261 total views

An American friend of mine defined a multilingual as somebody who speaks many languages. A bilingual person is somebody who speaks two languages. What do you call somebody who speaks only one language? American.

The need to speak a common language is evident if we want business to prosper, politics and government to be stable, and people to be brothers and sisters. Perhaps, we can attribute the economic prosperity and political stability of the United States to the fact that Americans speak a common language. The accents may differ, but the language is the same from east to west, from north to south.

The Philippines is composed of approximately 7,200 islands. Many dialects prevent us from communicating from region to region. English and Filipino are spoken nationwide. However, if you scratch the tongue of the Filipinos, you will find a common language spoken… it is the language of Mary. No matter what dialect you speak or what type of accent you put into the English language, the love of Mary is the common language that unites the Philippine archipelago.

It is true that there have been abuses in the exercises of Marian piety in the past. But these abuses are the objects of the Church’s constant call for reform. In a few days, the month of May will come to a close. May is the Marian month in the Philippines. May is the month of the Flores de Maria, the Filipino devotion of offering flowers to the image of At the heart of every Filipino is a woman. Mary is the language that we Filipinos speak and understand. We do not adore Mary because adoration belongs to God. We cannot kneel down to worship Mary because worship belongs to God. But we are grateful, we are proud, of a beautiful sinless woman like her because she is one of us.

Mary was chosen, sinless and stainless. We are proud of her. Mary gives us every opportunity, every occasion, to stand ten feet high because she is one of us.

Perhaps we can no longer imitate Mary in her innocence–we have lost our innocence. Perhaps we can no longer imitate Mary in her sinlessness–we have committed innumerable sins. But even if we cannot imitate Mary in her innocence, we can still imitate Mary in her obedience.

Her obedience made her even more beautiful before God. She was beautiful by herself, but she was made even more beautiful by her obedience to the will of the Father.

We, who have been made ugly by sins, who have so many bruises, so many scars of sins, can still be made beautiful if we follow Mary’s obedience.

No longer innocent; we do not ask the Lord to restore our innocence. That is too late. But we can ask the Lord to make us more obedient so that in being obedient, we become more beautiful before God and before the Church.

Let me share with you the little story I read from Gilbert Chesterton. It seems some people were walking one day on the rocky wastes of Donegal in Ireland as daylight was ending and the night was about to fall. Unexpectedly they met a young mother, a beautiful peasant woman, carrying a child in her arms. Curious, they stopped and asked her who she might be. She answered them in words they would not forget:

I am the Mother of God
and this is Himself,
and this is the boy
you will all be wanting at the last.
This is my hope.

A COMMON LANGUAGE
Jesus Our Light

Veritas Editorial

Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual

Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual

50-PESOS WAGE HIKE

 13,966 total views

 13,966 total views 50-pisong dagdag sa arawang sahod ng mga minimum wage earners. Dapat bang matuwa ang mga manggagawang Pilipino lalu sa National Capital Region? Sa

Read More »

PRIVATIZATION

 24,594 total views

 24,594 total views Kapag palpak ang pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno at ahensiya nito sa isang public services., dahil sa kakulangan ng kakayahan., korapsyon… ang solusyon, (privatization)… isapribado

Read More »

BICAM OPEN TO PUBLIC

 45,617 total views

 45,617 total views Napakagandang hangarin at mithiin., maisakatuparan naman kaya ito? Kapanalig, ang bicameral conference committee ay binubuo ng mga mambabatas mula sa mataas at mababang

Read More »

Isang bayang hindi kayang mag-isip

 64,465 total views

 64,465 total views Mga Kapanalig, “exceptional product of human genius” ang tawag ni Pope Leo XIV sa artificial intelligence (o AI). Mula sa healthcare hanggang sa

Read More »

Pagulungin ang proseso ng batas

 97,014 total views

 97,014 total views Mga Kapanalig, humiling ang defense team ni dating Pangulong Duterte na payagan ang kanilang kliyente na pansamantalang palayain habang dinidinig ang kanyang kasong

Read More »

Watch Live

LATEST NEWS

RELATED ARTICLES

Abiding with Jesus

 10,461 total views

 10,461 total views Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Easter, 21 May 2025

Read More »

WOMEN AND PRIESTS

 20,761 total views

 20,761 total views HOLY THURSDAY REFLECTIONS FOR MY BROTHER PRIESTS, 2025 We will remember again later this evening what the Lord did and said in the

Read More »

EDSA People Power Anniversary 2025

 24,841 total views

 24,841 total views Message to the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan Catholic Schools February 25, 2025 EDSA People Power Anniversary Your Father Soc here in the Archdiocese

Read More »

3 Cs OF MARY

 39,265 total views

 39,265 total views Sunday is the Lord’s Day. Today is September 8, Sunday. It is also Mary’s day. When we have a choice between the Lord’s

Read More »

WOUNDED FOR LOVE

 56,538 total views

 56,538 total views I am sure you know at least one person who has left the Church due to a hurtful experience within it. This individual,

Read More »

ASTONISHED

 83,250 total views

 83,250 total views In one short paragraph, Jesus astonished the people around Him for two significant reasons. Firstly, they were astounded by His preaching. Secondly, they

Read More »
Scroll to Top