Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco on Sunday said chaos in society was rooted in the lack of respect for life, in a Mass for the feast of La Naval de Manila at Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City.
“Magulo [ang lipunan kasi] wala na tayong paggalang sa buhay ng tao samantalang ang buhay ng tao ay sagrado. Laging may pag-asa ang tao. Diyan tayo lumalapit sa Mahal na Ina na walang sawang ipinagdadasal tayo, binibigyan ng bagong buhay, pag-asa,” he said.
Ongtioco said prayer was the key to peace especially in the Philippines, amid cases of extrajudicial killings linked to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
“A nation in prayer is a nation at peace. A world in prayer is a world at peace. Dahil sa panalangin nagkakaroon ng liwanag ang kaisipan na [nasa] kadiliman. Ang tao ay [nagpapakumbaba] sa harap ng Diyos upang hingin ang kanyang awa at pagpapala,” he said.
Santo Domingo Convent Prior Fr. Roland Mactal, O.P. urged La Naval devotees to continue reaching out to the poor and marginalized as part of the celebration of the Year of the Parish this year.
“Ipagpatuloy natin ang ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa Diyos at sa kapwa, pakikilahok sa ating pamayanan at sa ating Simbahan at ang misyon sa ating pang araw-araw na kabuhayan,” he said.
A grand procession of the 424-year-old image of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval, along with Dominican saints and saints of the Holy Rosary, followed the Mass.
The annual procession honors the Marian intercession for the victory of Filipino and Spanish troops over Protestant Dutch invaders in 1646.
