Hope

Crisis and God

Last March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic started in the Philippines. We did not know what Covid was. We did not know how to treat it. We tried everything to avoid it. It was very hard because we said goodbye to so many people. Many people experienced financial difficulties and up to now, many people are…

The Good Shepherd

It was said that Jesus was an excellent preacher because of three things: In the Gospel, Jesus often gave the imagery of God as a Good Shepherd. Certainly, people of that time had experiences of shepherds who were good and shepherds who were not so good. Further, they knew of the qualities of the sheep,…

Come Follow Me

Editor’s Note: This was a homily from last October 4, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. As the life of St. Francis has lessons we can all learn from, we are including this here today. In the music industry, there is what is called “Fandom”. They are passionate and devoted fans who are…

Call to Sainthood

Ed. Note: This is a homily from last night’s mass at San Carlos Seminary, celebrating Fr. Mon’s 60th Birthday. Happy Birthday Fr. Mon! Thank you always, for the gift of your words, which have touched so many of our lives. Just last week we attended a conference on seminary formation in Iloilo. The experience nationwide…

All Things Come to Pass

Once upon a time in New York there existed the World Trade Center. The Twin Towers of 110 floors were completed in 1973. In 2001, it was brought down by terrorists when two planes crashed on both towers. It was a strange feeling that the symbol of American capitalism was brought down just like that. …

The Resurrection

The Resurrection is the most important celebration of the Church. Why? If Jesus did not rise, we would not be here. The original testimony that Christ had truly risen was the stone removed from the tomb (someone powerful had done it), the empty tomb (no body of Christ), and the folded cloth (which meant the…

People have always talked about the paradox of time. The past is the past, yet there are some people who continue to dwell in the past. The future is just a promise, yet there are people who continue to keep their sights on the future, forgetting that the only time we have is now. The…

Faithfulness

When Adam and Eve sinned by eating the apple in the garden, God told the serpent in the Book of Genesis, “ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” This passage is…

Life Goes On

The most important event of the Church is that Christ was resurrected. Otherwise, If Jesus did not rise, we should not be here. After the Resurrection, Jesus showed himself for the third time to Simon Peter and even ate with the apostles. While they were still in disbelief, the fact remains, it did not end…

Hope

Typically during wakes, especially of children who passed away, the loved ones and family have so many questions. My dear friends, tomorrow’s Feast of the Assumption is very important because we are reminded that there is eternal life. Never lose hope in the goodbyes of life; the separation is only temporary. The challenge now is…