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22/08/2026

𝘒𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘨
𝘐𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘨
𝘕𝘢𝘸𝘢'𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘢
𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘢...

Magkita-kita po tayo sa Campus Ministry Fair na gaganapin bukas sa Parish of the Holy Sacrifice mula 6 am hanggang 730 pm!

Nothing without faith. Never without passion. All for Kuya Jess.

Join ICTUS today: https://forms.gle/VrYinZT5kQYWFA8j8

22/08/2026

𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬

“Mary's crown does not place her above us; it reminds us of the love that placed her completely at the service of God and His people.”

Only a week after celebrating Mary's Assumption, the Church gives us another reason to look toward her: Mary is Queen.

But the Church's understanding of Mary's queenship is not about power, distance, or worldly authority. Her crown is inseparable from her life with Christ—from the humble fiat of Nazareth to her presence at the foot of the Cross, and finally to her glorification with her Son. Pope Pius XII instituted this liturgical celebration in 1954, and after the reform of the Roman Calendar, it was placed on August 22, eight days after the Assumption, precisely to show the close relationship between Mary's glorification and her queenship.

Mary is Queen because she is uniquely united with Christ. Her greatness does not come from standing apart from humanity, but from the way she gave herself to God's will and remained faithful to her Son. As Lumen Gentium teaches, she was exalted as Queen of the universe so that she might be more fully conformed to Christ.

And perhaps that changes the way we understand the word “Queen.”

REFLECTION

We are used to thinking of a queen as someone who sits on a throne, wears a crown, and commands from above.

Mary shows us something different.

Her queenship began with a young woman saying yes to something she could not completely understand. It continued through ordinary days, uncertainty, the joy of motherhood, and the sorrow of watching her Son suffer. Her greatness was not in being served, but in giving herself.

Maybe that is why Mary's queenship feels so different from the kind of greatness we often pursue.

As students, it is easy to think that becoming successful means becoming more visible, more accomplished, or more influential. We want our work to be noticed. We want our names to mean something. We want to know that what we are doing matters.

Mary offers another way of seeing greatness.

She did not need to make herself important. She simply allowed God to work through her.

There is something worth remembering here for anyone trying to discern what kind of person they want to become. Our vocation is not ultimately about making a name for ourselves. It is about discovering what God is asking us to give.

Mary's life was a continual yes—not always to things that were easy, but to the God who was asking for her trust.

Maybe our own yes looks much smaller right now: choosing to serve when nobody notices, being patient with someone who needs us, remaining faithful when we are tired, or trusting God with a future we cannot yet see.

Mary's crown, then, is not simply a symbol of privilege.

It is the crown of a life that belonged completely to Christ.

And perhaps that is the kind of greatness we should desire too.

COLLECT

O God, who made the Mother of your Son to be our Mother and our Queen, graciously grant that, sustained by her intercession, we may attain in the heavenly Kingdom the glory promised to your children.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, pray for us.

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SOURCES

Pius XII. Ad Caeli Reginam: Encyclical on the Proclamation of the Queenship of Mary, October 11, 1954.
Second Vatican Council. Lumen Gentium, no. 59.
Benedict XVI. “General Audience, August 22, 2012,” on the Queenship of Mary.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 22.

22/08/2026

21/08/2026

Come join us for Schools: A shared moment of prayer and reflection, happening online via Google Meet tomorrow at 10 AM.

Schools
Saturday, August 22 · 10:00 – 11:00am
Time zone: Asia/Manila
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/vfu-mxek-cik

20/08/2026

𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗣𝗜𝗨𝗦 𝗫 | 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗲

“To restore all things in Christ.”

Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Pius X (1835–1914), the 257th successor of Saint Peter and one of the great pastoral figures of the modern Church.

Born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto in Riese, Italy, to a humble family, he was ordained a priest at the age of twenty-three. His early ministry as a parish priest, and later as Bishop of Mantua and Patriarch of Venice, was marked by a profound love for Christ, simplicity of life, pastoral dedication, and charity toward those in need.

He was elected pope in 1903 and took the name Pius X. His pontificate was guided by the desire to “restore all things in Christ,” a phrase drawn from his first encyclical, E Supremi. He worked for the renewal of Christian life, encouraged frequent reception of the Eucharist, promoted the formation of clergy and catechists, and sought to make the Church's teaching more accessible and firmly rooted in Christ.

Pius X also believed deeply in the importance of Christian formation. His pontificate saw significant attention given to catechesis and to helping ordinary Catholics understand and live their faith. Even amid the theological and cultural conflicts of his time, his pastoral vision remained centered on bringing people back to Christ.

He died on August 20, 1914, and was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1954.

REFLECTION

Saint Pius X had a simple motto: “Instaurare Omnia in Christo” — “To restore all things in Christ.”

At first, it sounds like something grand—almost like a mission statement for the entire Church. But perhaps its meaning becomes more personal when we ask what it looks like in our own lives as students.

We spend so much of our time trying to build a future for ourselves: finishing our degrees, figuring out what we want to do, pursuing the things we are passionate about, finding people we want to journey with, and slowly becoming the person we hope to be. Yet somewhere along the way, it is easy to become so focused on building our lives that we forget to ask where Christ is in all of it. For Saint Pius X, faith was never meant to be something we simply keep on the side. It should reach the way we think, the choices we make, the way we treat people, and even the reasons behind the things we pursue.

Maybe this is where his motto becomes meaningful for us. Our studies can be more than requirements we need to finish. Our talents can be shared rather than kept for ourselves. Our organizations can become spaces where we learn to serve. Even the ordinary things we do every day can become opportunities to encounter Christ and make His presence felt in the lives of others. And perhaps restoring all things in Christ does not always begin with something extraordinary. Sometimes, it begins much closer to home—with ourselves.

Maybe there is something in us that needs to be restored: a relationship we have neglected, a purpose we have lost sight of, a vocation we are still trying to understand, or simply a faith that has grown a little quiet. Saint Pius X reminds us that we do not have to figure everything out at once. We can simply keep returning to where everything begins and finds its meaning:

Christ.

COLLECT

O God, who, to safeguard the Catholic faith and to restore all things in Christ, filled Saint Pius, your Pope, with heavenly wisdom and apostolic fortitude, graciously grant that, following his example and teachings, we may gain an eternal prize.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

A PRAYER WITH SAINT PIUS X

Lord Jesus Christ,

You called Saint Pius X to serve Your Church with humility, courage, and unwavering love. Teach us to place You at the center of our lives.

In our studies, give us wisdom.
In our service, give us generosity.
In our leadership, give us humility.
In our struggles, give us courage.
And in our discernment, give us the grace to recognize where You are calling us.

When our priorities become disordered, restore us in You.
When our faith becomes routine, awaken our hearts.
When we become focused only on our own success, remind us that our gifts are meant to become gifts for others.

May we learn from Saint Pius X that everything we do—our learning, our work, our friendships, our communities, and our dreams—can become a way of bringing Christ into the world.

Restore all things in us, O Lord, in Christ.

Amen.

Saint Pius X, Pope, pray for us.

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SOURCES

Benedict XVI. “General Audience: Saint Pius the Tenth,” August 18, 2010. The Holy See.
Pius X. E Supremi: On the Restoration of All Things in Christ, October 4, 1903. The Holy See.
Pius X. Pascendi Dominici Gregis, September 8, 1907. The Holy See.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope,” August 21.
The Holy See. “Pius X — Biography.”

20/08/2026

Come visit our booth during the Campus Ministry Fair, happening this Sunday at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice!

Please visit UP ICTUS's FB Page: UP ICTUS✨

19/08/2026

𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗨𝗫 |
𝗔𝗯𝗯𝗼𝘁, 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵

“The heart does not find God merely by knowing more about Him, but by learning to love Him more deeply.”

Today, the Church remembers Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090/1091–1153), Cistercian abbot, preacher, theologian, and Doctor of the Church whose life was profoundly shaped by the search for God.

Born in Burgundy, France, Bernard entered the monastery of Cîteaux in 1112 with several companions. Three years later, he was sent to establish a new monastery in a remote valley known as Clairvaux. Under his leadership, the monastery flourished and became an important center of Cistercian spirituality. His influence eventually extended far beyond the cloister: he preached, advised popes and rulers, defended the unity of the Church, and wrote extensively on Scripture, prayer, and the love of God.

Yet beneath his many responsibilities was a deeply contemplative spirituality. Bernard's writings repeatedly return to one central reality: God is to be encountered through love.

His famous sermons on the Song of Songs, for instance, use the language of human love to speak about the soul's longing for communion with God. This helped earn him the enduring reputation of the Doctor Mellifluus—the “honeyed” or eloquent Doctor—because of the sweetness and depth of his spiritual writings. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1174 and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius VIII.

REFLECTION

As students, we spend much of our lives learning.

We read. We analyze. We question. We memorize. We argue. We try to understand.

And perhaps there is a temptation to believe that knowing more will always bring us closer to what is true.

Saint Bernard reminds us that knowledge alone is not the destination.

We can know about God without truly knowing Him. We can speak about faith without allowing faith to transform us. We can become familiar with Scripture, theology, and religious ideas while still keeping God at a safe distance from our actual lives.

For St. Bernard, the Christian life ultimately moves toward love.

This is particularly meaningful for us as students. Our education gives us the ability to understand the world, but Christian formation asks something deeper:

What kind of person is all this knowledge making me?

Does what I learn make me more compassionate?
More truthful? More humble? More attentive to others? More capable of loving God?

Perhaps the invitation of Saint Bernard is not simply to know more, but to allow what we know to lead us toward love.

Because at the end of all our searching, the question may not be:

“How much do I know?”

but:

“What have I learned to love?”

May Saint Bernard teach us to seek God not only with an intelligent mind, but with a heart willing to be transformed by love.

COLLECT

O God, who made the Abbot Saint Bernard a man renowned for his love of your name, grant, by his intercession, that we may walk with joy in the path of holiness and be filled with the riches of your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

A PRAYER WITH SAINT BERNARD

Lord Jesus Christ,

Teach us to seek You not only with our minds, but with our hearts.

In the midst of our studies, questions, ambitions, and uncertainties, help us never to lose sight of the One whom we are ultimately seeking.

Give us the wisdom to recognize what is true, the humility to admit what we do not know, and the courage to allow what we learn to transform the way we live.

When knowledge makes us proud, make us humble.
When our hearts become restless, draw us back to You.
When we become distracted by many things, teach us to desire what truly matters.

Through the intercession of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, may our search for truth become a search for You, and may our knowledge ultimately become an act of love.

Amen.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

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SOURCES
Benedict XVI. “General Audience of 20 August 2008: Reflection on Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.” The Holy See.
Benedict XVI. “Angelus, 20 August 2006.” The Holy See.
“St. Bernard of Clairvaux.” Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent.
Vatican News. “St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 101–104, on Sacred Scripture and the Word of God. The Holy See.

19/08/2026

Every Wednesday at 8 PM, we continue our devotion to the Blessed Mother by praying the Holy Rosary together.

Come join us at https://meet.google.com/xxz-krii-oey