CHRISTIANS BESET with trials are never alone as they are accompanied by God and are linked to other followers of Christ through their faith and common experiences, Faculty of Arts and Letters Regent Fr. George Phe Mang, O.P. said.
In his homily during this year’s Red Wednesday mass, Phe Mang said Christians, including those who are suffering because of their beliefs, are interconnected and interdependent as a “community of faith.”
“We are part of a larger community, connected together through our shared human experiences… If one part suffers, all parts suffer together,” he told mass attendees on Wednesday, Nov. 27, at the Santisimo Rosario Parish church.
According to Phe Mang, the shared struggle is the “essence” of Christianity.
“Our unity in Christ strengthens us in trials and leads us toward the victory of God’s kingdom… Through prayer, sacraments and mutual support, we become instruments of God’s consolation to one another,” the Artlets regent added.
Phe Mang noted that while it could be challenging to remain hopeful while suffering, God’s love, justice and salvation are enough reasons for devotees to rejoice.
“This joy is not naive optimism but a deep confidence that God is always with us, even in trials and sufferings that we experience,” he added.
The Dominican priest explained that solidarity with suffering communities is not limited to providing financial relief and material goods as it can also be expressed through compassion. He said consolation occurs when those affected by war, calamities, social injustice and hatred are understood, even by those who have not endured them.
“It’s not the amount that we are giving, but the way you try to reach out to them, it’s consoling…as long as they know we are one with them,” Phe Mang said.
The regent likened the Christians’ commemoration of Red Wednesday to the Virgin Mary’s consoling presence at the foot of the cross where Jesus Christ suffered. He described the struggles of Christians as redemptive as their suffering is a path towards a deeper union with God.
“The martyrs who remained steadfast in their trials sing a song glorifying God’s mighty word. Their sufferings were not in vain but became the pathway to share in God’s glory,” Phe Mang said.
Red Wednesday, which became an official Catholic event in the country in 2020, is commemorated every fourth Wednesday of November in honor of Christians all over the world who are persecuted for their faith. This year’s mass carried the theme “One in suffering, one in consolation.”
A candle-lighting ceremony took place after the mass as an expression of solidarity with the suffering Christians. F — Mei Lin Weng
