AS WAR, poverty and indifference persist, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Manaoag must go beyond prayer and become a concrete expression of love in action through caring for the poor, attending to the vulnerable and committing to justice and peace, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula said.
Advincula called on Catholics to emulate Mary’s obedience to God and embody a “self-giving” love to others, warning that devotion to Mary risks becoming meaningless if it does not translate into concrete action.
“Let our love for Mary lead us to be more just, holy and loving. In a world torn by war, poverty and indifference, let our Marian devotion bear fruit in Marian action,” he said during the centennial of the pontifical coronation of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag on Wednesday, April 22.
“Mary is not only our mother and intercessor before God; she is also our teacher and model in following Christ. Our devotion to her risks being empty and meaningless if we do not follow her call, if we do not follow the will and word of her Son,” he added.
Advincula urged the faithful to “crown” Mary not just with gold and jewels, but with lives likened to her generosity and “self-giving” love. He explained that Mary of Manaoag is the “Blessed Virgin who calls,” inviting the faithful to return to her and see her as a mother who always leads her children home.
Drawing from the Gospel, the prelate explained that before Mary became the Virgin who calls, she was first the Virgin who was called by God and entrusted with a mission that demanded total surrender.
“Though we hear her fiat only once, her whole life was a ‘yes’ to whatever God asked of her,” he said.
Advincula added that Mary’s “yes” was not confined to a single moment at the Annunciation, but was lived out all the way to Calvary. He urged the faithful to be like Mary and hold on to God’s assurance especially in times of uncertainty where nothing seems reliable or secure.
The prelate pointed to Mary’s message at Cana as a lasting reminder that Christians are called to follow Christ with obedient faith, doing whatever He commands.
“We also ought to imitate her obedience to God and to her Son’s commandment of love” the Dominican priest said, describing the act as a way to honor Mary.
According to Advincula, devotees must remain faithful in praying the Holy Rosary, presenting it as a simple yet powerful prayer through which they can contemplate the life of Christ with Mary and entrust their intentions to her care.
The celebration commemorates the 100th anniversary of the canonical coronation of the Marian image in 1926 by then Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines Monsignor Guglielmo Piani, in the name of Pope Pius XI. The event was widely regarded as a milestone in the country’s deep Marian devotion.
The reenactment of the coronation was led by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos were also present as witness to the coronation, which was expected to draw between one to two million devotees based on earlier estimates from church and local authorities. F
