Three Lives, Two Loves
Homily on the 30th Sunday in OT, 25 October 2026, Maryville Chapel Talamban
Three days ago, something very sad happened to us. The oldest missionary priest in our Province died in Perpetual Succor Hospital after succumbing to pneumonia. His name is Fr Leonard “Mac” McManus, SDB, 89 years old. Originally from Burma, Fr Mac spent almost his entire Salesian life working as a missionary in different countries including India and Pakistan. Many years ago, when he was made Rector of Don Bosco Boys Home here in Cebu, he humbly begged from people for the sustenance of our poor, abandoned and underprivileged youth.
In these recent years until his death, despite his old age and his fragile health, he continued to minister to our Bosconians in DBTC, always making himself available to hear their confessions. Amazingly, aside from his duties in the pastoral ministry, he also continued what he used to be doing before – to beg with all humility for the feeding and education of the city’s countless street kids. In fact, last year, sitting on his e-wheelchair, he was so happy to have been able to join their Christmas Party and gift giving. Lately, during the weeks prior to his hospitalization, he has been quite busy preparing for the next one this coming December. We were still hoping that he could overcome this health crisis and be discharged from the hospital. But God had other plans, even much better plans. He deemed it worthy to have him finally rest from his labors and to grant him the eternal reward reserved for his faithful and fruitful ministers.
The gospel passage we heard today (Mt 22:34-40) presents Jesus being confronted by the Pharisees with a rather difficult question. Actually, those Scripture experts had already started conducting an early investigation on Jesus trying to test his competence, credentials and qualifications. If you recall last Sunday, the question they raised to Jesus was about the lawfulness of paying taxes to the emperor. Then a group of Sadducees also questioned him on the issue of the resurrection of the dead.
Today in the passage we just heard, the same people asked a question about which commandment of the law was the greatest. In this direct confrontation with Jesus, those teachers and law experts were perhaps doubting his qualification granted that he was just a carpenter’s son. But again, Jesus’ answer to their question blew them all away: “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “you shall love your neighbour as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Brothers and sisters, what can we learn and take home from this passage? I believe that today Jesus is teaching us that one’s humble status can never be an obstacle to receive God’s gift of wisdom. Even though Jesus was merely a carpenter’s son, God’s Spirit of Wisdom remained actively at work in Him; the same Spirit who descended on him during his baptism at the River Jordan.
Moreover, even if Jesus may not have the same credentials as that of the Pharisees, who formally studied the law for a good number of years, certainly he must have received a solid formation during his younger years of homeschooling at Nazareth. It can’t be denied that for thirty years he has been formed, educated and molded by the Blessed Virgin Mary, his very own Mother, and by St Joseph, his foster father known to be a just man. In other words, Jesus as a person of goodness, wisdom and integrity was the excellent fruit of the integral formation he received before beginning his public ministry in Galilee.
This makes us realize that we really need to strengthen the Catholic formation and education of our youth within the context of our faith-filled family today. There is no use sending kids to the best performing schools in the city, if in the first place they are not taught Christian values by their parents. Where would kids and young people get their role models in life if parents or guardians are not setting the good examples in what they say and do? Formation and education today should, therefore, focus not only on high grades and success but more importantly on discipleship, that is, on the growth of one’s relationship with Jesus and how closely and faithfully one is following the Lord.
Real education is not only a matter of acquiring knowledge, information and skills… There are many people who may be called KIA. K-I-A stands for “know-it-all.” They have KIA Pride… grabe! But sad to say, only a few have tried to acquire the heart, mind and character of Christ. True Christian education is not simply a matter of information, but rather of FORMATION and TRANSFORMATION of the mind, the heart and the soul. It should mold young people and empower them to love God with all their heart, with all their mind and with all their soul, and to love their neighbour, not only as they love themselves but according to the way Christ has loved us.
This past month, we had been inspired by the shining example of so many saints, some of whom were very young. Allow me to mention three of them. St Therese of Lisieux also known as St Therese of the Child Jesus entered the Carmelite Monastery at only 15 years old. Although she spent the rest of her life within the walls of her monastic community, she was eventually declared by the Church as the patroness of the missions. She said that true holiness consists not so much in doing big things but rather in doing small things with great love. She died at a young age of 24.
Next, San Pedro Calungsod was only 14 years old when he left everyone and everything at home for something far greater: to do missionary work with a Jesuit priest. among the Chamorros in the island of Guam. Despite the hard life away from his homeland, San Pedro persevered in his vocation as a missionary catechist. He remained consistent in supporting and assisting the priest in his missionary work until the end of his life. In 1672, after being attacked by the chieftain of the Chamorro tribe, Pedro fearlessly laid down his life for the love of Christ and the Jesuit missionary priest whose life he tried to defend. He was martyred at only 17 years old.
Finally, St Carlo Acutis. He was the first canonized saint born after Vatican II. He loved playing soccer, video games and social media. By himself he learned computer programming languages like C and C++ and eventually practiced animation and website building for his local church and high school. He also loved eating Nutella and ice cream with his friends. But amazingly, his greatest love was the Rosary and the Eucharist. He attended Mass daily and joined the Holy Hour weekly. He never let himself to be so distracted by the things that kept young people away from God. Instead, he used his time, energy and expertise to bring people closer to Jesus especially those who were no longer coming to the Sacraments. That is why he built a virtual museum and website, showcasing dozens of Eucharistic miracles that have taken place in various parts of the world.
His devotion to the Eucharist led him also to defend classmates who were bullied and to use his money to buy food and sleeping bags for the homeless. His very first convert was none other than his very own Mom whom he inspired to returned to the Catholic faith. Carlo always tried to live by what he said “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” He died after a short bout with Leukemia at only 15 years old.
I hope these three saints could inspire us all to become a better version of ourselves and to be always at the service of God and those in need. And we pray that this Eucharistic celebration may continue to form in us the image and likeness of Jesus. Through it may we be empowered to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbour in the way Christ has loved us. GiGsss!
