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Reflections Archive
We see that life is not at all a bed of roses. We heard Job’s description of it: “Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling?” Job’s life, he confesses, is made up of “months of mise
For a truly solid reason is the Sto. Niño the Principal Patron of the Philippines. The popularity of the Sto. Niño is more than just strong, it is historically founded. After planting the cross on a hill, Magellan sailed westwards to Cebu where, in April 1521, 800 Cebuanos received baptism. The new Christian Queen Juana was gifted with the image of Sto. Niño by Magellan for her “to keep it in pl
If Christmas is the feast of receiving a gift fro
John the Baptist is certainly one of our heroes in
According to the story, Kin
After the celebration of a weekday Mass, a young man fainted outside the church. The people who were coming out hurriedly came to his rescue and brought him to the nearby office. When the poor man came to, he confessed that he has not eaten in two days because he could not find work. Moved with pity, the people around opened their wallets and filled his pockets-from one-hundred to five-hundred peso bills. The young man left with a huge smile on h
From the animated cartoon movie Dumbo, (which is about an elephant) we find found the following line in the lyrics of the theme song: “From your head down to your toes, you are not much, goodness knows, but you are precious to me, Baby of mine…!” The above quotations strike a parallel chord to God’s love for humans and the rest of God’s creation. It is similar to a mother’s l
The Pharisees were not only nasty but also malicious people; for they were always looking for opportunities to catch Jesus teach falsehood or rebellion against civil authorities. But on this occasion, as we say in Pilipino: “Nakakita sila ng katapat.” (They met their match). The people, seeing the wisdom of Jesus, admired him the more.
The issue was clear: to pay taxes or not; so was the answer: give to the government what is due it,
I was invited with two of my fellow priests by a family for a dinner in a nice subdivision in the city. Our hosts gave us special treatment, and during the meal, the father said that it gave them great privilege and joy to be with men of God. When we were about to leave, one of my of my companions said thanks and expressed his desire to be invited again, which made me laugh inside and think, “Haha! Kapal naman ng kapatid ko!”
On our way ho
What a bloody story Jesus is telling here! “Nothing to do with me,” we might think. But Jesus’ parables are classic, which means timeless, because they are always timely. What if by those “unfaithful tenants” Jesus meant “us”? God has entrusted so much to us, not for our own use but to “bring fruit.” What harvest are we bringing to our Divine Master? Isn’t it that too often we think about “my” salvation, “my” ete
Aristotle, the celebrated Greek Philosopher, once observed in his Metaphysics that of the five senses, the most preferred and the most important is the sense of sight.
Many will agree with him. But it is a matter of cultural outlook. Aristotle comes from a cultural milieu where what is seen by the eyes is highly valued. That is why the material or sensible w
This is an ordinary Sunday, but ours is a gospel text that defies comprehension and makes for a baffling day. First of all, let’s look at it carefully. The kingdom of heaven is here likened to the landowner, not to the vineyard. It is the landowner who is like the Kingdom. In what sense? In two things: generosity and justice. The landlord is generous beyond calculation. “Are you envious because I am generous?” asks the landlord at the
Because of a land dispute violence erupted between two families in my mission station in Paraguay. In the aftermath I found myself presiding over the funeral rites of a father and two sons. I had met his family once before, and shared their table on the occasion, making my task of comforting the bereaved wife and two remaining sons far from simple. The sons sat civilly through the rites, but through their eyes clearly promised vengeance and the r
Parents always get stressed when their children do not live up to their expectations. Many times a parent would come and complain to me, “Father, my daughter has joined another religion. I have been all over her to come back!” or “Father, my son wants to get married, but he’s still studying!”
It is understandable when parents strongly desire that their children follow their footsteps, be good people, and get a better life…but a
Twenty six years ago I arrived in my first mission in Congo far from the capital. It was another world. There was no electricity, no water, no telephone, no TV, no post office, no buses, no restaurant, no movie houses… Name it, we don’t have it! Yet, looking back, I realize that it was there where I spent one of the happiest moments of my missionary life! So true are the words of Jesus: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it
Surveys will always be greeted with glee or dismay according to whether these confirm or debunk one’s chosen positions. The national elections of May 2010 were no exception. The surveys on approval or disapproval of GMA as a person and president, the leading contenders in the run-up to the elections, the trust factor of the different candidates, and so on were each accompanied by a torrent of opinionating. The comments focused on the credential
The great Protestant reformer martin Luther had a nice way of summarizing today’s gospel passage when he wrote that this story teaches us “the method and trick of wrestling with God.”
That’s exactly what the pagan woman is doing with Jesus – she wrestles with him and wins! Nothing can stop her in her love for her sick daughter, neither the initial silence of Jesus, nor the later apparent stern rebuke. She does not give up. Her in
The Excessive Goodness of Jesus (Mt. 14, 13-21)
It’s getting late. The crowds are drained, restless, and hungry. So are Jesus and his team. The disciples then come up to Jesus with a sensible suggestion: “Dismiss the multitude so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
It is a good advice. Whoever thought of the idea would make a good minister of finance or economic adviser. As Alan Greenspan or any thinking
In our first reading today King Solomon asked God for wisdom and right judgment before anything else: “Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” He became famous for his wisdom and the Book of proverbs is attributed to him. Sadly, in the end he forgot that his wisdom was not his own but God’s gift and he died having sown the seeds of the destruction of his kingdom.
“In the beginning, there was Africa…” – these words are echoed in the National Geographic channel, asserting the current scientific findings that humanity’s earliest ancestors hailed from this “Dark Continent.” That we share a common ancestry is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity, and that we all can trace our roots back to Africa is a humbling realization that, until we accept this common heritage of ours, we can never full
You know what is very frustrating for me? It is when I don’t see any result in the lives of people whom I minister to whether by teaching, preaching, or giving advice in spiritual direction. Parents may experience something similar when they try to bring up their children as good citizens and Christians and one or the other ends up taking drugs or lives an immoral life. Parents often blame themselves for their “failure” as I do when I don
Once I was invited by a prominent local hospital’s department of neurosciences and psychiatry to present a paper on the role of religion and spirituality among Filipinos as they cope with stress. Among other things, I presented the Filipino’s popular religiosity that highlights their awareness of the sacred as they are confronted with problems, like unemployment, failures, etc. this awareness of the sacred helps them cope. We all experience p
I once read an interesting commentary to this part of John’s gospel. This comment captured my imagination: “What Jesus meant when he said: ‘if you do not eat my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot be my disciple’ is this: if I do not become flesh and blood in you, you cannot be my disciple.” I like this interpretation because it fits like a glove to some truths present in John’s gospel. What the author meant by that statement i
The name of Tim Tebow gives pride and joy to Fil-Americans especially in Florida. After all, the young man proudly tells everyone that he was born in the Philippines where his parents live as missionaries. Moreover, the young Tim is an exceptional athlete; he is a quarterback of the University of Florida Gators, one of the top teams in the country. Most especially, however, is the deep faith in the star athlete as he lives and speaks out hi
The ancient world, like the world of today, agonized through a painful series of conflict and turmoil. So prevalent was conflict that people thought Heraclitus was after all right when he posited change or becoming as the dominant principle in reality especially conflict exemplified in the terror of fire and the horror of war. From all appearances, war as the highest form of conflict brought about meaningful and real change.
After the empi
“Till we meet again,” “Bye,” “So long” … there are many ways to say goodbye. However you want to say it, it only gives the same message: that we shall part from one another sooner or later.
The Solemnity of the Ascension is looking at “goodbye” from Jesus’ angle. His goodbye takes a unique form – in fact He never used the word “goodbye.” His parting words were: “Know that I am with you always…” (Gospel
This one you probably know. How much is a googol? It is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. That is a big number. We usually do not count that high but we like to measure a lot of things in our lives. There are things that we can measure quantitatively, like how old we are, or how much we weigh, or how many calories we eat in a day. But there are things, too, we would like to measure that does not lend itself to precise numbers. When someon
When doing succession planning at school one finds interesting responses on the sides of candidates for replacement. Some are only too eager to go, relieved that their years of burdensome decision-making, dealing daily with unpleasant underlings and contentious parents, monitoring periodically all kinds of activities, inputs, output, outcomes and results will now finally come to an end. Others are reluctant to go, not only because they will miss
One time I was attracted by a TV coverage on shepherds of today. It was wonderful to see hundreds of sheep grazing on the field. Then the commentator said something that struck me. It seems many shepherds do not get married! Really? Would one renounce marriage (just) because of the sheep? I realized how demanding the life of a shepherd is. He lays down his life for them. Indeed everytime he is with his flock. He bears the heat of the sun and feel
Did you know that according to Saint John, Pentecost happened on Easter evening when Jesus appeared as the risen one to his disciples for the first time? His Easter gift to them is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the breathing forth of the life-giving power of God that was up to then only present in him. Luke in contrast to John let the Spirit come on the apostles only 50 days after Easter while John let the Spirit come already on Easter
April 21, Holy Thursday
Ex 12, 1-8.11-14
1 Cor 11, 23-26
Jn 13, 1-15
When someone knows he or she is approaching death, we can presume that they would leave something significant or precious to their loved ones. A king, for instance would leave his crown to his eldest son; a wealthy father, some valuable possessions to his children. In the case of Jesus who knew He was
When I was a little kid one of my favorite Sundays in church was Palm Sunday. There was something about it. Well, there was more fun, more than the usual sitting, standing, and kneeling. We have to weave and wave little palms during the mass. Palm Sunday also signals the start of Holy Week, that chain of events leading to the Cross and Easter.
Palm Sunday is full of Hebrew symbols that are more than 2,000 years old. As Jesus entered
A week from now we enter the Holy Week, where we remember the dire passion of our Lord Jesus. It is in view of his suffering and death that the Church reminds us in today’s Mass of God’s power to resuscitate from death and to give new and everlasting life. This is meant for our encouragement in the hours of distress and death. The Church wants us not to lose our hope and trust in the moments of tribulation.
The miracle of the resuscita
The healing of the blind man on a Sabbath was something the Jewish authorities then could not take. It was for them a clear violation of the Sabbath, and those who do not keep the Sabbath are considered sinful. Some would call this a too strict interpretation of the Law, so much so that ‘they could not see the forest for the trees.’ The Jews overlooked the real need of the blind man which was to regain his sight. Jesus was teaching them to be
To minister cross-culturally or be in a multicultural setting is something inevitable when doing missionary work. Globalization has provided the context for this present day ministry. And many a times we missionaries are at a loss on how to do this work of God.
When viewed through the lens of ministry in a parish with multicultural setting, the above-quoted passage from John reveals some few themes helpful enough to reflect on in our work
The “Sound of Silence” is a song that still catches the ears of today’s listeners. No doubt this is true due to the fact that its lyrics find relevance in the life of many. There are visions and dreams that are hard to understand without confronting them in the silence of one’s heart. There can be issues that may be life-changing when understood.
In reading the gospel today, we find that it is situated in the whole context of Jesus
The novel Quarantine (literally means a period of 40-days) by Jim Crace is a fictional retelling of Jesus’ forty days in the desert. Far from being scripturally and theologically accurate, the author’s description of Jesus as he emerges from his self-imposed exile on a desert cave, nonetheless, raises insight into the humanity of the Christ. “[H]e found the strength to drag himself – as
I am quite aware that penitents who come to me for confession are generally nervous, hesitant, afraid and guilty. So the first words I greet them with is: Magandang umaga/gabi/hapon po. To convey friendliness, welcome and readiness to understand, I inform them that they may confess in Tagalog.
Words are like magic. They communicate sentiments, emotions like love and hatred, so that we could connect
A dying king wanted to pass his crown to one of his three sons, but cannot decide to which one. To solve his problem, he sent his three sons out to the world to do something worthy of being a king. After some time, the king called them back and asked them what they did.
The first son went on to say that he gave all his possessions to a family living on the streets, while the second son reported how he trained well with the military. The la
In the 1830’s Rev. John Nelson Darby startled his English congregation with his interpretation of 1 Thes 4:13-18 “We say to you, as if the Lord himself had said it, that we who live, who survive until his coming, will in no way have an advantage over those who have fallen asleep. No, the Lord himself will come down from heaven at the word of command, at the sound of the archangel’s voice and God’s trumpet; and those who have died in Chris
Last week, it was All Saints’ Day, a time to go to the cemeteries and pray for our dead, a time to be reminded of our own death sooner or later (later is preferred). As you go inside the cemetery of Tayum, Abra, my hometown, you are greeted with a marker: “Time flies, remember death” (an old Latin saying and adapted as the first degree motto of the Knights of Columbus). They say that the saying has its origin in Rome. When a gen
When God chose to be human, he became so in everything except sin. He also “set himself up” for the idiosyncrasies and all too human ways to conduct ourselves. Take for example ingratitude which is not so uncommon. What happens usually is this: we do everything, including being melodramatic, to get what we want or need. But the moment we get it, then everything and everyone seems to be forgotten. Who cares? I got it already!
This looks
One of the magnificent Churches in the city of Jerusalem is the Church of Dormition. It is dedicated to the Mother of Jesus who, according to the most revered tradition of Christians, did not die but instead was carried to heaven by her Son.
The word “dormition” is a fitting notion to depict the event of Mary’s Assumption. Dormire is the Latin infinitive, “to sleep.” The idea of “dormition” conveys the fact that Mary did not
One of our missionaries in South America came home for a short vacation. From Manila he booked a flight to Leyte where his parents lived. At the airport while waiting at the departure area, his flight was delayed indefinitely. So he started reading the new novel he had brought along until he fell asleep. When he woke up, his attention was caught by a huge plane smoothly taking off from the ground. “Wow! What a beauty!” he murmured to himself.
In 1934, the famous English novelist, Evelyn Waugh, published what many feel is his best novel, A Handful of Dust. Waugh, a devout Catholic, satirizes European society through many of the characters, but especially by means of the story’s hero, Tony Last. He is so devoted to maintaining his estate, a former castle, and so enthralled with the notion of living as an aristocrat that he ignores his wife, Brenda, while neglecting to raise their only
Prayer. There is, of course, the asking. The “give me this, the give me that.” More often than not this is the aspect of payer I know most surely. But there is the giving, too, and the receiving, the giving thanks. Above all, and in all, the love within and in between. This I must be aware of, especially today in the face of these readings about prayer.
In the first, Abraham bargains with God. He pleads on behalf of the people of Sodom
In the Old Testament, guests were highly appreciated, their welfare guaranteed. Thus when three of the Lord’s messengers appeared to Abraham, the patriarch “ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them, and bowing to the ground, he said, ‘Sir, if I may ask this favor, please do not go on past your servant. Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Now that you have come this close to you
The catechism book teaches that the purpose why God created me is for me to be with him in heaven for all eternity. Sometimes I ask myself why did He not bring me to heaven immediately after creating me or after being born? Upon reflection, however, I believe that He has another reason in temporarily putting me here on earth. “That God who created me without my consent, will not bring me to heaven without my consent.” I guess this statement a
Since there are some parents who chose sponsors for the initiation sacraments of their children (Baptism, First Eucharist and First Reconciliation, Confirmation), even without the necessary qualifications, it has become a common practice in the parishes (particularly in the parish of St. Matthew, Toronto, ON, Canada) to require parents to bring the confirmation certificates of prospective sponsors so that these could be verified, and the parish i
We have heard the gospel so often that we have become jaded to its unsettling character – the unfamiliar has become familiar. Accordingly, few of us seriously consider the fact that, being strangers to Hebrew culture, we fail to understand much of the gospel precisely because many of the events it speaks of only Jews can intimately understand.
Luke, a stranger himself to the culture, shares us his own puzzlement as he records some incid
Aside from death in the family, two most painful experiences in life are: to be accused of something one has not done and be rejected. In my high school years, a classmate wrongly accused me of reporting his misdeed to the principal, something which I did not do. Until now, I still feel the hurt when sometimes I think about it.
Rejection, on the other hand, shows itself in many subtle forms. It could come in criticisms, for instance, in no
King David, Paul of Tarsus, and the unnamed “sinful” woman in the gospel share a similar lot – they made a mess of their lives. Fortunately their stories have a common twist. On the account of God’s mercy and love all three turned their lives around for the better. David, who accepted his wrongdoing, abandoned everything to the justice of God (2 Sam 12, 7-10.13); Paul, saved by grace, claimed “I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me
The story of multiplication of the loaves from St. Luke’s gospel always fascinates me. The story is something very personal to me.
Jesus “Taking the five loaves and two fish, looking up to heaven, said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.”
Jesus took the bread. If I was one of the loaves of bread Jesus took … why me?
I was planning to get out of the seminary o
Oh Lord, why, of all days, did you ask me to write on the Feast of the Blessed Trinity?
This mystery has puzzled the greatest minds without anybody being able to crack it. Isn’t it crazy to think that God is one and three at the same time? No wonder that Jehovah’s witnesses and Dan Brown do away with it saying, “This was all invented by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 313 AD.”
They are wrong, of course. Already St. Igna
Pentecost Sunday is not only a celebration of an historical event but also a reminder of the continuous and extraordinary intervention of God into our lives. This is something that we experience, an ongoing reality that touches us every single day of our lives.
The readings today tell us that there are several Spirit-experiences.
The first Spirit-experience is in the Gospel. Jesus gives his Spirit to his disciples who are cowering i
Some friends who live abroad tell me that it is not only Filipinos who make up large communities in foreign cities. There are still places where the sight of brown skin would be a Nepalese who just happens to look like a Filipino, or taking it the other way around, where our Filipino countrymen are mistaken to be Chinese or Indonesians. In such areas, Filipinos have once again proven their ingenuity by coming up with almost fool-proof techniques
While preparing for my turn to preach on one of the Seven Last Words in 2008, I was talking to a TV host-comedienne at the sacristy of the Shrine of the Divine Word. I invited her to join the Oasis of Love Catholic Community. The popular actress said: “Ay, Father, muntik na akong maging born-again (Father, I almost became a born-again). Nang nagkakaproblema na ako sa married life ko, binisita nil agad ako at binigyan ng advice from the Bible. (
Commentators of John’s Gospel tell us that there are two moments in the life of Peter which seem to parenthesis a life of relationship with Jesus no less different from how we experience our own today. These two incidents are too meager in details that they seem too cold, abrupt, and void of human emotions. But, if we supply it with our knowledge of the cultural, political and social background of those times, both incidents come out very much
The term “paradigm shift” has been bandied about so often and used so loosely one wonders whether it still means anything. A paradigm is more than a simple belief about reality, or a certain position about some disputed subject, or a specific preference for doing things. Paradigm is about beliefs, convictions and habits, indeed, not on the retail but on the wholesale level. In other words, paradigm is about worldviews as such rather than abou
Early. Dark. Tomb. These are the dominant words that open today’s Gospel. For some of us, quite often, the same words mark our lives as well. But it is into this kind of gloom that Resurrection comes. It happened then, it happens now. We only have to believe (the last word in today’s Gospel). This, of course, is not always easy to do. Mary of magdala herself, alt
I had the opportunity to visit Corregidor Island sometime ago. Among the now silent big guns and empty barracks once occupied by American and allied Filipino soldiers, one can find underground bunkers where hundreds of soldiers sought shelter from enemy attacks. There are exhibits showing how Americans and Filipino soldiers suffered during the seemingly relentless assaults of their Japanese attackers. At the conclusion of the tour, one feels an o
Many years back I heard the late Cardinal Sin tell the following story. A man went to confession and somewhat nervously confessed that it was thirty years since his last confession. The irritated priest scolded him and asked him why he was away from the sacrament for so long. “Because,” said the man, “the last time I went to confession it was to a priest like you!” The Cardinal would conclude the story with the exhortation, “Be ki
When I was in La Paz Parish for 10 months in 1988, I presided over a number of First Communion celebrations. I remember how the children were being coached individually to ensure active participation and a more memorable celebration of the Holy Eucharist. One afternoon in Canan church, I sat inside to observe the liturgical rehearsals. I was impressed how well versed the children were with regards to their responses and special assignments. The E
A story is told that during the earlier times in Vienna, Austria, there is a Church where a ruling family, the Hapsburgs, are buried. Every time a royal funeral happens the mourners will knock on the door of the Church to be allowed to get inside. The priest inside will ask, “Who is it?” The guard will reply, “The Emperor.” The priest will respond, “I do not know him.” For the second time they will knock and the priest will ask, “Wh
As we plough through the heart of sorrowful Lent, the Church sees to it that we do not lose sight of the glorious end promised by the Lord. In the first reading, we recall the covenant between Yahweh and Abraham: “Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Just so shall your descendants be.” In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today is Migrants’ Sunday. We remember our countrymen who left their homeland in search of the proverbial greener pastures. The lure of possible wealth is a temptation to which they have succumbed. They have perhaps also given up on the possibility that things will get better in their own country. It was also noted that many have performed better and perhaps behaved better under foreign governments.
Jesus was also tempted by Satan who of
The idea presented in today’s Gospel is going to cause difficulties to some people, if not to most of us. It is easy just to read or hear the words and we may even nod our heads in agreement. But actually putting it into practice is not something we would think of taking seriously.
Happy are you who are poor? Who can stomach such statements? Who can take this seriously? Are we not being constantly pushed by society that the ideal is to b
My grandmother used to take delight in teaching me some of her mysterious “oraciones” to be recited in times of need and emergencies. For instance, there was this “oracion” to be prayed in case someone might want to harm me. It goes something like this: “egsac egmac egolum, POH!” Accordingly, if I recited this, no weapon could harm me. Another one, I remember, was to be prayed in case I needed extra physical strength to carry or move
Luke, author of today’s Gospel, your name comes up fairly often to us who try to regularly read the Gospels. You, Paul, we all should know you, too, even if not all of us can grasp all of your letters. But the two other names mentioned with you today are not as familiar: Neh
In the old Filipino culture, the 11th commandment given to children is: “Thou shall not talk back to thy parents.” And such a commandment was strictly enforced. Woe to any child who dared talk back to his/her parents.
It comes as a great surprise for a Filipino reader of the traditional mold to see the young Jesus talking back to his mother who had spent many anxious moments in looking for the lost child. “Why are you looking for me
This is my first year in Rome. One of the first activities I have done so far is to administer the sacrament of baptism to a Filipino child who was born here. The parents and the community got so caught up with inviting would-be godfathers and godmothers, and preparing the place for the reception that they forgot to inform the Italian parish priest. They did it only the day before the baptism itself to the surprise of the of the said pari
A story is told about a four year old boy who was helping his father set up the Christmas decorations. In the midst of their preparation, the young boy suddenly asked his father, ‘Daddy, what does ignore mean?’ The father explained,’ Ignore means not to pay attention to people when they call you.’ Immediately, the little boy looked at his father and said, ‘I don’t think we should ignore Jesus.’ Puzzled, the f
Witness to the Light
People – Christians or not – generally do not want to act as witnesses to crimes committed, even if they were at the scene of the crime. We have to believe in the honesty of a witness. One reason why few are willing to become witnesses is the fear of lack of security and it becomes burdensome as well as bothersome to act as witnesses. Very busy peopl
Advent is a season of waiting, and waiting can be a long, tiresome, and trying moment. What normally passes like a breeze becomes an eternity when we are counting the moments and waiting for something to happen. And so, during such times, we need people who will continually inspire and console us, lest we give in to sorrow and despair, unsure of whether better days are coming. This is the role Baruch played in the life of the Israelites, supposed
Lola Nena sits by the patio of her humble home calmly being amused by all sorts of people passing by. In her hand is a worn-out plastic rosary, one of the give-aways of the barangay captain when he ran for office last year. Our serene grandmother is not really praying the rosary; she already did that early in the morning. She was simply clinging to it as was her custom whenever she begins to recall with remarkable accuracy the loving faces of her
The patient requested, “Doctor, if there is anything wrong with me, do not frighten me half to death by giving it a long scientific name. Just tell me in plain English.”
“Well,” the doctor replied hesitantly, “to be perfectly frank, you are just plain lazy.”
“Thank you, doctor,” murmured the patient. “Now give me the scientific name so I can tell my family.”
Truth hurts. Most of us do not want to a
There is a popular wise saying that cautions us to remember our bad times when we are high and our happy times when we are low. The Chinese have their yin and yang, the lights and shadows, and we normally think in terms of opposites – plus and minus, positive and negative, good and bad, right and wrong. Also, life seems to be a process where contradictorie
The modern market economy is built on competition – it accepts conflict and tension as normal between consumers and producers, between producers and sellers, between laborers and employers, between creditors and borrowers. Whether it is a transaction of goods or services, each party wants to get the highest benefit as possible from the other.
What Jesus chooses to underline in contrasting the Pharisee and the widow is not their inter
Today, all roads lead to the cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria. Visiting our deceased loved ones at their resting place is a century-old Filipino tradition. Every year, I go to Guagua, Pampanga to bless the tombs of my deceased relatives and my late Mom. As you read my reflections today, probably, I am still in Guagua, where my parents came from, blessing almost half of the cemetery, because people, even those whom I have just met, would
Conquering Blindness
Our sense of sight is a blessing. To be able to see gives us a sense of security and even joy. People oftentimes travel from one place to another to see new things. People connect themselves with all the modern technologies in order to see different places, culture, and lifestyle. Likewise, people like to be visible in order to be recognized. Today our society becomes more visual
Bearer of God’s Love
Mission Sunday is a time when we remember, in a special way, those who have taken to heart Christ’s call to make disciples of all nations. They have left their native land, their family and friends and have gone to foreign lands to plant the faith among the great masses who know nothing about Christ. It is not easy to be an exile, a stranger constantly adaptin
When I was in Kalinga some years ago, Vice President Gloria Arroyo at that time, head of the DSWD, visited the Mission of Pasil. After that event, I asked some people about their experience, like the public school teachers who met the vice president for the first time. Many people wanted to come near the vice president but were not able. So the teachers said, “We were happy and lucky to have that opportunity to see the vice president in p
JESUS’ TEACHING ON DIVORCE
The second story of creation in the book of Genesis is what we hear in today’s first reading. It reminds us of God’s breath of life into man’s nostrils in order for him to share in the life of God Himself. He is the embodiment of the whole of humanity, the human race. He is indeed the masterpiece of God’s creation. But, in order for man to
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The majority of us Christians are good. Why? Here and there Christians are convinced that it is better after all to do good than to do evil. Despite the fight between two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Satan, still many Christians support the good rather than the evil.
Many Christians, including non-Catholics, prefer to create a society of good people.&
The Right Combination for Greatness!
In the field of sports, at this very day, Juan Marquez, the numero uno boxer in Mexico, and Floyd Mayweather , Jr, the number one boxer in the United States are engaging each other inside the ring in order to prove who is the best and number one boxer. Also at present, in the politcal field, the administration and opposition parties are figuring out whom are
Reflecting on the readings, I recall the comment and sentiment expressed to me by a man. He said, “Bakit maraming naghihirap at kahirapan sa mundo kung tayo ay mahal ng Diyos?” Understandably, we can empathize with the man for nobody wants to suffer. We want to avoid as much as possible the hard things of life. Jesus never gave a satisfactory explanation why we have to suffer but He did give meanin
When I was studying Italian in Perugia, Italy, I was staying at the old house right in front of the piazza, where people gather every night, making a lot of noise, shouting, singing, dancing. For the first week it woke me every night but then I became accustomed to the noise and it no longer woke me. You could say I became deaf to the noise. (A few weeks afterwards a room at the other side of the house, the quiet side, became vacant and I moved i
What gets to Jesus? Emphasizing the externals. Yes, the first thing that gets to Jesus is the Pharisees’ emphasis on the externals. The Pharisee in our story is bugged when Jesus does not wash his hands before the meal. In this case, hand washing is not about cleanliness. It is about a religious ceremony, a very detailed ritual. Before you ate, you had to wash your hands a certain way, and then wash them
Whenever I attend a celebration such as a wedding, baptism, priesthood anniversary or any other celebration, the host together with his/her family usually prepare good and delicious food which the guests actually enjoy. Eating together has a special meaning for us. The sharing of food and drink brings us closer and united with one another. We belong to one family although we come from different places, races and background. Today, we celebrate
Around us everyday, we see many examples of death bringing forth life. A kernel of corn is buried and it grows into a tall cornstalk. The ice cube dissolves and it cools the water. A match burns itself to light a fire. Water gets dirty to clean you. A battery goes dwad giving you music and light. Wood burns itself out to cook your food. A tree dies to give you sago. Animals and plants die to give you your food. By dying, these entire things rise
“Three Sixteen” is the title of today’s gospel. This passage is one of the most popular verses in the Bible. It has been memorized by millions of Christians and can be found displayed in billboards, mugs, frames, etc. This passage talks about God’s love for us and what it means to each one of us. There are several things that today’s passage tells us about God’s love. First, it teaches us that the love of God is broad. It is broad
In one African country, there was a great famine. There was too little rain for five years. People were really suffering from hunger. Animals, too were lying dead everywhere and were decomposing. Imagine the stink in the air. Rations from abroad came to the rescue. Tons of maize flour, powder milk, canned products and ready mixed food came in big quantities enough for the people. Systematic arrangements were made for the distribution. In eac
To be a Cadet Officer for Citizens Army Training (CAT) in the mid 1970s was very tough. A candidate had to hurdle dangerous obstacles to succeed. I could not forget one which was called “Tarzan”. With ropes dangling in equal distances under the branches of big mango trees, the candidates’ goal was to reach the other side by swinging through the ropes. At first I told myself, “chicken feed.” But after a failed first attempt, I discovered
The season of Lent begins with the Lord’s reminder to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God. To prepare means to get ready before the event. We are now given four weeks to make ready for the coming of the Kingdom. We all have our “tidying quirks.” I start cleaning the floor, then making the bed, dusting and end up cleaning the floor all over again! The Lord offers a simpler system. First repent or clean up then believe (tidy up).