IN ORDER for a seed to grow into a seed and eventually into a seedling, it has to be watered and nourished before it becomes a mature plant or a tree.
I think that that analogy could also be used to describe the journey of becoming a Christian. Planting a seed into the soil is very much like planting the word of God into a person. That person could be converted or baptized, but it would be difficult for him or her to grow into a real Christian, not unless his faith in God is watered and nourished.
Statistics show that more Filipino Catholics could be classified as “nominal”, while the rest could be classified as “active” or “practicing. In other words, those who are classified as “nominal” are only Catholics in name only, but not in actual practice.
It is also possible that many Filipino Catholics merely go through the functions of participating in some religious rituals, without really “practicing” or internalizing the word of God. In much the same way that growing a tree from a seed or seedling is a long and tedious process, it is also a long and tedious process to grow the faith in a Christian, even if he or she has already been baptized.
It is for this reason that I have started a Messenger chat group in Facebook, so that Christians could share their learnings and experiences as they learn about the word of God, and grow their faith.
Despite the name Catholic Life Assistance and Support Program or CLASP for short, it will be open to all Christians, and not just to Catholics. Of course, it will be open to those from other faiths who may wish to understand the word of God better.
CLASP is simply a chat group, and there are no formal membership forms to fill up or membership fees to pay. With God’s grace, we could have our own You Tube channel later.
And yes, CLASP is also open even to those who do not have a religion or who do not believe in God. Just log on to Facebook and join./PN
