One very important factor in any relationship is trust. It is something we build over time but can lose in just one moment. One image is that of a jar wherein marbles are collected over time for all to see. The collector demonstrates trust in those who see it, but sadly it just takes one…
Category: Church Traditions
Confession
Of the seven sacraments of the Church, the one I find most humbling is the sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. Why? People entrust priests with the sins that they cannot even tell their spouses or best friends. They trust that their deep, dark secrets are only between them and God. In the Gospel, we are…
Fake News
Thanks to technology, it is so easy now to get information: Anything that is happening in the world, television can feature it; if you need to know certain information, just “Google” it; if you need to send information, just text or send an email. Indeed, while technology is very useful, it has its downside too….
Service
In the Gospel, we often see the humanity of the apostles. In one passage, they were arguing who among themselves was greatest. They argued…who has done the greatest miracle? Who has the most followers? Who speaks the best? Who has the best talent? Jesus, who most likely was disappointed because after forming and teaching his…
Perseverance
Luke 8:4-15 A friend of ours has a very intelligent and pretty wife. Close friends of theirs would also ask the wife why she fell for her husband, when “she deserved someone better.” Her consistent answer was, “He showed perseverance.” While we Filipinos have a saying, “kung may tiyaga, may nilaga,” the Gospel today reminds…
The Sacredness of Life
Luke 1: 57-60 Look at the world we live in. There was a commercial I came across reminding us that children are expensive to raise, add responsibility, and limit freedoms. Hence, we are much better off without them. We have forgotten that each child means hope. Every June we celebrate the birth of John the…
God is Good
Why is there so much bad news in the newspapers, on the radio, on the TV, on social media? According to a study, it is because bad news sells. We people would rather read if it is bad news instead of good news. Since media is a business, these companies feature the bad news or…
Hope in Hopelessness
What do you do when your worst fear happens? For a parent, the chronic sickness of a child; For lovers, betrayal of one party; For business partners, one party takes the money and runs away; For friends, one party tells your deepest secrets to other people; On our personal life, we put our time, treasure…
Why Fast?
During the season of Lent, Catholics are encouraged to fast during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Since Filipinos eat six times a day, from breakfast to morning merienda, to lunch to afternoon merienda, to dinner to midnight snacks, fasting is so hard. While it is very difficult to skip meals, let us be reminded that…
Reaping and Sowing
It is said that the father of tomorrow is today. Whatever we do today, affects our future. Just as what we did yesterday, affects our today. In other words, we reap what we sow. This is the lesson of the parable of the seed that was sown. Eventually, we shall reap accordingly. Hence, in our…