APOSTLESHIP OF MERCY

My dear brothers and sister in Christ, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat! We thank the Lord who has called us together in this Eucharistic celebration, on the solemn occasion of declaration of the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio as an International Shrine. We thank the Lord for this huge blessing.

We are also blessed to have as concelebrants in this Eucharist three other brother Cardinals —Cardinal Anthony Poolah, archbishop of Hyderabad, Cardinal Joe Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, and Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Emeritus Archbishop of Manila, our beloved Papal Nuncio—Archbishop Charles John Brown, the head of the Metropolitan Province of Lipa—Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, who is also the President of the CBCP, and so many brother archbishops, bishops and priests from various dioceses in the Philippines. We have the FABC well-represented by several bishops, mostly presidents of episcopal conferences, and the FABC assistant secretary general, Fr Bill Larousse.

Of course, in a very special way we also congratulate the clergy, consecrated persons and the laity of Lipa for hosting us this morning, including all the devotees of St. Padre Pio, especially pilgrims from near and far who have made this place an oasis of prayer and pilgrimage.

I invite you now to reflect with me on what this new recognition means for us—especially in the light of our readings and the spiritual legacy of Padre Pio.

Our second reading from Romans chapter 12 opens with an exhortation by St. Paul, but which could also have come from Padre Pio himself: “By the grace given to me I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than one ought to think, but to think soberly, each