WRAPPING UP A “HARD CORE POETRY" – 3: THE PRODIGAL SON

When the Misamis Oriental top CFC Council leaders and sector heads unilaterally abandoned the CFC Community, “Pontius Pilates” among the CFC followers grappled with understanding the TRUTH that the same leaders were given a "tit for tat", or got what they asked for, the simple message being that a CFC leader does not mess with the God-given responsibility he voluntarily accepted, because the community has trusted him and lifted to Almighty God his wise stewardship of the structure the CFC members cast their renewed Christian life in.

Accordingly, a top leader in the CFC-IC and the "rebel leaders" used the “Parable of the Prodigal Son” to explore ways at reconciliation, which they could not arrive at because the latter made demands up front.

Recently, we have  “learned” of an email from Bro. Mon Saguin, who hails from the historic town of Jimenez in Misamis Occidental (hope my memory serves me right). Brother Mon was a very active member of the CFC Community in Cagayan de Oro City before he left for New York with his family. Using the "Parable of the Prodigal Son" as "framework", Brother Mon sees an opportunity for reconciling and reuniting the followers of FFL, GK and CFC in Misamis Oriental.

I reacted to Brother Mon's mail, which drew the responses of CFC brethren  from Cagayan de Oro who are now based in the US, all of which are quoted below. 

We all aim for the same objectve of FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION, and the opportunity that now obtains is in sincerely walking the same path without conditions or demands, carrying our own crosses for the love of our God and neighbor.

HERE’S BROTHER MON SAGUIN:

--- On Wed, 10/7/09, RAMON SAGUIN wrote:
From: RAMON SAGUIN
Subject: One Voice:Reminiscing CFC-Misamis Oriental in Video Clips
To: "marty atienza" , "dodong banaynal" , "romy banaynal" , "John Banaynal" , "jessie barcelona" , "leo cadete" , "leo cadete" , "leo cadete" , "meds calo" , "ella calo" , "norman canete" , "rollie delacruz" , "jun delfierro" , "badz dimacutac" , "Oscar / Gingging Factura" , "shaki factura" , "toktok galanida" , "pio-nats galasanay" , "Teresa Gillesania" , "Danilo Gillesania" , "suzette montes" , "BOY SUSAN OTARRA" , "Susan Otarra" , "bobot paalam" , "ronald paalam" , "dante pajo" , "glenn de pedro" , "Gil Sages" , "sarah sescon" , "anggingboie sescon" , "Raul M sfc-Maano" , "imee teves" , "archie velasco" , "Mariss Velasco" , "AVtatay Velasco"
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 1:17 AM

I documented most of the CFC activities that we had in 1993 and onwards especially the Family Activities in YFC and SFC. It started with the intention of simply showing the video clips to my son Raymond who was wheelchair bound, although there were events that he participated himself as in attending a youth camp on his wheelchair. I was actually excited with what was going on in CFC and I wanted to share this by showing my son what was happening in our community and the impact that it made on me and others. He was particularly awed when I showed him video clips about GK and when I brought him to the GK site in Pasil. I have all these events archived in my computer not realizing of what use they may have aside from my own consumption of reviewing them whenever I reminisce. I couldn't find the right moment of putting these events on DVD and deposit them in a CFC library in Misamis Oriental until the recent events in our community when I decided to bring them out and share these to you.  I

remember well when we had the provincial conference in Misamis Oriental sometime in 2001 when the theme of the community was United in Christ. I led the praisefest with the Fyrecross band at the Pelaez Sports Complex where we exhorted the whole community to be One or united in the direction CFC was pursuing at that time – which is the totally of the Work in CFC with the spiritual dimension and the social dimension in our Work with the Poor in Gawad Kalinga in place. We didn’t realize then that at the height of the Work in the succeeding years, the GK leadership would start to pursue a direction/implementation apart from CFC which eventually brought the whole community to a global crisis situation in 2007 even as other causes were being enumerated. And even before the dust could settle to the ground, the crisis situation continued with the current leadership in 2009 leading them to decide to let go of GK and allow it to be a non-religious organization instead.

But then again the storm continued to sweep across the land eventually affecting the community in Misamis Oriental. It appears that the strength of the storm remains unabated after two years to inflict more damage, sow more confusion and dampen the hearts of many in our community. Currently our country is experiencing the damages caused by powerful typhoons, one after the other – as if reminding us of the results after physical storms sweep through the land. But at the same time, showing us how we can unite together, help each other and how people around the world rush to the rescue in areas afflicted by such calamities. Hence with the spiritual storms that we are facing, the time has come for all of us to humble ourselves and bow down in prayer and ask God to heal our community and calm the storm.. The time has come for all of us here in Couples for Christ all over the world to join hands together – as CFC-GMFI, CFC-FFL and CFC-GK and those that chose to leave – in facing this storm. Our petition will be “. . . knit our hearts together that Your Glory may be seen in us. . . then the world will know that Jesus Christ is Lord . . .” I believe that we are made to realize that the only recourse available to us is to reunite and become One community again in facing these storms. How this will ever happen depends on all of us, by His guidance. Let us continue to believe and it is all up to us for this to remain as mere wishful thinking. 

The calling then at that time before the onset of the crisis situation was for the whole community to stand as One in vision and mission – as families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth. Where every member of the family has a role to play – in building the Church of the Home, of the Future and of the Poor in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord in the family, in Misamis Oriental and to the whole world. I chose the song One Voice as the reflection song during the praisefest which was sung by Candy. I will upload the video of that praisefest in a series of video clips entitled “Reminiscing CFC-Misamis Oriental” starting with the YFC presentation of The Prodigal Son. I am bringing this forth by putting aside my own stand and inclinations about the situation in CFC. But I intend to simply join in with the rest of us who are praying and longing for the unity that can be seen in these video clips. Click the YouTube links below to browse through each video clip of the play about the Prodigal Son, the CFC events of the province, and the praisefest at the Pelaez Sports Complex.

I chose the parable of the Prodigal Son as the background theme of this series of video clips. I discerned that the crisis situation in Couples for Christ until the recent events in Misamis Oriental can be addressed in the ways that God has been offering us in the Scriptures particularly the parable of the Prodigal Son. I firmly believe that our prayers for reconciliation are well answered by God in this story. It is up to us to do our part. 

I attended a bible study in New York handled by a priest and the topic was the parable of the Prodigal Son. I admit that the only viewpoint I spoused about this parable is that the father in the story is God Himself while the two sons would symbolize us as the children of God. I focused more on the need of our repentance and that God as our Father will forgive us. I would identify myself as the younger son who sinned, then repented and finally returned home to our Father who embraced him with unconditional love and forgiveness, while the elder son complained of the attention given to the younger brother. Hence I left the character of the father unblemished being symbolic of God Himself. However the priest led us into a discussion of the parable in a different perspective. You may have heard of this before but it was the first time for me to view the parable in a different way – to focus on the character of the father.  

I believe this parable contains the solution to every disagreement or conflict that we in CFC and the Family Ministries find ourselves in – whether between members or between leaders or more so between members and leaders. I believe that there are situations where we could identify ourselves as the younger brother or the elder brother or even the father depending on the circumstances. The structure in CFC would portray such relationships as we relate with each other as brothers and sisters; the household heads are the big brothers and big sisters; the unit heads then assume pastoral headship up to the chapter heads, up to the local area councils and finally up to the International Council.  

The priest brought us to focus on the father in the parable and described him based on the story – that the father was a wealthy but stern, strict and stingy and with a character highly unlikable by anybody including his two sons - as the younger son left with all his inheritance while the elder son complained that the father never gave them any feast/celebration at all in the past as he kept on working in the field away from home. He felt that he was treated like a slave. In a sense both the sons did not like the father to a certain extent. And with no mention at all about his wife, this father must have some attitude disliked by women as well or maybe he was a widower as the priest would put it.   

With the sons away from home, the father was left all by himself in loneliness. More so with the younger son who left far away from home and not having any communication at all. The father can see the older son at certain times at home but not the younger son who is far away. Years must have passed and the father must have thought that the younger son is already dead as there was no communication at all and there was a great famine that hit the land. And this situation must have brought the father to repent and change his ways as he missed the younger son after all these years thinking that he was already dead. The loneliness must have brought him to examine his ways and attitude. His sufferings must have brought him to repent and a personal conversion must have happened.   

As a way of personal reflection, it was the same loneliness and suffering that my family went through with our only son Raymond who had an incurable neuromuscular disorder. He died in February 2, 2003 here in Philadelphia and for twenty years of his life, I went through an examination of my ways and attitude towards God. And I praise Him for bringing my family here in this community in 1991 where our conversion was well guided and nurtured by our elders as represented by Frank Padilla, Tony Meloto, Lito Urgino, the rest of our elders in the International Council and my household heads and elders in CFC-Misamis Oriental. I thank them all for giving their time to the Lord and in the process helped me and my family to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and live a life with joy despite afflictions.  

The father in the parable must have made it a daily routine to look out the window hoping that his younger son will come home. He started to long for his lost son to return home. And one day it did happen as he was looking out the window, he saw a figure that looked like his son. And maybe even as he was not sure that it was his son, he ran to meet him with compassion in his heart. The words in Scripture says, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”- Luke 15:20   

The story clearly brought the characters – the father and the younger son - to a period of repentance and change of ways and attitude and eventually reconciled. The father who used to be stern and strict became a father who is forgiving, loving and filled with compassion that he ran towards his lost son rather than stayed and waited for the son to come to him in repentance and invoke his authority as expected of him. But instead the father ran to meet the son - which was considered humiliating an act by a wealthy and strict father at that time. But instead he did not demand anything from the son but with all his heart embraced him and forgave him. Even at a distance, the father ran to meet the lost son – it was probably an act to protect the son from humiliation and possible harm or public stoning by the community for his rebellious act (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). He further showed the change in him when he ordered for a celebration which he never did before. The words in Scriptures says, “ ²²But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.” And the father restored to him his place of inheritance and sonship as symbolized by the robe, the ring and the sandals.

The older brother in contrast responded negatively to what the father did. But still the father went out to appease him – the same response he had to the younger son by going out of the house to meet him and pleaded with him to join in the celebration. The words in Scriptures says, ²⁸"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' Here the older brother refers to his younger brother as “the son of yours” instead of being a brother to him and started making accusations against him. And he also felt unappreciated and unrewarded by the father for his deeds and therefore has been harboring resentments. But older sons usually get a greater part of the inheritance and takes care of younger brothers who are in hard times. Apparently the older son was not willing to accept this responsibility to the younger son and even appeared not claiming him as a brother anymore. Again the father showed his eagerness to have the older son share in the joy of the celebration. The words in Scriptures says, ³¹" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' " 

The story of the Prodigal Son aptly shows the ways that we can follow in addressing challenges affecting relationships as is happening in our family and in our community here in CFC and the Ministries. At the same time the story also shows the ways that we should not resort to – as in the father correcting the older son.. And even if the older son sounded disrespectful of him and to the younger brother, the father restored just the same the family relationship amongst them. Repentance and reconciliation is the focus of the story not just by the younger son but by the father as well – who did not wait for any apology on the part of the younger son but rather anticipated it by heart and went on to run to him in order to embrace him with unconditional acceptance. There is no greater precedence that this - for anyone elder, no matter how right he may be against another, choose to ask forgiveness first and then to forgive.

This is our hope and our prayer – that we all not only adopt a repentant posture, members and leaders alike but “run to embrace each other” without any conditions in restoring back our community to the one community that was started 28 years ago – starting here in Misamis Oriental. This presentation is not for us to identify who is at fault but to see ourselves in the story and identify with a particular character in the present circumstances in our community. It is not the time to assert who is right but it is the time for us to love and love even those we find so difficult to love. It is not also the time to point out who is in or out of the community for nowhere in the story did the father disown his sons even if the sons didn’t like the ways of the father. And even if the central theme of the story is repentance and forgiveness, which should be in everyone’s heart already, let us focus more on the picture of the father receiving the son back into relationship as a response to repentance by both of them. This is the purpose of this presentation – a relationship restored as one community or as being partners in mission. And as a corollary, how could we offer our sacrifices at the altar if there is a brother or sister outside that we need to be reconciled with. And besides Scriptures says that a house divided against itself will not be able to stand - Mark 3:25. 

I believe that the calling is for all of us to adopt the posture of the father in the story as we proclaim in the year to come, fullness of life in the Son and as we acknowledge the Father as the Almighty who is Just and Righteous. The priest in that bible study ended with the exhortation that suffering is an opportunity for us to repent and be reconciled with God and with one another.

I would like to praise and thank you Father for Couples for Christ and the challenges and spiritual storms that we are facing – for such situations will bring us to repent and change our ways and become more like You who ran towards Your lost sons and daughters. Allow us to do the same to one another in our community today. Allow us to run towards each other in tender and loving embrace as brothers and sisters in your Name. In the same way as our Mother Mary, make each one of us say, “. . . be it unto me according to Your Word”. Father, let Your Will be done as we seek You and worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Mother Mary, our Mother of Forgiveness, pray for us. Amen.  

t2mon 

THE VIDEO CLIP LINKS IN YouTube:

1. The presentation of the Parable of the Prodigal Son by YFC during the PraiseConcert The LOve of the Father at the XU gym:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnCwLNt874M

2. A presentation by CFC Canitoan Chapter in 1994 - The Taposai Family that portrays a family in conflict but chose to forgive each other and reconciled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtotT93hKw4

3. The praisefest on the theme of Unity in four parts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NARej45LIyc

http://www..youtube.com/watch?v=C-bVQhuUV9w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW8jrqYS2_o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf3E0pDSrOk

4. A fellowship at Chali Beach in 1994.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcA-i6QSXDo

5. CFC activities in 1996 including the Regional Conference; the provincial conference with Msgr. Monsanto; the turn-over of the first GK houses in Pasil and the CFC Assembly in the Corpus Christi gym on April 2002..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG0fHlIzTvY

To Follow are the CFC Anniversary presentations in 1993 and the Mindanao Leaders Conference in 1994.

M-CDO RESPONDS
Re: Riminiscing CFC-Misamis Oriental

To: "RAMON SAGUIN"

Cc:"marty atienza" , "dodong banaynal" , "romy banaynal" , "jessie barcelona" , "leo cadete" , "meds calo" , "ella calo" , "norman canete" , "rollie delacruz" , "jun delfierro" , "badz dimacutac" , "Oscar / Gingging Factura" , "shaki factura" , "toktok galanida" , "pio-nats galasanay" , "Teresa Gillesania" , "Danilo Gillesania" , "suzette montes" , "BOY SUSAN OTARRA" , "Susan Otarra" , "bobot paalam" , "ronald paalam" , "dante pajo" , "glenn de pedro" , "Gil Sages" , "sarah sescon" , "anggingboie sescon" , "Raul M sfc-Maano" , "imee teves" , "archie velasco" , "Mariss Velasco" , "AVtatay Velasco" , misamiscdo@yahoo.com... more

Brother Mon:

Got a copy of your email.  Thank you for sharing your candid thoughts about unity and reconciliation of CFC groups that can start in Misamis Oriental.
We know you have been FFL and an avid follower and defender of F Padilla from the time he split CFC because of conflicts with GK and T Meloto.  We have seen how you worked hard and dedicatedly for CFC while here in Cagayan de Oro, and understand the struggles you had to go through in the US with your disabled son... And likewise wished you had seen the conflict between FP and Meloto then from the perspectives of the defenders of the original CFC that was and continues to be aligned with the IC and the Vatican.
We have common experiences in building the GK village in Pasil, which no mainstream or separatist faction of the original CFC can claim exclusive claim, patent, right, or title to.
I wish to raise TWO (2) points:

ONE:  Yes, Misamis Oriental province may provide venue for a "deus ex machina", an act of God to reunite CFC.  We see humanly irreconcilable forces coming in to further divide or else unite CFC:  FFL, which has a few following in Cagayan de Oro, through Nani Almanza of FFL-USA or upon prodding by FFL Servant-General Frank Padilla, has signified it was siding with the separatist group of del Fierro (so-called "CFC-GK) even if the latter is very probably a protege of TM whose GK was the main reason for the break-up CFC in the province end of July, 2009.  (Of course it is not unknown to quite a number that GK top management, including TM, was very much elated that finally CFC made GK autonomous by the act of “letting it go" last end of April, 2009, which event might have been anticipated by F Padilla who totally rejected GK in his "GK-3" opus in April, 2007).  If, for whatever cause or circumstance, TM and FP reconcile in Misamis Oriental under the "CFC-GK" group of del Fierro, then perhaps a consequent negotiation for unity with the real, mainstream CFC-IC may not be far behind.  Since by now it has been clear as daylight that GK cannot stand alone to "evangelize" about "working with and for the poor" without CFC, and since FFL here may not duplicate what CFC has been doing, perhaps the del Fierro group will do the IMPOSSIBLE DREAM of genuine repentance and bring the FFL and GK factions back to the fold of CFC-IC.  In this sense we see a window of opportunity for Misamis Oriental to be the springboard for reconciliation just as it provided a "beachead" for CFC in North Mindanao during the "golden era" of F Padilla leadership. TWO: In interpreting that the Father in the parable of the '"Prodigal Son" repented for his strict attitude towards his two sons, your "bible study priest" could just as well retitled the same parable with "The Repentant Father".  While I admire said priest for his audacity and respect his point of view, I don't think I can agree with his reinterpretation of the theme. The parable of the "prodigal son" is about the "prodigal son" and his ever-loving father, the MAN with an OUTSTRETCHED HANDS, a loving person who is always ready to unconditionally forgive and embrace a sinful but repentant son.  In the story, the Father knew his son was repentant, for he did not come swaggering around with the untold wealth he could have amassed using his share of the family fortunes, nor could he come home to ask for more, no, Brod Mon. Still, I agree with you, Brod Mon.  The key toward reconciliation of factions using the name “CFC” is in the Gospel about the Prodigal Son. GOD BLESS YOU, BROD Wishing you well, M-CDO

 
A REJOINDER FROM BRO. BOY AND SIS. SUSAN OTARRA
Re: Riminiscing CFC-Misamis Oriental

Thursday, October 8, 2009 2:06 PM

From: "SUSAN OTARRA"

To: "M Cdo"

Cc: "Arman Erpe" , "erlina mangmang" , "felipe galanida" , "M/O Kamson Roel D. Moldez"

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Warm greetings in Christ Name

Susan and me are always proud of being a CFC member from CDO. We were moulded by leaders whom we believed have the highest integrity and who love God so much. We can't forget our first HH head Dick Jongko (a KSD faithful servant), who guided us, prayed hard for our convertion and eventually led us to love God so much that we're willing to give our all for Him. We also can't forget Vic Lagdamen, Ed Paalam, Lito Urgino. TM and FP and all the other leaders who taught us many things about loving God and loving our neighbors.

The recent problems in our community gave us so much pain. We never thought conflict like this will happen in a beautiful community like ours but it really happened and it's really "nasty". How could people who called each other brothers and sisters became like this? We don't want to blame anyone however we are praying hard that concerned leaders should humble themselves, repent, ask forgiveness and come home like the prodigal son. We are hopeful that as God's promise "everything work good for those who love and serve the Lord." We can't be enemies for sure. 

We will always be a brother or a sister to those in the CFC-FFL and we will always support GK but Susan and me will be a CFC member forever. We experienced the joy of a borderless and global evangelization and we will continue doing this work because this is the great commmission that God gave us.

May God bless us all! 

Boy/Susan Otarra

AND ANOTHER ONE FROM BRO. TOKTOK GALANIDA, GK VOLUNTEER:

Re: Riminiscing CFC-Misamis Oriental
Friday, October 9, 2009 7:18 AM

From: "felipe galanida"

To: "M Cdo"

To M CDO, Peace! Whoever you are, this is my observation of the situation as compared to the loving father of the prodigal son story of the Bible The loving father never hesitated to give in to the request of the prodigal son even if it was not the proper time to get his share of the wealth. He gave him what he had asked without any reservations nor had he uttered unfavorable words to mean like rebel or separatist, or any adjective that any father, at the height of anger, could make to describe his son's action. He was even tolerant. His sharing of his wealth to his son is the manifestation of his love and permission to his son's going to far away places. He did not send people to spy on his activities and never made any move that will ruin their relationship. Instead, he waited for the day when the Prodigal (Luxurious, Extravagant and Wasteful) Son will return to him. As expected, the son who have sinned because of squandering the wealth that the loving father gave him, came, for he knew that the father -- loving as he is, did not harbor any resentment or grudge towards him. When he recognized his son still far off, he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him which was a show of forgiveness, protection and love even before the son could utter the words of repentance. The prodigal son mentioned in the Bible was not rebellious. He properly asked from his father his share of the families fortune but he was extravagant and wasteful, sinfully spending all the treasures that his loving father shared to him. I didn't experience or witness an act of wastefulness and extravagance on our separated brothers and sisters. In fact, the former council had managed the finances and resources of CFC/MOR wisely and even produced bigger amounts for CFC National share which did not happen on the previous administrations. Thus, I do not agree the label you described them as Prodigal Sons. Cutting ties in writing is not a disrespectful and disobedient act. It is a gentlemanly decision that a person can do if remedies for unity are not being met. Also, to call them rebels is not appropriate for as they separate I never heard them doing or acting something to destroy CFC not unless you consider continuing the work which they believe in as rebellious. My only wish to our elders is for them to LET GO and LET GOD do the rests. Who knows someday or somehow our separated brothers and sisters will come and say, " I have sinned against you and to God please forgive me!" When? Only God knows!   God bless you! 2k2k CFC-West LA  GK Volunteer