What is Your Story?

Matthew 13:10-17 If there is one thing that attracted people to Jesus, it’s that he told stories. Not only was he a very good story teller, but his stories were simple, relevant, deep, and profound. These are the stories we call parables. The Gospel of Luke has 24 parables; the Gospel of Matthew has 23…

Doing Everything When Sick

One of the most difficult of all human experiences is to be sick. Some sicknesses are temporary, some can last a lifetime, and some, in the worst cases, can be terminal. In the many Anointing of the Sick experiences, I noticed that when it is the children that are sick, the parents suffer even more….

Baptismal Promises

Every Easter Vigil or every time we stand as god parent for a baptism, we renew our baptismal vows.  Do you reject Satan? Do you reject all his works? Do you reject all his empty promises? Why is this very important and significant? It is because most of us were baptized when we were infants….

Desert Experience

On a trip to the Holy Land, we ventured one day in the desert of Egypt. For hours there was nothing to see except sand, stones and cactus. The mountains were barren and there were a few trees. Our tour guide explained that at night it gets very cold and during the daytime, it is…

Annunciation

When Adam and Eve sinned, the very first promise of the Lord was a Messiah. Certainly, God knew that the Messiah would be born through a Woman. Certainly, God knew that the woman would be Mama Mary. However there was one thing that God did not know – if Mama Mary would say yes or…

To Be Right or To Be Good

Each day in our lives we are confronted with decisions. In making the decisions, there are things to be considered:  Is it good or is it bad?  Is it about me or is it about my neighbor?  Will I benefit from this or will I have to make a sacrifice? Will there be a benefit…

Service

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…

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…

Jesus Is God

Throughout the history of mankind, people have seen Jesus, who perhaps is the most popular figure in humanity, in different ways. Some see him as a Great Prophet. Some see him as a Great Teacher and Preacher. Some see him as a Miracle Worker. Some see him as a Religious Leader. In Islam, Jesus is…