“Okay Lang”
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
October 25, 2026
📖 LITURGICAL READINGS | |
First Reading | |
Responsorial Psalm | |
Second Reading | |
Gospel | |
🌱 Reflection
Author: Frt. Gilmore E. Malonhao, MSP Affiliate
Gospel Reflection: Matthew 22:34–40
Have you ever asked someone, “Kumusta ka?” and received the answer, “Okay lang,” even when something inside you tells you that they are not really okay?
Sometimes, people smile not because they are happy, but because they do not want others to worry. Some remain silent because they are tired of explaining their pain. Others choose to carry their burdens alone because they feel that nobody would understand them anyway.
The sad truth is that we do not always recognize the people who need love the most. They may be the very people who never ask for it.
In today's Gospel, Jesus gives us two great commandments: to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These words remind us that loving God is not separated from loving the people around us. Our love for Him must become visible in the way we care for others.
But how do we love our neighbor when we do not even notice that they are hurting?
We often wait for someone to tell us that they are struggling before we offer help. We wait for them to ask before we show concern. We assume that because someone is smiling, they must be doing well. Yet, the person who makes everyone laugh is usually the one who cries alone at night. The person who is always available for others may be the one who wishes someone would ask if they are okay.
Perhaps this is where Jesus is inviting us to look more closely at the people around us. Love is not always about doing something extraordinary. It is simply noticing, listening without judgment, checking on a friend, or staying beside someone who does not know how to explain what they feel.
We may not be able to solve another person's problems, but we can remind them that they do not have to face everything alone.
And perhaps we also need to remember that loving our neighbor begins with recognizing their humanity. Just as we hope others will understand us when we are struggling, we must learn to extend that same patience and compassion to them. We do not always know the battles people are fighting, so let us be careful with our words and generous with our understanding.
Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means giving others the same kindness we hope to receive, the same patience we need, and the same understanding we wish others would offer us.
Today, let us look beyond the smiles, the laughter, and those familiar words, “Okay lang.” Let us become people who do not simply ask how others are doing, but are also willing to listen to the answer.
Because the greatest act of love is not having the right words to say, but making someone feel that they do not have to hide their pain to be loved.
And in a world where many people are silently struggling, may we become the kind of neighbors Jesus calls us to be: people who notice, people who listen, and people who love.
Ikaw, kumusta ka?
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