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…
Category: Gratitude
Perseverance
I love watching the many talent shows on TV. Often a contestant walks in, we think, “Why is she there?”, “The nerve”, or “He will never make it.” Then the person does his well and we are stunned. We ask ourselves, “Unbelievable! Where did he/she get that talent?” My dear friends, the Gospel tells us…
Who Is The Favorite?
Among siblings, one of the favorite discussions is who is the favorite of daddy and mommy? Even in the office, who is the favorite of the boss? In the Parish, people observe the priest and also ask who is father’s favorite? In the Gospel, Peter compared himself to John. We know that if not checked,…
David and Goliath
Aside from fairy tales, many of us grew up listening to bible stories: Samson and Delilah, Adam and Eve, and one of the most popular, David and Goliath. How fascinated are we, that with a slingshot, a small boy can bring down a powerful, huge giant! Against all odds… My dear friends, how many times…
What Shall We Do
In a retreat that we attended, the retreat master gave us two hours to reflect on the question: “If you had twenty-four hours to live, what shall you do?” After two hours, we shared our reflections and it all boiled down to one thing: Despite differences in the stories and experiences of all the people,…
Love of God
When tragedy strikes, one of the first who gets blamed is God. Where was God when Tsunamis hit the Indian Ocean and Japan? Where was God when the earthquake shook Chile? Haiti? And the rest of the world? Where is God during war? A parent had to deal with the question of her teenage child…
Competition
As a priest, one reality of the ministry is that we are always compared to others. Fr. A sings better, Fr. B is very good in Filipino, Fr. C is always present and so easy to invite, Fr D gives good homilies, etc. Intentionally or unintentionally, this causes intrigue and competition. In a reading from…
Blessings and Responsibilities
Matthew 11: 20 -24 As human beings, at times we cannot but compare ourselves with others. Why do they have such a nice house? Where did they get all their money? Look at her, beauty, and brains. Why is she so popular and the favorite of the boss? When we compare ourselves to others, many…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 