Blurbs by Rev. Fr. Pete Literal

Jesus commands us to “Love one another.” This is not a request or an option but a
command. This love is without conditions or limits, just as He has loved us. The love of
God is faithful and selfless. Like a mother sacrificing her ear for her daughter’s
happiness, she teaches us a powerful truth: “You don’t lose something when you give it
to someone you love.”
Today’s gospel teaches us that true love is the soul of our Christian life. We are called to
love not based on others’ perfection or our expectations, but as Jesus loves us.
Spouses, parents, and children love beyond flaws and disappointments.
In our Filipino ministry, we base our mission on love. We love God, we love others, we
proclaim the good news, and we make disciples. We love because God first loved us.
Our partnership with Him teaches us the way to love.
Let us reflect today on this love and what the gospel expects from us as his partners in
mission:
 Is love truly the soul of your life?
 Do you love enough to give life to your faith and partnership?
Let’s love boldly, selflessly, and without condition, just as Christ loves us.

PRAYER FOR THE NEW POPE AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
Heavenly Father,
Lord of all wisdom and love, we thank You for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit upon the
College of Cardinals, who have chosen Pope Leo XIV, the new Shepherd to lead Your
Church. With hearts full of hope, we lift up to You, our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, the
new Bishop of Rome. Strengthen him, Lord, with wisdom like Solomon, with courage
like Peter, and with love like Christ Himself.
May he walk humbly in Your presence, seek Your will above all things, and shepherd
Your people with mercy, clarity, and joy. Grant him the grace to speak truth with
compassion, to lead with integrity, and to inspire the Church to be bold in mission,
intentional in love, and ever faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Lord, renew in Your Church a burning desire to go out to the peripheries, to serve the
poor, to heal the brokenhearted, and to proclaim Your Kingdom in word and deed. Let
our parishes, our homes, and our hearts become places of encounter, discipleship, and
witness. May unity in the Spirit mark this new chapter in the life of the Church, fidelity to
the truth, and joyful dedication to the mission of salvation.
We entrust our new Pope to the maternal care of Mary, Mother of the Church and Star
of the New Evangelization. Through her intercession, may he lead us ever closer to her

Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God,
forever and ever.
Amen.