Journey2Life

𝙏𝙊𝘿𝘼𝙔’𝙨 𝙂𝙈𝙍𝘾 | 𝘼𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙐𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝

Calling or texting inside the church during worship or prayer is not appropriate. The church is a sacred place where we come to meet God. When we use our phones, we distract not only ourselves but also others who are trying to pray.
The Bible reminds us: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God… let your words be few.” (Ecclesiastes 5:1–2)
When we enter the church, we are invited to be silent, attentive, and respectful. Prayer is a moment to listen to God. As young Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)
Messages can wait. Calls can wait. But the moment we give to God is sacred.
So when we come to church, let us silence our phones and open our hearts—because in prayer, the most important voice we need to hear is the voice of God.

✍️Maymay sa Magbalantay
Archdiocese of Cebu

“𝑨 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑬𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.”

During a quiet university lecture, Professor Sydney Engelberg was teaching with calm passion in front of an attentive classroom.

Suddenly, the persistent cries of a baby broke the silence. The child, held in the arms of his mother—a young student sitting at the back of the room—immediately drew everyone’s attention. The woman, visibly embarrassed, stood up intending to leave so as not to disturb the class further.

But something unexpected happened. Before the mother could reach the door, Professor Engelberg briefly paused his lecture, calmly walked over, and without saying a word, took the baby into his arms. He then returned to the front of the class and resumed teaching as if nothing had happened, gently cradling the child against his chest. He showed no annoyance, offered no explanations, and made no mention of any rules about children in the classroom.

The students, surprised, watched the scene with awe and deep admiration. They later recounted that the lesson continued with the same clarity and precision as always, while the professor held the baby. It wasn’t an isolated act: Engelberg was already known at the university for his sensitivity toward student-mothers, whom he welcomed into his courses with respect and understanding. He allowed them to breastfeed in class, to bring their children with them, and to care for them without ever making them feel like a burden.

His words, often quoted by his students, conveyed a profound vision: “A mother should never be forced to choose between motherhood and education. Educating a mother is an investment in the entire nation.”

The photograph of that simple yet powerful gesture spread across the world, becoming a tangible symbol of inclusion, respect, and humanity. For many, that was the most important lesson: to educate also means to welcome. And a classroom can be the very first place to learn what it truly means to be human.

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