A GOD-GIVEN purpose must ultimately lead a person to serve those in need, Fr. Jannel Abogado, O.P., the vice rector for research, told Thomasians during the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
In his homily at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church, Abogado said every person had a role to discover, but fulfilling it required listening to God and remaining mindful of the needs of others.
“Whatever it is, it is a role that does not forget the needs of those who are in need of our service,” said Abogado, also the dean of Sacred Theology.
“God gave us to our parents because we have a purpose. What is our purpose? It is for us to discover,” he added.
Abogado pointed to the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph as examples of obedience to God’s calling, saying they set aside their own plans and allowed themselves to be guided by Him.
Upon learning that Mary was with child, Joseph initially planned to part ways with her but changed course after receiving God’s message, Abogado said.
He stressed that both Mary and Joseph were able to embrace what God had planned for them because they listened.
“Because they listened, the angel came to them. And that angel just listened, listened. They accepted, and they were opened to the persuasion of God,” he said.
Blessed rose petals were distributed to the faithful after the Mass. According to Dominican tradition, the petals are brought to the sick for healing and kept in homes as a symbol of divine protection.
Celebrated since the sixth century, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is among the oldest Marian feasts and commemorates the birth of Mary to her parents, Sts. Joachim and Anne. Enzo Miguel D. Mejia with reports from Joachim Nigel Z. Tanglao
