As many Filipino families grapple with rising living costs and economic uncertainty, Archbishop Alberto Uy of Cebu urged Catholics to respond with greater solidarity, saying difficult times are testing not only the economy but also the nation’s compassion.
In his homily on Friday, Uy reflected on the burdens many families face, including rising household expenses, job insecurity, illness, loneliness, and recovery from calamities.
“Many Filipinos today are carrying heavy burdens,” the archbishop said, noting that some parents worry about paying for food, tuition, medicines, and electricity while many workers struggle to make ends meet despite rising prices.
The prelate said periods of uncertainty often lead people to focus on protecting what they have. But drawing from the First Letter of Peter, he said Christians are called to respond differently.
“When life becomes difficult, people often become more focused on protecting what they have,” he said. “But Saint Peter gives us a different response. He says: ‘Above all, let your love for one another be intense.’”
The archbishop encouraged the faithful to remain rooted in prayer and to recognize that their resources, talents, and opportunities are gifts entrusted by God for the service of others.
“Our health, our family, our work, our resources, our talents—none of these are ours alone. They are gifts entrusted to us by God,” he said, adding that Christians should ask not only what they possess but how they can use those gifts to help others.
Uy also warned against indifference to the struggles of vulnerable people, saying Christian love requires attentiveness to those experiencing hardship.
“Love is not merely a feeling. Love notices,” he said, pointing to elderly people living alone, families struggling to buy rice, students unable to afford school supplies, and workers who have lost their jobs.
He cautioned that material comfort can weaken concern for those who suffer.
“One of the greatest dangers of prosperity is becoming comfortable while others suffer,” he said.
Citing St. Peter’s exhortation to use one’s gifts in service of others, Uy emphasized that generosity is not limited to those with wealth.
“Some can share money. Some can share food. Some can share time. Some can share skills. Some can share encouragement. Some can share opportunities,” he said.
The archbishop said the country’s present difficulties offer an opportunity to practice solidarity in concrete ways.
“These difficult times are testing not only our economy but also our compassion,” he said. “If God has blessed us with more, let us share more.”
Uy concluded by calling for families, communities, and society to become places “where those who have more willingly help those who have less, and where no one is left behind.”
