Gospel Reflection

September 26, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs

by Rev. Fr. Francis Montero, Assistant Priest, St. Mark's Cathedral, Port Pirie, South Australia
5:30PM Mass at the Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Hg 1:1-8

On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius, The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:  This people says: “The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” (Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:) Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?

Now thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; And whoever earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways! Go up into the hill country; bring timber, and build the house That I may take pleasure in it and receive my glory, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Gospel Lk 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him.

HOMILY

Today, we remember the martyrs, the twins, Saints Cosmas and Damian They lived in the 3rd Century. They were physicians and practiced the art of healing. And they received no pay. 'Yong kanilang ginagawa, their acts of charity, brought more people to the faith. I believe that it's through our actions that people are drawn to love God more. Sa ating mga gawa ay nahihikayat o na-aakit natin ang iba na mahalin ang Diyos,

And this is also what Jesus did. He preached, but after His preaching, He healed people. He forgave sinners. He dined with sinners. He gave them a second chance. Perhaps, we need a revisiting of our faith. Siguro, kailangang tingnan ulit natin kung ano'ng klaseng pagka-Kristiyano ang isinasabuhay natin o pinaniniwalaan natin.

Just like Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, whose feast day we will celebrate on Saturday, Saints Cosmas and Damian were arrested and ordered to recant or to renounce their Catholic faith. But Saints Cosmas and Damian refused to do it. They remained steadfast in their faith, even if they were tortured. They were beheaded by the sword. Not much of their lives were historically recorded, but one thing is for sure. Cosmas and Damian existed. We may not be experiencing persecutions here in the Philippines because of our faith, because we are the majority. But surely, in other parts of the world, Christians are still treated unjustly, to the point of risking their lives. May we be like Saints Cosmos and Damian, in their firm resolve to love God, and serve others.

In our Gospel today, we heard that Herod was perplexed. He has all the reason to be perplexed. Why? It is because he ordered the beheading of St. John the Baptist. He heard many things, and he wanted to see Jesus, because He was perplexed, He was intrigued by the personality of Jesus.

My dear friends, hearing is very important in the development of our faith. Mahalaga pong naririnig natin ang ating pananampalataya, na naririnig po natin ang mga magagandang bagay tungkol sa ginawa ng Diyos. Ito po ay unang hakbang. But there will be other steps that we have to make. We ought to approach God; God's movement is always to us. But at times, we move away from God. Tayo ang lumalayo sa Diyos - sa ating pag-iisip, sa ating mga salita at gawa. Subalit ang Diyos ay patuloy pong naghahanap sa atin, humahabol sa atin.

Herod, on his part, never took the next step. He liked to listen to St. John the Baptist, but he was a crowd pleaser, not a God pleaser. Herod admired John. He also heard about Jesus, and I'm sure that He also had an admiration of Jesus. But admiration is not enough.

Who do we admire most? People with power, with influence, fame or wealth? Scripture warns us of this danger. Who do we desire to please? God or man? Herod chose to please people, rather than do the right thing. Do we admire God? Do we love God? Of course, that's why we're here. We admire God, we love God, we even say that we want to serve God, that's why we are here. We find time from our work to hear mass. But it is not enough to admire God. The next step is to behave like the beloved of God. Kung mahal tayo ng Diyos, umasta tayo na mahal tayo ng Diyos.

Sa ating pamilya, hindi sapat na alam mong mahal ka ng nanay mo. Behave like her beloved. Igalang mo siya. Mahalin mo siya, paglingkuran mo siya. And that's the same way with our relationship to God. The next step is to behave like the beloved of God. God already loved us, even before we loved Him. God has made you and I His children, therefore, we should act like sons and daughters of God. Let us reflect, let us mirror our love for God, our admiration of God, by showing this in our lives, through constant commitment to our faith. Dapat tayong maging masaya sa ating pananampalataya bilang Kristiyano, at maging matapat, kahit anumang pagsubok sa buhay ang ating dadaanan. Let us hold on to our faith and steadfastness, ito ay pwedeng sandigan mo at panghawakan. 'Yon po ang nagagawa ng ating pagmamahal sa Diyos; 'yon po ang nagagawa ng pagmamahal ng Diyos sa atin.

What is the result of us loving God, and God loving us? We will serve others. We will act charitably. Marunong po tayong magmahal, magbahagi, magmalasakit, at lalong-lalo na, magpatawad. The lives of Saints Cosmas and Damian were truly reflective of God in them, the God who they loved. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga salita at gawa, at sa hindi nila pagsuko ng kanilang pananampalataya. May they inspire us. May they remind us of their strong faith and through them, in this time, may the image of God become real in each one of us. Sana'y mas maging totoo ang Diyos sa atin at sa ating buhay - na mas maging lalo tayong mapagmahal, lalo tayong magmalasakit at di maging maramot, lalong-lalo na, sa pagpapatawad sa ating kapwa. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

September 25, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Joel Jason (Dean of Studies, Graduate School of Theology San Carlos Seminary)
12:15PM Mass, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord (SM Megamall Chapel)

Reading 1 Ezr 9:5-9

At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.

I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven. From the time of our fathers even to this day great has been our guilt, and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up, we and our kings and our priests, to the will of the kings of foreign lands, to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace, as is the case today.

“And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God, who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude. For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us; rather, he has turned the good will of the kings of Persia toward us. Thus he has given us new life to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.”

Responsorial Psalm Tb 13:2, 3-4a, 4befghn, 7-8

R. (1b) Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
He scourges and then has mercy;
he casts down to the depths of the nether world,
and he brings up from the great abyss.
No one can escape his hand.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles,
for though he has scattered you among them,
he has shown you his greatness even there.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
So now consider what he has done for you,
and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the King of ages.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In the land of my exile I praise him
and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,
and may all of you praise his majesty.
Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.

Gospel Lk 9:1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

HOMILY

Magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat.

Our Gospel today, whenever we hear it, most of the time we associate it with disciples or apostles. Sa tuwing maririnig natin ang Ebanghelyong ito, iniisip natin na para lang 'yan sa mga taong tinawag ng Diyos para maglingkod sa Simbahan. When Jesus sent out the disciples, he told them to bring nothing with them on the journey.

But this Gospel is actually a Gospel that can be given to all believers, and to all followers of the Lord. In as much as we were baptized, all of us are considered to be followers and disciples of the Lord. Ano 'yong bilin ng ating Panginoon? On your journey, take nothing with you. Huwag daw tayong magdala ng kung ano pa man.

Now, there are two levels of interpretation of this Gospel. Talaga bang ang ibig sabihin ng Panginoon ay 'take nothing with you'? Ang ibig sabihin, lahat tayo dito ay nagkukulang dahil obviously, lahat tayo ay may dala-dala. But we can interpret this Gospel in the second level. That the Lord is not literally saying 'take nothing with you'. Maybe what the Lord is really saying is, 'take no thing with you'. What does that mean? Na sana ang dala-dala natin ay hindi lamang bagay. Because there are people on the journey, and what they have with them is only things. Naglalakbay sila sa buhay, ano ang dala-dala nila? Ang mga bagay. 'Yan ang kailangan ko - mga bagay, mga gamit. I want things that I can accumulate on myself.

Jesus is telling us that what we really need on our journey are not things. That is why He says, 'take no thing with you'. Not 'nothing' as in wala, pero sana, ang dala-dala natin ay hindi lamang bagay. Hopefully in our journey in life, what we carry with us is not a thing, but a person. And who is that person? The Lord.

That is why in the beginning of our Gospel, it says, ' Jesus gave them power and authority'. Ano 'yong power and authority na 'yon? It is a power and authority, not based on things, but power and authority that comes from a relationship with the Lord. Saan manggagaling ang ating lakas at awtoridad, o kapangyarihan? Hindi lamang sa mga bagay na kinakamal natin sa ating sarili. 'Yan ay manggagaling sa tao na dapat ay nasa puso natin. And who is that person? It should be the Lord.

Most of the time, we peg or we ground our power and authority on material things that we can accumulate - power, title, honor. Kaya gustong gusto natin na meron tayong titulo. I remember the story that I told you about a man who was held up. Di ba ang sabi ng holdaper sa lalaki, 'Hold up ito. Give me your money'. Ano ang sabi ng lalaki? 'Don't you know who I am? I am a member of the House of Representatives. I am an honorable Congressman'. Sabi ng holdaper, 'Ah, pulitiko ka pala. Kung gayon, give me my money'. (laughs)

Bakit nakakatawa ang kwentong 'yan? That politician was demanding power and authority. But where does power and authority really come from? It does not come from without; it comes from within. So even if you say that you are an honorable member of Congress, that title will not give you honor. 'Oh, I am Father Joel'. That title will not give me honor. It is not the title that gives honor to the man; it is the man who gives honor to the title. Kaya kahit na 'Father' ang tawag sa iyo, pero wala kang integrity, walang kahulugan ang mga titulong iyan. Bring nothing with you - not your titles, not your honor. Bring only that which is important. And that is no one else but the person of our Lord.

In this mass, let that be our aim, and let that be our objective. Lord, we do not long for things. I long only for You. Because when I have You, everything else will follow. That is the paradox. Jesus is telling us, "Take nothing with you on your journey....Take 'no thing' with you on your journey, but take Me along with you. Because if I am with you, you have everything. If I am with you, everything else will follow." Let that be our prayer, as we continue our Holy Eucharist. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

September 24, 2013

Tuesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Msgr. Bong Lo, Chaplain, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord (SM Megamall Chapel)
12:15PM Mass, SM Megamall Chapel

Reading 1 Ezr 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20

King Darius issued an order to the officials of West-of-Euphrates: “Let the governor and the elders of the Jews continue the work on that house of God; they are to rebuild it on its former site. I also issue this decree concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that house of God: From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates, let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay. I, Darius, have issued this decree; let it be carefully executed.”

The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building, supported by the message of the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo. They finished the building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The children of Israel–priests, Levites, and the other returned exiles– celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God, they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs, together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel, in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel. Finally, they set up the priests in their classes and the Levites in their divisions for the service of God in Jerusalem, as is prescribed in the book of Moses.

The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion, sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Responsorial Psalm PS 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel Lk 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers  are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

HOMILY

The Manila Cathedral has been built, destroyed and rebuilt for about 8 times already, since the Spanish period. And for the past months, the Manila Cathedral has been closed, because it needs repair. And we hope that the Manila Cathedral will be open by the first week of December this year.

In the First Reading of today, we have heard from the book of Ezra that the people of Israel were given the privilege to rebuild the destroyed temple of Jerusalem. The temple of Jerusalem was destroyed twice, and the last time it was destroyed was in 17 A.D. Until now, it has not been rebuilt. It will be difficult to rebuild it, because a mosque has been built on the site where it used to be. Mahirap na sirain ang mosque para i-rebuild ang temple of Jerusalem.

The function of the temple of Jerusalem, and for that matter, any temple or any church structure, is to be a sacramental sign, to be a concrete manifestation, to be a visible sign of God's presence among His people. In the New Testament, we are reminded that all of us - in fact, you and I - are the temples of God. We who are created in the image and likeness of God, we who were saved by the precious Blood of Christ, we who are living souls - we are the living temples of God.

My sisters and brothers, as we are living temples of God, we should be a concrete manifestation, a visible sign of God's presence. When people see us, what do they say? 'Speaking of the angel' or 'speaking of the devil'? There could be different reasons why they would say that. But Jesus, in the Gospel Reading of today, tells us that His family - His mother, His brother, His sister, His people - are those who hear the Word of God and act on it. It is not enough for us to be baptized, or to memorize the difficult Biblical passages, to be with the family of Jesus. To be with the family of Jesus, the community of Jesus, the Church of Jesus, the temple of Jesus, is to do the will of the Father, to act on the Word of God, like what our Blessed Mother Mary did.

And the will of God for us is, of course, to do good, and avoid evil. To forgive, and not to get revenge. To be kind, and not to be selfish. We need to be faithful in our prayer life and in our worship. Let us pray in this mass, my dear brothers and sisters, that we may do the will of God, that we may do our duties and responsibilities at home, in the office, in the school, and in the community. As we do our duties and responsibilities generously, faithfully and joyfully, may we become more and more the family of Jesus, His community, His church, His temple - living signs of His presence and kindness.

As we said in the Responsorial Psalm, 'let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord'. But even the house is not a home. If we go to the house of the Lord, let us go in such a way that we make each other feel at home. That we are not only a house, that we are not only a structure, but truly a home where everybody is welcome and could feel at home.

Gospel Reflection

September 23, 2013

Monday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

by His Excellency Socrates Buenaventura Villegas, D.D., Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Pangasinan
5:45PM Fiesta Mass at the Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel (Greenbelt Chapel), Makati

Reading 1 Ezr 1:1-6

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Therefore, whoever among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him! Let everyone who has survived, in whatever place he may have dwelt, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, together with free-will offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.’”

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and Levites–everyone, that is, whom God had inspired to do so–  prepared to go up to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. All their neighbors gave them help in every way,with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, and with many precious gifts besides all their free-will offerings.

Responsorial Psalm PS 126:1b-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R. (3) The Lord has done marvels for us.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.

Gospel Lk 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

HOMILY

My brother priests, and my brothers and sisters in Christ, I am here because of Padre Pio. Whenever the late Padre Pio is mentioned, the wounds that he carried in his body, which are the wounds of Christ, always come to our minds. That is why it has become part of the devotion of Padre Pio to venerate the relics containing his blood - the blood-stained handkerchief, the blood-stained clothes, the blood-stained vestments. All of these are now relics, and there are so many of them all over the world. Greenbelt Chapel has one such relic.

But on the Feast of St. Pio or St. Padre Pio, I am just curious. What do you pray? What do you ask from him, when you talk to Padre Pio? Let me warn you. If you are dreaming that some day, you, too, will have the five wounds of Jesus (laughs), stop praying, because it will not be given to you (laughs), because it is not the essence of devotion to the saints.

The essence of devotion to the saints is imitation. In other words, we can have a fiesta of Padre Pio, without his relics. We can have a fiesta of Padre Pio, without a procession. We can have a fiesta of Padre Pio, without a video presentation. But you must never have a fiesta of Padre Pio, without remembering his virtues, and imitate him. Because the core of devotion to the saints is imitation of the saints.

So what is it in Padre Pio that we must imitate, especially for us, Catholics, in the Philippines? Three points. Number one, passion. Passion for Christ. Enthusiasm, excitement, 100%. That is what Padre Pio gave to God. He was always an excited disciple.

You know the disease of our time, my dear brothers and sisters, is we take so many things for granted. But the words of the God of our Scriptures should be our warning. If you are neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out. And I will not have anything to do with you, and you will not have anything to do with Me. Passion - 100%. 100% does not only mean inside the Greenbelt Chapel, but 100%, 24/7.

Am I telling you to resign from your job? No. I'm only telling you to work for God, not for man. Am I telling you to abandon your families, and stay at Greenbelt Chapel, 24/7? No. I'm only asking you to make sure that God is in your family. Believe me, my dear brothers and sisters, if you will stay at Greenbelt Chapel 24/7, you will go to hell (laughs), because that is not the will of God for you. The will of God for you is passion, 100%, bringing the Lord all the time - on fire with God. God does not deserve 99% from us. And you don't deserve 1% from Him. Because 100% belongs to God, because 100% came from Him, and we cannot keep anything for ourselves.

That is Padre Pio - passion. That is why, because of the intensity of that passion, the passion of Christ was given to his body. The passion, the signs of the passion of Christ, would not have been given to him, if he was not 100% always passionate for Jesus. But with passion, there must be prayer. Because passion without prayer can make you a fanatic. Passion without prayer can make you blinded. Passion without prayer can make you lose charity. And Padre Pio challenges us to pray.

I'm quite sure, if I will ask you, 'Do you pray?', most likely you will say, like a chorus, 'Yes, Father'. But if I will ask some more, 'How do you pray?', then you will say, 'I read the prayers, I read the novenas, I read the Bible, I talk to God directly'. Today, on the Feast of Padre Pio, pwede po ba, when you pray, please stop talking. Just please stop talking, and learn the power and the beauty of silence again. Sometimes, we talk too much, that is why, our lives have no direction, because we are so full of ourselves. God speaks to us, and the language of God is not Latin or English. The language of God is silence. If you know silence, you will understand Him. If you know silence, He will understand you. Padre Pio teaches us silence in the midst of the world - to stay quiet and open our hearts, and let our passion and our prayer blend together.

But prayer is not enough. Let me ask you - Yes or No. Do you want all your prayers to be answered? (People say 'yes'.) Mahina sagot n'yo, sasabihin ko sa Panginoon, huwag kayong sagutin. (laughs) Yes! Sinabi nang 100%, eh. Yes, we want all our prayers to be answered. But you know how to get your prayers answered? You must make sure that all your prayers are accompanied by love for the poor. Because if your prayer is not accompanied by charity for others, your prayer is only an ego massage. It is an opium that will help you forget momentarily your troubles. But you will not reach heaven, because you're only talking to yourself. The poor....That is why the devotion to Padre Pio in Giovanni Rotondo has brought about a huge hospital for the poor. Do not forget the poor, because forgetting the poor is forgetting Christ.

But let me qualify. When we say we must love the poor, please include yourselves among the poor. Because if we exclude ourselves from the poor, then giving could actually be a sign of pride, lording it over those lower than us. Truth to tell, my dear brothers and sisters, who among us is not poor? Would you like me to prove to you that you are really poor? My dear ladies, tandaan n'yo 'to. Kahit gaano kaganda ang make-up ninyo, ang kahuli-hulihang magme-make-up sa inyo, funeraria. (laughs) You'd be so poor, you cannot even make yourself beautiful. You'd be so poor, you cannot even dress yourself. You'd be so poor, you would not be able to do anything for yourself. You are completely dependent on others. And isn't that what being poor means? You may be at the 48th floor, at a building in Ayala, but at the end of your life, you will only go six feet below the ground. Because we are all, only poor. Brothers and sisters in Christ, when you pray, please don't forget 'I am poor'. And in the presence of God, I have nothing to boast.

Passion, prayer, and poverty in spirit. If we can embrace these, even if you cannot get closer to the relics of Padre Pio, you will actually get closer to heaven. Because the important thing on the feast of Padre Pio is not to get close to his relics, but to get close to the memory of his example. So now, I request you to bow your heads. Seek silence. Without using your lips, without using your voice, use the language of God, which is silence, and whisper to the heart of Jesus and say, 'Lord, change me, even if I am not ready....Change my cold heart into a heart of fire. Change my laziness to pray, into total generosity. Change my pride into simplicity. Change me, Lord, even if I am not ready....Change me, Lord, even if I am not ready'.....