God’s love and mercy is never overpowered by people’s failures or fears, Rev. Fr. Narciso Estrella, Jr. O.P., vice rector of the UST Central Seminary, said in his homily on Thursday, Nov. 6, for the second day of the Triduum and the Feast of the Thomasian Martyrs at the Santisimo Rosario Parish.

The vice rector recalled the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin from the Gospel of Luke, and said that these stories end in joy.

“Both stories end with joy. This is the joy that is not just an ordinary happiness, but a heavenly rejoicing over what was lost, but is now found,” Estrella said.

“These parables reveal the heart of our God. A God who searches, finds, and rejoices. A God who does not give up on anyone, [and] a God whose mercy is tireless and love was not defeated by our failures or fears,” Estrella added.

He shared that these parables “powerfully illustrate” God’s relentless love for each person.

“These parables remind us that everyone is precious [to] God in His sight and heart, and that no one is ever beyond hope or compassion. Both the shepherd and the woman embody the hope that endures despite the odds,” he said.

He also said that every Christian vocation begins with being found, and that everyone is called to participate in God’s search for the lost, forgotten, and the wounded.

Before closing his homily, Estrella reminded Thomasians that the martyrs are pilgrims who lived earthly lives as “a journey towards God,” embodying a pilgrim witness means to keep moving forward, and to be a sign of hope, particularly to those who feel lost, delusion, or abandoned.

The Triduum and Feast for Thomasian Martyrs was held from Nov. 5 to Nov. 7, with the theme, “Pilgrim Witnesses of Enduring Hope”.