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Feast of San Pedro Calungsod

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Feast of San Pedro Calungsod Theme: "Bata pa lang, banal na." Readings suggestion: Isaiah 6:8 — "Here I am, send me" / Mt 28:19-20 — Go and make disciples My dear young people,  Tingnan nyo katabi nyo. Ilang taon na kayo? 15? 17? 22? Si San Pedro Calungsod, 17 years old lang nung namatay. Ka-age nyo lang. Hindi pa tapos ng senior high kung ngayon. Pero santo na.  Madaming nagsasabi: "Father, bata pa ako. Pag matanda na ako, saka na ako magiging banal." Si Pedro sinasabi: "Hindi totoo yan." Three lessons from his short life — for all Kabataan ng San Pablo:  1. HINDI MO KAILANGANG MAGING PARI PARA MAGING MISSIONARY  Si Pedro hindi pari. Hindi seminarista. Sakristan, katekista, helper.  Pero anong ginawa niya? Sumama sa mission to Guam — 1668. Isipin nyo, Visaya, sumakay ng galleon, walang cellphone, walang GPS, walang Jollibee — for 4 years, nagtuturo ng katesismo, nagbibinyag kasama si Fr. San Vitores, nag-aalalay sa Misa. Kadalasan iniisip ng ...
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Deny Yourself

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This Gospel is not comfortable. Jesus is talking to everyone — "sa lahat" — not just apostles, not just priests. Lahat ng gustong sumunod.  And He gives three verbs, three non-negotiables. Hindi optional, hindi suggestion. Condition. 1. LIMUTIN ANG SARILI — Deny Yourself  First verb: arnesásthō heauton — deny, disown, say no to self. We live in a generation that says: "Follow yourself. Love yourself. Express yourself." Jesus says opposite: "Deny yourself."  Does He hate us? No. He knows the self we protect is often the false self — yung self na makasarili, mapagmataas, laging bida.  In San Pablo, we say: "Ako muna." Sa traffic — ako muna. Sa pila — ako muna. Sa pamilya — ako muna. That "ako muna" is what destroys community.  Denying self does not mean you hate yourself. It means you stop making yourself the center of universe. You move from ako to Ikaw, Lord and kayo, kapwa .  Practical: Today, saan mo kailangang limutin sarili?...
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Sakramento ng kasal

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Tayo po ay hindi lang nasa wedding — nasa Mass tayo. Hindi lang ito kasal, ito ay Misyon. In Filipino weddings, we love the ayos — gown, barong, entourage, drone shot. Pero ang Diyos, ang tinitignan Niya ay hindi yung ayos sa labas, kundi yung ayos sa loob . You chose beautiful readings. Let me give you three words to bring to your marriage — words that will save your marriage when the flowers wilt and the lights are off. From your readings: 1. LOVE IS A DECISION, NOT JUST A FEELING St. Paul says in 1 Cor 13 — Love is patient, kind, not jealous. Note: he does not say love is a kilig . He says love is a character . Today you feel kilig — natural, you're in love. But next year, after bills, puyat sa baby, selos, tampo — kilig will fade. And that is when real love begins. Feeling says: "I love you because you make me happy." Decision says: "I love you even when you don't make me happy — because I made a vow before God." Sa Tagalog, ang pag-ibig hindi lang ...
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