OLPCC Christian Formation Program - Campus Ministry

SEPTEMBER 15 | Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Today, we honor Our Lady of Sorrows, remembering the deep suffering Mary endured as she stood faithfully beside her Son, Jesus. Her sorrow reveals a mother's unwavering love and her complete trust in God's will.

May Mary teach us to remain faithful through our own struggles, trusting that God is present even in our moments of pain.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!

PRAYER:
O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ,by the overwhelming grief you experienced
when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object: Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen.

September 14 | The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, also known as the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, commemorates three historical events: the discovery of the True Cross in 326, its initial exaltation for public veneration in 335, and the recovery of the Cross from the Persians in 628. Nowadays, this feast also celebrates the boundless impact of Christ’s Cross upon all of creation.

The core of our celebration is not the physical wood of the Cross or the holy sites where Jesus died and was buried. Our primary focus is the infinite love shown through the selfless and perfect Sacrifice of the Son of God and the boundless mercy that has poured forth upon the world as a result. The Cross itself is a cruel instrument of torture and death. The fact that it is now the symbol of God’s perfect love only further magnifies that love and showcases God’s infinite power to use the worst for the best: to use death to bring life and to transform the greatest act of cruelty ever known into the greatest act of mercy ever bestowed upon the world.

The Cross of Christ must permeate each one of us, transforming us and making us new. First and foremost, this happens when we open ourselves to the infinite mercy of God flowing from that selfless Sacrifice. It also occurs when we allow every one of our sufferings, the injustices we endure, the crosses, hardships, and most undesirable aspects of our lives to share in the redemptive power of Christ. We do this when we embrace Jesus’ commands to share in His sufferings, unite them with His own, and allow Him to bear an abundance of good fruit through us. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25).

As we commemorate the triumph of Christ’s Cross, call to mind the crosses you bear each day. More often than not, when faced with crosses, we seek a way out, succumb to self-pity, and are often tempted by anger and despair. Instead, try to allow Jesus to enter those crosses, transform them, and use them for His glory, your good, and the good of others. Crosses in life should not be avoided; they must be transformed. Although the suffering may remain, it must become redeemed suffering, thus bearing an abundance of good fruit in ways that only God can accomplish.

𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓: 𝟐𝟎𝟐6 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞

Please be guided, Pillaricans.
See you at Our Lady of the Visitation Seminary on your scheduled recollection!

MARIAN YOUTH CAMP 2026

PART 3 | Snapshots during the Marian Youth Camp 2026.