Faithful Little Ones

Faithful Little Ones Empowering the parents with tips and encouragement to raise kids as a follower of Christ.

"DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME" The mass of the Maundy Thursday stands apart from every other Mass of the year. It opens the P...
02/04/2026

"DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME"

The mass of the Maundy Thursday stands apart from every other Mass of the year. It opens the PaschalbTriduum, the three most sacred days of the Catholic Church: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday leading into Easter Vigil. They form one continous liturgy, one sacred movement that draws into Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On this night, we enter the Upper Room. We witness the Last Supper, where Jesus gives us the Eucharist and establishes the priesthood. The Mass feels intimate, almost heavy with love and sorrow. After the Communion, the altar is stripped bare, and the Blessed Sacrament is carried to a place of repose, calling Christ's agony in the garden, when He asked His apostles, "could you not watch with me one hour?"

It is an invitation to participate. Spiritually, we are there at the beginning og His sacrifice. The Triduum invites us not to rush ahead to Easter, but to remain, to stay, to watch, and to walk with Christ through the night, through the cross, and to the silence of the tomb until the victory of Easter morning.

Palm Sunday (the start of the Holy Week) is not hard to understand as a Filipino. There was a time when your children we...
29/03/2026

Palm Sunday (the start of the Holy Week) is not hard to understand as a Filipino. There was a time when your children were small. They held your hand everywhere you went. They said "I love you" without being asked. They were proud of you. They needed you for everything. Those were the "HOSANNA" years when love was loud, visible and easy to feel.

But parenting changes. Children grow up. They become busy, independent, sometimes distant. Sometimes you become the strict one, the one who worries too much, the one who sacrifices quietly. You continue to love, but it no longer feel welcoming. It looks like sacrifice, patience, and prayers at night when everyone is already asleep.

Then at the same time, your parents begin to grow old. The ones who once carried you are now the ones you must carry. You bring them to check-ups. You remind them to watch what they eat. You adjust your schedule and budget. You become the strong one, even when you are also tired and worried.

This is the typical life of a middle-class Filipino. Raising children, caring for aging parents, working, budgeting, worrying and still trying to keep the family together. Many days, it feels like you are the one carrying everyone. This is why Palm Sunday is close to your life.

Because on Palm Sunday, Jesus was welcomed, praised and celebrated. But a few days later, He was carrying the cross, and many people were no longer there. The welcoming crowd disappeared, but the love of Jesus did not. He continued walking. He continued carrying the cross and loving even when it was heavy, painful, and alone.

If you are a parent who feels tired but continues for your children while simultaneously caring for your aging parents and feels that love has become more sacrifice than reward, then you understand the road to Calvary more than you think.

Palm Sunday is not just about waving palms and shouting "HOSANNA". Palm Sunday is about a decision. Will I still love when love becomes sacrifice? Will I still stay when things become heavy? Will I still follow Christ not only in moments of joy, but also in moments of responsibility, suffering and sacrifice? Because to love like Jesus is the kind of love that saves families. It is faithful. It carries the cross and does not give up.

This Holy Week when you hold your palm, hold it like a promise. "Lord, I will stay. I will walk with You. I will love, even when it is hard." Be reminded that the road of sacrifice never ends in Calvary. It always leads to Easter.

The Provider Is Seen, The Care Taker Became InvisibleMost marriages don't die from one catastrophic blow. The hemorrhage...
10/03/2026

The Provider Is Seen, The Care Taker Became Invisible

Most marriages don't die from one catastrophic blow. The hemorrhage slowly from a thousand tiny wounds. The glances not returned, the feelings brushed aside, the silent meals eaten side by side yet miles apart.

Some women begin radiant, fierce full of fire. Then, year by year, they dim. Not because they stopped loving. But because they realized "he never truly saw me". He was too busy building a future to notice the woman living right beside him. He checked the boxes as provider, protector, pillar but he forgot to show up. Not with his paycheck. With his presence.

Men are handed the reponsibilities by the society to provide, to climb and provide more. The world applauds him for grinding, for burning out, for sacrificing his peace and health to pad the bank account. He wears his exhaustion like a crown. Look at me. I'm a good family man. I'm giving them everything.

But watch what happens when that climb becomes a sprint toward an early grave. He is so chained to the corporate ladder that his health begins to splinter. The stress, the sleepless nights, the body screaming at him to stop. He ignores it, because slowing down feels like a failure. So he grinds himself to dust, chasing a vision of provision, while his body quietly collapses under the weight. The family may be comfortable today, but stability is an illusion when a man refuses to steward his own health. He is building a future he may not be alive to live in.

And comes the second wave. The money he makes isn't just for his own family anymore. He acquires more responsibilities. He wears the dependence of extended families like another badge of honor. His mindset? I am the only one they lean on. I am the backbone. But who holds the weight of all those people? The woman he married.

While he send money and feels like a hero, she is the one doing all the leg work for all the responsibilities he acquired. She is the one who is expected to absorb every new demand without complaint, because he is busy being a good man by trying to provide to everyone. Him being a hero of all becomes her exhaustion. His family, her family, their problems. They all land in her desk.

While he is out conquering the world, being celebrated for his hard work, she is at home holding everything together (the schedules, the meals, the emotions, the chaos, the relatives, the crises). She's the one now managing a small village of people who need something from her, while he gets the credit for providing. She does it all. And slowly, quietly, she begins to feel nothing. Not because she doesn't care. Because caring without being seen hollows you out.

She becomes invisible in her own life. Unheard in her own home. Misunderstood by the one person who swore he knew her. She is surrounded by people who need her, yet utterly alone. She is a glue, but glue dries out. It hardends. It becomes brittle. And eventually, it cracks.

And him? He is too busy being a hero to notice that his wife is drowning right beside him, buried under the weight of everyone he promised to save. The relationship becomes a transaction. He provides. She manages. Efficient but empty.

Every responsible family man should remember: You can feed your family and starve your marriage. BUT you can feed both. Because at the end of the day, she doesn't need another breadwinner. She doesn't need a savior for everyone else.

A wife needs a man brave enough to stop running, to stop sacrificing himself on the altar of ambition, to stop piling more weight on her already breaking back and to finally fully be present not just presence.

Heavenly Father,We lift our wounded Cebu. We remember before You the lives tragically lost, whose absence leaves a void ...
06/11/2025

Heavenly Father,

We lift our wounded Cebu. We remember before You the lives tragically lost, whose absence leaves a void in our communities and families. Comfort those who mourn, and grant eternal rest to the departed.

We beg Your justice to cleanse our land. Let Your justice expose the truth and root out the corruption that plagues our land. Pierce the consciences of leaders in the government (past and present), root out the corruption that exploits our people and preys on our vulnerability. Replace hearts of greed with hearts of flesh that value environmental stewardship and public service over personal profit.

We then pray for detachment and right perspective. Lord, in a world that constantly tempts us with more, grant us the grace of holy detachment. Free us from the love of material things, and let not greed sink its roots into our systems, our communities, or our own souls. Instead, bless our finances and our spirits with Your wisdom. Help us to see money not as an end, but as a tool to foster love, to provide for our families with dignity, and to serve our community. Let our hearts always prioritize love over possessions.

Lastly, we pray for purposeful prosperity. We ask You to prosper the works of our hands. Bless our labors and endeavors, not for lavish excess, but so that we may be a channel of Your blessings to others. We acknowledge that every good gift comes from You, and we are merely stewards. Use of financial blessings, however great or small, to serve You more fully and to uplift our community in Cebu. May our prosperity be a testament to Your goodness and a source of hope for those in need.

We ask this with a trusting hearts. Through the intercession of Mother Mary. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior.

Sto. Niรฑo de Cebu, pray for us. ๐Ÿ™

Amen. ๐Ÿ™

READING
1 Thessalonians 5:23

Canticle of Simeon
Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

30/10/2025

COULD YOUR LOVE BE CREATING A PARASITE?

We often tell our children, to follow their passion. But this is a fragile foundation for a life. The world does not reward passion alone; it rewards the grit to persevere when passion fades. Motivation is temporary, but discipline builds long-term freedom.

The real danger for our children is not failure, but dependency. When we constantly rescue them, we are not protecting them. We are teaching them to rely on our diligence instead of developing their own. The momentary discomfort is a far gentler teacher than the lifelong helplessness it prevents. We soothe our own anxiety, but we steal their struggle, which is the very thing that forges self-worth and resilience.

Parents need to stop being a constant safety net. Aim to become a steady anchor. Let the children feel the natural result of their choices and resolve their problem. This is not harsh; it is honest. Praise their perseverance, not just their talent. Demand they finish what they start. Show them discipline is not the enemy of joy, but a practice of their future freedom.

We don't raise just a happy child, we're responsible to train them to be a capable and resilient adult. We do this not by being their constant saviors, but by being their steadfast coaches, believing in their ability to fight their own battles and build a life of their own making. Our parenting mission is to teach our children that "success" is a direct result of their controllable actions, not a fixed trait.

PROVERBS 22:6
"Instruct a child in the way he should go, and when he grows old he will not leave it"

We are called to instruct, to guide, to coach. Never a constant rescue. Stop raising a generation of dependents. ๐Ÿ™

๐Ÿ†˜๏ธ SACRED BOUNDARIES AND DISCERNING WHEN TO EXTEND HELP We are called to love, and that call is clear and constant. Our ...
28/10/2025

๐Ÿ†˜๏ธ SACRED BOUNDARIES AND DISCERNING WHEN TO EXTEND HELP

We are called to love, and that call is clear and constant. Our hearts were called to serve, to extend grace, and to carry the burdens of our neighbors, just as Christ carries ours. But if we are not rooted in wisdom, our endless good intentions can unintentionally become a path to exhaustion and enabling harm.

Love is not boundless capacity, it is stewardship. We are called to be good managers of the gifts God has entrusted us. Our time, our emotional health, and our spiritual energy. We must guard these resources, not for selfish hoarding, but so we can remain full and effective for the true work we were called for.

Discerning the difference between serving and enabling. We were taught to look at the fruit. We must learn to discern the difference between a person who is seeking genuine help to move forward, and one who has settled into a pattern of chronic dependency or manipulation.

This isn't about judging their worth. Every soul is precious but we need to discern our divine assignment. It is about understanding sometimes, the deepest act of grace is allowing a person to confront the consequences of their choices so they might finally grasp the hand of change.

We must protect our peace not out of selfishness, but because the peace is the wellspring of the Holy Spirit. If we allow manipulators to constantly dictate our energy, or willingly engage with those who resist every lifeline offered, we become broken vessels, ultimately empty for the next person who truly needs us.

Our role is not to be a never-ending rescue mission that circumvents personal responsibility. Our deepest calling is to empower others to claim the strength God has already placed within them.

Imagine a host and a parasite. When we endlessly allow our resources. Our empathy, our finances, our time to be taken without commitment to personal change, we enter into a perilous dynamic.

A parasitic bond is a spiritual danger. The parasite attaches itself, subtly leeching the host's life force, consuming its energy, and offering nothing but depletion in return. The host's purpose shifts from flourishing to merely sustaining the destructive dependency of another.

If your giving leaves you spiritually, emotionally, and physically drained, and the recipients remains stagnant, you must stop. Break the debilitating pattern. Reserve your life-giving energy for the work that grows the soul, not the work that merely enables the shadow. Your compassion is a gift; wield it according to 'why God made you a channel of help', not toleration. ๐Ÿ™

This is what happen when you prioritized commission over mission. ๐Ÿ’”๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ
21/09/2025

This is what happen when you prioritized commission over mission. ๐Ÿ’”๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ

The mystery of our faith: Coded use of "Babylon" for Rome in the Scripture ๐Ÿ“–The objection of Papacy often stem from 'SOL...
09/05/2025

The mystery of our faith: Coded use of "Babylon" for Rome in the Scripture ๐Ÿ“–

The objection of Papacy often stem from 'SOLA SCRIPTURA' frameworks. We, Catholics synthesizes Scripture, Tradition and historical evidence to affirm the papacy as Christโ€™s enduring gift to His Church.

๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ฆ HISTORICAL PARALLELS
- Ancient Babylon was notorious in Jewish tradition as the hub of idolatry, opression, and exile. By the 1st Century AD, Rome had assumed similar role. It was the center of imperial power, persecution of Christians, and moral decadence. Early Christians used "Babylon" to veil references to Rome to avoid direct confrontation with authorities.

- THE SEVEN HILLS OF ROME (Revelation 17:9) mirrored Babylon's ancient grandeur, reinforcing the symbolic link. The book of Revelation explicitly ties Babylon to a city "drunk with the blood of saints" (Revelation 17:6), a clear allusion to Rome's persecution of Christians.

๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ฆ LINGUISTIC CONTEXT
- The Greek term Babylon retained its symbolic weight from the Old Testament, where it represented systemic evil opposed to God. It critiqued Rome's political and spiritual corruption.

๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ฆ BIBLICAL EVIDENCE
- Mark's Presence: Peter mentions being with Mark, who later wrote his Gospel in Rome. Linguistic clues in Mark's Gospel align with a Roman audience (Latinisms like praetorium and currency conversion).

-Paulโ€™s wrote Romans before Peterโ€™s arrival. Early traditions placed Peter in Rome later, during Nero's reign (54-68 AD). The New Testament's silence aligns with its composition timeline (Acts end c.62 AD, before Peterโ€™s death).

- Peterโ€™s ministry extended to Gentiles (Cornelius in Acts 10). Rome had a large Jewish diaspora, fitting his mission. Early sources like Clement, confirm he evangelized both communities.

-Paulโ€™s imprisonment (c. 64-67 AD) likely overlapped with Peterโ€™s martyrdom under Nero. Early accounts like Eusebius note their deaths occured close in time, with Peter crucified upside down.

๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ฆ ARCHAEOLOGICAL CORROBORATION
- Excavations under St. Peterโ€™s Basilica revealed a 1st Century tomb venerated as Peterโ€™s resting place, with graffiti invoking his name. While the bones are debated, early Christians widely associated the site with his martyrdom.

The Vicar of Christ is in Rome. The Papacy is rooted in John 21:15-17 "feed my sheep" emphasizes Christโ€™s representative. Hence, Papacy is biblically grounded, historically attested, and theological coherent. Let's learn to do the dialogue to our fellow Christian brethren who only see external practices of the Catholic faith.

There will always be "tension" between the "normalized" practices of a fallen world and divine law. As parents, we canno...
08/05/2025

There will always be "tension" between the "normalized" practices of a fallen world and divine law. As parents, we cannot shield them from all of it, only Christ if you pass on the faith.

The Church's mission is not condemnation but conversion, offering the world a vision of life that transcends the brokeness of sin.

1. P*rn*graphy
- Objectifies persons and distorts the dignity of s*xuality. Mental pollution taints the purity of the heart.

2. Pre-marital S*x
- Chastity preserves the integrity of love, which is fully expressed in marital commitment. Opening a gift before the celebration; it diminishes the joy of the promised moment.

3. Abortion
- Life begins at conception. Abortion is deemed the unjust taking of human life. Uprooting a seedling denies the potential for life to flourish.

4. Adultery/Affairs
- Adultery breaches marital fidelity and trust. A bridge with a cracked foundation endagers the entire structure.

5. Contraception
- Rejects openess to life, reducing s*x to mere pleasure. "Be fruitful and multiply" Genesis 1:28

6. IVF
- Separates procreation from the marital act and risks embryo destruction.

7. Divorce
- Marriage is indissoluble, mirroring God's eternal covenant with humanity. "What God has joined together, let no one separate" Mark 10:9

8. Euthanasia
- Violates the sanctity of life hastening death.

9. Same-s*x marriage/relations
- S*xual acts are reserved for heteros*xual marriage, aimed at unity and procreation designed by God. Like using a key in the wrong lock fails to fulfill the design purpose of love and life-giving union.

10. Corruption/Stealing/Greed/Materialism
- Exploiting others for gain violates justice and the common good. Idolatry of wealth harms spiritual and communal life.

11. Gossip
- Destroys reputations and community trust. Releasing feathers in the wind, once scattered, it cannot be retrieved.

We parents, have obligation from God to ensure that we're raising our "borrowed children" His way.

PROTESTANTS: Jesus is the high priest. He is the head of the church.๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฆ๐—˜:First of all, Catholics totally agree that ...
06/05/2025

PROTESTANTS: Jesus is the high priest. He is the head of the church.

๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฆ๐—˜:
First of all, Catholics totally agree that Jesus is the Head of the Church. The Scripture is clear: โ€œChrist is the head of the body, the Churchโ€ (Col 1:18; cf. Eph 5:23). This was also taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 792 and 807), which means ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—–๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ต๐—ผ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ. So the claim that for Catholics the pope is the โ€œheadโ€ instead of Jesus is a false accusation (cf. Ex 20:16).

The problem is when one thinks that the โ€œheadโ€ metaphor is exclusive to Christ. In the Bible itself, the title โ€œheadโ€ (Greek: โ€œkephalฤ“โ€) is not applied to Jesus alone. For example, 1 Corinthians 11:3 says, โ€œthe head (kephalฤ“) of a woman is her husband.โ€ Exodus 18:25 says Moses chose able men in Israel to be the โ€œheadsโ€ (Hebrew: โ€œroshโ€) over the people. And 1 Chronicles 5:24 speaks of โ€œheadsโ€ (rosh) of families and tribes.

Just like in modern usage, ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜† ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ that can be applied to different contexts and meanings without contradicting each other. They are not mutually exclusive. To give an example, Jesus is called the "living stone," yet the disciples are also called "living stones" (cf. 1 Peter 2:4-5). Both metaphors are true, and they don't contradict because they have different senses.

And that is the error of these so-called Bible scholars. They commit what is called โ€œ๐—™๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐——๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜๐—ผ๐—บ๐˜† ๐—™๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜†.โ€ In their attempt to discredit the office of papacy, they pit it against the ultimate and unquestionable authority, Jesus, and force their audience to make only one choice: Is the head of the Church Jesus or the pope? ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ ๐—ฟ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ, just like what the Pharisees and Sadducees did to Jesus (cf. Jn 8:3-6; Mt 22:17,23-28). The correct answer is bothโ€”each in its proper sense.

For Catholics, ๐—๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜‚๐—น๐˜๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ of the Church. The Bible calls Jesus the โ€œheadโ€ in relation to the Church, His Body. But when it comes to the pope, Catholics understand his headship in a different context: ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ฒ โ€œ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑโ€โ€”the human leaderโ€”of the Church of Jesus on earth. As a Christian, the pope is part of the Body, the Church, but as the appointed leader and minister among the Christian people, the pope is the head. The headship of the pope does not replace or rival the ultimate Headship of Jesus. Indeed, the headship of the pope derives its power from, and is always subordinate to, the Headship of Christ.

Protestants often claim that only Jesus is their Head. Yet in practice, they follow and submit to the authority of their pastors, ministers, or leaders of their church or congregation. Many of them used to call the most senior pastor as โ€œhead pastor.โ€ Moreover, if we ask them: โ€œIf you lived in the first century, would you reject the headship of Peter, Paul, or any of the apostles because Jesus is the only Head?โ€โ€”most would say no. Even the Bible that they read, use, and revere was written by human beings (under God's inspiration). So, even Protestants follow human authority, whether they admit it or not.

Therefore, it is not a question of whether the โ€œheadโ€ of the Church is Jesus or a human leader (because the correct answer can be both, in different senses). The real question is, ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ผ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ต๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ผ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฏ๐˜† ๐—๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐˜€ to govern the Church on His behalf? Because not everyone who claims to be a leader in the Church, no matter how biblically literate he may be, has real authority from Christ.

In the Bible, this authority is given not to random people but ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€. In John 20:21, Jesus said to the apostles, โ€œAs the Father has sent me, even so I send you.โ€

๐—ฆ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ is equivalent to ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐˜€ Himself. Jesus said in Luke 10:16, โ€œHe who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.โ€

Among the apostles, there is one whom the Lord appointed to be the leaderโ€”Peter. In John 21:15-17, ๐—๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐˜€, ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—š๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฑ ๐—ฆ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ, ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—›๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ, even though the other apostles were present. In other words, Peter was empowered to be the chief shepherd on behalf of Christ.

In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus said that Satan would like to entangle all the apostles, but ๐—›๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—น๐˜† ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜„๐—ถ๐—น๐—น ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—น (a.k.a. infallibility). In turn, Peter will be the source of strength for all his brethren.

In Matthew 16:19, ๐—๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐˜€ ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ. This is an allusion to Isaiah 22:22, where the keys of the kingdom of David were entrusted to Eliakim.

In David's kingdom, David is the king, but he has royal cabinet officers, and chief among them is Eliakim, who functions (1) as ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ (Hebrew: โ€œha albayyitโ€, โ€œover the householdโ€ cf. Is 22:15) and (2) as โ€œ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟโ€ (Latin: โ€œpapaโ€ cf. Is 22:21) in the land. Thus, by giving the keys, Jesus made Peter the new Prime Minister, the new "papa," who will administer the Kingdom on behalf of the King.

And just like in the kingdom of David, the office of Prime Minister can be passed ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€ (cf. Is 22:15-22).

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜: The holder of the keys of the kingdom of heaven acts like a โ€œfather,โ€ a โ€œpapa,โ€ a โ€œpope.โ€ He is the source of strength of the brethren in the Church. He is the shepherd of the flock on behalf of the Good Shepherd. He is the administrator of the Kingdom on behalf of the King. And his office can be passed down to successors as long as the Kingdom stands. He is the one appointed by Jesus to be the visible leader of the Church. And yes, ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜† ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐˜๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป since it was established by Jesus Himself.

๐—ง๐—ผ ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—บ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฒ: Jesus is the divine Head of the Church. And as Head, He appointed human โ€œheadsโ€ to lead and govern the Church for Him, and chief among them is the pope, the holder of the keys of the kingdom. It is through Peter and the apostlesโ€”and their successors, the pope and the bishopsโ€”that Jesus exercises His Headship over His Body, the Church. ๐—œ๐˜ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—˜๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ-๐—ข๐—ฟ; ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—•๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต-๐—”๐—ป๐—ฑ.

*AI generated image*

To say that the next Pope is the successor of Pope Francis is out of context. The more appropriate one is the next Pope ...
03/05/2025

To say that the next Pope is the successor of Pope Francis is out of context. The more appropriate one is the next Pope is St. Peterโ€™s successor as the fisherman of souls to the Kingdom not of this wolrd, but Jesus'.

As Pope Francis reminded each and everyone of us "The Church is not a political party seeking power, but a community to serve."

The conclave is born in prayer, not politics.

Address

Metro Manila
Quezon City
1124

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Faithful Little Ones posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share

Category