MANILA Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle urged the faithful to turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary in times of hardship, during the Eucharistic celebration of the Marian Jubilee last Oct. 7 at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.
“Mary is the Mother of Mercy because she is filled and driven by the Holy Spirit. And like her Son, she is fully human. She is a sister [and] a mother who understands our pain,” Tagle said in his homily.
Tagle, addressing the youth, said Mary also faced confusion as a teenager.
“Be brave, young people. Mary shows you mercy. Be brave, open yourself to the Holy Spirit. You’re not alone in your confusion,” he said.
The prelate called on the faithful to open themselves to the Holy Spirit. “Maging daan din tayo sa tunay na habag. Paano? Maging bukas sa Espiritu Santo, at makipag-kapwa-tao,” he said.
Fatima at 100
Prior to the Eucharistic celebration of the Marian Jubilee, a Jesuit priest stressed the importance of the devotion to Mary as Our Lady of Fatima, ahead of the centennial of the Fatima apparitions in 2017.
“The message of Fatima is bring Christ, the Gospel, and the victory of God to the world,” Fr. Catalino Arevalo, S.J. said.
Arevalo said the message of Fatima was more relevant today than it was during the time of the apparition in 1917. The messae, he said, has a “special relevance and urgency” to the Philippines.
“The great gift of Mary is her motherly heart, and she asks through Fatima that as many Christians as possible should consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” said Arevalo, a theologian.
The Marian Jubilee is part of the Archdiocese of Manila’s Jubilee Year of Mercy celebrations.
