CATHOLICS should strive to live a good and faithful life to achieve eternal reward, said Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P., prior of the Priory of St. Thomas Aquinas, in a Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints at Santisimo Rosario Parish Church on Nov. 1.
In his homily, Aligan reminded the faithful that their goodness, love and faithfulness will not be rewarded on earth but in the “eternal life to come.”
“Kung anuman ang hinahanap natin na hindi natin mahanap dito sa lupa, umasa tayo na sa kabilang buhay ay maibibigay sa atin ng Diyos,” he said.
The Dominican priest urged the laity not to get tired of doing good, even when it goes unnoticed or unreciprocated.
He said the commemoration not only honors canonized saints but also all those who had led righteous lives and are now in the presence of God.
“Sila ang mga taong tinatawag nating blessed, patuloy silang nananalangin para sa atin, at sinasabi nila, ‘Sana kayo rin, kung anong nai-enjoy namin dito sa langit, ay ma-enjoy n’yo rin,” Aligan said.
He emphasized that God’s graces are abundant and freely given to the faithful.
“The Lord has given us all the means by which we can be saved. Kung gusto natin pumunta sa kanya, together, makapupunta tayo sa kaniya,” he said.
In the morning Mass, Fr. Jayson Gonzales, O.P., of the Priory of St. Thomas Aquinas, urged Catholics to hope in God and follow the same path of holiness that the saints had walked.
“Mayroong langit na naghihintay sa atin kapag sinusunod natin ang kalooban ng Diyos,” Gonzales said in his homily.
Gonzales called on the faithful to view All Saints’ Day not merely as a commemoration but as an invitation to holiness.
“The promise of Jesus is not an empty promise; there is heaven, [and] the saints are there,” he said.
