Photos Courtesy of Colegio de San Juan de Letran
Following the Misa Concelebrada, the fiesta began. And before the procession of Our Lady of Aranzazu around the streets of San Mateo, a 2pm mass, sponsored by the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu Parochial School, was held. The mass was presided by Rev. Fr. Virgilio Ojoy O.P.
How do we prepare for the next life? To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Mary is our guiding beacon, and from her, we can learn a lot. One of the lessons we learn from her is faith: believing that God is here with us. To trust in God, to trust his power, to his love, and his mercy towards us; that he will never abandon us, his people. That whatever personal hardships blocking us, as long as we reach out to the Lord, we shall overcome and prevail. Faith. Because God is more powerful than any problems before us, more powerful than the selfish people who hurt us. Faith, like Mary did.
Listen to the will of the Lord and understand the Word of God. The Scriptures is our model, and the Catholic dogmas are our guidance. Everything we need to live Christ-like is available. But always remember to talk to the Lord our God. Thank him for your blessings, ask forgiveness for the sins you committed, pray for wisdom, ask from Him what you need, worship him as your one true God.
Once you understand the will of the Lord, follow it. Let it lead you. Be one with the Lord our God, for he will lead you to fruitful success.
Love God and love thy neighbors. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Unconditional love is hard to find because unconditional love is hard to give. The love we as simple humans give is mostly love intended to benefit ourselves, as we expect this love we let go to be reciprocated. The Lord’s love, on the other hand, is selfless and unconditional. Offer everything to the Lord. Do everything you do for your neighbors. Do everything you do in the Lord’s name.
These are the things Mary, Mother of God, did. She offered her life for the purpose of serving God; for all the other sons and daughters of God. This is what true and unconditional love is. If we live a Marian lifestyle, we live a Christlike lifestyle.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Rev. Fr. Ojoy ended his homily with a story of a little girl. This little girl wrote a prayer, and addressed it to God in Heaven. When the mailman got the letter, he scratched hi head and wondered how he can deliver this letter. So he opened it.
The little girl was asking for five hundred pesos, not for herself, but for her parents who give her their everything, leaving them with nothing. Touched by this, the mailman collected what little money he had, roughly three hundred, and put it on the little girl’s envelope.
The little’s girl’s prayer was answered through the goodness of the mailman.
Pray for us, o Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Everything that we are, everything that we have, comes from God. Just like Mary, we have all received many blessings from the Lord. So always find opportunities to share the blessings you received from Him, especially to those less fortunate than we are.
Through you, through your love, many will also experience the love of God.
We thank the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu Parochial School for sponsoring the 2pm mass. Through your love, many devotees were given the opportunity to attend another mass this feast day of Our Lady of Aranzazu.
Amen.
Happy feast day to the Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu. Viva La Virgen! (Dueñas, Maria)
