'Focus on mission, not on ambition,' Cardinal Tagle urges religious
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle on Nov. 30 urged the consecrated people and clergymen to concentrate on their mission of evangelization instead of focusing on their ambition of attaining higher ranks.
“Mamili tayo, ambisyon o misyon? Hindi tayo sinusugo sa ambisyon, sinusugo tayo sa misyon. Kaya mga kapatid na pari [at] mga religious, mission not ambition,” said Tagle in his homily at the Eucharistic celebration for the culmination of the Year of Parish as Communion of Communities (YPCC) and the opening of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons (YCCP) at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle highlights the difference between religious's mission and ambition in his homily at the Eucharistic celebration for the culmination of the Year of Parish as Communion of Communities. Photo by Joselle Czarina S. Dela Cruz.
Tagle said “grudges of the past,” which prevent religious to evangelize, must be thrown away in order to continue their missions.
“[H]indi lamang yaman, minsan po iyon ay kapritso [at] minsan [ay] sama ng loob. Kaya hindi tayo makapag-misyon, ayaw pang iwanan ang sama ng loob,” he said.
The appetite for eating should also be applied to the practice of faith and practice of sharing to be a good example to others, said Tagle.
“Hindi pupuwedeng masarap lang akong kumain kapag porkchop pero kapag ang kakainin na ay salita ng Diyos na sinasabing ibigay mo sa mga dukha ang kalahati ng iyong ari-arian, nabibilaukan na, hindi na masikmura,” he said.
“[G]usto kong maging sustansiya ng buhay ko ang katotohanan, ang katarungan, ang pagdamay. Lahat tayo [ay] may gift to eat, may appetite to eat, pero sana hindi tayo makakakain nang hindi rin nagbabahagi,” he added.
Tagle also emphasized the importance of combining evangelization and communion.
“Walang tao na kayang magmisyon ng nag-iisa, walang community na kayang ipalaganap ang mabuting balita sa ating lipunan at mundo nang paisa-isa,” he said. “Kailangan ng communion at ‘yan ang ipinagdiwang natin ngayong taon.”
The Mass was also a celebration for the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle who was known as the “The First-Called” for being the first follower of Jesus Christ.
The YPCC and YCCP were part of the nine “novena years” of the Philippine Catholic Church for the preparation of the 500th anniversary of the coming of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021.