‘Truly I Tell You, Just As You Did It To One Of The Least Of These, You Did It To Me.’

LOVE for one another is a distinguishing mark of discipleship. Jesus teaches that our love for each other should be so evident that it becomes a powerful testimony to the world of our relationship with Him. Being a disciple of Jesus means following Him wholeheartedly and living out His teachings. Genuine discipleship calls us to demonstrate Christ-like love, compassion, and unity in our relationships with other believers, ultimately drawing others to the love of Christ.

Maronites on Mission- Australia 2025 Missionaries to the Philippines demonstrated just that as they embarked on their mission this January. Prior to their departure, the group met with Bishop Antonine-Charbel Tarabay and Reverend Father John Paul Bassil at Beit Maroun for a special blessing during mass, followed by dinner and a group reflection.

The Missionaries have landed and began their journey in Manila on January 6, under the spiritual guidance of Father Youssef Elias with the support and leadership of MOM’s Missionary Lead, George Nasr.After settling into the Missionaries of the Poor monastery, they celebrated Mass and walked the streets of Manila handing out ice creams and snacks to the children.

Once landed in Naga, ,the Missionaries kicked off their day by celebrating the Eucharist led by Reverend Father Youssef Elias on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord with great gladness, for the central message of this feast is the manifestation of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world not just for the chosen people of Israel, but for all humanity.

Universal call to holiness and mission is meant to be fostered within the context of a Christian community. Holiness is essentially seeking the good of ohers as the Maronite Missionaries have been doing through the years in the Philippines and all over the globe.

At the MOP Apostolate center, the Missionaries were confronted with mentally challenged men and women, severely disabled children , abandoned with varied ailments and debility from autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD among others.However, infectious smiles and unshakable happiness were displayed by them despite the challenges they’re facing. Daily encounter with the residents were filled with dancing, singing, feeding, nail care, bathing and giving lots of hugs too. Enjoying recreational time with the brothers by playing volleyball and basketball after a day’s work is a welcome respite for the Missionaries.

In the succeeding days, simultaneous activities for the groups entail medical-dental mission to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community at the Joseph Gualandi School for Hearing Impaired Inc, under the supervision of the Sisters of the Little Mission for the Deaf , elderly at the Gift of Love run by the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity assisted by the Level 3 Nursing students from Naga College Foundation-College of Health Sciences and Caregivers from Provicare Training Center. The other groups were tasked to build houses, pack grocery items for distribution to a thousand families and giving care to residents at the Apostolate Center.

Future nurses, likewise share in the call to discipleship , visit to Children’s Home in Pacol under the City Social Service and Development office –LGU-Naga where street kids in danger of abuse, violence, neglect and juvenile delinquents under formation are being cared for, fed, housed and educated evoked raw emotions among from them As they gave food, socialized, danced, and listened to the dreams and aspirations of the kids and teens, the seed of

Mission was germinated in their hearts.

Hand -in- hand with genuine charity is our sense of Christian mission. There is no genuine holiness apart from a radical orientation toward the spiritual and material good of others. In a word: there is no holiness without mission. As St John Paul II reminded us: The universal call to holiness is closely linked to the universal call to mission. Every member of the faithful is called to holiness and to mission.

Moreover, Community Health Nursing RLE duty at Brgy Lipot, Milaor CS consisted of completion of Family profiling, drafting of communications and project proposals for the 3 proposed sustainable projects for the Municipality: namely: Construction of Evacuation Center/Multi-Purpose Building, !3 Ondoy Boarts to low –Lying Barangays and the Clearing of Bicol River Milaor side and Naga River can be an avenue of concern and compassion to one of the most affected Municiplaities in CamSur. Milaor, known as catch basin and hardest hit by the recent typhoons needed help in order to mitigate and prevent unwarranted deaths and destruction supercharged” by climate change. “Laudate Deum”: the Pope Francis’ cry for a response to the climate crisis reiterated in his encyclical that we’re not reacting enough, he says, we’re close to breaking point. He criticizes climate change deniers, saying that the human origin of global warming is now beyond doubt. He describes how care for our common home flows from the Christian faith.

A first and unforgettable experience for both the Missionaries and Nursing students from NCF was the Medical-Dental Mission at Camarines Sur Provincial Jail and Penal Farm , Tinagis, Pili CamSur under the leadership of PLt Colonel Rodel Liza Pescuela, Provincial Warden and Mr.Emmanuel B.Braga , Assistant Warden through the facilitation of the Maximilian Ministry of the Archdiocese of Caceres headed by Reverend Father Jayson Gaite and Adonai’s Love represented by Sis France Palencia and Sis Emmy Menes.Guided by the principle of Restorative Justice, the Prison Ministry inspires institutions and communities inside and outside of prison facilities to support the restoration of those affected by crime and incarceration.

The most anticipated day of the trip, the medical and dental mission, the big day that had been months in the making was held on the 11th of January at Nazareth school. Classrooms were turned into makeshift clinics. MOP brothers, volunteers and staff, volunteer doctors headed by Dr Amith Shetty, dentists, Clinical Instructors, Social Workers, caregiving, nursing and social work students from varied Institutions , pharmacists, Cararayan BHW, parents of Nazareth students, Filipino physicians, nurses and dentists generously gave their time, expertise and resources to treat more than 650 adults and children who received the appropriate pharmaceutical, medical and dental care that they had been anticipating. There were meals, snacks and drinks distributed to volunteers and waiting patients. Missionaries still had fun though, those outside provided food and entertainment and introduced dabke, literally meaning “to stomp the feet” in Arabic, a popular folklore line dance native to Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, widely performed on joyous occasions.

Prayers and daily mass with the brothers and residents, packing of food hampers, visitation to Peñafrancia Basilica Minore and the Metropolitan Cathedral, assistance in house building , running errands, village visitation , caring for the residents and painting of rooms at the Apostolate center and distribution of rice bags and other food items to poor families were done with great joy in the hearts of the Missionaries, for they see Jesus in the people they encounter and serve.

Charity is the soul of the holiness to which all are called: it ‘governs, shapes and perfects all the means of sanctification.’” And quoting St. Therese of Lisieux, it reminds us: If the Church was a body composed of different members, it couldn’t lack the noblest of all; it must have a heart, and a heart burning with love. This love alone was the true motive force which enabled the other members of the Church to act; if it ceased to function, the apostles would forget to preach the Gospel, the martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. Love, in fact, is the vocation which includes all others; it’s a universe of its own, comprising all time and space –it’s eternal!

Jesus reveals the criteria for judgment that will occur when He returns in glory. He emphasizes that acts of kindness and compassion toward those in need are ultimately acts done toward Him. This underscores the principle that the way we treat others, particularly the vulnerable, is directly linked to our faith and relationship with God. Those who engage in genuine acts of service demonstrate their faith and confirm their place in God’s kingdom. This passage invites us to reflect on our actions toward “the least of these,” demonstrating that faith is inherently active, requiring us to go beyond belief into tangible love.

God infinitely Holy and glorified in your saints, who inspired the monk and hermit St. Charbel to live and die in a perfect likeness to Jesus, giving him the strength to detach from the world in order to live fully, in his hermitage, the monastic virtues of poverty, obedience and chastity, we beg you to grant us the grace to love you and serve you as he did. Lord Almighty, who has demonstrated the power of the intercession of St. Charbel by many miracles and favors, grant our volunteers the grace of living a beautiful mission and returning home firm in faith, filled with fiery charity. We beseech you by his intercession. AMEN