God's Word and Daily Life

By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa

In his message sent to participants in the seminar “Evangelizing with families today and tomorrow. Ecclesiological and pastoral challenges”, Pope Leo XIV is inviting us vigorously to promote a personal encounter with God, “whose tender love values and loves the story of every person!”

“Faith is primarily a response to God’s love, and the greatest mistake we can make as Christians is, in the words of Saint Augustine, “to claim that Christ’s grace consists in his example and not in the gift of his person”. How often, even in the not too distant past, have we forgotten this truth and presented Christian life mostly as a set of rules to be kept, replacing the marvelous experience of encountering Jesus – God who gives himself to us – with a moralistic, burdensome and unappealing religion that, in some ways, is impossible to live in concrete daily life.”

By Alicia Santos

On May 31, we celebrate The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The event recalls the beautiful and humble journey of Mary to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also miraculously with child. This event, found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:39-56), is a profound moment of faith, service, and joy. Mary, though newly pregnant with Jesus, does not focus on herself—she travels in haste to assist Elizabeth. In this encounter, the Holy Spirit moves powerfully, resulting in Elizabeth’s joyful recognition of Mary as “the mother of my Lord,” and Mary’s own proclamation of the Magnificat, a song of praise that exalts God’s mercy and justice.

As a nation, the Visitation holds deep spiritual and cultural relevance. Mary’s example of selfless service and joyful solidarity mirrors the values Filipinos hold dear: bayanihan (communal unity), hospitality, and deep familial care. The way Mary went out of her way to help another echoes the spirit of countless Filipinos who, in times of need, reach out to one another with generosity—whether through disaster response, community support, or simply looking after neighbors and relatives.

By Alicia Santos 

I wish to reflect on the lives of two, not so popular saints, in the Philippines yet their feasts remain in our calendar. They are St. Christopher Magallanes and St. Eugene de Mazenod. St. Christopher is a martyr while St. Eugene is a bishop and proclaimed the “patron saint of dysfunctional families”. I didn’t expect dysfunctional families have a patron saint. Maybe many of us should pray to St. Eugene. 

St. Christopher Magallanes stands as a powerful witness to the strength of faith in the face of persecution. A Mexican priest during a time of intense anti-Catholic government oppression in the early 20th century, he remained steadfast in his vocation, ministering to his people despite the risks. His life challenges us to consider how we respond to adversity and whether we remain committed to truth and justice when it is unpopular or dangerous. 

On the other hand, St. Eugene de Mazenod was a man transformed by God’s mercy and driven by a profound love for the poor and abandoned. Born into nobility during a time of political turmoil in France, he experienced both privilege and suffering. His personal encounter with Christ, especially during a Good Friday service, awakened in him a deep awareness of his own brokenness and the immense compassion of God. This encounter became the foundation of his mission and spirituality.

By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa

To welcome the new Pope, is to welcome what the Holy Spirit inspired him when he addressed himself to the College of Cardinals last May 10:

“I would like us to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Pope Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, from which I would like to highlight several fundamental points: the return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation (cf. No. 11); the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community (cf. No. 9); growth in collegiality and synodality (cf. No. 33); attention to the sensus fidei (cf. Nos. 119-120), especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety (cf. No. 123); loving care for the least and the rejected (cf. No. 53); courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities (cf. No. 84; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1-2).”

May these values become our values in our personal life, in our family, parish, barangay and nation. May these values be translated into prayer and commitment, with the Lord’s help!