I would like to share with you the introduction that was read before the 8:00 am mass:
"Every third Sunday of January, we celebrate the feast of the Santo Niño as a sign of our special devotion to the Child Jesus. The feast brings to our attention the mysrtery of childhood. In today's Gospel, Jesus commands the disciples to let the children come to Him. Like Jesus, we should have a special love for the "little ones": the humble, the poor, the deffenseless, those who rely only on god for their support. Even more important, Jesus invites us to become like little children. Let us accept the Kingdom and the Lord's gifts without reservation. Let us forsake cunning, deceit and cold calculation. It is only by responding to His invitation that we can go beyond mere sentimental devotion to the Child Jesus."
And during the General Intercessions, the following intentions were said:
- For our Holy Father, bishops and church leaders: May they continue to proclaim, by word and example, that God's kingdom belongs to children, to the poor and the humble.
- For children who beg, scavenge for food, or are froced into labor: May our civil leaders work to give them hope for a better tomorrow.
- For children of broken homes and those who suffer because of neglectful and uncaring parents: May adults take their responsibility toward them seriously, love and care for them, and show them the beauty of life.
- For adults: May they never lose the spirit of a child and so live with one another in friendship, freedom and openness.
- For all our families: May we take the challenge to face the problems connected with the promtion of the family and marriage so that our children may grow up in a healthy, happy, and religious environment.
Today's mass was capped by the blessing of children. Here are some pictures of the children with Fr. Tony Rosales, ofm, today's mass presider.
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