Gospel Reflection

October 05, 2013

First Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev.  Fr. Matthieu Dauchez
6:30am Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Bar 4:5-12, 27-29

Fear not, my people! Remember, Israel, You were sold to the nations not for your destruction; It was because you angered God that you were handed over to your foes. For you provoked your Maker with sacrifices to demons, to no-gods; You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you, and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you. She indeed saw coming upon you the anger of God; and she said:

“Hear, you neighbors of Zion! God has brought great mourning upon me, For I have seen the captivity that the Eternal God has brought upon my sons and daughters. With joy I fostered them; but with mourning and lament I let them go. Let no one gloat over me, a widow, bereft of many: For the sins of my children I am left desolate, because they turned from the law of God.

Fear not, my children; call out to God! He who brought this upon you will remember you. As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God, turn now ten times the more to seek him; For he who has brought disaster upon you  will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 69:33-35, 36-37

R. (34) The Lord listens to the poor.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!”
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. The Lord listens to the poor.

Gospel Lk 10:17-24

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.  Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

HOMILY

My dear brothers and sisters, in today's Gospel, Jesus has 'observed Satan fall like lightning from heaven'. These words of Jesus fit very well into the whole week, because of the different feasts that we have celebrated. The feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, and the feast of St. Francis of Assissi yesterday. How? Through the simple deeds of love of their lives. There are so many examples of love in their lives, where they showed simple love.

But their lives show an example to us, not only in the historical sense. St. Francis of Assissi is in heaven today. St. Therese of the Child Jesus is in heaven today. But we are here on earth. So we should be the new St. Francis and the new St. Therese of the Child Jesus. This week is a great week. Jesus wants us to be part of His plan. It was, and it is, a perfect week to renew our desire to imitate our dear saints, to become holy, and not less than that. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

October 04, 2013

First Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

by Rev. Fr. Joseph “Joey” Faller (Spiritual Director of the Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center, Lucban, Quezon Province)
12:15PM Mass at the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord (SM Megamall Chapel)

Reading 1 Bar 1:15-22

During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed: “Justice is with the Lord, our God; and we today are flushed with shame, we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem, that we, with our kings and rulers and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors, have sinned in the Lord’s sight and disobeyed him. We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God, nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us. From the time the Lord led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until the present day, we have been disobedient to the Lord, our God, and only too ready to disregard his voice. And the evils and the curse that the Lord enjoined upon Moses, his servant, at the time he led our ancestors forth from the land of Egypt to give us the land flowing with milk and honey, cling to us even today. For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God, in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us, but each one of us went off after the devices of his own wicked heart, served other gods, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 79:1b-2, 3-5, 8, 9

R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Gospel Lk 10:13-16

Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

HOMILY

There are cities and places mentioned in the Bible that are in our Gospel for today. Among other things, we heard about Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Tyre and Sidon. All of these places, the Lord called 'woe'. In other words, sawimpalad, malas.

Let us take a look at each of these places. Capernaum is the birth place of St. Peter. You can find the synagogue there, and this is the missionary base of the Lord during his Galilean ministry. When I went to Jerusalem, I can only visualize how active was the Lord during His time, teaching in the synagogue, healing people and bring the Good News to them. What about Bethsaida? Bethsaida is the place where the multiplication of the two fish and the five loaves of bread took place. It is also the birth place of the Apostle Philip, whom we can call the messianic adviser. Chorazin is the place where the seat of Peter was preserved. These places are all religious. But this time, there is no more blessing for them. The Lord said, 'Woe to you Chorazin, woe to you, Bethsaida'.

I can compare this to our country. Our country is called the 'Pearl of the Orient', and the only Catholic nation in Asia. We are very close to the Blessed Mother, and many miracles have happened to us. Our country enjoys the status of being able to dethrone our Government by non-violent means, through prayer and through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. Maybe the Lord can also say, 'Blessed are you, Philippines. You are close to My heart. You love the Eucharist.' In fact, there are 3,000 masses being held simultaneously today, on First Friday, only in the Philippines. But we are number 6 in corruption in Asia, and number 27 in the whole world (from number 33). Sunod sunod din ngayon ang scandal sa pork barrel, ang pork barbecue, pork siomai (laughs). Ngayon meron pang DAF, PDAF, hold-up, kidnap (laughs), and so many cases of plunder. And I think we really need a change of heart.

Minsan po, kami pong mga pari, sa aming pagse-sermon, nagtatanong po kami, 'Ito bang ginagawa natin - talking about the Good News, talking about the Bible, talking about new life - parang wala yatang epekto sa ating society. Para bang ang salita ng Diyos ay hindi masyadong napapagnilayan. Sapagkat kung tunay ang Salita ng Diyos at ito ay mayroong epekto sa buhay ng tao, dahan-dahang mawawala ang corruption, dahan-dahan sigurong uunlad ang ating bayan at magkakaisa tayo. The Word of God is so powerful that it can unite people, heal divisions and broken relationships, and can make our relationship with God strong and steadfast.

In celebrating the Feast of Saint Francis of Assissi today, napakasarap po sigurong mag-'Assissi' ng kasalanan. Siguro, ito din po ang mensahe ngayon ng Panginoon. Napakaganda ng buhay ni St. Francis of Assissi. Literally, hinubad niya ang karangyaan sa harapan ng kanyang Tatay to become a beggar for the Lord. Later on, St. Francis gave his own life to the poor, living for God all his life, totally dependent on the Lord.

Ang buhay ni St. Francis ay makikita natin sa napakaganda niyang awitin. 'Make me an instrument of Your peace...If there is hatred, let me sow love....If there is injury, your pardon, Lord....It is in giving that we receive, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life....' Napakaganda po ng kanyang awiting ito. At sana po, mapagnilayan natin na tayo po ay maging instrumento din ng kapayapaan, pagkakaisa, pagkakabuklod-buklod, at tunay po tayong mamuhay nang simple, sang-ayon sa kalooban ng Diyos.

As we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, may we put God at the center of our life. May we put God as the Pearl of Great Price. Siya po ang tunay na kayamanan ng ating buhay. If we have Jesus in our hearts, if we have Jesus in our family, then we can be considered the richest people in the world. Sabi ng matanda, ang perang galing sa bula-bula ay madaling nawawala. Pero ang perang pinaghirapan, 'yan po kailanman ay hindi mauubos, madodoble pa - siksik, liglig at umaapaw na pagpapala.

May this celebration of our mass today give us the inspiration to look further. Siguro po ito ang hamon sa ating bansa - that we may seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto us. Unahin natin ang Diyos, at kapag siya na ang ating Kayamanan, the more we will be blessed, because we have found the Pearl of Great Price. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

October 02, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

by Rev. Fr. Jose Alan V. Dialogo, Parish Priest, Saint John of the Cross Parish, PEMBO Makati City
12:15PM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Neh 2:1-8

In the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when the wine was in my charge, I took some and offered it to the king. As I had never before been sad in his presence, the king asked me, “Why do you look sad? If you are not sick, you must be sad at heart.” Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king: “May the king live forever! How could I not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire?” The king asked me, “What is it, then, that you wish?” I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king: “If it please the king, and if your servant is deserving of your favor, send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, to rebuild it.” Then the king, and the queen seated beside him, asked me how long my journey would take and when I would return. I set a date that was acceptable to him, and the king agreed that I might go.

I asked the king further: “If it please the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of West-of-Euphrates, that they may afford me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah; also a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the royal park, that he may give me wood for timbering the gates of the temple-citadel and for the city wall and the house that I shall occupy.” The king granted my requests, for the favoring hand of my God was upon me.

Responsorial Psalm PS 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6

R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
“Sing for us the songs of Zion!”
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!

Gospel Mt 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

HOMILY

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. Sino po ang naniniwala sa mga guardian angels, taas ang kamay (almost everyone raised hands). Mabuti naman at marami pa tayong naniniwala. Ang iba kasi hindi na naniniwala sa guardian angel.

Kilala n'yo ba ang guardian angel ninyo? (People say 'yes'.) Sino? May pangalan ba siya? (People say 'yes'.) Wow, may mga pangalan ha. Ang guardian angel ko ay 46 feet tall, kulot ang buhok. He is an angel of worship. Siguro dahil pari ako, kaya ang binigay sa aking guardian angel ay angel of worship. Siguro kung kayo ay masungit, ang guardian angel ninyo ay angel of patience.

According to our catechism, God sends us his angels. Each one of us has its own guardian angel. If Satan sends a dark angel, God has given us our guardian angel to watch over us and protect us in our life. It is sad because sometimes, we take our guardian angels for granted. When I was a newly ordained priest, I always call on my guardian angel. When I have masses outside the parish and I will already be late, at wala akong masakyang taxi, I call my guardian angel. I tell him, 'My guardian angel, male-late na po ako. Kapag hindi mo ako kinuha ng taxi, bahala ka kay Lord. (laughs) Pag na-late ako, isusumbong kita kay Lord, kasi ikaw ang guwardiya ko'. Alam n'yo, after one minute, nandiyan na ang taxi. This may be seemingly insignificant, but I have many simple experiences with my own guardian angel. They are there to guard us, they are there to protect us. We just have to call them, and ask for their help. I always travel to Bicol, and most of the time, I drive alone, and travel during midnight. I always call on my guardian angel to protect me and to guide me from all harm. I believe that my angel is always there. Maniwala po kayo, may guardian angel tayo.

Our guardian angels are real expressions of God's love for us, to protect us. They are expressions, manifestations that God continues to care for us, kahit na tayo po ay makasalanan. Our angels are God's gift to us, that we may not fall into Satan's hand. But we have to recognize them. We have to call them. We have to ask for their help, for their guidance and protection. Kasi, baka gusto nilang lumapit sa iyo para tulungan ka, pero ayaw mo naman, o hindi mo siya tinatawag. Tawagin n'yo sila, and you will feel their presence in our lives. God loves us; hindi Niya tayo pababayaan, hindi Niya hahayaang tayo ay mapariwara, that is why our guardian angels are always there. Huwag natin silang bale-walain. Let us call them, most especially in moments of temptation, in moments of confusion. Sometimes, we are blinded by our own minds, our own hearts, and our own values, so let's call on our own angels, our personal guardian angels.

Today, we also honor our 'Ina', Our Lady of Penafrancia, as we celebrate the last day of her stay here in the Shrine. Like the guardian angels, 'Ina' is also a gift to us by God. 'Ina', Our Lady of Penafrancia, is also God's manifestation of His unceasing love for us. 'Ina' is always there to be our mother. I remember an experience when I was in Lourdes, France. While waiting for my friend priests, may nakatabi akong isang matandang babae na Caucasian, at nagkwentuhan kami. And I discovered that the lady is a Buddhist and that her husband, a Singaporean, is an atheist. So I asked them why there were at the Our Lady of Lourdes. The lady told me, 'Your God has also given us Mama Mary.' Di ba, tinawag din niyang Mama Mary, ang Mama natin ha. She said, 'Mama Mary has been so good to us. Mama Mary loves us also, even if we are unbelievers of your God'. In my own reflection, even among the non-believers, God manifests His love for them through Mama Mary. That is why even non-Catholics or non-believers experience Mama Mary's love - God's love through her.

Our dear 'Ina', Our Lady of Penafrancia, is known for her 'manto' or cloak. I have been a devotee of 'Ina' since I was a child. Lumaki po ako sa Naga kaya nakilala ko na po si 'Ina'. And I can attribute my vocation to 'Ina'. She is known for her 'manto', and in the history of the Our Lady of Penafrancia, marami na pong gumaling sa 'manto' ni 'Ina'. That is why even in other countries, they request the 'manto' of 'Ina'. In fact, I have named a project of mine - a children's village - after 'Ina'. I, myself, have experienced the love and protection and assurance of 'Ina'. I always come to 'Ina' whenever I am in crisis, whenever I experience difficulties in life, whenever I need the embrace of a mother, and I experience extraordinary peace. And today, we will also experience the 'manto' of 'Ina' - our Lady's mantle of love - which is God's manifestation of love for us. You can ask the intercession of 'Ina' for your own healing, not only physical, but also spiritual and emotional healing for yourself, and that of your loved ones, even if they are not here. In this mass, we ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Penafrancia, as we honor her in this celebration of the Eucharist.