25/05/2026
Gospel Reading: John 19: 25-34
In the Gospel, we see Mary and the beloved disciple standing beside Jesus at the Cross, while others walked away in fear. Today, many Filipinos also carry heavy crosses that their families struggling with the rising prices of food and transportation, workers enduring exhaustion just to provide for loved ones, students worrying about their future, and communities facing division, calamities, and uncertainty. Yet the image of Mary remaining beside Jesus reminds us that faith is not only shown in moments of victory but especially in moments of suffering. Like her, Filipinos continue to show quiet courage: parents sacrificing for their children, ordinary workers helping one another, and neighbors extending compassion even when they themselves have little. In the middle of hardship, God still remains present among His people.
When Jesus said, โI thirst,โ He spoke not only of physical thirst but also of His longing for humanity to return to love, justice, and compassion. Our country today thirsts for honesty, unity, and hope. Many people are tired of corruption, hatred, and indifference, yet the Gospel reminds us that darkness does not have the final word. When Jesus declared, โIt is finished,โ His suffering became the beginning of salvation. In the same way, the sacrifices and perseverance of Filipinos are not meaningless when they are rooted in faith and love. Christ invites us not to lose hope, but to become instruments of healing for one another and choosing kindness over anger, truth over deceit, and solidarity over selfishness. So that even amid struggles, the spirit of Christ may continue to live in our nation.