12/07/2025
๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐,
In the Gospel this Sunday, we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan-someone who did not turn away from suffering but acted with compassion and courage.
There is a growing suffering quietly affecting many of our families, especially the youth. It calls not for avoidance or indifference, but for mercy and truth. Online gambling is spreading like a silent virus-ruining lives, destroying relationships, and enslaving many in addiction and debt. It may seem harmless or entertaining at first, but it has become a new face of moral and social crisis in our time.
This is not simply a personal failing. It is a system designed to trap, condition, and profit from people's desperation. What begins as a game often ends in quiet despair. Those most affected are often the poor, the young, and those already burdened by life's pressures. Online gambling is not only a moral issue. It is also a public health and mental health concern.
Addiction to gambling leads many to anxiety, depression, broken relationships, and even suicidal thoughts. Behind every screen may be a soul silently struggling, a family slowly breaking, a future quietly collapsing. We must respond not with condemnation, but with mercy and truth. People need healing, not humiliation. They need support, not silence.
And they need communities ready to see their wounds, not walk past them. In this Jubilee of Hope, we proclaim: The Gospel of Christ has the power to free us. Freedom from this bo***ge does not come from willpower alone, but through truth, grace, and accompaniment. To those already struggling with gambling addiction: You are not alone. There is a way forward. The Church is here to walk with you toward freedom.
Let us not be silent when families are hurting.
Let us not call "entertainment" what Christ sees as bo***ge.
Let us be neighbors to one another.
๐ง๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: Speak openly with your children. Guide their use of digital platforms. Show them what is true, what is good, and what is harmful.
๐ง๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ: Guard your hearts. Do not be deceived by false promises of quick success. The freedom you protect today will shape the life you live tomorrow.
๐ง๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Do not be ashamed. Seek help. Speak to someone you trust. God's mercy is greater than your fears.
๐ง๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐: Create spaces of listening, prayer, and support. Be a place where healing can begin.
๐ง๐ผ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐: Choose people over profit. Protect the vulnerable. Ban what exploits. Support what restores.
Let us help bring back true freedom by choosing what is right, by protecting our families, and by helping those who have fallen to rise again.
The Gospel reminds us: ๐ง๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ. ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ. ๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐. ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐. ๐๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ท๐๐ฑ๐ด๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐; ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ.
May the Blessed Mother, Nuestra Seรฑora de Salvaciรณn, pray for us, and may the Lord who came to bring liberty to captives bless us with courage, wisdom, and peace.
In the PEACE that binds us all,
๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ง. ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ. ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ. ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ก, ๐.๐.
๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฝ๐ถ
This is a modified version of the recent statement of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines on online gambling.
//JMB | Tune in to DZGB-am for more updates
