N E W S || “Dito sa Puso Ko, Hihinto ang Galit”: Cardinal Advincula calls faithful to stop cycles of hatred and violence
Katherine Cymel P. Oh
SOCOM / San Isidro Labrador Parish, Pasay
Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula, D.D., called on the community of San Felipe Neri Parish in Mandaluyong City to respond to a culture of anger and division through forgiveness, humility, and a refusal to perpetuate cycles of hatred and retaliation during the Eucharistic Celebration on Sept. 12, 2026.
Reflecting on the readings for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cardinal Advincula centered his homily on three calls for the faithful: to love without keeping count, to choose humility, and to stop the cycle of anger and violence.
The Cardinal opened his reflection by observing that people have become accustomed to keeping track of others’ mistakes and quickly judging those who disagree with them. He noted that this can be seen both online and in everyday life, where people can be divided into “kami” and “sila.”
Amid this reality, he invited the San Felipe Neri Parish community to examine how resentment, anger, and grudges are carried in the heart.
First, Cardinal Advincula urged the faithful to recognize that love does not keep a record of how many times one has been hurt or how many times one has forgiven because love does not keep count.
He drew from the Gospel passage in which Peter asks how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him, proposing seven times. Jesus responds by going beyond Peter’s calculation and calling for forgiveness “pitumpu’t pitong beses.”
The Cardinal connected this teaching with the parable of the unforgiving servant, who was forgiven an enormous debt by his master but refused to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a much smaller amount.
Cardinal Advincula said the parable exposes the contradiction of asking God for mercy while refusing to extend mercy to others.He therefore urged the faithful to set aside the “calculator” and “ledger” of the heart, emphasizing that God’s mercy is not something given in limited portions.
“Huwag sanaying mapagbilang ang puso,” he said.
Second, Cardinal Advincula called on the faithful to choose humility, particularly when dealing with resentment.
He explained that people can become attached to anger because it reinforces the belief that they are right and that the other person is wrong. Citing the Book of Sirach, he reminded the community that a person cannot reasonably refuse mercy to another while asking God for forgiveness for his or her own sins.
The Cardinal said recognizing oneself as dependent on God’s mercy removes the basis for looking down on others.
He also emphasized that Christian forgiveness does not mean ignoring wrongdoing.
“Maaaring magpatawad at patuloy na manindigan para sa katotohanan,” Cardinal Advincula said, stressing that forgiveness does not mean tolerating corruption, abandoning justice, or condoning what is wrong.
Instead, he said, a person can release anger from the heart while continuing to seek justice.
Third, Cardinal Advincula called on the faithful to stop the cycle of anger, retaliation, and violence.
Reflecting on St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, he reminded the community that Christians belong to the Lord and therefore should not allow themselves to be governed by a cycle of revenge.
He particularly pointed to the temptation to answer harm with harm: “Ginawa nila sa amin, gagawin din namin sa kanila.”
Cardinal said that such a response can keep people trapped in an endless cycle in which every wound becomes a reason to inflict another wound. Instead, he called forgiveness a decision to prevent hatred from being passed on to others, reminding the faithful that they themselves live by God’s mercy.
“Sa halip na maging salamin ng galit ng mundo, maging salamin tayo ng awa ng Diyos,” Cardinal Advincula said.
He concluded with a simple call that gathered the homily’s three points into one response: “Dito sa puso ko, hihinto ang galit. Dito magsisimula ang pagpapatawad.”
Photo by Maricar Santos / RCAM Media | Photogallery: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1093463956765195&type=3
