UST Vice Rector for Religious Affairs Fr. Pablo Tiong, O.P. urged the faithful to call for Mary’s intercession against the two “evil destroyers” of birthdays, contraception and abortion, during the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mother on Sept. 8 at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church.
In his homily, Tiong lamented how most of the world had turned away from the “culture of life” and hoped the country would not follow suit.
“On the birthday of the Blessed Mother, ipagdasal natin na hindi mangyayari sa ating bansa ito [s]apagkat hindi kultura ng buhay ang umiiral sa ating mundo,” Tiong said.
“Ngayon, dahil sa anti-life, culture of death, anti-birth, [at] anti-birthday [notions], ang Katolikong mag-asawa, kung gustong [umiwas] sa contraception at abortion, kailangan magpaka-martyr,” he added.
Tiong also urged those who had committed heavy transgressions to seek spiritual rebirth by way of conversion.
“Kapag nagbabalik-loob tayo sa Diyos, lalo na kung may matindi tayong pagkakasala, babalik din ang grasya ng Diyos. We become spiritually alive, muli tayong buhay sa pagmamahal ng Diyos,” he said.
Celebrated every Sept. 8, the birthday of the Blessed Mother is one of the three birthdays celebrated in the liturgical calendar. The other two are the birthdays of Jesus Christ and St. John the Baptist celebrated every Dec. 25 and June 24, respectively. M.C.L. Serquiña
