'Mary is way to actual God,’ Cardinal Tagle tells Filipinos
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Photo by Joselle Czarina S. Dela Cruz
Behold Mary for She will bring people to the “actual God.”
This was the message of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle in his homily at the Eucharistic celebration of the 60th anniversary of the post-war Manila Cathedral and the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception last Dec. 8.
“While we focus on Mary, Mary invites us to focus on God. [S]o Mary will tell us 'Yes contemplate my Immaculate Conception' and it will lead you to God, the actual God,” Tagle said.
God would never allow total destruction of the world because His love and grace would prevail through the Blessed Mother, Tagle said.
“[I]n Mary, after decades of decades of the transmission of sins, God’s love prevails,” he said.
“God is stronger than evil. God’s love is more real than evil,” he added.
Tagle urged Filipinos to never forget God who gave blessing and grace with a corresponding mission.
“Kapag nakadiskubre tayo ng blessings, ‘wag nating sabihin [na] ‘Ang blessed ko naman, ang galing ko naman, [at] ang palad ko naman,’ tanungin niyo rin ‘Bakit kaya ako binigyan ng ganitong blessing? Ano kayang misyon para sa akin?’” he said .
The gifts given to people must be used as an instrument to help the needy and in evangelization, Tagle said.
“Go to the neighborhoods, teach everyone to sing, replace the cries of terror, [and] replace the sounds of guns with beautiful music for the Lord. [I]f you have the gift of cooking, use that gift, go to Hapag-asa, go to the feeding programs of the parishes, [and] go to the malnourished children,” he said.
“Let us not just complain how noisy the world is, go out! Replace the noise, replace the violence with harmony with music,” he added.
The Eucharistic celebration was concelebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio of the Philippines, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia.
Tagle said the Manila Cathedral, on its eighth building, was modelled after the Blessed Mother, who became the mother of all cathedrals, dioceses, and churches in the country, representing the history and culture of the Filipinos.
“We count it as a grace that this first Cathedral in the Philippines was dedicated to our Blessed Mother,” Tagle said.
“The vocation of this church called to be mother, to nurture people in faith, to nurture people in discovering their gifts, and sending people on mission as collaborators of God,” Tagle added.