From the Website of CBCP links:  http://cbcpnews.net/blog/2013/06/22/bishop-reminds-laity-seek-marks-of-a-true-church/ Bishop reminds laity: Seek marks of a true church Bishop reminds laity: Seek marks of a true church Filed under: Headlines | Bishop Broderick Pabillo MANILA, June 22, 2013—As different churches emerge from various faiths and religions budding in the country, a Catholic bishop reminded the faithful to scrutinize their spiritual belief and assess if it possesses the marks of a true church. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the laity must seek the qualities of oneness, holiness, catholicism (universal), and apostolicism in their church so they may be assured of receiving the needed spiritual guidance in their day-to-day living. “The task of establishing a church is not just for any random person. If our beliefs are wrong, it follows that our actions are misguided too. It is a must for us to scrutinize our beliefs so we may discern truth from lie,” he said in the vernacular during his talk at the Katolikong Pinoy recollection held last Saturday at the San Carlos Seminary. Noting the importance of unity in the church, Pabillo said it is through this quality that diversity among members is settled toward the fulfillment of a mission. “Even if members of a church come from diverse origins, all of them are rooted from one spirit. It is not only common beliefs that make us act. Rather, it is also because of the common God where we come from. We become united because of our common faith,” he noted. “The unity of His people on Earth is one of Christ’s ultimate desires. I hope that we would be able to manifest this in our respective communities, parishes, and dioceses,” Pabillo said. He added that holiness must also be achieved for it guides people toward spiritual fulfillment, noting that the call for holiness is not only for a few people, but for all of mankind. “The call of holiness is for each and every one of us. This is achieved by being like Christ. Let us follow His ways in propagating what is true and showing love for each other,” Pabillo said. Pabillo further noted the need for a church to be universal so that spiritual teachings may transcend differences, and so that everyone—most especially those who are poor, deprived, oppressed, and exploited—be able to partake in the graces of the Divine. Lastly, he stressed the importance of an apostolic church as this enables age-old teachings to transcend generations and reach present-day believers. It makes spiritual teachings timeless and enables first-hand account of apostles to be handed down to others. “We get to know Christ because of his apostles who witnessed His earthly stay and who made His teachings available to all of mankind up to the present time,” he said. “The church continues to treasure and spread the teachings of the apostles. Lessons taught by the church are not based from what most people like to hear.  Rather, it all roots from the teachings handed down by the Lord to His apostles,” he added. He also called on the faithful to stand by church teachings and be mindful of their mission to integrate spirituality and morality into their day-to-day living. “Let us all bring the teachings of Christ wherever we go and whatever we do. Let us live our lives in accordance to our faith. We should not be holy only when we are inside the church,” he said. (Jennifer Orillaza)  Vatican Website http://www.news.va/en links:   http://cbcpnews.net/blog/2013/06/22/bishop-reminds-laity-seek-marks-of-a-true-church/ OTHER BIBLE LIGHTS PROMOTIONS WEBSITE Bible Lights Promotions - Home Bible Lights Promotion http://www.biblelightspromotions.co.nr BIBLE LIGHTS PROMOTIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------