THOMASIANS MUST embrace the gifts of new beginnings, continuing, and endings despite the challenges they bring as such progressions are signs of God’s love, UST Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P. said.
In his homily during the Paskuhan mass, Coronel urged Thomasians to remain thankful and hopeful regardless of what they may be facing as every moment in life is a gift from God.
“We are deeply loved in spite of our wounds and weaknesses; a reason to be thankful, a reason to be hopeful. Therefore, we Thomasians must always remain in love, ever thankful and ever hopeful,” Coronel said at the UST Plaza Mayor on Friday, Dec. 13.
“Gratitude and hope flow from encountering God’s love in new beginnings, in perseverance and transformation. When we open our hearts to God’s presence, we recognize that every event in our life is a gift.”
The secretary general’s homily centered on this year’s Paskuhan theme, “Ever Thankful, Ever Hopeful,” which draws inspiration from John 3:16 and highlights God’s gift of His Son for humanity’s redemption.
According to Coronel, the birth of Christ is an “ongoing invitation” for renewal or the chance to begin again.
“It is an ongoing invitation for each of us embracing new beginnings in our lives, transforming every movement that pastures in hope and renewal, and every day brings an opportunity to begin again,” he said.
The gift of continuing, Coronel said, provides the perseverance and strength to overcome life’s difficulties.
“By perseverance, in the ordinariness of our days, we find the strength to carry on, even when the path is difficult, and this perseverance itself a gift, a sign of God walking with us, encouraging us, not to give up,” he added.
The Dominican priest also said that while the gift of endings may often bring loss and sadness, it also gives way to transformation.
“We are reminded that letting go is not a sign of the defeat, but an act of trusted with let go and let God,” Coronel said.
After the Paskuhan mass, Thomasians lined up at different food stations to celebrate Agape, the Christmas feast bringing students, alumni and staff together for a shared meal on campus.
The Agape feast concluded with a drone show, marking the second time UST hosted the aerial display since the pandemic. F
