Marcos: Serve others with compassion, humility like Mama Mary

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday called on Filipino Catholics to serve others with compassion and humility like the Blessed Virgin Mary, in line with the observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Concepcion.

Marcos said that religion and faith bring a “sense of community and belonging” that provides stability, purpose, and hope and is important in the spiritual, mental, and emotional health of Filipinos.

READ: Immaculate Conception: What is it and why is it important for Filipinos?

“As we celebrate this holy feast, I encourage my fellow Catholics and Filipinos to emulate Mary by serving others with compassion and humility, especially as we strive to build the Bagong Pilipinas we desire for our people,” Marcos said in a letter released by the Malacañang Palace.

“Let us lead and embrace the journey towards holiness and remain connected through the common aspiration to live a life filled with integrity, devotion, and love,” Marcos added.

The President also said that the holy feast holds a “profound significance” honoring the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of Jesus Christ and God’s plan for the redemption of humanity.

“It holds great meaning among Catholics and invites an opportunity for all people of faith to reflect on the themes of grace, purity, and devotion,” he emphasized.

The Society of Jesus, through the Ateneo de Manila University previously explained that every December 8 marks the day “of the beginning of the life of Mary in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, nine months before her birthday on Sept. 8.”

READ: Immaculate Conception solemnity moved to Dec 9