CTK Home Visits: Big on Unity in Small Christian Communities

by: Eileen De Leon

September 8 was a very meaningful day for CTK. On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Steve and the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) launched the CTK Home Visits in coordination with the Legion of Mary (LOM). This would promote the devotion to Christ the King in tandem with the propagation of the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Since its launch, the image of Christ the King has visited more than a hundred families. Two statues make the rounds of homes for each village, staying for two weeks at a time. Forty families visited monthly for three months resulted to 120 families opening their homes to Christ the King and His Blessed Mother Mary!

I joined Greenmeadows Village coordinators and Legion of Mary representatives when they transferred the images. We started with the Dee family and off we went to the next family bringing freshly baked brownies. We were surprised to see Dulce Barretto opening the gates for us. We said the welcome prayers and soon it was ‘kwento’ time with Dulce proudly showing us photos of her grandchildren on her iPad. We proceeded to the Ong family to transfer another image to the Supetran family. Their Christmas tree was already up, with her daughter Beth helping to decorate. It surely added a festive glow to the house as we prayed.

All these happened in less than an hour, thanks to the very efficient LOM reps Mila, Precy, Carol, Linda, and Susan. They had just come from the 7 a.m. Mass and embarked immediately on the image transfers, without even a proper breakfast. I immediately texted Tessa Mangahas of the Social Communication ministry to share photos and narratives.

It was touching to note that these ladies were praying with fervor every single time during the transfers. I could feel their dedication and sincerity. And I am sure the same scenario were duplicated in the other villages. I am told that most families are very excited to welcome Christ the King and Mama Mary in their homes. I am certain that we can cover five hundred homes in ten villages within a year. That’s five hundred families praying the devotion to Christ the King. BEC definitely shows that the bond goes beyond prayers and rituals—it extends to sharing stories of grandchildren, enjoying the Christmas décor, and freshly baked brownies. It’s all about community. The prayers have started the bond, and I am confident that we will achieve our goal of being one family, one church, one parish!

St. Ignatius Village coordinator Lulay dela Cruz said it well. “Personally, I have gained a lot as a member of a small Christian community. We share our feelings and hopes, we learn to work with different kinds of people, we live in peaceful coexistence despite having different backgrounds. I feel it is the Christian community where the real presence of the Risen Christ is felt and expressed in the light of love…. We are all one in the Body of Christ. It is a unity, a lived reality in the small Christian community.”