PASAY City — Speaking to thousands at the ANCOP Global Walk (AGW) 2024 at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on October 19, Fr. Jason stressed that “Walkers are happy people.”
The spiritual director of Couples for Christ shared how he overheard interviews of participants expressing their joy in being able to join the AGW this year.
Fr. Jason explained that the happiness brought by AGW 2024 is not simply from the act of walking but from the greater purpose it serves.
A happy life = a meaningful life
“Our happiness comes from knowing our lives have become meaningful,” added the priest.
According to him, through the walk, participants have answered God’s call to help the poor.
Every drop of sweat, every aching muscle, and every moment of tiredness serve a higher purpose — they help send a student to school or a seminarian through formation.
“That knowledge is what gives us true happiness,” he added.
“Today, I want you to carry with you the happiness that comes from knowing you have been God’s instrument.”
According to him, the people who gathered are united because of the desire to help. “We want to answer the cry of the poor.”
Why walk?
In his homily, Fr. Jason emphasized the deeper purpose behind the event, highlighting the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of walking.
“Walkers are healthy people,” he noted, pointing out how walking activates muscles and stimulates the cardiovascular system, promoting overall well-being.
However, the ultimate reason for the walk, Fr. Jason stressed, is to become holy.
To walk with the Lord
In the Bible, walking often symbolizes a deep relationship between God and man.
“Noah walked in the ways of the Lord and was considered a holy man,” he shared.
Fr. Jason said that in participating in the ANCOP Global Walk, we express not only our willingness to help but also our desire to walk in friendship with God.
Fr. Jason cited Psalm 128:1: “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways.” When we walk in His ways, we are walking the path to holiness, he added.
Concluding his homily, Fr. Jason encouraged the participants to keep walking – not only to be healthy and happy but, most importantly, to become holy.
The ANCOP Global Walk is the flagship event of CFC ANCOP, which gathers walkers to fundraise for the education of students and seminarians through the foundation’s Educational Sponsorship Program.
