January 26, 2016, 10:00a.m. – CEBU CITY – CHRISTIANS should imitate St. Paul and convert from sinfulness to become instruments of God’s love and presence.
This was the message of Archbishop Piero Marini, master of liturgical ceremonies to two popes, during the Eucharistic celebration on Jan. 25, the second day of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) which coincided with the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.
In his homily, Marini urged the faithful to embrace “constant conversion” which will lead to becoming witnesses of faith, citing the example of St. Paul who converted from being an “intense sinner” to apostle par excellence.
“Through Apostle Paul, may we be able to say—the life I will live is not my own, Christ is living in me. It is a life of faith in God’s son who loves me and gave Himself for me,” said Marini, who was formerly in charge of the Office for Liturgical Celebrations under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Marini is now president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Committee on International Eucharistic Congresses.
Biblical theologian Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte discussed the 51st IEC’s theme, “Christ in You, Our Hope of Glory, in the first catechesis of the congress, which was from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. He said the Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel should extend to “every living creature.”
“The proclamation of the Word of God should lead to the perfection of every believer in Christ,” said Cabrejos, the archbishop of Trujillo, Peru. “The Gospel must reach everyone because if not, it will not reach its full realization.”
While Christ’s passion is already a fulfillment, the faithful ought to live a life of suffering to fulfill the redemptive suffering of the Church, the Peruvian bishop said.
“Paul suffers for the strength and solidity of the Church, for its steadfastness, for its growth in the knowledge of the treasures manifested by God in His son,” he said. “The mediation of God is perfect.”
In a testimony, Hong Kong Bishop Emeritus Joseph Cardinal Zen called on the IEC pilgrims to include the persecuted Christians in their prayers, especially the Chinese Christians.
“[Chinese Christians] believe in Him as their redeemer, the One who died on the cross, who renews his supreme sacrifice on the Cross in the Eucharist, the one who gives the fullness of His Spirit, and so introduced us into an abundant life, a life of love and of glory,” Zen said.
Cardinal Zen recalled the “big persecution” in Shanghai on Sept. 8, 1955, which led to the arrest of almost a thousand people including Bishop Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei, who kept true to his faith shouting “Long live Christ the King,” despite being taunted and accused.
The catechesis and the Eucharist was followed by parallel sessions featuring Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., Fr. Paul Vu, Fr. Francis Moloney, and Georgian Ambassador to the Vatican Tamara Grdzelidze. Krystel Nicole A. Sevilla and Lea Mat P. Vicencio
