Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord

your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you . - Deuteronomy 31:6

BCBP CONSOLACION CHAPTER

JUNE 2015

Volume#2

BCMR#5 by Melody Foronda

Ive waited for this activity to come. Excited, nervous, shy and quizzical, these were all I felt on our way to Sto. Nino Spirituality Center on sunny Friday afternoon, May 15, 2015, our first day of BCBP Marriage Retreat. The reception was warm and the smiling faces of the servants were so heartfelt. The BCMR taught us a lot what a Christian married life should be, relearn what we have known and unlearn the things that displease God. The event made us more aware of ourselves and our roles as husbands and wives. We didnt only rekindle the past but made the current relationship

s t r o n g e r and mean-ingful. My h u s b a n d and I shall look for-ward on the next BCMR as servants.

Whats inside?

April - June15 activities 2-7

About Pope Francis 8

Reflection 9

Attendance Report 10

Intercessory Schedule 10

Breakfast Sharers 11

Chapter Heads Message 11

Q3 Calendar 12

Participants of BCMR

Come to

BCLP#11

July 25, 2015

BE PART OF IT

2

IN THE KNOW

Second quarter of the year was packed with major events for the commu-

nity. The unique Silent Retreat prepared us spiritually as we begin the Holy

Week where the 14 Stations of the Cross was given a deeper meaning and

reflection. Unit As more than two hours of drive to Tuburan was well

worth the long trip as they bring hope and happiness to Mary Queen of

Heaven Missionaries women and children. My wife and I shared the same

anticipation as first time participants of the NAC35 in Manila. The event was

beyond our expectations as power house speakers shared their life journey

with the Lord and aspirations for the betterment of country through bravery

and boldness in proclaiming the will of God. The community held its 5th BCMR (Brotherhood Chris-

tian Marriage Retreat) at Sto. Nino Spiritual Center on May 15-17. It was an unforgettable experience

for couple participants as well as the servants who poured their time and effort to make the event

successful. The Family Olympics became a bonding event and sharing of talents and skills. May was

indeed a busy month for the community but every event was worth our time and energy as we pro-

claim the goodness of our Lord.

A Fulfilling Sunday by Malou Lim

The heavy Sunday rain on April 19, 2015 didn't dampen our spir-

its to visit the "Mary Queen of Heaven Missionaries in Bagsawe,

Tuburan town, a two and a half-hour drive to North of Cebu. Be-

fore we left ate Judy's place around seven thirty morn-

ing ,everyone in the group asked God's intercession to see us

through to the fulfillment of our "Apostolic" task. As we reached

Liloan, the rain had stopped. Isn't God good? Unit A decided to

donate five sacks of premium rice for our beneficiary , the," Mary

Queen of Heaven Missionaries whose mission is to rescue , give

shelter, rehabilitate women and children who are the victims of

prostitution so that they can be reintroduced to the community

and live a normal and decent life.

The sun was striking down in every direction as we drove our way to the top of the hill where the

missionaries' house is located. We were sweating but we enjoyed every minute of the day. I could

have worn the best Sunday dress but I opted to sweat it out in the heat of the summer in order to be

with the people who needed most of our help. It was indeed a very fulfilling act of charity. Each of us

were glowing with happiness and contentment that day. In behalf of our Unit, I would like to thank

the Action Group Leaders Kuya Nestor & Ate Judy Gloria and Kuya Mar & Ate Fe Soco, the Single La-

dies and, likewise to the Sangco couple for extending to us the accommodation and for giving us a

delicious lunch. Thank you also to the Lanticse couple for providing us transportation.

To God be the glory!

Jules and Melody Foronda

Unit A in Tuburan

3

From grandparents to grandchildren, everyone

felt active and young during the Family Day and

Sportsfest held at Mandaue City Sports Complex

last May 30, 2015. Attended by more than a hun-

dred BCBP members, family and relatives, it was

a memorable and successful event organized by

the PSD team, headed

by our energetic cou-

ple Axel and Fely Tu-

mulak. Its been a

while since BCBP Con-

solacion last held a

simultaneous Family

Day and Sportfest

event, thats why every

member was excited and

gave their all with spirit of camaraderie and com-

petitiveness.

The event started with a mass celebrated by Fr.

Ruel Desamparado. Two teams competed against

each other. White team, which is composed of

Kids corner collated by Julie Despi

What is BRAVERY and BOLDNESS for you?

Here are the answers of the young ones, expressed through art, drawings and essay...

FAMILY DAY AND SPORTSFEST

Units A and B, and the Red team composed of

Units C and D. The sports and parlor games

played were volleyball, badminton, table tennis,

Hanky Panky, Maria went to town, Pass the

message and the highlight of it all is Basketball.

As scores from each sport and parlor games

were garnered

and accumu-

lated it was ab-

solutely a tight

battle between

the two teams.

Red Team won

with the highest

a c c u m u l a t e d

score and the event was

capped with the awarding ceremony where

medals and trophies were given away. The win-

ning 2015 Sportsfest muse is unit B represented

by Reza Manongas. Thanks to all the committees

who helped in many ways.

Womens Table Tennis

by Janiana Chlara Lauron by EJ3 Iran

by Russel John Fernandez

4

Kids corner

by Russell Macaraig

by Juan Miguel Soco

by Marga

Foronda

by Audrey Rose Ragasajo

5

Silent Retreat: Our Version by Nestor Gloria

Fifty eight members of BCBP Consolacion Chapter actively participated the silent retreat at

ECOTECH, Lahug, Cebu City from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm last March 28, 2015. It was a unique and first

of a kind retreat without a retreat master but with our very own sisters, Ann Roiles and Judy Gloria

who acted as our efficient facilitators. It was our version of the Lenten Recollection.

After the short prayer & worship led by Kuya Robert Lim, Ate Judy set the tone and orientation as-

sociated with the objectives. She shared how she attained peace and personal healing through the

silent retreat she attended twice in Bukidnon conducted by the Opus Dei. Her professional back-

ground dealing with adult, informal education aided her to facilitate effectively.

Ate Ann who recently experienced virtual Stations of the Cross at the Sacred Heart School for Girls,

Cebu City in her capacity as one of the HS teachers, led us to virtually walk and experience the 14

Stations. Each Station signified our individual standing-up for Jesus during His Passion and

Death in the Cross.

Comfortably and silently

seated, our audio-visual, emo-

tional and spiritual senses

were activated disallowing us

to speak making the morning

activity really silent. Every

after presentation of the 14

Stations of the Cross, she led

us in prayer. We were asked

to reflect and write down our

individual reflective prayer

for each Station. We were encouraged to single out the most touching Station, the one that moved

or disturbed us the most. A brief dialogue ensued but my chosen partner left after lunch.

The afternoon session started with the sharing of reflective thoughts about the Station that has the

most impact. It was followed by individually reading the excerpts of the Passion of Christ from The

Life of Mary as Seen by Mystics compiled by Raphael Brown. Each one took turns to read aloud a

paragraph from the introduction of Judas Iscariot to the enlightenment of the doubting Thomas

allowing him to touch the sacred wounds of the Savior.

Before the conclusion through the anticipated Holy Mass officiated by our very own young BCBP Con-

solacion member, Rev. Fr. Clyde Salitrero, O.Carm., confessions were heard. It was during this time

that I shared my reflective prayer on my most touching Station of the Cross. I was greatly touched

by Station No. 9 when Jesus stretched-out His Hands to be crucified. Strengthen and enlighten by

the retreat, Unit A planned to support the advocacy of the Sisters of Mary Queen of Heaven Missionar-

ies (MQHM) in their fight against poverty by delivering food stuff at the Home of Love in Tuburan,

Cebu on April 19.

Participants of the Lenten recollection

6

Be Brave, Be Bold- BCBP 35th National Annual Conference by Julie Despi

This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you, I shall not call you servants any-more, because a servant does not know his master's business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father. You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask Him in my

name." John 15: 12 16

It is the time of the year again when various chapters of the BCBP Community gather together to cele-brate the National Annual Confer-ence. At its 35th year, more than 4,000 delegates from all over the Philippines & abroad converged at the SMX Convention Center to witness this most anticipated annual event. Proudly enough, the BCBP Consola-cion Chapter came in strong in num-ber with 50 delegates. The main event took place on May 1st & 2nd with special activities that occurred on April 30, like the golf tournament and

the art exhibit, which served as a

charity event and fundraiser for all

attendees.

May 1st was not like any other Fridays. The delegates were warmly welcomed and snacks were served while people mingle with other fellow BCBP members from other chapters. Later in the afternoon, the general assembly jump started with a key note from our incumbent national president, Brother Joey Avellana, and was followed by a very energetic but emotionally filled praise & worship session. To make the evening more special, three of our brothers shared

their personal life testimonies of how God worked in their lives, and how they were used by God to be an in-strument of His love towards our brethren. The first sharer was Brother Noel O. Delos Reyes from BCBP Greenhills. He shared how God stood by him as he constantly pray for guid-ance and protection during his post as the Regional Director of the Police Regional Office in ARMM in the midst of election and political turmoil last 2013. Brother Jay Avilio from BCBP Cebu, shared how God became his guardian & protector during his tedi-

ous and perilous mission to establish

the Masbate Outreach. He survived a heart attack, dead-for-a-minute ex-perience through Gods healing grace and prayers kept him alive. Lastly, Brother Jose Michael Wong from BCBP Dipolog imparted how he be-came a strong witness of Gods un-failing love and transformation as he shared how God and the BCBP com-munity helped him turn away from suicidal thoughts, diminish his bad habits & change his life for the better. He found dealing business in honest way is the most profitable way. The general assembly alone was very solemn yet powerful, which made the

attendees anticipate what is to occur

the next day.

May 2nd started as early as 5:30 AM to allow sufficient time for atten-dees to finish their breakfast meal and to accommodate the very hectic schedule of Sec. Rene Almendras. Brother Rene said that it is not enough to be honest, we should also be brave and bold in order to make a difference in the government and in personal life. His life experience be-came a very interesting segue to the main highlights of the NAC Business

Forum: The BCBP advocacy talk on

Consolacion delegates at the SMX Convention Center

7

Confronting Corruption. Allow me to commend the key speakers as well as the relevant topics they have dis-

cussed:

Tito Serafica Evangelizing the marketplace; changing our business

and changing our lives.

Prof. Ronald Mendoza Pre-senting a countryside consultation of

confronting corruption

Mrs. Grace Pulido-Tan Moral ascendancy and fostering more trans-parency in the government to sustain Economic Development. Walk our talk

bravely and boldly

Sec. Greg Navarro Promoting actionable Ethical Practices for all

business Stakeholders

Sec. Rogelio Singson Hon-esty & Integrity in Public Service. Get out of your comfort zone and make

meaningful changes.

H.I. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle Rallying Christians Towards Morally Upright Decisions. Inclusive growth (good governance, integrity

and preserve creation)

After the sharing there was a Q&A session facilitated by Atty. Alex Lacson and followed by a rapporteur former Senator Joey Lina. We must fight corruption in the inside and apart from God we can do nothing and to fight corruption is to Christianize the country, practice faith and walk the

talk.

The morning sessions were overwhelmingly informative, so it was a good thing we had a free time from 12 PM to 4 pm to spend quality time with our respective families. The Holy Eucharist was celebrated by Fr. Rob Schneider. After which, the fellowship started off with a sumptuous dinner

buffet. The night was an accumulation

of entertainment and games. What made it more fun was the laughter and dele-gates who re-sponded enthusiasti-cally in every song and dance number, as well as cheer-ing those who won various raffle prizes. As the night deepens, the celebration became more lively as people danced their night away at the beat of the 80s music. The event reached its culmination upon the announcement of the NAC 36 venue, along with the batch of the appointed core members headed by Brother

Roderick Ngo of BCBP Cebu South. What a truly great way of ending the

night with a bang!

It took a year of preparation and indeed, the NAC 35 event was like no other! We highly appreciate the count-less efforts of our very own PSD team and our chapter head, Kuya Marvin, who made all these things possible. Thanks to them, everything was in order and well-taken cared of, from the plane tickets, hotel accomoda-tion, transportation, up to the wel-come kits and T-shirts. Being able to witness NAC was beyond words. Aside from the great experience and the great camaraderie that were formed along the way, great lessons were obtained that we should all

remember:

We know not, but God knows. With God you can do every-

thing.

Faith in Christ will keep us steady in the stormy sea of

change

Change is both inevitable and necessary. If everything stays the same, no one is growing. Not all change is pleasant, but when were being led to a better place by someone who

loves us, we dont need to fear.

Value servant leadership as this is a far greater achieve-ment than the success ob-tained by undermining others needs

The 36th NAC will be hosted in our very own city, Cebu! We got a year to prepare and as we look forward may we live each day mov-ing forward with Gods love in our hearts. BE BRAVE! BE BOLD! And let God lead the way. Hope to see

you next year!

Let it not be so among you; but if anyone has a desire to become great among you, let him be your servant; and whoever has a desire to be first among you, let him take the lowest place. Even the son of man did not come to have servants, but to be a servant, and to give his life for the salvation of men.

Matthew 20: 26 - 28

Be Brave, Be Bold continued from p6

Delegates during the talk

8

Facts about Pope Francis continued from volume#1

We just couldnt get enough of Pope Francis. Here are some more interesting facts about him taken from GMA News

He lives up to his chosen name The Pope chose his name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, who lived a simple life and shunned luxury. Fol-lowing his footsteps, Pope Francis led a modest life-style that he took with him to the Vatican. He wears simple priest robes, drives a 20-year-old car gifted to him, and lives in an ordinary hotel instead of the offi-cial papal quarters. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he lived in an apartment, cooked his own meals and took

public transit. Each year during Holy Week as archbishop, he washed the feet of different social outsiders, including

AIDS patients and the incarcerated, according to Bloomberg News. When elected Pope, he chose not to wear the red shoes made specifically for him, but rather, chose to continue wearing his old, worn-out black shoes from Buenos Aires. After his election as Supreme Pontiff, he decided to go back to the hotel where he had been staying to pay the bill himself, and chose to ride in the bus with the rest of the Cardinals, rather than in the limo provided for him. He celebrated his first Holy Thursday Mass in a youth prison in Rome, and forbid any media to attend, asking that the Mass be private. During his pontificate, Pope Francis lived in the St. Martha house (Casa Santa Marta) with the Vatican employees instead of staying in the usual Papal Palace Pope Francis' acts remind people of scenes from the Bible Since he took the reins of the Catholic Church in March 2013, the Pope's actions have re-minded people of scenes from the New Testament. He embraced and blessed a man cov-ered in tumors, much like the story of Jesus when He healed lepers, and washed the feet of juvenile delinquents, including a Muslim woman. Bonus fact: Pope Francis also had his episode of puppy love. He wrote a love letter to a girl in his neighborhood when he was 12 years old. He reportedly told her, "If I don't marry you, I'm going to be a priest." What a promise of devotion and loyalty that can be read both ways - a sweet declaration of romantic love and a vow of servitude to God.

Pope Francis with his signature smile

GOOD

READ

The Purpose Driven Life

by Rick Warren. Learn

about the five things God

wants you to do with the

rest of your life

How To Live A Life of Mira-

cles by Bo Sanchez. Know

the 7 Life-Changing Keys

that will open your life to

God's abundant blessings

9

Verse

Act 12:5-11

So Peter was kept in jail, but the people of the

church were praying to God for him . . . . suddenly an

angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell.

The angel shook Peter, woke him up and said hurry! Get

up! . . . . Peter realized what had happened to him, and

said, Now I know that it is really true! The Lord sent his

angel to rescue me from Herods power and from every-

thing the Jewish people expected to happen.

Application

In every situation, prayer is integral in my life.

Even in uncomfortable and trying moments, I continue to

write in my journal possible solutions accompanied with

pleadings, and it ends with not my Will but Your Will be

done. When prayers get answered and situations are light

and easy, I praise and thank God, profuse is my grati-

tude...

This led my thoughts to Peters release from

prison and Act 12:5-11. The key that unlocks our situations

in life is personal and communal prayer.

Realization

In trying moments of a couple, family, business

relationships, my husbands reaction is silence, the deaf-

ening type of silence. I often misconstrued his silence as

indifference. This is where I get emotionally hurt. The Acts

of the Apostles (12:5-11) led to my reflections this morn-

ing. Have I misunderstood his silence? While his other

side, is bubbly and talkative to friends and acquaintances

alike? Have I misunderstood his stamina to talk to people?

I often heard him relay a story that goes: A

farmer had a son who got crippled while helping in the

farm. The town folks comment, how unfortunate you are

to have a crippled Son. The fathers reply was,

Fortunate, unfortunate, whatever! Then war broke out

and all able men where asked to serve the country. Now

the town folks comment, how fortunate you are to have a

crippled son because he cannot join the army. The fa-

thers reply was, Fortunate, unfortunate, whatever!

Reflection Released From Prison by Judy Gloria

Reflecting on Acts 12 and this story, I real-

ized that Nestors main topic is Gods providence and

encouraging to invite people to attend the breakfast

fellowship for he definitely found God through the

BCBP. Reflecting on his silence . . . I realized that his

active involvement with BCBP and the BCBP Interces-

sory; interest in reading inspirational books are his

Power house that kept his foot on the ground making

him reply, Fortunate, unfortunate, whatever! This is

the reason for his silence because he trusted in Gods

providence. This is the same reason that made him

bubbly in his blogs and with people because he wants

to share Gods providence.

His faith is rooted on the source Jesus for I

never saw him bog down in any difficult situation. He is

silent when needed and talkative when given the oppor-

tunity. It is his silent prodding that made me go back to

daily mass; return to serving BCBP when I felt backing

out; intensify my involvement with BCBP Intercessory

and my personal prayer time. Learning to handle situa-

tions by saying, Fortunate, unfortunate, whatever!

because I prayed for Gods providence and wait for His

response.

This reflection in itself is Gods response to

my query on my husbands SILENCE AND BUBBLING,

the constant source of irritation and marital conflict.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for Nestor! Thank you Lord

for the angel You sent this morning who stood beside

me and gave light that brought me to the realization

how fortunate I am to have a human angel in my hus-

band, Nestor!; Fortunate, unfortunate, whatever!

10

Intercessory Schedule for Q3

MA

R 2

015

AT

TE

ND

AN

CE

A

PR

201

5 A

TT

EN

DA

NC

E

MA

Y 2

015

AT

TE

ND

AN

CE

CHORES FOR KIDS

(thehappyhousewife.com)

The biggest barrier we face as

parents is that it's often faster and

easier to just to do chores our-

selves. But taking the time to get

children involved when they're

young and eager to help, is an im-

portant part of giving them the

skills they need as they get older.

Here are some age-appropriate

chores for kids:

Toddler (ages 2-3)

put away toys

collect dirty clothes

wipe cabinets

make bed

Preschooler (4-5)

vacuum couch

set/clear table

water plants

feed pets

Early Elementary (6-8)

Hang out laundry

Sweep/Vacuum

Clean microwave

Elementary (9-11)

Make simple meals

Clean toilets

Mop floors

59%54% 52%

41%

48%43%

47% 48%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Unit A Unit B Unit C Unit D

63%

43%

10%

55%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Unit A Unit B Unit C Unit D

67%

44%

29%

48%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Unit A Unit B Unit C Unit D

*No teaching night - Holy week

*No teaching night - NAC35

11

"Have you ever wanted to be an apostle for Jesus? Ask him what He wants of you and be brave. Be brave! Ask him this!" - Pope Francis

These are the lines that struck me most when I attended the just con-cluded NAC 35 in Manila with the theme, 'Be Brave, Be Bold". Even up to now, it gives me goose bumps when I remember what we have been through when I ac-cepted the challenge to lead God's flock, the BCBP Consolacion, last January of 2013. Time really flies so fast, Juda and I have never imagined that this year, 2015 is our last year of service as Chapter Head. Because of our determination and faith in God, we were able to overcome all obstacles, difficulties and trials in our ser-vice even in our married life. God has really prepared us to be able to perform of what He expected the Chapter to be, that is, to become a bunch of committed, faithful, and generous servants who are willingly ready to give their time, treasure and talent to the brotherhood. May we be able to unceasingly serve our Lord God with the best of our ability for the steady growth as united and strong chapter. Lets be brave, be bold in our service!

To God be the glory...

Chapter Heads Message

Marvin and Juda Soco

Q2 BREAKFAST SHARERS

Cito and Ugen Retuya:

Our story would not have been a happy ending had I

refused to forgive. Only God and a lot of His graces

allowed us to make-up and start all over again.

Ed Cola:

Yes, I have a Creator who can claim me back any day

as He wills. I should always be on my toes and be pre-

pared, worthy to enter His Kingdom.

Ed and Helen Lanticse:

We had turbulence in our marriage, family & business.

Being humbled by Gods love helped us overcome our

storms and we finally found peace. It is our desire to be

Gods transforming grace in our marketplace.

Eton and Veron Apao:

We reached this far because God intervened in our

lives. He allowed us to be hurt and be broken so that

we could taste how beautiful and sweet to be forgiven.

Rodien Paca:

In my life, whenever I feel comfort and good life, I had

the tendency to forget GOD... but BCBP has become

the spiritual curing pill of my amnesia to Glorify God.

Meddi Lapus:

When I experienced those series of catastrophic events in

my life, I did not panic nor complain to the Lord. I leave to

Him whats next.

Jun and Nery Gula:

Even with the uncertainties hanging over us, we are not

afraid, for we are certain we were intended for something

great His heavenly inheritance.

Magno Garcia:

In BCBP, Jade and I are led to the understanding of the

commandments and doctrines of our faith Thou shall not

commit adultery. Now we enjoy a peaceful and fulfilled

married life.

Bodjie and Elen Velasco:

The couple dialogue or one-on-one was an important exer-

cise to settle our differences. Indeed, the BCMR provided

us insights enabling us to adjust with the married life that we

have chosen.

Lito and Rez Bernaldo:

Now we run our school with the help of our dedicated princi-

pal, teachers and staff, but most importantly with our best

friend and business partner always by our side, who is

Jesus Christ.

12

Q3 2015 CELEBRATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Life is a gift, lets celebrate!!!