 The First Archdiocesan Mission Congress held last October 18-20, 2008 made an impact on the staff and lay coordinators of the Lipa Archdiocesan Commission on Migrants and Mission (LCMMI). Mission, the congress stated, must create and enhance ongoing dialogue with the poor, different cultures and different religions. This was first voiced out in the last Asian Mission Congress in 2006, in Changmai, Thailand.
While the commission was having our evaluation and assessment of the just concluded congress last November, 2007, we also planned to have our Christmas party. One lay coordinator from San Jose, suggested that we celebrate Christmas differently in the spirit and atmosphere of the Archdiocesan Mission Congress message of dialogue especially with the poor. Everybody agreed to gather street children all over Lipa
City and celebrate Christmas with them. With the initiatives of June and Iking (both LACMMI staff), they started contacting the street children and preparing them for the party. At the same time, coordinators were being invited to bring old and new toys, clothes and gifts for the street and poor children. I, as director of LACMMI, first met with 12 children last December 12, 2007 at our office. It was a very touching encounter listening to and talking with them. Their different stories of poverty, suffering and pain led me to empathize with their difficult situation. I began to feel the story of Joey Velasco’s painting and experience in his canvas “Hapag ng Pag-asa” – a Last Supper painting with Jesus Christ in the middle and instead of the apostles dining with Him he has 12 street children beside Him with different stories to tell. As I listen to the children’s stories of poverty, I could picture the images and stories of the children of Hapag ng Pag-asa in my mind. The day of the party came. Last December 15, 2007, we gathered the children. Instead of the expected 30 children there were 57 of them who came including some of their parents and their elder siblings. Fr. Jay Encarnacion celebrated the mass for them with the presence of our lay LACMMI coordinators. After the mass, the coordinators started preparing the gifts and dole outs while June Inabayan, Iking and Angel (our gracious young volunteer who herself came from the ranks of the poor) began entertaining the kids with stories, games and singing. Children also introduced themselves and shared their different stories of poverty and suffering. It was immediately noticed that the lay coordinators and some guests were emotionally affected by the situation. You can immediately hear the words of Jesus Christ, “Blessed are the poor, for they shall see God” (Mt. 5) and “If you do not live like little children, you will not be fit to enter the Kingdom of God”. It was a common experience of hearing the stories of the poor, but when you come close to them, touch them, listen to them, watch them and feel them, it was different. You see how dirty and poor they are. Maybe they are not yet the poorest of the poor in the society of Lipa, but they gave us the feel of poverty, misery and pain. They are always around us, and we just looked at them merely as statistics (to borrow the words of Joey Velasco). The party went on with lunch for everybody. They were so happy having such a very good and sumptuous meal. I felt my heart shrank when a little child of 5 or 6 told me while having lunch: “Pwede ko po ba iuwe ang tira kong pagkain? Dadalhin ko kay nanay. Di pa kasi sya kumakain”. And many more of them said the same request. They may be poor but they have good hearts. We gave away gifts: packs with rice, noodles, sardines, candies, old and new clothes and toys. We also gave cash prizes to those who performed well. I showered them with some coins for revelries and fun. They were so happy. But the lay coordinators were happier on the experience of a unique, concrete and grace-filled encounter and dialogue with the poor. It gave sense to our Christmas party: unselfish, altruistic and Christ-inspired mission of genuine dialogue with the poor. I don’t think it was a one shot deal and event of dialogue with the poor. Everybody was affected and challenged to make this a part of our system not only during the Christmas season of giving and sharing but every time we came face to face with the poor. This is not only waiting for the poor to come to us but most especially to reach out to them, dialogue with them, learn from them and feel Jesus Christ’s presence in them. This is a Christmas experience and message for all of us. Christ speaks to us through the poor. Mission is dialogue with the poor. This is the continuation of the Archdiocesan Mission Congress. It does not stop. As long as we are a Church, mission continues. We can’t be fully a missionary church unless we create and recreate this dialogue and story telling with the poor: telling them our stories of Jesus and listening to their own unique Jesus experiences and stories. Christmas is also an arena for doing mission especially for the poor. 
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