The Mission After Ascension at the Metro Manila Mission Core Gathering
For CFC Executive Director Bro Jimmy Ilagan, 44 years of our meaningful and fruitful experience and moving stronger as a community, can be best described by the phrase ‘God’s faithfulness’.
Jesus’ Earthly Mission Accomplished
“It is indeed a faithful God who walks with us along the way,” he shared, “and we are privileged partakers of these blessings. In our personal journeys, and despite shortcomings & offenses, God’s love manifests for each of us in restored relationships, healing from sickness, familial blessings, and answered prayers.”
This was during the Mission Core Gathering last June 1, 2025, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, Metro Manila. The MCG is a monthly prayer assembly for Couples for Christ’s leaders from different sectors, family ministries, and programs.
This month’s Mission Core Gathering, held on Ascension Sunday, centered on the theme “Christ’s Ascension: Mission Accomplished.” The celebration served as a powerful reminder that while Jesus had completed His earthly mission, He also handed the faithful their continuing mandate—to lead others back to the Father.
In the Holy Mass, Rev. Fr. (PCPT) Jezzryl P. Failagmao, Assistant Priest at St. Joseph Church in Camp Crame, reflected on the fulfillment of the plan of salvation foretold by the prophets. “God became human so that man might share in His divinity,” he shared, emphasizing that Jesus lived a perfect life, died for our redemption, and rose again in glory to conquer sin and death.
“All that God created will return to Him,” Fr. Jezzryl noted. The Ascension is not a farewell but a commissioning. “We are not just recipients of grace. We are messengers, witnesses, and missionaries. And as couples, your call is to witness God’s love not only within your own home but beyond it.”
The Mission for Couples
“Marriage is part of that mission,” Fr. Jezzryl continued. “Every act of faithfulness between husband and wife, every patient word, and every sacrifice for children. It continues saving love of Jesus in the world. Married life is not just about living for yourselves. It is a vocation, a way to make Christ’s love real in today’s world.”
Fr. Jezzryl shared emphasized how the strength of the early Christians did not lie in extraordinary talents, but in their deep dependence on the Holy Spirit. Their boldness was not a result of human skill but of divine empowerment. This truth remains central today: the mission of proclaiming Christ cannot be carried out on talent alone.
Unlike humanity, which often retreats when confronted with the consequences of its actions, Christ does not abandon. In His Ascension, He does not leave us behind—He promises the Advocate. It is the Holy Spirit who emboldens disciples with courage and joy, who strengthens hearts in the midst of trials, who binds together a divided world, and who rekindles love when the fire had grown cold.
Through the Spirit, we are never alone.
Continuing the Mission
During the prayer assembly, Couples for Christ leaders offered heartfelt testimonies on the formative role of mentorship in their spiritual journeys. Many spoke of the unselfish guidance of their household heads and chapter leaders: mentors who walked with them, encouraged them, and upheld accountability in prayer and in marriage. These relationships became the foundation of a faith that is both personal and communal.
In these sharings, one theme resounded clearly: gratitude and faithfulness must define our witness, even in difficult circumstances. CFC is reminded not to surrender to darkness nor give space to bitter & dark thoughts, but to hold fast to prayer, to rejoice in hope, and to remain vigilant in mission.
This mission includes reaching out to struggling couples or those far from the church, journeying with the youth as mentors for the next generation, and serving in parishes and community even in small acts of generosity and leadership. Ultimately, the vision is clear: that every family may truly become a domestic church, and every home will be a place of light and mission.
At this month’s Mission Core Gathering, Couples for Christ members reflected on how God continues to heal marriages, shape character, and bless the Church through formations, retreats, and community life—one grace at a time. CFC must work to “make disciples of all nations” not simply through conversion, but through active discipleship and daily witness.
Despite the wounds we may face in mission, hope endures. Christ’s promise—“I am with you always”—remains our strength as we continue the work of evangelization with faith and courage.
By Bianca Angeli Arellano
