Pontifical Mission Societies Diocese of Kalibo

25/05/2026

A reminder from St. Joseph: Pray before you sleep.

Before the noise of the world fades and your eyes finally close, take a moment to speak with God. Thank Him for sustaining you throughout the day — for the blessings seen and unseen, for the strength to continue, and even for the trials that helped you grow. Offer Him your worries, your fears, your unanswered prayers, and the burdens you can no longer carry alone.

St. Joseph teaches us that holiness is often found in silence, obedience, and trust. Though he faced uncertainty and difficulties, he remained faithful to God’s plan. In the same way, may we learn to rest not in our own understanding, but in the comforting assurance that God is in control.

Tonight, surrender everything to the Lord. Sleep peacefully, knowing that the God who watched over you today will also guard you through the night and lead you into tomorrow with renewed grace.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you.” — John 14:27

25/05/2026

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝟐𝟓𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐁𝐘𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘!
MOST REV. CYRIL B. VILLAREAL, D.D.
Bishop of Kalibo

Today, we joyfully join Bishop Jojo in thanksgiving as he celebrates his 25th Presbyteral Anniversary.

For twenty-five years, he has faithfully dedicated his life to the service of God and His people through his priestly ministry, becoming a shepherd, guide, and witness of Christ to many.

May the Lord continue to bless him with good health, wisdom, courage, and a faithful heart as he continues his ministry in the Church. May his life and vocation remain an inspiration to all, especially to those discerning God’s call.

Please continue to include Bishop Jojo in your prayers.

Ad Multos Annos, Bishop Cyril!

23/05/2026

Pentecost Sunday 🙏🏼

23/05/2026

Happy Birthday to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church

Today, we joyfully celebrate the birthday of the Church, born on the great feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles gathered in prayer with the Blessed Virgin Mary. What began in a humble upper room in Jerusalem became a living and unstoppable mission that continues to transform hearts even today. The same Church founded by Christ more than two thousand years ago still stands firm, proclaiming the Gospel to every nation and generation.

The Church is not merely a building made of stone, nor simply an organization created by human hands. The Church is the living Body of Christ. She is our spiritual home, our mother in faith, and the vessel through which God continues to pour His grace into the world. Through the Church, we receive the Sacraments, hear the Word of God, encounter Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and learn how to walk in holiness.

We call her One because there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. Despite different languages, cultures, and traditions, the faithful are united in Christ. She is Holy not because all her members are perfect, but because her founder is holy and because the Holy Spirit continually sanctifies her. She is Catholic because her mission is universal, embracing all people from every corner of the earth. And she is Apostolic because her teachings and authority come directly from the Apostles, entrusted to them by Jesus Himself.

Pentecost reminds us that the Church was born in fire, courage, and mission. The Apostles, once fearful and hiding, were transformed by the Holy Spirit into bold witnesses of Christ. That same Spirit continues to guide the Church today. In a world filled with confusion, division, and hopelessness, the Church remains a light that points humanity back to God.

As we celebrate the Church’s birthday, may we remember that we are not merely spectators in the faith. We are part of this living Church. Each baptized person is called to become a witness of Christ through love, prayer, kindness, forgiveness, and holiness of life.

May the Holy Spirit renew the Church once again and set our hearts on fire with faith, hope, and love.

23/05/2026

23/05/2026

We are invited to celebrate a birthday!!!

🎂🎈🎉🎁🎊
Of whom?
The Church!
So how old is the Catholic Church?

***
The feast of Pentecost, the last Sunday of Easter, is often referred to as the birthday of the Church.

It is believed that it was during the descent of the Holy Spirit, also known as Pentecost, when the apostles went out among the people and began spreading Jesus’ message, thus establishing the beginning of the Church.

Pentecost (which is Greek for 50th day) is celebrated 50 days after Easter and marks the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles with Mary while they were hiding behind locked doors following Jesus’ resurrection.

After receiving the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, the apostles immediately went out and preached Jesus’ message to everyone — the apostles were heard speaking in different languages.

22/05/2026

20/05/2026

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you."

John 14:27

20/05/2026

19/05/2026

St. Bernardine of Siena, pray for us!
May 20

***
Most of the saints suffer great personal opposition, even persecution. Bernardine, by contrast, seems more like a human dynamo who simply took on the needs of the world.

He was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following Saint Francis of Assisi’s admonition to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”

Compared with Saint Paul by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary.

When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown of Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague, but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt whose parents had died when he was a child, and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.

At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek—in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions: for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines. The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings. Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine’s holiness, orthodoxy, and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.

General of the Friars of the Strict Observance, a branch of the Franciscan Order, Bernardine strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling.

https://tinyurl.com/bap7yxv9