Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has asked Filipino migrants to help others discover Jesus not only on Christmas Day but every day.
(Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO)
In his Christmas message whicu was posted by the Pontificio Collegio Filippino on their Facebook page Wednesday, Tagle said they are far away from home not only to earn a living but also to be missionaries.
"Isn't it perhaps that God has guided us out of the Philippines, not only to earn a living, but also to be missionaries?" said the former Manila archbishop.
"We can ask ourselves: who among my family or friends or co-workers can I bring closer to Jesus today? How can I help them discover Jesus coming to us, not only this Christmas but each day, in our prayers, the people we meet and the ordinary events of our life?" added Tagle.
The Philippine Catholic Church launched last month the Year of the Missio Ad Gentes (Mission to the Nations).
And with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples urhed Filipino migrants to seek strength and guidance from the Holy Family.
"As we go through the joys and sorrows of life as migrants, we ask for strength and guidance from the Holy Family, who like us experienced how it is to be away from home," said Tagle.
"Financial difficulties and the Covid crisis have prevented us from visiting home as much as we would have wanted. But they have also made us experts in sending our love and affection instantly across the globe through text messages, social media posts, audio and videos," he added.
The Cardinal believes that their "virtual contact" will not only brings them closer to each other, but also prepare them for a more meaningful and fruitful personal contact, face to face, when circumstances allow.