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National Ecumenical Forum for Filipino Concerns in the Inland Empire

Supporting Justice, Peace, Human Rights, and Integrity of Creation

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NEFFCON-IE

Who We Are

We, the National Ecumenical Forum for Filipino Concerns - Inland Empire (NEFFCON -IE), are an ecumenical and interfaith non-profit 501(c) 3 organization supporting Justice, Peace Human Rights, and Integrity of Creation. NEFFCON-IE is inspired by the love of God, and service to the people, where faith is seen as the river of life that nurtures legitimate struggles and inter-human relationships. We are committed to advocating for the rights and welfare of Filipinos in the USA and in the Philippines; and to be in solidarity with peoples of different cultures and walks of life – the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed.

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PAIS IE Summer Immersion 2024 Placemaking & Belonging

PAIS IE Summer Immersion  2024 Placemaking & Belonging
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PAIS IE Summer Immersion  2024 Placemaking & Belonging

PAIS IE Summer Immersion 2024 Placemaking & Belonging

02:07
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Cultural Diversity With Fr. Ben Alforque MSC & Naida Castro

Cultural Diversity With Fr. Ben Alforque MSC & Naida Castro

28:32
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NEFFCON-IE 2022 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

NEFFCON-IE 2022 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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Truth Talk with Fr. Benjamin E. Alforque, MSC on Faith  and Culture

Truth Talk with Fr. Benjamin E. Alforque, MSC on Faith and Culture

46:25
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NEFFCON-IE

Our Work

We envision a people dynamically integrated in the US Church and society united with the people of the Philippines for the event of God's Reign.

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JULY 23
NEFFCON FAMILY
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Introducing NEFFCON-IE's Biggest Project

Funded by the California Endowment

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NEFFCON-IE

Biblical Commentaries
by Fr. Benjamin E. Alforque, MSC

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Twenty-third Sunday

in Ordinary Time

1. First Reading: Ez 33:7-9

Ezekiel’s work reflects his biography. The book of the prophet Ezekiel may be read in three parts, namely: (a) ch. 1-24: First wave of the exiles to Babylon until the fall of Jerusalem (586 BCE); (2) ch. 25-32: oracles against the nations, and (3). ch. 33-48: exile to Babylon and the first wave of the exiles’ return to Jerusalem (536 BCE). Ezekiel, who was both a priest and prophet, had two opposite extreme tempers: (1) as a priest devoted to the Torah, he was vehement about the total punishment of the sin of injustice and corruption, and (2) as a prophet, the spokesperson of God, he was passionate about the hope of deliverance. Ez 33:7-9 is an oracle of hope, where the mix of his priestly and prophetic vocations are shown. He is now called to be a watchman who will not only guard and warn all the people from danger but also every individual as well. His mission then is to read the will of God in the signs of the times and to discern the people’s proper response to the signs of the times according to the designs of God’s justice. If the prophet does not speak and the wicked will die, then the guilt is on the prophet. If the wicked insists on his/her wickedness even though s/he has been warned by the prophet, then s/he will fall, but the prophet will live.

 

2. Responsorial Psalm: Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

This is a composite psalm: a hymn of praise and thanksgiving on the one hand, (vv. 1-7c) and a prophetic oracle (7d-11). The psalmist articulates the reason for praise and thanksgiving: the Lord is the Rock of Salvation, the God who shepherds his people. Therefore, he is worthy of being worshiped. The psalm recalls the past temptations at Meribah. The generation today need not repeat this past!

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3. Second Reading: Rom 13:8-10

 

The letter to the Romans was probably penned in the early years of emperor Nero’s reign (57 or 58), before the outbreak of Neronian persecution of Christians (60-68). Thus, Paul, perhaps perceiving the legitimacy and honesty of the leaders, taught the principle of Christian duty to respect and obey legitimate, honest, and just leadership. But Paul, between the lines, had a subtle message that Christians at that time could not miss. This was not an innocent letter as it seemed. Paul was saying that a good Christian may always be a good citizen under any authorities provided these are just, honest, and legitimate. But should these authorities lose their legitimacy and moral ascendancy to govern – according to the demands of respect for the dignity of the human person (“you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet”) – because they violated the people, their dignity and their rights, then the Christian as a good citizen must maintain his/her integrity and stand his/her ground: s/he must not owe anyone anything, except mutual love - solidarity, upholding the dignity and rights of everyone – which no one could ever repay. Whoever loved one’s neighbor was the best citizen. S/he fulfilled the law and delegitimized the authorities who violated them.

4. Gospel: Mt 18:15-20

 

This is Matthew’s little ecclesiology. It has two parts, namely: (1) Forgiveness and reconciliation, and (2) Prayer. What are the dynamics, and due process, of Forgiveness and Reconciliation? [A.] It is the prior right and prerogative of the one wronged, the victim, to seek pardon from the offender, the victimizer: s/he must tell the offender of her/his fault, privately at first. [B.] If the offender does not accept the offense/crime, then two or three witnesses are called to testify. [C.] If the offender doesn’t accept the testimony of the witnesses, then the offended party must seek the intervention of the community. [D.] If the offender still refuses to acknowledge the wrongdoing before the community, then the community may exclude the offender/victimizer from the community. The exhortation to pray then follows. Prayer here is a community action. This communal prayer is the privileged place of the presence of Jesus and the action of discernment with the Holy Spirit. A profound sense of sin as a violation of the other, and the prerogative of the offended/victim to demand that the offender seek forgiveness and reconciliation with the offended/victim can only be reached through community prayer and communal discernment.

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Naida Castro
Chairperson and PAIS-IE Administrator

NEFFCON-IE

Message From the Chairperson and PAIS-IE Administrator

Welcome to NEFFCON-IE!!

 

Thank you for visiting our webpage. Since 2016, we have strived to live up to our mission of being a voice to our marginalized and oppressed Filipinos in the Philippines, as well as, those Filipino-Americans living in the United States. Through the events, campaigns, statements, and various other activities we have initiated, and partnered with other community and advocacy organizations, serving the Filipino community, we hope we have also made a positive contribution to the global movement for social justice.

 

We hope that our webpage can provide you with information on the kinds of endeavors we have done in the past, as well as, the plans we intend to pursue in the future. 

 

Join us in our advocacies.

 

Get involve in our campaigns.

 

Be a part of NEFFCON-IE.

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