Every now and then we go to a wake, we send our condolences to the family and yes, we hear of the circumstances of how a loved one passed away. Yes, there are stories wherein death does not make sense. It is mixed emotions in the case of saying goodbye to an old parent who…
Category: Hope
Passion
There is a saying in Tagalog that life is “weather weather lang.” In other words, like the weather, sometimes life is sunny, sometimes life is cloudy and overcast. Sometimes life is bright, sometimes life is stormy. Sometimes life gives you lemons or throws you a curve ball, sometimes life gives us a pleasant surprise. This…
Annunciation
When Adam and Eve sinned, the very first promise of God would be the Messiah. However the coming of the Messiah was not easy. In the Book of Genesis, it was said, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and…
Desiring Eternal Life
Jesus was an excellent storyteller. He made use of imagery and contrast to make his point and to impart his teachings. Jesus got people interested when he said that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed… smallest of all seeds but eventually, it becomes the biggest of all plants Jesus got people curious…
Life of the Priest
When my mother was still alive, every time I went home, she would ask me, “Have you eaten?” I kept on telling her that in the priesthood they always feed the priests, from birth to death, and in joy and pain. In fact, people seem to enjoy the company of priests. The truth is, the…
Finding Love
Ed. Note: This is a homily from one of Fr. Mon’s wedding masses last year. As today is Valentine’s Day, it is a fitting entry on marriage and relationships, with lessons we can all relate to. If a person’s vocation is married life, therefore the greatest adventure would be to find that one, true and only…
Conversion
Last year’s Simbang Gabi was memorable because I did it in Singapore. For nine nights at 8 pm, the Church was full. Maybe 90 percent Filipinos and 10 percent Singaporeans. The Dynamics of the Singaporeans is they are mostly converts to Catholicism, thus making them more serious and zealous in the faith. On January 25th…
Children
There was an article recently in the newspaper about the birthrate in the Philippines. In 2017, there were 2.7 children per woman. In 2022, the fertility rate was down to 1.9. The figure is 2.2 in rural areas and 1.7 in urban centers. This is already below the replacement level for two parents. Further, while…
Evil
Since time immemorial, people have asked these questions: First, “If God is good, why is there evil?” Second, “Why is evil seemingly prevailing?” Third, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” The Gospel often reminds us of the reality of evil, the presence of evil and yes, its co-existence with the good in the…
