Although Cecilia is one of the most famous of the Roman martyrs, the familiar stories about her are apparently not founded on authentic material. There is no trace of honor being paid her in early times. A fragmentary inscription of the late fourth century refers to a church named after her, and her feast was celebrated at least in 545.
According to legend, Cecilia was a young Christian of high rank betrothed to a Roman named Valerian. Through her influence, Valerian was converted, and was martyred along with his brother. The legend about Cecilia’s death says that after being struck three times on the neck with a sword, she lived for three days, and asked the pope to convert her home into a church.
Since the time of the Renaissance she has usually been portrayed with a viola or a small organ.
Rev. Fr. Jerico Habunal
Monday, August 31, 2026 8:00 am
1,924 total reads
Gospel Reading for August 31, 2026 – Luke 4: 16-30
THEIR LOSS IS OUR GAIN
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.
————
Jesus’ homecoming to Nazareth, the town where he grew up, should have been a hero’s welcome—much like the celebration recently given to Alex Eala upon her return to the Philippines. By this time, news of Jesus had already spread throughout Galilee. The people had heard about his mighty works and extraordinary miracles in Capernaum. One would have expected his own town to be the first to rejoice and be proud of their “kababayan.”
Sadly, the opposite happened.
Instead of celebrating him, they questioned his credentials and looked down on his humble family background. “Is this not the son of Joseph?” they asked. Rather than seeing God at work in him, they allowed familiarity and prejudice to blind them to the truth.
What should have been a blessing became a tragedy. The very people who had the privilege of knowing Jesus from his childhood rejected him. As the Word of God is like a double-edged sword, it revealed the hardness of their hearts. In their anger, they drove Jesus out of town and even tried to hurl him headlong off a cliff.
Here we see the wisdom of God’s plan. God chose his Son to be born into a poor and ordinary family, not into the household of the elders, chief priests, scribes, or Pharisees. Because Jesus lived among ordinary people, he could speak to them in a language they understood, reveal the true meaning of God’s Word, correct distorted interpretations of the Law, and reach out with compassion to the poor, the sick, the sinners, and all those in need.
Their rejection did not stop God’s saving plan. In fact, THEIR LOSS BECAME OUR GAIN. Because Nazareth rejected Jesus, the Good News continued its journey beyond one town, beyond Israel, and eventually reached the ends of the earth—including us.
Lord Jesus, their loss is truly our gain. We praise and thank you for entrusting your disciples with the mission of bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth, so that we, too, may come to know, love, and follow you. Amen.
Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual
Monday, August 31, 2026 7:00 am
16,753 total reads
Mga Kapanalig, ngayon ay National Heroes Day o Araw ng mga Bayani.
Sa araw na ito, kasama sa mga bayaning ginugunita natin ay sina Dimasalang, Agapito Bagumbayan, Dimas-ilaw, at Siling Labuyo.
Teka, sinu-sino ang mga binanggit kong pangalan?
Ang mga ito ay ang ginamit na alyas ng ating mga bayani noong panahon ng pananakop ng mga Kastila. Si Dimasalang ay si Dr Jose Rizal. Si Agapito Bagumbayan ay si Andres Bonifacio. Si Dimas-ilaw ay si Emilio Jacinto, habang si Siling Labuyo ay si Marcelo del Pilar.
Sa ika-19 na araw ng impeachment trial laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte, ginamit ni Senator-judge Robin Padilla ang ilan sa mga alyas ng mga bayani para sabihing wala namang mali sa pagtatago sa likod ng gawa-gawang pangalan. Kaya bakit daw kinukuwestyon ang paggamit ng alyas ng mga tumanggap ng kabayaran mula sa Office of the Vice President? Bakit daw ginagawa pang katatawanan ang mga pangalang makikita sa mga acknowledgment receipts na isinumite ng OVP bilang patunay na may kinapuntahan ang confidential funds? Mukhang hindi na importante kay Senador Padilla na malaman pa kung totoong tao ba sina Mary Grace Piattos, Antonio Pagong, Shane Ngitngit, at Andy Lim?
Napakalinaw na magkaiba ang layunin ng ating mga bayani sa paggamit ng alyas at ng mga tumanggap umano ng confidential funds ng OVP. Noong nasa ilalim tayo ng pananakop ng España, ang mga bayani natin ay kinailangang gumamit ng alyas dahil lubhang mapanganib ang lantarang paglaban sa pamamahala ng mga dayuhan. Wala pang social media noon kaya mga alyas lamang ang magagamit nila para malayang makapagpahayag ng mga ideyang rebolusyonaryo nang hindi nalalagay sa alanganin ang kanilang sarili at pamilya.
Sa kaso naman ng paggamit ng confidential funds, ang pagtatago sa mga alyas ay iniuugnay sa pag-uulat kung paano ginamit ang milyun-milyon pisong pera ng bayan. Hindi naman kailangang isapubliko kung sinu-sino talaga ang mga nakatanggap ng kabayaran mula sa OVP para sa sensitibong impormasyon, pero dapat pa ring may record na nakatago sa ligtas na lalagyan na susuriin naman ng Commission on Audit.
Kung para sa pampublikong kaligtasan ang impormasyong kapalit ng pera, dapat iulat din ng OVP kung ano ang kinahinatnan ng paggamit ng confidential funds. Nakamit ba ang layunin? Nangyari ba ang pagbabagong inaasahan sa tulong ng ibinigay na imnpormasyon? Hindi naman siguro mahirap ipaliwanag ang pinaggamitan ng confidential funds kung nagamit ito sa tamang paraan. Abangan natin kung paano ipaliliwanag ng kampo ni VP Sara ang bagay na ito kapag pagkakataon na ng depensa na magharap ng ebidensya para pasinungalingan ang paratang na misuse of public funds na may kaugnayan sa impeachment article na graft and corruption at betrayal of public trust.
Ang pondo ng bayan ay ipinagkakatiwala sa mga lingkod-bayan para sa kabutihang panlahat (o common good). Kung may kinakailangang gawing kumpidensiyal—gaya ng pagkakakilanlan ng mga binayaran kapalit ng sensitibong impormasyon—hindi nito maaaring burahin ang pananagutan, katotohanan, at wastong pag-uulat sa paggamit ng pera ng mamamayan. Sa Roma 3:8, sinabi ni San Pablo na labag sa kalooban ng Diyos ang pangatwiranan ang paggawa ng mali o masama kung mabuti naman ang magiging bunga nito. Mas malaking problema kung wala namang maipakitang naging bunga ang pagtatago sa likod ng mga kakaibang alyas.
Mga Kapanalig, ang ating mga bayani ay hindi gumamit ng mga alyas para makatanggap ng confidential funds. Buhay pa nga nila ang naging kapalit ng kanilang kagustuhang palayain ang ating bayan mula sa mapang-aping pamumuno ng mga dayuhan. Bayan, hindi bayad. Nakaiinsultong ihambing ang ating mga bayani sa mga taong nagiging instrumento ng katiwalian at umiiwas sa pananagutan.
Rev. Msgr. Wilfredo Andrey
Sunday, August 30, 2026 5:39 pm
3,496 total reads
22nd Sunday A
Jer 20:7-9
Jeremiah’s book mainly features his oracles about Jerusalem’s final days before exile, along with personal reflections on his demanding calling. Today’s reading is from these ‘confessions,’ showcasing a daring conversation with Yahweh. After predictions of Jerusalem’s destruction, Jeremiah, punished publicly, addresses Yahweh with provocative language, likening God’s influence to seduction and seizure, highlighting his pain and frustration. Despite his original mission to build and plant, Jeremiah faces rejection, hostility, and physical abuse. In verse 9, he compares God’s word to a fire that must be spoken, driven by divine necessity. This underscores the strong divine direction in prophecy—once called, there’s no turning back.
Rom 12:1-2
The reading emphasizes identification with God’s will through sacrificial imagery. Paul likens believers to living temple sacrifices, contrasting traditional dead offerings with Christians offering worship “in the spirit,’ empowered by Christ. This imagery highlights total self-surrender and ongoing transformation by the Spirit, involving continuous disengagement from the passing world and renewal of the mind as God’s will becomes central.
Mt 16:21-27
This passage marks a crucial turning point in Matthew’s gospel, shifting from glory to the cross after Peter’s declaration of Jesus as Messiah and God’s Son (cf. last Sunday’s gospel). Jesus now discusses the implications of his identity, immediately pointing to the darker side of the Servant role: his upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. The prediction of his passion highlights the necessity of this death and resurrection.
The word “dei” (δεῖ) is an impersonal verb in the indicative mood, which can be translated as “it is necessary that…” or “must,” “should,” or “ought,” (cf s1S#67 I Must, 01/16/22), followed by the main verb, here “to suffer” (‘paschō,’ πάσχω), meaning “to endure suffering, both physical and psychological” (cf s1S#131 Suffer, 04/03/23). So, v 21 literally reads, “it is necessary that he… suffer…” emphasizing Jesus’ engagement with God’s will and predicting his suffering and resurrection (vv. 21-23). This also applies to those who follow him. Peter’s attempt to dissuade Jesus and his rebuke highlight the contrast between human and divine reasoning, fitting into the theme of glory and suffering. The verses on discipleship (vv. 24-28) stress the importance of carrying the cross and self-denial, with inverted values: human loss leads to Christian salvation, and sacrifice is necessary for eternal rewards when Christ returns.
The message of today’s scriptures centers on the unconditional “yes” to the will of God. Jeremiah accepted his God-given mission despite it being difficult, even though he was strongly tempted to turn away. Jesus refuses to let any voice, from any source, pull him from his divine destiny. Even though it leads him through the valley of death, he unwaveringly follows the path his Father has set before him. This kind of “living sacrifice,” as Paul describes, is what we are called to offer to God. May we all be able to say our unconditional yes to the will of God. Amen
54,615 total reads Kapanalig, sa day-19 ng impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa misused o maling paggamit sa 500-milyong pisong confidential fund ng Office
72,825 total reads Kapanalig, ang nangyayaring school violence sa ating bansa ay hindi matutugunan ng isang simpleng paghihigpit sa seguridad sa mga paaralan. Hindi rin sagot
157,154 total reads Mga Kapanalig, kinansela ni Vice President Sara Duterte ang halos isang linggo niyang biyahe sa Japan. Hindi ito dahil tutulong siya sa pagtugon
193,743 total reads Mga Kapanalig, taos-puso tayong nakikiramay sa mga estudyante, guro, at buong komunidad ng Ateneo de Zamboanga University na naapektuhan ng malagim na pamamaril
