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  • Called to Shine: Young Hearts Bearing God’s Light Today

    Called to Shine: Young Hearts Bearing God’s Light Today

    December 16, 2025 – First Day of Misa Aguinaldo

    National Youth Day | Isaiah 56:1–3, 6–8 | John 5:33–36

    Maayong Good Morning! As we begin this first day of Misa Aguinaldo, the Church also celebrates National Youth Day. What a beautiful grace to begin our nine-day journey to Christmas by celebrating the hearts, dreams, and even wounds, and hopes of our young people.

    Today, we focus on one truth that even in the darkness of our times, God calls the young to shine.

    To help us enter this sacred story, we first welcome a young sharer. Her story becomes our doorway into the Word of God on this First Day of the Misa Aguinaldo. Her voice represents for us this morning the many Filipino youth who are also questioning, struggling, hoping, searching for love, and searching for God.

    And so, as a community celebrating the gift of the young to the Church, let us welcome Miss Allysa Joie Ambos.

    (Guide Questions for the Youth Sharer)

    1. As a young Catholic today, what is the biggest struggle or challenge that makes it hard for you to feel close to God? (This brings out real battles like pressures, family issues, identity, faith crisis, loneliness.)
    2. Despite these struggles, when and how have you experienced God reaching out, guiding, or comforting you?
    3. As you look forward, how do you hope to shine God’s light in your family, school, friendships, or Catholic Community despite being young and imperfect? (Invites hope, mission, and  desire to grow as a young disciple.)

    Faith Sharing of Allysa

    I grew up having few friends to spend time and play with. And this has made me feel insecure. As a child, I often wondered what was wrong with me. I felt alone and detached from people. I became guarded and judgmental. There was even a point when I accused God to be the cause of what I thought were my misfortunes in life.

    I never really liked socializing just to fit in. However, I exactly did so with the intention of being seen and accepted. I hated being ignored so much, that I was desperate to do the things that are against my will. But even when I had a lot of friends, I felt uneasy, sensing that something was amiss.

    You see, I had a very poor understanding of who God is. I’m not sure when I had recognized it. My thirst to knowing Him came from a need, a calling, a search that I thought unrealistically must be satisfied, followed and found.

    At first, I relied upon books to know Him. Later on, I switched to fishing affirmations and chasing people. Up to this point, I’m still confused.

    In the loudness and overpopulation of our modern world, I realized He is actually nowhere to be found.

    To know someone, you must be able to converse and soak in their presence. But God’s language is the hardest to learn. You have to really listen, because He speaks in silence.

    I nearly thought this treatment implies His lack of love and care. I’d often ask when praying, “Why do you hide yourself from me?” I figured I was unworthy and that if even God doesn’t love me, who will?

    It took me a couple of years to realize and admit that it was me who was in hiding. I was too focused on myself that I failed to consider what others might feel because of my dismissive words and behavior. I subjected myself to the wrong kind of introspection and censure, overemphasizing on my faults and lapses. I was worried I couldn’t keep up with the fast paced world. I felt helpless and anxious as I thought how uncertain I am of Him and even of myself. I was scared and terrified.

    But God has always been there. Whenever I secretly starve myself as punishment for my unpreparedness or poor performance at school, my family would always remind me to take care of myself. My mom and sister Janna personally cooks me delicious meals that’s hard to resist. Whenever I’m dejected and in isolation, my Kuya AJ knocks on my door, offering his weird humor and comforting presence. He is the reason why I joined CSO. Although I had the intention of avoiding house chores then, God has indeed, a way of transforming our hearts.

    Sojourning with my family and peers in CSO has taught me invaluable lessons. They taught me that faith does not mean we know all the answers; that in spite of the uncertainty, we still dare and have the courage to let our questions be asked, unafraid, to be convinced of the reliability of God. And that the service we offer in helping each other to believe may be the best and authentic service we can render.

    After listening from a young person speak, we cannot also ignore that our youth today are carrying heavy and often silent burdens. Recent youth studies in the Philippines reveal that…

    1 in 5 Filipino youth aged 15-24 wrestles with depressive symptoms, anxiety, or emotional distress.And most consider ending their lives by suicide.[1]

    Many also face family instability—broken families, long-distance parenting, financial strain, or domestic conflict.[2]

    With 8 hours and 52 minutes online per day,[3] youth battle comparison, insecurity, identity confusion, cyberbullying, and disinformation.

    Many struggle with self-worth, nomophobia[4] or smartphone addiction, pornography, or the pressure to appear “okay” even when they are breaking and hurting inside.

    A significant number feel far from the Church, saying faith seems distant from real-life problems. Yet, “Filipino youth are more and more looking for authentic expressions of faith that they would not necessarily find in conventional practices or conventional piety.[5]”

    And so countless youth worry about their future, education, safety, jobs, and mental well-being.

    These ate realities that can create darkness. Sometimes quiet and sometimes overwhelming where many young hearts would whisper, “Lord, am I enough?” “Do I still belong?” “Is there a place for me?”

    Now, allow me to bring you into our readings today and let us also realize how God invites us.

    Isaiah speaks to a wounded community who have just returned from exile but broken, unsure, and feeling unworthy. Some believed they didn’t belong in God’s house because of their status or imperfections.

    But God proclaims in the Book of Prophet Isaiah something radical and touching. God says, “My house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples.” Yes, for all peoples not just the perfect, not just the strong, and not just the holy.

    This is God’s message to the Filipino youth and to everyone. You belong. You are welcome. You are seen. Yes, your struggles do not disqualify you. Your wounds do not push you away. And your doubts and questions do not make you unworthy.

    Isaiah’s prophecy tells us now that belonging comes before perfection. God gathers first then God heals us. This speaks powerfully to a generation longing for acceptance, for identity, for a safe place to return to, and for a home to be embraced.

    Moreover, in the Gospel, Jesus describes John the Baptist as a “burning and shining lamp.” John is not the Light but he reflects the Light he receives. Jesus affirms that God’s work in the world is shown through our real action of healing, loving, welcoming, lifting people up.

    This is the invitation for every Filipino youth now that you do not need to be perfect first to shine. Just receive God’s light and share it. Our young generation longs for authenticity. You are indeed, searching for faith that heals, not just teaches; a Church that listens, not just speaks; and a community that embraces, not just corrects.

    John the Baptist shows that shining for God is not about age, power, educational attainment or status. Bringing light is about courage, our honesty and humility, and our heart willing to love and be loved.

    Our readings today, Allysa Joie’s faith story, and the realities of our time converge into one powerful truth that God certainly, calls young people to shine not later, but now.

    And your context is there in  our families struggling with tension, in schools full of pressure, in online spaces filled with noise and disinformation, and in a society hungry for justice. These are the spaces that the youth can be God’s light.

    Remember that your compassion, your creativity, your voice for peace, your desire for truth, all these can illuminate the darkness around you. You are not the Church of tomorrow. You are the Church of today. This is what Pope Francis had told us, and now Pope Leo reminded us. God calls you now to witness, to serve, to love, to hope, and to shine.

    With all of these, I leave you now two takeaways.

    First, grow in God’s Light. You may choose one small spiritual commitment this Misa Aguinaldo. This can be a short daily prayer, or reducing online noise, in forgiving someone, or helping at home. Remember, small lights change dark rooms.

    Second, share God’s Light. You may do one act of kindness or honesty each day. You can encourage a friend, listen without judgment, stop online negativity, or say a sincere “thank you.” Be a lamp so that others can follow.

    Indeed,may this first dawn of Misa Aguinaldo awaken our young people and inspire every generation present this morning. Embrace this now that – You belong. You are loved. And You are light. Hinaut pa.

    [1] https://www.uppi.upd.edu.ph/news/2022/pinoy-youth-in-worse-mental-health-shape-today

    [2] Donna B. Dioquino, UNRAVELING LIVES: THE FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES OF BROKEN FAMILIES, https://eprajournals.com/pdf/fm/jpanel/upload/2024/December/202412-01-019460

    [3] https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/social-media-statistics-philippines

    [4] Nomophobia is the fear of having no smartphone or losing it.  See https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291120300243

    [5] From Jayeel Cornelio, see https://preda.org/young-filipinos-keep-the-faith-but-shun-conventional-piety/

  • Joyful WITNESS

    Joyful WITNESS

    December 14, 2025 – Gaudete Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121425.cfm)

    After Eucharist, a man once approached me and asked for an advice. He said, “Father, my daughter is engaged to her boyfriend. But seemingly the guy’s family does not approve of their relationship because they have learned that I am now unemployed. They thought that I am lazy and irresponsible parent to my daughter. You see, Father, I am a retired seaman. I subsist now from the pension and time-deposit I’ve earned. I just wish to spend the rest of my life with my family after long years of absence from them. I really love my daughter and only wish for her happiness. Father, is it a sin to be unemployed, and enjoy my own family? What shall I do, then?”

    Like that man and John’s disciples in the gospel today, sometimes we become restless with life in anticipation for the Lord’s reign that we ask the practical question: “I believe that the Lord will come again, but what must I do, then?” Yes, we do believe that God so loves us that He gave his only begotten Son for our salvation. He has been good to us and continually showers us His love and blessings. But as faith necessitates actions, “what is the right thing to do then? What then does God require and demand of us?”

    If we reflect deeper on our readings today, we see that like any parents, God desires nothing much from us but our happiness. He simply wished us JOY in our relationship with Him. As what Jesus said to restless disciples of John, “Go and report what you see and heard here.” Meaning, Jesus wants us to see for ourselves and enjoy the great things happening and what God is doing us here and now.

    As God shares to us His life and salvation, He does not ask for our heroic acts or sacrifices but our whole being to enjoy, savor, and share his love and work with others. God does not demand of us so-called “holy” extra-works of doing physical penances, or attending or organizing bible studies, miracle crusades, or prayer meetings.

    But rather, He simply requires us to be as best Christian as we can be, that is, to love Him and our neighbor, follow His precepts, celebrate liturgies in worship, share responsibilities with our fellowmen, and make them feel and realize that we are God’s people. For God, then, what matters most are not our sacrifices but our obedience, not commandments but our faith – a loving & joyful relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ.

    Basically, God simply invites us not to be heroes, martyrs, or saints. But like John the Baptist, and the farmer who joyfully anticipates for the fruits, Jesus wants us to be His living and willing witnesses of the revelation and unfolding of God’s work of salvation. In other words, He simply wants us to joyfully witness God’s salvation here & now.

    For what is a witness? Like a best man in a wedding ceremony, a witness is someone, who first, let God’s work of salvation to happen before his very eyes, not controlling or programming, but simply experiencing the event. Second, a witness is someone who let the event disturb, influence, and affect His life, for God’s work is good news to those who recognize accepts & believes his experience. And a witness is someone who stand for, share & witness joyfully what he experiences and believes to others, for “Happy is the man who does not lose faith in me”.

    Through our faith-responses to God’s revelation and act of His love, by our encounter and acceptance of His son as Emmanuel “God-with-us” in our lives now, by being affected and changed by the person of Jesus, by sharing our faith to others, – in other words by being His living eye, ear & heart joyful witnesses of Christ, God’s blessings begin and continue to prosper within us today and forever.

    And so, in response to that man’s questions, I said to him, “it is never a sin to be unemployed. You are not only what you have or what you have done in life or what others say about you. But you are who you are before God now – His beloved child. Just Be the best and responsible father and husband you can be. Let God do the rest, and never to forget to enjoy the moment.”

    We began our advent journey with His challenge to: “Stay awake & Be prepared”. Then we are invited to “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. And today, the Lord calls to “Go & tell others what you hear & see”. And what are we to do then? Awareness, repentance & joyful witness.

    As we continue our advent journey in preparation for the birthday of our Lord in our lives nowadays, may we open our hearts, minds, body, soul, ears & eyes in joy to recognize & believe in Him always in our midst, & hope for another spirit & grace-filled year with Emmanuel, the God-with-us now & always. Amen.

  • Continuing to shine even in difficult times

    Continuing to shine even in difficult times

    December 12, 2025 – Feast of St. Lucy

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121325.cfm)

    During the strong typhoon Tino last November, a young man volunteered with a group to rescue trapped residents. His team was assigned to help a community buried by a landslide. It was raining, muddy, dark, and there was no certainty whether anyone was still alive.

    When they arrived, they found several children and parents still alive. They wept in gratitude and relief because in the middle of darkness, hope has shone when help came.

    This story reminds us that sometimes, a small action, a willing heart, and a readiness to help can, indeed, become light in someone’s life.

    In the first reading, we heard the powerful image of the Prophet Elijah. He was described like a blazing fire, standing firm against evil and guiding the people back to God. He became the light of his time. Not because he was strong on his own, but because God strengthened him and filled him with courage.

    In the Gospel, Jesus said that Elijah had already come, referring to John the Baptist, a man who brought light. Yet, John was not immediately recognized by the people. His mission was not easy, but John remained faithful to how God called him.

    These two figures in today’s readings, Elijah and John the Baptist, show us that the light of God is not always easy to see and recognize. Sometimes it exists inside our shy courage, our silence, our small and random acts of kindness, and our perseverance even when no one notices. Yet, that light remains and continues to shine for others.

    And now we look at the life of Saint Lucy, whose feast we celebrate today. Lucy was a young woman, yet strong and unwavering in her faith. She suffered greatly, faced threats and even gave up her life for the truth she believed in. Tradition says that even when her eyes were taken from her, Lucy’s spirit shone even brighter. In her martyrdom, she became a light in a time filled with fear and cruelty to the Christians.

    Saint Lucy’s life and example tells us today that the light that comes from God is surely cannot be extinguished. This light can dwell in our hearts, when we also allow God to enter and lead us.

    So in this Season of Advent, we ask ourselves, “Who is waiting for my light? Who needs my help, my forgiveness, my presence, or even my small acts of kindness?”

    We realize that this season is not only about putting up decorations or making celebrations. It is a time to rekindle the light of hope and faith within us so that others may also see.

    After looking at Elijah, John the Baptist, and Saint Lucy, may we also have the courage to say and to live that “even when it is difficult, I will continue to shine.”

    To help you live this out in daily life, here are two simple things to do:

    First, before you begin your day, give God two minutes of quiet prayer: “Lord, let Your light shine in me and through me.”

    Second, do one small act of kindness today that brings joy or help to someone. Just one, but it may become a light for their day. Hinaut pa.

  • Fear not, I will help you.

    Fear not, I will help you.

    December 11, 2025 – Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121125.cfm)

    This season of Advent draws us once more into a kind of waiting. Yet, this is not just any kind of waiting but waiting filled with hope, longing, and readiness.

    In today’s reading from the Prophet Isaiah we hear the Lord say, “Fear not, I will help you.” This is not a distant promise, far removed from our lives but a personal and present invitation. Indeed, God does not speak to crowds only. The Lord reaches out to you, to me, to us, holding out His hand in love and assurance.

    Imagine a world shaped by God’s promise where deserts are turned into springs, where dry places become alive into gardens with trees uncorrupted by human greed for power and profit.

    This is God’s divine plan not only for the world but for each heart parched by fear, pain, loneliness, or doubt. God says to us, “I will help you. I will bring life where there seems to be no life.”

    Yet taking that divine help means also trusting. It means accepting that yes, certainly, we may feel like “worms” and “maggots,” as Isaiah says. We may feel unworthy, frail, and small but God promised and said, “Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, will not abandon you.”

    What Isaiah proclaimed was set in a context when Israel felt being abandoned and discouraged. The people were exiled into Babylon after the war. They lost many things in their life including loved ones. This is how war create deep pain and anguish in the human heart. Yet, the Lord has promised salvation and freedom.

    And so for us today, as we also prepare for the coming of our Lord both in the memory of His Nativity, and in the hope of His coming again, God whispers to us, “Fear not, I will help you.” This is the heartbeat of Advent, a God who draws near, who rescues, who renews us.

    Indeed, we may be filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and suffering, yet the words in the Bible are not just ancient. These words give us a living hope. Each of us may know weariness, struggle with relationships, health, finances, and loss. Some may have felt like giving up. Some may have felt unseen and forgotten by friends and family. But God sees, God knows and God promises help.

    This means that advent invites us to trust again. To believe that even in our deserts, God can make springs. Even in our fears, God is our help and refuge.

    I leave to you now two simple and doable invitations for this Advent season.

    First, pause each day for a moment of quiet trust. Set aside few minutes maybe early in the morning or late at night and pray quietly: “Lord, I trust in You. I open my heart to Your help.” Let this be a daily turning toward God, especially in moments of fear or worry.

    Second, reach out and share hope. Choose one person, a friend, a neighbor, a colleague, or a family member who may be hurting or alone. Send a message, give a call, or visit if possible. Remind them that “God has not forgotten you and you are not alone.” In doing this, we become signs of God’s help to someone else.

    And so, may this Advent be for each of us a season of deep trust, renewed hope, and courageous faith. May we step forward not in fear, but in light because our God is our Helper, our Redeemer, our constant companion. Hinaut pa.

  • God Gives Strength & Rest When We Are Weary

    God Gives Strength & Rest When We Are Weary

    December 10, 2025 – Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121025.cfm)

    A year ago, I met this young woman burdened with what she lost. She was the bread-winner of the family, and so losing her job meant everything. With such loss, a wave of worry came, as well as fear and sadness. She felt hopeless and afraid that she would not find another way of making ends meet. Her nights became sleepless and mornings heavy.

    However, a friend reached out to her and cared to simply listen to her fears, and prayed with her. That became an opportunity to hope in God even when things are difficult for her. And slowly, the heavy burden on her heart began to ease. The presence of a friend became a comfort and support.

    She began to look at her current crisis as an opportunity to be more creative. She decided to take the initiative rather than only waiting in worries. Instead of burying herself in fear, she began to trust more on God. In that way, she discovered a quiet strength returning. She found the courage to hope again and to trust that something better comes in God’s grace.

    In the first reading from Isaiah, God’s voice echoed to remind the people of His creative power. After all, God is greater than anything to which we compare God. Hence, when we grow tired, weak, or discouraged, God does not grow faint. The Lord God promises to renew our strength and those who wait upon Him. This was what Isaiah reminded us, “He shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles … they shall walk and not faint.” This is not a promise to escape all difficulties in life. It is a promise that God carries us. He restores our strength when we rely on Him.

    Such good news reechoed in the Gospel. Jesus says to you and to me now, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. … For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

    Jesus does not ignore our burdens. Instead, Jesus welcomes us, inviting us to bring all our tiredness, worries, and pain to Him. Jesus offers rest for our souls, gentle guidance, and relief. His “yoke” is the life of discipleship. It embodies trust and surrender. It is not a heavy oppression. Rather, it is a light and life-giving support to those who welcome Him.

    That young woman’s real life situation reminds of God’s invitation for us today, as we wait for Jesus. Overwhelmed and hurting, someone reached out, it moved her to trust a friend, then opened her heart, and brought her pain before God. And God, through the community and prayer, renewed her strength. In fact, her burdens did not vanish instantly, but she found rest, hope, and the possibility to rise again.

    What does this mean for us now? When you feel worn out, fearful, or overburdened by work or studies, remember that God sees you. When life’s troubles, loneliness, anxiety, or illness burden you, know that God acknowledges your struggles. Jesus is greater than your problems. This means that you don’t have to carry them alone. Jesus invites you to come to Him.

    Thus, be open to support from prayer, from friends, from our faith community. remember, sometimes God’s strength comes through simple our human compassion. Hinaut pa.