CUBAO, QUEZON CITY — The Diocese of Cubao celebrated its fifth City on a Hill Bible Festival on January 24, 2026, at Christ the King Mission Seminary where the faithful spent the day in prayer and Scripture.
Participants from the diocese’s six vicariates—Holy Family, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, San Pedro Bautista, Santa Rita de Cascia, Santo Niño, and Saint Joseph—took part in various Bible-centered activities, including a TikTok video contest, cheer dance, Bible declamation, Bible theater, and Bible quiz bee.
In his welcome message, Fr. Randy Flores, SVD, Director of the Diocese of Cubao Biblical Apostolate, explained that the festival’s title draws inspiration from the Gospel image of a “City Set on a Hill,” reflecting both the identity and mission of the local Church.
“Because Cubao is a city on a hill, we called our yearly Bible Festival the City on a Hill Bible Festival,” Flores said, adding that the primary goal of the gathering is “to animate the reading of the Bible in the Diocese of Cubao.”
The celebration culminated in a concluding Mass, during which Rev. Fr. Fredrick Edward “Jojo” Simón, the Diocese’s Vicar General, reminded the faithful that the end of the festival marked the beginning of a renewed mission to live out God’s Word.
Reflecting on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, he spoke of the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry as the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring light to those living in darkness. He said that Jesus, the true light, continues to bring hope, faith, and love to those searching for direction.
Simón emphasized that the Word of God gives believers courage to overcome fear and calls them to conversion and trust, just as it did for the first disciples—Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
He urged the faithful to live out the Scripture, to proclaim God’s love and forgiveness, and to make generosity visible in their actions: “God’s love is seen in how we live, act, and serve; God’s forgiveness in how we forgive; and God’s generosity in becoming a blessing to others.”
The annual Bible Festival is the diocese’s pastoral response to Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter Aperuit Illis, issued in 2019, which designated the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time as the Sunday of the Word of God.
The initiative also forms part of the celebration of National Bible Month 2026, themed “God’s Word Brings Life to Our Hearts and to Our Homes.”
As the Diocese of Cubao concluded its fifth Bible Festival, the faithful were encouraged to carry the light of God’s Word into their homes, hearts, and to live it out in everything they do.