Thursday. October 8, 2026. Saint Pelagia. Pelagia was head of a dance troupe in Palestinian Antioch, and lived a life of frivolity and prostitution. She was passing by a church dressed in her very elegant and provocative clothing. Bishop Nonnus of Edessa was preaching at that moment. Even though the parishioners turned their faces away from the sinner, the Bishop noticed her great outer beauty and spiritual greatness. He prayed in his cell for her. The following day Pelagia went to hear Bishop Nonnos preach. He was talking about the Last Judgement and its consequences. She was so moved and impressed with the sermon that with tears of repentance in her eyes, she asked the Bishop to baptize her. Seeing the sincerity of her wishes and repentance, he agreed. That same night, the devil appeared to Pelagia, urging her to return to her former life. She started praying, and with the Sign of the Cross, the devil vanished. She gave all her wealth and valuables to Bishop Nonnos so that he could distribute them and give them to aid the poor. The bishop then ordered their distribution and said: “Let this be wisely dispersed, so that these riches gained by sin may become a wealth of righteousness.” She left Antioch dressed in man’s clothes. After that, she journeyed to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where she became a hermitess and lived in a cell disguised as the monk Pelagius. There she lived in great austerity, performing many penances in an ascetic seclusion which helped her attain many spiritual gifts. At her death, she was buried in her cell. She was known as “the beardless monk”; only after she died did they discover she was a woman. St. Pelagia’s life serves as a remarkable testimony to God’s willingness to forgive all sinners, no matter how deep or long-lasting their transgressions. Her story shows us God’s love and acceptance of all people, regardless of what their lives might have been like prior to their conversion. God’s forgiveness is not reserved for a few, but freely offered to all!
The image of God was faithfully preserved in you, O St Pelagia. For you took up the Cross and followed Christ. By your actions you taught us to look beyond the flesh for it passes, rather to be concerned about the soul which is immortal. Wherefore, O Holy Pelagia, your soul rejoices with the angels. The Lord have mercy upon us in the day of judgment, for to Him belong honour and glory, power and majesty unto the ages of ages. Amen. Saint Pelagia, pray for us!
WORD Today. Thursday. October 8, 2026. Luke 11:5-13. Jesus said to his disciples: “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey, and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Reflection. “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Lk 11:9). With these words, Jesus invites us to turn with trust to the Father for all our needs. “To ask,” in fact, is to recognize, through poverty, that everything is a gift from the Lord and to give thanks for it. “To seek” is to open oneself, through obedience, to discovering each day the path we must take on the journey towards holiness, following God’s plans. “To knock” is to ask for and to offer the gifts we have received to our brothers and sisters with a chaste heart, striving to love everyone with respect and generosity. “To ask,” “to seek,” and “to knock” also means reflecting on our own lives, bringing to mind and heart what the Lord has achieved over the years by multiplying talents, strengthening and purifying faith, and fostering generosity and freedom in charity. Sometimes achieved in joy, and at other times in ways that are more difficult to understand, even through the mysterious crucible of suffering. Asking, Seeking, and Knocking in prayer and in life has to do with this truth. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 9 October 2025)
Dearest Lord, thank You! Today, teach me to keep asking, seeking, and knocking, even when I feel that my prayers are taking too long to be answered. Give me the faith to trust that You hear every prayer and every desire of my heart. Help me believe that You know what is truly best for me and my unanswered prayers are actually blessings, the path I need to take. I place my worries, my loved ones, and everything close to my heart in the palm of Your hands. Open the doors that are meant for me, close the ones that are not, and give me the wisdom to recognize Your will. Lord, above all, give me Your peace. Jesus, I ask, I seek, I knock, and I trust. Amen.
Ester and My State of Health
(Vital Stats of Ester and Tony C are recorded every day by 24 hr. PDNs)
Ester’s morning BP was 120/70. HR 85. O2sat 97%. Temp 36.3
Last Night’s BP 110 /80. HR 79. O2sat 97%. Temp 36. 4
Tony’s morning BP was 110/70. HR 60. O2sat 98%. Temp 36.5
Last Night’s BP 110 /70. HR 55. O2sat 98%. Temp. 36. 6
Beata John Paul 1, watch over Cristina C, Justice Jun’s state of health, Ester’s recovery, and our autistic son John Paul’s emotional stability at age 57. 
“The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” (Shakespeare)
Business Enterprises are not Legacy: the wake you leave, let the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation’s Good Work speak, not our family name.
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 our children, and their children’s children, to wholeheartedly support The MCC FOUNDATION – 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 A.G. Cumagun Autobiography Song of Myself Memoirs, Looking Back at Serendipity, 2002) Our Lady of the Impossible, “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection was left unaided…” Bless the good news of peace and justice through Ester and my founding the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation. Let the Wake Speak.
The month of October is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. For many sinners, she and her Rosary have been the lifeline that pulled them back to Jesus.
Rosary means “garland of roses.” The family that prays together stays together. Daily Rosary trains the whole family in humility and obedience, becoming a cohesive garland of lives linked by strong faith, hope, and love for God and each other. Let us pray the Rosary with Mama Mary.
(Repost Dr.-Phd Amy Ylagan) Blessed Fulton, pray for us— for Truth and Justice in families and country!
WORD Today. Gal 3:1-5, Lk 11:5-13. The Holy Spirit is the very best gift we can ask. He is the Person of God most intimately involved in providing us all the grace we need for our daily survival and in making us holy like Jesus. And yet, for all His importance, He is the most ignored Person.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that all who ask for the Spirit receive Him, all who seek find Him, and all who knock are welcomed by Him. Jesus is telling us to desire the Spirit’s fellowship to signal that we are ready for the graces He wants to give us.
St. Paul in the First Reading reminds us that we first received the Holy Spirit because we believed in Christ. We began our Christian lives in the Spirit, so we do not ignore Him and perfect ourselves without Him.
Let us pray: O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do, give me Your orders. I promise to be submissive to all that You desire of me, and to accept all that You allow to happen to me. Let me only know Your Will. Amen.
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
