Gospel Reflection

October 03, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. David "Dave" T. Concepcion
(Spiritual Director, Holy Apostles Senior Seminary, San Carlos Pastoral Formation Center, Guadalupe, Makati City)
5:30PM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Neh 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12

The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate, and they called upon Ezra the scribe to bring forth the book of the law of Moses which the LORD prescribed for Israel. On the first day of the seventh month, therefore, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak until midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. He opened the scroll  so that all the people might see it (for he was standing higher up than any of the people); and, as he opened it, all the people rose. Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered,  “Amen, amen!” Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. As the people remained in their places, Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read. Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people: “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep”– for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!” And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Hush, for today is holy, and you must not be saddened.” Then all the people went to eat and drink, to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (9ab) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye;
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Gospel Lk 10:1-12

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”

HOMILY

If you look at the history of our country, there was a time when children were dedicated by their parents. They say the eldest, if it's a boy, should become a priest. Out of gratitude to God, the first-born son must become a priest. The second must serve in the military, either in the army or as a policeman, to show gratitude to the country where they are. The third child should become a teacher. And the fourth child should serve in the medical world, either as a doctor or a nurse. Pero ngayon, wala na 'yon, wala nang ganoon. Wala nang pinagpapari, hindi ka yayaman diyan. (laughs) Walang nagpupulis, hindi ka yayaman diyan. Walang teacher, hindi ka yayaman diyan. What I am trying to say is that now, the choice is all about money....Money.....

The Gospel of today speaks of labor in the Church. If you ask people, they will always say, 'Oo nga, oo nga, kakaunti na lang ang nagpapari'. Puro 'oo nga'. Sino ang pinagpapari? 'Father, kunin mo ngang maging pari itong anak ko, kasi hindi ito makakuha ng trabaho, mahilig mambabae, inom nang inom'. Eh ano ang mangyayari sa simbahan natin kung ganyan ang mga kandidato natin, di po ba? (laughs) Pag sinabihan ko ang mga nanay na ang kanilang mga anak ay magpari, sinasabi nila sayang. Pag tinanong ko kung bakit sayang, sabi ng mga nanay guwapo, eh. So sino ang pinagpapari n'yo, pangit lang? (laughs) Marami kasi sa atin, pag nagsisimba, tinitingnan kung ano ang hitsura ng pari. Maganda pong pagtuunan ng pansin ito. We complain, but we don't want to contribute.

My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, to all mothers who are here.....when you go home tonight, if you have a child who is a boy, regardless of age, but not more than 40 (laughs), single....I want you put the Sign of the Cross on his forehead and tell him, 'Magpari ka'. Bahala na ang Diyos doon. Why am I saying this, especially to all mothers? If we can go to heaven by simply giving a glass of water to someone who is in need, do you think you will not go to heaven, by giving to the Lord your own flesh and blood?

I remember Bishop Soc had said that all mothers of priests go to heaven. Why? Because they have given their own flesh and blood. It's good to ask, my dear friends. Bakit nga ba napakahirap mag-alay ng anak para sa Diyos? Hindi naman inyo 'yan, di po ba? Recently, I just spoke with a nun. Sabi niya, kailangan niyang tumakas sa bahay, kasi hindi siya pinapayagan ng Tatay niyang mag-madre. Kailangan ba? Bakit? Masama ba 'yong pinapasok niya?

What have we become? Is money the only deciding factor in our life? We all know that we came in this world naked, and we will leave this world naked. We came with nothing, and we will leave nothing. As I always say, what is important is not what our hands can hold, but what our hearts can give.

At the end, we will be measured only in three things. First, we will be measured by the things we have done and how much love we have given. It is not enough that we do the right thing; we must do the right thing for the right reason. And love must be the reason. You may be doing good things, but if love is not the reason, then you will fail the exam.

Second, we will be measured by how faithfully we have lived our vocation. When we talk about vocation, it is not simply about priesthood or marriage or singleblessedness. It is living a life that is chaste and holy. How faithful am I with regard to my vocation? If I am married, how faithful am I to my marriage? If I am single, how chaste am I, as single? You don't have to sleep with somebody to commit adultery. Thinking maliciously about the other person is already committing adultery.

And third, we will be measured on how gracefully we let go of the things that are no longer ours. Youth will not be forever yours. Can you gracefully let go of this? Hindi 'yong pabanat kayo nang pabanat. (laughs)

My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, ask yourself. Everybody has a vocation. We were all born with a purpose. Please don't go to your death bed without knowing why you were born. That will be the saddest story of your life - if you die without knowing what your purpose is in life.

I go back to what I have said earlier. To all the mothers here, the children that God has given you is not yours. It is His. Whether it is a man or a woman, it is His. Give to the Lord what is due to Him. Pakisuyo lang, ibigay n'yo 'yong pinaka-guwapo. (laughs) For the love of the Church, give the best, for God deserves the best.

Gospel Reflection

September 28, 2013

Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. David 'Dave' T. Buenaventura, SDB
Councilor & Pugad Centre Director and Counsellor, St. John Bosco Parish, Makati
7:30AM Mass, St. John Bosco Parish Church (Don Bosco Church), Makati

Reading 1 Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a

I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how great is its width and how great its length.”

Then the angel who spoke with me advanced, and another angel came out to meet him and said to him, “Run, tell this to that young man: People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country, because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst. But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.”

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.

Responsorial Psalm Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13

R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd guards his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Gospel Lk 9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”  But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

HOMILY

Good morning and Happy Feast Day to everyone. I offer this Holy Mass for those among you who are called Laurencia and Lorenzo.

My dear brothers and sisters, throughout the centuries, thousands of men and women of all races have been put to death because they believed in Jesus. And one of them is our very own San Lorenzo Ruiz - the first Filipino saint - whom we are honoring today. When Lorenzo was threatened that he would die if he would not abandon his Christian faith, Lorenzo said, "I am a Christian, and this I profess until the hour of my death. And for God, I shall give my life. Although I did not come to Japan to be a martyr, nevertheless, as a Christian, and for God, I shall give my life."

When given the offer to abandon his Christian faith and save his life, Lorenzo said, "That I will never do, because I am a Christian. I shall die for God. And have I many thousand lives, I shall offer them for Him." Because of his public profession of faith, Lorenzo Ruiz was water tortured and finally hanged inverted from the gallows with his head inserted in a small pit. He died a martyr's death in Nishizaka Hill near Nagasaki on September 28, 1637.

My dear brothers and sisters, the message of our faith today is loyalty to Jesus. Loyalty to the Lord. Can we, in our daily life, offer our life to Jesus? Can we love Him above anyone and anything else? The Lord tells us, where your heart is, there your treasure will be. Is our faith in the Lord our treasure? Is our heart really for Him? Is the law of the Lord really ruling in our lives? Is this reflected when we are at home, when we are at work, when we are with our friends?

Quite often, we forget these realities, these truths. And I would like to remind myself and all of you gathered here about this. Christianity is not a theory about Jesus. It is not an idealism. Christianity is loyalty to Christ, as Peter would declare, the Son of the living God. And this loyalty simply means obedience to the Lord. Our Christian faith is not a dress that we can wear and remove as we like. Our Christian faith is a way of life. Our ideas will show we are Christians. Our words will speak we are Christians. And above all, our examples will profess our loyalty to Jesus. 

And I would not be wrong when I say that when a person is loyal to someone, don't even doubt it, he is also faithful. And when one is faithful and loyal to someone, do not doubt it, he will also be true and honest to that person. And when one is honest and faithful to someone, you can be sure that he has that sense of justice to give to anyone what is due to him. And this is the kind of Christianity that we are called for - not the devotional Christianity - that will eliminate corruption in our families, and most especially in our society.

We, Christians of today, should wake up and never believe that just because I am devoted to so many religious things, I am already an authentic and true Christian. As I would always say, our devotional practices should be the fruits of true Christianity. Meaning to say, I am loyal to Jesus, I am truthful to Jesus, I am fair in dealing with my God, and the devotional practices are simply expressions of who I truly am. And when the time comes, we will appreciate the devotional practices that we are doing. And the others who will see us performing them will believe us because they are fruits of who we really are. 

This is my Word of Life for you today: Our Christian faith is a breastplate of identification that we accept Jesus in our lives as our Teacher, Master, Ruler, King, and our God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Gospel Reflection

September 12, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. David "Dave" T. Concepcion

(Spiritual Director, Holy Apostles Senior Seminary, San Carlos Pastoral Formation Center, Guadalupe, Makati City)
5:30PM Mass, Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel, Greenbelt, Makati

Reading 1 Col 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one Body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (6) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Gospel Lk 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.  But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

HOMILY

If you really want to embrace the Gospel for today, you know that it is difficult. Maybe not only difficult; it is something insane. (laughs) 

Ang katuruan ng matatanda ay pag kayo'y binato ng bato, batuhin ninyo ng tinapay. Lumaki ho ako sa ganoong katuruan, kaya ipina-practice ko, ano po. Palagi akong napupunta sa Principal's office kasi ginagawa ko 'yon. Pag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay. Pero sinasama ko ho 'yong garapon (laughs) kaya sa Principal's office po ako lagi pinapatawag.

Bakit? Kasi pag kayo'y nagpa-api o hindi kayo lumaban sa mundong ito, lalo kayong aapihin, hindi po ba? Pag kayo'y nagpaloko at wala kayong ginagawa, palagi kayong lolokohin. Kaya sabi nila, meron lang nangbu-bully, kasi merong nagpapa-bully.  

Pero magandang pagtuunan ng pansin, mga minamahal na mga kapatid, na ang panuntunan ng ating Ebanghelyo ay nasusulat sa Unang Pagbasa. Ang sabi po sa Unang Pagbasa, 'Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another'. Pwede lang kayong magbigay, pwede lang kayong magpatawad, pwede lang kayong magtiis o magpasensiya, pag ang kalooban ninyo ay may pagmamahal sa taong sabi nga'y nang-aapi sa inyo. 

Maraming beses ko po itong sinasabi - hindi lahat ng nagtiis nagmahal, pero 'yong mga nagmamahal, marunong silang magtiis. Bakit ba kayang magtiis ng magulang sa anak na matitigas ang ulo? Kasi merong pagmamahal. Bakit ba nagtitiis 'yong mga asawa sa mga asawa nila? Hindi ho martir 'yan, kundi meron pang natitirang pagmamahal. Pero pag nawala na ang pagmamahal, subukan ninyo. Subukan ninyong manloko sa isang taong wala nang pagmamahal, baka hindi lang garapon ang ibato sa inyo pabalik. 

Maganda pong pagtuunan ng pansin ito. Ang malaking problema ay ano? Ni sa sarili nating pamilya, halos 'yong iba, wala nang pagmamahal. Ano po ang katuruan? You must love people and use things, but the world now is teaching us to love things and use people. Ngayon, maraming tao ang mahal ang bagay, at ginagamit ang ibang tao para makuha nila ang bagay na gusto nila. Iba na - ang mga taong ito ay user-friendly. Sila ay mabait sa mga taong pwede nilang gamitin. 

Itanong po natin sa ating mga sarili, mga minamahal na kapatid. 'Yong taong mapagpasensiya ay 'yong taong mababa ang loob. I have said this many times that humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less. Bawasan mo ang pagiging makasarili. Kung mababawasan mo ang iyong pagiging makasarili, magkakaroon ng puwang ang ibang tao sa iyong buhay. 

Kailan po tayo nagiging makasarili? Kayo lang po ang makaka-alam niyan. Pag tayo po ay kumakain, marami sa atin, takaw-tingin. Alam n'yo namang hindi kasya sa inyong bituka 'yong iniligay ninyo sa inyong mga pinggan (laughs), pero para bang gusto n'yo lang makasigurado, hindi po ba? 'Yong mga kumakain sa eat-all-you-can, ang purpose, hindi para mabusog. Ang purpose, makalamang, hindi po ba? Naka-tatlong pinggan na kayo, tinatanong n'yo pa, 'bawi na ba tayo'? (laughs) Alam n'yo namang kayo'y nahihirapan nang huminga (laughs), parang hindi pa bawi, parang kulang pa sa Php800, kuha pa tayo, kuha pa tayo. 

Mga minamahal kong mga kapatid, tanong natin 'yan. Sa sariling pamilya, kailan tayo nagkikita-kita? Kailan dinadalaw ang mga magulang - kung kailan naghihingalo na, di ba? Kailan kayo nagbibigay? Kung kailan hindi na nakakakain at hindi na nakaka-inom ng gamot? Pag sinasabing 'anak, baka naman pwedeng makahingi ng pambili ng gamot', sasabihin ninyo, "Naku naman, Nanay...kasi kayo eh. Kinakain n'yo ang lahat ng bawal, eh." Kaya hahatiin na lang ng magulang 'yong gamot. Ngayong nasa ospital na at hindi na epektibo ang gamot, "Nanay, uminom na kayo ng gamot." "Anak, ako naman ay ipasyal mo." "Nanay, kayo'y matanda na, dito na lang kayo sa bahay." Kung kailan hindi na makalakad, ihahanap n'yo ng wheelchair, ipapasyal n'yo. Wala na, tapos na ang kwento. Bakit? Masyadong iniisip ang sarili. 

Minsan, nakukumpleto lang ang pamilya pag may lamay. Nandiyan ang patay, hindi pinagdarasal. Tsismisan nang tsismisan. At kung kelan ililibing na, magtatanungan, 'O kailan ulit tayo magkikita?' Ang ibig sabihin talaga no'n, sino ang kasunod na mamamatay? (laughs) Kasi nagkikita lang kayo, kapag may patay. 

My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, ni hindi ka makapagpahiram, di po ba? Alam n'yo nang hindi na nagagamit 'yang damit na 'yan, 'yang sapatos na 'yan, may kamag-anak kayong nangangailangan. 'Ate, baka naman pwedeng ipa-arbor n'yo na lang sa akin 'yan.' 'Hindi, huwag, huwag, akin 'yan, akin 'yan, kasya 'yan.' Alam n'yo namang sa damit ninyo eh hindi na kayo kasya, dahil lumiit na 'yong damit - sige 'yon na lang ang sabihin natin - lumiit na 'yong damit (laughs), ayaw n'yo pang ipamigay. 'Kasi noong ako'y dalaga at suot ko 'yon, seksing seksi ako.' Noon 'yon. (laughs) Kung ayaw ninyong ipamigay, ipa-frame ninyo. (laughs) 

'This is what I used to wear'. Kasi kapag sinuot mo 'yan, makikitang ang katawan mo, katawang sampalok (laughs) Mabuti pa 'yong suman, bilog, di po ba? (laughs) Ang sampalok, ang daming bewang (laughs). Hindi mo alam kung iyon ba'y dede pa, o puson na. (laughs) Totoo naman, hindi po ba? Kaya kapag sinusuot ninyo, kung nakakapagsalita lang 'yong sinulid, 'Kapit kayo, dali, kapit!' (loud laughs) This is very true. 

My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, Mother Theresa said this. 'If you are keeping clothes in your closet that you are not using, then you are depriving someone, you are allowing them to walk naked, because the things that can be theirs are hidden in your own closet.' Hindi dahilan na por que kaya nating bayaran ang ating ginagamit, may karapatan tayong mag-aksaya. 'Eh ano naman, ako naman ang nagbayad niyan.' 

My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, ang problema natin, we think so much of ourselves. Nakakalimutan natin na mayroong ibang kapwa. Mayroong ibang tao. At ang malungkot na kwento, ang sariling kapamilya, kamag-anak, kapatid, magulang, ay hindi mo na maituring na kapwa. 

Look at the Gospel. But first, when you look at it, don't look outside your houses. Look inside first. Kasi kung hindi ko kayang ituring nang maayos ang sarili kong kamag-anak, paano ko maituturing na kapwa ang nasa labas ng aking tahanan? Kung hindi ko kayang pagkatiwalaan ang sarili kong kamag-anak, may katotohanan ba ang pagtitiwala ko sa ibang tao? Kung hindi ko kayang magpasensiya sa sarili kong kapatid, kung hindi ko kayang magpatawad sa sarili kong kamag-anak, ano'ng katotohanan ang pagpapatawad ko sa ibang tao? 

Hindi naman natin madadala ang kahit na anong kapirasong meron tayo. Sayang ang yaman. Mismong magkakamag-anak, nagdedemandahan. 

Ang isa sa pinakamalungkot na punto o yugto ng aking pagkapari ay noong nag-anoint ako sa isang taong hindi ko kakilala. Nando'n lahat ang mga anak. Pagkatapos i-anoint, nakatayo kaming ganyan. Ang tanong ng anak ay, 'Patay na, Father?' 'Hindi pa ho. Ipagdasal po natin na humaba pa ang kanyang buhay.' Tapos sabi no'ng isa, 'Ang tagal naman.' Mag-iingat kayo sa mga anak ninyo. Tapos napansin ko na may yapos-yapos siyang envelope na ganyan, sabi noong isa, 'Ate, kunin mo na.' Kinuha 'yong envelope, 'yon pala mga titulo ng lupa. 'Yon lamang pala ang inaantay. Noong makuha ang laman, iniwanan ako do'n kasama no'ng patay (laughs) hindi ko naman kamag-anak 'yon. Actually, natukso ako tingnan 'yong envelope, baka may iniwan para kay Father, eh. (laughs) Wala naman. 

My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, if you can despise your own family, how can you say you can love others? If we cannot be good with the very parents, the very mother that has given us life in this world, how can we be truly good to others? Tayo po ang magtanong. Kung ako po'y madamot sa sarili kong pamilya, ano ang ibig sabihin ng generosity na pinapakita ko sa ibang tao? Baka hindi totoo. Baka pakitang-tao lang.....

As we continue this celebration, let us ask the Lord to help us examine ourselves. May God allow us to see where we came from, who we are, what we have become, and where we are going. 

My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, keep this in mind that what is really important is what our hearts can keep, and not what our hands can hold.