Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose F. Advincula D.D., called the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Face of Jesus to make the face of Christ visible through conversion, reparative love and service as the congregation marked its 50th anniversary of presence in the Philippines on October 2, 2026.
“Limangpung taon na nilang ipinapakita sa atin ang mukha ng Diyos,” Cardinal Advincula said, describing the sisters’ five decades of mission as a witness to God’s presence amid a world that continues to ask where God is in the midst of suffering and chaos.
Reflecting on the Book of Job, the Cardinal emphasized humility and holy silence before the mystery of God. Job’s encounter with God “out of the whirlwind” led him to recognize his limitations, while the Incarnation revealed the same transcendent God through the human face of Jesus.
The Gospel’s warning to Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, meanwhile, points to the responsibility that comes with receiving grace. Cardinal Advincula described the Golden Jubilee as “a spiritual audit,” asking whether five decades of devotion and the presence of the Holy Face mission have led to genuine conversion.
“Grace demands accountability,” the Cardinal said, stressing that religious devotion must lead to transformed lives. He connected the mission of the sisters with Christ’s words, “Whoever listens to you listens to me,” presenting their work as an invitation for people to welcome Christ into their lives.
Cardinal Advincula also urged the faithful to recognize the Holy Face of Jesus in people who suffer. He pointed to the overworked commuter, the elderly person abandoned by family and the hungry child as faces where Christ can be encountered today.
“My dear Holy Face Sisters, your mission of reparative love is to make those suffering faces smile again,” the Cardinal said, linking prayer and adoration with the responsibility to go out and serve those at the margins of society.
The Cardinal also connected the Jubilee with the upcoming Golden Anniversary of the First Shroud Exhibit in the Philippines, saying the suffering and majesty seen in the Shroud of Turin point to the mystery of Christ’s suffering and presence.
As the sisters begin the next 50 years of their presence in the country, Cardinal Advincula called the faithful to move beyond simply looking at holy images and instead reflect Christ in their lives. “Maging mukha tayo ni Hesus para sa isa’t isa,” he said. “Be the face of God to a broken world.”
(Photo by Norman Dequia / Radio Veritas)
