Eternal Life

It is said that Malcolm Forbes once said, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” While it may automatically bring a smile to your face, it will also make you think deeper – “Is life just about accumulating material things?” Then again, what is the point. “We came into this world with nothing, we…

Betrayal

There is a saying, “Why is betrayal very painful? Because it does not come from an enemy but from a loved one.” There is betrayal everywhere: In marriage, in business partnerships, in friendships, in the family, and in organizations.  It is very painful because there are questions that will remain unanswered, such as, “Why did…

Sabbath

To put order in any organization and institution, laws, rules, and regulations are very important. Otherwise, if everyone does what he or she wants, it is going to be chaotic. Somewhere down the road though, we forget why these laws, regulations, and rules were implemented and we just follow them blindly.  In the Gospel, the…

The Father’s Approval

There is a popular sticker on cars that reads, ‘He who dies with the most toys, wins’. While the thought may sound funny, it is thought-provoking. It makes us ask the question that humanity has always asked, “Is this the only life or is there life after this one?” Once a widow shared with me…

Regret (Paghininayang)

Regret is one of the biggest and most common emotions a person can experience after losing someone. On top of the pain of the actual loss, the feelings of regret come rushing through, making even the strongest of us ask:  In one of the more known Gospel stories, Martha’s regret after the loss of her…

Greatness

There is an article that states that all of us have desires. These desires are what lead us to greatness and being the greatest. The seven desires are:  That is why, even when Jesus was already grieving about his coming passion and death, what was in the mind of the mother of the sons of…

Death

Once I visited a friend, who recovered after being comatose for three days. So I asked him if he saw the usual light at the end of the tunnel? If he saw this beautiful garden? If he felt so much peace? He said, on the contrary, he was in a very scary place and the…

Anger

During Confession, there are penitents who confess that they got angry. The question is usually, “Is anger a sin?” Even Jesus got angry when the temple was being turned into a marketplace. He also got angry when rules were more important than people when the children were not allowed to come to him, when the…

Not Seeing God

With everything that is happening in the world today, there are many people asking, “Where is God in all of this?” In the Gospel, the Pharisees and Chief Priests did not see Jesus as God despite all the miracles he performed, like raising Lazarus from the dead. Instead, they even wanted to kill Jesus because…

Transfiguration

According to a survey, the four biggest fears of people are : In discussing death, Jesus knew when his days were numbered. One of his biggest concerns was for the apostles he has loved, he has taught and given a mission. How will they deal with death? Hence Jesus brought them up the mountain and…