Wednesday. August 26, 2026. Teresa Jornet Ibars was born into a family of farmers in Catalonia, Spain, in 1843. As a child, she displayed a deep concern for the conditions of the poor, and she often would bring someone to the home of her Aunt Rosa for something to eat, medical aid, and other necessities they might need. Aunt Rosa reinforced Teresa’s natural desire to help the poverty-stricken. Teresa began studying to be a teacher and at 19 started to teach.
She had a strong calling to the monastic life; she sought admission to the Poor Clares but anti-clerical laws of the day prevented that from happening. In 1870, she became a Secular Carmelite to help develop her spirituality; then her father died, and she came down with tuberculosis. During recovery, she began caring for the many elderly people living alone and suffering from severe poverty. It opened her eyes. She opened her first house in Barbastro, along with some followers. The group took the habit and became a religious congregation; being a Lay Carmelite, she took the name of St. Teresa of Avila. Her name became Teresa of Jesus Jornet. The official founding of the new order, the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly, was in 1873, totally dedicated to the care and well-being of the aged. Mother Teresa of Jesus taught her Sisters to sacrifice whatever they had to help the men and women who were in their care. She explained that these people were God’s gifts and that they were serving Him as they cared for them.
Mother Teresa of Jesus had suffered from a debilitating illness; she was noted for the powerful sense of peace she always exuded. This inner peace drew many young women to join with her. In 1897, an outbreak of cholera hit Spain. Mother Teresa of Jesus joined her Sisters to help care for the victims of this dread disease. By the time it was over, 24 Sisters and 70 patients had died from the disease. Mother Teresa was exhausted and ill and was taken to the order’s house in Liria; she died at 56 years old. Her little act of compassion grew into a Congregation of fifty houses in her life’s time. Today there are over 2600 religious serving the elderly in 210 facilities in the world.
EWTN Online Mass Presider Fr. Matthew Mary, MFVA
O God, St Teresa of Jesus Jornet served our Lord Jesus. Lead us by her love to serve all those to whom the world offers no comfort and little help. Through us give hope to the hopeless, love to the unloved, peace to the troubled, and rest to the weary, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Saint Teresa of Jesus Jornet Ibars, who tirelessly served Our Lord Jesus, pray for us!
St. Teresa of Jesus Jornet, please pray for us, and for the lonely elderly of our world.
Santuario de San Antonio Parish Online Mass Presider Fr. Adam Bakari, OFM
WORD Today. Matthew 23:27-32. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those
who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”
Reflection.. The words of the Popes. The hearts of these people, of this small group, had hardened so much over time that they couldn’t listen to the Lord’s voice. And from being sinners, they had slipped further and become corrupt. It is very difficult for a corrupt person to change his ways. A sinner can, because the Lord is merciful and awaits us all. But the corrupt are set in their ways, and these people were corrupt. And that is why they justify themselves: because Jesus, with His simplicity, yet with the power of God, annoyed them. They rejected the Lord’s love, and this rejection meant they were on a path that was not that of the dialectic of freedom offered by the Lord, but that of the logic of necessity, where there is no place for the Lord. In the dialectic of freedom, there is the good Lord, who loves us a great deal! Instead, in the logic of necessity, there is no place for God: one must do this, and that – have become creatures of habit, of good manners, and bad habits. Jesus calls them “whited sepulchres” – Those who justify themselves understand neither mercy nor compassion; the people who loved Jesus so much needed mercy and compassion, so they went to the Lord to ask for them. (Vatican News)
Radyo Katipunan Online Mass Presider Fr. Robert Rivera, SJ
St. Teresa of Jesus Jornet, please pray for the viability of the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation’s objective of providing physical therapy for the physically handicapped elderly and special children.
Lord Jesus, bless me with the privilege to be one of those who are our brothers’ keepers. Grace me with strength and courage to bear any hardship and suffering that may come my way in serving them through the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation – so Ester and I can share with others the joy of the Gospel – the good news of your kingdom of peace, joy of sharing, and justice.”
“The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” (William Shakespeare: Julius Caesar (Act 3, Scene 2) Business Enterprises are not Legacy: the wake of the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation leaves and who it leaves it to. Let the foundation’s wake speak, not our names. These phrases do not have a direct match in Shakespeare’s works, but they echo a theme he explored: the idea that a person’s imperfections and transgressions remain attached to them in the afterlife. I believe in the serendipity of faith as I remember from homilies, lectures, or readings, and the serendipities I was blessed with in my life – My Prayer. (Autobiography AG. Cumagun: Song of Myself, Memoirs Looking Back at Serendipities, 2002)
Our Lady of the Impossible, grace those late in life but had more in life who tried to be their brothers’ keepers for those who have less in life – “Ester and I pray for your blessings to grace for our children, and their children’s children to wholeheartedly support the MONTINOLA-CUMAGUN CARE FOUNDATION OBJECTIVES: (1.) Special Children SPED, a child’s mind is the most precious thing to waste. (The motto of the American Negro College), and the Handicapped Senior Citizens – Physical Therapy. (2.) Financial Support for Diocesan priests and Grade School Teachers for the rural areas. (3.) Computer Start-up Education Tools for selected public schools and (4.) Selected Start-up Management and Financial Support for Small Businesses. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48. “The sin of the rich man was not that he did wrong things, but that he did nothing. (William Barclay, in Antonio G. Cumagun Autobiography Song of Myself Memoirs, Looking Back at Serendipity, 2002) Our Lady of the Impossible, Pray The Memorare – “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection was left unaided. . .”
Ester and my state of health – vital stats are recorded by Ester’s everyday, 24 hr. 2 PDNs.
This morning, Ester’s BP was 130 /80. Hr 76, O2sat 98%. Temp 36. 5
Last Night’s BP 110/70. HR 76. O2sat 98%. Temp 36.5
Tony’s morning BP was 120/70. HR.68. O2sat 98%. Temp. 36.8
Last Night’s BP 110/70. HR 60. O2sat 98%. Temp 36.7
Beata John Paul 1, watch over Justice Jun’s state of health, comfort, and Well-being. Also for Cristina C and Ester’s health recovery from more than 5 years of stomah adhesion, our autistic son John Paul’s (was baptized John Paul a decade before Cardinal Luciano of Milan took the regnal name of John Paul) emotional and physical disability, 57 years old, and my weakening 89-year-old body.
FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED AND SOULS IN PURGATORY
In Memory of all those who left us. We remember you in the morning and at night. You are always with us. We pray for the souls in Purgatory.
Blessed Mother Mary, I bring to you for your intercession the souls of Amb. Manuel R. and Dolores G. Cumagun, Juana Cumagun, Annette Cumagun, Lina Beltran, Judge and Mrs. Dolores Cumagun, Gov. Primo & Magdalena H. Gaffud, Dr. Trino, Sr. & Angeles Montinola, Betty, Luie, Trino, Jr. Montinola, Bernardino, and Isabel Jalandoni. Dr. Terry Lirio-Montinola, Dr. & Mrs. Tomacruz, Akira Tsusaka, Boy Eugenio, Jesus Ibañez, Sen. Nene Pimentel, Santiago Ranada 111, Boysie Villavicensio, Patria Manuel, Dr. Mariano Laurel, Rene Datu, (Ateneo ’54 – Jimmy Ongpin, Atty. Ato Gonzales, Buddy Joaquin, Fr. Unson, Msgr. Tantoco, Atty. Art Alafriz, Robert Arevalo Ylagan, Maximo Abesamis, Jr., Jesse Paredes), Atty. C. Platon, Araceli Rivera, Rey Castañeda, Col. Tanseco, Dr. E Fores, Dr. J. Caedo, Christine Syjuco, Leni Panganiban, Raul Boncan, Atty. Spanky and Dolly Perez, Amb. Albert del Rosario, Nellie Valdez, Toti Herbosa, Tec Syjuco, AL, Umberto (Beck) Gonzales, and Rufo Colayco. Pray 7 Our Father and The Credo
Wednesday Physical Therapy
Post Physical Therapy Vital Signs BP 120/70. HR 84. O2sat 97%