The First Fruits offering is a point of agreement with God to give Him authority in our life. And like the Magi who changed their ways after worshipping the newborn Jesus, CFC is called to put God first in their lives and obey Him with joy and gladness in their hearts.
The monthly Metro Manila Mission Core Gathering was held last January 4, 2026, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. The MCG is a prayer assembly for Couples for Christ’s leaders from different sectors, family ministries, and programs.
This month’s Mission Core Gathering was held on the Solemnity of the Epiphany and was centered on the theme “Shine His Light. Live His Mercy. Build His Hope” to encourage CFC leaders to be light in the darkness, to live mercy in action, and to build hope through God’s Word.
In his homily, Rev. Fr. Joel Jason, CFC Spiritual Adviser, shared three lessons that CFC leaders can take from the Solemnity, as well as from their personal and communal giftedness and experiences of epiphany. He encouraged CFCs to contemplate, rather than compare or complain about their gifts—that they may recognize and use their gifts to bless the world and community. Like the Magi, they are to give and not hoard nor hide their gift. And they must hallow their gift, by offering and entrusting it to the Lord that He will use it for His greater name. In his final blessing, Fr. Joel invited the community to sing along to Jose Mari Chan’s “May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You”.
Bro. Rey Reyes, member of the CFC International Council, then exhorted the community regarding their First Fruits Offering, a tradition faithfully upheld by CFC for more than 20 years. “The First Fruits is not a sacrifice, but an offering,” he said, “not only coming from you, but from Him because everything comes from Him.”
The First Fruits and Tithes that are offered to God are not about the amount of money placed in envelopes, but what thrills the Father is that each one hears His voice, listens, acts, and obeys what He says. CFC leaders then prayerfully made their offerings into the boxes placed within the venue.
The gathering opened in worship led by Bro. Lawrence Quintero, member of the CFC International Council. He drew from the story of the Magi, whom God considered wise because as they sought the newborn king of the Jews, they truly showed their humanity throughout their search: by journeying together, by humbling themselves before Jesus, and by offering their lives to Him as they changed their way home. This was how they truly saw God when He revealed Himself to them.
Bro. Lawrence then reminded CFC leaders how God continually reveals Himself every day and challenged them to also truly show their humanity to God—who is always present and delivers exactly what we need at the right time.
The prayer assembly proceeded with sharings about what Bro. Lawrence considered as “unusual types of service”: a couple serving in CFC’s prison ministry heard testimonies from the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) how the CLP helped them discover their relationship with God, a HOLD sister embarked on an extraordinarily eye-opening mission to CFC Africa, and a father witnessed his son’s miraculous healing through the fervent prayers of their family, relatives and the CFC community.
As one community, we continue to pray for the grace to go through the necessary renewal in our hearts and in our minds, in our families, our country, and in our own relationships. Only through our togetherness do we will grow fully in our relationship with our God. So as one community, we pray for the grace to come before, listen, dwell in, rest in Him—being truly effective partakers of the mission not just this year, but in years to come.
