nothing as if we are not important; a non-existent. Forgotten, snubbed and most of all unaccepted in yur own home. The Lord has experienced this level of rejection and He felt personally how hard and painful it is the emotional and pyschological torture of Rejection.

On our part, we belong to a single group yet we came from very different backgrounds. Some are doctors of medicine, some are lawyers from prestigious schools, some are licensed engineers, other successful businessmen, while others are teachers, there are also priests but also students. Our talents are also variants: there are debaters, philosophers, theologians, there street apologists and there are academic type thinkers. No matter what we are our love of God and of the Church unites us together.

Having these differences it is normal for us to disagree from time to time. Thus, we debate and argue on certain issues but we must always be guided by truth and charity. We must learn how to accept the other as 'our own' as 'my own' so that none of us will feel being outcast and rejected. THE ONLY THING THAT IS NOT WELCOME HERE IS HERESY; in the rest we have to bear in mind the words of Blessed Pope John XXIII: "What unites us is much greater than what divides." That point of unity is CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH!

Third and finally, The Challenges of Many Blessings. Years ago our founding fathers and mother [Chit] gathered together and formed common vision and course of actions. Thus, DFF came into being. Now, that group composed originally of less than 10 people has grown. The annual seminars is tremendously growing year after year. In fact, four years ago I gave lecture on Sacrament of Priesthood for only about 20 people but this year we've got more than 120 participants from rich and poor alike. And the original venue has become too small for an increasing crowd. And they are dedicated. Taking notes of all the talks, asking intelligent questions and returning again and again for succeeding topics. We've got new members very active in organization and we've got converts as well.

These are blessings beyond our imagination. The Lord has blessed us so much. Now, as we are entering into the New Year our founding fathers and leaders must gather together once again in order to respond to the new situations and in order to prepare us for new challenges. We pray that the guidance of the Holy Spirit be upon them as we join hands again in worshipping God and in defending the Holy Mother the Church.

A Grace-Filled Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. My paternal blessings to one and all.