Prayer and Authority

Notice in the bible, the word authority is always mentioned. In Genesis, God gave mankind authority over every living thing upon the earth. In Matthew, Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth. In Matthew again, Jesus gave Peter the authority: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever…

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,…

Not Welcome

In 1962, Christianity was removed from the public schools in the United States. 50 years later, a study was made on the effects: Criminal arrests of teens were up 150% according to the US Bureau of Census  Teen suicides, in ages 15-19 years old, were up 450% according to the National Center of Health Services…

Devil vs Devil

The tongue is a very powerful tool – it can heal and it can also destroy. Sadly, there are people who use the tongue to put other people down. With this age of technology, it can even be worse. People now put down other people on social media. Worst, people also comment without knowing the…

In the Beginning

Once I was talking to an HR personnel of a multinational corporation and he was saying that in his company there was a move for gender classifications, identity, or expressions. Now they are talking about: Bigender – someone’s identity encompasses man and woman Agender – someone’s identity is either man or woman, or any other…

In the Eyes of Eternity

There is a car bumper sticker that says, “He who dies with the most toys, wins!” At first, this may sound funny, but on deeper reflection, one may think, “Is the purpose of life all about accumulating material things?” In the Gospel, Jesus was asked a question by the Sadducees about money and heaven. A…

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…

The Word of God and Family

A friend of mine once shared this reflection about the life of a priest: Before he entered the seminary, people in the Parish would not mind him. When he became a seminarian, suddenly people knew him. In fact, he would now be invited to the parties and fellowships. Then he became a deacon, and this…

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,…

Travel Light

Luke 9:1-6 Whenever I am blessed with the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage, I cannot help but notice what is the strength of the Filipino and what needs to be improved. Our best strength is that we are warm. Once the bus driver asked me if the group that I was with are all…