Bring back the genuine spirit of service to others to attain peace in the new year.
This was the call of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Manila archbishop, to the Catholic faithful as the world ushers in the year 2019.
“Let us bring back the real essence of service in our families, in schools, in business, in government, in the Church, everywhere,” Tagle said in a prerecorded new year message posted on Facebook.
“It’s saddening that sometimes, there are conflicts because there is a lack of real service, in all levels. If we want a peaceful new year, let’s bring back service in its truest essence,” Tagle said.
Service in its real essence
He said his message was anchored on the recent call of Pope Francis for peace through giving service in its real essence.
“If the service that we give to others is real, and not being abused and not by taking advantage of others, there will be peace,” Tagle added.
Meanwhile, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas urged parents, teachers and his fellow pastors to adopt an attitude of learning with and from the youth.
“When the educated and the academically titled start to recognize that Jesus is the only lesson we need to learn and the only weapon we have against evil, then we have started the journey of renewal,” he said in a pastoral letter for 2019, which the Filipino bishop declared as the year of the youth.
Willingness to listen
“All young people are in God’s heart even if some of them do not share our visions of life. An attitude of humility and willingness to listen will open new avenues of renewal for us,” Villegas said.
The former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines also said the youth should teach the elders the power of cyberspace.
“The youth can be at the forefront of using the power of the worldwide web to spread true information, to promote sociopolitical engagement according to the Gospel values and to be good citizens of the nation,” Villegas said.