The Rogate: A Way of Responding to the Poverty Crisis in the Philippines
Introduction.
Living the Rogate in the Philippine setting—which, among others, is beset with mass poverty—calls for an appropriate contextualization which necessitates the shaping or configuration of the Rogate to at least two important dimensions of the Filipino-Catholic heritage: (1) the thrust of the Philippine Church to be a Church of the Poor who lives a spirituality of social transformation, and (2) the face of the historical Jesus who worked for social transformation in first century Palestine which, like the Philippines, was a sociologically depressed area. The blending of the Rogate with the aforementioned dimensions is most visible in the ministry of the St. Hannibal Empowerment Center or SHEC.
1. Church of the Poor and Spirituality of Social Transformation.
In a Church of the
Poor “members and leaders have a special love for the poor (PCP II#126).” She is “in solidarity with the poor” and “will collaborate with the poor themselves and with others to lift up the poor from their poverty (PCP II #130).” Set within this background, a spirituality of social transformation is a “way of living” 1 which is “committed not only to one’s personal salvation but to the transformation of society and the upliftment of the poor.”
2
In other words, this way of being Church is essentially about the transformation of all members of society, the poor especially (regardless of various religious, ideological or racial affiliations) into a more humane, dignified and just status.
3
People who live a spirituality of social transformation are “active and responsible subjects of social life” (PCP II #325). Hence, a spirituality of social transformation necessarily constitutes people empowerment which happens when all work for social concerns like the promotion of justice.
4
Specifically, empowerment is about “greater involvement in decisionmaking, greater equality in both political and economic matters, more democracy, more participation” (PCP II#326). In accordance with this, SHEC is indeed aptly called as an empowerment center.
1 Teodoro C. Bacani, Towards the Third Millenium—The PCP II Vision (n.p., 1991), 83.
2 Ibid., 84.
3 See the New National Catechetical Directory for the Philippines (Manila: Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines, 2007), #25. Succeeding quotations from this document will then be cited as NNCDP with corresponding number of paragraph/s, to be placed immediately beside the quotation; Acts and Decrees of the
Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (Manila: Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines, 1992), ##238-
258. Succeeding quotations from the conciliar document will then be cited as PCP II with corresponding number of paragraph/s, to be placed immediately beside the quotation.
4 See Ibita and Bieringer, Justice as Participation , 229; also, cf. Jon Sobrino, Spirituality of Liberation: Toward
Political Holiness , trans. Robert R. Barr (Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1988), 25.

2. The Face of Jesus as a Catalyst of Social Transformation.
The synoptic Gospels and
Acts portray a poor but empowered Jesus as well as a poor but empowered Christian community who promoted social consciousness and worked for social change in Palestine. This is a portrait of the Jesus of history which is “ the irreplaceable starting point for knowing Christ
” (CFC
#475).
5 This is also in keeping with the Second Plenary Council of the Philippine’s objective to retell Jesus’ story (see PCP II #36).
Below is a sample image of the historical Jesus as gleaned from the synoptic Gospels and
Acts:
Jesus is portrayed as poor (Mt 8:20). He spends most of his time with the poor and is compassionate to them (Mt 9:34). His beatitudes or blessings are meant especially for the poor and oppressed (Lk 6:20-26; Mt 5:3-11).
His good news of the Kingdom of God is also about good news to the poor (Mk 1:15; Lk 4:16-21). He counsels the rich that salvation demands radical sharing of wealth with the poor (Mk 10:17-27). Even a corrupt official is saved instantly because of his conversion coupled with his practice of social justice (Lk 19:1-10). Jesus’ rule of the thumb by which he will determine one’s salvation at the end of time is one’s acts of compassion to the least, or the poorest (Mt 25:31-46).
Indeed, this is in keeping with Jesus’ compassion which takes the form of food for the hungry, cure for the sick and justice and liberation for the poor and oppressed (Lk 4:16-
21; 6:20-26; Mk 6:30-34). Finally, following Jesus’ teachings, the first Christians’ practice of communion and sharing made them a society in which nobody was in need
(Acts 2:43-47; 4:32-37).
6
3. The Rogate Configured. SHEC lives by a configured Rogate which has been shaped according to the aforementioned dimensions. This configured Rogate may be gleaned from the following vignettes from the SHEC chronicles. These have been realized in the ongoing reflections of the communities of SHEC on the life and mission of St. Hannibal together with the said dimensions: i.
ROGATE: Inward Moments, Outward Movements For Human and Cosmic
Salvation.
The resurrection of Jesus is God’s way of saying that not even death can hinder the growth of his Kingdom. Death is the ultimate expression of evil.
5 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Catechism for Filipino Catholics , new. ed. (Manila: ECCCE
Word and Life Publications, 1997).
6 Zacarias G.Damo, Jr. “In the Footsteps of Jesus: Bishop Broderick Pabillo’s Ministry of Love and Commitment,”
Rogate Ergo Asia , October-December 2011, 17; also cf. idem., “A Third Look at Jesus and the Backpack of a Jesus-
Seeker Series,”
Windhover 3d quarter, 2006, 21-22. This story of Jesus as contextualized in the Philippines is the focus of Carlos H. Abesamis’ major works, i.e. A Third Look at Jesus and the Backpack of a Jesus-Seeker series, books 1-3, all published by Claretian Publications.

Social injustice (mass poverty and oppression) results in death. Ecological imbalance as well leads to death. But God has promised a new creation (see 2 Pt
3:13) where he will reign and dwell with humanity forever (see Rev 21:1-5)—this is a picture of God’s-Kingdom-of Human-and-Cosmic-Salvation for which St.
Hannibal begs God to send laborers. But the Rogate is more than closed eyes, clasped hands and bended knees. It ought to result in feet that tread the slums, in eyes that probe and seek solutions to the roots of social injustice and ecological problems, in hands that join to work for integral development, in arms that embrace the poorest and weakest—this is the essence of SHEC. More than an institution that serves the Kingdom, it is a way of life, a spirituality of inward moments with God in prayer resulting in outward moments for the total wellbeing of humans and creation.
ii.
ROGATE: Serving God and his people, especially the poor, through Mary. May is the month of flowers. In the Philippines, the May Flower Festival is usually celebrated in honor of the Virgin Mary. Noteworthy to mention is the special place of Mary in the life of St. Hannibal. It was Mary who led St. Hannibal to love Jesus, and eventually to love the poor whom Jesus loves so much—his favorites, so to say. When he was 17, St. Hannibal wrote these lines of a poem about Mary, titled “To Jesus through Mary”:
In the blossoming of my years,
I looked for you, shedding tears;
Kneeling at your holy knee,
May I find whom I want to love through thee!
And the young Hannibal was led to love Jesus, who eventually led him to give special love and concern for the poor in his ministry.
This Marian spirituality that brings justice to the poor, needless to say, guides the life of SHEC, especially in the month of May. iii.
ROGATE: Following in the footsteps of St. Hannibal and St. Anthony. June 1 is the feast of St. Hannibal. June, also, is the month of St. Anthony’s feast. The saint of Padua had always occupied a significant place in St. Hannibal’s heart, because
St. Anthony’s ‘Bread of the Poor’ had been a devotion of sharing for the benefit of the orphans under St. Hannibal’s care.
The orphans (together with the widows) in Biblical times represented the poorest of the poor whom Jesus loved so much. St. Anthony’s and St. Hannibal’s passion to serve the poorest constitutes an unbroken Biblical-Christian tradition which
SHEC continues today.

Passion to serve the poor! Continuing Jesus’ Kingdom works! Following in the footsteps of Sts. Anthony and Hannibal!—these propel SHEC’s Kingdom workers to spread the good news. iv.
ROGATE: Following the Footsteps of St. Hannibal and St. Paul. All the committees of SHEC work for a living while doing service to the poor, all because of their commitment to the values and goals of the Kingdom of God.
Needless to say, this is a way of following the footsteps of St. Hannibal. When he was struggling to purchase buildings for the orphans in the slums, St. Hannibal deemed it a part of God’s providence that the beneficiaries had various livelihoods to support themselves. Coupled with catechism and administration of the sacraments, St. Hannibal drove home the point that holistic salvation consisted in both temporal and spiritual nourishment—this indeed is a dynamic equivalent of today’s concept of integral evangelization. v.
ROGATE: Trusting in God’s Providence. It is August. In the 19 th
century, this month witnessed to the strong faith of St. Hannibal. He trusted in the Lord even in seemingly hopeless situations. He struggled. It was not easy. He hoped against hope. In the end, he never doubted God’s providence, and his little failures turned into little pieces of light that empowered the poor to go on. The gospels counsel us to “seek first the Kingdom of God, and all will be given… (see Mt 6:33)”
Seeking the kingdom requires a solid trust in God’s providence. This entails struggles, but God assures the faithful that those who trust him will never be disappointed (see Rom 10:11).
Trusting in God’s providence—this is the way of Jesus…the way that St.
Hannibal followed…the way that SHEC continues to live by as it accompanies the poor in their struggle to hope against hope. vi.
Rogate: Unfailing Faith and Trust in God Amidst Trials. In empowering the poor of his time, St. Hannibal went through many challenges. He felt frustrations.
There were moments when his spirit was dampened. Of these, he wrote: “Often I have knocked on iron doors in vain, atrocity has been my verdict, get out of here, you person insane, suffer the pain for doing your bit.”
These were but normal and ordinary about being human. Even Jesus experienced deep anguish. But, like in the case of Jesus, ordinary pains became extraordinary religious experiences for St. Hannibal because he lived in God’s embrace. He

never failed to trust in God, no matter how uncertain things seemed. It is also the kind of faith embraced by the SHEC community as they struggle for a more humane world in their daily existence. vii.
Rogate: Being in God’s Presence—A Melodious Life of Service Attuned to the
Divine Music. St. Hannibal was once asked: Why do people go wrong? The pious
“man of God” (a title given to St. Hannibal by those who knew him personally) answered, “because they are not accustomed to being in God’s presence.”
Being in God’s presence was second nature to St. Hannibal. Even as a child, he was already aware of this precious treasure in his life. Of this, St. Hannibal claimed: “The Lord has granted me no supernatural gifts, except spirit of faith and the awareness of His divine presence. Since I was a child when I was with the
Cistercian fathers, He visited me with gentle emotions—interior joy. When he excited me to love Him, I knew that it was God’s will for me to stay in His presence.”
St. Hannibal’s spirituality of being in God’s presence resulted in dedicating his life in serving the poor. He was then very much like Jesus, who, as a result of his connectivity or oneness with his Father, was poured out in mission for total salvation (salvation of humanity and creation), most especially the poor.
Being in God’s presence may be likened to a musical piece. When one is attuned to God, one’s life will exude harmonious notes, constituting sounds that form a very pleasant divine melody echoing in the lives of the poor in the form of decent homes, sustainable livelihood and solidarity with victims of calamities such as typhoons. viii.
Rogate: Welcoming Jesus into compassionate hearts. The sons of St. Hannibal are called Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, because like Jesus’ heart, their hearts are fountains of compassion for the poor and the oppressed. This is also the heart of everyone who shares in the Rogationists’ spirituality of compassion which is very evident in the life of SHEC. December 2011 is especially memorable in this regard for it underlines the birth of Jesus into the hearts of the SHEC community
(the Rogationists, the staff, the benefactors, the mission partners and the beneficiaries). And certainly, such birth is concretely manifested through liberating and life-giving activities in the life of SHEC. ix.
Rogate: Emulating the Innocent and Pure Heart of the Child Jesus. January is the month of the Sto. Nino. This celebration reminds us that we have to be like

children in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
How is it to be like children? St.
Hannibal offers excellent ways of being so. One time, he saw a little girl crying because of mosquitoes. He immediately ordered that the mosquito net reserved for him be given to the girl. He saw to it that the orphans ate nutritious food, and had to be treated well because, as orphans, they needed utmost care and understanding. Being like a child is to know how it is to be one. A child is pure and innocent but weak, vulnerable to maltreatment. Only an equally pure, innocent and compassionate heart can understand and is willing to work for the welfare of a powerless child.
The poor and oppressed are like children. They are weak and are in need of society’s care and affection. To treat them well and to work for their wellbeing may not be that appealing. But to do so is the mission of Jesus (Lk 4:16-21). It is our mission too (Mk 10:11-17). It is one way of being like a child as exemplified by St. Hannibal. It is a way of the Rogate which continues to inspire and empower
SHEC as it strives to serve the poor this January, 2012.
4. Our Life At SHEC: Living the Rogate in a Church of the Poor inspired by Jesus, the
Catalyst of Social Transformation. SHEC implements an empowerment program which comprises the following thrusts: housing, livelihood, education, health, environment and sanitation, justice and peace, youth formation and values formation. SHEC today has branches at
Baseco, Ifugao and Bulacan. To date, it has helped 354 households avail of its house and lot program. 61 households have availed of lots only. 40 households are active in the livelihood program. 44 students are SHEC scholars. An average of 80 participates in the youth formation program. All are involved in the values formation program, while capable ones take part more actively in the health, environment and sanitation, and justice and peace programs.
In sourcing out needed funds and technical assistance to supplement the poor’s livelihood projects and trainings, SHEC establishes networking with the government, church and non-government organizations, private and academic sectors, realizing thus the vision of a
Church of the Poor to “collaborate with the poor themselves and with others to lift up the poor from their poverty” (PCP II #130).
Like Jesus who served Jews and non-Jews alike,
7
SHEC also caters to non-Catholics and even to non-Christians, which is why it has to live a spirituality of social transformation that
7 Like in the case of the Syro-Phoenecian woman (Mt 15:21-28;Mk 7:24-30) and the centurion’s servant (Lk 7:1-
10;Mt 8:5-13).

could blend harmoniously with postmodernity’s plurality. SHEC sees to it that they are not discriminated. With regard to youth and values formation, they are invited to learn from Jesus’ teachings which deal with universal principles of human dignity, human rights, social justice, etc. They are also welcome in festivities, gatherings and assemblies that are acceptable to their social, cultural and religious sensitivities. They are further encouraged to practice their own ways of worship, and to discover in their traditions the teachings that foster social change, and to eventually share these with their Christian brethren.
Conclusion.
The poverty crisis in the Philippines is a very complicated problem. Despite its relative success, the Rogate’s way of responding through SHEC is but one among 101 ways.
It remains a challenge to constantly rediscover and re-examine more ways, and to dynamically witness to them. With persons who passionately and consistently live a spirituality of social transformation, and who hold on to Jesus’ promise of continuing presence and guidance,
8
it is hoped that the small ‘seeds’ initially planted would eventually grow into the ‘healthy forest’ of a transformed Philippine Church and society, whose ‘branches’ of justice, peace and fullness of life
9
extend to all. Being so, the Philippine Church, as Church of the Poor, can witness more to an enriched catholicity or universality which concretely shows that, in postmodern Philippines, especially with regard to its problem on poverty, the Christian God, through the Church, embraces, loves and saves everybody or anybody no matter how differently plenty or plentifully different.
10
And, as Rogationists who live the spirituality of the Rogate, it is heartwarming to realize that we are significantly extending the heart and arms of God to all, especially to the poorest of the poor.
Postcript: A Multimedia Peek Into Our Life At SHEC. I wish to end this presentation by letting you have a taste of the Rogate at SHEC by watching the following videos:
Apo, you may want to show them some clips of the concerts, funny moments and other clips that would best showcase SHEC.
8 See Mt 28:20
9 See Jn 10:10
10 See Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration “Dominus Iesus” on the Unicity and Salvific
Universality of Jesus and the Church , Vatican Documents Series 86 (Pasay City: Paulines Publishing House, 2000),
44.