OFS St. Pio of Pietrelcina Fraternity Mandaluyong Philippines

24/05/2026

Fifty days after the Resurrection, the Lord sent forth the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, transforming them into apostles and empowering them for mission. The descent of the Holy Spirit reminds us of the missionary zeal we receive as a gift: having been changed by our encounter with the Risen Christ, we are called to make Him known to all nations. Lourdes School participates in this mission through the transmission of the faith, grounded in the Capuchin Franciscan tradition. Indeed, it is the same Spirit who renews the Church in every age, calling each community to deeper faithfulness and active witness in the world. Veni, Sancte Spiritus! Come, Holy Spirit!

13/05/2026

Today, we commemorate Saint Ignatius of Laconi, a Capuchin lay brother.

Raised in a simple farming family, he was nicknamed “the little saint” because of his devotion from childhood. After surviving a serious illness, he promised God he would become a Franciscan. For about forty years, Br. Ignazio served as a questor in Cagliari, going through the streets asking alms for the friars while offering the people spiritual comfort, counsel, and the Gospel. One famous story tells how bread received from a greedy merchant caused his sack to drip blood, symbolizing the suffering of the poor exploited by the rich. Despite being uneducated and never writing any teachings, Br. Ignazio became one of the most admired figures in Sardinia. Even non-Catholics testified to his holiness.

Saint Ignatius of Laconi, help us to become sources of healing through charity.

13/05/2026

We commemorate today Saint Leopold of Castelnuovo, an apostle of God's mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Though physically weak, very short, afflicted with arthritis, and unable to preach because of a speech impediment, he dedicated his entire life to hearing confessions in Padua for up to 15 hours a day over more than 30 years. Renowned for his compassion, patience, and gentleness, he treated penitents with extraordinary mercy while still calling them to sincere repentance. He believed confessors should never humiliate sinners but help them encounter God’s love and forgiveness. Many considered him overly lenient, yet he answered that Christ Himself gave the example of mercy to Mary Magdalene. Through prayer, penance, and tireless ministry, he became a spiritual father to countless people, with even Padre Pio directing penitents to him. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1983 and remains a model confessor and witness to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Saint Leopold of Castelnuovo, help us to be reconciled with God and others.

13/05/2026

On this feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, we remember her intercession upon the Filipino people who pushed for change through peaceful means. So, today, let us pray for peace in our families, in our country, and throughout the world:

Mother of our people, accept the cry which we, deeply moved by the Holy Spirit, address directly to your heart. From hatred, violence, and conflicts which divide and destroy our people, deliver us. Accept, O Immaculate Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the hopes and burdens, the sufferings of each one of us, and of all our people. Amen. (Excerpt from the Annual Act of Consecration of the Philippines to the Immaculate Conception)

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Our Lady, Queen of the Philippines, pray for us!

04/04/2026

The Paschal Lamb has been sacrificed. Christ is risen, alleluia! He is risen indeed, alleluia!

The Lourdes School community extends joyous Paschal greetings to all of us who have been redeemed by Christ Resurrected. We begin this festive season with the words of Pope Benedict XVI: "Indeed, the cure for death does exist. Christ is the tree of life, once more within our reach. If we remain close to him, then we have life. Hence, during this night of resurrection, with all our hearts we shall sing the alleluia, the song of joy that has no need of words. Hence, Paul can say to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). Joy cannot be commanded. It can only be given. The risen Lord gives us joy: true life."

A blessed Easter! Pax et bonum!

04/04/2026

May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. (From the Easter Vigil Liturgy)

We have reached the height of the liturgical year. Tonight, the Church celebrates the "mother of all vigils." The Easter Vigil is the first official celebration of Christ rising from the dead. It begins in darkness to symbolize the tomb and the world without Christ, and then light is introduced through the Paschal Candle to represent Jesus as the “Light of the World," mimicking too the pillar of fire sent by God to the Israelites during their exodus. With the prophecies of old, we await Christ's resurrection. During the Vigil, we also renew our baptismal promises (and in others, also celebrate baptism) since through Christ’s resurrection, believers we have been given new spiritual life.

We wait in hope, knowing that Christ has conquered death.

03/04/2026

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the sacrifice you made for us.

"He died so we might live." (2 Cor 5, 15.) On this Good Friday, we remember how our Lord was sacrificed on the cross for our offenses. We gaze upon the Cross, the school where we learn how to love with nothing held back. He gave all; what shall we give in return? St John of the Cross says, "Love is repaid by love alone."

In the Franciscan Tradition, both the Incarnation and the Passion are the ultimate hinges where God’s love is revealed. From life to death, our Lord is truly like us in all things but sin. In the Passion, God becomes weak, poor, and rejected. Saint Francis was deeply moved by this humility in which God lowered Himself for humanity. Christ on the Cross is stripped of everything. For Saint Francis, this was the model of perfect poverty—holding onto nothing, not even one’s own life. May all the good works, prayers, and penances we do today be our language of love to the priceless gift of our redemption.

Behold the wood of the Cross, on which is hung the salvation of the world: come, let us adore Him!

03/04/2026

We accompany Mary in her greatest sorrow. The loss of a loved one is a part of our humanity. After our Lord was buried in the tomb, she went home with John, the beloved disciple, to whom she was entrusted. In her sorrow, we learn that faith does not remove pain, but transforms how we carry it.

The Capuchin Constitution has this to say of Our Lady: "She is, indeed, our mother and advocate, the patroness of our Order, the companion of her Son in His poverty and sufferings and, as experience shows, the way to the spirit of Christ poor and crucified." In her example, we find a quiet invitation: to bring our own losses to the foot of the Cross, and to believe that even here, love is still alive for as long as we have her as our Mother.

02/04/2026

02/04/2026

How Saint Francis Recreated Holy Thursday during his Last Moments in 1226

Saint Bonaventure writes that Saint Francis had bread brought to him, broke it, and gave it to his brothers. It was distributed among his closest companions, including Bernard of Quintaville (his first companion) and Elias (his vicar/successor). He then said to them, "I have done my part, may Christ teach you to do yours."

As Saint Francis was nearing death on the 3rd of October 1226, he requested that the events circling the Passion of Christ be read according to Saint John, of whose texts began with the following: "Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end." (John 13, 1.) Thus also was his love for the brethren he had gathered.

In today's evening Mass, the same Gospel will be proclaimed, feet will be washed, and offerings for the poor will be given. Such is the spirit of Saint Francis: a generous detachment all for love. This great antiphon will be sung today, which we ought to take to heart in the spirit of Gospel Brotherhood: "Where there is charity, there God is."

01/03/2026

Ngayong ikalawang linggo ng Kuwaresma, manalangin tayong lahat para sa kapayapaan ng mundo. Nawa’y magsimula ito sa atin: sa ating isip, salita, at gawa. Narito ang isang Lourdesianong salin ng Panalangin ng Kapayapaan, isang panalanging malapit sa ating komunidad.

P**n! Gamitin Mo Ako sa Iyong kapayapaan,
Bayaang sa may p**t, maghasik ng pag-ibig;
sa may sala, patawad;
sa may alinlangan, pananalig;
sa nabibigo, pag-asa;
sa may lungkot, ligaya.
Loobing ang hangari'y
di lang maaliw, kundi mang-aliw;
di lang maunawaan, kundi mang-unawa;
di lang mamahal, kundi magmahal;
sapagkat nasa pamimigay ang pagtanggap;
nasa pagpapatawad ang patawad;
at nasa kamatayan ang
buhay na walang hanggan.

San Francisco ng Assisi, tulungan mo kaming maging mga kawangis ni Kristo.