BECOME INSTRUMENTS of peace by responding to God’s call despite uncertainties as true listening forms the compassion that allows us to bring Jesus to those who are suffering and overlooked, Cubao Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr. told devotees.
During the fiesta high Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of La Naval De Manila themed “Mary: Queen and Mother of Peace,” Ayuban said that Mary exemplifies peace by welcoming God into one’s life.
“If we truly wish to honor Mary, we must learn to listen as she listens with humility, patience, and trust. And perhaps, this is where peace must begin, not with changing everyone else, but with allowing God to change our own hearts,” the bishop said on Sunday, Oct. 11 at Santo Domingo Church.
Drawing from the Gospel, Ayuban cited the story of the Annunciation, in which angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to declare that she would conceive and bear the son of God, entrusting her with a mission that called for her trust and surrender to God’s will.
Troubled by the angel’s greeting, Mary did not immediately understand what was happening and questioned how it could be fulfilled, given that she had not known a man.
However, Ayuban said Mary’s acceptance of Gabriel’s news illustrates how peace grows when people freely cooperate with God’s grace and choose to follow His will despite their doubts.
“However close we are to God, we are not exempted from experiencing doubts and troubles, just like our Mother Mary. But she continued to trust,” the bishop said, emphasizing that Mary’s faith was not blind submission.
The prelate emphasized the relationship between God’s grace and human freedom through St. Augustine’s quote saying, “Qui creavit te sine te, non iustificabit te sine te,” meaning “He who created you without you will not justify you without you.”
He explained that listening to God requires more than hearing His words, urging the faithful to open their hearts and respond to His will.
“Listening with our ears alone turns out to be not enough. That’s why if you put our two ears together, they form a heart. Because true listening, as it turns out, ends in our heart,” Ayuban said, adding that people affirm their “yes” to God through actions and concrete choices.
Beyond choosing what is right in their personal lives, the bishop called on the faithful to bring Christ’s presence to others through concrete acts of service, particularly to those who are suffering and in need.
“This is the meaning of our worship, the celebration of the Holy Eucharist that must not end inside the church,” he said.
“As long as there are people who cannot sleep because they cannot find shelter, our mission for peace does not end.”
The annual Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila commemorates the miraculous 1646 naval victories against Dutch forces traditionally attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Following the fiesta high Mass, around 13,000 devotees joined the Grand Procession in honor of Our Lady of La Naval, with the entourage lasting for almost three hours. F – Katrina Joy Guzman
