by Stephen Carl Esguerra and Julliana Rojimherie Jornal, OD Senior Staffers
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can even move mountains.”
SDA’s 28th Family Rosary Crusade is now halfway and, Rev. Fr. Percival Tayem, OFM, today’s mass presider, reminded all of the Dominican family to continuously “increase their faith” amidst challenges and adversities.
Calling upon God and asking Him to “increase one’s faith,” for help and guidance, has always been customary for everyone— when the apostles were rejected for proclaiming the Gospel, when parents struggled to handle their children, when people are stranded during the pandemic, and when citizens experience the impacts of social ills such as corruption and red-tagging.
However, Fr. Tayem reminded the faithful that Jesus challenges them not to give up, but to hold on to their faith and eventually be firm enough to withstand and face those challenges. The Blessed Mother herself has been an instrument of “increasing people’s faith” during the first miracle at the wedding at Cana.
Fr. Tayem further emphasized that the Blessed Virgin Mary will always come to the intercession of prayers for her Son. If the faithful will hold on to their faith in God, nothing is and will ever be impossible.
“If we follow Jesus absolutely, hindi tayo mawawalan ng direksyon, hindi tayo manghihina, at lahat tayo ay sasaya (we’ll never lose our path, we’ll never falter, and all of us will be joyful),” he added.
“Increase our faith’ is our call [for] today,” he repeated. Amidst all the challenges and adversities, all of the faithful were encouraged to remain steadfast— to persevere with their faith and to pray to God, with the intercession of the Blessed Mother. This will strengthen them and make them resolute in facing those difficulties.
“Kaya sama-sama po tayong kumilos, tumingala, at patuloy na humingi ng biyaya ng Diyos, sa tulong at gabay ng ating Mahal na Inang si Maria,” Fr. Tayem ended.
It was then followed by the Investiture and Renewal of the Knights of the Altar, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.#
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