Celebrating the Month of the Word: Biblical Initiatives in the Philippines

The month of January in the Philippines is especially dedicated to the Word of God. Celebrated in this month is the National Bible Week that culminates in the National Bible Sunday, an ecumenical project of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Protestant Churches through the endeavors of the Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) and the Philippine Bible Society (PBS), an inter-confessional organization supported by the United Bible Societies. Since January 5, 2017, the Bible Week has been lengthened to cover the entire month of January. Churches and civic societies come together through parades, motorcades, and rallies proclaiming the yearly themes of the Bible celebration. Streamers and posters call attention to this significant event, as well as Scriptures that are distributed on the streets and other public places. Sermons and homilies focus on the Bible’s role in changing the people’s lives during the National Bible Sunday. Some Catholic parishes hold Bible “cosplay”—a parade of saints—where children dress up as biblical characters and saints when they attend Masses and join in the procession to the delight of parishioners. See more on.