27/10/2026
“Another person’s hurt concerns us. Another person’s flourishing enriches us. We belong to Christ, and we belong to one another.”
In the spirit of cura personalis, may we continue to build a community where everyone is seen, heard, valued, and cared for.
We share the full text of Fr. Philip's meaningful homily delivered during the Mass of Welcome last October 21, 2026, reflecting on Belonging. Caring. & Serving
May his words remind us that our calling as one community is not only to belong, but also to care and to serve.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.
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Full Transcript of Fr. Philip's Homily.
We Belong. We Care. We Serve.
There is something powerful about hearing these words: “You belong here.”
Especially when you have wondered whether you would be accepted.
When you have carefully chosen your words, hidden parts of your story, or remained silent because you were unsure how others would respond.
Today, as we gather for this Welcome Mass in celebration of Pride Month, we listen to Saint Paul proclaim:
“The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
St. Paul explains something so important here.
He affirms to the believers in Ephesus, most of whom were Gentiles, that there is no longer any division between Gentile and Jew.
For centuries, Jews avoided Gentiles as unclean, and Gentiles looked down on Jews as members of an inferior religion and backward culture.
But when the Holy Spirit fell on a Gentile named Cornelius—a Roman soldier, no less—God made it clear that both Jews and Gentiles are equals, “coheirs, members of the same Body, and copartners in the promise in Christ” (Ephesians 3:6; see Acts 10:1–49).
Coheirs. Members. Copartners.
These are words of belonging.
They tell us that those once considered outsiders share in God’s promise and have a place within Christ’s Body.
And these are also words of responsibility.
Those who belong have gifts to offer.
They have a part to play in caring for the community.
This brings us to our theme: “Faithful Stewardship: Working Collectively.”
Perhaps we can carry three simple reminders from our readings today:
We belong. We care. We serve.
First: We belong.
For the early Church, the relationship between Jews and Gentiles raised difficult questions.
Could people with such different histories and ways of life truly become one community?
Paul’s answer was rooted in what God had accomplished in Jesus Christ: the Gentiles, too, were members of the same Body.
Their belonging was God’s gift.
This truth invites us to examine how we see one another.
Sometimes, even within communities of faith, we quietly draw boundaries.
We decide whose voice deserves attention, whose story makes us uncomfortable, or who must first prove that they deserve a place.
But the Church is a people gathered by the grace of God.
Every one of us comes needing that grace.
Every one of us is called to receive it and grow in it.
To our students, faculty, staff, and friends: your lives and giftedness matter. Your gifts have a place in the life of this community.
Some of you may carry painful experiences of being misunderstood, ridiculed, or rejected—even in places where you hoped to encounter God’s love.
We must take that pain seriously.
Faithful stewardship includes taking responsibility for the ways our words, actions, and silence affect others.
When St. Paul says “members of the same Body,” he reminds us that our lives are connected.
Another person’s hurt concerns us.
Another person’s flourishing enriches us.
We belong to Christ, and we belong to one another.
Second: We care.
Today’s Gospel asks us to consider what we do with what has been entrusted to us.
Jesus describes a faithful steward who gives the household its food at the proper time.
It is a very concrete picture: someone notices what people need and makes sure they receive it.
Then Jesus offers this challenging reminder:
“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much.”
Here in the Ateneo, much has been entrusted to us: education, opportunities, relationships, influence, and the freedom to speak and act.
How are we using these gifts?
Does our education help us understand another person’s experience?
Does our influence make it easier for someone to ask for help?
Does our faith make us more attentive to people who feel alone?
Stewardship includes caring for the trust someone places in us when they share their story.
It means listening with respect, protecting their confidence, and allowing them to speak at their own pace.
In Ignatian language, we speak of cura personalis: care for the whole person.
That care becomes real when we take time to know the person before us—their hopes, struggles, relationships, and desire for God.
Sometimes, care begins with a simple question:
“Kumusta ka talaga?”
And then staying long enough to hear the answer.
Third: We serve.
Our theme calls us to work collectively.
St. Paul gives us a beautiful word for this: copartners.
A community grows when its members can contribute their gifts and share responsibility for its life.
The LGBTQIA+ community brings gifts of faith, creativity, friendship, courage, and service.
These gifts help build the Ateneo.
They enrich our classrooms, workplaces, friendships, and ministries.
Working collectively means making room for these gifts.
It means listening when decisions affect people’s lives.
It means sharing the work of building a community where dignity is honored.
That responsibility belongs to all.
Our responsorial psalm encourages us too:
“God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid.”
What a grace it would be if our community helped people pray those words: confident that they will be treated with dignity.
At this Eucharist, we come to one table and receive the one Lord who gives himself for us.
May what we receive here shape how we live together.
May our welcome become friendship.
May our friendship become care.
May our care become faithful service.
We belong. We care. We serve.
Lord Jesus, give us your heart of love. Teach us to recognize you in one another, to care faithfully for those entrusted to us, and to work together so that your love may be seen and felt in this community.
Amen.
