Wednesday. October 21, 2026

Wednesday. October 21, 2026. Saint Pedro Calungsod was born in the Philippines; there is not much known about him. History tells us he was one of the young volunteers who joined the Spanish Jesuit missionaries who left the Philippines for the Ladrones Islands in the western Pacific in 1668; he was only 13. He served alongside his peers as a catechist and teacher of the Faith. Pedro loved the Church, and he received the Sacraments whenever he could. He was eager to share what he knew about Jesus with others. He did well, and many people were baptized into the faith because of his efforts. But some people did not trust the missionary priests. Often the medicine men in the village viewed the missionaries as a threat to their power. One night, when Pedro and a priest arrived in a village to baptize the chief’s daughter—at the request of the chief’s wife—they were killed by assassins. Pedro died for his faith in 1672, when he was only 17. In 2000, Pope John Paul II beatified Pedro, telling the crowds that gathered for the ceremony, “From his childhood, Pedro Calungsod declared himself unwaveringly for Christ and responded generously to his call. Young people today can draw encouragement and strength from the example of Pedro, whose love of Jesus inspired him to devote his teenage years to teaching the faith as a lay catechist.” St. Pedro Calungsod is proof that sanctity does not require a long life or an early death — only a life, whatever its length, lived with and for the Lord. (Maridol: My Morning Prayer

WORD Today. Luke 12:39-48. Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”  

Reflection. The words of the Popes. “Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more”. Jesus said it to his closest disciples, those with whom He stayed the most. And we too have received much from the journey we have made so far; we have been with Jesus and with the Church and, even though the Church is a community with human limitations, we have received a great deal. So, Jesus expects a lot of us. It is a sign of trust, a sign of friendship. He expects a lot because He knows us, and knows that we can do it!

Jesus came to bring fire: the fire of God’s love on earth and the fire of our hearts’ desire. In a certain way, Jesus takes away our peace if we think of peace as inert calm. This, however, is not true peace. At times we would like to be “left in peace”: for no one to disturb us, for others not to exist anymore. This is not God’s peace. The peace Jesus brings is like a fire, and it asks a lot of us. It asks us, first of all, to take a stand. Faced with injustice, inequality, where human dignity is trampled underfoot, where the fragile are silenced: take a stand. To hope is to take a stand. To hope is to understand in our hearts and show in our actions that things must not continue as before. This too is the good fire of the Gospel. (Pope Leo XIV, Jubilee Audience, 22 November 2025)

St. Pedro Calungsod, you inspire us by your courage in teaching the faith in the midst of hostility, and by your love in shedding your blood for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus. We ask you to intercede: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’— which is the first commandment with a promise — so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” (Ephesians 6:1–3) “Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.” (St. Augustine of Hippo) Kindness, donations, or charitable acts cannot erase or fix a failure to give someone what they have rightfully earned or deserve. As detailed in discussions on Catholic 365, true love requires fulfilling the obligations of justice before or alongside acts of generosity.

“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 Ester and my founding the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation. Let Its Wake Speak.

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. HR69. O2sat 98%. Temp 36.2
Last Night’s BP 110/80. HR 72. O2sat 98%. Temp 36.2
Tony’s morning BP was 110/80. HR 57. O2sat 99%. Temp. 36.6
Last Night’s BP 110/70. HR 64. O2sat 99%. 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 57.
Mama Mary walks us through the entire Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious angles of the life of our Savior when we pray with her in the Rosary.
October is the month 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.

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, Rufo Colayco and  Vicente De Villa. Pray 7 Our Father and The Credo

Physical Therapy