BINIGYANG-DIIN ng pinuno ng mga Pransiskano sa Pilipinas ang kahalagahan ng kamalayan sa kinakaharap na krisis ng lipunan dulot ng Covid-19, upang makapaghatid ng tulong sa kapuwa.
Hinimok din ni P. Cielo Almazan O.F.M., minister provincial ng Province of San Pedro Bautista, ang mga Katoliko na gayahin ang kabaitan at pagiging positibo ni Santo Domingo sa pagharap sa pandemya.
“We cannot do proper responses if we do not know exactly what is happening around, if we refuse to see the truth that can lead us to salvation from this crisis. [W]e are tasked to make the fire of His love strong to make the world productive. [W]e cannot go back to normal life or build a better, new normal if we are losing our enthusiasm,” wika ni Almazan sa Misa ng bisperas ng kapistahan ni Santo Domingo de Guzman sa Santisimo Rosario Parish Church.
“It is a big challenge for us to keep our good spirits in this prolonged pandemic [but] we, as communities, must help one another to dispel our fears and anxieties and to refuse the defeat by despair and gloom, [as St. Dominic] showed his kindness and cheerfulness,” aniya.
Winika naman ni P. Napoleon Sipalay, Jr., O.P., pinuno ng mga Filipinong Dominiko at vice chancellor ng Unibersidad, na tularan ang tiwala ni Santo Domingo sa Diyos.
“Many of us feel that we cannot overcome the present crisis, this pandemic of Covid-19… We may be afraid but by the example of St. Dominic, where he [was] more effective to us when he [was] with God, we hear again the words of Jesus to stand up [and] do not be afraid,” ayon kay Sipalay.
‘Maging instrumento ng pag-asa’
Hinimok ni P. Isaias Tiongco, O.P., bise rektor ng Unibersidad, ang mga Katoliko na maging instrumento ng pag-asa sa mga tao sa gitna ng pandemyang Covid-19.
“As sons and daughters of Dominic, we lead by word and example to help others find answers for their basic needs and search for God through our prayers, assiduous study, and community sharing. Like our holy father Dominic, we can make promises of hope to others that we can be hope, a wonderful hope to them,” giit ni Tiongco.
Dagdag pa niya, isinugo ng Panginoon si Santo Domingo bilang tagapagpadala ng karangalan at biyaya ng Diyos sa mga tao.
“St. Dominic was a man of remarkable attractiveness of character and broadness of vision; he had the deepest compassion and was always moved with mercy for every human suffering. He saw the need to use all the resources of human learning in the service of Christ,” aniya.
Binigyang-diin naman ni P. Hilario Singian, Jr., O.P., dating socius sa Asya-Pasipiko ng Orden ng mga Dominiko, ang malasakit na siyang magbibigay bisa sa pangangaral sa kapwa.
“A true Dominican carries the compassion of the Lord, St. Dominic, and St. John Vianney in his heart to embrace the mission of preaching for the salvation of souls. He sees all the elements of his life like study, prayer, common life, and vows as Dominic envisioned them as indispensable means to make his preaching more credible and effective so that he could be of better help to his neighbor,” wika ni Singian.
‘Maging tapat sa tagubilin ni Santo Domingo’
Ayon naman kay P. Efren Rivera, O.P., dating pinuno ng mga Dominiko sa Filipinas, binago ni Santo Domingo ang larangan ng pangangaral sa mga tao.
“St. Dominic was an innovator in his time because during his time only the bishops and priests especially commissioned to preach were the ones allowed to preach,” wika ni Rivera.
Nanawagan si Rivera sa mga kapwa Dominiko na maging tapat sa mga tagubilin ni Santo Domingo.
“It is the responsibility of the sons of St. Dominic and the Dominican preachers to, again, teach the people to listen to the word of God. Otherwise, they will not get what God wants them to do. Let’s do this. It is important,” wika niya.
Pumanaw si Santo Domingo sa gabi ng kapistahan ng pagbabagong-anyo ni Hesus noong ika-6 ng Agosto 1221.
Humalimuyak ang bulaklak nang buksan ang himlayan ni Santo Domingo noong ika-24 ng Mayo 1233.
Ang kapistahan ni Santo Domingo ay ginugunita sa ika-8 ng Agosto upang hindi tumapat sa kapistahan ng pagbabagong-anyo ni Hesus. Ma. Alena O Castillo, Joenner Paulo L. Enriquez, O.P. at Mariel Celine L. Serquiña
