‘The greatest act of love is enduring for others’

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MANILA, Philippines — At the start of Holy Week, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula reminded Catholics that the greatest act of love is enduring for others.

In his Palm Sunday homily at the Manila Cathedral, Advincula said the silence and suffering of Jesus Christ show the redemptive power of giving oneself completely to God.

Jesus’ silence amid betrayal, mockery and crucifixion show that patience and surrender can accomplish more than visible action or worldly power.

Surrender, he said, is often misunderstood as weakness in a world that prizes competition, control and perseverance above all else. But the cross offers a different wisdom – letting go and trusting God can transform even suffering into something redemptive and life-giving.

“But on the cross, we discover something deeper. The greatest act of love in human history is not an action, but a surrender,” said Advincula, CBCPNews reported.

“On the cross, Jesus shows us that love is sometimes revealed not by what we do, but by what we are willing to endure for the sake of others,” he added.

The Manila archbishop said Filipinos should look at trials, injustice and personal suffering as opportunities for grace, trusting that God can transform darkness into instruments of salvation.

“This is the good news hidden within the passion. God can take even the darkest moments of human life, like betrayal, injustice, suffering, abandonment and transform them into instruments of grace,” he said.

Advincula said the faithful should embrace both the solemnity of Christ’s suffering and the hope rooted in trusting God.

“For it is precisely there, in the hands of God, that our suffering is transformed. Our crosses are redeemed. And our lives find their true meaning,” he added.

Meanwhile, in Congress, Speaker Faustino Dy III echoed the call for reflection, urging Filipinos to use Holy Week as a time for renewal and recommitment to values that strengthen families and the nation.

Dy said the solemn observance comes at a crucial time as many Filipinos continue to face personal and collective challenges, making the message of sacrifice, forgiveness and hope more relevant than ever.

“Holy Week reminds us of sacrifice, forgiveness and hope – lessons that guide us as people and as one nation.”