5084_Sharing the Gospel in the Philippines
Word and Life approaching its 30th anniversary (June 2019)
May 10, 2019
Makati, Manila, Philippines, 10 May 2019 -- The humble bookstore on the ground floor of the 4-storey SDB Provincial House in Manila (one corner) is a window into the 'WORD & LIFE PUBLICATIONS' started 30 years ago by one zealous Salesian, Fr Salvatore Putzu in 1989 (National Bible Year) with the cooperation of four volunteers. Its main aim was to help the Filipino people, and specially the youth, know God’s Word better and put it into practice.
The name WORD & LIFE dynamically synthesizes this objective, while the logo (the book of the Bible right in the center of the Philippines) visualizes the role of God’s Word in the life of the Filipino people. Its field of action is the Ministry of the Word, particularly Evangelization and Catechesis, both formal and informal. The specific mission of Word & Life Publications is the preparation, publication, and dissemination of periodicals, books and audio-visuals and any other formation program that can be reproduced or broadcast through the various means of social communication which are and will be made available by information technology. The aim of Word & Life Publications is to help its readers / viewers: Know their faith better, Defend it when attacked, and Make it the inspiration and guiding force in their daily commitments and prayer life.
Looking back on the 30 fruitful years of evangelization, we may recognize a large tree:
Its mother publication is the periodical WORD & LIFE with the following other magazines: Exploring God’s Word (EGW), Ang Bagong Salita at Buhay, EGW-Teacher’s Notes, WL-Teacher’s Guide, The Word of God, Ang Salita ng Diyos, The Messenger of Divine Love, Pambatang Katekesis, Euchalette, and Patnubay sa Misa. The target group is the Catholics, BEC leaders, especially youth, catechists, servants of the Word. Moreover in a concerted effort to increase the availability of Sacred Scripture in the Philippines, WLP has co-published with other Catholic Publishers the complete Bible in English, Tagalog and Cebuano.
Word and Life Publications has also been serving also the catechetical ministry through the publication of several catechism: Catechism of the Catholic Church and its Compendium; the Catechism for Filipino Catholics, and its Tagalog version: Katesismo para sa mga Pilipinong Katoliko (both in complete and abridged versions); and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. It has also published numerous encyclicals and apostolic exhortations, such as: Evangelium Vitae, Dies Domini, Deus Caritas Est, Sacramentum Caritatis, Spe Salvi, Caritas in Veritate, Verbum Domini, Lumen Fidei, Evangelii Gaudium, Laudato si and recently also Christus Vivit.
Another contribution goes to the renewal of popular devotions by publishing a New Way of the Cross, The Trail of Light, and a maze of pamphlets on the Rosary, the Eucharist and the Holy Shroud. All those have been made available in posters, pamphlets, leaflets, stampitas, and DVDs. WLP also published in comics the lives of various saints such as: Pedro Calungsod, Don Bosco, and Damien of Molokai.
Since Easter 1992, Word and Life has been engaged in an outreach “God’s Word to the Lonely.” Every two months, more than 600 copies of its periodicals (specifically Word & Lifemagazine, Ang Bagong Salita at Buhay, and The Messenger of Divine Love) are given – free of charge – to the chaplains of Metro Manila hospitals and more than a dozen prisons nationwide. Because of this, the sick and the prisoners are given hope and inspiration as they read God’s Word, and are also empowered to spread the Good News in their respective environments using these materials from WLP.
In cooperation with WMM, WLP has also been airing on Radio Veritas (846 kHz) a weekly program entitled “Bisperas sa Veritas,” since 2004. The program is broadcast live every Saturday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM with Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB and Fr. Bernard Nolasco, SDB, as co-hosts, together with lay volunteers of WMM. The target audience is the Filipino family. The objective is to help people prepare for the Sunday Mass.
Because of the attractive items in teaching the faith and in inspiring people, some of its products have already been translated and/or published in other countries like India (The Promise, The Acts of the Apostles), China (Way of the Cross), and the US (Litany of the Sacred Heart).
WLP is also spreading God’s Word online. It has Facebook pages (Word & Life Publications / Wordandlife Ph), a Youtube channel (WordandLife Barkada) and a website (www.wordandlife.org). The Word & Life website is very popular and essential to Filipinos – as well as missionaries – all over the world because from there they can download the Sunday Missalettes for FREE. For many Filipinos overseas (and even non-Filipinos), especially in non-Christian countries, this website is their only lifeline to nurture their faith.
We wish all the best fruits to Fr. Sal and his numerous lay mission partners.
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