A Catholic bishop on Monday urged workers in the Bible apostolate to place faith above control, cautioning against results-driven approach to Church service.
Speaking at the opening Mass of the 26th National Biblical Workshop in Baguio City, Bishop Renato Mayugba of Laoag said effective ministry does not require total control over outcomes.
“It is not necessary for us to know and understand all, or to be in control,” said Mayugba, former chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate. “What is most important is that we have faith.”
He said faith allows ministers to act generously while trusting God to guide results, even when efforts appear unsuccessful.
“We do what the Lord allows us to do in faith, and we leave everything to God,” Mayugba said. “Even failures can become blessings.”
The bishop described ministers as humble servants who carry out their tasks while allowing God’s grace to bring fruit.
“We do what is assigned to us,” he said, “and we leave the fruition to God’s grace.”
Mayugba said those in the Bible apostolate should be ready to serve in different places and ministries, according to God’s call.
“Some will be sent to young people, some to prisoners, some to hospitals, some to basic ecclesial communities,” he said. “All of us will be engaged in mission.”
He said participating in Christ’s mission also requires personal sacrifice and readiness to give themselves fully to service.
“We will also have to die somehow,” Mayugba said, “but in the end, [through] the offering of our lives in mission, the Lord makes it possible for his goodness, for his love, to be shared with the many people we touch.”
The four-day workshop brought together priests, consecrated persons and laypeople involved in the Bible ministry and other church apostolates from across the country.
