Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has called on families to attend Mass together and make God the foundation of their lives.
Speaking at the Mass at Dulce Nombre De Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Guam on Wednesday, Tagle emphasized that a strong family begins with a healthy, God-centered marriage.
“So what brings families together? What is the foundation of our family? I hope faith,” Tagle, who is also the pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, said in his homily.
He challenged parents to pass on the faith to their children, so that God may bind them together.
A family without faith, according to Tagle, will not endure. “But if rooted in faith, in Jesus, your life as a family will remain intact,” he said.
Catholics in Guam, including many Filipinos, attended the Mass presided over by Tagle, which marked the conclusion of the Year of the Eucharistic Revival in Guam.
Concelebrants included Filipino Archbishop Ryan Jimenez of Agaña and the clergy of the archdiocese.
The cardinal extended his message to members of ministries and parish groups, urging them to ensure that their activities are rooted in faith.
He expressed hope that the various parish programs “are nurtured and sustained by Jesus and our faith in Him.”
“If [we] are operating not on faith but on ambition… then our organization might just end up fighting with each other,” he said. “We don’t nurture these ministries for competition and mutual killing.”
Earlier in the week, Tagle visited Saipan, where he announced Msgr. Romeo Convocar, a Filipino priest serving in the Agaña archdiocese, as the new bishop of Chalan Kanoa.
He also celebrated Mass in the Northern Mariana Islands’ diocese to mark its 40th anniversary of establishment.
