MEMBERS of the Dominican Laity of the Philippines were urged on Sunday to preach on the protection of human life and family relationships during the Dominican Laity National Congress at the Medicine auditorium.
Fr. Rui Carlos Lopes, O.P., promoter general of the Dominican laity, called for the protection of human life from conception to natural death, amid growing cases of abortion and euthanasia or assisted medical suicide.
“All steps of life are very important because human life is a gift of God. Preach for respect for life, from the beginning of the formation of human life ‘til the end. In many places, abortion, euthanasia end life. Our preaching must respect very strongly the importance of human life. [W]e must preach the Gospel of life,” he said in his keynote address.
Fr. Napoleon Sipalay, Jr., O.P., UST vice chancellor and head of the Filipino Dominicans, urged the Dominican laity to be in solidarity with people who are struggling with personal and family relationships.
“Lay fraternities will do the reflection of how we can accompany our brothers and sister who are in difficult situations in their family, relationships and status. The Dominican Laity is a place of welcome, discernment and accompaniment, and a venue for conversion and path to holiness,” he said.
Lay Dominicans should also preach in the secular world to help people find God, Lopes added.
“Many men and women in our world don’t accept the Church and many of them are looking for other forms of spirituality [and] they want to find God in the very wrong ways. This secularization, this society that is not always linked with Church in many places is the place where we must preach,” he said.
Lopes also called on Dominicans to use the internet and other digital means of communication to amplify their preaching vocation and engagement with others.
“It needs reflection on how we use these ways of communication. Also, for the Dominican family, it’s very important to reflect on that, how you use Facebook, the internet, how you use that to preach.”
The Alab ng Puso 2018 concert followed after the conference, featuring the UST Symphony Orchestra, UST Marian Evangelization Community, Tining – Ang Koro ng Letran Calamba, UST Central Seminary choir Psalterion and the Conservatory of Music’s Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble.
Also present in the concert was Archbishop Gabrielle Giordano Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, who encouraged the youth to live a harmonious life with God, nature and others.
“This is my wish to all of you, especially young people, to be harmonious in your life and find the harmony with God, with ourselves, with others, with the nature, the happiness and peace, which is the gift of Risen Christ,” he said.
