John 1: 45-51 This October 2017, I will be on my 11th year as a priest. How time flies. After 14 years in the corporate world and 5 years in the seminary, I would tell people that the priesthood “is the world’s best kept secret.” It does have its share of trials and difficulties but…
Category: Importance of Prayer
Change of Fortunes
Matthew 27: 11-54 There this saying that life is “weather-weather” lang. Just look at the weather, at times it is quiet, there are times that it is stormy. There are times it is dark, there are times it is bright. There are times it is dry and there are times it is wet. There are…
Help in Our Need
John 21: 1-14 Once in our class, our priest-professor asked us, “Who is the mother of Perpetual Help?” The natural and loud response, “Mary!” Then he asked the next question, “Who is the Perpetual Help?” For a while, the class was quiet until one answered, “Jesus?” My dear friends, God is our perpetual help. He…
Unhappy People
Luke 13: 10-17 In our many relationships, there are people that we encounter who are not happy with life. We call them “unhappy” people. The thing with unhappy people is that they, too, want people to be unhappy. Someone has a new house, what do they say, “Utang naman yan.” Someone gets promoted, “Sipsip kasi…
Prayer of Faith
Mark 9: 14-29 During my initial exposure with the ministry of deliverance, I noticed the priests that when they prayed, they prayed with so much conviction. I told myself, “As if they were talking the devil itself.” This comment eventually I shared with the main priest doing the deliverance. He confirmed what I said, “Indeed…
The Carabao and The Fly
Mark 9: 30-37 Whenever we encounter people who are so full of themselves, arrogant and in tagalog, “mayabang,” we often comment that the person is just a fly who is stepping on a carabao. Hence, the illusion of power and grandeur. This is what Jesus wanted to warn His disciples of – the illusion of…
Answered Prayer
When I was a boy, I saw a board game that I asked my dad to buy. After searching the department stores, we went to Cartimar. During those times, Cartimar was the place to buy imported goods. After searching and searching, finally, there was a store that had the toy! My happiness was short lived…
The Power of Words
Matthew 8: 5-13 Words are very powerful. Notice when one is down and a friend or a loved one utters kind and inspiring words, how it lifts us up, how it gives us strength, and how it gives us comfort. On the other hand, when people, who we do not know from Adam, say something…
Mercy
Luke 6: 36-38 Now that my father and mother are not around anymore, every now and then I would look back and reminisce of our growing up years. Our parents despite limited financial resources tried to give us the best in life, most especially education. Further, for a family of five boys, one could just…
At God’s Given Time
John 8: 12-20 The first reading talks about two judges whose “suppressed their consciences” and look at the damage they have done to the life of Susana. How many of us have been victims of other people’s sin and because of this, suddenly our lives are plunged into darkness. Yet, Susana did something that we…