A Joyful Feast That Pierced the Heart: Celebrating St. John Eudes and 20 Years of the Eudists in the Philippines
“Pistang masaya pero tumatarak sa puso…” — Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
The feast of St. John Eudes was celebrated with joy and gratitude yesterday, Aug 19, 2026, on the year of the Eudists’ 20th year of presence in the Philippines. Yet, beyond the festivities and thanksgiving, the celebration became an invitation to look more deeply into our hearts and examine how we live out the love of God in our world today.
The occasion brought together the Good Shepherd Sisters and the Eudists in two Eucharistic celebrations: one presided over by Fr. Robert Leus, CJM, at the Good Shepherd Chapel, and another celebrated by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice.
Both celebrations drew the assembly into the heart of St. John Eudes’ spirituality—the Heart of Jesus, a heart that loves, seeks, and sends us forth in mission.
Let God Shepherd Your Heart
In his reflection, Fr. Robert Leus reminded the sisters of the Heart of the Good Shepherd, who continually seeks out those who are lost, loves each person with tenderness, and sends us to share that same love with others.
His message was both a reminder and an invitation:
“Let God shepherd you… let the love of God transform you, and let the love of Christ send you!”
These words speak to the heart of the Good Shepherd vocation. Before we can become instruments of God’s compassionate love, we must first allow ourselves to be loved, guided, and transformed by God. Our mission is not simply a task to be accomplished or a service to be rendered. It flows from a heart that has encountered the love of Christ and allows that love to shape our relationships, decisions, and responses to the needs of others.
“Nasaan ang Puso Natin? May Puso Pa Ba Tayo?”
At the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, Cardinal Tagle led the assembly into a more searching reflection on the Heart of Jesus, the center of St. John Eudes’ spirituality.
Against the backdrop of recent campus violence involving young people and the growing concerns surrounding the climate crisis, the Cardinal posed a question that reached beyond the immediate celebration:
“Nasaan ang puso natin? May puso pa ba tayo?”
Where is our heart? Do we still have a heart?
His words invited everyone to pause and examine the quality of our humanity. In a world marked by violence, suffering, environmental destruction, and increasing disconnection, it is not enough to celebrate the heart of Jesus in words or devotion. We must ask whether our own hearts remain sensitive to the pain of others and responsive to the needs of our world.
The question challenges us to look honestly at how we live, what we value, and what influences our choices. Are we becoming more compassionate, more attentive, and more willing to protect life? Or are we gradually becoming indifferent to suffering around us?
For those who follow the spirituality of St. John Eudes, devotion to the Heart of Jesus calls for more than admiration. It calls for a life increasingly shaped by the love, tenderness, and compassion of Christ.
Are We Allowing Technology to Shape Our Hearts?
Cardinal Tagle also raised a timely concern about the influence of social media and artificial intelligence specially to the youth.
His challenge was not simply about the use of technology, but about the danger of allowing it to shape our hearts and guide our choices without reflection. While social media and artificial intelligence can serve useful purposes, they cannot replace the human capacity for empathy, genuine presence, and loving relationships.
The Cardinal’s exhortation to parents, guardians, and families was especially significant: when together, we must learn to face one another and truly be present to one another, rather than remain absorbed in our gadgets.
A Feast That Calls Us to Conversion
Indeed, it was a joyful feast that also pierced the heart—a celebration that moved us from thanksgiving to self-examination, and from devotion to a renewed commitment to live with greater compassion.
The spirituality of St. John Eudes reminds us that the Heart of Jesus is not merely an object of contemplation. It is an invitation to transformation. To enter more deeply into that Heart is to allow Christ to renew our own hearts so that we may recognize the dignity of every person, respond to suffering with compassion, care for our common home, and build relationships marked by genuine presence and love.
May St. John Eudes lead us once again deep into the Heart of God and deep into our own humanity—so that, shepherded and transformed by God’s love, we may continue to seek, love, and serve others with hearts that are truly alive.
