By Matters India Reporter

Manila: A true missionary never ceases to be a disciple of Jesus, said Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Gabriel Giordano Caccia.

While presiding over Mass on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of Couple for Christ (CFC) in Manila, the Philippines capital, on June 23, the prelate said, “To be a missionary means to be with Jesus—work with Him, breathe with Him and serve with Him.|

CFC is a lay Catholic movement dedicated to families. Founded in Manila in June 1981, it is currently present in more than a hundred countries.

More than 50,000 Filipinos and delegates from other countries, including India, attended the annual event in Manila.

Remembering the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Archbishop Caccia highlighted the significant similarity between St. John and CFC.

In his CFC anniversary message, Shok Ariola, president of the movement who led everyone into worship, reminded them not only to rekindle the gift of Christ but to also illuminate everything around all.

For this, he suggested the SHINE way of doing this: S- serve like Jesus served, H- Household; shine with our households, I- Ignite the faith in others, N- Nurture our families, and E- Enrich our prayer lives.

“When we do these, the light that we bring out for others to see will never die. This light will never burn out because everything that we do is always for Jesus,” he said.

Alan Baiño, a long time CFC member, said they had gathered to worship God with “our all in spirit and truth because He has been with us for the past 37 years. Today, we offer our hearts in true worship as we praise God for bringing us together as one community.”

In the beginning, the movement focused on strengthening couples’ union. Afterwards, it turned to involving all members of the family to build strong family ties. This led to the inclusion of children in groups divided by age groups.

As a true Christian mission, CFC has become a movement to renew families and society. In 1995, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) declared it a private national association of lay people.

In 2000, it received the provisional approval of the Holy See, followed in 2005 with a permanent approval as a private international association of the faithful under Canon Law.