Mark 12: 35-37 In this reading, Jesus continues to introduce Himself to the people. In the Gospel, he is both Son and Lord based on Scriptures – Son of man by birth, and Lord and Savior by nature. While most of the people were happy and indeed rejoiced, the many opponents of Jesus were not…
Category: Church Traditions
The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
Matthew 16: 13-19 When we studied Church History as seminarians, our professor told us that when you look at the history of the Church, twenty-one centuries of it, you will realize that it is a very human organization. It is composed of 99 percent lay people and less than one percent ordained ministers. It has…
Where Your Heart Is
John 3: 1-8 Jesus once said that “Where your heart is, there will be your treasure.” In other words, what is most important to a person is most likely what is to pursue. What could it be? Money? As long as you have all the basics in life, money in the bank is more than…
Feeling Good
As human beings, we want to feel good, we want to be happy. Often, our mistake is that we compare ourselves with others. We think that this would make us feel good. On the contrary, the opposite happens. When we see that our neighbor has this new car, we become envious. When our friend gets…
Holier Than Thou
Matthew 13: 24-30 How often have we heard comments such as: “Why go to Mass when the people there are no different from the people who do not go to Mass?” “Look at her she prays so fervently but look how she mistreats her household help.” “I heard that even within the different organizations and…
Forgiveness
John 18: 33B-37 As a priest, two of the most urgent sacrament are Confession and Anointing of the Sick. Why? Because these two Sacraments have the capacity to forgive sins. In Confession, the priest forgives in the name of the Church, “I absolve you of all your sins, “In the Name of the Father, of…
Wrong Turns in Life
For drivers like me, thanks to technology, there is a computer application that is very much appreciated: WAZE. Just key in your destination and it will tell you how to reach your destination. Yes, if you get lost, it helps you get back to the right track. We all know that life itself is a…
Being Prepared
One reality of life is being prepared: For students who have an examination tomorrow, the challenge to prepare is by reading, researching, studying and even memorizing; For a lawyer with a court case, the challenge to prepare is by studying the facts, the evidence and talking to the witnesses; for a priest going to celebrate…
Following Christ
Every once in a while, I celebrate Mass for the Green Archers. At a very young age, because of media and social media, these kids are already dealing with fame: they are talked about. they are recognized and some already get to endorse products. What people don’t see are the “behind the scenes” – the…
The Last Request
Mark 16: 9-15 All of us have experiences of someone passing away. How we wish to be by the bedside to say goodbye. Of course, there is also the last wishes or the “huling bilin.” For a person about to transition to the next life, the last wishes are the ones he or she feels…