God's Word and 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!

By Danica Ann E. Magat

We were all shocked by the news yesterday on Pope Francis’ death. We saw in the media a recovering, not a dying pope. But perhaps Pope Francis really loved to surprise us- not just in his life but even in his death.

The love of the Filipino people for Pope Francis is a profound and heartfelt expression of a faith that runs deep through generations. In a nation where Catholicism is woven into the fabric of daily life, the arrival of Pope Francis in 2015 was not merely a visit from a religious leader—it was the coming of a spiritual father, a shepherd to his flock. What makes the connection between Filipinos and Pope Francis so unique is the genuine warmth and humility he embodies, which resonates deeply with the Filipino heart. In a country that has known both joy and suffering—from natural disasters to socio-political struggles—Pope Francis stood as a symbol of compassion, hope, and solidarity. His visit to Tacloban, in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda's devastation, touched countless lives. Despite the stormy weather, he chose to be with the people, sharing in their grief and offering words of comfort and prayer. It was a moment that etched itself in the soul of the nation.

By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa

 Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Myanmar, which is also suffering so much because of the earthquake…

 The list of bloody conflicts and their victims is too long. How can we not despair? How can we be witnesses of hope in this Holy Year? Allow me to recommend to you two invitations from Pope Francis: to become a peacemaker in our daily lives and to pray for peace (from his Message for the 58^th World Day of Peace - 1^st January 2025)

 Become a peacemaker in your daily life

“Disarming hearts is a job for everyone, great and small, rich and poor alike. At times, something quite simple will do, such as “a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed”. With such gestures, we progress towards the goal of peace. We will arrive all the more quickly if, in the course of journeying alongside our brothers and sisters, we discover that we have changed from the time we first set out. Peace does not only come with the end of wars but with the dawn of a new world, a world in which we realize that we are different, closer and more fraternal than we ever thought possible.”

Pray Pope’s Francis prayer for peace

“Lord, grant us your peace!

Forgive us our trespasses, Lord,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

In this cycle of forgiveness, grant us your peace,

the peace that you alone can give

to those who let themselves be disarmed in heart,

to those who choose in hope to forgive the debts of their brothers and sisters,

to those who are unafraid to confess their debt to you,

and to those who do not close their ears to the cry of the poor.”