Why Follow Jesus

One topic of conversation in many gatherings is the sad reality of suicide. Why do people take their own lives?  We read about prominent celebrities often having suicides. They have money, they have fame, they have so many friends, and they enjoy the finer things in life. With all of these, aren’t they supposed to…

Pride and Humility

Luke 11:29-32 In the first reading today, we hear of the sign of Jonah. He went around Nineveh for 40 days warning them to repent and they did. In the Gospel today, the Jews were asking for a sign but Jesus did not give the sign because he knew that their hearts were hardened. In…

The Family

A sociologist once said that if you want to destroy the country there is no need to go to war. There is no need for a revolution. There is no need for a plague. Simply, just destroy the family. Why? The family is the most basic of all social units. In other words, if this…

Prayer and Authority

Notice in the bible, the word authority is always mentioned. In Genesis, God gave mankind authority over every living thing upon the earth. In Matthew, Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth. In Matthew again, Jesus gave Peter the authority: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever…

What Matters In Life

As a priest, I always give priority to Anointing of the Sick and Confession for those who are chronically ill. The confession typically takes at least one hour. It is not only confession but also a flashback of life. Typically, the three things talked about: first, the hurts in life, most especially broken relationships; second,…

Not Welcome

In 1962, Christianity was removed from the public schools in the United States. 50 years later, a study was made on the effects: Criminal arrests of teens were up 150% according to the US Bureau of Census  Teen suicides, in ages 15-19 years old, were up 450% according to the National Center of Health Services…

Being Put Down

One of the most common human experiences is to be put down. For my generation, how familiar are the words, “You are nothing but a second rate…trying hard…copycat.” We have been put down for so many reasons. The color of our skin, our accent, our religion, because of the mistakes we have done, because people…

Devil vs Devil

The tongue is a very powerful tool – it can heal and it can also destroy. Sadly, there are people who use the tongue to put other people down. With this age of technology, it can even be worse. People now put down other people on social media. Worst, people also comment without knowing the…

Giving

Luke 14: 12-14 Jesus would always see things from the heart: He lambasted the Pharisees and Scribes because they were holy on the outside with their titles, places of honors, and vestments. However, God saw what was in their hearts. Despite the town willing to punish her, Jesus did not judge or punish a woman…

In the Beginning

Once I was talking to an HR personnel of a multinational corporation and he was saying that in his company there was a move for gender classifications, identity, or expressions. Now they are talking about: Bigender – someone’s identity encompasses man and woman Agender – someone’s identity is either man or woman, or any other…