Dominicus Humus: PRAYER for St. Paul's Intercessions (by St. Pauls Philippines)

Saturday, March 21, 2009

PRAYER for St. Paul's Intercessions (by St. Pauls Philippines)

Slide 29

Prayer for our Nation

St. Paul, teacher of the Gentiles,
watch over with love, this nation and its people.
Your heart expanded so as to welcome
and enfold all peoples in the loving embrace of peace.
Now from heave, may the charity of Christ urge you

to enlighten everyone with the light of the Gospel,
and to establish the kingdom of love.

Inspire vocations,
sustain those working for the Gospel,
render all hearts docile to the Divine Master.
May this nation ever more find in Christ
the Way and the Truth and the Life.
May its light shine before the world,
and may it always seek the kingdom of God and his justice.

Holy Apostle, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.
Amen.

Vocation and Mission of LFC

Christifidelis Laici, the 1985 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II on the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World, speaks very eloquently about the formation of the lay faithful. According to this document, the laity should receive a complete and integrated formation, one which bears its fruit in every sphere of their existence and activity.

1) The spiritual formation of the laity – their continual growth in communion with Christ is nourished by the help to holiness offered by the Church.

2) Doctrinal formation – which will enable them to explain to the world the reason for their hope. Systematic catechesis is also necessary.

3) A proper formation of a social conscience, especially in the Church’s social teaching.

4) An integrated program of formation that cultivates the human values and skills necessary for the lay faithful’s apostolic activities.

God is the first formator of the laity. The Church for her part also takes part in forming the lay faithful through the ministry of teaching and celebration of the sacraments. The Lay Formation Center exists for this purpose.

The Lay Formation Center (LFC) was established by Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz and the Clergy of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, Philippines, for the formation "especially of the laity." It opened on the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, the first Filipino Saint, who is a Filipino and lay person on September 28, 2005. Fr. Mario Dominic C. Sanchez was appointed its first Director. Since then, LFC has housed more than 500 groups from the entire country for retreats, recollections, conferences and seminars. Its location is about 7 kilometers from Dagupan City center (east) and 20 kilometers from the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag (west). It is only a kilometer away from Bonuan Tondaligan Beach (north).