‘Saints were ordinary like you, me’ – OMI priest
MANILA — Despite stories of miracles, levitation and
extraordinary charisma, a priest reminds the faithful that saints were
ordinary people” and that holiness is ultimately about love.
The saints were ordinary people like you and me who lived their
lives loving their neighbors the way they loved God. This made them
extraordinary,” Fr. Alberto Cahilig of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), said.Fr. Cahilig is the parish priest and rector of
the Diocesan Shrine and Parish Church of Our Lady of Grace in Grace
Park, Caloocan City.In a Mass following the parish’s March of Saints” event, the priest called on the faithful to do ordinary things extraordinarily
with love.”
[Extraordinary loving] is how we become saints. You don’t have to be
beautiful or famous to be a saint. Do simple things in an extraordinary
way,” he said.
Cahilig also reminded the faithful of the Gospel reading about the
greatest commandment to love God with all our being and our neighbor as
ourselves.”
The Oblate priest also told March of Saints” participants that by
dressing up like the saints, we all follow their examples who also
followed Christ with their whole hearts.”
The March of the Saints”, which aimed to counter the prevailing
custom of having kids dress up as vampires and ghouls on Halloween,
started at 8and00 a.m. and went around the territorial jurisdiction of the
parish.
The saints” were seated at the front pews before the Mass started and were formally acknowledged after the Mass. (CBCP News/Rommel Lopez)