Priest: ‘Radiate Hope’

The St. Joseph Parish of Sta. Cruz Parish Priest Fr. Ronald Lunas, STL talked to hundreds of parishioners about the Eucharist and the Paschal Mysteries at the Our Lady Mediatrix of all Grace Cathedral, Kidapawan, North Cotabato, last October 9. Here is an excerpt:

ON THE YOUTH AS THE HOPE
“But in daily news, tabloids and on televisions, we keep on hearing about a youth committing suicide — there is a growing number of suicide among the youth. How did that happen? They absolutely lost Hope. What is Hope? It is something inside of us. We don’t need to seek it outside, in the community, at school, in the workplace — it is in us if we have Christ in us because He is Hope.”

ON THE EUCHARIST
“What is Eucharist? Basically, it is a form of thanksgiving in remembrance of Jesus’ last supper with the apostles; it is breaking down the bread and sharing it to the disciples. The bread is Christ himself shared to us and we have an obligation to continue sharing to one another by evangelizing. Let’s introduce Him to people young and old and let’s continue living Him to radiate Hope among our peers, friends, neighbors and workmates. If Christ is in us, we become the Hope.”

ON PRAYING THE ROSARY
“What do these mysteries speak about? These mysteries that we are uttering over and over again when we pray the rosary are God’s plan for our salvation. As we go deeper into the mysteries, the secret to salvation is slowly unfolding until it is completely revealed to men that Jesus is God.”

ON THE PASCHAL MYSTERIES
“The church celebrates two Christmases. One is the Christmas when Jesus was born and the other one is the Christmas when Jesus rose from death. The paschal mysteries is when Jesus came down from heaven through birth, and the other one is when Jesus went back to heaven to be with the Father. From heaven to earth and from earth to heaven, these are mysteries. The Paschal mysteries are important to us because through this, we pass from sinfulness to greatness, from old life to new life in Him and in the Old testament, passing the red sea — from slavery to promised land. Every time we gather ourselves to celebrate the Eucharist, we also celebrate the mysteries of God’s love to us revealed through the rosary (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and the Luminous). We celebrate the triumph of salvation over sins. That is why we celebrate the Eucharist with thankful hearts and a forgiving soul because through this, we are in communion with Him.” (Blaze Cantaros | Sta. Cruz)