POPE FRANCIS' SPEECH AT THE MANILA
The saints teach us that this is the source of
CATHEDRAL
“Do you love me?” Thank you, but I was reading the word
of Jesus! Said the Lord: “Do you love me?… Tend my
sheep” (Jn 21:15-17). Jesus’ words to Peter in today’s
Gospel are the first words I speak to you, dear brother
bishops and priests, men and women religious, and young
seminarians. These words remind us of something
essential. All pastoral ministry is born of love. All pastoral
ministry is born of love! All consecrated life is a sign of
Christ’s reconciling love. Like Saint Therese, in the variety
of our vocations, each of us is called, in some way, to be
love in the heart of the Church.
I greet all of you with great affection. And I ask you to bring
my affection to all your elderly and infirm brothers and
sisters, and to all those who cannot join us today. As the
Church in the Philippines looks to the 5th centenary of its
evangelization, we feel gratitude for the legacy left by so
many bishops, priests, and religious of past generations.
They labored not only to preach the Gospel and build up
the Church in this country, but also to forge a society
inspired by the Gospel message of charity, forgiveness, and
solidarity in the service of the common good. Today you
carry on that work of love. Like them, you are called to build
bridges, to pasture Christ’s flock, and to prepare fresh paths
for the Gospel in Asia at the dawn of a new age.
“The love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14). In today’s first
reading Saint Paul tells us that the love we are called to
proclaim is a reconciling love, flowing from the heart of the
crucified Savior. We are called to be “ambassadors for
Christ” (2 Cor 5:20). Ours is a ministry of reconciliation. We
proclaim the Good News of God’s infinite love, mercy, and
compassion. We proclaim the joy of the Gospel. For the
Gospel is the promise of God’s grace, which alone can
bring wholeness and healing to our broken world. It can
inspire the building of a truly just and redeemed social
order.
To be an ambassador for Christ means above all to invite
everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord
Jesus (Evangelii Gaudium, 3). Our personal encounter with
Him. This invitation must be at the core of your
commemoration of the evangelization of the Philippines.
But the Gospel is also a summons to conversion, to an
examination of our consciences, as individuals and as a
people. As the bishops of the Philippines have rightly
taught, the Church in the Philippines is called to
acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted
inequality and injustice which mar the face of Filipino
society, plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ. The
Gospel calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty,
integrity, and concern for the common good. But it also calls
Christian communities to create “circles of integrity,”
networks of solidarity which can expand to embrace and
transform society by their prophetic witness.
The poor. The poor are at the center of the Gospel, are at
heart of the Gospel, if we take away the poor from the
Gospel we can’t understand the whole message of Jesus
Christ. As ambassadors for Christ, we, bishops, priests, and
religious, ought to be the first to welcome his reconciling
grace into our hearts. Saint Paul makes clear what this
means. It means rejecting worldly perspectives and seeing
all things anew in the light of Christ. It means being the first
to examine our consciences, to acknowledge our failings
and sins, and to embrace the path of constant conversion,
every day conversion. How can we proclaim the newness
and liberating power of the Cross to others, if we ourselves
refuse to allow the word of God to shake our complacency,
our fear of change, our petty compromises with the ways of
this world, our “spiritual worldliness” (cf. Evangelii Gaudium,
93)?
For us priests and consecrated persons, conversion to the
newness of the Gospel entails a daily encounter with the
Lord in prayer.
all apostolic zeal! For religious, living the newness of the
Gospel also means finding ever anew in community life and
community apostolates the incentive for an ever closer
union with the Lord in perfect charity. For all of us, it means
living lives that reflect the poverty of Christ, whose entire life
was focused on doing the will of the Father and serving
others. The great danger to this, of course, is a certain
materialism which can creep into our lives and compromise
the witness we offer. Only by becoming poor ourselves, by
becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our
complacency, will we be able to identify with the least of our
brothers and sisters. We will see things in a new light and
thus respond with honesty and integrity to the challenge of
proclaiming the radicalism of the Gospel in a society which
has grown comfortable with social exclusion, polarization,
and scandalous inequality.
Here I would like to say a special word to the young priests,
religious, and seminarians among us. I ask you to share the
joy and enthusiasm of your love for Christ and the Church
with everyone, but especially with your peers. Be present to
young people who may be confused and despondent, yet
continue to see the Church as their friend on the journey
and a source of hope. Be present to those who, living in the
midst of a society burdened by poverty and corruption, are
broken in spirit, tempted to give up, to leave school and to
live on the streets. Proclaim the beauty and truth of the
Christian message to a society which is tempted by
confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage and the
family. As you know, these realities are increasingly under
attack from powerful forces which threaten to disfigure
God’s plan for creation and betray the very values which
have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture.
Filipino culture has, in fact, been shaped by the imagination
of faith. Filipinos everywhere are known for their love of
God, their fervent piety and their warm devotion to Our
Lady and her rosary; their love of God, their fervent piety
and their warm devotion to Our Lady and her rosary! This
great heritage contains a powerful missionary potential. It is
the way in which your people has inculturated the Gospel
and continues to embrace its message (cf. Evangelii
Gaudium, 122). In your efforts to prepare for the 5th
centenary, build on this solid foundation.
Christ died for all so that, having died in him, we might live
no longer for ourselves but for him (cf. 2 Cor 5:15). Dear
brother bishops, priests, and religious: I ask Mary, Mother
of the Church, to obtain for all of you an outpouring of zeal,
so that you may spend yourselves in selfless service to our
brothers and sisters. In this way, may the reconciling love of
Christ penetrate ever more fully into the fabric of Filipino
society and, through you, to the farthest reaches of the
world. Amen.
https://www.rappler.com/specials/pope-francis-ph/81004-
full-text-pope-francis-homily-manila-cathedral
 AN INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH TO GRADUATING
STUDENTS
Bo Sanchez
Beloved director, principal and members of the faculty,
proud parents, and above all, the graduates.  My
congratulations.
I imagine that you are excited at graduating, a little scared
of going to highschool, sad about saying goodbye to
friends and teachers, and excited about the summer.  I
also felt the same way when I was 12.
Looking at your faces, at this school, at the teachers, I
realize that everything has changed.  And nothing has
changed.
But let me tell you, tomorrow will be the beginning of one
of the most wonderful, memorable, exciting part of your
lives.
The last G is for God
God the power and source of all things.  He is the reason
why we are all here.  He is your stronghold here in the
present and in the future.  He is great.  And he loves you
more than you know.
So let me end with my wish for all of you.  In your life may
you have people who will listen and spend time with you,
encourage you and believe in you.  May you embrace
growth and excellence, may you be generous, may you
say thank you often, may God watch over you.  With this
blessing, may you go forth and do wonderful things. 
Again, my congratulations.
http://www.youwanttoberich.com/2011/04/11/an-
inspirational-speech-to-grade-6-graduating-students/

So let me speak to you now as someone speaking to

another who is starting on the most wonderful journey.  But
you have to listen, and you have to listen hard, because I
am going to tell you some of the secrets to success.

They are growth, generosity, gratitude and love of God. 

You can call them the 4 G’s.  And they are the secrets to
success.

The first is GROWTH.

Let me tell you about growth by telling you about Mulan. 
You all know Mulan’s story.  She wanted to defeat the
Huns but she was a girl who did not know how to fight. 
She could not even carry a weapon!  But she did not let
that stop her.  She practiced until she got so tired she
could not practice anymore.  The next day, she got up and
practiced, she got beat up but she practiced, left hanging
on a pole but practiced, got buried in snow but practiced. 
Before she knew it, she was China’s hero.

What am I trying to say?  The next years of your life will

determine your future.  Make the next years one of
growth.  Embrace growth.  Find out what you are good at,
find out what you like to do.  And then grow.  Practice. 
Practice some more.  Because here is another secret – if
you practice – You can be anything you want to be.  So do
not be afraid.  While you are at it, do not be afraid to fail.
Let me also tell you more about failure because it is
important in growing.  You all know Michael Jordan, right? 
He is the greatest basketball player of all time.  Michael
Jordan missed more than 9,000 shots in his career, lost
almost 300 games, and missed 26 winning shots. He failed
over and over and over again. But that is why he is the
greatest basketball player in the world.

The second is GENEROSITY.

You have to be generous, even overly generous, because
here is the secret – if you give more, you will have more. 
We are all familiar with the sayings – it is better to give
than to receive, or God loves a cheerful giver.  You know
they are all clues – clues to great riches (both material and
spiritual) – and they are all true.  Because when you give,
you release a powerful blessing and it embraces you.

The third is GRATITUDE.

We say it every day – “Thank you”.   But we do not know
how much power THANK YOU has.  When you appreciate
people and events and the things you have in your life, the
whole universe jumps up and down and what it wants to
do is to give you more.  Try it.  Say thank you more often,
say it with your every step, say it with your every prayer. 
You will be amazed at the wonderful surprises it will give
you.
While we are at it, thank you for having me.  It is really my
great privilege to be in your presence today.
MY GRADUATION SPEECH AT ST. ANTHONY
SCHOOL, SINGALONG MANILA, MARCH 22, 2013
CHRIS TIU
First of all, I would like to congratulate all of you, graduates
of St. Anthony School for having accomplished this
milestone in your lives! Congratulations as well to your
parents, who worked extremely hard to make this day
possible, and to the school’s administration, faculty, and
staff for their dedication in imparting their knowledge and
wisdom to you.
Believe it or not, this is the very first time I am giving a
graduation address. I’ve had many requests which I’ve had
to turn down due to my chaotic schedule, all except this
one that Fr. Benny sent. Why? I was truly amazed with the
persistence and resourcefulness of Father. He took the
extra mile to get in touch with me. For the record, he
contacted a friend of his, who contacted another friend,
who happened to be the head of the Ateneo Alumni
Association, who sent me an email, which I happened to
receive despite my flooded inbox. And viola! Here I am
standing in front of you today. Sometimes my dear
graduates, it helps to be persistent! And I believe this is
meant to be; there are no accidents in God’s plan or in
other words, in God's providence, nothing happens by
chance. So thank you again Fr. Benny! It is an honor to be
your guest speaker today. And it is my pleasure as well,
because this brings back fond memories from 10 years
ago, when I was sitting in your place, listening to our
graduation speaker.
[Freedom in University Life]
Now, let’s talk about university life, which you all are
excited and worried about at the same time! And I can’t
blame you. Surely you have heard people say that college
life may bring about unpleasant moments to which you will
have to adapt. But also, you will be on your own, with
nobody to babysit you or tell you what to do or who to
hang out with. You will be “free.” I had the best time of my
life in college. I did an exchange program in France. I
started my first ever food stall business in campus. I joined
the basketball team. I met lots of interesting people and
beautiful women as well.
Freedom in university life is like setting out on an
adventure. Think of Columbus or Magellan. And the most
important thing to know about this adventure is that
whether you do it in Ateneo, UP, La Salle, UST, UA&P (or
even Harvard or Stanford for that matter), the name of
your school will not guarantee the discovery of new lands,
or the achievement of success or happiness.  You may
wonder, so what will help you achieve true success and
real happiness? The answer is: a life of virtue.  More than
titles, achievements or financial wealth, it is only when you
use your freedom correctly, in committing yourself to do
the good and pursue the truth, and thereby living a life of
virtue, will you really be happy!
That may have sounded a little complicated but it’s really
not that difficult to understand. In simple words, the only
way to use the freedom which university life can give you
is to choose to live a virtuous life, virtues such as hard
work, modesty, honesty, perseverance, and sacrifice. Let
me add here the core values of the St. Anthony award
such as charity, humility, simplicity and love for creation.
Regardless of the school you will find yourselves in, the
important thing is to develop these age-old and timeless
virtues, which you have already begun to know here at St.
Anthony. Thus the last thing you want when you are in
college is to be complacent, and to think that you have
“made it” just by making it into college. If this is how you
think, then you are setting yourself up for failure.
Tulad ninyo, nung nag-aaral pa ako, marami din akong
mga tanong. “Why do we have to solve such frustrating
and difficult math and science problems? ‘Di naman natin
gagamiting ito sa labas ng paaralan! (I’m not going to use
these after college anyway!)” Tama ba? But then later on, I
understood that they were actually training me to think
logically, critically, and with clarity. I was being trained to
be disciplined, to persevere under stress and time
pressure! And whether you believe it or not, I have learned
to apply those things on the basketball court and when I go
out battling in the real world called life!
[Going Against the Wind]
Now some of you might ask: “Why is it not okay to cheat?
I’m just ‘double checking’ my work anyway! Besides,
everybody is doing it!”
I’d like to share with you a simple advise constantly
repeated by my mom. It goes like this: “Just because
everybody is doing it, it doesn’t mean it is right”.  
Francis Kong, one of my favorite columnists and speakers,
wrote about how truth is absolute. Here’s a simple analogy
he gave: “If you are at a streetlight and it turns red, what
do you do? You stop because it’s red and you’re supposed
to stop. But, when the light turns red, and you look at the
car next to you and it’s moving, you become unsure
whether to stop or to keep moving as well. So what do you
do? You become unsure. This is what we call - relativism.”
This is when truth is twisted -- and even destroyed -- to
suit one’s preferences.
Unfortunately, this relativism is now evident wherever we
look. Many times, photos, videos or conversations that
portray violence, sex, adultery are now portrayed so
casually. We see them when we are on the road everyday
on billboards, when we flip through magazines, turn on our
TVs, computers, or mobile phones. They are everywhere!
Thus, we fall into the danger of becoming desensitized.
Now, what does that mean? To be desensitized is to
become numb. What really is wrong becomes acceptable
because we see it all the time.
A few weeks ago, I attended the blessing and inauguration
of Xavier School Nuvali in Laguna. Father Johnny Go gave
a beautiful homily which struck me! He talked about the
Latin phrase Contra ventum tibi ambulandum est, which
was printed on one of the stained glass windows in the
chapel. It translates to “You need to walk against the
wind.”
There is a need to go against the culture of relativism and
mediocrity! We have to rebel against them, like St. Francis
Xavier who went against every advice and sailed towards
Asia to introduce Jesus Christ and the Gospel to India,
Japan, and the Moluccas. And like Blessed John Paul II
who also went against popular culture of the modern world
and condemned abortion, contraception and the ordination
of women, among others.
When I was still a student in Ateneo, I received a lucrative
offer to do a TV commercial for a consumer brand. But the
problem was that I had to go topless. The problem was not
that I didn’t have six-pack abs, because I really don’t… just
four (hehe!), unlike Derek Ramsey (who I think has 8 or
more?). But it was against my principle to go topless on
national television. So I declined the offer, but in the end,
they allowed me to wear a body suit. The campaign was
done tastefully. I mean, it was a beach setting to begin
with. But with the prevalence of so many half-naked
billboards and ads all around us, we cannot even
determine which are immodest and which aren’t. And
because we see them all the time, we tend to imitate them
without realizing that we are dressing immodestly. This is
because we have become desensitized. And we cannot
and should not tolerate that.
[Freedom to Love]
Now, let’s talk a little bit about a topic that you all love, and
that is, LOVE! Maniwala kayo sa hindi, I had my first and
only girlfriend when I was in high school. How many of you
have boyfriends or girlfriends? There’s nothing wrong with
being in a relationship. Love is wonderful! It gives us joy.
But it is difficult and has consequences. One thing that
bothers me when I watch Western movies or TV shows is
how casually they portray sex among non-married
couples, one night stands, and worse, teenagers and
same-sex couples! I hope you guys don’t believe that
giving your bodies to your partners at this age is
manifestation of true love! Because it isn’t!
When I was playing in the UAAP for the Ateneo Blue
Eagles, (you guys were probably still watching cartoons
then), I had four years of disappointment and pain
because we missed the championship every year. Year in
and year out, I would put in so much time and effort
working on my game to become a better player and a
better leader. I made lots of sacrifices and preserved
through the stressful life of a student athlete. And in my 5th
and last year when I was team captain as well, we finally
won the much-coveted championship to the joy of the
entire Ateneo community. What made it so sweet was the
fact that we endured so many years of adversity and made
so many sacrifices until our dream became a reality! Not to
mention that we also defeated our archrivals in the finals
(whose name I will not mention J )
Why did I mention that? Because, true love is about the
freedom to make sacrifices for one another: in the case of
romantic relationships, waiting for love to be blessed in
marriage. Besides, by sacrificing, we also develop fortitude
of spirit that will allow us to face challenges head on.
Sacrifice, as I have learned in my years with the Blue
Eagles, also makes the end-goal (which is success) more
satisfying.
[Bullying]
I know I’ve been speaking too long already. But I just had
to add this a few hours ago just after reading in the
newspaper about a 2nd year high school student in
Batangas who committed suicide because of bullying and
more so, cyber-bullying. He took his own life using a gun.
This is truly devastating!! Reminder: to those bullied,
taking your life is never the solution. To the witnesses and
bystanders, please report it right away. Who knows, you
might save a life! To the teachers and administrators, don’t
take bullying lightly. To the parents, write to the school if
your son is being bullied AND make sure to set good
examples to your kids because you are their role models.
So guys, make sure to use your social media accounts
responsibly!!
[Freedom to Love God]
Let me end this by giving you a story about a boy and a
barber having a conversation. I got this from a graduating
high school student like you. The boy is named Alvaro and
the barber is named Mang Boyet.
Sinabe ni Mang Boyet kay Alvaro, “Alvaro, alam mo ba,
hindi ako naniniwala sa Diyos”
“Baket naman po?” sagot ni Alvaro
“Tumingin ka sa labas. Eh kung totoong may Diyos, baket
ang daming naghihirap? Baket ang daming nagkakasakit?
Bakit ang daming namamatay ng walang kasalanan? Hindi
ba kung totoo ang Diyos niyong yan eh isang tawag lang
naten at matutulungan niya na tayo”
Sabi ni Alvaro: “Ahh ganun po ba Mang Boyet…….Mang
Boyet, tumingin ka sa labas.”
Sumagot si Mang Boyet: “Oh baket, anong meron?”
Sagot in Alvaro: “Baket ang daming mahahaba ang
buhok?”
“Kase di sila pumupunta saken para magpagupit.”, sabi ni
Mang Boyet
Tanong ni Alvaro: “Hindi po ba pwedeng gupitan mo na
lang sila kahet ayaw nila?”
“Syempre hindi.” sagot ni Mang Boyet
At humirit si Alvaro, sabi niya kay Mang Boyet: “Ganun
lang din po yun Mang Boyet. Hindi naman tayo pwede
pakelaman ng Diyos kung hindi naten siya hahayaan
makapasok sa mga sarili natin. Kailangan din naten
lumapit at mag bukas loob para mapalapit tayo sa kanya”
If God did not have the chance to enter your lives, my dear
graduating students, then you should now think twice. Are
you giving him a chance to enter your life in the first place?
As you begin your university life, remember to choose HIM
first and as you strive to live the virtues, use your freedom
well! Study well, get into sports, live healthy, make friends,
and enjoy the ride! Remember that He is your real Goal. 
With that, God will bless you with a happiness that the
world cannot give.
Congratulations once again! God bless you all!
http://ctiu.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-graduation-speech-at-
st-anthony.html