MANILA ARCHBISHOP Jose Cardinal Advincula has urged Thomasians to build a friendship with God, saying achieving holiness is not an impossible feat.
In his homily during the thanksgiving mass for the closing of the 80th canonical establishment of the Santisimo Rosario Parish on Tuesday, March 21, Advincula said living out the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, namely, wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord, is what makes becoming holy possible.
“Perhaps some of you think that being a saint is not for you. But I tell you, if you make good use of the gifts the Holy Spirit has given you, holiness is not impossible,” the prelate said.
According to Advincula, the sacrament of confirmation can make one “a faithful friend of the Lord.”
“What does it mean to be a friend of the Lord? To be a friend of God means to be a saint,” the Thomasian archbishop said.
“You must remember that the sacrament of confirmation is like all the sacraments, it is a gift given by God and like all God’s gifts, it is designed to help us grow in holiness,” he added.
The sacrament, Advincula said, is a “priceless gift” that Christians should be thankful for.
“My dear friends, this gift you are about to receive is indeed more precious than expensive sneaker[s], beautiful clothes, or the latest gadget. What you are receiving is way more valuable because it is a gift that equips you to go out into the world as faithful witnesses and disciples of Christ. So be grateful,” he said.
In the same homily, Advincula said God’s providence and mercy have sustained Santisimo Rosario Parish through the years.
He thanked the priests, lay leaders and collaborators who were involved in the establishment of the parish, which was named in honor of the Dominican devotion to the holy rosary.
The UST Chapel is one of the earliest edifices in the Sampaloc campus and has been the site of religious events in the University since 1932.
According to the UST website, the church served as the sanctuary of the image of Our Lady of La Naval de Manila, which was saved from the bombings that destroyed the Old Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros, from 1942 to 1954. The historic Marian image is now venerated at the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City.
The mass was held at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church and was live-streamed through its Facebook page. F – Trisha Tamio
