ALAY KAPWA SUNDAY
April 9, 2006
Pastoral Letter

My dear brother s and sisters in Christ,

In Luke 19:41-42 we read: Jesus “came closer to the city and when He saw it, He wept over it saying, if you only knew today what is needed for peace!”

At the threshold of what seem to be a triumphant journey, with a multitude waving palm branches, Jesus wept as He foresees the imminent atrocities on the city. Jesus showed His compassion for the human situation and at the same time He recognized the need for peace.

In this part of Christ’s journey towards his Passion and Resurrection, that I invite you to focus on as we observe Alay Kapwa Sunday on Palm Sunday. Alay Kapwa means offering (alay) to our neighbor (kapwa) who we are and what we have as an expression of our solidarity with our neighbors especially the poor.

We look around and there is so much that moves us to tears – widespread poverty, social injustice and moral degradation. It is in these situations that we are called to manifest our faith. Can we say we love God if we turn a blind eye to poverty and have deaf ears to cries of justice? “Love not with words but in actions and truth.”

Alay Kapwa asks for the generous sharing of your time, talent and treasure. Give a little more during the love offering of today’s Mass, and include what you saved during fasting, because these will fund the Church’s Scholarship Program for 5,000 poor but deserving students, operation of 13 parish health clinics and Feeding Program for 5,000 malnourished children, conduct of job fairs and livelihood programs, micro-finance and cooperatives, paralegal assistance and values formation for prison inmates, relief for victims of calamities, advocacy on AIDS prevention and assistance to persons living with HIV-AIDS. Your love offering will also support the social action centers of the other dioceses nationwide and their programs on peace advocacy, democratic governance, ecology, sustainable agriculture and disaster management.

In his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI stressed the important role of Caritas and the Church’s programs in responding to the needs of the poor. We are called to support these programs and “contribute by personally doing good, with full commitment and whenever we have the opportunity.” Caritas is the Latin word for Charity or Christian love – love in its perfection. Together let us spread Christ’s message of love not just in word but in deeds.

God bless and love you all!

Devotedly yours in Christ,

+Gaudencio B. Rosales, D.D.
Archbishop of Manila

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For verification:

Contact Fr. Anton CT Pascual, Social Service Minister – Archdiocese of Manila
Thru Ms. Tam de Ocampo or Ms. Gina Santos
Caritas Manila, 2002 Jesus St. Pandacan, Manila
Tel. no 536-9308 / 563-9298
Fax no. 563-9306
Email: caritas_manila@yahoo.com