CONSTANT exposure to social media and gadgets could diminish people’s capacity to genuinely listen to God and one another, UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. warned during the enthronement of the University’s patroness on Thursday, Sept. 24.
In his homily during the Enthronement Mass of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de la Universidad de Santo Tomás, Ang said listening was a spiritual practice that required attention amid distractions in the digital age.
“Listening is an ear of the heart,” Ang said, explaining that genuine listening requires putting others before oneself.
“Ang pakikinig sa salita ng Diyos ay isang espiritwal na gawain,” he added, noting that listening to others is also an act of charity.
(Listening to the word of God is a spiritual activity.)
Ang drew on the Blessed Virgin Mary as an example of listening and responding to God’s word.
Reflecting on the Gospel according to Luke, Ang said Jesus’s response to a woman who praised His mother did not diminish Mary’s blessedness but instead emphasized the importance of discipleship.
“Before Mary was His mother, she was first a disciple,” Ang said.
He explained that true blessedness comes not merely from one’s physical relationship with Jesus but from listening to God’s word and faithfully responding to it.
Ang urged the faithful to examine whether their personal plans align with God’s purpose, citing Mary’s trust and obedience amid uncertainty.
The Rector also recalled the University’s longstanding Marian devotion, noting that UST was originally named Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario.
Ang said his own Marian devotion grew after he became a Thomasian, having previously attended a Protestant school.
“Kaya masasabi ko, nanay siya ng bawat Tomasino,” he said.
(That is why I can say that she is the mother of every Thomasian.)
Ang concluded by urging the faithful to hear and act on God’s word.
“Gawin ninyo ang anumang sabihin Niya sa inyo,” he said.
(Do whatever He tells you.)
The enthronement of the UST Santísimo Rosario Parish’s patroness also featured a motorcade through the campus and 29 barangays within the parish, followed by a procession inside UST that proceeded despite rain.
The Rite of Episcopal Coronation of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de la Universidad de Santo Tomás will be held on Sunday, Oct. 4, with Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula presiding. Bruce L. Buenaventura
