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Introduction
They are called, by various names, in the many languages of the Philippines — Gagmayng
Kristohanong Katilingban, Simbaan Sangakarrubaan, Mimting Samba-yanang Kristiyano, etc. —
but they are all Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs). There are more than 50,000 of them all over
the Philippines, and they aire a dynamic force in Church and social renewal.
BECs began in Mindanao in the 1970% taking an inspiration from the South American experience
of Basic Ecclesial Communities. They soon took on an identity in themselves and became rooted
quickly in the local culture and Church structure with a vision of its own: Kingdom of God-
World ; Priest-People : Parish-BEC.
Throughout the long dark years of MartialLaw, they represented a prophetic Church that was
battling social evils and injustices. And they suffered because of this prophetic stance. But in
suffering they grew and spread. In the BECs, the people in the grassroots and their pastors
confirmed their faith. The BECs themselves went through various growth stages: liturgical,
developmental, and liberational. Today all these aspects of growth are integrated in the same BEC.
• Sharing of possessions;
• Distributing goods according to one's needs;
• Enjoying the good will of the people;
• Increasing the number of believers.
In today's language we would describe the Jerusalem community as a, believing and
praying community, centered in Jesus and the Eucharist, devoted to orthodoxy as well as
to orthopraxis, living in solidarity with the poor, serving as a contrast cortimunity, and
attracting many to this new way of life, a new way of
being community.
10-16; Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:3-7). His spirituality embodies humility ant! utter self-
giving love, servanthood and shepherding especially those who need the greatest care — even to
the sacrifice of self so that all might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10).
Given all the above, it is evident that prayer and prayerfulness are indispensable in BEC
spirituality. To be rooted in Christ and be in communion with Him means prayerfully and
faithfully listening to God in the Scriptures and in the Church. For BEC people, prayer
empowers and prayerful action transforms.
Conclusion
What the BEC is really all about is the idea of a "contrast community." The BEC stands in stark
contrast to the wider society that is fraught with division and conflict, imbalances and
dichotomies, lack of participation, neglect of the poor and marginalized, and lack of solidarity. It
is also in contrast to the old type of parishes where the poor rarely have a chance to participate,
where people in the big poblacion hardly know one another, much less the people from the
barrios, and where participation is often limited to the better off in society and to members of
religious organizations.
Truly the BEC is a new way of being Church, It represents a new paradigm of Church. It is a
Church that is genuinely a "community of families," making the parish a "community of
communities." It is a Church at the grassroots that is transforming itself into a Church of the
Poor, a Church of servant leadership by the clergy and religious with full participation by
empowered lay people, particularly by the poor. It is finally a Church that is engaged in
transforming the wider community into a better reflection of the Kingdom of God.