Whenever it’s campaign time, politicians are always promising to make the Philippines great again. I remember the stories from the older generation that in the 1950s, when they would be mistaken for Japanese in Europe, they would say, “We are not Japanese, we are Filipinos!” Indeed, the Philippines was once a rich nation. It had…
Category: Humility & Selflessness
Persevere
A common mentality these days is to get rich without working hard. People want to get rich quick. Never mind how, never mind if it is illegal or immoral, as long as one does not get caught it is fine with them. One of the fastest ways, for a few lucky individuals, is through the…
What Forgiveness Can Do
Matthew 10:16-23 The story of Joseph is perhaps one of the most popular Old Testament stories. In fact, it was made into a play named “Joseph the Dreamer” Joseph was the 11th child of Jacob. His stepbrothers were envious of him because he was the favorite of Jacob, and so they sold him as a…
How to Have Eternal Life
At the end of this journey called life, we all know that what matters is Life Eternal. How do we attain eternal life? Some of our brothers and sisters say that just proclaim with your lips that Jesus is Lord and you will be saved. Hence, no need to do good works. Others say, that…
Eyes of Faith
While people may see the same thing, they interpret things differently. A person may see junk and old materials, while an artist may see a beautiful sculpture. A person may see an empty piece of land, while a real estate developer may see a profit when a mall is constructed on the land. A person…
Wisdom
Luke 7: 31-35 An interesting article I came across discusses the pros and cons of technology. On one hand, getting information nowadays is so easy. Just go to Google and information is readily available. 25 years ago, it could be months for one to get information that we can get now with just a click…
Pride and Humility
Luke 11:29-32 In the first reading today, we hear of the sign of Jonah. He went around Nineveh for 40 days warning them to repent and they did. In the Gospel today, the Jews were asking for a sign but Jesus did not give the sign because he knew that their hearts were hardened. In…
What Matters In Life
As a priest, I always give priority to Anointing of the Sick and Confession for those who are chronically ill. The confession typically takes at least one hour. It is not only confession but also a flashback of life. Typically, the three things talked about: first, the hurts in life, most especially broken relationships; second,…
Being Put Down
One of the most common human experiences is to be put down. For my generation, how familiar are the words, “You are nothing but a second rate…trying hard…copycat.” We have been put down for so many reasons. The color of our skin, our accent, our religion, because of the mistakes we have done, because people…
Giving
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…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 