Papal nuncio: Be open to God’s plan

In his first public Mass in the Philippines, papal nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown on Friday said that the Christian mission today means facing new challenges with openness to God.

Speaking at the St. Anthony of Padua in Manila’s Malate district, he stressed that each Christian has a role to play in God’s plan.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of vocation you have… God’s plan is working through you if you allow it to happen,” Brown said in his homily on the third day of the traditional “Misa de Gallo”.

Reflecting on the day’s Gospel, the archbishop spoke on the virtues of St. Joseph who put his whole trust in God— an example, he said, for all Christians to imitate.

He said that St. Joseph obeyed God when he was faced with the difficult choice of protecting Mary as a mother.

And the saint did it not as someone else, according to him, but as a disciple.

“We need to have the courage and the trust of St Joseph. We need to imitate him in his obedience and then God’s plan works through us,” Brown said.

“As we prepare for Christmas, let us be open to God’s plan in our life and then we will see miracles before us,” he said.

After the Mass, the churchgoers welcomed the new nuncio with applause.

“We hope that you will have a meaningful and fruitful stay here in the Philippines,” said Fr. Benito Tuazon, the parish priest.